Colin Sylvia going ... going ... GONE!

[burfy174 7]

Hi all,

Just a quick question to ask regarding what would happen if Colin signs or doesn't sign with us.

What is he currently being payed at the demons? I ask this because if we were to lose him maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing?! I realise we don't need to lose anymore experienced hard bodies like we usually do each season but correct me if I'm wrong.... There could be an upside. Let's say he leaves, from what I've read it seems a likely scenario that we could receive a late 2nd or third round pick.... But what about the extra money we would have during the trade period to look at getting another younger quality mid? Now like I said I'm not sure how much he is currently on and I'm sure it's not enough to get a really top player, but surely all is not lost if we got a pick but also had the capacity to bring in another quality mid with the money he was getting?

Thoughts?

[TheoX 1,218]

Hi all,

Just a quick question to ask regarding what would happen if Colin signs or doesn't sign with us.

What is he currently being payed at the demons? I ask this because if we were to lose him maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing?! I realise we don't need to lose anymore experienced hard bodies like we usually do each season but correct me if I'm wrong.... There could be an upside. Let's say he leaves, from what I've read it seems a likely scenario that we could receive a late 2nd or third round pick.... But what about the extra money we would have during the trade period to look at getting another younger quality mid? Now like I said I'm not sure how much he is currently on and I'm sure it's not enough to get a really top player, but surely all is not lost if we got a pick but also had the capacity to bring in another quality mid with the money he was getting?

Thoughts?

We've got more than enough cap space to go after a quality mid, it's whether they want to come. I hope Col stays, and all his wanting to stay at MFC etc wasn't bs.

[_becks_ 35]

Reported on Sunday Footy Show by Damian Barrett that Sylvia is unlikely to be at the Dees next year.

Read into that what you will ...

[dazzledavey36 49,335]

Same [censored] Barrett that said Watts will leave the Dees, Rodney Eade to coach us and the list goes on ...

Don't listen to him.

[TheoX 1,218]

Reported on Sunday Footy Show by Damian Barrett that Sylvia is unlikely to be at the Dees next year.

Read into that what you will ...

Didn't Barrett say he thinks North will win the flag next year? He's a massive [censored].

[Little Goffy 12,770]

Barrett is reveling in the unaccountability of AFL 'journalism'. Write him off. He'll get one right once in a while but at the moment his record for these predictions is actually worse than if he had just flipped a coin.

As for Sylvia... it would be nice to keep him but only on the recognition that he is not a star, and due to his inconsistency he is not even a first-rank midfielder. If he wants to get the contract at those levels, then away he goes, maybe he and Dustin Martin can form their own little club for players who think they are worth $100-200k more than other players who deliver the same results.

I hate bagging our players, but when they yank our chains we have a right to bark.

[Sir Why You Little 34,926]

Let us see who is available for trade. We may well end up with a better player.

Look at Whorethorn yesterday.

Six players imported from elsewhere.

Colin has been average over his 10 years.

Now maybe Roos can switch him on, but if he goes I will not lose any sleep.

[Whispering_Jack 28,094]

Everyone seems to be assuming from Barrett's message that Sylvia won't be there because it's his choice and his alone.

But what if Roos and Melbourne have taken the view that he's not worth the price?

Personally, I reckon we would get more value out of a 30/31 year old Chappie than Colin but, in any event, like WYL, I won't be losing any sleep over his departure if that turns out to be the case despite his improved form in the latter half of 2013.

When all is said and done, he is a product of the pampered culture that prevailed in the latter half of the Daniher years and the Bailey and Neeld periods. He had to be disciplined often over the journey.

Perhaps it's a good thing, after ten years, for Colin to take his life membership and try himself out elsewhere and for the club to take the morsel of compensation that's doled out and for both to move on.

[old dee 22,982]

Everyone seems to be assuming from Barrett's message that Sylvia won't be there because it's his choice and his alone.

But what if Roos and Melbourne have taken the view that he's not worth the price?

Personally, I reckon we would get more value out of a 30/31 year old Chappie than Colin but, in any event, like WYL, I won't be losing any sleep over his departure if that turns out to be the case despite his improved form in the latter half of 2013.

When all is said and done, he is a product of the pampered culture that prevailed in the latter half of the Daniher years and the Bailey and Neeld periods. He had to be disciplined often over the journey.

Perhaps it's a good thing, after ten years, for Colin to take his life membership and try himself out elsewhere and for the club to take the morsel of compensation that's doled out and for both to move on.

You are very prolific today WJ.

I find it hard to disagree with the above.

My only wish is that it happens one way or the other very soon.

I am over the I might go or stay thing

[Machsy 2,858]

Whilst agreeing with WJ above, I'm bemused by the misrepresentation of Barrett's account of Sylvia on the Sunday Footy Show, as detailed above by a handful of posters.

I can't stand DB, but he clearly said that with Sylvia having gone overseas and not yet signed a contract extension, to him it looks likely that Sylvia doesn't plan to be at MFC next season. He said "that's how I read that situation."

By his own words, it's a guess based on what is known to us all at this stage.

We can't and shouldn't hang him on having an opinion and presenting it as such.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

I will be very disappointed if Sylvia walks.

With Roos signing, I had assumed all required players would want to stay and we may also be able to jag some decent players from other clubs.

Sylvia leaving is not a great sign IMO.

[Cards13 9,117]

If you were Sylvia would you stay? If you wanted to play finals, then no. If it was about money then yes as I would suspect we would pay more than most clubs for him.

As to journo's making claims of what will happen I would love to compile the stats on them and publish the %'s.

[Cards13 9,117]

RB I don't see it as being any more disappointing than te last 7 years. It might be cathartic who knows.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

If it was for a good trade, I'd be more relaxed.

It's the likely lack of proper compensation that concerns me.

[old dee 22,982]

If you were Sylvia would you stay? If you wanted to play finals, then no. If it was about money then yes as I would suspect we would pay more than most clubs for him.

As to journo's making claims of what will happen I would love to compile the stats on them and publish the %'s.

NO!

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Sylvia leaving is not a great sign IMO.

Perhaps Roos signing isn't a great thing for Sylvia at the MFC.

[daisycutter 28,684]

the overwhelming number of good players who change clubs do so to go to a club in a premiership window

of course there are exceptions but they are the minority

i don't see where all these good mids are and if they exist why would they go to mfc

there might be some good second tier ones not getting an opportunity who we would pay overs for but they are still high risk

fa works against the lower clubs and compensation is deliberately poor

i don't expect to get much long term quality out of either trades or fa

[Machsy 2,858]

Yeah, I imagine Roos has seen enough of Sylvia over the years to have a firm opinion on him.

Even coaching against him, you'd know ways you can maybe exploit his hypothetical laziness or tendency to neglect for a certain area of the game.

Saying he is a required player is par for the course.

You say that as an incoming coach about any player with any value.

Think about the compensation we got for Moloney after making it clear he was on the scrapheap.

Roos could have no intention of keeping Sylvia.

We really have little idea.

We wait.

[Machsy 2,858]

Sylvia won't leave for ambition.

If he had any of that he'd have left years ago.

[Chook 14,613]

Sylvia won't leave for ambition.

If he had any of that he'd have left years ago.

If he had any of that, he'd be a good footballer.

[dee-luded 2,958]

Hi all,

Just a quick question to ask regarding what would happen if Colin signs or doesn't sign with us.

What is he currently being payed at the demons? I ask this because if we were to lose him maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing?! I realise we don't need to lose anymore experienced hard bodies like we usually do each season but correct me if I'm wrong.... There could be an upside. Let's say he leaves, from what I've read it seems a likely scenario that we could receive a late 2nd or third round pick.... But what about the extra money we would have during the trade period to look at getting another younger quality mid? Now like I said I'm not sure how much he is currently on and I'm sure it's not enough to get a really top player, but surely all is not lost if we got a pick but also had the capacity to bring in another quality mid with the money he was getting?

Thoughts?

I hope he signs on for 2, & lets see how it pans out. If Roosy can get him working harder & sharper, then good. if not we can workout a trade to his satisfaction next year,,, as Roosy has done before for ex Swans of the past.

this way Col has a chance to be a 1 club player, Roos gets a chance to shape him, or col moves to a club of choice Via a trade next year, where he will be happy & we can get some return on our efforts throughout his career.

[deejammin' 2,096]

the overwhelming number of good players who change clubs do so to go to a club in a premiership window

of course there are exceptions but they are the minority

i don't see where all these good mids are and if they exist why would they go to mfc

there might be some good second tier ones not getting an opportunity who we would pay overs for but they are still high risk

fa works against the lower clubs and compensation is deliberately poor

i don't expect to get much long term quality out of either trades or fa

Great post DC. This to me is the crux of what is wrong with FA and the trade period in general. I have said this elsewhere but if the AFL was really interested in equality they wouldn't have implemented a system by which players can abandon clubs in need for personal success. It goes without saying that the Saints would have been better this year with Goddard, and the Cheats worse, The Bulldogs better with Lake, North would be vastly superior with Hale and Gibson, Port better with Burgoyne and the Hawks would be closer back to the rest of the field. None of these players left because their teams didn't make fair offers, often they took worse offers for success.

I understand the perogative to give players the right to move when they are unhappy. But this trend of players leaving lowly clubs for success is creating a game of musical chairs in which the clubs that happen to be down the bottom while FA has come in are left without a seat. The AFL's unwillingness to stop players like Luke Ball abusing the draft by avoiding lowly clubs that otherwise would have drafted them has exaserbated the problem, not to mention the effect of expansion teams on the value of high draft picks.

If the AFL is serious about an equal competition they need to look at which clubs are actually losing required players to FA. As it appears it is largely successful clubs poaching good, experienced players from lowly clubs with the promise of short term success. There needs to be an incentive for players to stay loyal and drag their own clubs up the ladder, and with the current climate it seems loyalty does not suffice.

As for Melbourne it is interesting to look at how many required players we have lost over the last few years, often for this very reason, if we lose Colin this year it will continue a trend which I find worrying.

[hardtack 10,149]

Perhaps Roos signing isn't a great thing for Sylvia at the MFC.

Considering Roos stated that Watts and Sylvia were required players at the MFC, I can't see how that works.

[Machsy 2,858]

Considering Roos stated that Watts and Sylvia were required players at the MFC, I can't see how that works.

Standard protocol for an incoming coach in reference to any assets with value.

[Thehardtackler 785]

When I met Colin at training at the beginning of this season he seemed very disinterested in all things Melbourne. I think that he is probably not very committed to a team that he needs to lead on field with his talent. Brock McLean ws the type of player that would take the game by the scruff of the neck but I think that Colin would prefer playing second fiddle in a top 8 team right now.