WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - HARLEY BENNELL

[DubDee 20,525]

Why couldn’t the bugger wait one more day??!
 

season is done 

[Kent 2,580]

happy to wait Whatty!!

[monoccular 16,042]

19 minutes ago, rjay said:

Could someone please explain how the hub rules work...

I was listening to SEN the last week and one of the players was out at a coffee shop getting his regular fix.

Wish I could remember who it was....coffee or beer, either way you're not in a hub.

Regularly frequents the coffee shop.

Surely this is not how it works?

Like most things AFL - made up as they go along. 

[dl4e 5,583]

If we want to be a proper footy club that won't tolerate stupidity from players then Bennell will have to be sacked. I heard Ralph on the freo dogs game say he was being offered 1 more year. If that is the case then he is a silly boy.

[Clintosaurus 6,421]

Just need to settle and wait for the club to do what they need to. No point being hanging judges not knowing everything.

[Dr. Gonzo 22,412]

4 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

I know they have protocols in place, but the clubs have been in Queensland for 6-8 weeks now, why are they still isolated in hubs? Surely they can move around the community like any other Queenslanders

I feel sorry for Bennell. Dumb choice to hit the booze with his history - I don't know the extent of his substance abuse whether he was an addict or just a user but either way you'd think he would be staying away from booze in season. I wonder if his family is up there with him, would be difficult being away from a young family for 2 months.

[Jaded No More 57,770]

51 minutes ago, rjay said:

Could someone please explain how the hub rules work...

I was listening to SEN the last week and one of the players was out at a coffee shop getting his regular fix.

Wish I could remember who it was....coffee or beer, either way you're not in a hub.

Regularly frequents the coffee shop.

Surely this is not how it works?

They’re allowed to get takeaway only, like they would if they were in Victoria. Same with they can go to the beach for exercise but they can’t lie around and tan. 
Bennell presumably left the hub to go somewhere to drink. If he left to buy booze and return I doubt this would be an issue (aside from the drinking in season etc). But I assume he went somewhere to drink where there were other patrons which is not allowed. 

[Jaded No More 57,770]

5 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I know they have protocols in place, but the clubs have been in Queensland for 6-8 weeks now, why are they still isolated in hubs? Surely they can move around the community like any other Queenslanders

I feel sorry for Bennell. Dumb choice to hit the booze with his history - I don't know the extent of his substance abuse whether he was an addict or just a user but either way you'd think he would be staying away from booze in season. I wonder if his family is up there with him, would be difficult being away from a young family for 2 months.

They are absolutely not allowed. They are in a strict bubble in case they come into contact with someone in the community who has it and the entire competition has to shut down. QLD isn’t totally Covid free. The risk is still there. 
 

Also his pregnant partner and daughter are both in the hub. He doesn’t have it harder than anyone else. 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Jaded

[bing181 8,163]

50K fine, Bennell 4 match ban.

[loges 6,018]

2 hours ago, Deesprate said:

Yes but is Melboune a rehab centre or a football club

I suppose it depends on whether you can separate the human side of the person from the footballer, they're not robots. As to your previous assertion that it reflects badly on the leadership, it does not. It wouldn't matter which club he went to , this was always a chance to happen.

[Jaded No More 57,770]

3 minutes ago, bing181 said:

50K fine, Bennell 4 match ban.

Source? 
[censored] great, $50k down the toilet. What a way to end this [censored] season. 
If true I hope we don’t renew his contract.  

[bing181 8,163]

1 minute ago, Jaded said:

Source? 

https://twitter.com/RalphyHeraldSun/status/1307629635060998145?s=20

[Jaded No More 57,770]

Just now, bing181 said:

https://twitter.com/RalphyHeraldSun/status/1307629635060998145?s=20

Christ. Of course we don’t get a suspended fine. 
He has to go. Clearly his head isn’t in the game. And now we have to cop a fine we can hardly afford!

[4_Kent_Watts 846]

32 minutes ago, Clintosaurus said:

Just need to settle and wait for the club to do what they need to. No point being hanging judges not knowing everything.

Bring back the Gallows. 

[bing181 8,163]

1 minute ago, bing181 said:

https://twitter.com/RalphyHeraldSun/status/1307629635060998145?s=20

"I understand Melbourne will be fined 50K, none of it suspended and Bennell be suspended for four weeks. Will be told to leave the state as soon as possible"

"Bennell left the club's hub and went to a friend's place when not authorised. Four weeks at least gives the Demons a chance to re-sign him next year if they see fit."

[titan_uranus 22,283]

It's important we wait to hear what really happened.

But if he started drinking, I'm concerned. Not because drinking is a sin. But because I recall him saying he was off alcohol because of what it had done to him in the past. Am I wrong in thinking that? I might be.

Whatever happened, it's a truly disappointing end to a disappointing year.

Personally I want to see him stay. I think he's one of a handful of missing links that could make us much better. 

[Earl Hood 5,788]

That might be it for Harley. Sad really. 

[trout 385]

If he has just cost us $50 grand out of our soft cap for next year and gets a one year deal, no words could describe how angry I will be at the club.

[Pates 9,536]

Can I ask what might is a stupid question, why do other clubs get part of theirs suspended but we don't? Seems like they're applying the rules harsher on us compared to others, is it because other clubs (Richmond) broke the rules so hard that they are giving no quarter to others?

[titan_uranus 22,283]

4 hours ago, Jaded said:

You are wrong on both counts. I lost my job and my husband’s business is surviving on jobkeeper and is 70% down. 
I had a friend attempt to commit suicide and I had a friend who works in a hospital who got this thing and nearly died and is still suffering the after effects. I also have a friend who’s 4 year old son has advanced cancer and he can’t go see him because only one parent is allowed to visit. 

So don’t tell me who has and hasn’t suffered because of this. We are all struggling. We are all suffering. 
I am very sorry to hear about your friend, and the pain you feel is no different to the pain 700+ families have felt this year when one of their loved ones have died from this disease. 

This is awful for everyone involved. To rant about misleading statistics and facts that suit your personal narrative doesn’t help to make it easier or better. 

 

@Jaded - props to you for sharing your story.

I suppose it's too much to expect@Elegt to respond.

[dazzledavey36 48,704]

Jesus....

I'll cop tonight as I knew it was coming. But to then have a 50k fine on top of it just stabs you in the guts.

I was always in the give Bennell another year camp, but I doubt I can cop that now. Bring someone in who's willing to die for the jumper, not [censored] it up the wall.

Edited September 20, 2020 by dazzledavey36

[Pates 9,536]

1 minute ago, trout said:

If he has just cost us $50 grand out of our soft cap for next year and gets a one year deal, no words could describe how angry I will be at the club.

I won't be angry with the club if they give him another year but it should also be taken into account with the negotiation of a new deal, call it a way of imposing the fine retrospectively. Instead of giving him $250K we give him $220K (or whatever the bottom end contract number is), I think one year and on an extremely tight leash is ok and perhaps we put in a get out no pay out clause should he infringe again.

[Nelo 813]

Has to go. Obviously hasn’t learned and on field looks miles away. 

[Mickey 4,173]

Fine not suspended because of Spargo and Kosi earlier in the year.

Reckon that might be curtains for Harley. Pert didn't pull any punches in the media release.

Edited September 20, 2020 by Mickey

[buck_nekkid 5,465]

22 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Christ. Of course we don’t get a suspended fine. 
He has to go. Clearly his head isn’t in the game. And now we have to cop a fine we can hardly afford!

Second offence - Spargo and Kozzie were the first - no suspension of fines, all in cap