All about Mitch Clark

[Harry Plopper 105]

Hey guys, long time viewer first time poster today. My dad just had a chat with a person high within the club and asked about the details surrounding this Mitch Clark stuff. He said that Mitch's foot is absolutely 100% fixed and no problems what so ever. He apparently has been out of the game so long that every time he tries to train, he gives himself a new injury. This is why we have been hearing the hamstring problems, calf problems etc. etc. He has said to have told the club he is a 50-50 chance of retiring in the next few weeks from afl. He has been granted leave by the club so he can go home and get his mind off everything and hopefully come back with the desire to still want to get back to training and playing for us. I really hope that after his break away from the club he will decide he still has unfinished business at MFC and wants to keep trying!

[hardtack 10,849]

ah well this is my first and only comment on this thread , as much as I love clarky , and I seen him go down both times , just bad luck I guess so now my point is this he is being paid $35.000 a week nothing compared to thieving solicitors who don't give a rats about justice and fairness if I was on $ 35k a week ide bring the whole bloody family over , give em a grand a week each and still be doing ok , as an aside last year my ex took my two little girls to perth to live without me even knowing , was informed via a text a week later , went to get advice , well she said it will cost you a couple of grand to send a letter ? WTF duh I struggle to pay my crappy country membership each year and lucky to get to 1 game , im just over the bloody greed and unselfish attitude of these people , mitch get ya [censored] together and fufill your part of the deal , I be very happy to be in your boots $$$$$ can buy happiness , well in my case it could , I know ill get belted for this but , don't give a flying fseagull

:blink:

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I suspect the next conversation will again involve the AFL or Alliance Insurance negotiating a payout for MC.

Moving forward, the Club needs to start winning without him and save the coin to land a big fish at the end of the year.

[stuie 7,374]

ah well this is my first and only comment on this thread , as much as I love clarky , and I seen him go down both times , just bad luck I guess so now my point is this he is being paid $35.000 a week nothing compared to thieving solicitors who don't give a rats about justice and fairness if I was on $ 35k a week ide bring the whole bloody family over , give em a grand a week each and still be doing ok , as an aside last year my ex took my two little girls to perth to live without me even knowing , was informed via a text a week later , went to get advice , well she said it will cost you a couple of grand to send a letter ? WTF duh I struggle to pay my crappy country membership each year and lucky to get to 1 game , im just over the bloody greed and unselfish attitude of these people , mitch get ya [censored] together and fufill your part of the deal , I be very happy to be in your boots $$$$$ can buy happiness , well in my case it could , I know ill get belted for this but , don't give a flying fseagull

How is this guy still here? Seriously.

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

ah well this is my first and only comment on this thread , as much as I love clarky , and I seen him go down both times , just bad luck I guess so now my point is this he is being paid $35.000 a week nothing compared to thieving solicitors who don't give a rats about justice and fairness if I was on $ 35k a week ide bring the whole bloody family over , give em a grand a week each and still be doing ok , as an aside last year my ex took my two little girls to perth to live without me even knowing , was informed via a text a week later , went to get advice , well she said it will cost you a couple of grand to send a letter ? WTF duh I struggle to pay my crappy country membership each year and lucky to get to 1 game , im just over the bloody greed and unselfish attitude of these people , mitch get ya [censored] together and fufill your part of the deal , I be very happy to be in your boots $$$$$ can buy happiness , well in my case it could , I know ill get belted for this but , don't give a flying fseagull

[KingDingAling 3,758]

How is this guy still here? Seriously.

Shall Demonland ban everyone who disagrees with you?

This isn't big footy.

[nutbean 8,838]

Shall Demonland ban everyone who disagrees with you?

This isn't big footy.

I'll paraphrase for Stuie - (presuming it is a mental health issue) "how do attitudes like this still exist ?".

I don't need anyone banned but can still be gobsmacked by a post.

The last sentence - "I know I'll get belted for this post.." that should have given the poster pause to reflect and ask himself exactly why he thinks he will get belted. Then after figuring that out he maybe wouldn't have posted that in the first place ?

[old dee 23,998]

How is this guy still here? Seriously.

It is called democracy stuie you know that system we all live under.

It is one I actually like.

It gives the right of free speech.

Even when it is not a popular cause being given.

If you don't like someone's thoughts then ignore them they are usually not main stream.

I am not a fan of censorship it is not a good policy.

I am sure lots on here do not like my views on certain subjects or dare I say your views sometimes.

They don't call for my exclusion or yours that I have noticed.

So just get on with life the occasional over the top comment on Demonland will not bring down the MFC or the country.

[jackaub 1,402]

Clark will retire hurt, the club and our insurers will look after him I am sure of that

We need to focus on the season ahead and try very hard to recruit another forward who doesn't come with an injury cloud

Move on We start on Saturday with or without Mitch

Edited March 19, 2014 by jackaub

[nutbean 8,838]

It is called democracy stuie you know that system we all live under.

It is one I actually like.

It gives the right of free speech.

Even when it is not a popular cause being given.

If you don't like someone's thoughts then ignore them they are usually not main stream.

I am not a fan of censorship it is not a good policy.

I am sure lots on here do not like my views on certain subjects or dare I say your views sometimes.

They don't call for my exclusion or yours that I have noticed.

So just get on with life the occasional over the top comment on Demonland will not bring down the MFC or the country.

I think opinions which are out of step shouldn't be ignored but respectfully debated.

The idea that being paid large slabs of money disqualifies you from having mental health issues needs to be robustly debated.

I have often pondered the whole life of an AFL footballer and am surprised there are not more social and mental health problems. It is a lifestyle that is far what we would call normal. Very young men being paid extraordinary amounts of money, constantly bombarded with adoration from the public ( and vitriol in equal measure), for most of them being faced with perform or perish, pushing their bodies and adrenalin levels to absurd levels for relatively short periods of time and then having large amounts of down time.

[Lordweaver 235]

As a member of the leadership group I don't think he is sending a good message by 'running away'from his predicament, better he stay in Melbourne with the fam and team and be round the club showing strength in adversity, now I know some of you will be upset by that but I really think that should be the way he goes about it, he's not a first year player

[old dee 23,998]

I think opinions which are out of step shouldn't be ignored but respectfully debated.

The idea that being paid large slabs of money disqualifies you from having mental health issues needs to be robustly debated.

I have often pondered the whole life of an AFL footballer and am surprised there are not more social and mental health problems. It is a lifestyle that is far what we would call normal. Very young men being paid extraordinary amounts of money, constantly bombarded with adoration from the public ( and vitriol in equal measure), for most of them being faced with perform or perish, pushing their bodies and adrenalin levels to absurd levels for relatively short periods of time and then having large amounts of down time.

I don't disagree with anything you have written and I don't like the comment by barndee.

I am just stating my objection to censorship nutbean

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

I suspect the next conversation will again involve the AFL or Alliance Insurance negotiating a payout for MC.

Moving forward, the Club needs to start winning without him and save the coin to land a big fish at the end of the year.

In the next two years we have, Trengove, Frawley, Hogan, Garland, Jones, Howe, Mcdonald, Dunn, Gawn, Blease, Tapscott, Strauss out of contract, i know some are non essential but we wouldn't want to lose too many of that group

[nutbean 8,838]

I don't disagree with anything you have written and I don't like the comment by barndee.

I am just stating my objection to censorship nutbean

As you have said lots of time and agree 100%, all opinions can be aired and conversely disagreed with by others respectfully ( I get the last part right about 98% of the time)

[old dee 23,998]

In the next two years we have, Trengove, Frawley, Hogan, Garland, Jones, Howe, Mcdonald, Dunn, Gawn, Blease, Tapscott, Strauss out of contract, i know some are non essential but we wouldn't want to lose too many of that group

Last three are NGE in IMO

Of the others I would trade one or two for the right offer.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,009]

I suspect the next conversation will again involve the AFL or Alliance Insurance negotiating a payout for MC.

Moving forward, the Club needs to start winning without him and save the coin to land a big fish at the end of the year.

Clark will retire hurt, the club and our insurers will look after him I am sure of that

We need to focus on the season ahead and try very hard to recruit another forward who doesn't come with an injury cloud

Move on We start on Saturday with or without Mitch

What sort of insurance is this? Is it the use of insurance to pay out injured players? If so, I've never heard of this before. Can someone confirm whether such a thing exists? (Note: I'm asking a generic question about the use of insurance - not specific to Mitch Clark and whether he will continue to play or not).

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

Last three are NGE in IMO

Of the others I would trade one or two for the right offer.

I agree, i only consider :Frawley, Garland and Jones to be untouchable, the rest i'd be open to trading for the right offer, i don't include Hogan because he hasn't even played a game

[Webber 10,586]

I think opinions which are out of step shouldn't be ignored but respectfully debated.

The idea that being paid large slabs of money disqualifies you from having mental health issues needs to be robustly debated.

I have often pondered the whole life of an AFL footballer and am surprised there are not more social and mental health problems. It is a lifestyle that is far what we would call normal. Very young men being paid extraordinary amounts of money, constantly bombarded with adoration from the public ( and vitriol in equal measure), for most of them being faced with perform or perish, pushing their bodies and adrenalin levels to absurd levels for relatively short periods of time and then having large amounts of down time.

There have been a number of studies looking at the psychological effect of long term injury on professional sportspeople, and at least one I know of based on the AFL. The basic conclusion is that there really aren't ANY players who escape adverse psychology during their layoff, but obviously there is a spectrum of effects. The common response is of significant diminished self worth, which commonly escalates into depression. These guys play football, and their whole sense of self is tied up with their performance. When they can't even get on the park, the self doubts and negativity spiral. This is compounded by their age reducing their inherent coping strategies. The most important thing for MC is that he is getting professional help, which I'm sure he is.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,009]

Webber, surely you know by now that facts aren't welcomed by everyone on Demonland.

[daisycutter 29,891]

somebody (rpfc?) mentioned that players retired because of injury get a severance of 50% of their annual salary

maybe the insurance is for this 50%

there are no doubt other conditions and factors which effect this special payout

maybe the referenced poster knows the details

[nutbean 8,838]

There have been a number of studies looking at the psychological effect of long term injury on professional sportspeople, and at least one I know of based on the AFL. The basic conclusion is that there really aren't ANY players who escape adverse psychology during their layoff, but obviously there is a spectrum of effects. The common response is of significant diminished self worth, which commonly escalates into depression. These guys play football, and their whole sense of self is tied up with their performance. When they can't even get on the park, the self doubts and negativity spiral. This is compounded by their age reducing their inherent coping strategies. The most important thing for MC is that he is getting professional help, which I'm sure he is.

I didn't add injury into the mix in my post which is obviously another "pressure" - the two major pressures being that secure players like Clark would feel some sense of letting the team down and for borderline players like a Tapscott his injuries must add mental stress - " if I can't prove myself I will be cut and I can't prove myself because I'm injured".

All that being said, the life(style) of an AFL could hardly be described as a normal existence.

[rpfc 28,895]

somebody (rpfc?) mentioned that players retired because of injury get a severance of 50% of their annual salary

maybe the insurance is for this 50%

there are no doubt other conditions and factors which effect this special payout

maybe the referenced poster knows the details

The old CBA stipulated that 'last year injuries' would get a payout and I know that his injury is related to something that happened in 2012 but how that is treated is not simple.

The new CBA hasn't been released for some reason - so I can't say for certain what would be expected of the club in this situation.

[hardtack 10,849]

As a member of the leadership group I don't think he is sending a good message by 'running away'from his predicament, better he stay in Melbourne with the fam and team and be round the club showing strength in adversity, now I know some of you will be upset by that but I really think that should be the way he goes about it, he's not a first year player

If it is a mental health issue, then he cannot "run away" from his predicament... but, he probably needs to be somewhere away from what may be the root cause of his problems and where he can find some peace while he sorts things out. These kinds of issues can hit anyone regardless of age, gender or employment status and can be extremely debilitating... I don't think it is fair to compare his behaviour to what might be expected from a first year player.

[monoccular 17,642]

Just a question, one I have raised from time to time since the ND years - I think starting with issues around Jeff Farmer as I recall.

Does the club have or use a sports psychologist??

[nutbean 8,838]

As a member of the leadership group I don't think he is sending a good message by 'running away'from his predicament, better he stay in Melbourne with the fam and team and be round the club showing strength in adversity, now I know some of you will be upset by that but I really think that should be the way he goes about it, he's not a first year player

IMO you are looking at this wrong way - you are looking at what you think is best for the team and the club and the "message being sent" rather than about what is best for the player. Also being a first year or 10 year player makes no difference at all. Health issues are health issues.

Edited March 19, 2014 by nutbean