If a bloke that has never played an AFL game misses a couple of weeks, and from that our season is derailed, then it was derailed before it began.

Sure I'd love him to be fit and firing, but he's still a boy with a lot of learning and footy ahead of him,

If a bloke that has never played an AFL game misses a couple of weeks, and from that our season is derailed, then it was derailed before it began.

Sure I'd love him to be fit and firing, but he's still a boy with a lot of learning and footy ahead of him,

It's more about the structure and options going forward he would provide rather than him winning games off his own boot. Without Dawes or Clark, Hogan would have provided that big option up forward to structure the forward line around and provide a hit up option coming through half forward.

And I would assume the club would wait for the RESULTS of any scans, then speak to a Doctor and or Physio BEFORE making a statement but maybe that is not how a good club operates.

And then tells us he will be out for half the time they really expect.

Mushroom theory!

Am I cynical about clubs reporting injuries?

Absolutely

It is a real shame he won't play but what did people, who think we are now doomed, believe Hogan was capable of in his first year?

If Howe goes down - touch wood - that would effectively shut down our forward line.

I look at our cherry ripe midfield and am confident that disaster will be averted - that's where it' starts and ends for us this year.

This...

Teams can make a go of it with an average forward line but a good functioning midfield.

Teams with a decent forward line and no midfield will struggle.

So what. Do you think the official AFL website will just publish anything and everything without any kind of approval process?

Grow up guys. It's not a conspiracy, it's really happening.

errrr, yes i do stuie.............................they are just another media centre like all the rest

It's more about the structure and options going forward he would provide rather than him winning games off his own boot. Without Dawes or Clark, Hogan would have provided that big option up forward to structure the forward line around and provide a hit up option coming through half forward.

Of course I'd rather he played than didn't, but it's not reach into the bottom draw for the revolver time, no matter what some might think. More important than the forwards is having mids that work for and trust each other, Jones, Vince, Cross or Tyson missing 6 weeks would worry me more than Clark. Dawes or Hogan.

Of course I'd rather he played than didn't, but it's not reach into the bottom draw for the revolver time, no matter what some might think. More important than the forwards is having mids that work for and trust each other, Jones, Vince, Cross or Tyson missing 6 weeks would worry me more than Clark. Dawes or Hogan.

I tend to agree as we have never had them much anyway.

Prepared to wait for the club's official announcement on this, however if true, the one positive for me is that this appears to be from a collision injury and not from a breakdown of his body from over training. The latter would suggest a potential ongoing fragility, the former, just something that happens in footy.

I don't know if this tweet has been posted yet but -

"@melbournefc: Were hearing your questions about Jesse Hogans back and we will be in a position to provide more detail this afternoon."

Amazing thread this. Mixture of denial, shoot the messenger and conspiracy.

Forget the five stages of grief. The three stages of being a Melbourne Football Club supporter are much more significant.

Which journo will be the first to use the expression "X straightened them up" when X (the first of Dawes/Clark/Hogan) finally plays?

Rather peeved if reports are correct as to length of time out, but it is not the end the world, we have a practice game coming up tomorrow where Roos can experiment with different looks and two weeks to get a forward structure in place and working together for the first couple of rounds

I agree with the rest, we have already proved we can kick goals without a set forward structure in the practice games, I would be more concerned if the midfielders started to fall over

I don't know if this tweet has been posted yet but -

"@melbournefc: Were hearing your questions about Jesse Hogans back and we will be in a position to provide more detail this afternoon."

What, they haven't put the scans on Instagram yet? As a paid up member I demand the right to make my own diagnosis!

SEN just reported that Calrk and Dawes injuries are far worse then what the club is making it out to be and frawley is gone at years end.

Now i know it was only KB and Denham reporting it but they mentioned Dawes had a degenerative knee problem. Now i mentioned this last year as I'm very good mates with a Collingwood backman and when i caught up with him last he mentioned about Dawes and his ongoing knee problem he has to manage for the rest of his career. He had it since TAC cup days. Throughout his career at Collingwood they had to manage him every year and it just got to the point where Collingwood weren't prepared to keep doing this for the rest of his career

I got absolutely flogged on this website from everyone and especially guys like Saty for passing on what i was told. Collingwood were not one bit fussed in getting rid of Dawes and were shocked how much we were prepared to pay overs for his service. Even to this day i have no idea why we went so hard for Dawes. I respect his leadership and experience he brings to the football club but if he struggles to play more then 10 games this year i think we need to bite the bullet and seriously consider the future of Dawes at years end. 500k a year for a bloke on one leg.. I would rather throw the Bank at Patton or Tom Boyd.

With Clark it's now more hamstring issues in regards to changing his running style which is completely normal. Foot is not a problem at all. Hogan just wrap him in cotton wool for the next month. No rush for him.

I know we're blessed with bad luck, but let's show some optimism here guys. Negativity is toxic, and if we're hanging the future of the entire club on one 19 year old kid, there are deep rooted problems with our club. Let's refresh the last two games' highest goal scorers shall we?

Mitch Clark - 0

Chris Dawes - 0

Jesse Hogan - 1

Meanwhile....

Howe - 6

JKH - 3

N Jones - 3

Bail - 3

Michie - 2

Trenners - 2

Vince, Cross and Toump scored a goal each, meaning Roosy has instructed our midfielders to move up the ground and attempt goals as well. He'll be on top of this. I fully expect Tyson and Watts will be on that list within one round.

SEN just reported that Calrk and Dawes injuries are far worse then what the club is making it out to be and frawley is gone at years end.

Each year at this time we seem to always experience this mind blowingly painful numbness. Usually its getting flogged by huge amounts, now its all 3 key forwards with significant issues and our most valuable player in frawley out the door.

My God.

If a bloke that has never played an AFL game misses a couple of weeks, and from that our season is derailed, then it was derailed before it began.

Sure I'd love him to be fit and firing, but he's still a boy with a lot of learning and footy ahead of him,

Spot on, its a shame that he won't play for a while, but at the same time, we weren't going to have him playing every week.

Its not the end of the world, just a small set back, and yes we have had terrible luck with getting fwds on the ground.

I think we can sill best st kilda. w are still a stronger unit in all areas of the ground.

SEN just reported that Calrk and Dawes injuries are far worse then what the club is making it out to be and frawley is gone at years end.

They have no idea if Frawley goes, because not even he knows.

SEN just reported that Calrk and Dawes injuries are far worse then what the club is making it out to be and frawley is gone at years end.

Reported or speculated?

SEN just reported that Calrk and Dawes injuries are far worse then what the club is making it out to be and frawley is gone at years end.

Now i know it was only KB and Denham reporting it but they mentioned Dawes had a degenerative knee problem. Now i mentioned this last year as I'm very good mates with a Collingwood backman and when i caught up with him last he mentioned about Dawes and his ongoing knee problem he has to manage for the rest of his career. He had it since TAC cup days. Throughout his career at Collingwood they had to manage him every year and it just got to the point where Collingwood weren't prepared to keep doing this for the rest of his career

I got absolutely flogged on this website from everyone and especially guys like Saty for passing on what i was told. Collingwood were not one bit fussed in getting rid of Dawes and were shocked how much we were prepared to pay overs for his service. Even to this day i have no idea why we went so hard for Dawes. I respect his leadership and experience he brings to the football club but if he struggles to play more then 10 games this year i think we need to bite the bullet and seriously consider the future of Dawes at years end. 500k a year for a bloke on one leg.. I would rather throw the Bank at Patton or Tom Boyd.

With Clark it's now more hamstring issues in regards to changing his running style which is completely normal. Foot is not a problem at all. Hogan just wrap him in cotton wool for the next month. No rush for him.

Is it a degenerative knee problem?

The injury he sustained to his knee a couple of years ago was when it was bent sideways, didn't seem to hamper him before that in the premiership year

If you listen to what Roos and Misson are actually saying is you are dealing with a 100kg+ plus bloke who was probably rushed back last year, which has caused a lot of problems with his soft tissues, they want to get it right, he played in the practice game and looked fine, just a bit of calf soreness, so let's rush him back again....NOT

Is it a degenerative knee problem?

The injury he sustained to his knee a couple of years ago was when it was bent sideways, didn't seem to hamper him before that in the premiership year

If you listen to what Roos and Misson are actually saying is you are dealing with a 100kg+ plus bloke who was probably rushed back last year, which has caused a lot of problems with his soft tissues, they want to get it right, he played in the practice game and looked fine, just a bit of calf soreness, so let's rush him back again....NOT

Time to wake up and smell the roses now Saty.

Gee, how I wish posters such as Jaded and Nasher worked in the media. Brief, eloquent and not likely to let emotion get the better of them. Demonland is all the better for their contributions (and a few others, too).

Time to wake up and smell the roses now Saty.

Why hasn't Dawes retired?

He gets an injury payout substantially more than his yearly contract - why is he, and we, continuing the charade if his body is cactus?

I don't know if this tweet has been posted yet but -

"@melbournefc: Were hearing your questions about Jesse Hogans back and we will be in a position to provide more detail this afternoon."

I hope the club can be honest and upfront about the injury.

They estimated Garland to miss 4-6 weeks back in January, and now he's not due back until round 5.

im am just soooo frustrated. we have 3 great forwards well 2 anyway in dawes and clark and we cant get them on the field together.

I can tell you with absolute certainty James Frawley has not made a decision on his future at this point in time, that's coming from a very reliable source, anything in the media saying he is gone is purely speculation, i believe he will stay, but if we have a [censored] year, he is going to consider his options very seriously