As a side issue I can't wait for the day that Patton leaves GWS, so that they know how it feels.

Travis Cloke will be a fine replacement for him .

WHY ARE WE ALWAYS GETTING DRAGGED INTO THESE STUPID ARGUMENTS??????

Nobody mentions Dean Wellman who left with a year to go on his contract??

Nobody talks about Carlton tanking the last 11 games of the year to get Judd?

Nobody talks about Carlton tanking to get Kruezer?

Nobody talks about Carlton winning 3 wooden spoons in a row?

Nobody talks about how we were stiffed by Scott Thompson.

A few talk about who we were stiffed by Scull and his fat dad.

They all talk about Melbourne.

Stuff 'em. I am sick of Melbourne being dragged through the mud on these stupid issues. What are we - cursed?? Stynes, Broadbridge, Wight, Barassi, Norm Smith........aaaarggghhhh

As for Coaches. If clubs stop sacking coaches mid contract then guess what might happen?? People might actually start honouring contracts.

(rant over)

I agree 100% with this, there are other examples as well for instance Moloney getting done for "almost" hitting Bartel while King gets off with kicking White in the face and smashing his face apart. Then JT getting 3 weeks for a tackle. This stuff is history now but it is a recurring theme.

Also why does Eddie seem to really have it in for us? He always goes on about how Collingwood are so good for the competition and will help out struggling teams but as soon as he's not happy about something that someone else does he has a sook and threatens to take his ball and go home. For instance always threatening to take the Queens B'day game off us and threatening to poach sponsors from us - now he wants us to be fined because his assistant coach got a new job and they wanted to terminate his employment effective immediately rather than let him serve out his remaining two weeks. That is their prerogative to walk him off the job but why does he then try to put the blame on us and want US to pay out his WHOLE YEARS CONTRACT???

It's just laughable but the fact the AFL not only entertains but goes along with this rubbish is just ludicrous. And why do they do that? Could it have something to do with the article earlier in the week where Pert indicated the Pies were offered their own exclusive broadcast deal for Pies games? Of course he said they would never entertain this idea but just mentioned it had been broached with them. Does anyone really believe that they do not use this type of thing as a threat when dealing with the AFL who is solely focused on the bottom line and bankrolling their pet projects up north?

Reply to Doc Gonzo

The QB game has been an major annoyance to me for the reason you state. It's like bringing out the begging bowl once a year on Alm's Day when the rich hand out triflings to the poor. For this we have to bow and scrape and express our eternal gratitude to ensure we continue to enjoy Eddie's largess. An ongoing humiliating ritual to reinforce our inferiority to the filth supporters. And we seem to put too much focus on winning this game and then fall flat for the rest of the season.

I just hope we can get our act together and stand on our own feet so we don't have to put up with this for much longer. Then to hell with QB. We'll create our own blockbusters.

Edited March 24, 201213 yr by Jackie

Travis Cloke will be a fine replacement for him .

Don't be surprised if we make a play for Cloke . He'll be a restricted free agent and apart from his salary we could get him for nothing .

If we can make room for him in our salary cap he's an outside chance of coming over . With him at CHF it increases our chances of playing finals quite a lot . .

Judging by how Neeld and co went after Clark (and by how much we were prepared to pay him) I think it's on the cards .

It's a bit of a long shot in a lot of people's eyes but he's the sort of star we so desperately need .

Cheers

Edited March 24, 201213 yr by Macca

Don't be surprised if we make a play for Cloke . He'll be a restricted free agent and apart from his salary we could get him for nothing .

If we can make room for him in our salary cap he's an outside chance of coming over . With him at CHF it increases our chances of playing finals quite a lot . .

Judging by how Neeld and co went after Clark (and by how much we were prepared to pay him) I think it's on the cards .

It's a bit of a long shot in a lot of people's eyes but he's the sort of star we so desperately need .

Cheers

I give that 0% chance. I think his father will drag the big offer from GWS and then put it on the Pies to nearly match it saying he wants to stay a Pie. He will take a bit less to stay. Pies will either ante up or he heads to GWS.

I give that 0% chance. I think his father will drag the big offer from GWS and then put it on the Pies to nearly match it saying he wants to stay a Pie. He will take a bit less to stay. Pies will either ante up or he heads to GWS.

They've missed out on Hurley so the pressure will be on ED to keep Cloke or Pendlebury, should make for an interesting year. Carlton haven't dodged a bullet yet either.

I give that 0% chance. I think his father will drag the big offer from GWS and then put it on the Pies to nearly match it saying he wants to stay a Pie. He will take a bit less to stay. Pies will either ante up or he heads to GWS.

I don't give it a big chance either Redleg , but don't agree about the 0% . We should be in the market place . All this talk of GWS being the only club with big money to throw around is pure folly .

Free agency brings all the clubs with room in their salary into play . We should have room . If we don't then we're paying our players way too much in my opinion .

We've got a history of going after a big name . It may not be Cloke but it could be somebody else . We don't have an established star on our list so we'd be negligent in not trying to change things .

I noticed that 126 out of 164 'Demonlanders' reckon we won't make the 8 this year . I've tipped us to finish 8th but I still regard that as mediocre in some ways . Our club needs to be proactive otherwise we will continue to be mediocre .

Cheers

Edited March 24, 201213 yr by Macca

Gee the flith has been whinging a lot lately.

If Watts grows up and Clark delivers there may be not enough room for Cloke for what we'll have to pay him. Pendlebury is another story. We need an A grade midfielder desperately.

If Watts grows up and Clark delivers there may be not enough room for Cloke for what we'll have to pay him. Pendlebury is another story. We need an A grade midfielder desperately.

If we don't play finals this year one of the main reasons will be our forward line . It's been dysfuntional for the past 4 years and although Clark should make a difference we're still a fair way off .

We don't have star quality in that area . Clark can make us better but I'm not yet convinced with Watts as a key forward . Forwards win you games . Just look at what a difference Neitz and Robbo made . And we didn't have a "great" midfield when they played . We played in finals a lot though .

Whilst I agree with you somewhat re the midfield , we need decent key forwards to kick to . It's a classic catch 22 argument . I say we go get another decent forward 1st . Getting a decent "free agent" midfielder as well would be a big ask . Pendlebury not being a free agent makes him a much harder target .

I believe we will primarily target free agents or perhaps a young player coming out of contract at the GCS . Pendlebury might cost us too much .

Cheers

Edited March 24, 201213 yr by Macca

Its more to do with where the coaches see Cook in future plans I reckon - if they think he is good enough to slot in next to Watts & Clark and build a forward line around they wont bother and will focus on midfielders/small forward/defender - if they think he doesn't have it then they may go after a tall forward. Would prefer midfielders though - look at what Geelong was able to do with Mooney, Hawkins & Pods.

Perhaps next time we'll have to give up draft picks if we want to sign an assistant coach from another club?

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/poach-coach-make-it-fair-trade-20120327-1vwjf.html

What do they constitute "poaching" though? If we sign someone for 2013 who's contract expires Oct 2012 how is that "poaching"? I'm sure the clubs above the law would find ways around this anyhow. Did people hear us bitching and moaning when Essendon pinched Wellman off us after he just signed a new contract? Just get on with the job and stop being crybabies about it. You'd think the bigger clubs would be against this as there is no off-field salary cap so they can just pay more if they want to keep their off-field staff.

I love when Australian journalists chime in regarding the practices of the NFL. This is simply wrong. In the NFL Assistant coaches are free to move (regardless of contract status) to any other team so long as the job is a Head Coach job...no trades, no draft pick swaps, nothing. The example Wilson cites is simply in reference to obtaining Head Coaches already in HC positions who are under contract.

I seem to remember a certain backline assistant coach breaking his MFC contract after just renewing it and dashing off to join pretty-boy Hirdy

In the cases of Neeld/Sanderson under new AFL conditions, they would still apply, accept new contract beginning at end of current one, tell no-one at old club, sit out contract , then take up new contract at new club.

So whats the difference. Both volunteered to sit out their existing contracts but clubs decided no.

Oh, thats right, its all about integrity!

You are exactly correct.

As I recall, MM endorsed Mark Neeld as a coaching candidate, and was the one who made the decision for him to vacate his role once appointed.

He could just as easily insisted on him staying which I am certain Neeld would have had no issue with if asked. This whole issue is a beat-up.