Melbourne asks for draft assistance

[Adam The God 30,644]

Some of us need to get over ourselves. We need draft assistance. I'm not embarrassed that we've asked for assistance, I'm embarrassed by our performance yesterday, which underlined just how bad a shape our list is in.

[STN91 32]

Saw the heading of an article today which I didn't read saying do Melbourne deserve a priority pick? So does the oldest club in the league, in the heart land of Aussie rules deserve to survive? Does GWS and Gold Coast deserve the picks they've had? Does Sydney be afforded the opportunity to sign Buddy up for 1,000,000 years at $1,000,000,000 per year? The games gone to the dogs ie foxtel and I'm glad I'm relaxing in Koh Samui

[Earl Hood 6,152]

A draft analysis showed that the worst drafts were 2003 and 2009. Howz that for bad luck!!! It has to all turn and soon!!

No it is not drafts it is about player development didn't you know! Obviously they were bad years for development right across the league. We are largely to blame here of course for the lack of developing the early picks in those years.

[Adam The God 30,644]

Terrible timing (could we have opened ourselves up to criticism any more by doing it today? Absolutely woeful PR), but if we don't get it this year, I can't imagine a club will ever get one.

IMO, it's the best time. We're already going to cop it in the media, may as well announce this now. Also, who gives a toss about PR when we're in the hole we're in? The Club needs to sell hope to the supporter base yet again.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,457]

Terrible timing (could we have opened ourselves up to criticism any more by doing it today? Absolutely woeful PR), but if we don't get it this year, I can't imagine a club will ever get one.

Nah it's the perfect time, might stop people talking about our diabolical performance on Sunday.

[Tatu 416]

Extra salary cap allowance would be absolutely useless because as PJ has said publicly, we aren't even capable of payng our entire salary cap as it is.

We have been costing the AFL money for 8 long years... it would cost them less to give us the allowance... Otherwise we will just keep leaking money...

[demoniac 1,337]

If you don't ask you don't get.

Club has done what it had to do.

Who cares what anybody else thinks.

[Ted Lasso 19,564]

We have been costing the AFL money for 8 long years... it would cost them less to give us the allowance... Otherwise we will just keep leaking money...

I reckon they would already be paying for a good chunk of Mr Roos salary

[Tatu 416]

I reckon they would already be paying for a good chunk of Mr Roos salary

which has only happened, because we have been terrible for years... A fully payed salary cap allowance, might be a quicker way for our club to stop costing them money... It could be cheaper for them to invest in this now, rather than continually propping us up for 8 more years...

How much of the salary cap do GWS and Gold Coast actually pay?

[Moneider96 1,045]

I just realised...the AFL Fukin annoy me. If I didn't love this team so much and love playing footy so much...I would be long gone

[Undeeterred 3,127]

The issue is the players, and the worst possible thing the club could do for their confidence and drive is to go to the league the day after that and point out how utterly hopeless they are.

I think we need a pick and should get one, but we shouldn't have to apply, and we shouldn't have done it today.

[Ted Lasso 19,564]

which has only happened, because we have been terrible for years... A fully payed salary cap allowance, might be a quicker way for our club to stop costing them money... It could be cheaper for them to invest in this now, rather than continually propping us up for 8 more years...

How much of the salary cap do GWS and Gold Coast actually pay?

Both still have extra cap room I believe but i'd imagine the same rules would apply where they have to pay 95% although both have players on good dollars so I doubt they would have any issue with that

the thing I think our club needs is a good traditional rebuild through the draft with some high quality people on board to make sure we develop the young talent we bring in, no more quick fixes, no more bandaids, a PP now could be exactly what we need

[CBDees 3,167]

We have been costing the AFL money for 8 long years... it would cost them less to give us the allowance... Otherwise we will just keep leaking money...

It is the other way around! The AFL have been costing us money for years, most lately by scheduling the majority of our matches at 4.40pm of a Sunday afternoon. No wonder we are skint. When Carlton or Collingwood get an occassional game scheduled in this time frame (or at Etihad) they scream blue murder and threaten to sue the AFL for $.5M compensation for loss of takings. Remember everybody, the MCG was and is our historic home ground ever since we were the Melbourne Cricket Club Football Club and these more powerful Clubs only got to play there at Finals time or when they played us (and we got the bulk of the takings as the home team).

Don't run away with the idea that the AFL doesn't owe us big time for how they have crucified us and we should even get a second priority pick for the one we lost out on last year when we won two matches. I am so over Eddie Mcguire!

[CBDees 3,167]

We have been costing the AFL money for 8 long years... it would cost them less to give us the allowance... Otherwise we will just keep leaking money...

It is the other way around! The AFL have been costing us money for years, most lately by scheduling the majority of our matches at 4.40pm of a Sunday afternoon. No wonder we are skint. When Carlton or Collingwood get an occassional game scheduled in this time frame (or at Etihad) they scream blue murder and threaten to sue the AFL seeking $.5M compensation for loss of takings. Remember everybody, the MCG was and is our historic home ground ever since we were the Melbourne Cricket Club Football Club and these more powerful Clubs only got to play there at Finals time or when they played us (and we got the bulk of the takings as the home team).

Don't run away with the idea that the AFL doesn't owe us big time for how they have crucified us and we should even get a second priority pick for the one we lost out on last year when we won two matches. I am so over Eddie Mcguire!

[KingDingAling 3,758]

I think Paul Roos will make a pretty strong case.

Lack of talent at disposal, psychologically damaged players.

Poor drafting by previous board.

Free agency resulting in a loss of experienced players.

Loss of players to depression and other mental issues (Clark, Jurrah).

Inability to rebuild due to the introdcution of new franchises.

Constant merri-go-round of coaches over the past 7 years.

And the list goes on.

It would be much harder to argue against a priority pick.

[STN91 32]

Tatu, stop barracking for Melbourne....Please.

[Demon Disciple 12,489]

The issue is the players, and the worst possible thing the club could do for their confidence and drive is to go to the league the day after that and point out how utterly hopeless they are.

I think we need a pick and should get one, but we shouldn't have to apply, and we shouldn't have done it today.

I think the club has done the right thing. It's about time the players' faced the consequences of their actions (or rather inactions). They have been getting away with daylight robbery for too long. It's about time they were put into the coal-face. Those who survive can stay, those who don't like it should be booted. The one's who are so far below AFL standard should be gone regardless (whoops that's roughly 30 players).

[Moneider96 1,045]

Yep I think 100% we SHOULD get a PP

[STN91 32]

Demon Disciple, can you tell me what that cold face is like (whoops)

[STN91 32]

Demon Disciple, can you tell me what that cold face is like (whoops)

[Tatu 416]

Id say a PP is the the band aid.... We are now stuck in a rebuilding the rebuild loop and if we continue to go to early draft picks, we will become a development team for stronger clubs to pick clean via free agency... The stronger club don't need draft picks because they can just poach up and coming players from us, while continuing to play finals and win premierships... Its called 'having your cake and eating it too"... A salary cap allowance would be a quicker form of assistance, which is what clubs who ask for assistance need... it would also even up free agency in a small way, by giving weaker clubs the money/chance to compete... Rebuilding through the draft with early picks is an over rated and out dated form of a rebuild, it takes to long and is old fashioned... The theatre of watching your team build a group together would be great and i think we all fell for that dream a few years ago... but with free agency now in play, the game has changed... its about money now... the likelihood of us actually holding onto the players we draft is zero...

Maybe the AFL want us to leak away at the bottom until we die, who knows? But if the don't.. Then they should seriously consider this...

[Tatu 416]

Tatu, stop barracking for Melbourne....Please.

excuse me? Hows about you get [censored] dick head!!

[Moneider96 1,045]

'Maybe the Afl want us to leak away at the bottom until we die'

I like that conspiracy theoy. With the [censored] their doing/not doing to us...it's possible.

[Undeeterred 3,127]

I think the club has done the right thing. It's about time the players' faced the consequences of their actions (or rather inactions). They have been getting away with daylight robbery for too long. It's about time they were put into the coal-face. Those who survive can stay, those who don't like it should be booted. The one's who are so far below AFL standard should be gone regardless (whoops that's roughly 30 players).

I think a lot of the time most people on here forget that the players are people too. How would you go if your organisation kept putting out press releases telling the world you were doing a rubbish job? Not exactly confidence building material, is it? I just don't get the point of continually giving players a public bollocking, it is entirely self-defeating.

[Tatu 416]

I agree that we need assistance, i just don't think drafting another kid is going to help us... A fully payed salary cap allowance package, similar to Sydney's salary cap assistance... Would be way better suited to helping out struggling clubs, in the modern game...