The Priority Pick is dead! Long live the financial assistance package!

[saka888 54]

f you afl

[rjay 25,093]

To be honest I am thrilled that we now have a great midfield. Who are they, I don't know, but we must have, because the AFL told us today that we will be fine.

I don't know how I got that so wrong.

Maybe winning 2 games, 1 by a point and the other against the new guys, who we incidentally were the only team they could beat, should have tipped me off. Those thrashings early on when we were described as pathetic and a disgrace, should also have tipped me off to how really good we actually are.

Anyway, decision made, move on.

What do we do now, anything within the rules to improve.

I would try and convince a very good player to come to us via the PSD. Pay him overs if you have to.

Trade pick 2 for a top mid if we can and try and get a pick back that we could also trade for another not as good mid.

I would start talking about FAIRNESS in the AFL and let it be known that fixturing cannot continue to be so compromised, if all clubs are to have a chance at success. You can't succeed on the field without succeeding off it and we are being given no chance to succeed off it with the current arrangements. This can be done subtly by using the media.

We do what Daniher said some years ago, get RUTHLESS.

We definitely need to create our own PP by using the PSD to our advantage.

[Mgdee 322]

We definitely need to create our own PP by using the PSD to our advantage.

That's great if we can find a player good enough who is happy to come to a club that is portrayed as a loser.

Edited September 23, 2013 by Mgdee

[Guest]

Peter Jackson was obligated to try but put frankly, I'm not overly fazed by this.

If I were an administrator with no feeling for the club, I wouldn't give us a PP. Since I barrack for Melbourne, I hoped we got one but I can see this being good for us as well. For too long, we have relied on some gimmick or short cut to get us over the line. Now we have been forced to actually do some work to get the best we can for the pick we have.

Edited September 23, 2013 by Guest

[P-man 13,366]

People are allowed to react Pman and BH.

And Jackson's reaction is the exact reaction I would have expected, or that I would have given.

There is nowhere to appeal, nothing sinister to claim, just bad decisions that won't help us get better, quicker.

Of course, we move on, there are coaching appointments to criticize - but it is naive to think that Roos will deliver us from our malaise so quickly. We are going to be terrible again next year.

I wouldn't expect you not to react, but now the decision has been made, I would hope the collective foot stamping would eventually cease. It ain't changing.

We are coming from a long way back. By expecting meaningful improvement, as I do, to not be embarrassed on a weekly basis in 2014 would be a tick.

We are looking at a few years here. It's going to be more patience and hard work. There's no false expectations on that.

[sydneydee 689]

The AFL are losing me. What a joke the CEOs are meeti g to discuss equality.

[beelzebub 23,383]

The AFL are losing me. What a joke the CEOs are meeti g to discuss equality.

discussing does not necessarily equate to acting upon

[Earl Hood 6,101]

Just as well the decision was finalised today prior to the Brownlow count when MFC will no doubt set a record for the lowest number of club votes ever recorded since 1924. That wouldn't be a good stat for AD to put up for PP discussion.

the Commission whoever they are, spineless, drones everyone of them are a waste of space. However I am stoked that we have all this talent lined up it is just a matter of getting games into the kids and it will just happen. Oh hold on haven't we been here before circa 2009/10 when many people thought it would just happen. It doesn't necessarily as we know. Haven't we been pilloried for our inability to develop kids and haven't we burnt so many first round picks that we don't deserve help. We can't reward failure of course. But then what do you reward with draft assistance?

According to AD Hogan, Toumpas and co are going to be superstars I can't wait. Lets not make decisions based on empirical data that we have but rather let us look into the crystal ball of what might happen. Lets hope AD is right.

[mdemonski2 403]

discussing does not necessarily equate to acting upon

Priority picks will help the poorer clubs. This has effectively been scrapped as proved today.

Free agency will help the powerful and successful clubs more. This had recently been introduced.

What a farce this notion of equalisation.

You are spot on. Talk us all it is, action indicates the opposite.

[hells bells 2,023]

The AFL are losing me. What a joke the CEOs are meeti g to discuss equality.

The key thing to remember here is that "some clubs are more equal than others"

[Redleg 41,461]

discussing does not necessarily equate to acting upon

It can only start with the fixture, otherwise there has to be handouts and the receivers are portrayed as beggars. That is the AFL's doing. It has to stop.

[Earl Hood 6,101]

Is there any way I can blame Brock McLean for this decision?

I am just wanting to up date my hate file that's all.

[PaulRB 6,411]

This decision essentially slows the pace of any Melbourne revival, and given our "group of talented kids" are looking to be competing with the AFL's "Frankenteams" in the next 3-6 yr period we are fckd and only at best likely to be almost rans...

Tired of the systemic inequities of the AFL competition combined with the AFL's own agendas working to only increase the distance between the MFC and any real success.

The reason that the Dogs Saints and us have avoided success for so long is because we are surplus to the strategic interests of the AFL.

Unless we unearth a genuine champion in the next couple of years we will be mid table for a decade.

Yawn and apologies for the rant.

Fckrs

[ThreeOneSix 954]

Fk the priority, Fk the AFL, we need to become less dependent on the AFL.

This assistance package needs to be the last thing we receive off the AFL.

Hopefully Roos can push us over 40,000 members and 50,000 before he is done - in around 5 years.

It is possible, we are the oldest club in the competition and the proudest, we could become a force.

We won't become a force being dependent on the AFL, we need to build our club.

It's time the MFC fought tooth and nail to get some respect.

When we get respect, power and success, then we can do what the big 3 do - and run the comp.

[olisik 4,060]

Pretty depressing that we cant afford 100% of the cap

[ThreeOneSix 954]

Priority picks will help the poorer clubs. This has effectively been scrapped as proved today.

Free agency will help the powerful and successful clubs more. This had recently been introduced.

What a farce this notion of equalisation.

You are spot on. Talk us all it is, action indicates the opposite.

Sydney never received a leg up with any picks in the past decade, yet they've remained consistent and strong.

They have remained consistent and strong due to receiving extra coin, which is what the AFL have given us.

We shouldn't complain, both Essendon and Adelaide are not even in the first two rounds, yet they'll manage just fine.

Yes we are a fair bit behind them, but we have talent at the club, talent to come into the club and we just have to believe that Roos will turn things around.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Sydney never received a leg up with any picks in the past decade, yet they've remained consistent and strong.

They have remained consistent and strong due to receiving extra coin, which is what the AFL have given us.

We shouldn't complain, both Essendon and Adelaide are not even in the first two rounds, yet they'll manage just fine.

Yes we are a fair bit behind them, but we have talent at the club, talent to come into the club and we just have to believe that Roos will turn things around.

Over the years the AFL have ensured that they got Lockett, Hall and now Tippett.

That's a leg up.

[Mgdee 322]

For all the ranting & raving on here, does anyone really think 1 priority pick was going to suddenly make us a super team. Sure it would have helped, but the only thing that will drag us off the bottom are guts & determination & intelligent drafting.

Mr Roos it's now up to you, the AFL has put its faith in you & your credibility is now on the line.

[PaulRB 6,411]

Sydney never received a leg up with any picks in the past decade, yet they've remained consistent and strong.

They have remained consistent and strong due to receiving extra coin, which is what the AFL have given us.

We shouldn't complain, both Essendon and Adelaide are not even in the first two rounds, yet they'll manage just fine.

Yes we are a fair bit behind them, but we have talent at the club, talent to come into the club and we just have to believe that Roos will turn things around.

The swans get to pay an extra million in there salary cap. A huge bonus in retaining and attracting players, while we can't afford to even pay 100% of our smaller salary cap...

Edited September 23, 2013 by PaulRB

[Earl Hood 6,101]

The swans get to pay an extra million in there salary cap. A huge bonus in retaining and attracting players we can afford to even pay 100% of our smaller salary cap...

Add their Academy and some exclusive NSW zones but gee that's nothing compared to the idea of draft assistance to us. You can't reward failure.

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

I just read in an article about watts being close to signing and PJ said that we are not paying 100% of the cap.

This is reprehensible in this day and age.

This funding provided is a drip feed and will keep us afloat but not competitive. It's a chicken an egg thing. We will not get a better fixture and better commercial outcomes until we are more competitive...but it will be difficult for us to be competitive until we can afford to pay the cap.

Seems we are no longer forward paying the cap to create a gap for future years.

[1 red eye 1 blue eye 771]

Ok, a couple of positives here, firstly, we now know Roos came to the Club without a granted PP from the AFL, I like that, and secondly the list can take confidence from the fact the AFL have acknowledged we have talent and the list now have to work harder.

Edited September 23, 2013 by 1 red eye 1 blue eye

[PaulRB 6,411]

Yup! round 16 brown low and Gold coast 42 votes (across 10 players) - MFC 14 votes (across 5 players)...

We rock, loads of talent, nothing to worry about...

Bring on 2014..

[PaulRB 6,411]

round 16 brown low and Western Bulldogs 38 votes (across 10 players) - MFC 14 votes (across 5 players)...

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

I suspect our application will be granted next year when we don't do a Port and finish behind GCS and GWS.

Watching the Cats v Hawks on Friday night I was thinking we are so far from this kind of footy and the top teams it's not funny.