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WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - HARLEY BALIC

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I think we will get a very good player in Balic.

Being settled back in Victoria will make a big difference I think.

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    It is interesting to see this kids experience juxtaposed against Schache; both had homesickness and underlying mental health issues and one is not set upon by all and sundry like the other one.

    Amazing what being picked high in the draft does to the narrative around a player.

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    14 pages of comments on Harley Balic is incredible. How many games has he played at Fremantle?

    Just as well we're not expecting an Ablett or a Dangerfield.  

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    44 minutes ago, corowa said:

    14 pages of comments on Harley Balic is incredible. How many games has he played at Fremantle?

    Just as well we're not expecting an Ablett or a Dangerfield.  

    You think? 14 pages on a player that we are actually going to pick up vs 100 pages of complete dribble in the rumours thread seems pretty light in my opinion.

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    2 hours ago, rpfc said:

    It is interesting to see this kids experience juxtaposed against Schache; both had homesickness and underlying mental health issues and one is not set upon by all and sundry like the other one.

    Amazing what being picked high in the draft does to the narrative around a player.

    I think a lot of the lack of interest around Schache comes from the expectations on key forwards as well. So much easier to be a midfielder and play ok footy and sneak under the radar. Schache next year would be playing VFL at a Victorian club and copping criticism I'm sure. Balic can ease his way in at the Dees. The other factor is the contract, I'm sure Schache's extension came with a decent price tag.

    I'm all for longer contracts for draftees and tampering rules that stop clubs approaching players mid season. It's a real shame that Schache is having to deal with all this scrutiny. He had a very solid first year and is now an uncertain prospect.

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    So sounds like he's slow with poor footskills. Just what we need lol :D

    Happy enough if it's for pick 60 odd though.

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    Very late pick for me. Depth on a list for me. Pick 65 at most I would have thought for a mentally unstable unproved talent with questionable disposal and speed who is yet to adapt to afl life.

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    Nothing new but getting there!

    Balic poised to become a Dee

    5a17b47a-fc18-4dc4-9132-1bb06f965949_800 Midfielder Harley Balic looks likely to head home to Victoria.
     
    Fremantle midfielder Harley Balic is expected to land at Melbourne before Thursday's trade deadline.
     
    Balic wants to come home, having battled personal issues across his two years at the Dockers.
     
    "We're hoping to get a deal done with Melbourne in the next 12-24 hours," his manager Matt Bain told NAB AFL Trade Radio.
     
    "I think they're waiting to see what happened with Jack Watts and what picks they have available for Freo."
     
    Balic, 20, has played four AFL games but missed most of this season when he returned to his family in Victoria to deal with reported homesickness and anxiety issues.
     
    He struggled in his first year in the AFL system because of wrist surgery to repair an injury he sustained as a junior that had failed to heal properly. 
     
    Bain expects the deal to just involve draft picks. 
    •  
     

    Edited by Lord Ivanhoe

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    I think we may be getting a bargain. Just think that when he's settled back in his home state he'll get to show why he was predicted to go (late) round one (and not pick 38).

    This from the HUN following the draft:

    "... Balic calls himself a “bit of mother’s boy’’. He’s particularly close to his mother and she was overwhelmed at the thought of him relocating to Perth.

    After his selection he went off to do some media with Fremantle. When he returned he saw his dad on the phone in tears. He jokingly said he would pay him $70,000 to stay in Melbourne. Later, as the family gathered for a dinner with Dockers officials, his mother’s eyes were red as she arrived in the foyer.But Balic said he was happy to make the move.

    “At the start I was a bit worried but thinking about it all night and this morning, it’s going to be a good thing for me,’’ he said.

    “I won’t have all the distractions I may have here, friends, the antics, everything like that. I’ll be over there training and getting better … at the end of the day it doesn’t matter, because it depends on what you do with it (draft selection). If I can prove the clubs wrong who didn’t pick me, that’s the first thing I want to do.

    “But overall I’m just grateful. I was one of the lucky ones. A few of my mates didn’t get picked up.’’ ..."

    Edited by M_9

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    He's obviously had some issues with struggling to be away from a close family back here in Victoria. What doesn't get mentioned as much is his serious wrist injury. He would've gone first round if it wasn't for a wrist injury that limited his underage campaigns. When he got to Freo as a 17/18 year old, he had to have surgery again to clean it up and couldn't touch a footy or lift a weight for 8 months. This meant he couldn't build his body up properly in the gym and would have lost touch not being able to handle a footy either. It was a very serious injury that robbed him of 2-3 years of development. Once he got past the injury and actually played, he shone in WAFL footy and was decent for a debutant player in his few games at AFL level too.

    With time to develop, he could definitely be an asset for us. He's similar to an ANB type, but more natural talent. If he can work hard, stay healthy and continue to develop, he'll become best 22 IMO. For a late pick, there is no downside with this trade. 

    Edited by Lord Travis

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    On 15/10/2017 at 8:02 PM, TheoX said:

    So sounds like he's slow with poor footskills. Just what we need lol :D

    Happy enough if it's for pick 60 odd though.

    And you have the info from where?, the Freo watchers who regularly post on here? Watch him and form your own opinion, there's a concept for you

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    3 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

    And you have the info from where?, the Freo watchers who regularly post on here? Watch him and form your own opinion, there's a concept for you

    Watch out everyone, Saty is 24hrs away from getting another star into the club.

    Get your criticisms in before he puts our colours on, and becomes untouchable.

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    11 minutes ago, faultydet said:

    Watch out everyone, Saty is 24hrs away from getting another star into the club.

    Get your criticisms in before he puts our colours on, and becomes untouchable.

    Nah chap, have my own opinions on players, just don't feel the need to one hand tyoe them, or join in the misinforned group think.

    Personally think Balic will join the group that includes Johnstone, McKenna, JKH, King etc who are drafted in with the chance of becoming a consistent AFL player, if they don't they will be out the door, it's called list management

    As I speak to these players at training I also know what facets of their game needs improving and what they are working on

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    10 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

    Nah chap, have my own opinions on players, just don't feel the need to one hand tyoe them, or join in the misinforned group think.

    Personally think Balic will join the group that includes Johnstone, McKenna, JKH, King etc who are drafted in with the chance of becoming a consistent AFL player, if they don't they will be out the door, it's called list management

    As I speak to these players at training I also know what facets of their game needs improving and what they are working on

    The guy was clearly just having a bit of fun Saty

    Loosen up and live a little. 

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    11 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

    As I speak to these players at training I also know what facets of their game needs improving and what they are working on

    That's what eyes are for.

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    If we deal like we have been this trade period. We trade 31, 36, 46 and 2 second round 2018 picks for Balic, 86, 97, 111, 145, 187. Lol

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    We have 36, 47 and 66, Freo have 41, 42, 57 and 60.

    Maybe 36 for Balic and 42 or 47 for Balic and 60.

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    2 hours ago, Satyriconhome said:

    Nah chap, have my own opinions on players, just don't feel the need to one hand tyoe them, or join in the misinforned group think.

    Personally think Balic will join the group that includes Johnstone, McKenna, JKH, King etc who are drafted in with the chance of becoming a consistent AFL player, if they don't they will be out the door, it's called list management

    As I speak to these players at training I also know what facets of their game needs improving and what they are working on

    Zzzzzz

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    Not sure how this deal would hinge on getting the Watts deal done first, surely 31 won't be involved, or for that matter 37 or whatever it is now after FA picks.

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    2 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

    Will be interesting to see what we pay for him. 

    The way we're traveling, why not a future 2nd round? Hell, throw them the 31 we got for Watts as a sweetener. 

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