Are you as big a unit as Mitch?

Nope, probably half a foot shorter at least.

Relevance?

Nope, probably half a foot shorter at least.

Relevance?

he's a big unit. Carries a lot of weight through those feet.

A big part of his problem

Understand that but given his previous wage at Brisbane and his Melbourne Wage lets say 2 Milllion to date at age 26 That's not a bad start. When I was 26 I was a first time homeowner with a sizable mortgage, I toddler and about 7 Grand in the bank as savings!

I know what money I would rather have been on AND whatever he does outside footy might lead to a long and prosperous career! Remember he still has about 35 years left to work!

You should have just been an AFL player then seeing it's obviously an easy cushy job...

Is this off his instagram?

Yeah, to be fair was apparently posted during Grand Final week last year but still doesn't fill me with confidence he's not gonna nick off at the first chance he gets.

I think it is actually enormously positive development that Clark and the club are meeting.

It is great that Clark is ready to resolve this one way or the other, because we need to get rid of this distraction.

It is simply amazing how many major distractions the club has had in recent years - this, the tanking saga, the Scully saga, the Neeld media circus, Presidents dying, ex-coaches dying... We all go on about how the players should just play, but they are human and they simply must lose focus by virtue of all this stuff. Who would have thought that the late Daniher years were actually probably the most stable we'd have in a decade.

When will the club be able to focus on playing good, consistent football with good, consistent players? As soon as they find a way to get a run without these types of distractions, things have a chance of getting better.

When will the club be able to focus on playing good, consistent football with good, consistent players? As soon as they find a way to get a run without these types of distractions, things have a chance of getting better.

Ummmm when we GET some good consistent players. Every club has distractions, you're making excuses by using them.

Ummmm when we GET some good consistent players. Every club has distractions, you're making excuses by using them.

True, but it just seems like we cop this stuff all the time. I mean, Essendon has had the drugs stuff, for example, but its once, for a year. We seem to have major stuff every five minutes.

True, but it just seems like we cop this stuff all the time. I mean, Essendon has had the drugs stuff, for example, but its once, for a year. We seem to have major stuff every five minutes.

It's still going. They lost their coach, missed finals, and could have players banned... Would say that's some pretty "major stuff"

Guys and girls please, eating each other is not the answer. Facts are Mitch signed up as a all Australian, highly regarded player and we watched his first 5 weeks and saw that he is genuinely an a grade player. Some of the posts questioning that, his ethic, his moral fibre are purely absurd and the posters who write that vile should go and have a look at themselves. Not only as demon supporters but as human beings. If anyone blames him, the coaches, neeld, mission... You're kidding.

Facts are Mitch has never been an All Australian, he made the squad but not the final side. A lot of people have had this wrong on here recently.

Absolutely. But its a once off. It would be like having that going on along with Jobe Watson quitting out of nowhere, a Dyson Heppell type keeping them hanging all year and going off to the Gold Coast and James Hird getting a terminal illness in the space of a year or two.

Or like Collingwood dealing with Harry O's issues, Eddie's racism, Cloke's contract, Buckley v Malthouse, Heath Shaw problems, Marley Williams, rat pack... etc etc..

Everyone has bad luck to deal with, we've just always made excuses and that's why we're weak.

Facts are Mitch has never been an All Australian, he made the squad but not the final side. A lot of people have had this wrong on here recently.

Facts are in 2012 he was 7th in the competition for goals per game and he was in a bloody awful side

He had a solid 5 years of prime footy ahead of him

The game he got injured he had 4 goals before quarter time

Let's not kid ourselves and go down the 'he wasn't THAT good' road

Or like Collingwood dealing with Harry O's issues, Eddie's racism, Cloke's contract, Buckley v Malthouse, Heath Shaw problems, Marley Williams, rat pack... etc etc..

Everyone has bad luck to deal with, we've just always made excuses and that's why we're weak.

Yep, alright alright. I wasn't making excuses anyway, just observations.

Yes I questioned the worth of bringing him back with the screws still in, it was a rushed choice that was unnecessary to the teams hopes and could've given him proper time to recuperate some the surgery with less discomfort had we not bothered to bring him back.

The injury itself is a real bugger of a thing and we've got to remember that it's rare. Further proof that the club is cursed when we finally get a gun player and he gets a rare career threatening injury at a still young age.

The injuries that have plagued Clarke over the recent months (hamstrings, calf etc.) are not directly related to the foot, but a consequence of a long layoff, changes in running style etc. etc. It's no longer about foot/screws.

There's nothing that I've read that would indicate that this succession of soft-tissue injuries won't eventually settle down - but we/Mitch may no longer have the time/wherewithall necessary to work through the necessary rehab.

Posters - please keep it civil and respectful or there will be some mass bannings here very soon.

Stay on topic too.

Yeah, to be fair was apparently posted during Grand Final week last year but still doesn't fill me with confidence he's not gonna nick off at the first chance he gets.

We all joke about it, but we've also all feared it from the moment he walked in the door. The more games we lose, the more we wonder why he'd stay.

Facts are in 2012 he was 7th in the competition for goals per game and he was in a bloody awful side

He had a solid 5 years of prime footy ahead of him

The game he got injured he had 4 goals before quarter time

Let's not kid ourselves and go down the 'he wasn't THAT good' road

Definitely wasn't going down that path at all, and he should of been AA in that year but when you state a fact as a few others have that is incorrect it's better we get it right.

We all joke about it, but we've also all feared it from the moment he walked in the door. The more games we lose, the more we wonder why he'd stay.

I sure hope and wouldn't think it has anything to do with it. We're not talking the English cricket team here.

True, but it just seems like we cop this stuff all the time. I mean, Essendon has had the drugs stuff, for example, but its once, for a year. We seem to have major stuff every five minutes.

Agree.

It's still going. They lost their coach, missed finals, and could have players banned... Would say that's some pretty "major stuff"

This is the Bombers nightmare but it is one event , they already have a good list in place. This will hurt them but it is one event. Ours have been several a year for years.

We lost a great kid in a Tsunami. We lost club greats in their forties in the same year. A Director in the same period. Then lesser events like players being taken from us by the AFL , tanking issues, money issues, coaching issues, recruiting issues, development issues, drug issues, racism issues, injury issues, need I go on.

No club has had to deal with the issues this club has had to face over the last 7 or so years.

Edited April 5, 201411 yr by Redleg

This is the Bombers nightmare but it is one event , they already have a good list in place. This will hurt them but it is one event. Ours have been several a year for years.

We lost a great kid in a Tsunami. We lost club greats in their forties in the same year. A Director in the same period. Then lesser events like players being taken from us by the AFL , tanking issues, money issues, coaching issues, recruiting issues, development issues, drug issues, racism issues, injury issues, need I go on.

No club has had to deal with the issues this club has had to face over the last 7 or so years.

What you say is true Redleg but a large number are of our own making

From a selfish point of view - I'm annoyed that we will most likely never ever see Dawes and Clark running out on game day together...wouldn't that have been a great day seeing what damage they could have done together.

Not knowing a lot about mental health/depression I would ask the question what's worse, the issue causing the problem or the inability to deal/treat it. Going off what Dawes was quoted in his interview yesterday "all of Mitch's problems stem from injury's/inability to train-play/feeling of letting your teammates down". Were the possible issues of relationship problems not mentioned out of respect? Because to a lot of people if that's all you have to worry about your not doing to badly at all. To me mental health issues/depression would stem from substance abuse/ homelessness/ problematic childhood/ people who have been abused/ living with domestic violence/ living with an illness of disability/ financial problems ect. But as we know everyone reacts/thinks/feels/is affected differently. For what seems like a non issue to some it is obviously tearing Mitch apart. You would think he has sought help with regards to this. Maybe the advise given to him was to return home to be close to friends and family. If what Dawes said is true and I'm assuming it is this has been a big eye opener for me. I look at people I know in different situations now and think are they doing ok, are they just putting on a brave face or do they not know any other way. At the end of the day we will never know the full story and we don't need to know, the bottom line is Mitch is parting ways with the club, we wish him all the best and plan our next move as a club. This issue has showed the need for mental health to be discussed and not seen as something to be embarrassed about because clearly it is bigger than most of us thought possible.

Edited April 6, 201411 yr by Al's Demons

Not knowing a lot about mental health/depression I would ask the question what's worse, the issue causing the problem or the inability to deal/treat it. Going off what Dawes was quoted in his interview yesterday "all of Mitch's problems stem from injury's/inability to train-play/feeling of letting your teammates down". Were the possible issues of relationship problems not mentioned out of respect? Because to a lot of people if that's all you have to worry about your not doing to badly at all. To me mental health issues/depression would stem from substance abuse/ homelessness/ problematic childhood/ people who have been abused/ living with domestic violence/ living with an illness of disability/ financial problems ect. But as we know everyone reacts/thinks/feels/is affected differently. For what seems like a non issue to some it is obviously tearing Mitch apart. You would think he has sought help with regards to this. Maybe the advise given to him was to return home to be close to friends and family. If what Dawes said is true and I'm assuming it is this has been a big eye opener for me. I look at people I know in different situations now and think are they doing ok, are they just putting on a brave face or do they not know any other way. At the end of the day we will never know the full story and we don't need to know, the bottom line is Mitch is parting ways with the club, we wish him all the best and plan our next move as a club. This issue has showed the need for mental health to be discussed and not seen as something to be embarrassed about because clearly it is bigger than most of us thought possible.

It's usually not a single issue that causes the problem and often it is difficult to understand why?

Agree.

This is the Bombers nightmare but it is one event , they already have a good list in place. This will hurt them but it is one event. Ours have been several a year for years.

We lost a great kid in a Tsunami. We lost club greats in their forties in the same year. A Director in the same period. Then lesser events like players being taken from us by the AFL , tanking issues, money issues, coaching issues, recruiting issues, development issues, drug issues, racism issues, injury issues, need I go on.

No club has had to deal with the issues this club has had to face over the last 7 or so years.

I don't get your point. Essendon has the drug issue, the effect of which is pretty much equal to what we've gone through over the last few years on its own, but because 'they already have a good list in place' it doesn't matter.

Well, isn't it our fault that we don't already have a good list in place?

We've had some pretty bad issues come up, but almost all of them have been of our own doing. The tanking investigation was dodgy, but it wouldn't have happened at all if it wasn't for our conduct in 2009. Obviously the tsunami wasn't our fault, but that brought the club together more than anything.

The rest of the issues you've named are essentially our own fault or are things we could have mitigated against, and we didn't. I'm not sure what your point is, then.

Mental ilnesses such as depression and anxiety are always there and its really about treatment and management to minimise the impact. The pressure of being a star player with high expectations combined with a serious injury that has rendered Mitch unable to play for large parts of the last 2 years would be tough for anyone. Also having a child from a previous relationship would be tough - Personally, I have an 18 month old boy and left a consulting career because of being away. While this was originally to provide more support to my partner I couldnt imagine not seeing my boy for days/weeks at a time.

The club has been really clear that the issues Mitch is facing are not about football.

Our entire list need to understand that playing football is about taking chances and making the most of every day, every game and every season.

I don't get your point. Essendon has the drug issue, the effect of which is pretty much equal to what we've gone through over the last few years on its own, but because 'they already have a good list in place' it doesn't matter.

Well, isn't it our fault that we don't already have a good list in place?

We've had some pretty bad issues come up, but almost all of them have been of our own doing. The tanking investigation was dodgy, but it wouldn't have happened at all if it wasn't for our conduct in 2009. Obviously the tsunami wasn't our fault, but that brought the club together more than anything.

The rest of the issues you've named are essentially our own fault or are things we could have mitigated against, and we didn't. I'm not sure what your point is, then.

I doubt anyone is saying that a number of our problems were not self-induced, though I think you are wrong that many of the others could have easily been mitigated against. But the point is we have had a series of issues over several years, the cumulative effect must make it more and more difficult to get back on our feet. Self-flagellation doesn't help.