Robbo says we should get a 2nd rounder as a minimum - http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/mark-robinson-mitch-clark-likely-to-play-afl-in-2015-but-he-owes-melbourne-supporters/story-fnp04d70-1227051871001

Watched Roos on 360, he says a lot without saying much. Reading between the lines it sounded like Mitch was gone.

He is gone, Roos knows it but is not saying so, possibly in the hope that that may change his mind. One thing I found interesting is that Roos mentioned that Mitch's agent orchestrated the payout earlier this year. that would obviously have been money in his pockets also, you would have to think he would have had in the back of his mind being able to get Mitch back playing and earning another high wage sometime in the near future hence double dipping. Another thing I found interesting was bomber thompsons comment which were along the lines of that Mitch got a payout from melbourne therefore does not owe melbourne anything. A few seconds later my son said their was a rumor of mitch going to Essendon, it certainly had me thinking a lot more about bombers stance.

Lastly there has been a lot of talk about compensation, i am wondering under what rule melbourne would be considered eligible for compensation, after all we did not get it for the last few years when we met the guidelines for compensation for poor performance. So can someone please advise why we would be eligible for compensation.

A large part of the reason we didn't get compensation last year was that we had had bad injuries and had a number of young players who would improve - names mentioned were Clark, Hogan, Trengove, Toumpas etc.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-09-23/dees-denied-priority-pick-

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-22/dees-priority-pick-in-doubt

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-23/no-priority-pick-for-demons

Ok so Roos is ok without Clark and Chip.... We need a forward set up - perhaps deals already done regarding an up and coming young key forward to accompany Hogan - bringing this back to the forgotten man in JC (Jeremy Cameron not Jesus Christ - although it could be the second coming if we landed him!) who there the rumours about a little whole back. Just reading between the crumbs of information, Roos has also previously said we're not takings forward out of the TAC system for various reasons - I'm wondering if it means we already have one stitched up??

Pie in the sky I'd love JC, but it would take a huge trade to get him. Earlier in the year I heard a few whispers about Tom Lynch from the GC being targeted by Melbourne, I'm starting to think it may be a possibility...

Mitch Clark born Oct 19 1987 - just after Buckenara Prelim.

I was depressed then.

I had been depressed for 23 seasons before.

I've largely been depressed since.

I should not be commenting on others' aliments

Robbo says we should get a 2nd rounder as a minimum - http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/mark-robinson-mitch-clark-likely-to-play-afl-in-2015-but-he-owes-melbourne-supporters/story-fnp04d70-1227051871001

Watched Roos on 360, he says a lot without saying much. Reading between the lines it sounded like Mitch was gone.

A large part of the reason we didn't get compensation last year was that we had had bad injuries and had a number of young players who would improve - names mentioned were Clark, Hogan, Trengove, Toumpas etc.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-09-23/dees-denied-priority-pick-

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-22/dees-priority-pick-in-doubt

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-23/no-priority-pick-for-demons

Pie in the sky I'd love JC, but it would take a huge trade to get him. Earlier in the year I heard a few whispers about Tom Lynch from the GC being targeted by Melbourne, I'm starting to think it may be a possibility...

Won't get Lynch - he's vice captain and rusted on up there. Reid from Swans is the target.

RE the manager starting MC did us a favour, I can only take that to mean the "confidential settlement" included not being paid the full amount of the 4th year (2015) of his contact.

RE Next year's plans, I wonder if the MFC flayed the idea of Rookieing him or similar to help him adjust to AFL again but he has different ideas.

I wouldn't be surprised if we are taking a cautious approach to taking him back and he may disagree. Similarly weer may not think he can core with AFL and think we can manage the situation to get over the odds compensation for him.

I'll reserve my judgement. I'd rather a fit and firing MC paying for the dees but if he is only 40% to get back on the park I'd rather pick 20 for Roos to trade.

His manager is a [censored].

I'm sure we would have gladly placed MC on the LTI for this season and welcomed him back on full pay next season, if this was what he wanted.

He said he wanted to retire and we supported him, and still help him train and get fit. Somehow that makes Clark the one doing us a favour. It's garbage.

I have no doubt that this isn't the Melbourne of old, welcoming a player with questions marks over his head with a long term large contract. I would think a rookie spot would be a great approach, but maybe MC expected better, maybe he wanted to resurrect his old contract pay and we told him to get stuffed.

At the end of the day something has gone very wrong. As Gary Lyon said, it should be simple, he says he wants to stay, we sign him to a new contract, story is over and every lives happily ever after. The fact that this has become an absolute shitestorm, tells me that something somewhere didn't go to plan.

Roos would not give up on the promise of a supremely talented player.

Boooooos are order when he play against us and gets the ball in another jumper from now and until he retires.

His manager is a [censored].

I'm sure we would have gladly placed MC on the LTI for this season and welcomed him back on full pay next season, if this was what he wanted.

He said he wanted to retire and we supported him, and still help him train and get fit. Somehow that makes Clark the one doing us a favour. It's garbage.

I have no doubt that this isn't the Melbourne of old, welcoming a player with questions marks over his head with a long term large contract. I would think a rookie spot would be a great approach, but maybe MC expected better, maybe he wanted to resurrect his old contract pay and we told him to get stuffed.

At the end of the day something has gone very wrong. As Gary Lyon said, it should be simple, he says he wants to stay, we sign him to a new contract, story is over and every lives happily ever after. The fact that this has become an absolute shitestorm, tells me that something somewhere didn't go to plan.

Roos would not give up on the promise of a supremely talented player.

Or did it ?? *

*(devil's advocate)

Watched Roos and am none the wiser. Didn't seem overly keen on him staying but could also read that as him keeping his cards close to his chest.

This whole situation is one major mind [censored] and I'm going to stop trying to make head or tail of it until we reach an end point. Hopefully it's a positive one. Would be a nice change.

In recent time, Tom Scully has left, James Frawley is leaving, Stefan Martin was traded, Jared Rivers left, Jack Trengove did a navicular, Liam Jurrah went to jail, Jesse Hogan has a back problem, and now Clark, the man of eternal hopes who played just 15 games because of injury and illness, will play elsewhere next year.

WTF is going on at this club??

Did someone break 100 mirrors at our training ground or some thing?

Paul roos was coy because he's realised the curse is real...

Clark is a fool, he will be universally hated. I doubt the genuine-ness of his depression. Sounds like he was having a hard time, played it up, saw opportunity to get out of contract and did the dirty. Sorry if he was really suffering, but having a fair amount of experience with depression, his symptoms and recovery time don't lend themselves to depression. I hope he is booed every game he plays. Highest paid photographer in Australia.

What [censored] me off the most tonight was when his manager said he did the MFC a favour by retiring, [censored] [censored]. Could have been put on LTI , helped no one but himself and your own back pockets. Disgrace.

IMO Clark is/was depressed, but I think you are right to question mark whether he is/was inherently depressed.

Just from my observations on Clark, his depression might actually be more related to a need for attention.

If Roos has his doubts on Clark, it is probably because he has realised Clark is borderline and unlikely to provide much going forward - even if he is on our list.

Having relied solely on the last 10 pages of this thread for all my information about Mitch Clark I now feel like I know no more than I did before I started reading. On balance, though, it seems that Roos was being cautious and trying to warn Clark that rejoining the AFL comes with some risk for a person prone to depression. Roos wouldn't want to be seen to be in any way responsible for Clark having a relapse and he also wouldn't want Clark to be taking a spot on the list only to have him "retire" once again and leave us one short.

It also seems to me a very similar style of story about his time last year when the speculation was rife about whether Roos would coach us or not. In short, because there's a shortage of facts there is inevitable conjecture and uninformed opinion to fill air time and column inches (and whatever the equivalent is for social media).

I heard he didn't retire due to depression but the AFL stepping in.

If we signed Patrick Dangerfield or a similar talent during the trade period then Mitch would beg to come back and play for us. Our lack of stars is what is hurting us as I think that Mitch Clark does not want to be carrying the team from a scoring point of view. I think what he does not realise is that bar going to Sydney, he is going to be seen as a match winner at most other clubs if he gets back to full fitness, and with that comes pressure.

One thing in the back of my mind is that his contract was heavily front loaded, meaning he has already been paid the majority of the value from it. The remaining year is worth very little by comparison. Renegotiating a new contract could be financially rewarding. Melbourne have now settled this without getting the value for 2015 at the reduced rate. This would make it difficult for us to be inclined to pay a significant amount for 2015 because we paid most of the value for it in the earlier years. We did the right thing by Mitch in settling this.

A new club would not be burdened by this and more comfortable offering good dollars for his services.

I look mostly at his manager here but this is a case of double dipping with the MFC potentially getting screwed. If we keep him we have to renegotiate his contract and no doubt lose the value we should have in 2015 for pre paying the earlier years. Perhaps with the risk that surrounds him now big dollars might not be forthcoming...but I wouldn't be surprised if other clubs offers are more attractive than ours because it might be difficult for us to justify paying more than our original outlay for that year particularly given we may have already paid part of that year out.

Y'all see the guts on him? He kept pulling his t-shirt down when he was doing his stretches in the ground to cover his blubber guts. Good luck with any "fitness test".

Why was he training out in the open like a race horse on cup week today anyway? That seemed odd enough.

He was retired. If we get anything for him that will be a bonus.

If he succeeds at another club, that's just more bad luck for us.

If we get nothing for him and he succeeds at another club, he better delete all his social media accounts.

In recent time, Tom Scully has left, James Frawley is leaving, Stefan Martin was traded, Jared Rivers left, Jack Trengove did a navicular, Liam Jurrah went to jail, Jesse Hogan has a back problem, and now Clark, the man of eternal hopes who played just 15 games because of injury and illness, will play elsewhere next year.

WTF is going on at this club??

Did someone break 100 mirrors at our training ground or some thing?

WTF happened was the club shafted Norm Smith and nothing has gone right since.

Why do you all want the big crybaby anyway? Tell him to F off. Let's get some real superstars into our club and win some premierships. So he broke a bone in his foot? So what? Most of us have had hard times too! Suck it up you pathetic wimp! He's taken about 2.1M from our club and done nothing but [censored] and moan.

Yeah, the way you are taking this whole thing, it seems you and he may have something in common.

Oh Well Life Goes On!

**it Happens!

Times like these I reckon I need to pull out my FWP Kit.

In recent time, Tom Scully has left, James Frawley is leaving, Stefan Martin was traded, Jared Rivers left, Jack Trengove did a navicular, Liam Jurrah went to jail, Jesse Hogan has a back problem, and now Clark, the man of eternal hopes who played just 15 games because of injury and illness, will play elsewhere next year.

WTF is going on at this club??

Did someone break 100 mirrors at our training ground or some thing?

generally you make it clear when you have cut and pasted text from an article

Come on people surely we can knock this up to a hundred pages!

reckon Roos will talk him into staying at the club

I doubt that, heavily. Implication on Footy Classified was perhaps he was offered a low ball salary, rookie position to stay with us. Clearly his manager got in his ear if that's the case. They could be talking crap though.

Craig was unapologetically sympathetic though and seemed to have no qualms about the AFLB stepping in to award a PP as compensation, which Caro agreed should be first or second round. So the chips may at least fall our way there.

I heard he didn't retire due to depression but the AFL stepping in.

I heard something similar. About 4-5 days before clark retired I was told it was going to happen and the reasons behind it and it wasn't depression

I heard something similar. About 4-5 days before clark retired I was told it was going to happen and the reasons behind it and it wasn't depression

So what was the real reason

If not depression then there was a lot of wasted sympathy here on old demonland

So what was the real reason

If not depression then there was a lot of wasted sympathy here on old demonland

Please let's not go there.

There is no place on this site for unsubstantiated rumours and scuttlebutt.

Posting them will only get their authors a holiday from the site.