I still tend to suspect there are internal divisions within the players loosely categorised under which coach they started under. The Bailey Boys, the Neeld boys and now Roos is the meat in the sandwich. Clark being in the Neeld camp.

So is he meeting with the club today? If so I hope we hear something sooner rather than later.

So is he meeting with the club today? If so I hope we hear something sooner rather than later.

Don't hold your breath or sit by the computer waiting Dr

unless he has a rock solid Idea on what he wants to do this could take more than one meeting.

This is total guess work on my part but I wondered why the news of the meeting was released by his agent.

Trying to put a bit of pressure on the MFC perhaps?

Pressure to do what?

Dosen't he either retire, quits or it's steady as she goes and nothing happens. Seems out of MFC's hands just at the minute.

Don't hold your breath or sit by the computer waiting Dr

unless he has a rock solid Idea on what he wants to do this could take more than one meeting.

This is total guess work on my part but I wondered why the news of the meeting was released by his agent.

Trying to put a bit of pressure on the MFC perhaps?

Interesting, isn't it?

I beleive he'll retire from football. No inside info or sources but a gut feeling. As frustrating as this has been for all of us obviously there are some personal issues that need to be rectified and i'd rather say thank you and all the very best to Mitch rather than force him back into the club when his hearts not in it anymore.

This has been a long thread, a lot of guess work by all and arguments about Mitch, his mental health and his value to the club.

Some have gone off at others for not taking into account mental health issues, there have been those that think the club needs to cut ties and not fulfil obligations. Has Mitch fulfilled his obligations.

The only thing I know is that he injured his foot a couple of years back and hasn't been able to get back on the park. Everything else to me is unfounded speculation. Even those backing Mitch and his battle with depression don't really know the problem or indeed if it is a problem.

We need to be careful here, I keep having this nagging Jonathan Trott feeling.

Can't underestimate what losing Mitch means. Roos had him earmarked to ruck for a fair part of the game, to mentor/protect Jessie when he starts to play, to be the general on the field, to motivate by sheer presence/ability, to be the focal point of the game plan.

He was such an integral part of Roos' planning. Dawes may be a good forward but he can't do the other roles (at Collingwood he and Cloke and Brown alongside). Jessie will be a champ but we can't afford to (again) send a new player to the wolves as we did Watts.

I wonder to what extent Mitch going has shattered the newfound, fragile confidence players had coming into the season. Maybe with Mitch going they have seen the new game plan go up in smoke and feel lost again. Is depression contagious. Yes, last comment a bit facetious but something has to explain their current lack of interest/attitude.

Unfortunately I fear you are correct. Roos now has to scratch around for a solution, eg Frawley and Dunn up forward and pray for a ruckman to appear. As for your question in bold, the answer is yes. That is why I try to limit my reading of Demonland.

Pressure to do what?

Dosen't he either retire, quits or it's steady as she goes and nothing happens. Seems out of MFC's hands just at the minute.

Not sure that is true.

Lets assume Clark has come to the conclusion my body and mind cannot do this anymore I want to stop.

Then his agent who will be wanting to achieve two things IMO

- Get the best financial deal he can for Clark

- ensure he maximizes his commission because there is probably no more from Clark.

So try a subtle paint of the MFC as " we want to discuss an exit structure for Mitch"

Puts the ball back in the MFC court to come up with an offer.

Pressure to do what?

Dosen't he either retire, quits or it's steady as she goes and nothing happens. Seems out of MFC's hands just at the minute.

Hes under contract so he'll be looking for the best exit strategy (monetary payout).

Hes under contract so he'll be looking for the best exit strategy (monetary payout).

Not so sure about him but his agent sure will be.

This club sucks balls

I thought Mich Clark all but officially retired three seasons ago.

A couple of really insightful posters there. Well done...it will help a lot.

People get sucked in by the contracts thinking they're totally amazing, but there's a few facts to consider/remember:

-Footy players spend their lives building up to that 1 decent contract, plenty of unpaid work during their formative years to try and get there.

-Most footy players have to start a whole new career from scratch once they finish up with AFL. Dustin Fletcher has never had a job other than footy is an example.

-If you're the top of your profession you generally get paid well.

-4% of AFL players have a career that lasts 10 years. 4%.

-You say "comfortable retirement", but the guy is 26, how comfortable do you think it will be trying to stretch that money to last 60 years? That's $25,000 a year. Not an awesome wage is it?

You surely jest -- nobody should expect to retire from AFL and do nothing for the next 60 years on what they have earned playing footy. Sure they will have to take up a trade / profession etc, but with a well managed kitty from their footy days they have a far better start than say a graduate at 25 who has HECS debts and no savings.

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.

You mean a list with a top ranked forward line of Clark, Dawes and Hogan? Sure we don't have them, but that is due to circumstances beyond our control, especially as pertains to Clark and Hogan's injuries. Bad luck, the NS curse, whatever.

The Ox was worth persevering with because of how good he was.

Mitch Clark is worth waiting for too .

True -- I hope that if there is any hope at all of Mitch playing again, he hangs in there. He does have a lot of support and a lot of well-wishers, despite some really strange postings here.

Trade em all and start again.

Trade em all and start again.

To who?

You surely jest -- nobody should expect to retire from AFL and do nothing for the next 60 years on what they have earned playing footy. Sure they will have to take up a trade / profession etc, but with a well managed kitty from their footy days they have a far better start than say a graduate at 25 who has HECS debts and no savings.

You mean a graduate who has a career in front of them rather than one that has just totally finished? Missed the point mate.

Stu - pretty sure he won't be sitting on his hands for the rest of his life. He has his photography for starters, where he seems to have aspirations of turning professional.

To who?

Thomastown Bears.

Thomastown Bears.

Don't think they are that silly

Stu - pretty sure he won't be sitting on his hands for the rest of his life. He has his photography for starters, where he seems to have aspirations of turning professional.

I just think a point that everyone seems to miss is that these guys who are at the top of their profession in a massive money generating industry like footy DESERVE their pay packets. They're not massive when compared to corporate equivalents, and when they finish their career they have to start a new one totally from scratch.

I'll state again, 4% of AFL players have a career that lasts 10 years.

He would presumably invest his payout gradually as superannuation rather than using it to live off. Most likely he would get another job doing something else and use the income to live now.

True -- I hope that if there is any hope at all of Mitch playing again, he hangs in there. He does have a lot of support and a lot of well-wishers, despite some really strange postings here.

That is exactly my faint hope as well. If there is still a faint desire to play again I would really hope he hangs in there with the club supporting him. But I guess what he may need to consider is that coming back isn't just for the benefit of the club, but for the benefit of his long term health. Imagine the demons he'd be conquering if he got out on the park.

He would presumably invest his payout gradually as superannuation rather than using it to live off. Most likely he would get another job doing something else and use the income to live now.

We're talking about a footballer here... not an accountant.

I have a feeling the club is going to put him on ice for the year very soon, if he doesn't retire.

I have a feeling the club is going to put him on ice for the year very soon, if he doesn't retire.

he already is on ice.

he already is on ice.

I really hope not!