Jump to content

Featured Replies

9 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Was he?

He got only 6 Brownlow votes for the games before injury.   Without checking I'm not sure he got many BOG coaches votes prior to injury.

The reports about him leaving hospital, going for a run, self tattooing, going to an outside physio aren't examples of a team player. 

A lot has changed since 2021.  Then he adopted for himself the motto 'to be a better teammate'.  By various accounts that hasn't been the case in more recent times. 

His stats pre injury

Round 1: 37 and a goal

Round 2:  25 and 2 goals

Round 3: 34

Round 4: 41 in that shocking loss to Essendon

Round 5: 31 and a goal

Round 6: 37

Round 7: 28

Round 8: 34 and a goal

Round 9: 30 against Port playing the last quarter with an injured hamstring. 

He was on 38 votes in the coaches award by round 10 

I understand stats don’t always tell the whole story, but he was consistently our top 1-2 players every game. 
As for Brownlow votes, Neale won it so we know how much that says. 

Edited by Jaded No More

 
1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

An elite midfield is and always has been the most important element of being successful. It’s why we started our build with the midfield. 

I actually think this is very much central (npi) to where we may heading with all this.

Yes, the midfield is where it's  at ( unless we're talking about the other areas lol ) 

In our stellar 21 season we were not just a good contested side but we had reasonable success at central clearances.

Fast forward 23... not so much. We struggle to go bang, let alone bang bang....bang. Our central work is often stifled.. Olivers effectiveness has been curbed in many games because of tags. He's still outstanding  but our overall efficiency is way down. We have depth on the inside but our outside game leaves a lot for improvement.  I can see now how a Reid might change that.

An irony perhaps is Clarrys absence opened a new chapter.  Gave us a look at a slightly different Melbourne.

Its not how any player performed or contributed in 21 ( or 22/23 ) it's going to be about how the club sees us playing in 24 >>>> .. and who is needed to do so.

Clarry may very well be part of that picture....but maybe he's not.

We bemoan our FD for not embracing change...as other clubs do.  A number of changes are being thrust upon us....and just maybe there's a few we're still to add to that list.

We either evolve or get left behind.

Interesting days ahead.

Be curious to whats said by whom....( or not ) as this pans out.

He may be just going .... nowhere. We'll see soon enough I suspect. 

Edited by beelzebub

 

My question is how the heck am I supposed to get any work done today now?!?!

 

11 minutes ago, JimmyGadson said:

Also, whoever compared Rowell with Reid has no idea I'm sorry. And if you're agreeing then it's going to be impossible to talk with you.

Reid is a completely different player to Rowell and aside from their shared contested ball winning ability, Reid is far superior in just about every facet of the game as well as his physical makeup.

You're missing the point. The comparison wasn't about Reid and Rowell being the same sort of player. It was about them both being highly valued and thought of Under 18 players.

Drafting. Is. A. Lottery.

You cannot say definitively that Reid will be an elite player.

Therefore, the comparison between Reid and Oliver is stupid.


If it happened, the only experience I can draw on would be when we lost Woewodin to the filth and this would be that x 100. 

15 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

His stats pre injury

Round 1: 37 and a goal

Round 2:  25 and 2 goals

Round 3: 34

Round 4: 41 in that shocking loss to Essendon

Round 5: 31 and a goal

Round 6: 37

Round 7: 28

Round 8: 34 and a goal

Round 9: 30 against Port playing the last quarter with an injured hamstring. 

He was on 38 votes in the coaches award by round 10 

I understand stats don’t always tell the whole story, but he was consistently our top 1-2 players every game. 
As for Brownlow votes, Neale won it so we know how much that says. 


In preseason he was sublime. I was marvelling at how he had got even better. 

Even still, I think we’re better off to move on. Culture & standards above all.

Channel 7 reporting that the club has admitted we botched his rehab and treatment and that he got his nose out of joint and didn't hide that fact.

 
Just now, Mach5 said:


In preseason he was sublime. I was marvelling at how he had got even better. 

Even still, I think we’re better off to move on. Culture & standards above all.

Did you want to move May on when he got drunk while in concussion protocols and got into a punch on with a teammate at a restaurant? 

This is not a player who has displayed consistently poor standards and behaviour. We wouldn't sign him for 7 years or award him 4 B&Fs if he had.

Something obviously went wrong this year for him. I would hope we can sort it out and move on, rather than throw him away.

2 hours ago, Binmans PA said:

I don't think it's about being seduced by picks this time mate. It's about maintaining the culture that the club has tried so hard to foster, and maximising what is a dreadfully sorry and sad situation. 

Clarry is my favourite player, I'm devastated. But we've got the picks this year to work a deal that could rejuvenate our list.

The other thing not being talked about is the potential dramatic impact not having Clarry in our midfield will have on our game style. 

Collingwood have shown you don't need an elite midfield to win a flag. They've bucked the trend in that regard.

I trust JT, Lamb and the broader club to do what's right for the MFC here.

As gut wrenching as that is. I suspect many of us are so strongly bonded to Clarry because we waited so long for an elite midfielder and then we got him, he helped us win a flag and now here we are...

Well said mate.

The club is bigger then the individual and whilst I don't think he'll get traded, supporters do need to brace themselves for the reality that it definitely could happen.

Unpopular opinion here but I have full trust in Goodwin and the list management however way they handle this situation. 

Edited by dazzledavey36


23 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

I actually think this is very much central (npi) to where we may heading with all this.

Yes, the midfield is where it's  at ( unless we're talking about the other areas lol ) 

In our stellar 21 season we were not just a good contested side but we had reasonable success at central clearances.

Fast forward 23... not so much. We struggle to go bang, let alone bang bang....bang. Our central work is often stifled.. Olivers effectiveness has been curbed in many games because of tags. He's still outstanding  but our overall efficiency is way down. We have depth on the inside but our outside game leaves a lot for improvement.  I can see now how a Reid might change that.

An irony perhaps is Clarrys absence opened a new chapter.  Gave us a look at a slightly different Melbourne.

Its not how any player performed or contributed in 21 ( or 22/23 ) it's going to be about how the club sees us playing in 24 >>>> .. and who is needed to do so.

Clarry may very well be part of that picture....but maybe he's not.

We bemoan our FD for not embracing change...as other clubs do.  A number of changes are being thrust upon us....and just maybe there's a few we're still to add to that list.

We either evolve or get left behind.

Interesting days ahead.

Be curious to whats said by whom....( or not ) as this pans out.

He may be just going .... nowhere. We'll see soon enough I suspect. 

I think this is a very balanced view and it's being largely overlooked, the point about that it's not about 21 - 23, but rather how we want to look in 2024. 

Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Brayshaw (+ Sparrow); a very decent midfield but also there's not a lot of differentiation between those players. If we're looking to change the mix up, noting that Rivers 'may' get a run through the midfield, we're going to need to be able to obtain the capital to do so. Personally, I think if we can get Petracca to kick straight, he'll become the more damaging player out of Oliver/Petracca. 

With respect to Viney, Brayshaw and to a lesser extent Sparrow, none of those players are going to generate the capital required to obtain Reid, and as a result, the trade falls to Oliver. 

I'm not diminishing what Oliver has achieved, nor am I retrospectively diminishing his importance to Melbourne, but if you remove the passion and emotion from the decision, I think it's pretty understandable what the club is attempting to achieve (if it eventuates).

Edited by BLWNBA

5 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Well said mate.

The club is bigger then the individual and whilst I don't think he'll get traded, supporters do need to brace then select for the reality that it definitely could happen.

Unpopular opinion here but I have full trust in Goodwin and the list management however way they handle this situation. 

I had full faith until I saw Schache listed as the sub...

8 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Did you want to move May on when he got drunk while in concussion protocols and got into a punch on with a teammate at a restaurant? 

This is not a player who has displayed consistently poor standards and behaviour. We wouldn't sign him for 7 years or award him 4 B&Fs if he had.

Something obviously went wrong this year for him. I would hope we can sort it out and move on, rather than throw him away.


No, but I believe May’s personality and issues are inherently different to Clayton’s.

Their impact on the performance of the side and influence on the playing group are contrasting, in my opinion.

I’m not swayed by media conjecture, if that’s what your angling at.

If, of we were to trade Clarry, I seriously think many Melbourne fans would be bitterly fissapointed with the return. IMO this talk of us working it to get picks 1 and 3 are pie in the sky stuff, even if we bundle 5 into it. I think we'd be more likely to be offered something roughly similar to the Jackson trade, 2 x 1sts and a 2nd, with the two 1sts being outside top 10

But it's all smoke and mirrors at the moment, who the f knows!

Ok I’m trying to catch up with everything and see where the facts are and wondering if there’s been an over reaction. 
What do we actually know? Is it a fact that he has split with his long term partner and gone off the rails a bit or are we just speculating?

Is he staying at Maxxys house or is that just speculation too?

The blister being a self given tattoo fact or speculation?

Just trying to get my head around this and try and work out if theres real reason to be concerned. 


Plus side to all the rehab drama was the form of Viney

I wouldn't be devastated if he left and we got a player back who can help us win now (Wines)

1 hour ago, The heart beats true said:

I just want to officially be on the record, and have written it down somewhere, that there’s a lot of talk about the work Collingwood have done with De Goey floating about - as if he’s suddenly been cured.

I’m not buying it. 

I saw him interviewed on On The Couch. He’s a bogan who’s been forced into finishing school. It was cringeworthy viewing. 

26 minutes ago, Binmans PA said:

You're missing the point. The comparison wasn't about Reid and Rowell being the same sort of player. It was about them both being highly valued and thought of Under 18 players.

Drafting. Is. A. Lottery.

You cannot say definitively that Reid will be an elite player.

Therefore, the comparison between Reid and Oliver is stupid.

No, I'm not missing any point.

Rowell was never spoken about in the same light as Reid.

So whilst I can't definitively say Reid will be an elite player at AFL level, (just as you can't say Clayton's career will continue on an upward trajectory), I can compare both Reid and Rowell from the unders years and deduce that Reid is ahead in every facet and has been the more dominant player, therefore has a better chance of succeeding at the elite level.

It is my view that Reid will be an elite AFL player and I think if we had him in place of Oliver right now, our team would function just as well.

 

46 minutes ago, adonski said:

I luv clarry

This. Regardless of what happens I will always love him as a player. He literally changed our club.

Three reason why this talk of Oliver trade may have any substance but I do believe it is garbage 

1) Club has stuffed up Salary Cap

2) Oliver is upset in his rehab this year

3) Club realises that our mids collectively can't hit targets and we want to keep Petracca, therefor Oliver has the highest trade return


The club is bigger than the player is correct. 
But the board/president/football manager/ coach etc would want to make this work in our favour if not the unemployment line beckons.

Jobs are staked on decisions like this.

1 minute ago, drdrake said:

Three reason why this talk of Oliver trade may have any substance but I do believe it is garbage 

3) Club realises that our mids collectively can't hit targets and we want to keep Petracca, therefor Oliver has the highest trade return

This plus a little from '4'.

37 minutes ago, Binmans PA said:

You're missing the point. The comparison wasn't about Reid and Rowell being the same sort of player. It was about them both being highly valued and thought of Under 18 players.

Drafting. Is. A. Lottery.

You cannot say definitively that Reid will be an elite player.

Therefore, the comparison between Reid and Oliver is stupid.

It’s pretty clear the club are prepared to move mountains to get Reid. They’ve long wanted him. I’d suggest the club has allowed the Oliver story out to see what comes back. The chance of it happening remain very small. I’m backing the club on this. 

 
4 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

It’s pretty clear the club are prepared to move mountains to get Reid. They’ve long wanted him. I’d suggest the club has allowed the Oliver story out to see what comes back. The chance of it happening remain very small. I’m backing the club on this. 

I hope Reid not only has what it takes to be a great player, but is also prepared to deal with the enormous pressure of coming into the club off the back of Oliver being traded. Those are some big shoes to overtake. 

 

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

You don’t think Selwood, Danger, Duncan and Guthrie are elite? 
They were old as balls, but they were still elite. 

How do you rate a starting midfield of Gawn, Trac, Viney and Sparrow? Because that’s probably the 2024 midfield we are looking at. Now let’s factor in an injury to say Viney, then how does that midfield look?


 

Like the sky was falling when Max went down against Brisbane, you have no capability to think anything but the worst in every scenario.

Young players get opportunity through injury and suspension and teams adjust when players are out, like we did during Clarry’s absence this season.

As for Brayshaw every player in the competition is 1 hit away from a career ending concussion just like Daniel Venables.

Whatever the outcome things will be fine, we will have Oliver back focused or we will have picks that JT and Lamb have shown they will use wisely. Teams need to continually evolve.

The sun came up today, I’m still breathing and my family are healthy, life’s good look at positives and enjoy it


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

  • FEATURE: 1925

    A hundred years ago today, on 2 May 1925, Melbourne kicked off the new season with a 47 point victory over St Kilda to take top place on the VFL ladder after the opening round of the new season.  Top place was a relatively unknown position for the team then known as the “Fuchsias.” They had finished last in 1923 and rose by only one place in the following year although the final home and away round heralded a promise of things to come when they surprised the eventual premiers Essendon. That victory set the stage for more improvement and it came rapidly. In this series, I will tell the story of how the 1925 season unfolded for the Melbourne Football Club and how it made the VFL finals for the first time in a decade on the way to the ultimate triumph a year later.

      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 1 reply
    Demonland
  • PREVIEW: West Coast

    Saturday’s election night game in Perth between the West Coast Eagles and Melbourne represents 18th vs 15th which makes it a tough decision as to which party to favour. The Eagles have yet to break the ice under their new coach in Andrew McQualter who is the second understudy in a row to confront Demon Coach Simon Goodwin who was also winless until a fortnight ago. On that basis, many punters might be considering to go with the donkey vote but I’ve been assigned with the task of helping readers to come to a considered opinion on this matter of vital importance across the nation. It was almost a year ago that I wrote a preview here of the Demons’ away game against the Eagles (under the name William from Waalitj because it was Indigenous Round).  I issued a warning that it was a danger game, based on my local knowledge that the home team were no longer easybeats and that they possessed a wunderkind generational player in Harley Reid who was capable of producing stellar performances playing among men a decade and more older than he.  At the time, the Eagles already had two wins off the back of a couple of the young man’s masterclasses and they had recently given the Bombers a scare straight after their Anzac Day blockbuster draw against the then reigning premiers.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 1 reply
    Demonland
  • NON-MFC: Round 08

    Round 08 of the 2025 AFL Season kicks off on Thursday with a must-win game for the Bombers to stay in touch with the top eight, while the struggling Roos seek a morale-boosting upset. Friday sees the Saints desperate for a win as well if they are to stay in finals contention and their opponents the Dockers will be eager to crack in to the Top 8 with a win on the road. Saturday kicks off with a pivotal clash for both sides asthe Bulldogs look to solidify their top-eight spot, while Port seeks to shake their pretender tag. Then the Crows will be looking to steady their topsy turvy season against a resurgent Blues looking to make it 4 wins on the trot. On Election Night a Blockbuster will see the ladder-leading Pies take on the Cats, who are keen to bounce back after a narrow loss. On Sunday the Sydney Derby promises fireworks as the Giants aim to cement their top-eight status, while the Swans fight to keep their season alive. The Hawks, celebrating their centenary, will be looking to easily account for the Tigers who are desperate to halt their slide. The Round concludes on Sunday Night with a top end of the table QClash with significant ladder implications; both Queensland teams are in scintillating form. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons?

    • 66 replies
    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
    • 527 replies
    Demonland
  • 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. 

      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    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