You realise football is entertainment, right? We pay to be entertained by our teams, the more successful they are, the more entertained we are.

Most people on here aren't being paid to be watched by spectators, so comparing us getting sacked to footballers getting sacked is pointless. Our interest is in the Melbourne Football Club winning, not if Joe Blogs is still stacking shelves at Big W.

Sure you can call football a business, but if you were paying someone top dollar to work for you for 4 years, he took the money but rarely showed up, then suddenly pulled the pin and went and worked for your competitor, you wouldn't be too happy.

As for my thoughts on Mitch, I'm not bitter at all. In fact I want him to play every game this season and tear every team (except us) apart. The universal hatred from opposition supporters isn't quite there yet, if he starts smashing teams it'll come pretty quickly and I'll be happiest when everyone hates him.

...yeah I'm pretty bitter.

along with golden tickets and calling the draft a 'lottery' , my most hated thing about demonland is when people talk about AFL footballers in reference to a normal job. Like their gig at a logistics company that involves middle-management, paper-shuffling, water cooler, cubicles and delegation , is in any way comparable to AFL footy.

along with golden tickets and calling the draft a 'lottery' , my most hated thing about demonland is when people talk about AFL footballers in reference to a normal job. Like their gig at a logistics company that involves middle-management, paper-shuffling, water cooler, cubicles and delegation , is in any way comparable to AFL footy.

Or when someone says a player is no good/hopeless/rubbish etc... and the old "they made it on to an AFL list, what have you done" line comes out.

We're not saying they suck in comparison to Sunday Joe the ammo, we're saying they suck at AFL level. Hard to grasp for some people.

I think this player swapping and Free Agency etc, will kill interest in the draft.

Youngsters are paraded on stage in their new club jumper and within a few years and in some cases, one year, are at another club.

From a MFC perspective I think the best way to combat the issue of Mitch Clark is to not give it any energy.

If there is one thing I have noticed about Clark - it is that he lives for attention, everything he does is for attention.

This depression card will give him prolonged attention, it will be interesting how it all pans out.

But.. I suggest that we don't feed the beast. I'd like to see this thread closed. Let's not give Clark any attention, he doesn't deserve it.

Paul Roos has played this card from the very start, we need to start following suit on Demonland.

I think this player swapping and Free Agency etc, will kill interest in the draft.

Youngsters are paraded on stage in their new club jumper and within a few years and in some cases, one year, are at another club.

It's become so much like American sports now. How soon will it be that we see a player drafted and immediately traded to another club on draft night? I know the draft falls outside of the trading period, but it wouldn't surprise me to see that change in the not too distant future.

And of course you've got all the proof you need. The only problem with that is it probably isn't quite what a judge or jury might need ... but never mind, go on demanding your right to relay rumour, innuendo and any other scuttlebutt that comes your way.

In any case, I've already posted a link to a summary of Australian defamation law. It contains the following:

"... truth alone is not a defence in all jurisdictions. In some, the defendant must also prove that the publication of a true statement or imputation was made for the 'public benefit' (Queensland, Tasmania, A.C.T.) or relates to a matter of 'public interest' (NSW)."

Good luck with proving that material posted on an internet site isn't "published" in Qld, Tasmania, the ACT or NSW.

is this rubbish your only involvement with this website or what

very passionate about telling others what to do aren't you

Since demon land want to moderate the truth being told on here, in fear of defamation about what Clark actually did, I suggest you all go read some of the comments on Facebook on Fox Footys and SEN's pages. The truth is out there. The truth is leaking and soon people will know the real story and no one will have any sympathy for the turd.

I even had a Hawthorn supporter who is in the footy industry friend text me last night saying "you do know mitch Clark did X to X and that his X almost X'd so he played the depression card and X took him back."

As I said before, defamation only succeeds as an action in law if there is no truth to the comments.

can you be more specific? All I see is a huge amount of people getting stuck into Clark and a minority of 'good on him for beating depression' GULLIBLE IDIOTS, and of course a few trollflogs enjoying rubbing it in to MFC supporters

I did see somebody link this article

http://m.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-chief-medico-reveals-league-had-to-retire-three-players-due-to-drug-addiction/story-fni5f22o-1226977036622

I hope it is OK to link articles I will have to check with our resident Dennis Denuto (you know who you are)

I am godsmacked by those pages. As someone who hasn't done facebook in over 5 years, it appears to be one big cess pool of negativity.

In this instance - all that negativity is being directed at Mitch Clark. I am amazed the sheer amount of numbers. They certainly don't hold back.

Here I was reading big footy and demonland wondering why there wasn't that much hostility over the Clark issue, now I've realised how censored and regulated these sites must be. Judging by the SEN page, this is fast becoming an uproar. I don't know anything at all about the Clark situation, but if there is anything untoward about it - It will come out. It can't not. I'm still blown away. I'm glad I don't do facebook!!

WHy? Don't you prefer to see the truth rather than have it moderated away from you

Also, regarding the ease of obtaining a depression diagnosis. I have a doctor who would LOVE to be able to call me depressed despite the fact that I have no symptoms whatsoever. Every time I've been in there in the last decade or so she's started in with the depression questions. I think it's some sort of blanket diagnosis that will spare her the trouble of actually doing her job.

Yep. I've had similar experience. GP determined to put me on meds as depressed. It didn't matter how many times I pointed out that 'when things aren't ----, I'm happy'.

It's a weird experience having someone trying to convince you that your temporary, circumstantial unhappiness is actually a deep-rooted mental illness that will trouble you for the rest of your life.

I've had intimate partners and dear friends with depression, bipolar, and anxiety disorders and I know my luck to not have to manage any of those conditions.

I still think Mitch Clark showed a serious lack of grace and respect, and his apparent selfishness wont have done any good for the many depression sufferers who don't have the kind of extraordinary support and options he has had.

*starts whistling 'x-files' theme song

I also don't believe he's that good a player anyway

it is a bit early to be getting high

Or when someone says a player is no good/hopeless/rubbish etc... and the old "they made it on to an AFL list, what have you done" line comes out.

We're not saying they suck in comparison to Sunday Joe the ammo, we're saying they suck at AFL level. Hard to grasp for some people.

Yeah and 'you wouldn't say it to his face' like the fact that Brad Miller could smash me to a pulp somehow makes him a better footballer

Yep. I've had similar experience. GP determined to put me on meds as depressed. It didn't matter how many times I pointed out that 'when things aren't ----, I'm happy'.

It's a weird experience having someone trying to convince you that your temporary, circumstantial unhappiness is actually a deep-rooted mental illness that will trouble you for the rest of your life.

I've had intimate partners and dear friends with depression, bipolar, and anxiety disorders and I know my luck to not have to manage any of those conditions.

I still think Mitch Clark showed a serious lack of grace and respect, and his apparent selfishness wont have done any good for the many depression sufferers who don't have the kind of extraordinary support and options he has had.

It's also a bad look for depression in general. It's a message that you can play this card and use it as an excuse to do whatever you want, including bypassing your morals and screwing over people who have supported you. At the time he retired I called him a coward for running away from his problems and I stand by it. You don't just quit, you fight. To me he is a poster boy for what not to do if you have depression.

I am very happy with the Mitch Clark trade.

We got a very fast running defender in Lumumba, who is a year younger and has barely missed a game for several years and it's an area which we needed.

Sure there is an element of luck with drafting, but on paper when you consider the three clubs - Pies got Varcoe in the deal - then there's only one loser and that's the Pies.

That could easily change next week if Clark and Lumumba go down, but stop worrying about things you can't control.

The same applies to Chip - I just hope all those bagging him and saying he played carp in game 1 weren't also complaining that we got a poor deal out of it - we got pick No.3 which was pretty fair compensation, maybe even too fair.

it is a bit early to be getting high

We were so poor in 2012 that anyone playing 'ok' looked better than they actually were.

I notice that he gets caught playing from behind too much and he's not a 'creative' forward like a lot of the top forwards are ... he's basically an old fashioned forward who has his limitations.

He'd probably make a much better ruckman if given the opportunity ... I could care less about all the rest of it - we really aren't sure about all the details and besides, he's not the only player to do what he's done. There are hundreds that have switched clubs for all sorts of reasons ... in the end, it all amounts to the same thing.

He's not playing for our team and that's all there is to it ... there's no point being concerned about stuff we have no control over.

The solution is to make our club a club of destination (easier said than done of course)

*starts whistling 'x-files' theme song

Mitch Clark is an alien?

Terribly sorry I had to go to the local store

Reminded me of American Pie the moment I read it. Don't know why I bothered posting that....

We were so poor in 2012 that anyone playing 'ok' looked better than they actually were.

I notice that he gets caught playing from behind too much and he's not a 'creative' forward like a lot of the top forwards are ... he's basically an old fashioned forward who has his limitations.

He'd probably make a much better ruckman if given the opportunity ... I could care less about all the rest of it - we really aren't sure about all the details and besides, he's not the only player to do what he's done. There are hundreds that have switched clubs for all sorts of reasons ... in the end, it all amounts to the same thing.

He's not playing for our team and that's all there is to it ... there's no point being concerned about stuff we have no control over.

The solution is to make our club a club of destination (easier said than done of course)

I do envy your outlook

I can't get past the thought that we should be playing finals in 2015 with the services of a genuine KPF

But we won't be

Mitch Clark is an alien?

why not.. Ive called him everything else under the sun

Last year I heard Voss talk about MC on SEN.

He said that he told MC that he needed to deal with his "issues" prior to leaving Brisbane or they will just follow him. He did not expand on what those "issues" were.

Until he does I think Geelong won't be his last club.

So far he has burnt Brisbane, Melb, Freo and Collingwood.

Will be interesting to c what happens next.

I do envy your outlook

I can't get past the thought that we should be playing finals in 2015 with the services of a genuine KPF

But we won't be

My outlook is full of cynicism with regards to players switching clubs ... not sure that can or should be envied C&B.

I'd rather look at things from a broader perspective though ... let's look at how many of our players have finished at our club in a dissatisfied way ... it's a long list and in my opinion, we set ourselves up for what has happened (in terms of players wanting out)

We supporters are merely onlookers too - it's not like we have any say in things. Losing Clark may end up being a blessing in disguise - time will tell. Besides that, we may have ended up giving up a lot more to get Lumumba if Clark didn't come out of "retirement"

Anyway, in the meantime, another player gets the chance to fill a role in our forward line. Who's to say that any of vandenBerg, Watts, Frost, O-Mac, Pedersen or someone else may not fullfil that role? (Petracca might have even been given that sort of role this year before he did his knee)

If Dawes & Hogan fire, the 3rd forward spot can become a great opportunity for someone.

I am glad this whole Mitch Clark fiasco has gone feral.

The whole thing does stink

If Mitch was in a Western Movie and pulled this stunt Clint Eastwood would have dealt with him and run him out of town....

If he was part of "Deadwood" he would have been fed to the pigs by now....

I am glad this whole Mitch Clark fiasco has gone feral.

The whole thing does stink

If Mitch was in a Western Movie and pulled this stunt Clint Eastwood would have dealt with him and run him out of town....

If he was part of "Deadwood" he would have been fed to the pigs by now....

But would the pigs eat him????

I am glad this whole Mitch Clark fiasco has gone feral.

The whole thing does stink

If Mitch was in a Western Movie and pulled this stunt Clint Eastwood would have dealt with him and run him out of town....

If he was part of "Deadwood" he would have been fed to the pigs by now....

i'd rather see him in deliverance

But would the pigs eat him????

Oh yeah. In seconds.

Highly efficient animal!