Brock McLean delisted

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

Can enjoy doing burnouts out of the car park at the local footy leagues now.
His uneducated big mouth caused a lot of grief for some genuinely nice people at the MFC, who were pressured to act a certain way in their roles.
Think before you speak.
Good riddance in my eyes.

[Binmans PA 26,452]

I always thought this guy would play 250 games for us and lead us to a premiership. In 2006 after that final I thought he was destined to become a star for us.

He has now been delisted on 157 games.

Take away the Tanking drama its been a massive fall from grace for McLean.

Whereas, I never rated him. Does sound easy to say in hindsight though. Always had suspect disposal and was slower than my grandmother. Even Darren Cuthbertson played some great games. Didn't mean he was going to last though.

Edited October 26, 2014 by AdamFarr

[CityDee 738]

Casey was too far for him . Always wanted to be a blue but would have played more as a demon as an inside mid with some value imo .

We should draft with club ties pointed towards the dees where possible .

[chookrat 3,778]

Get your head out of your ass he stood up for himself and also for Dean Bailey. He could see the toxic culture that was developed and eventually explode into a complete mess.

Also the fact the club told him to take a pay cut after he donated 10 grand is a disgrace! He was a leader and a guy that bled red and blue.

Chris Connelly and Cameron Schwab thought they could get away with their little snide games.

Best thing thats happened to this club is Brock opening up the truth On the Couch.

I agree with this last sentence.

Id also say that it is unfair for us to diss Brock for his on the couch display just as it is ridiculous for Essendon to diss Patty Ryder for his recent interview.

We tanked for draft picks and are still paying the price.

[InVINCEable 358]

Would be our 4rd best midfielder still..

Are you having a laugh? Jones, Tyson, Vince, Cross. There.

[InVINCEable 358]

I have nothing but respect for Brock McLean now the dust has settled. We all followed blindly when we shouldn't have, and he stood up for himself.

Brock McLean isn't to blame for the tanking sanctions, the halfwits in charge at the time are.

So his way of sticking it up us, was by going to a club that had previously been accused of tanking? Bravo to you and Brock.

[thevil1 421]

As a fine, for being a complete [censored]. At least get it right if you are going to deify someone.

You always just shoot your mouth off with no idea idiot?

[poita 3,680]

I was sad to see him go at the time, and I think we would have been a better team if he had stayed. Even at 29 with a decrepit body, he is clearly a better player than half of our current list.

So what if he went to Carlton - the guy is a professional footballer, and they offered him a good deal and we got a good pick for him. He is not responsible for things that happened at that club before he arrived.

[Whispering_Jack 28,068]

For those who believe the ends justified the means in McLean's case, you should think again. His so called confession about our supposed "culture of tanking" ended up costing the club $500k in fines, an amount probably equal to that in legal fees, substantial disruption at board level and to the way the club was conducted both on and off the field and possibly helped ruin one man's health and life and what was it all really about?

There seems to be a bit of a misconception about the so-called "culture" of the club at the time of McLean's departure at the end of 2009 and through the years that followed, which places the blame squarely on Cameron Schwab and Chris Connolly. When repeated often enough, like Joseph Goebbell's propaganda, people start to believe that it's true but is that really so?

There are three major and critical aspects of our team"culture" from this era that come to mind:

1. The losing culture. As a team, we were on the nose from 2007 onwards. In that year we lost the first 9 games and were 2-9 at the halfway mark, in 2008 and 2009 we were 1-10 at that point of each season. That record was achieved under two coaches, Neale Daniher and Dean Bailey. Connolly appeared on the scene in 2008, an appointment of the Gardner administration and Schwab was appointed by the new Jim Stynes board late in 2008 by which time we were already well and truly "losers".

2. "Tanking"

There's been much debate about tanking, what it constituted, whether what Melbourne did was "tanking", was the practice followed by Melbourne and others at the time condoned by the AFL and its CEO (an article by Caro after the infamous Jordie McMahon game indicates that it was) and whether other clubs did what Melbourne was accused of doing (and it's clear that some including Hawthorn and Collingwood did it successfully enough to later reap premierships from the practice).

My view is that the practices that came to be described as "tanking" were not long-lasting at Melbourne and there was no sign of internal resentment toward the practice among the playing group in 2010 when the team made a dramatic improvement and recorded some outstanding individual and team achievements. If there was any truth in the "tanking" culture argument, its effects should have been felt most strongly in 2010 but that didn't happen.

The real malaise surfaced beyond that in 2011 when our game style was exposed against teams that employed heavy presses and strong defensive running. I therefore don't place much store on McLean's tanking culture claims which I believe were mischievous and misleading, especially given the fact that he himself agreed to be traded to Carlton who were the masters of tanking in that era. That On The Couch interview made good theatre but I believe it was contrived and possibly calculated to serve the very purpose it ultimately achieved. Tanking and the placing of blame for what later happened was in my view a convenient issue to explain the divisions within the club that simmered throughout 2011 and came to a head in July of that year.

3. The "drinking" and "party boy" culture.

McLean was one of those who personified this culture in the years of the burnouts, the arrests and time spent with fellow party boy Nathan Carroll in overseas jails and other incidents reported at the time. In his case we often wrote it off as immaturity but in truth, it was stupidity.

There was lots more that didn't get out about various people at the club and sure, we weren't the only ones where drinking and partying might have been an issue. It was even happening at the successful clubs at the time like Collingwood and St. Kilda and drinking wasn't the only problem football clubs were experiencing.

I know football clubs try to suppress stories about footballers behaving badly and many of us dismissed stories of what happened on the China trip as the boys having a bit fun in the off-season but I was told much the same was still causing concern at the club in season by a then senior coterie member when I attended a club luncheon before the North Melbourne game in 2011. That was just a few weeks after the Brent Moloney incident in the bar at St. Kilda that led to his removal from the leadership group and how many of us really want to believe such stories?

What does that have to do with Schwab and Connolly? Were they encouraging a drinking and partying culture among the players? I think not but rather, that it was to the contrary and that they wanted a better club.

Like most Demon fans, I was happy when we received picks 3 and 5 in the draft that gave us Colin Sylvia and Brock McLean after we lost the last eight games of the 2003 season (tanking - surely not?). It turned out to be one of the many curses that have afflicted our club in our recent past.

I hope that picks 2 & 3 of 2014 bring us a much better outcome.

[nutbean 8,837]

I was sad to see him go at the time, and I think we would have been a better team if he had stayed. Even at 29 with a decrepit body, he is clearly a better player than half of our current list.

So what if he went to Carlton - the guy is a professional footballer, and they offered him a good deal and we got a good pick for him. He is not responsible for things that happened at that club before he arrived.

No - no he is not clearly better than half our list but keep taking a swing at the club - I live for the slim hope that one day you may say something remotely positive about our club.

Whilst he is not responsible for things that happened at the club either before of during his time - when he gave his candid opinions on one of the most watched football programs what did he think was going to happen. If he wanted a lesson in dignified responses maybe Brock should have taken a leaf out of Juniors book, who had much more reasons to unload on the club than Brock did.

Brock - "better to keep silent and have people think you are a fool, rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubt".

[praha 10,329]

he is clearly a better player than half of our current list.

Really?

Is he better than:

Jones

Toumpas

Viney

Trengove

Tyson

Kent

Mitchie

Vince

JKH

Because those are the guys he'd be competing for a place in the side with.

[jnrmac 19,286]

For those who believe the ends justified the means in McLean's case, you should think again. His so called confession about our supposed "culture of tanking" ended up costing the club $500k in fines, an amount probably equal to that in legal fees, substantial disruption at board level and to the way the club was conducted both on and off the field and possibly helped ruin one man's health and life and what was it all really about?

..............

What does that have to do with Schwab and Connolly? Were they encouraging a drinking and partying culture among the players? I think not but rather, that it was to the contrary and that they wanted a better club.

Like most Demon fans, I was happy when we received picks 3 and 5 in the draft that gave us Colin Sylvia and Brock McLean after we lost the last eight games of the 2003 season (tanking - surely not?). It turned out to be one of the many curses that afflicted our club.

I hope that picks 2 & 3 of 2014 bring us a much better outcome.

Well said WJ

[Bluey's Dad 3,419]

Really?

Is he better than:

Jones

Toumpas

Viney

Trengove

Tyson

Kent

Mitchie

Vince

JKH

Because those are the guys he'd be competing for a place in the side with.

IMHO, yeah he's better than Toumpas, Viney, Mitchie, Kent and JKH as it currently stands.

In all likelihood by the end of next year all of those players will have moved past him.

Trengove doesn't count due to injury.

Still wouldn't have him back though.

[beelzebub 22,282]

The absolute irony of Brock Mclean is that he makes judgements and called the club's culture poisonous etc and all he had to do was look in the mirror. He wan't alone either.

[nutbean 8,837]

The absolute irony of Brock Mclean is that he makes judgements and called the club's culture poisonous etc and all he had to do was look in the mirror. He wan't alone either.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

[InVINCEable 358]

I was sad to see him go at the time, and I think we would have been a better team if he had stayed. Even at 29 with a decrepit body, he is clearly a better player than half of our current list.

So what if he went to Carlton - the guy is a professional footballer, and they offered him a good deal and we got a good pick for him. He is not responsible for things that happened at that club before he arrived.

If he was better than half our list we'd pick him up wouldn't we?

Really?

Is he better than:

Jones

Toumpas

Viney

Trengove

Tyson

Kent

Mitchie

Vince

JKH

Because those are the guys he'd be competing for a place in the side with.

And Cross.

[InVINCEable 358]

IMHO, yeah he's better than Toumpas, Viney, Mitchie, Kent and JKH as it currently stands.

In all likelihood by the end of next year all of those players will have moved past him.

Trengove doesn't count due to injury.

Still wouldn't have him back though.

I would rather play all of them over him.

[bluey 893]

Average at Carlton, delisted at 28 from the club he loved.

Not much of a bloke, not much of a footballer..

[InVINCEable 358]

For those who believe the ends justified the means in McLean's case, you should think again. His so called confession about our supposed "culture of tanking" ended up costing the club $500k in fines, an amount probably equal to that in legal fees, substantial disruption at board level and to the way the club was conducted both on and off the field and possibly helped ruin one man's health and life and what was it all really about?

There seems to be a bit of a misconception about the so-called "culture" of the club at the time of McLean's departure at the end of 2009 and through the years that followed, which places the blame squarely on Cameron Schwab and Chris Connolly. When repeated often enough, like Joseph Goebbell's propaganda, people start to believe that it's true but is that really so?

There are three major and critical aspects of our team"culture" from this era that come to mind:

1. The losing culture. As a team, we were on the nose from 2007 onwards. In that year we lost the first 9 games and were 2-9 at the halfway mark, in 2008 and 2009 we were 1-10 at that point of each season. That record was achieved under two coaches, Neale Daniher and Dean Bailey. Connolly appeared on the scene in 2008, an appointment of the Gardner administration and Schwab was appointed by the new Jim Stynes board late in 2008 by which time we were already well and truly "losers".

2. "Tanking"

There's been much debate about tanking, what it constituted, whether what Melbourne did was "tanking", was the practice followed by Melbourne and others at the time condoned by the AFL and its CEO (an article by Caro after the infamous Jordie McMahon game indicates that it was) and whether other clubs did what Melbourne was accused of doing (and it's clear that some including Hawthorn and Collingwood did it successfully enough to later reap premierships from the practice).

My view is that the practices that came to be described as "tanking" were not long-lasting at Melbourne and there was no sign of internal resentment toward the practice among the playing group in 2010 when the team made a dramatic improvement and recorded some outstanding individual and team achievements. If there was any truth in the "tanking" culture argument, its effects should have been felt most strongly in 2010 but that didn't happen.

The real malaise surfaced beyond that in 2011 when our game style was exposed against teams that employed heavy presses and strong defensive running. I therefore don't place much store on McLean's tanking culture claims which I believe were mischievous and misleading, especially given the fact that he himself agreed to be traded to Carlton who were the masters of tanking in that era. That On The Couch interview made good theatre but I believe it was contrived and possibly calculated to serve the very purpose it ultimately achieved. Tanking and the placing of blame for what later happened was in my view a convenient issue to explain the divisions within the club that simmered throughout 2011 and came to a head in July of that year.

3. The "drinking" and "party boy" culture.

McLean was one of those who personified this culture in the years of the burnouts, the arrests and time spent with fellow party boy Nathan Carroll in overseas jails and other incidents reported at the time. In his case we often wrote it off as immaturity but in truth, it was stupidity.

There was lots more that didn't get out about various people at the club and sure, we weren't the only ones where drinking and partying might have been an issue. It was even happening at the successful clubs at the time like Collingwood and St. Kilda and drinking wasn't the only problem football clubs were experiencing.

I know football clubs try to suppress stories about footballers behaving badly and many of us dismissed stories of what happened on the China trip as the boys having a bit fun in the off-season but I was told much the same was still causing concern at the club in season by a then senior coterie member when I attended a club luncheon before the North Melbourne game in 2011. That was just a few weeks after the Brent Moloney incident in the bar at St. Kilda that led to his removal from the leadership group and how many of us really want to believe such stories?

What does that have to do with Schwab and Connolly? Were they encouraging a drinking and partying culture among the players? I think not but rather, that it was to the contrary and that they wanted a better club.

Like most Demon fans, I was happy when we received picks 3 and 5 in the draft that gave us Colin Sylvia and Brock McLean after we lost the last eight games of the 2003 season (tanking - surely not?). It turned out to be one of the many curses that have afflicted our club in our recent past.

I hope that picks 2 & 3 of 2014 bring us a much better outcome.

Honestly this post should make all people who disagree shut their mouths.

[InVINCEable 358]

I remember Brock and Carlton came to Bendigo and went to one of my mates schools, he got a photo with Brock and I was [censored] at him for about a week.

[rjay 24,006]

For those who believe the ends justified the means in McLean's case, you should think again. His so called confession about our supposed "culture of tanking" ended up costing the club $500k in fines, an amount probably equal to that in legal fees, substantial disruption at board level and to the way the club was conducted both on and off the field and possibly helped ruin one man's health and life and what was it all really about?

There seems to be a bit of a misconception about the so-called "culture" of the club at the time of McLean's departure at the end of 2009 and through the years that followed, which places the blame squarely on Cameron Schwab and Chris Connolly. When repeated often enough, like Joseph Goebbell's propaganda, people start to believe that it's true but is that really so?

There are three major and critical aspects of our team"culture" from this era that come to mind:

1. The losing culture. As a team, we were on the nose from 2007 onwards. In that year we lost the first 9 games and were 2-9 at the halfway mark, in 2008 and 2009 we were 1-10 at that point of each season. That record was achieved under two coaches, Neale Daniher and Dean Bailey. Connolly appeared on the scene in 2008, an appointment of the Gardner administration and Schwab was appointed by the new Jim Stynes board late in 2008 by which time we were already well and truly "losers".

2. "Tanking"

There's been much debate about tanking, what it constituted, whether what Melbourne did was "tanking", was the practice followed by Melbourne and others at the time condoned by the AFL and its CEO (an article by Caro after the infamous Jordie McMahon game indicates that it was) and whether other clubs did what Melbourne was accused of doing (and it's clear that some including Hawthorn and Collingwood did it successfully enough to later reap premierships from the practice).

My view is that the practices that came to be described as "tanking" were not long-lasting at Melbourne and there was no sign of internal resentment toward the practice among the playing group in 2010 when the team made a dramatic improvement and recorded some outstanding individual and team achievements. If there was any truth in the "tanking" culture argument, its effects should have been felt most strongly in 2010 but that didn't happen.

The real malaise surfaced beyond that in 2011 when our game style was exposed against teams that employed heavy presses and strong defensive running. I therefore don't place much store on McLean's tanking culture claims which I believe were mischievous and misleading, especially given the fact that he himself agreed to be traded to Carlton who were the masters of tanking in that era. That On The Couch interview made good theatre but I believe it was contrived and possibly calculated to serve the very purpose it ultimately achieved. Tanking and the placing of blame for what later happened was in my view a convenient issue to explain the divisions within the club that simmered throughout 2011 and came to a head in July of that year.

3. The "drinking" and "party boy" culture.

McLean was one of those who personified this culture in the years of the burnouts, the arrests and time spent with fellow party boy Nathan Carroll in overseas jails and other incidents reported at the time. In his case we often wrote it off as immaturity but in truth, it was stupidity.

There was lots more that didn't get out about various people at the club and sure, we weren't the only ones where drinking and partying might have been an issue. It was even happening at the successful clubs at the time like Collingwood and St. Kilda and drinking wasn't the only problem football clubs were experiencing.

I know football clubs try to suppress stories about footballers behaving badly and many of us dismissed stories of what happened on the China trip as the boys having a bit fun in the off-season but I was told much the same was still causing concern at the club in season by a then senior coterie member when I attended a club luncheon before the North Melbourne game in 2011. That was just a few weeks after the Brent Moloney incident in the bar at St. Kilda that led to his removal from the leadership group and how many of us really want to believe such stories?

What does that have to do with Schwab and Connolly? Were they encouraging a drinking and partying culture among the players? I think not but rather, that it was to the contrary and that they wanted a better club.

Like most Demon fans, I was happy when we received picks 3 and 5 in the draft that gave us Colin Sylvia and Brock McLean after we lost the last eight games of the 2003 season (tanking - surely not?). It turned out to be one of the many curses that have afflicted our club in our recent past.

I hope that picks 2 & 3 of 2014 bring us a much better outcome.

Honestly this post should make all people who disagree shut their mouths.

Not going to mate, whilst I agree with some of it a lot of where the club finds itself now can be placed firmly on the shoulders of CS and his appointment to the club. Should never of happened in the first place and he should never have been re appointed twice after the Geelong debacle.

[nutbean 8,837]

IMHO, yeah he's better than Toumpas, Viney, Mitchie, Kent and JKH as it currently stands.

In all likelihood by the end of next year all of those players will have moved past him.

Trengove doesn't count due to injury.

Still wouldn't have him back though.

And you would play all those players before him as you know they should have upside whereas we have seen all the Brock has to offer.

[Bluey's Dad 3,419]

And you would play all those players before him as you know they should have upside whereas we have seen all the Brock has to offer.

Nope. I'd play all of them before McLean for development.

Just saying that he's currently a better player is all.

Not by a huge margin though.

As I said, would not have him back.

[beelzebub 22,282]

Nope. I'd play all of them before McLean for development.

Just saying that he's currently a better player is all.

Not by a huge margin though.

As I said, would not have him back.

Choke... a lot of teams like/ prefer top have some experience and maturity out there in the middle. Kids cant do it alone ( theres a lesson learnt ) and yet Carlton have cut him loose at 28. . I dont think Mouse rates him.

[rpfc 27,623]

It's all grey.

There are no good guys and bad guys they way we like to think there are.

Brock is being lionised by a few on here as some sort of martyr against the evil doers who brought about our 8 year wandering.

And on the other extreme he is been lambasted as a traitor for exposing his former club to the waiting vultures on a TV program.

He was a passionate footy player and club man that made some terrible decisions when it came to his personal behaviour and in his role as a leader. The club made a decision after 2007 to rebuild through the draft and the mantra of 'blooding kids' held through the next CEO and altered the culture of the club, one that was already inadequate, and that came to head after the captain was fired before time and ended with a coach being removed. Soon followed by the CEO, the President, and the next coach less than two years later.

So many players, staff, boards, and consultants made so many bad decisions over the past decade that assigning blame has always seemed irrelevant to me. Especially when we are such a small club, we need to be able to take anyone that identifies themselves as Demons.

That isn't to say that McLean does, but there are many fans on so many different sides of the argument that has been this club over the past few years that we all need to be sympathetic, if not empathetic, about where we are all coming from.