16 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

And elite kick

💯!! That’s the key thing that Trac is missing to be able to have same impact as danger up front.

2 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

If Tracc and / or Clarry wanted to leave at the end of the year, why should it be that the MFC loses because of this? We negotiated a contract and a contract price in good faith with these players and they willingly signed up. We should be allowed to get fair value for the player in these situations instead of ending up paying part of their contract fee and perhaps getting a third rounder in return. That is just not fair.

What should happen is the MFC contract with the player is torn up, we get fair trade value for the player and the player negotiates his salary with the new Club. What’s wrong with this system?

It really has become an extra bargaining chip layer at the trade table.

"We'll pay a bit more if we can extract a bit more draft juice out of you."

Works in some cases but I do wonder if clubs offer this a bit willy nilly. I don't know what the right way is these days but I'm also a bit old school and would prefer we rip it up, take a fair trade and start fresh.

2 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

If Tracc and / or Clarry wanted to leave at the end of the year, why should it be that the MFC loses because of this? We negotiated a contract and a contract price in good faith with these players and they willingly signed up. We should be allowed to get fair value for the player in these situations instead of ending up paying part of their contract fee and perhaps getting a third rounder in return. That is just not fair.

What should happen is the MFC contract with the player is torn up, we get fair trade value for the player and the player negotiates his salary with the new Club. What’s wrong with this system?

What has fair got to do with anything in life - let alone anything related to the AFL?

I just think Clarry has checked out of MFC unfortunately. It marries up with the media reports of the last two seasons, his onfield performance since he did his hammy 2.5 years ago, lack of energy and inconsistent performance. We see snippets of him really trying but its just too infrequent. I get he is dealing with ongoing MH issues and all, but his application is miles off an AFL player and to me that stems back to the environment is working in more than anything.

I also notice that a lot of players don't seem to trust him on field and often burn him in a scoring chain / transition - yes he is a butcher and bad user, but i reckon it's also a bit of the unconscious bias of the team as well. I think the whole team is probably expecting him to request a trade as well. i have no doubt they would have picked up on the vibe and attitude from day-to-day.

Will he ever get to his best? i don't know but its unlikely. I will go as far as saying it will never happen in whilst he is wearing the red and blue. It'll just be best for part parties if he is moved on.

Trac on the other hand looks to be trying a bit more and is a bit more invested. He is really held back by his mental demons, probably fitness and confidence. I think the effectiveness of his role is also impacted by the massive imbalance in the middle with Clarry being the liability he is. We saw what happened when JV was moved back into the middle after quarter time.

The club is really in a tight spot with Clarry. We can't move him elsewhere on the field as he is more of a liability there and it will probably be worse for his market value. We cant drop him either because it will impact his market value also. So, we are forced to play him in the middle and really suffer the consequences with his less that optimal performances.

If Petracca and Oliver are at the Dees in 2026 lets hope their on field performance matches their contract value given they're payed to be match winners.

There are 2 different questions for mine:

1, Do they want to be at the Dees in 2026?

2, Will they be at the Dees in 2026?

If the answer to 1 is no then the challenge for the club is how do we maximise player/draft pick return and minimise/eliminate paying part of contract. This may require both players agreeing to lower value contracts at new club.

Personally I think the answer to 1 for both will be yes and that it will be in the best interests of the club if they are traded. Clarry is a long way off his best footy, as the game changes can he get fit enough to run with best mids? Can he adjust his decison making to a new game plan. Tracca has misplaced his mojo, more likely to get it back than Clarry, but maybe more likely to rediscover at another club he thinks has more chance of success going into 26. Like Clarry needs to adjust his decision making to game plan de jour.

Edited July 1Jul 1 by demoniac

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

I dont think Tracc OR Clarry will be with us in 2026!🙄

I'm starting to join the dots through the year.

We seem not to be introducing any young midfielders into the group bar Kozzie.

Rivers totally out of the midfield equation was getting good looks at it last year, zitch of an impact through the guts this year.

Seems to me through my eyes we are keeping Oliver and Tracc in the shop window.

Oliver seems to have settled down off field which might improve our hand. I reckon he will land at Geelong, he'll take less and we might get a 2nd rounder if we're lucky.

Trac is a bit different, a proven match winner off his own boot and has value as a 1st rounder and we should ONLY hold out to that.

I think he's protecting himself a bit and doesn't want to play fwd for this exact reason to keep his options open.

I can easily see him staying also with the point of difference he offers.

As good as Viney has been the heart and soul of the place.

We should have played checkers with Norf and cashed in on him but he used the clubs turmoil to his advantage and recieved a 4 yr pension.

Unbelievable how this has all panned out in such a position of power and we completely fucced it up.

Edited July 1Jul 1 by YesitwasaWin4theAges

I think Trac is more likely to remain a Dee… partially because Clarry doesn’t seem too invested and partially because the club is more likely to be shopping Clarry around (a result of the first partial reason 😉).

Edited July 1Jul 1 by hardtack

Keep Trac.

Trade Oliver.

But before any of that we need a new coach.

The Coaches need replacing before we think of getting rid of either Tracc or Clarry.

But it has to be the right Coach, who pushes a higher standard all the way through the playing group

On 16/06/2025 at 02:15, Pirlo said:

Bailey Laurie the 23 year old VFL player? Almost certainly not.

Trent Rivers the 24 year old premiership player who was our best midfielder post-bye last year? Yes. He's a good chance at it.

Laurie has never been given the chance to prove himself, a couple of sub appearances as a pressure forward doesn’t count

That’s another fail by the coach

1 hour ago, GS_1905 said:

I just think Clarry has checked out of MFC unfortunately. It marries up with the media reports of the last two seasons, his onfield performance since he did his hammy 2.5 years ago, lack of energy and inconsistent performance. We see snippets of him really trying but its just too infrequent. I get he is dealing with ongoing MH issues and all, but his application is miles off an AFL player and to me that stems back to the environment is working in more than anything.

I also notice that a lot of players don't seem to trust him on field and often burn him in a scoring chain / transition - yes he is a butcher and bad user, but i reckon it's also a bit of the unconscious bias of the team as well. I think the whole team is probably expecting him to request a trade as well. i have no doubt they would have picked up on the vibe and attitude from day-to-day.

Will he ever get to his best? i don't know but its unlikely. I will go as far as saying it will never happen in whilst he is wearing the red and blue. It'll just be best for part parties if he is moved on.

Trac on the other hand looks to be trying a bit more and is a bit more invested. He is really held back by his mental demons, probably fitness and confidence. I think the effectiveness of his role is also impacted by the massive imbalance in the middle with Clarry being the liability he is. We saw what happened when JV was moved back into the middle after quarter time.

The club is really in a tight spot with Clarry. We can't move him elsewhere on the field as he is more of a liability there and it will probably be worse for his market value. We cant drop him either because it will impact his market value also. So, we are forced to play him in the middle and really suffer the consequences with his less that optimal performances.

The job of every opposition on ball team is to stop him getting near the ball at centre bounces.

2 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

I just think Clarry has checked out of MFC unfortunately. It marries up with the media reports of the last two seasons, his onfield performance since he did his hammy 2.5 years ago, lack of energy and inconsistent performance. We see snippets of him really trying but its just too infrequent. I get he is dealing with ongoing MH issues and all, but his application is miles off an AFL player and to me that stems back to the environment is working in more than anything.

I also notice that a lot of players don't seem to trust him on field and often burn him in a scoring chain / transition - yes he is a butcher and bad user, but i reckon it's also a bit of the unconscious bias of the team as well. I think the whole team is probably expecting him to request a trade as well. i have no doubt they would have picked up on the vibe and attitude from day-to-day.

Will he ever get to his best? i don't know but its unlikely. I will go as far as saying it will never happen in whilst he is wearing the red and blue. It'll just be best for part parties if he is moved on.

Trac on the other hand looks to be trying a bit more and is a bit more invested. He is really held back by his mental demons, probably fitness and confidence. I think the effectiveness of his role is also impacted by the massive imbalance in the middle with Clarry being the liability he is. We saw what happened when JV was moved back into the middle after quarter time.

The club is really in a tight spot with Clarry. We can't move him elsewhere on the field as he is more of a liability there and it will probably be worse for his market value. We cant drop him either because it will impact his market value also. So, we are forced to play him in the middle and really suffer the consequences with his less that optimal performances.

I reckon he needs to swap spots with Trac

Clarry would be a v strong, bullish forward and whilst in general play his kicking is rushed, his set shots on goal aren't too bad

52 minutes ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

Keep Trac.

Trade Oliver.

But before any of that we need a new coach.

Play JV 80% forward.

44 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

The Coaches need replacing before we think of getting rid of either Tracc or Clarry.

But it has to be the right Coach, who pushes a higher standard all the way through the playing group

Rivers full time midfielder?

Our situation highlights the key problem with long-term mega-contracts.

For reasons we all know, since 2021 the supercharged Ferrari version of Clarry has been replaced by a Holden Commodore with dodgy steering.

He is still a reliable possession winner, but most of the time his aimless kicking hands the ball straight back to the opposition.

Given his history of off-field issues, and the fact that he will turn 29 next year, it would be hard to find a club willing to risk a huge financial gamble on him.

If it turns out that he does want to leave, the club should just play hardball and refuse to pay any part of a new contract elsewhere.

With all that said, I hope he stays and puts in a real effort to regain the form which once earned him the admiration of every Demons supporter.

2 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

I just think Clarry has checked out of MFC unfortunately. It marries up with the media reports of the last two seasons, his onfield performance since he did his hammy 2.5 years ago, lack of energy and inconsistent performance. We see snippets of him really trying but its just too infrequent. I get he is dealing with ongoing MH issues and all, but his application is miles off an AFL player and to me that stems back to the environment is working in more than anything.

I also notice that a lot of players don't seem to trust him on field and often burn him in a scoring chain / transition - yes he is a butcher and bad user, but i reckon it's also a bit of the unconscious bias of the team as well. I think the whole team is probably expecting him to request a trade as well. i have no doubt they would have picked up on the vibe and attitude from day-to-day.

Will he ever get to his best? i don't know but its unlikely. I will go as far as saying it will never happen in whilst he is wearing the red and blue. It'll just be best for part parties if he is moved on.

Trac on the other hand looks to be trying a bit more and is a bit more invested. He is really held back by his mental demons, probably fitness and confidence. I think the effectiveness of his role is also impacted by the massive imbalance in the middle with Clarry being the liability he is. We saw what happened when JV was moved back into the middle after quarter time.

The club is really in a tight spot with Clarry. We can't move him elsewhere on the field as he is more of a liability there and it will probably be worse for his market value. We cant drop him either because it will impact his market value also. So, we are forced to play him in the middle and really suffer the consequences with his less that optimal performances.

What an appalling situation

The club should be charged with missmanagement

I hate that its gotten to this, but I'm not sure how we can keep Clarry and be successful.

Apart from a few outlying games, Clarry really hasn't been at his consistent best for the last 12-18 months.

It's fair enough when that happens with a senior player, but he's only 27 years old (about to turn 28). He should have at least 2-3 top level years left in him. It seems like those years are well and truly gone.

That means he hit his best by 26. That's pretty poor and something that he and the club should spend time on. I sympathize with his MH issues, but I think it's absolutely time for a decision to be made at his future at the club.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love him and he's a MFC Premiership player, but it really seems like the best is done and there is no going back to his previous level. Also, the game has changed, so his pace and disposal are now greater issues.

I would love for him to be at the club as part of a successful charge into the finals next year and beyond, but how would that work? How would his salary allow for that, or his ability?

Genuinely would love to know.

Trac, on the other hand, seems to have stepped up as a leader and has the option of playing forward. I don't think getting rid of both of them would be good for the Club, so would rather keep him on and challenge him with a leadership position.

11 minutes ago, ElDiablo14 said:

Rivers full time midfielder?

Possibly. I think Goodwin has run his race, i thought that at the end of ‘23

A new Coaching Panel could still get Maximum value out of this list (with some changes to personnel)

Beating The Bears at the Gabba, Kings B.

The players can still play at a very high standard, but that standard is not the accepted level it is at other Clubs.

Look at Jeeelong, after the ‘21 PF.. They were demolished that night, but they went away and got better and that is their standard

Rivers could be a great midfielder, if he REALLY wants to be one. Personally i think the internal Party Goers of ‘22-‘23 have left a black mark on our Football Department.

We need a Clean Slate and a Head Coach who demands Respect

28 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

I reckon he needs to swap spots with Trac

Clarry would be a v strong, bullish forward and whilst in general play his kicking is rushed, his set shots on goal aren't too bad

no his set shots on goal are poor.

On 16/06/2025 at 09:38, ElDiablo14 said:

Viney won't be traded.

It will be one of Oliver or Petraca

And Rivers,McVee,Laurie,Wowoden,JVR and co

On 01/04/2025 at 22:46, picket fence said:

Can I please have some of the "Wacky Terbacky" u are on? And even though I don't smoke, I'm happy to give it a try!

Spot on pf. After Mid winter, poor health and after poor sleep I could do with a bit of WT as well.

11 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Possibly. I think Goodwin has run his race, i thought that at the end of ‘23

A new Coaching Panel could still get Maximum value out of this list (with some changes to personnel)

Beating The Bears at the Gabba, Kings B.

The players can still play at a very high standard, but that standard is not the accepted level it is at other Clubs.

Look at Jeeelong, after the ‘21 PF.. They were demolished that night, but they went away and got better and that is their standard

Rivers could be a great midfielder, if he REALLY wants to be one. Personally i think the internal Party Goers of ‘22-‘23 have left a black mark on our Football Department.

We need a Clean Slate and a Head Coach who demands Respect

You have my vote SWYL. A decade is a long time for any coach. Change is needed now or 2026 will be more of the same.

4 minutes ago, old dee said:

You have my vote SWYL. A decade is a long time for any coach. Change is needed now or 2026 will be more of the same.

More of the same….That’s exactly what i fear next year

Nobody will watch it

Dangerfield is a marginally better kick (per DE), but the big difference between the two players is Trac's TOG is quite a bit higher.

In order to get more out of Trac, maybe we need to play him more in bursts like they do Dangerfield.

I'd be trading Clarry before Trac though...

After our Grand Final style win of the century, the Media Frenzy, while contributing bang bang bang to it, cracked it big time.

They haven't stopped making sure it never happens again.SORE LOSERS.