http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/sylvia-free-to-leave-melbourne-20130319-2gdod.html

Colin Sylvia could walk freely to another club at the end of this season, with Melbourne losing the right to match any rival bid

See ya Col...

28yo, unfulfilled potential....he'd better show a marked improvement on his NAB cup form or no club will be interested. A lot like Kosi is Col, time is running out.

He'll go too, this free agency will be the end for our club and North and Footscray

He'll go too, this free agency will be the end for our club and North and Footscray

It could well be the making of our club if we make the right moves.

Most important for us is to look after the younger players coming out of contract like Frawley who will get a lot of interest, just as well he is not at free agent status yet. Losing players like Silvia will free up money to pay Frawley, Watts and the younger brigade who are vital to our future and maybe lure someone like Thomas.

This is a very important year and if we start to see some progress then with some money in the bank the right player will want to come to the club and the current group will want to be part of something good. More of last year and it will be a tough sell.

He'll go too, this free agency will be the end for our club and North and Footscray

WTF?

Seriously, what has he added in the last few years other than the odd tease to make you think we will lose if he walks. Nothing.

Let him go and recruit someone better. They are out there - many of them in the VFL.

As always, I'm happy to be proven wrong but with his history, another contract would be unwise.

Carn Melbourne-foots-north-saints-Rythdale-officer-Cardinia!

Bet you he'll have a great year and then leave us. Or have a great year, stay, and then play terrible again.

I think we might get more in the long run out of Matt Jones at 25 than Colin Sylvia at 28. His performance is likely to be more constant over time and that's what you want from a player - consistency of effort.

Would appreciate somebody enlightening me on this. As far as I can tell, I'm with Bayside Dave. Won't free agency be terrible for the smaller clubs? One more nail... We'll lose our senior players because they'll go somewhere to give themselves a shot at a flag. I wouldn't miss Sylvia but I'm missing Rivers already. Every club needs those aging champions to provide leadership.

I seem to be in the minority who have been a long-term fan of Sylvia. Much the same was said of Brock McClean when he left and now he is a MVP for Carlton (although in his case we got Pedersen in return via the Gysberts trade). I see no reason why Slyvia can emerge as being as vital to our machine as Brock is to Carlton. For example he has never been described as soft like some of his teammates have been.

Geez there are some stupid threads and comments regarding Sylvia on this forum.

I reckon Sylvia is very valuable to us. He'll be the Guerra type player we WILL need when we're having a tilt at the flag.

Clearly we need to bolster the midfield, but it's not going to be Sylvia who fills that void. That's unfortunate given our expectations when he was recruited, but he's not turned into that player.

Ironically, Sylvia's value will kick in once we have built a much better midfield.

In short, we need to keep Sylvia and recruit a couple of really good, established mids at the end of the year to add to the talented kids coming through (Toumpas, Viney, Barry, Kent etc). You will then see a more effective player in Sylvia.

I'd be extremely disappointed if he walked at the end of this season, particularly for no compensation in return.

If he leaves we will continue to go backwards. Once again we will see another ex dee revive his career at another club and add more proof that we just don't develop our players and get the best out of them

There is nothing surer than him leaving at the end of the year.

At least that might mean he pulls his finger out this year.

There is not a club in the AFL that would pay Sylvia what we are paying him, if he leaves its not for money.

Sylvia needs to put in a decent season from start to finish. I think he is just another top draft pick who has not delivered to the MFC on expectations. Sometimes he turns up to play and mostly he does not.

I am sick of cameos by MFC experienced players. The club will never get off the bottom unless players like Sylvia step up.

I'm waiting for Jnr to splutter his thread ending crap of Sylvia and very surprised he wasn't first in but I can only ever ask myself why everyone is so certain Sylvia will walk out as soon as his contract is up?! He's never held us to ransom come contract time in the past, never come out in public and criticized even though he's been punished and watched teammates thrown out the door. There is nothing that proves or disproves he doesn't bleed red and blue and wants to be a life player?

The good news might be that we get one good year out of him. 2013.

He needs to bump up his price for the next 4 years.

SHould have traded him this year.

If they call this news, then expect a big article tomorrow revealing that the sun came up again.

All clubs have a salary cap, so free agency will have minimal effect on any club.

There is not a club in the AFL that would pay Sylvia what we are paying him, if he leaves its not for money.

Worst post I've ever read. If he walks it's because we won't match a larger offer from another club (Moloney, Rivers ring a bell?). Other clubs rate him highly because they know his talent and know he's coming from MFC where that talent would not have been harnessed properly.

Worst post I've ever read. If he walks it's because we won't match a larger offer from another club (Moloney, Rivers ring a bell?). Other clubs rate him highly because they know his talent and know he's coming from MFC where that talent would not have been harnessed properly.

If he leaves it will be finals you dimwit,you are a very slow witted man.

Best outcome is for him to have a crAcker year then have another club pay overs for him which will inflate our compo.

If we can get a compo after our first rounder we could clean up again

Pick 2 and 3 anyone?

It has been said a lot, and I have been guilty of saying this too, but this year really is make or break for Col. These contract years can be a tease for some players. They put in a blinder in the year they are up for renewal but they can disappoint after that. If Col can't get himself up for a CONTRACT RENEWAL YEAR then it's time to let him move on and just say that this didn't work out.

Just as an aside, it took Travis Johnstone 4 years to at least show some form that could be considered top flight when he made the top 4(?) of the 2002 Brownlow. He also won a B&F. He was frustrating, probably didn't live up to his potential and most likely needed to work harder when he was at the club but at least he had something to show for his ten years at the club. Col has had nearly the same amount of time at the club and, if I am correct, has yet to break it for a top ten finish in the Bluey. If we are going to work to historical precedent then Col's time is up already.