Jump to content

Featured Replies

Is it just me or this trade season is going to be more crazy than usual. Everyone from every team seems to be shopping themselves around. 

 
9 minutes ago, GCDee said:

A big overhaul like that could cause a lack of team chemistry. 

You gotta admit it's not ideal losing 25% of your list. 

Unless you're carlton

As an observation a ll players that I’ve been in contact with, know the commercial reality - they rarely speak of it as a brotherhood or all my mates - even the 18yo speak in terms of working in the organisation they are currently employed at. 

There is a generational shift in how they perceive the afl football landscape and understand that everyone and  anyone can be gone and change clubs in this time for trades. To them it is merely a job...  it’s hard to be passionate about your own job day in day out right? It’s no different for them. 

Its us supporters that still hold on to notions of tearing the fabric apart (yes not your words), when players leave.

Edited by Danelska

 

Would be a shame to see him go. He was one of the comeback fairytales of the season. But, like with Jesse, you can understand his thinking. It's obviously been a very tough year for him, and given the family and business ties to NSW, Sydney may be the best place for him

17 minutes ago, GCDee said:

A big overhaul like that could cause a lack of team chemistry. 

You gotta admit it's not ideal losing 25% of your list. 

Unless you're carlton

I think chemistry is created after the pre season starts and the players commit to the cause together and find the guys they like to hang out with.

What we appear to be doing is changing our bottom 10- 20 and except for JH, losing no one from the top 22.

If we bring in 4-5 players by trades who are serious top 22 contenders that has to be an improvement. If the next 4-5 brought in via the draft, have the chance to develop into top 22 contenders, that is a brilliant result.

I don't think it is the number being replaced per se that is vital, but rather the abilities of the replacements.

If I said we will lose Pedo and get Preuss, would anyone complain? If I said we get KK and lose Kent? Get Toby Bedford for McKenna. Gaff for Bugg. May and a top 5 kid for Hogan or better. While these are possible examples, they show what we are trying to do, make the list better.

If the list looks better after draft night than it does today, we have succeeded in improving the list, which is a main aim of every club every year.

If we lose JH and keep the rest of our best 22 and change 15 other spots, I would not lose any sleep.

Edited by Redleg


14 minutes ago, ProDee said:

It makes sense that he may want to move.

He has great attributes, but disposal can let him down.

He's a bottom 6 player, so it's no big deal if he goes.

I would certainly rate him higher than 'bottom 6'. One of our biggest improvements of late has been the consistent pressure we have been able to apply. I would rate AVB up there with our best tacklers - that is Viney & Harmes.

The loss of his hardness at the ball would be very noticeable and most regrettable.

I'd be working at keeping him as a top priority.

1 minute ago, Redleg said:

If we bring in 4-5 players by trades who are serious top 22 contenders that has to be an improvement. If the next 4-5 brought in via the draft, have the chance to develop into top 22 contenders, that is a brilliant result.

I don't think it is the number being replaced per se that is vital, but rather the abilities of the replacements.

I think 4 to 5 may be too many 'Red', there is some good analysis on this.

Longer term it might be ok but could push us back a bit in 2019.

Port went through big changes this year and struggled, admittedly the quality wasn't what it could be. Collingwood a couple of years back were in the same boat, they stabilised this year and are getting a result. WC have been very stable for a while with minimal player movement.

The Tigers have stabilised after a period of instability.

 

We better go on a camp this year! Just so players can learn each other's names!

 


19 minutes ago, Demon Jim said:

You could try reading the article

Since most of the Aged Journalists have been retrenched or sacked, there is little point in opening anything they do. 

But that is a personal choice

28 minutes ago, Jones said:

Do people bother to read the article before commenting?

Clearly not mate. People just read a "headline" and lose their minds!

33 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

I hope this exodus leads to a genesis and not a poor old Job.

could it be the precursor to the Apocalypse... Did I hear those horses being saddled up ?

Im thinking an early to mid 2nd rounder. Still pretty good.


[censored] weak if he leaves.  Looked after him for 2 years whilst on the sidelines 

I can understand his reasoning. It sounds like, after the death of his father, he may need to be closer to home for a variety of reasons. Clearly he loves the club and hasn't asked to be traded, but sometimes things in life change. 

If the Swans, like Kent with the Saints, offer Vanders a longer term deal that is closer to home then of course he would seriously consider it. Who could blame him? 

I think he is a handy player and I'd rather him stay, but if he needs to be closer to his family then I hardly think we can stop him or kick up a fuss. 

Edited by Wiseblood

I've got a lot of sympathy for AVB's situation.  He carries a massive family responsibility with the business and he has been running it by remote.  Sure we looked after him when injured, but he got injured playing for us!  He always gives 100%, but as others have already pointed out, he isn't critical for us going forward.  If he goes then I wish him all the best and sincerely thank him for what he has done for our footy club.

1 hour ago, Jones said:

Do people bother to read the article before commenting?

Welcome to Knee-Jerk Central.

24 minutes ago, Demons11 said:

[censored] weak if he leaves.  Looked after him for 2 years whilst on the sidelines 

[censored] weak thing to say in light of what has been going on in his personal life.  


Like most AFL players why doesn’t he prioritise his AFL career over a side business? Seems he has his priorities mixed up if he wants to move state to run the family business instead of focusing on his AFL career?

Respect is the new loyalty and I'm ok with that.

Clearly VandenBerg has fair off-field reasons to consider a move to Sydney and clearly there would be a comfortable place for him in their player mix. And no, it is not a 'side business', it is 'the family business', and I would imagine that like a great many small businesses you can't just toss it in and wash your hands unless you're happy with a great big wad of unresolved debts to deal with.

Him leaving wont leave any gaping holes for us, but he is also a player we'd be happy to keep. I honestly can't bring myself to think anything more controversial than 'if he says that is good, if going is what he needs to do, then all the best to him and I'm sure we will get a reasonable trade'.

Straight Swap for Lloyd, they might want to throw in Zak Jones.

 
1 hour ago, corowa said:

I would certainly rate him higher than 'bottom 6'. One of our biggest improvements of late has been the consistent pressure we have been able to apply. I would rate AVB up there with our best tacklers - that is Viney & Harmes.

The loss of his hardness at the ball would be very noticeable and most regrettable.

I'd be working at keeping him as a top priority.

List your best 20 in order.

He would be a great fit for the Swans, playing style and on that puddle of a ground. 

Massive loss from a father figure role, he is the head of the share house with Oliver, Brayshaw and Dion. 


Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Featured Content

  • CASEY: Collingwood

    It was freezing cold at Mission Whitten Stadium where only the brave came out in the rain to watch a game that turned out to be as miserable as the weather.
    The Casey Demons secured their third consecutive victory, earning the four premiership points and credit for defeating a highly regarded Collingwood side, but achieved little else. Apart perhaps from setting the scene for Monday’s big game at the MCG and the Ice Challenge that precedes it.
    Neither team showcased significant skill in the bleak and greasy conditions, at a location that was far from either’s home territory. Even the field umpires forgot where they were and experienced a challenging evening, but no further comment is necessary.

    • 2 replies
  • NON-MFC: Round 13

    Follow all the action from every Round 13 clash excluding the Dees as the 2025 AFL Premiership Season rolls on. With Melbourne playing in the final match of the round on King's Birthday, all eyes turn to the rest of the competition. Who are you tipping to win? And more importantly, which results best serve the Demons’ finals aspirations? Join the discussion and keep track of the matches that could shape the ladder and impact our run to September.

      • Haha
    • 148 replies
  • PREVIEW: Collingwood

    Having convincingly defeated last year’s premier and decisively outplayed the runner-up with 8.2 in the final quarter, nothing epitomized the Melbourne Football Club’s performance more than its 1.12 final half, particularly the eight consecutive behinds in the last term, against a struggling St Kilda team in the midst of a dismal losing streak. Just when stability and consistency were anticipated within the Demon ranks, they delivered a quintessential performance marked by instability and ill-conceived decisions, with the most striking aspect being their inaccuracy in kicking for goal, which suggested a lack of preparation (instead of sleeping in their hotel in Alice, were they having a night on the turps) rather than a well-rested team. Let’s face it - this kicking disease that makes them look like raw amateurs is becoming a millstone around the team’s neck.

    • 1 reply
  • CASEY: Sydney

    The Casey Demons were always expected to emerge victorious in their matchup against the lowly-ranked Sydney Swans at picturesque Tramway Oval, situated in the shadows of the SCG in Moore Park. They dominated the proceedings in the opening two and a half quarters of the game but had little to show for it. This was primarily due to their own sloppy errors in a low-standard game that produced a number of crowded mauls reminiscent of the rugby game popular in old Sydney Town. However, when the Swans tired, as teams often do when they turn games into ugly defensive contests, Casey lifted the standard of its own play and … it was off to the races. Not to nearby Randwick but to a different race with an objective of piling on goal after goal on the way to a mammoth victory. At the 25-minute mark of the third quarter, the Demons held a slender 14-point lead over the Swans, who are ahead on the ladder of only the previous week's opposition, the ailing Bullants. Forty minutes later, they had more than fully compensated for the sloppiness of their earlier play with a decisive 94-point victory, that culminated in a rousing finish which yielded thirteen unanswered goals. Kicks hit their targets, the ball found itself going through the middle and every player made a contribution.

    • 1 reply
  • REPORT: St. Kilda

    Hands up if you thought, like me, at half-time in yesterday’s game at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs that Melbourne’s disposal around the ground and, in particular, its kicking inaccuracy in front of the goals couldn’t get any worse. Well, it did. And what’s even more damning for the Melbourne Football Club is that the game against St Kilda and its resurgence from the bottomless pit of its miserable start to the season wasn’t just lost through poor conversion for goal but rather in the 15 minutes when the entire team went into a slumber and was mugged by the out-of-form Saints. Their six goals two behinds (one goal less than the Demons managed for the whole game) weaved a path of destruction from which they were unable to recover. Ross Lyon’s astute use of pressure to contain the situation once they had asserted their grip on the game, and Melbourne’s self-destructive wastefulness, assured that outcome. The old adage about the insanity of repeatedly doing something and expecting a different result, was out there. Two years ago, the score line in Melbourne’s loss to the Giants at this same ground was 5 goals 15 behinds - a ratio of one goal per four scoring shots - was perfectly replicated with yesterday’s 7 goals 21 behinds. 
    This has been going on for a while and opens up a number of questions. I’ll put forward a few that come to mind from this performance. The obvious first question is whether the club can find a suitable coach to instruct players on proper kicking techniques or is this a skill that can no longer be developed at this stage of the development of our playing group? Another concern is the team's ability to counter an opponent's dominance during a run on as exemplified by the Saints in the first quarter. Did the Demons underestimate their opponents, considering St Kilda's goals during this period were scored by relatively unknown forwards? Furthermore, given the modest attendance of 6,721 at TIO Traeger Park and the team's poor past performances at this venue, is it prudent to prioritize financial gain over potentially sacrificing valuable premiership points by relinquishing home ground advantage, notwithstanding the cultural significance of the team's connection to the Red Centre? 

    • 4 replies
  • PREGAME: Collingwood

    After a disappointing loss in Alice Springs the Demons return to the MCG to take on the Magpies in the annual King's Birthday Big Freeze for MND game. Who comes in and who goes out?

      • Clap
    • 427 replies