Can anyone explain what the great man was angling at when, the other week, he clarified that the club has not asked for a priority pick but rather "special assistance" under rule 19. This rule is that which determines if a club should receive a priority pick.

Was this just political speak to make us look less pathetic? Is there more happening behind the scenes we're not privy to? What else could 'special draft assistance' be except for a priority pick?

Aren't we getting 1.5 million extra as a one off from the AFL?

Can anyone explain what the great man was angling at when, the other week, he clarified that the club has not asked for a priority pick but rather "special assistance" under rule 19. This rule is that which determines if a club should receive a priority pick.

Was this just political speak to make us look less pathetic? Is there more happening behind the scenes we're not privy to? What else could 'special draft assistance' be except for a priority pick?

The request was for money not priority picks IMO. The only way this club can compete is via free agency and/or trades. We need to inject some AFL quality players and/or top player/s (ie Danger or equivalent).

Can anyone explain what the great man was angling at when, the other week, he clarified that the club has not asked for a priority pick but rather "special assistance" under rule 19. This rule is that which determines if a club should receive a priority pick.

Was this just political speak to make us look less pathetic? Is there more happening behind the scenes we're not privy to? What else could 'special draft assistance' be except for a priority pick?

Priority Picks have a connotation with being before the draft.

Perhaps he wanted to make the AFL aware they could give us a couple of second rounders and Roos could turn those into another two Vince's and we could be less crap, but the AFL is run by the big clubs at the minute so they don't give a flying...

PJ is a very astute man.

He said when he was first appointed that we had to get rid of the ethos that we deserved handouts.

By reading the play within the AFL and the reactions of other clubs, he realised that the AFL WOULDN'T give out a priority pick.

So don't go asking for one.....ask for "special assistance" That can take the form of other than draft picks.

The words from the AFL are:

"The AFL concluded that while Melbourne has a poor on field record in recent times, this does not of itself constitute “exceptional circumstances” or a justification for awarding priority draft selections".

"Special assistance" may yet be forthcoming. Don't expect to see it trumpeted so that Caro, Damien, Eddie or others latch on. There are a number of ways that the AFL can assist our circumstance, without them being "exceptional".

It was clearly about draft picks, he was just clarifying it did not necessarily have to be pick 1 but could be pick 10 or 20 for instance.

45HG pretty sure that $1.5m was last year don't think we got anything extra this year other than the normal compensation for the rorting we receive due to the AFL's policies.

We need a pre-paid COLA set up for a couple of years...

It was clearly about draft picks, he was just clarifying it did not necessarily have to be pick 1 but could be pick 10 or 20 for instance.

45HG pretty sure that $1.5m was last year don't think we got anything extra this year other than the normal compensation for the rorting we receive due to the AFL's policies.

Exactly. We made a small profit and as I understand it, not a cent of it was from an AFL handout. That was the previous year.

There had to be some strategy behind this because, despite the compelling case for some draft assistance, PJ would have been aware that the AFL was strongly opposed to giving us assistance even before the application was made. The result was telegraphed in the weekend's papers where it was suggested that while the application was doomed, we would benefit from it because it makes certain, the band one compensation available in the likely event that James Frawley jumps ship as well as the AFL's support in our securing a reasonable outcome with Mitch Clark's transfer to Collingwood.

What this episode shows is that we lack the clout of the powerhouse clubs like Sydney, Hawthorn and Collingwood who all receive favourable benefits from various AFL rules and action including fixturing and how hard we have to work to achieve success both on and off the field. Whilst the application failed to achieve its more obvious outcome, I would like to think that its effect will be to underpin the club's recruiting strategy for the coming months. Time will tell.

PJ is a very astute man.

He said when he was first appointed that we had to get rid of the ethos that we deserved handouts.

By reading the play within the AFL and the reactions of other clubs, he realised that the AFL WOULDN'T give out a priority pick.

So don't go asking for one.....ask for "special assistance" That can take the form of other than draft picks.

The words from the AFL are:

"The AFL concluded that while Melbourne has a poor on field record in recent times, this does not of itself constitute “exceptional circumstances” or a justification for awarding priority draft selections".

"Special assistance" may yet be forthcoming. Don't expect to see it trumpeted so that Caro, Damien, Eddie or others latch on. There are a number of ways that the AFL can assist our circumstance, without them being "exceptional".

Exactly my thoughts.

Last night I even considered that maybe the aim was for a cultural shift - no priority picks was a lay down misere, but it would somewhat diminish the stigma of us relying on "handouts"..?

Nah.

Gotta be about something else.

Or just a failsafe in case Clark didnt come back.

We'll be compensated for his leaving, in some way.

Frawley pick 3.

IMO it was a request for special assistance of any kind, and in that request they probably put forth their case for a priority pick, which was shot down, but there are still other potential assistance packages available (like helping pay 100% of the cap, getting Dangerfield on a big contract, etc.)

We might be getting some special financial assistance behind the scene.

For example, maybe we said to the AFL, we need you to give us money to pay more of our salary cap so we can get Dangerfield to the club.

It also ensure that Priority Picks for low ladder positions are dead for all time as it would be very difficult for the AFL to award one [to any Club] in the future after we missed out three year's in a row despite being eligible. This may play to our advantage however only if we regain our rightful position as a Victorian powerhouse!

Frawley pick 3.

My thoughts exactly. Frawley is not worth pick 3 and clubs would have voiced their opposition to this. I think there'll be less angst to pick 3 now that we were knocked back.

Frawley pick 3.

Free Agent compensation is completely independent of an application for special assistance.

For one, considering the amount of free agents that have left clubs, the AFL has much less discretion awarding FA compensation. They just look to a previous FA getting a similar salary/length of contract and say "oh, he went for band 1? Then this club will get band 1."

Special assistance is at the ultimate discretion of the AFL. And they dogged us again.

Edited September 23, 201410 yr by Vanilla Gorilla

It also ensure that Priority Picks for low ladder positions are dead for all time as it would be very difficult for the AFL to award one [to any Club] in the future after we missed out three year's in a row despite being eligible. This may play to our advantage however only if we regain our rightful position as a Victorian powerhouse!

Unfortunately I lost faith in the AFL applying it's rules & conventions without fear or favour a long time ago.

My thoughts exactly. Frawley is not worth pick 3 and clubs would have voiced their opposition to this. I think there'll be less angst to pick 3 now that we were knocked back.

Not worth pick 3 - are you kidding? why do people continually overrate draft picks.

Lets look at the last 10 pick 3s and tell me how many are better than Frawley? I would say Griffen and Martin (who every club appear to reject last year), with Tysons one good year putting him up for discussion. He easily beats the rest, can take key forwards and comprehensively beat them.

People somehow think pick 3 would be a guaranteed star, that Frawley is sh1te and we're getting over compensated.

This is far from the truth. I think if people were truthful and this was a normal trade, they would baulk at Frawley for pick 3.

2004 Ryan Griffen

2005 Xavier Ellis

2006 Lachie Hansen

2007 Chris Masten

2008 Stephen Hill

2009 Dustin Martin

2010 Sam Day

2011 Dom Tyson

2012 Lachlan Plowman

2013 Jack Billings

Another angle (although this is a stretch) is that PJ is building a siege mentality across all levels of the club. It's "not only us against the other teams but its us against the whole system" kind of thing.

Maybe it's a forward shot for next year if we don't bounce off the canvass. "Surely you cannot knock us back now".

But I agree it's most likely to shore up Pick 3 for Frawley.

It also ensure that Priority Picks for low ladder positions are dead for all time as it would be very difficult for the AFL to award one [to any Club] in the future after we missed out three year's in a row despite being eligible. This may play to our advantage however only if we regain our rightful position as a Victorian powerhouse!

The afl will do what they want when they want to suit their needs. If it was collingwood hawks or dons in our position it would have been granted. They have no integrity at all.

I noticed they have the blues bag at the g for 5 home games just before the new tv rights deal is negotiated. Who gets screwed out of those games??? Melb for sure.

Perhaps there was NO AGENDA per se, other than asking what was entitled to be asked.

it was asked , and answered....and we move on....as thats all you can do .

Perhaps there was NO AGENDA per se, other than asking what was entitled to be asked.

it was asked , and answered....and we move on....as thats all you can do .

Beeb I think special assistance is still in play. PP was knocked back.

PJ is shopping for help and it may still happen, but in a form that others will find more difficult to [censored] about.

Edit: - Seriously, I cant mention a female dog? Shlt Fukk but not [censored]

Edited September 24, 201410 yr by ManDee

Beeb I think special assistance is still in play. PP was knocked back.

PJ is shopping for help and it may still happen, but in a form that others will find more difficult to [censored] about.

quite possibly ...but I see no agenda really..Just the asking for what might be available ( or not )

I.e Nothing hidden as to objectives...just asking the question

[censored]

bɪtʃ/

noun

1. 
   
   
   

   1.

   
   

   
   

   a female dog, wolf, fox, or otter.

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
2. 
   
   
   

   2.

   
   

   
   

   
   

   informal

   
   

   a spiteful or unpleasant woman.

   
   

   synonyms: shrew, vixen, she-devil, hellcat; More
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   

verb

informal

1. 
   
   
   

   1.

   
   

   
   

   make spitefully critical comments.

   
   

   "everybody was bitching about their colleagues"

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Surely when using [censored] as a verb (make spitefully critical comments) should be acceptable.

   
   

   
   
   
   
   

Edited September 24, 201410 yr by ManDee

Life's a Bltch sometimes