Look, I love Clarry, I wish we would keep him on and he would get back to his best. However, I think it’s clear there were some learnings from 2025:

1. Harvey Langford is a jet and will be one of the leagues best mids in no time, he plays midfield/wing and will do it more and more next year.

2. Kozzie needs to be in the middle as much as possible.

3. Windsor is a mid/wing maybe a mid/hf he’s NOT a HBF as he tried to play the first half of the year. He must play more minutes in the guts next year.

4. Lindsay is a gun, can play HBF (needs to improve his defensive stuff but has time), wing and increasingly mid in time.

5. Rivers offers a lot as a mid and can be tried in there with Lindsay/Howes coming into the team at HB

6. Jai Culley makes us better, plays HF/wing/mid, he plays AFL all year next year.

7. Viney, Langdon and Sparrow are good role players and will do whatever it takes to make the team better.

8. Jake Bowey is our best HBF and must be the running/kicking HBF into mid role.

Add to those learnings some wild cards like Salem, Tholstrup and maybe even Laurie and all of a sudden our midfield mix is pretty competitive. What King was clearly telling Clayton is he doesn’t see him clearly playing his role in a midfield of Trac/Humphrey, Kozzie, Rivers, Langford, Windsor, Langdon, Lindsay, Viney, Sparrow, Culley potentially Tholstrup and Salem. I don’t know if I agree but I can see his thinking and if that’s the case perhaps we are better freeing up some cap room bringing in a draft pick and giving a club champion a chance to play his role at an AFL club rather than fighting for a spot with younger stars.

15 minutes ago, deejammin' said:

Look, I love Clarry, I wish we would keep him on and he would get back to his best. However, I think it’s clear there were some learnings from 2025:

1. Harvey Langford is a jet and will be one of the leagues best mids in no time, he plays midfield/wing and will do it more and more next year.

2. Kozzie needs to be in the middle as much as possible.

3. Windsor is a mid/wing maybe a mid/hf he’s NOT a HBF as he tried to play the first half of the year. He must play more minutes in the guts next year.

4. Lindsay is a gun, can play HBF (needs to improve his defensive stuff but has time), wing and increasingly mid in time.

5. Rivers offers a lot as a mid and can be tried in there with Lindsay/Howes coming into the team at HB

6. Jai Culley makes us better, plays HF/wing/mid, he plays AFL all year next year.

7. Viney, Langdon and Sparrow are good role players and will do whatever it takes to make the team better.

8. Jake Bowey is our best HBF and must be the running/kicking HBF into mid role.

Add to those learnings some wild cards like Salem, Tholstrup and maybe even Laurie and all of a sudden our midfield mix is pretty competitive. What King was clearly telling Clayton is he doesn’t see him clearly playing his role in a midfield of Trac/Humphrey, Kozzie, Rivers, Langford, Windsor, Langdon, Lindsay, Viney, Sparrow, Culley potentially Tholstrup and Salem. I don’t know if I agree but I can see his thinking and if that’s the case perhaps we are better freeing up some cap room bringing in a draft pick and giving a club champion a chance to play his role at an AFL club rather than fighting for a spot with younger stars.

I love Clarry. I hope that we keep him and he gets back to his best.

I reckon the fine-print with the $3.5Million giveaway to another club (for Oliver's services) is that we require draft picks in return

i. e. Cash for picks (there's always a catch)

Oddly enough, Oliver's best game all season came in the final game of the year ... 30 possessions against a top 4 team and he hardly wasted a possession (DE of 87% which is very high for an under pressure mid)

But it all came too late

Let me say this,

It’s a coaches entitlement to move his chess pieces around the field, like Napoleon.

1 hour ago, deejammin' said:

Look, I love Clarry, I wish we would keep him on and he would get back to his best. However, I think it’s clear there were some learnings from 2025:

1. Harvey Langford is a jet and will be one of the leagues best mids in no time, he plays midfield/wing and will do it more and more next year.

2. Kozzie needs to be in the middle as much as possible.

3. Windsor is a mid/wing maybe a mid/hf he’s NOT a HBF as he tried to play the first half of the year. He must play more minutes in the guts next year.

4. Lindsay is a gun, can play HBF (needs to improve his defensive stuff but has time), wing and increasingly mid in time.

5. Rivers offers a lot as a mid and can be tried in there with Lindsay/Howes coming into the team at HB

6. Jai Culley makes us better, plays HF/wing/mid, he plays AFL all year next year.

7. Viney, Langdon and Sparrow are good role players and will do whatever it takes to make the team better.

8. Jake Bowey is our best HBF and must be the running/kicking HBF into mid role.

Add to those learnings some wild cards like Salem, Tholstrup and maybe even Laurie and all of a sudden our midfield mix is pretty competitive. What King was clearly telling Clayton is he doesn’t see him clearly playing his role in a midfield of Trac/Humphrey, Kozzie, Rivers, Langford, Windsor, Langdon, Lindsay, Viney, Sparrow, Culley potentially Tholstrup and Salem. I don’t know if I agree but I can see his thinking and if that’s the case perhaps we are better freeing up some cap room bringing in a draft pick and giving a club champion a chance to play his role at an AFL club rather than fighting for a spot with younger stars.

Kossie does more damage as a forward than as a midfielder until he is taught the craft, and I'm not sure that even then, if Oliver goes to another club and they develop him with more skill and running patterns, he will just stay at the same level. Goodwin has a lot to answer for there. This is going to be an interesting year.

18 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

Who from the club has said that we will pay $700K to take Clarry?

I hope nobody.

30 minutes ago, demon3165 said:

Kossie does more damage as a forward than as a midfielder until he is taught the craft, and I'm not sure that even then, if Oliver goes to another club and they develop him with more skill and running patterns, he will just stay at the same level. Goodwin has a lot to answer for there. This is going to be an interesting year.

A year of learnings waits ahead

56 minutes ago, bluey said:

Let me say this,

It’s a coaches entitlement to move his chess pieces around the field, like Napoleon.

Does that include voluntarily removing your 2 bishops before your first move?

37 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

Does that include voluntarily removing your 2 bishops before your first move?

Depends on the kicking skills and ability to hit targets on the outside of those Bishops.

. Chess Grand master King has a clear preference for that type of piece. Otherwise they're just pawns for sacrifice purposes only.

2 hours ago, demon3165 said:

Kossie does more damage as a forward than as a midfielder until he is taught the craft, and I'm not sure that even then, if Oliver goes to another club and they develop him with more skill and running patterns, he will stay at the same level. Goodwin has a lot to answer for there. This is going to be an interesting year.

I should have said that if they can develop Oliver with more ball skills and running patterns and improve his football awareness, he will improve significantly, but if they don't, he will remain the same, and that is on Goodwin.

2 hours ago, demon3165 said:

Kossie does more damage as a forward than as a midfielder until he is taught the craft, and I'm not sure that even then, if Oliver goes to another club and they develop him with more skill and running patterns, he will just stay at the same level. Goodwin has a lot to answer for there. This is going to be an interesting year.

I agree about Oliver but Kozzie’s last two years of gradually building up midfield time have been super impressive. His clearance numbers and even pressure in there is great. If he stops these dinky little upwards kicks into the forward line that rarely come off and starts drilling his passes he’ll be elite. I think his running patterns are really quite good.

Clayton gone to Sydney.

For a holiday.

With his ex team mates: James J and Brodie G .

To attend the rugby GF.

Maybe have a beer with Goodie.?

Then back to training- at the MFC.

Sounds all right to me.

5 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Bizarre from Adelaide

Admit they need a gun inside midfielder but won’t pursue or pay up for the ones available?

4 minutes ago, demoncat said:

Bizarre from Adelaide

Admit they need a gun inside midfielder but won’t pursue or pay up for the ones available?

Oliver and Steele would both be cheap as. Very strange.

5 hours ago, deejammin' said:

Look, I love Clarry, I wish we would keep him on and he would get back to his best. However, I think it’s clear there were some learnings from 2025:

1. Harvey Langford is a jet and will be one of the leagues best mids in no time, he plays midfield/wing and will do it more and more next year.

2. Kozzie needs to be in the middle as much as possible.

3. Windsor is a mid/wing maybe a mid/hf he’s NOT a HBF as he tried to play the first half of the year. He must play more minutes in the guts next year.

4. Lindsay is a gun, can play HBF (needs to improve his defensive stuff but has time), wing and increasingly mid in time.

5. Rivers offers a lot as a mid and can be tried in there with Lindsay/Howes coming into the team at HB

6. Jai Culley makes us better, plays HF/wing/mid, he plays AFL all year next year.

7. Viney, Langdon and Sparrow are good role players and will do whatever it takes to make the team better.

8. Jake Bowey is our best HBF and must be the running/kicking HBF into mid role.

Add to those learnings some wild cards like Salem, Tholstrup and maybe even Laurie and all of a sudden our midfield mix is pretty competitive. What King was clearly telling Clayton is he doesn’t see him clearly playing his role in a midfield of Trac/Humphrey, Kozzie, Rivers, Langford, Windsor, Langdon, Lindsay, Viney, Sparrow, Culley potentially Tholstrup and Salem. I don’t know if I agree but I can see his thinking and if that’s the case perhaps we are better freeing up some cap room bringing in a draft pick and giving a club champion a chance to play his role at an AFL club rather than fighting for a spot with younger stars.

1. Maybe likely, but Langford as a full time mid is potential only at this stage.

2. 50/50 or 60/40 for me, but yes, should attend a lot of CBs

3. Agree but again potential only

4. Sample size too small. No one could say with full confidence that Lindsay will make it, especially as a mid

5. Completely disagree. Been tried and we’ve struggled when he’s been in there.

6. Jury still out, very little exposed form at AFL level. Most likely to make it as a winger if at all.

7. Sparrow will only ever be a role player. Viney we know what we’ll get. Langdon again didn’t work in the guts. Wing or rotating flank only.

8. Agree but irrelevant to our midfield mix.

All points after these don’t strengthen your case for our midfield depth. If we lost Petracca and Oliver, we’re very light on. We can’t afford to lose both unless ready made players and/or multiple high draft picks come back, which I can’t see happening.

This is my "What If" throw it out there scenario

Clayton has had 2 ordinary seasons by his standard, and let's say he is on $1.3 M a year. If I were Clayton, I would be worried that I am not value for money and may be shipped off for a salary dump. If I desperately want to stay in Melbourne and at the Melbourne Football Club, I would be talking to my manager to renegotiate a pay cut or a new deal.

No club is going to tolerate a marquee $1.3 M player playing in the seconds for any length of time. Read the tea leaves, Clayton MFC will pay $ 700K a year for the next 5 years if you go. Why not pay me $700K a year, and I stay and work on my game to get better and even play a different role?

1 minute ago, Older demon said:

This is my "What If" throw it out there scenario

Clayton has had 2 ordinary seasons by his standard, and let's say he is on $1.3 M a year. If I were Clayton, I would be worried that I am not value for money and may be shipped off for a salary dump. If I desperately want to stay in Melbourne and at the Melbourne Football Club, I would be talking to my manager to renegotiate a pay cut or a new deal.

No club is going to tolerate a marquee $1.3 M player playing in the seconds for any length of time. Read the tea leaves, Clayton MFC will pay $ 700K a year for the next 5 years if you go. Why not pay me $700K a year, and I stay and work on my game to get better and even play a different role?

yeh but the crux of if is you're suggesting he forgoes ~$3,500,000 to stay in Melbourne.

22 minutes ago, Older demon said:

This is my "What If" throw it out there scenario

Clayton has had 2 ordinary seasons by his standard, and let's say he is on $1.3 M a year. If I were Clayton, I would be worried that I am not value for money and may be shipped off for a salary dump. If I desperately want to stay in Melbourne and at the Melbourne Football Club, I would be talking to my manager to renegotiate a pay cut or a new deal.

No club is going to tolerate a marquee $1.3 M player playing in the seconds for any length of time. Read the tea leaves, Clayton MFC will pay $ 700K a year for the next 5 years if you go. Why not pay me $700K a year, and I stay and work on my game to get better and even play a different role?

Or...

You can stamp your feet ,hurl choice words get on a plane... meet some people and enjoy a cruise , chug a couple of beers then head off on a nice holiday to the States ( betting it ain't cattle class )

Do I actually begrudge him any of that ? .... he'll no. Good luck to the lad. Quite frankly he's doing ok for a bumpkin from the River. Wish I'd been blessed with his ability...

That said he doesn't strike me as one that makes the best decisions outside of a white lined oval.

Point being I'm quite certain he couldn't give a 💩 about my thoughts or any one else's as he reclines in his seat, earpods in sampling of whatever savouries and refreshments they serve on the way to Hawaii.

He's looking at $M plus per year... he's not taking a pay cut... come on... honestly... who would ?

1 hour ago, Older demon said:

This is my "What If" throw it out there scenario

Clayton has had 2 ordinary seasons by his standard, and let's say he is on $1.3 M a year. If I were Clayton, I would be worried that I am not value for money and may be shipped off for a salary dump. If I desperately want to stay in Melbourne and at the Melbourne Football Club, I would be talking to my manager to renegotiate a pay cut or a new deal.

No club is going to tolerate a marquee $1.3 M player playing in the seconds for any length of time. Read the tea leaves, Clayton MFC will pay $ 700K a year for the next 5 years if you go. Why not pay me $700K a year, and I stay and work on my game to get better and even play a different role?

Coz he is a bona fide champion of the game and should NOT agree to a 700 grand reduction, club signed him up and now wants to renege in a terrible look under a new ( Un tried ) coach, I just watched for the first time since getting back from Overseas his last game v Filth, how he didn't get 3 Brownlow votes escapes me! The club needs to get this right. All you posters that have him in the gun HANG your heads in shame.. One of the greatest Dees EVER,.. PITY King, Lamb and co won't back him in for another season. Under a new regime! Says a lot about loyalty, and more about everything else!!

Just now, picket fence said:

Coz he is a bona fide champion of the game and should NOT agree to a 700 grand reduction, club signed him up and now wants to renege in a terrible look under a new ( Un tried ) coach, I just watched for the first time since getting back from Overseas his last game v Filth, how he didn't get 3 Brownlow votes escapes me! The club needs to get this right. All you posters that have him in the gun HANG your heads in shame.. One of the greatest Dees EVER,.. PITY King, Lamb and co won't back him in for another season. Under a new regime! Says a lot about loyalty, and more about everything else!! Norm Smith and Robby would be aghast!

8 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Coz he is a bona fide champion of the game and should NOT agree to a 700 grand reduction, club signed him up and now wants to renege in a terrible look under a new ( Un tried ) coach, I just watched for the first time since getting back from Overseas his last game v Filth, how he didn't get 3 Brownlow votes escapes me! The club needs to get this right. All you posters that have him in the gun HANG your heads in shame.. One of the greatest Dees EVER,.. PITY King, Lamb and co won't back him in for another season. Under a new regime! Says a lot about loyalty, and more about everything else!!

Great player but an absolute peanut off the field. Enough is enough

2 minutes ago, Harves said:

Great player but an absolute peanut off the field. Enough is enough

If u have intel relative to 2025 I'm all ears

Easy to forget Clarry is a Melbourne legend and played a huge role in returning us from the neeld era back to relevance. His contribution shouldn’t be forgotten

18 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Coz he is a bona fide champion of the game and should NOT agree to a 700 grand reduction, club signed him up and now wants to renege in a terrible look under a new ( Un tried ) coach, I just watched for the first time since getting back from Overseas his last game v Filth, how he didn't get 3 Brownlow votes escapes me! The club needs to get this right. All you posters that have him in the gun HANG your heads in shame.. One of the greatest Dees EVER,.. PITY King, Lamb and co won't back him in for another season. Under a new regime! Says a lot about loyalty, and more about everything else!!

I get more value reading Tom Morris.😡