Today's lesson

Contracts are ....

1) iron clad

2) just a guide

3) worth sfa

34 minutes ago, Young Angus said:

Love Gary, put him in charge of this mess seriously, others all out Gary in to rebuild club from top down!

We tried that and it ended very badly

18 minutes ago, praha said:

The next step now is for Petracca's camp (and potentially Collingwood or Carlton) to start over-cooking his injuries to bring his trade value down. Continue making his place at the club untenable, force a trade, and get it at value.

Bookmark it. I reckon within 7 days we'll see a report about how he'll never be the same player again yada yada yada.

Absolute certainty. Not just his injuries but the broader idea that "the market reality is..." All ably assisted by an AFL media overwhelmingly wedded to the idea that "all player movement is good". Weirdo libertarianism - we must bow to the market as a benign deity - is rife in that world. 

The problem is supporters will buy it. It's already creeping in to this thread - people are earnestly posting absolutely awful deals. 

5 minutes ago, layzie said:

This is it.

It will come down to one thing, do you want out or not? If you want out then despite your long term deal we may be able to facilitate this and come back to your agent with potential suitors. 

If this is the players way of loopholing their way out of long term deals then we need to stand firm and say this is how it is. 

Buckley    said it best on SEN  this morning . Its not the Christian Petrecca Football club.    Melbourne can sit back and let others work.        come to us with a good deal or No deal.         We hold all the cards.      Good trade  or come back with tail between the legs and grow up   

3 hours ago, Kit Walker said:

I follow a lot of English/European soccer - star players are untouchable until they're not. Irreconcilable differences are irreconcilable until they're fixed. Which pragmatically they usually are.

I don't want Petracca to leave but if he forces the issue, the club has an incredibly strong hand with a 5 year contract and a competition top 5 player in the mix. I can't see how there is a conversation with anyone other than Carlton based on information currently available but see how the dust settles over the next few weeks 

Maybe they should open up talks with PSG or Man City? That would get him more clicks.

Haarland would surely have transferable skills?

17 minutes ago, Norm Smith's Curse said:

My gut feeling is that he is probably right in that the club were too soft on some misbehaving players and the net result was the pending investigation.

My gut feeling is that he has also approached this the wrong way and is now forcing the Dees hand. 

Melbourne have in the past sometimes seemed risk adverse to trading. Petty is an example. He looked good, but he stated he wanted to go home. We could have got a decent trade for him. 

Time to finally really be ruthless for mine. 

I think you're going to find keeping Petty was sound business

For the record 

- I hope Trac 💙❤️💙❤️stays. Really hope they sort out his issues and he sorts out his issues.  Life’s not perfect.  I am not always agreeing with my employers decisions or their work place decor 
- Trac signed a 7 year contract.  You have to think that’s a commitment.  Serious $$$ too.  Unless there’s breach of contract conditions by MFC, then he should fulfill his commitments

- MFC needs to stand firm. We cannot have contracts being torn up and players walking away 

TRAC - keep the faith 🙏🏽

but if it’s completely toxic and Trac is destroying wider team culture and values … then … what’s the trade price  (Trac is 28)

1. JEREMY CAMERON (out of contract - restricted free agent) 27yo

Cats got:  Cameron as well as two second-round selections

Giants got: Picks 13, 15, 20 and a future fourth rounder (Giants matched his free agency). 

2. LANCE FRANKLIN (out of contract) 26 yo

Hawks: got a first round draft selection as compensation (number 19) 

3. GARY ABLETT JNR (out of contract) 26yo

Cats received two first-round picks as compensation for losing Ablett to the expansion club. That was probably under weight for his ability   

 

11 minutes ago, biggestred said:

we should trade for maynard. then both sets of fans can boo him kings birthday.

The sight of B Maynard in red and blue would make me physically ill

6 minutes ago, gregdemon said:

Buckley    said it best on SEN  this morning . Its not the Christian Petrecca Football club.    Melbourne can sit back and let others work.        come to us with a good deal or No deal.         We hold all the cards.      Good trade  or come back with tail between the legs and grow up   

Buckley 👏👏👏👏

1 hour ago, binman said:

Maybe. Maybe not.

The result is the same.

On conners, if he is not responsible for the strategic backgrounding of morris why has he let this play out like it has?

Why hasn't he backgrounded another journo to at least tamp down the noise 'till after the GF?

I mean, he's tracc's manager after all. And if demonland is any guide, tracc's stocks are falling in terms of his reputation.

That's to say, whilst the initial reporting was favourable towards him (ultra pro unhappy with the 'direction' of a club the media loves to hammer), it's swinging the other way - for example the suggestion his teammates are jack of him.

If I was conners I'd be concerned the idea of tracc as an entitled, prima donna taking hold - Australians are allergic to that idea of stars elevating themselves above their team.

And leaving aside the response by fans, if that perception takes hold amongst players at say the pies or blues how keen will they be about a diva coming to their club (probably instantly the highest paid), with all the attendant palaver.

And how will the big stars at either club feel about having to share the spotlight with tracc? 

Good points, but everyone will be blinded by the performance uplift they would get. 
 

Nobody is knocking back what Trac would do for them in the ground just because he is up himself and has high ambitions.

I believe the club now is under pressure to get a deal done. Brayshaw has a long term contract but won’t play anymore. Oliver has a long term contract but his ability to honour it for the full term is uncertain. Petracca has a long term contract, wants out and appears to have caused a lot of bad blood within the club and lost his teammates aside from his current injury issues. The club might have to cut its losses. If we get McKay in a trade as many suggest it’s going to conflict with JVR’s development. They both will be playing for the same position. IMO the club should target midfielders and some picks for a trade. May not be the most ideal outcome but better than trying to keep a player who appears to have burned all his bridges with club. 

Edited August 27, 2024Aug 27 by John Crow Batty

Trac has a contract full stop, if Trac wants to go I hope the club makes a stand and says bad luck you are honouring the contract, Trac should also swallow some concrete and harden up things happen in life that don't go your way it's how you deal with it, also sometimes people think they are more important than they are, maybe that's the case here.

Whatever is going on it needs to be cleaned up before the end of the year.

57 minutes ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Please explain what this means?

Sorry I meant the howie games

The only way a good club loses out of this is to play Christian or his agents game. We should be doing everything we can to become a better team and club out of this scenario and if that means we could trade him to West Coast for Reid as an example we should explore it. If the options don’t make us better then just refuse the trade request and address the internal issues in house. 
 

The club needs to get on the front foot with player managers and the media to shape the narrative. Part of that could be that we are willing to put our pick 5 and future first on the table if the right deal were able to be struck for a player or players that can replace Trac and other holes on our list. That could then open discussions regarding any potential deals for Petracca. 
 

If Petracca was to leave he’d leave a massive hole in our salary cap along with retirements and de-listings which could go close to $2.5m a year or more of cap space if you include Brayshaws contract and Ben Brown etc. That gives us plenty of cash as well as picks to chase someone like Reid if we are able to get that deal done. All hypotheticals of course but we can’t be victims in this process and stand still and beg Petracca to stay, we have to get on the front foot.

PUKE FOOTBALL

In the early 2000s in Ireland the tough Ulster teams of Tyrone, Derry and Donegal adopted a type of ultra defensive Gaelic Football where they held possession and hand passed excessively. 

Kicking was almost a last resort and games were notorious for being really low scoring.  It was a rigorous system based on grinding out games and was very taxing to play and horrible to watch.  

It relied on aggressive contest and defensive pressure to choke individual players and give no time or space to run. 

Whenever they lost possession the whole team (sometimes excepting one full forward) rushed back to their defensive half and blocked up all the space.  It forced the opposition to rush kicks from distance and awkward angles.  

TV Commentator and record seven time former Kerry champion described it as follows: 

"It was like kids playing in an overcrowded school yard. This is not the game that I love to play and be involved in, this negative, defensive orientated, stop-start, cynical gamesmanship and kicking being the last option. I fear for the future of Gaelic football if this is the way that its going to evolve and remember there’s no rule changes for the next couple of years.

This sort of football that I saw today will not fill Croke Park.  This game left a sour taste in my mouth and it’s not a case of sour grapes because the better team won today but I’ll tell you to describe today’s football, do you know what I’d describe it as…I’d call it puke football"

As he predicted the systems got worked out after a couple of years.  The teams who persisted with this negative style fell back into the doldrums. 

The years since were mostly dominated by teams adopting fast running, free flowing football attacking in waves with support runners to punch through contests with quick skilful passing. 

When it slowed down they relied on really accurate field kicking from distance to keep the scores accumulating.  That was enough to defeat the low scoring defensive first teams.  

https://www.facebook.com/TheSundayGame/videos/pat-spillanes-famous-puke-football-comment-after-tyrones-defeat-of-kerry-in-the-/729250331524601/

Does anyone have any evidence that Goody is the problem here, or that Trac's problem is with Goody?

 

So basically this is Darcy moores fault. If trac didn't have this injury then I doubt he'd be rethinking things.

Remember he was in tears a few years ago when he said this is for the Melbourne fans who were to embarrassed to wear the jumper. Well now you're running. 

Hope he doesn't end up at the filth. Why would he want to play along side the guy that has caused him this trauma

Just now, dees189227 said:

So basically this is Darcy moores fault. If trac didn't have this injury then I doubt he'd be rethinking things.

Remember he was in tears a few years ago when he said this is for the Melbourne fans who were to embarrassed to wear the jumper. Well now you're running. 

Hope he doesn't end up at the filth. Why would he want to play along side the guy that has caused him this trauma

maybe it wasn't Darcy that caused the damage but Isaac Heeney jumping over him in the Colgate ad?

3 minutes ago, Hellfire Dub said:

PUKE FOOTBALL

In the early 2000s in Ireland the tough Ulster teams of Tyrone, Derry and Donegal adopted a type of ultra defensive Gaelic Football where they held possession and hand passed excessively. 

Kicking was almost a last resort and games were notorious for being really low scoring.  It was a rigorous system based on grinding out games and was very taxing to play and horrible to watch.  

It relied on aggressive contest and defensive pressure to choke individual players and give no time or space to run. 

Whenever they lost possession the whole team (sometimes excepting one full forward) rushed back to their defensive half and blocked up all the space.  It forced the opposition to rush kicks from distance and awkward angles.  

TV Commentator and record seven time former Kerry champion described it as follows: 

"It was like kids playing in an overcrowded school yard. This is not the game that I love to play and be involved in, this negative, defensive orientated, stop-start, cynical gamesmanship and kicking being the last option. I fear for the future of Gaelic football if this is the way that its going to evolve and remember there’s no rule changes for the next couple of years.

This sort of football that I saw today will not fill Croke Park.  This game left a sour taste in my mouth and it’s not a case of sour grapes because the better team won today but I’ll tell you to describe today’s football, do you know what I’d describe it as…I’d call it puke football"

As he predicted the systems got worked out after a couple of years.  The teams who persisted with this negative style fell back into the doldrums. 

The years since were mostly dominated by teams adopting fast running, free flowing football attacking in waves with support runners to punch through contests with quick skilful passing. 

When it slowed down they relied on really accurate field kicking from distance to keep the scores accumulating.  That was enough to defeat the low scoring defensive first teams.  

https://www.facebook.com/TheSundayGame/videos/pat-spillanes-famous-puke-football-comment-after-tyrones-defeat-of-kerry-in-the-/729250331524601/

This is incredibly random.

The way fans are carrying on that this is all on our club is absolutely insane.

Do you think Bont has never had issues at the Dogs? You think Dusty always loved Richmond? You reckon Cripps loved not playing finals all these years?

Every club has players who are unhappy at one time or another, including BIG star players.
I don't remember Neale coming out and trashing Brisbane because he wanted to go home. 

I have never seen a single one of them throw a match at their club in a public domain and watch the place burn. 

Oh, this has become a messy situation now ...

I don't think the List Management at Parc de Princes had Tracc to Carlton on their potential incoming whiteboard list but looks like the Blues are being sucked into this saga now. Probably the only 'Big Melbourne' club that could make such a trade work right now.

Not really seeing Carlton entertaining any trades involving Curnow, McKay, Cripps, Walsh, Weitering or Tom De Koning. This is seen as the spine of Carlton's 3 decade long drought breaking Premiership winning team in the next few years.

Cerra for Tracc, they both get to keep their Number 5 😁 ...

Oh and the Blues throw in a first round draft pick too ... 

Pittonet could be a back up ruck to Gawn as well ... 

Other trade possibility combinations could be one of Kennedy/Hewitt, Owies, Martin, a future 1st etc ...

As DL's resident Bagger, I am more concerned with who will be available to play Brisbane in 11 days time.

 

6 minutes ago, Bonkers said:

The only way a good club loses out of this is to play Christian or his agents game. We should be doing everything we can to become a better team and club out of this scenario and if that means we could trade him to West Coast for Reid as an example we should explore it. If the options don’t make us better then just refuse the trade request and address the internal issues in house. 
 

The club needs to get on the front foot with player managers and the media to shape the narrative. Part of that could be that we are willing to put our pick 5 and future first on the table if the right deal were able to be struck for a player or players that can replace Trac and other holes on our list. That could then open discussions regarding any potential deals for Petracca. 
 

If Petracca was to leave he’d leave a massive hole in our salary cap along with retirements and de-listings which could go close to $2.5m a year or more of cap space if you include Brayshaws contract and Ben Brown etc. That gives us plenty of cash as well as picks to chase someone like Reid if we are able to get that deal done. All hypotheticals of course but we can’t be victims in this process and stand still and beg Petracca to stay, we have to get on the front foot.

Harley Reid should be a target. He needs to get out of that goldfish bowl. WC are toxic and are going to ruin him. Even though it’s his first season he looks pretty frustrated. Though brilliant and dynamic he is angry and undisciplined and gives away too many frees. A couple of weeks ago he conceded a record number in a game for a WC player. 

Edited August 27, 2024Aug 27 by John Crow Batty

4 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

So basically this is Darcy moores fault. If trac didn't have this injury then I doubt he'd be rethinking things.

Remember he was in tears a few years ago when he said this is for the Melbourne fans who were to embarrassed to wear the jumper. Well now you're running. 

Hope he doesn't end up at the filth. Why would he want to play along side the guy that has caused him this trauma

Mate, stop blaming Darcy Moore. 

These issues that are raised are well before the injury.

2 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Mate, stop blaming Darcy Moore. 

These issues that are raised are well before the injury.

Correct, I believe Trac is behaving like a petulant child through all of this, but the biggest worry is that the very legitimate issues that are at least in part fueling this end up being dismissed because Trac has approached this so poorly. 

The club needs a serious clean out and overhaul, we're a mess regardless of what Trac does. 

Just a left field comment. Maybe, just maybe after his big scare re his horrendous injury he and his family and future wife may be thinking basketball.??