P.S.- if he left because we were only offering him 1 year, than we are a disgrace. Hope it's not true. We gotta stop treating our respected senior players like garbage!

What condition is his body in?

Sorry, shouldn't be so obtuse - just saying there could be reasons for the shortened contract other than just being disrespectful. You'd have heard the same rumours as me about both the club and Jared being concerned about his longevity. Not saying it's necessarily the case, just that we shouldn't just automatically assume we're treating a player like garbage.

What condition is his body in?

Clearly in good enough condition for another club to give him 2 years.

I doubt Geelong didn't request a medical.

I'm sure Rivers left for success, and maybe because he saw what happens to players over the age of 29 at the MFC. But if he wanted to stay and all he was offered was 1 year, and he just finished top 5 in our B&F, than I question the motives.

Hope he left on his own free will and not pushed.

P.S.- if he left because we were only offering him 1 year, than we are a disgrace. Hope it's not true. We gotta stop treating our respected senior players like garbage!

I think he left exactly for the reason he's given. He wants to play finals before his career is finished and he doesn't see himself doing that in any significant way with us. As far as I'm concerned both parties handled the situation well and with all due respect to each other. The club didn't move heaven and earth to keep him, but would have been happy enough to have him if he elected to stay.

I'm pretty sad to see him go. Having said that I understand we are now into rebuild part 3 new coach new plans. Have to accept we are not a premeriship team (i know captain obvious) so lets build one. I honestly thought we had the team several years ago with Miller, McLean, Moloney, Rivers, green, Junior etc but we had a major fail somewhere. Good luck riv I wish him well.

I too am sad to see Riv go!

for many years early on, I was convinced a fit Jared Rivers would propel us to success...

Will always remember his courage going back with the flight into packs, and hope he achieves his success at Geelong (right before we win 4 flags in a row)

Thanks for the many years of courageous service Riv.

Good luck at Geelong, amazingly I reckon your place in the team there would be safer than in our team. Not meant disrespectfully, but their will be a lot of competition for a spot in our back line over the next couple of years.

Neeld trying to build new culture

Spoke to ex Brisbane Lions footy mgr & indicated that most of the old players didn't buy into Neeld/Mission/Craig tough training regime. Also resisted hard self analysis after each game. Hence why the young captains.

Not saying that Rivers was one of them & sad to see him go.....senior players are not cleared in this manner unless if there are strong reasons! Dont think with people like Craig etc would do something this drastic unless required.

Farewell Jared. I liked his competitive streak, great bloke around the club and with my kids at clinics and family days, and played well for MFC over many years. Good luck at GFC.

Not sure about this...Jared was gone well before the final siren of the last game pf the year...if you heard him talk he always referred to the young guys are on the right path and they'll be okay ... he was out of there about the same time Beamer was, just that Jared was more respectful.

Great to see so many positive comments despite us losing a respected, servant of our club.

One of my favorite players over the years. Great courage, poise and steely determination.

Think he will be missed by many of his team mates too. There have been many Melbourne players who have nominated Riv as the biggest club pest (in a good pest way) in their interviews.

Best of luck Riv. You deserve any success that comes your way.

Good luck Jared.

Always welcome at the MFC

And we move on

Good luck at Geelong, amazingly I reckon your place in the team there would be safer than in our team. Not meant disrespectfully, but their will be a lot of competition for a spot in our back line over the next couple of years.

I think this is a great and interesting point. Between needing to develop younger players like TMac and Watts, having an AA fullback in Frawley and other players like Garland, Sellar, Dunn and potentially Martin all fighting for a spot the MFC backline would have been hotly contested for Riv next year, at Geelong with Scarlett gone he's a walk-up start.

I wish Riv well with the Catters.

I feel a lot of respect for Riv, & I always have. I think its the way he carries himself. A fine AFL ambassador.

I'm glad, & I'm a little sad as well with him going. But I agree it's the best for all.

It's just a pity we haven't had our act together during his whole career, so he could have been a one club player. The changing AFL game hasn't helped him as well.

We are on a massive rebuild, which is now into it's 5th season almost complete.. The pity is, the damage was caused 10 Yrs or more back, & the culture, far longer than that.

We've got up to the top before with a talented list, in the 90's, but not with the professional & level headed culture required.

Good luck Riv.

Sad to see you go Riv.

Loved your courage and you were a great servant of the MFC.

Shame you could not experience more success here but i wish you all the best at Geelong (except of course when you come up against us).

Sad to see him go, he was a good player for Melbourne over the years, I wish him all the best. I suspect that Melbourne did not try too hard to keep him as they were willingly take the compo pick.

Does anyone know the rules on the compo pick(s) is compo based on the net lose, i.e. if we lost 3 good players (Rivers, Baloney, Bate) and got Byrnes would the net loss for one first or second round pick or two picks at other rounds? If we did rate a picks for loosing multiple FA's would that pick come after what was our original pick 3 for a first round pick or after 26 for second round picks?

Sad to see him go, he was a good player for Melbourne over the years, I wish him all the best. I suspect that Melbourne did not try too hard to keep him as they were willingly take the compo pick.

Does anyone know the rules on the compo pick(s) is compo based on the net lose, i.e. if we lost 3 good players (Rivers, Baloney, Bate) and got Brynes would the net loss for one first or second round pick or two picks at other rounds? If we did rate a picks for loosing multiple FA's would that pick come after what was our original pick 3 for a first round pick or after 26 for second round picks?

As I understand it, the compo is per player not bundled together if there is more than one player. So hopefully Byrnes is offset against Moloney and Rivers is full compo whatever that is going to be. My guess is late 2nd round. Moloney will be interesting. B & F one season ago with 13 Brownlow votes and one of the highest paid players. From memory if the player is in the top 5 earners at the Club it boosts the compensation but the formula will be too complicated to work out for me.

If we hand over the Rivers compo pick for Pedersen I will not be a happy man. No way is Pedersen worth that. We will have paid over again in this trading period. Looks like we have paid over for every deal so far. The result of not having an experienced recruiting manager at the table doing the negotiations. At the end of the day hopefully with a few more trades out as well as in, they will have got the job done so hopefully it will be academic.

Compo is based upon the nett loss to a club after all player movements are graded and amassed.

bugger , has been a fav of mine for a long time , cheers jr , , but you will never play finals , sorry , cats are gewnnnnnn

I cannot believe what I am reading..... Good Luck!! We Love You! You were Loyal!!

Rivers has made a decision that he no longer want to be a part of our club any longer.

Not for money, not for an extension, not for game time. Simply because he does not want to be a Melbourne player any more. At a time when leaders would stand up, he has run away.

Thanks mate, thanks for helping out the boys coming though, thanks for staying true and making a difference. Maybe thats why you goy dropped off the leadership group.

I thought Rivers would have been apart of our 4-5 year plan, big loss for us. Even Scarlett and Fletcher would have looked like average players in Melbourne's backline because of how frequently the opposition has entered their forward 50 over the past 10 years. Often sloppy turnovers and poor mid-field pressure has resulted in our defenders being caught out of position and made to look the fool.

Thanks for the service Rivers.

After a top 5 result in the b&f, I'm shocked!!

I cannot believe what I am reading..... Good Luck!! WeLove You! You were Loyal!!

Rivers has made a decision that he no longer want to be a part of our club any longer.

Not for money, not for an extension, not for game time. Simply because he does not want to be a Melbourne player any more. At a time when leaders would stand up, he has run away.

Thanks mate, thanks for helping out the boys coming though, thanks for staying true and making a difference. Maybe thats why you goy dropped off the leadership group.

You're way out of line.

I genuinely believe he left to chase success, and having served us for most of his football career, he is definitely one who has earned that right!

Save your misdirected vitriol for someone who actually deserves it. Someone who leaves after no time served and no buy in. Someone with a fat dad

Your views on Jared's departure are moronic and immature. wake up to yourself

Massive loss for us. Dissapointed.

If we hand over the Rivers compo pick for Pedersen I will not be a happy man. No way is Pedersen worth that. We will have paid over again in this trading period. Looks like we have paid over for every deal so far. The result of not having an experienced recruiting manager at the table doing the negotiations. At the end of the day hopefully with a few more trades out as well as in, they will have got the job done so hopefully it will be academic.

I wouldn't be too happy about that either however this won't be the fault of not having an experienced recruiting manager, the list manager would be making the big calls on these trades and Harrington has plenty of experience in the job.

soooo we have pretty much traded rivers for brynes.....

Assuming we secure Pederson, I think we have essentially traded Rivers for Pederson.

I wish him all the best and thank him for his service, and for playing out of position as a forward for the second half of the year.

However i don't think he's a massive loss. He wasn't quick, he wasn't tall enough to be a key defender, he wasn't the greatest gut runner (he finished 2nd last in the 1000m repeat sprints early this year), and his disposal was average at best.

He reads the play well and is a good intercepter, but that roll can be covered by Watts or Sellar, with Frawley and McDonald in the key positions.