Bailey lost me as a coach when he signed Davey to a four year deal.

Ahhh that was Cameron Schwab and Chris Connolly

Many on here continued to support his serial underperforming Others were critisised for being critical

Many Really? Can you name the posters who were supporting his underperformance?

Bailey used to pat him on the bum after very poor games

Were you also in the room when he'd get a kiss on the cheek for a good game?

He's on the list, so I support him. I've just never rated him.

I think thats where its at now. He is not in the best 22 and needs to show something in his final year.

Ahhh that was Cameron Schwab and Chris Connolly

Many Really? Can you name the posters who were supporting his underperformance?

Were you also in the room when he'd get a kiss on the cheek for a good game?

I think thats where its at now. He is not in the best 22 and needs to show something in his final year.

Nice post Rhino, Davey is similar to Sylvia and all the guys on the list who have a signed one year contract.

With Neeld if you don't perform you will be at Casey and out of the door at the end of the season.

I just want Aaron to give it his best shot, and will support him whilst he does

Ahhh that was Cameron Schwab and Chris Connolly

why not TH too?

People hating on Davey for being given a good contract confuse me no end.....

Deserved it at the time.

Is getting older but was given the long contract.

Yeah people can ask someone retire etc etc etc.... Real easy to say all this when it's not your money.

Money shouldn't even be apart of the argument.

MFC were happy to give the contract to Davey. Lets cut the mindless "club was a victim" routine.

Indeed they were. I remember at the time we were reluctant to offer any contracts in excess of 3 years. We yielded, foolishly so.

Pretty sad when you have to use a bloke's tackle count to defend his performance. The best players don't have high tackle counts because they are the ones putting their heads over the ball and winning possession. Players like Davey are routinely secondly to the football so have no choice other than to tackle.

As an aside, does anyone care to list Davey's B&F results for the past two years?

Bailey lost me as a coach when he signed Davey to a four year deal. Davey had already lost me as player when he spent the 2009 season getting cheap handball receives from Jamar instead of winning his own football. Sadly that was a great deal better than anything he has contributed since. If he had any decency he would have retired at the end of this season and we could have funnelled part of his salary into an off field role.

Harsh. What if he was following instructions from the coach to play that way? It certainly seemed to me to be the modus operandi of the team at the time. Given Davey's left boot was the most precise in the team at the time (and much more reliable and quicker than Jamar's), if it was the coach's instruction to play that way, it wasn't the worst of Bailey's ideas.

Indeed they were. I remember at the time we were reluctant to offer any contracts in excess of 3 years. We yielded, foolishly so.

they were also sucked into it as well, wasnt his mum in the Herald saying she would love to see him at the Bombers with his brother.

they were also sucked into it as well, wasnt his mum in the Herald saying she would love to see him at the Bombers with his brother.

You really think that the club is so insecure that "his Mum" could spook it into a longer contract

At the time the contract seemed a good move.......Ah hindsight....a wonderful thing....

You really think that the club is so insecure that "his Mum" could spook it into a longer contract

At the time the contract seemed a good move.......Ah hindsight....a wonderful thing....

Is this the same administration thats under AFL investigation? anythings possible.

Pretty sad when you have to use a bloke's tackle count to defend his performance. The best players don't have high tackle counts because they are the ones putting their heads over the ball and winning possession. Players like Davey are routinely secondly to the football so have no choice other than to tackle.

As an aside, does anyone care to list Davey's B&F results for the past two years?

Bailey lost me as a coach when he signed Davey to a four year deal. Davey had already lost me as player when he spent the 2009 season getting cheap handball receives from Jamar instead of winning his own football. Sadly that was a great deal better than anything he has contributed since. If he had any decency he would have retired at the end of this season and we could have funnelled part of his salary into an off field role.

Wrong: the best players win the ball, but also have high tackle counts

Training reports were Ok for today, so maybe we should settle down and support him.

The season starts in 4 months. We should defer our doubts (from afar) and get behind him. Remember, we're supporters, and he's our player.

It will be clear by Round 5 where Flash is at.

Is this the same administration thats under AFL investigation? anythings possible.

So using your theory then both the Hawthorn and Essendon administration need investigating as well, as they keep resigning Max Bailey and Scott Gumbleton respectively........hindsight means that four years ago to sign Aaron Davey to a long term contract seemed a good thing taking into consideration where the Club was at at that moment, maybe WE think now it wasn't

I admit I have a massive soft spot for Flash and the amount of disrespect I hear thrown towards him doesn't sit well with me at all.

I really hope he can put his injury woes behind him and end his career on a high note, shoving it down the throat of all the naysayers who fail to even acknowledge just how good he was at his peak.

Will be suprised if Aaron plays senior footy this year. I hope he does, but i think his body will not let him.

Teams will never rate him if he plays off half back anyway.

He has lost his pace...

4 year deals should only be considered for teenagers. Davey should have been on 1 year deals since 2009.

Stopped in at training today and one of the main reasons was to check out Davey.

Now in the time I was there most of the training today seemed to be mainly based around game simulation.

I was pleasantly surprised.

He seemed to be holding his own today.

His kicking is still a treat to watch Ithink he missed one target in the entire time I was there.

He was envolved in all the training till I left at about 11.30

Now we have to remember it is the end of November, there is three months before the Nab Cup starts.

Given another 3 months without further injury I think he could still earn his money in 2013.

So using your theory then both the Hawthorn and Essendon administration need investigating as well, as they keep resigning Max Bailey and Scott Gumbleton respectively........hindsight means that four years ago to sign Aaron Davey to a long term contract seemed a good thing taking into consideration where the Club was at at that moment, maybe WE think now it wasn't

im sure Bailey and Gumbleton havnt got 2million dollar portfolios. one things for sure those 2 players that you mentioned dont duck there heads under pressure.

I admit I have a massive soft spot for Flash and the amount of disrespect I hear thrown towards him doesn't sit well with me at all.

I really hope he can put his injury woes behind him and end his career on a high note, shoving it down the throat of all the naysayers who fail to even acknowledge just how good he was at his peak.

Voice of reason. School's obviously finished ..

The way I see it is that he has been hit by injuries in the last couple of years which has limited his output.

He now has /is overcoming those injuries but has to regain his fitness and is starting from a long break back.

Of course he is plodding now; that's why they have a preseason.

Moloney and Morton were tapped on the shoulder but Flash wasn't; doesn't that tell you something?

It tells me that the FD still see some value in him and I would rather believe their opinion, than a lot of you X spurts who appear to know

better than the collective wisdom of our coaching staff.

What about giving him the benefit of the doubt and HOPING that he can get fit enough to cause a bit of opposition damage next year.

Mitch Clark is plodding/limping too but haven't read too many criticisms of that little snippet.

Bailey lost me as a coach when he signed Davey to a four year deal.

Ahhh that was Cameron Schwab and Chris Connolly.

Whoever it was who was responsible for signing Flash to a four year deal in 2009, most of us welcomed it with open arms. The article below indicates that the signing was a "badly-needed boost" for the club.

Aaron Davey signs new four-year deal with Melbourne.

The contract is a badly-needed boost for Melbourne, which is set to lose Brock McLean in a trade with Carlton.

Davey has played 119 senior games and is one of the young team's most talented and experienced players.

No doubt, if Davey, the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist that season would have been lost to the club, there would have been much condemnation of Schwab, Connolly, Bailey and any other target at the club that people feel the need to criticise.

You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

You really think that the club is so insecure that "his Mum" could spook it into a longer contract

At the time the contract seemed a good move.......Ah hindsight....a wonderful thing....

Absolutely. There was even Mike Sheahan writing articles about how Melbourne couldn't afford to lose Davey and that he even felt for our future if we did. There was a lot of pressure to keep him.

I was on record as being happy to let him go. : )

why not TH too?

And him too Daisy!

It will be clear by Round 5 where Flash is at.

And its not now??? He needs to perform from now on. You dont have to wait until Round 5.

Moloney and Morton were tapped on the shoulder but Flash wasn't; doesn't that tell you something?

Moloney and Morton were both wanted by other clubs. Flash wasn't.

And in addition the whole Mifsud affair has a legacy on the relationship of coach and player.

If he didn't have another year on his contract........Hmmm.

Absolutely. There was even Mike Sheahan writing articles about how Melbourne couldn't afford to lose Davey and that he even felt for our future if we did. There was a lot of pressure to keep him.

That is correct......

Whoever it was who was responsible for signing Flash to a four year deal in 2009, most of us welcomed it with open arms. The article below indicates that the signing was a "badly-needed boost" for the club.

Aaron Davey signs new four-year deal with Melbourne.

No doubt, if Davey, the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist that season would have been lost to the club, there would have been much condemnation of Schwab, Connolly, Bailey and any other target at the club that people feel the need to criticise.

You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

Good pick up on the article Jack. My point is that it should be Schwab, Cuddles and Tim H (Thanks Daisy!) that are accountable for the contract. It wasnt Bailey.

Apparently Bailey only patted Davey on the bum when he had a very poor game!

Davey has provided many years of excellent service to the Dees and I am happy to see him finish next year out with the team as we strive for success. He has after all played a lot of years when we have been less than successful. i think he still has a bit to offer, the last couple of years have been impacted by injury, but also he has been tagged heavily in a lot of games. I would love to see his team mates try to run interference to help break him free to get a few more possessions. Aaron's delivering to Dawes and Clark will mean we will kick a lot more goals. 30 is not over the hill, lets hope he can get his mojo back and be part of next years best team.

It's obvious, isn't it --- 'Flash! (boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom) ah -aahh ... he'll save everyone of us!'