1 minute ago, Demonland said:

I love Clarry. He's in Sydney... to visit me!

(Denial? What denial?)

1 minute ago, Demonland said:

Good on you Clarry. Journo treating him like dirt. If you're told to leave him alone, dont pursue him through an airport.

3 hours ago, picket fence said:

If he goes the end of Demonland and support of the club for me. Is king trying to bottom us out totally??

There’s always a positive

Wait a second... is that the "conversation" that Mitch Cleary had with Clarry this morning? That Mitch referenced on Insta? 😂

So looks like we are losing May, Petracca, Oliver and McVee this offseason if all goes to plan.

God I really hope King can coach and that the MFC knows what they are doing.

It will be either a genius move or horrendous one.

Time will tell.

3 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Yikes! We may just have to pay another $300,000 of his contract and accept a third rounder after that

1 minute ago, lorn said:

Yes, that's what people are missing here. Petracca, Oliver and Viney just can't kick.

Yes, but at least Jack is a hard at it tackling machine. And i reckon he's a better (albeit shorter) kick than the others. Trac and Clarry couldn't tackle a wet towel on the clothes line

3 minutes ago, Demonland said:

He said he’s going to Sydney and then America on holiday?!?!?

Sam McClure soon to report that Clarry is likely meeting with the Los Angeles Rams to explore the possibility of a code switch???

Huge news.

I just can’t shake the feeling that a helluva lot of this is down to seemingly-irreparable relationships among certain members of the senior playing group.

I know there has been much speculation about the relationship between Trac and Clarry. And while I’d like to look at that cute photo of them when they were juniors and assume the most wholesome thoughts, it’s very obvious that they have very different interests/lifestyles/personalities away from the game.

So shoot me down for even suggesting such a thing, but it feels like the May, and now Oliver, discussions were attempts to placate Trac (and potentially others). But even if this proves futile (as is likely the case), measures are being made to create a new standard of culture nonetheless.

I absolutely acknowledge that I have no freakin’ idea when it comes to Clarry’s behaviour (past or present). It seems from the outside perspective that he’s made a real effort to improve his attitude, but that doesn’t quite stack up with how he’s being treated right now - being told to improve your craft is one thing, being told to potentially go elsewhere (at a large financial cost to the club) isn’t the kind of hardline-approach you’d associate with a champion player who’s shown every effort to improve.

Anyway, I’m not interested in trashing either of them, and will be sad to see them go. But if it manages to bring stability to the club - even at the cost of success in the short term - I’ll learn to embrace it.

*Already posted.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by dazzledavey36

1 minute ago, Demonland said:

2 minutes ago, KozzyCan said:

Viney and Oliver basically fill the same role. Viney is also a leader so club clearly happy to keep good old heads around.

Yes that’s what has me thinking this a cultural rebuild. Not unlike some of the organisational restructures I endured at work over the years when the new management team takes over. It is often the experienced, competent, square pegs types out the door first.

Not a great day for the club once again! Understanding change is needed but to see our premiership players going off at the airport and door stopping our new coach to discuss list mgt looks amatuerish! You don’t see this at the cats, pies, hawks etc, will

This club ever learn? I’m very sceptical on this process and concern on who will be running out in the team In 26, hearing King say finals is what we aspire yet both our best mids are on the market just dosent add up! Oliver has had manny issues and perhaps at the centre of all the culture issue Trac was raising but the way it’s been handled seems so wrong

1 minute ago, Earl Hood said:

Yes that’s what has me thinking this a cultural rebuild.

Yeah it looks like we're trying to move on the problematic players

4 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I expect "Oliver speaks to @cleary" is that in-depth civil discussion they had when @cleary was hassling him at the airport.

Mitch Cleary = massive nuffy. Probably trying to make the trade price cheaper for the Cats.

So much I want to say amid the torrent of rumour about all this, but I will restrict it to 3 things:

1. SK did NOT say we are READY for finals next year. He said every club should be AIMING for finals and I, for one, would be devastated if we weren't. Regardless of list age etc... We aim to excel, grow and win. And he would like Trac and Clarry to stay under his leadership and vision for the squad.

2. Trac appears to want out, but I can't see it happening. With his salary and the other clubs he is considering, I can't see MFC accepting low offers for him. Needs to be a strong bundle of players and draft picks when the draft looks relatively weaker.

3. Oliver is one of the best Dees I have ever seen, and I would hate him to leave. But again, who pays his huge salary for the last 5 years of his career?

So, much of this is either speculative journalism fluff (very likely), poor list management (last few years have not been good) and/or King has been given free rein to do a Blight/Adelaide Crows clean out that sounds horrendous but could have immediate benefit.

Trade and draft haven't started and I am exhausted...

1 hour 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.

Trip to Sydney straight after whilst could mean nothing at all, could also mean he thought the meeting was a pile of rubbish.

Time will tell I guess.

16 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Yeah nah meeting at the club went down well this morning eh.

Exciting times!

It really does look like we are moving on the the trouble and setting ourselves up with some talent and picks before Tassie comes in, as well as starting a new culture.

24 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

his is my biggest concern around game style and the sort of player we want and need. Contest will never die. It worries me if we're shipping off all/most of our contested ball winners.

The motive to ship out isn’t their role as contest winning midfielders - or backmen its culture. Fit in or [censored] off… I wrote an article today on the difference between high performing cultures and high performing environments. SK is working on one pillar first.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Engorged Onion

5 minutes ago, lorn said:

Yeah it looks like we're trying to move on the problematic players

Think it’s a great idea. Even if we lose a large skill set and experience. Let’s the players focus on playing instead of “did you hear what so and so did?” “What now?”

25 minutes ago, Demongirl35 said:

Correct.

JVR is another who has said he hates it in the ruck which is fair but he really really needs to step up and prove to us that he is too good to be taken out of that forward line. Once he starts holding them marks our forward line will change dramatically and actually give us time to set up defensively if he misses instead of the constant quick transition from other teams.

Where did JVR say that. I’ve definitely read/heard a couple of times that he loved playing in the ruck 🧐

6 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

So that has me wondering about the discussion with Viney. He is the player that I thought the modern game has moved on from. He is the one I thought would not be first pick and needed a role change, perhaps to a defensive forward role. Looks like he will now be needed full time in the guts.

Viney doesn’t have the speed and tank to play defensive forward. He’s a mid until the end.

23 minutes ago, Oxdee said:

We went that far off as a club… specifically with our playing list. We needed to make changes either the game plan and style. These players changes are drastic and weren’t necessary

Can’t make changes to the style without change the personnel. That’s a square peg in a round hole.

The style King wants to play requires elite fitness and ideally skill in the midfield. Oliver and Tracc can’t outrun their shadows or kick.