The story:'Demons work on respectful exits' @ http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/145414/default.aspx is great to see in the wake of the Junior and Bruce fiasco.

We haven't had a good track record in recent years of letting players go respectfully - just looking at the B&F winners since 2000, I can only think of Neitz who has had a really good exit. Most of the others that are gone have been traded, contracts not renewed etc in less than happy circumstances.

I'm in no way saying that they should have been kept...just saying that I'm glad the Club has seen the light and put steps in place so that it doesn't happen again to any player, B&F winner or not.

McLardy says:

"And as president of the football club I can assure you I have had discussions with Mark (Neeld) and with Neil (Craig) and we're all committed to a process that is open, honest and respectful to all our players and it is my role at this club to ensure that occurs and I will."

I reckon he will stick to his word...am really like McLardy's work in his short presidency.

It will happen again when a player who's time is up doesnt think his time is up.

It will happen again when a player who's time is up doesnt think his time is up.

As it does with most clubs....

Thanks for the link. It's interesting that you mention Neitz. Of all the recent big name retirees, he's the one who had injury make up his mind for him so it wasn't so much a decision between club and player. Unfortunately, he didn't get a send off game like many others due to the neck injury.

Bruce was getting paid massive overs for hospital handballs in his last couple of years. He wasn't happy with his offer and we weren't thrilled with his output so I think it was the best result he left. Fiasco? No.

Junior was unfortunate yes, but Richmond still win the trophy for disrespectful exits at the B&F a few years back.

FWIW, we got McDonald wrong. Bruce was a mercenary and his exit was neither here nor there.

However we should not let it cloud that fact that we exited mainstays of the early 00s and late 90s in Neitz, White, Yze, Brown, Wheatley and Robertson with dignity and grace.

Its common that a player is the last to realise the AFL dream is over. All AFL Clubs have that issue to contend with. And its lucky for a long term player with 200+ plus games to be able to pick of his own accord the time of his departure. The best I can remember for MFC was Robert Flower.

IMO this isnt so much flagging the retirement of the older players, but younger guys being delisted too;

At the Foundation Heroes dinner on Tuesday night McLardy made the club's approach very clear to its players.

"The harsh reality of AFL football is that some of you won't be here next year and at times that will be difficult to manage and to comprehend, but for life you will always be connected to the Melbourne Football Club," McLardy said.

Bruce was getting paid massive overs for hospital handballs in his last couple of years. He wasn't happy with his offer and we weren't thrilled with his output so I think it was the best result he left. Fiasco? No.

Junior was unfortunate yes, but Richmond still win the trophy for disrespectful exits at the B&F a few years back.

No love for Bruce.He wanted two years we offered him one. He left for a 1 yr contract for LESS money than we were offering despite Clarkson telling him to finish his career at the Dees or he would regret it. I think he also stuffed us with the date he left that meant we couldn't get a trade for him.

Junior was the big mistake. Green will be interesting.

It will happen again when a player who's time is up doesnt think his time is up.

Perhaps, but the player will have known form a long way out that he was likely to go because those discussion will have been had from a long way put. The way James McDonlad left was a disgrace. He may not have bene happy or agreed and he may well still have tuned up at GWS but at least he wouldn't have had to turn up at a presser looking stunned.

I hope to god a lot of our supporters can put aside their sulkiness at our season to come out and thank Greeny in a respectful way i.e. by showing up. He helped give me my best personal moment in attending the footy with the SF win against Carlton in 2000 and for that alone I would congratulate him.

Good to see the club progressing . Yep shame about Jnr. Bruce who ?

Also agree with Nutbean

How do you tell a bloke who has broken bones for the club that his time is up?

You just do it. Nothing is finite on this planet. Until Jnr. decides to tell us how he was told his time was up i will not comment.

I think the club made the right call at the time.

Jnr took a year off before returning this year. He has done ok, but used sparingly up there.

Other than Junior have we really done that badly with veterans?

Losing Bruce was no big issue, surely Yze and White knew they were gone even if they didn't like it, Whelan was gone, Robbo could have gone on one more year perhaps but was pretty much gone.

You have to be a great player to play until retirement.

in all honesty I'm not sure when the next retirement will be. most of our older players will get delisted or traded before retiring.

No-one likes being told that they're past it.

Especially when earning several hundred grand per year.

I have no issue with what went down with any player of late.

Junior included.

From what I understand, he was told early in his last year that it would be his last.

He just didn't believe them.

Other than Junior have we really done that badly with veterans?

Losing Bruce was no big issue, surely Yze and White knew they were gone even if they didn't like it, Whelan was gone, Robbo could have gone on one more year perhaps but was pretty much gone.

Good pick up on Whelan.

Robbo was finished well before his last contract expired.

Ease up - Whelan could easily still get a game with us (just gotta get his body right...)

Robbo was finished well before his last contract expired.

Certainly agree with that, I remember him saying in interviews in his last year he was going out there just trying to take speccys. Might have been a tongue-in-cheek comment but that's literally all he was doing.

glad there doing something

Certainly agree with that, I remember him saying in interviews in his last year he was going out there just trying to take speccys. Might have been a tongue-in-cheek comment but that's literally all he was doing.

When he took that screamer in the square against Hawthorn in 09 and then attempted to kick it off his backside and missed the ball completely, I think that was a sign the end was coming

The mere fact that this thread exists says a lot. I'm not 'taking sides' with anyone - just very disappointed overall.

Other than Junior have we really done that badly with veterans?

Losing Bruce was no big issue, surely Yze and White knew they were gone even if they didn't like it, Whelan was gone, Robbo could have gone on one more year perhaps but was pretty much gone.

Other than Junior have we really done that badly with veterans?

Losing Bruce was no big issue, surely Yze and White knew they were gone even if they didn't like it, Whelan was gone, Robbo could have gone on one more year perhaps but was pretty much gone.

and the little fact that Jnr was nearly 34 really makes the apology redundant-when they talk about "short term pain for long term gain " then I think we have done the right thing by the club in retiring these great clubmen.

I don't know if it's the triple dose of zyrtec/Codral - but I feel that this isn't something I think should be out in the media?

As it does with most clubs....

+1

Can somebody enlighten me with what exactly we did wrong with Jnr's departure. I know Dean regrets it, but does anyone know exactly why?

Very curious on this one.

For those who bag Bruce, you are denigrating a great and successful servant of the club. Unless you know him you won't know the real story. So keep your derogertory statements to yourself, because you only know half of the facts.

And because of the quality of the guy you won't hear it all