Jump to content

WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - HARLEY BENNELL

Tinks
Tinks
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

4 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Personally I don't think the MFC owes Harley anything.  We picked him up as a rookie, didn't have to give up any draft picks or players to get the opportunity to have him on our list and he wasn't on big money by any means.  He uprooted himself and his family to Melbourne and the hubs to give himself and us a chance  at football sucess.  From all that is reported he applied himself with the right kind of disipline  and attitude. 

Just re-reading what I wrote above, my stated logic is the wrong way around.  Should read "I don't think Harley owes the MFC anything".

  • Quote
    • Like 1
     
    13 hours ago, Older demon said:

    Harley is in a serious situation and clearly is in need of help.

    I know he breached the hub COVID, but his case is one of mental health. I think it is time MFC appealed the fine and Demonlanders starts emailing the AFL to rescind the fine. This is not like the other COVID breaches. He absconded and is clearly under duress, unlike the other breaches for playing tennis, going to a night club and visiting a facial salon and so on. From his mums emotional plea the fine and suspension are exacerbating his current mental state as well as all the hate coming his way. MFC are doing everything to get him home but as reported his erratic behaviour is making this difficult. In light of this scenario I think it is ridiculous to hold the club responsible for a player with mental health issues who has fled the hub never to return. 

     

     

    While I agree 100% with your logic, I think the optics of this approach could reflect badly on the club. It may make us look more concerned about the fine than Bennell. I think we have to cop it on the chin and move on.

  • Quote
    • Like 2
     
    1 hour ago, Demonland said:

     

    Glad he’s out of QLD and with people that care about him but, and maybe I’m being unfair to Perth, I thought there were issues and influences in Perth that made him want to move to Melbourne for a new start. 

    I still just wish he’d been given a crack at life with us in Melbourne in regular times. 

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    2 hours ago, Pates said:

    Glad he’s out of QLD and with people that care about him but, and maybe I’m being unfair to Perth, I thought there were issues and influences in Perth that made him want to move to Melbourne for a new start. 

    I still just wish he’d been given a crack at life with us in Melbourne in regular times. 

    When you don’t return phone calls there is nothing more that can be done. 
    Harley made the decision 

  • Quote

    On 9/29/2020 at 7:25 PM, Bitter but optimistic said:

    Sadly, this could go Ben Cousins mark 2 

    One can only very seriously hope that he doesn’t sink to those depths of despair.  

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    6 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

    When you don’t return phone calls there is nothing more that can be done. 
    Harley made the decision 

    Agree. We gave him a chance and I hoped it would work out but he decided elsewise. Club in my view did all it could. Pity but we must move on.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    19 minutes ago, Docs Demons said:

    Agree. We gave him a chance and I hoped it would work out but he decided elsewise. Club in my view did all it could. Pity but we must move on.

    Don’t get me wrong. It’s very sad

    but Harley checked out. I am sure the club is devastated, they put in a lot of work. But addiction is never beaten, only ever controlled until it wins again. 

    Edited by Sir Why You Little

  • Quote
    • Thanks 2
     
    3 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

    When you don’t return phone calls there is nothing more that can be done. 
    Harley made the decision 

    Oh 100% not saying the club has done the wrong thing here, in fact I’d say we are (as far as I can see) faultless in the way we’ve conducted ourselves. 

    More saying I wish he’d been able to have this year in a proper non-pandemic time. But as you say he wasn’t returning phone calls, you can only imagine that would include Goodwin who he once said he was like a father figure to him. 

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    still think he may have had more issues than we know about,stange how he wasnt given more games when we were crying out for more skill up forward.Perhaps his attitude changed

  • Quote

    On 10/2/2020 at 4:40 AM, forever demons said:

    still think he may have had more issues than we know about,stange how he wasnt given more games when we were crying out for more skill up forward.Perhaps his attitude changed

    Or perhaps more likely he was not confident in his calf recover so not ready to his the accelerator. 
    Happy to have given him the opportunity.

    As others have said, one can only speculate what could have happened in a normal season. 

  • Quote

    If people can remember the promise he gave the FD in the ‘To Hell and Back’ episode with regards to drink well, let’s just say that was too hard for him to withstand. 
    It’s pretty well known over here and whether it was a normal season or a COVID affected season the outcome probably would have been the same. 

  • Quote
    • Sad 1
    31 minutes ago, McQueen said:

    If people can remember the promise he gave the FD in the ‘To Hell and Back’ episode with regards to drink well, let’s just say that was too hard for him to withstand. 
    It’s pretty well known over here and whether it was a normal season or a COVID affected season the outcome probably would have been the same. 

    Mr Mq: his misdemeanour occurred after his team's season had finished. Get off your sanctimonious high horse.

  • Quote
    31 minutes ago, dieter said:

    Mr Mq: his misdemeanour occurred after his team's season had finished. Get off your sanctimonious high horse.

    Do yourself a favour and look up the meaning of irony. 
    Better still, try to understand my post. 

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    Needed to have been able to build his match  fitness etc via the vfl unfortunately with covid & the long time away from playing impacted his recovery. 

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    1 hour ago, McQueen said:

    If people can remember the promise he gave the FD in the ‘To Hell and Back’ episode with regards to drink well, let’s just say that was too hard for him to withstand. 
    It’s pretty well known over here and whether it was a normal season or a COVID affected season the outcome probably would have been the same. 

    His wife left him and took the kids. You want to attack him.

  • Quote
    39 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    His wife left him and took the kids. You want to attack him.

    If that’s the way you want to read it then knock yourself out. 
     

    I posted earlier that the hub life was no good for him. 
     

    Ah fuggit, whatever. 

  • Quote
    41 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    His wife left him and took the kids. You want to attack him.

    I hadnt heard this. During the hub?

  • Quote
    4 minutes ago, deanox said:

    I hadnt heard this. During the hub?

    Yep. Just before he lost it.

  • Quote

    10 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    Yep. Just before he lost it.

    Ah [censored] that's horrible. In that case, I hope that his mess up didnt affect our decision. He has held it together all year in a tough year, and shown he could hold it together. That's next level and if we were going to offer him a role is probably irrelevant.

    Edited by deanox

  • Quote
    14 minutes ago, deanox said:

    Ah [censored] that's horrible. In that case, I hope that his mess up didnt affect our decision. He has held it together all year in a tough year, and shown he could hold it together. That's next level and if we were going to offer him a role is probably irrelevant.

    Apparently a one year contract was to be offered to him but his life blew up. Very sad. 

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Sad 1
     
    2 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    Apparently a one year contract was to be offered to him but his life blew up. Very sad. 

    Agree. It’s a sad story. He needs help and support. 

  • Quote

    • 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...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • REPORT: Richmond

      The fans who turned up to the MCG for Melbourne’s Anzac Day Eve clash against Richmond would have been disappointed if they turned up to see a great spectacle. As much as this was a night for the 71,635 in attendance to commemorate heroes of the nation’s past wars, it was also a time for the Melbourne Football Club to consolidate upon its first win after a horrific start to the 2025 season. On this basis, despite the fact that it was an uninspiring and dour struggle for most of its 100 minutes, the night will be one for the fans to remember. They certainly got value out of the pre match activity honouring those who fought for their country. The MCG and the lights of the city as backdrop was made for nights such as these and, in my view, we received a more inspirational ceremony of Anzac culture than others both here and elsewhere around the country. 

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Richmond

      The match up of teams competing in our great Aussie game at its second highest level is a rarity for a work day Thursday morning but the blustery conditions that met the players at a windswept Casey Fields was something far more commonplace.They turned the opening stanza between the Casey Demons and a somewhat depleted Richmond VFL into a mess of fumbling unforced errors, spilt marks and wasted opportunities for both sides but they did set up a significant win for the home team which is exactly what transpired on this Anzac Day round opener. Casey opened up strong against the breeze with the first goal to Aidan Johnson, the Tigers quickly responded and the game degenerated into a defensive slog and the teams were level when the first siren sounded.

        • Clap
        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Richmond

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 28th April @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we analyse the Demons 2nd win for the year against the Tigers.
      Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
      If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human.
      Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/
      Call: 03 9016 3666
      Skype: Demonland31

        • Thanks
      • 15 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: West Coast

      The Demons hit the road in Round 8, heading to Perth to face the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium. With momentum building, the Dees will be aiming for a third straight victory to keep their season revival on course. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Thanks
      • 150 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • POSTGAME: Richmond

      After five consecutive defeats, the Demons have now notched up back-to-back victories, comfortably accounting for the Tigers in the traditional ANZAC Eve clash. They surged to a commanding 44-point lead early in the final quarter before easing off the pedal, resting skipper Max Gawn and conceding the last four goals of the game to close out a solid 20-point win.

        • Clap
        • Love
        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 294 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • VOTES: Richmond

      Max Gawn leads the Demonland Player of the Year from Jake Bowey with Christian Petracca, Ed Langdon and Clayton Oliver rounding out the Top 5. Your votes for the Demons victory over the Tigers on ANZAC Eve. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, & 1.

        • Thanks
      • 47 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All