So we are a motivated seller with Oliver and an unmotivated seller with Petracca.

The odds that we have both in 2026 would be high.

$3m for players that either don’t want to be here or that we don’t want them to be here…

The Shambles Meter is off the charts atm

I'm fascinated by what our new midfield and wings might look like.

Viney and Sparrow the only full-time insiders with the traditional body type to grind in the pack.

Salem is a mature body and has always been chunkier than he seems. He's not fast enough to be in the open all day, so maybe the role move is finally on.

Picket and Rivers have both spent time in the middle, sometimes with great effect. Both could spend significant time there in '26 and bring nice diversity of match ups.

Of the youngsters;

Culley might be a big enough body and able to contribute as a taller inside mid more often in 26.

Langford you'd imagine will spend incrementally more time in the thick of it but you wouldn't want to rob him of his creative role too quickly.

Lindsay and Windsor have also shown they aren't going to shirk it when it is their turn, but you wouldn't want them bashing around for too much of the day.

Tholstrup might enjoy time in the chaos of it, but that can only be called a loose maybe as far as becoming a regular in the inside mix.

Unless we have some special secret weapon coming in under the radar, it looks like our midfield will be defined by two heavily defensive insiders, then Pickett, Salem, Rivers, and a five talented kids given permission to take turns in there to be bold and have fun.

Oh. I'm okay with that, actually. Especially if it is going to free up around 2mil in salary cap each year even after we subsidise some of it for new clubs.

What the... when did I become an expert at talking myself into optimism? My own mother wouldn't recognise me.

9 minutes ago, Harves said:

also re the post, not once did it say we have asked him to leave.

No, it didn't but if we truly believed he was going to be a part of the future then the notion of him 'exploring his options' would not have even been raised.

Hopefully today's and yesterday's events are designed to scare off Mihocek.

3 minutes ago, Young Angus said:

They would have been honest and said "hey mate we just have a bit of a different approach for you in mind...what do you think, and if you hate it then we respect your choice to explore alternatives" or something like that,

This is exactly how I believe the conversation would’ve gone.

Clarrie wears his huge heart on his sleeve. Had the meeting gone the way the journos want us to believe, you would NOT see a funny post from Clarrie. You’d see either an angry post or total silence, the latter being the most likely of the two.

I truly believe Clarrie would sooner change roles or play for Casey than move to another club. When he says he loves the MFC, he means it.

This merry-go-round has got out of control very quickly.

McVee, Spargo - Trade

May, Trac, Clarry- Sent packing

Fullarton, Brown, Sestan, Verrall, Billings - Delisted

Hore - Retired

Thats a quarter of the list including 4 of the usual first 23 and so far no players clearly coming in. (Apparently we have cooled on Derksen)

With compromised drafts and our reputation for over promising to players to get them in then dumping them in the VFL, how are we supposed to have faith we will be competitive over the next few years?

5 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

GWS a far better fit. They lack clearance on ballers, they have nothing after Tom Green.

Yeah, but the problem is Green and Clarry can only play on ball and both play a similar game.

He'd be a better fit at Sydney IMO.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Adam The God

11 minutes ago, Young Angus said:

Steven King about to find out just how much the media have it in for Melbourne.

So let me get this straight...Oliver in Melbourne, has a meeting with new coach and co, then he gets heated and within an hour has leaked the story to the media and stormed off to get on a plane to Sydney to "explore his options"...spare me! If he's gone to Sydney its because he had a trip to Sydney booked ffs no one reacts and does those things that quickly what an absolute circus.

interesting theory. Maybe Goody has a role for him at Sydney - knows the situation with Lamby and how to control the narrative?

2 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

This is exactly how I believe the conversation would’ve gone.

Clarrie wears his huge heart on his sleeve. Had the meeting gone the way the journos want us to believe, you would NOT see a funny post from Clarrie. You’d see either an angry post or total silence, the latter being the most likely of the two.

I truly believe Clarrie would sooner change roles or play for Casey than move to another club. When he says he loves the MFC, he means it.

thats one thing we can agree on mate. It annoys me the media vitriol but thats what they are paid to do. I think Claz is a lot more mature this year and would be open to exploriing a new role and helping the team

This post makes me think the reporting is out of step with the conversation

So when Guerra said King had them ‘in his 23’ was that alphabetically? Metaphysically? Astronomically? Diabolically?

Just now, DemonWA said:

This post makes me think the reporting is out of step with the conversation

That lines up with him telling a reporter that he was just told he is more likely to play Casey than in our midfield… that lines up from reports…

36 minutes ago, Harves said:

i dare say hff like he did when resting during 2021. But its probably more at play here in that we are pushing him out.

May

Claz

Trac

All distruptors of the club at various stages for various reasons.

I dont think its a coincidence that we are clearing the decks of these types of players and rebuilding our culture from the ground up with a clean slate.

So was that King’s vision when he interviewed for the job. Sure didn’t sound like it? How is the backflip?

1 hour ago, At the break of Gawn said:

Probably one of the worst videos I've ever seen

McClure is full of it. If there is any headline to be written it is that Melbourne is having a clean out and resetting under new leadership.

1 hour ago, DemonJack 14 said:

So Out : Petracca , Oliver , May , Mcvee

In : Miochek ? Heath ?

Looks like a rebuild to me at this stage !

Dees in 2026

33 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

McClure,

First of all, there’s no need to bring my hairline into this. I don’t take hair advice from anyone, let alone from someone who can’t even commit to being the ginger they clearly are.

And how am I feeling about the club today? I feel like we spent 12 months trying to see if certain players wanted to improve their attitude, and their output, to match their contracts. I think we all saw the results, and I back the club in to make professional decisions based on what I can see from the sidelines, and what they would know from inside the organisation.

And finally… get a fridge, fix your light fitting, and never presume to know how I’m feeling again.

This is hilarious but sadly it’s true. This reprehensible POS has nfi what goes on at our club. “Clarrie was on hands and knees begging to be traded”????!!!! Biggest load of sch!ttt right there. Clarrie has NEVER wanted to leave the MFC. The ONLY reason he met with Geelong is because he figured if he was to be booted out he’d rather be at a Victorian club than an interstate club and Adelaide was the club he was being dangled in front of. He decided to take matters into his own hands because he felt HE HAD TO & NOT because he WANTED TO. And that’s a fact.

It’s either King & list mgt have players lined up trade in or they have lost the plot!

Oliver needed to go 2 seasons ago

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Demonsone

8 minutes ago, GS_1905 said:

interesting theory. Maybe Goody has a role for him at Sydney - knows the situation with Lamby and how to control the narrative?

Apparently Rowbottom is gettable. I’ll take him. However, it’s unlikely we get anything but picks

Not sure if I’m the only one feeling let down after today’s meeting with Clayton Oliver. The thought of him leaving our club is honestly heartbreaking. Yes, his form dipped in 2025, but I really felt he was still putting in the effort for us to win. He clearly wants to stay at the Dees, and with the right direction, I believe he can return to the brilliant, best-and-fairest winning player we know he is.

2 minutes ago, Saigy said:

Not sure if I’m the only one feeling let down after today’s meeting with Clayton Oliver. The thought of him leaving our club is honestly heartbreaking. Yes, his form dipped in 2025, but I really felt he was still putting in the effort for us to win. He clearly wants to stay at the Dees, and with the right direction, I believe he can return to the brilliant, best-and-fairest winning player we know he is.

My thoughts exactly Saigy.

9 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

Yeah, but the problem is Green and Clarry can only play on ball and both play a similar game.

He'd be a better fit at Sydney IMO.

With 5 on the bench I think you can have a midfielder who only plays about 55-60% game time. I'd have Oliver and Green overlapping for about 30% in which case Oliver takes a more defensive role at stoppages. Then I'd have him as the main clearance player for 25-30%.

Sydney with Heeney, Warner and Rowbottom have a lot of inside/ball players. Maybe you'd take him knowing the Chad is 99% gone in 2 years but otherwise I wouldn't change their mix.

1 minute ago, Demonland said:

Are we sure we aren’t sponsoring todays AFL radio segment?

13 minutes ago, Trident22 said:

So was that King’s vision when he interviewed for the job. Sure didn’t sound like it? How is the backflip?

were you on the panel were you?