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Featured Replies

That's a harsh way of putting it, but there is a nugget of truth there... about the footballing world and society in general. These young men are placed in a bubble that doesn't expose them to a lot of the realities of daily life and in some respects given a "boys will be boys" carte blanche.

As a society, we don't do a great job at helping men learn healthy emotional regulation (although it is improving). Then you add in the Peter Pan effect for those with talent in the footy world, and it is no wonder we have so many stories of men acting out (Bailey Sniff, J Smith, J U H, even Clarry). However, we have to meet them where they are and help them to develop their maturity - some might respond to tough love, but others won't.

Clarry has his own difficulties and he needs help navigating them. He best responds to sensitive management - and the Club is aware of that. So it is surprising that they chose a different tactic (and potentially reveals the Club's perspective on all of this).

 
16 hours ago, Bobby McKenzie 2 said:

Starting our list from scratch? You can't do much when we only have a dozen good players on our list.

He wasn't offered a mid field role. That's the problem. Don't quite understand what you mean by your suggestion he is refusing a mid field role.

Yet according to King (via Guerra) he's in our best 23? What happened to that? Get the impression that they are making it up as they go along.

Inexperienced CEO, Inexperienced coach, and a president out of his depth...this is what you get.

He's been taking the [censored] for years/taking the club for a ride on a huge contract. As soon as he's confronted with an honest conversation from his new coach he has a sook about it.

Would it have been better if King wasn't honest with him about his role in the team going forward and then waited until next season/preseason to bring it up and hold him accountable to something that hadn't been discussed previously? The babying of guys in their late 20s is crazy. Yes there has to be an element of respecting someones mental health, I'm not de ying that - but it is a two way street, you can't just continue enabling someone's bad behaviour it doesn't serve either party well.

 
1 minute ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

He's been taking the [censored] for years/taking the club for a ride on a huge contract. As soon as he's confronted with an honest conversation from his new coach he has a sook about it.

Would it have been better if King wasn't honest with him about his role in the team going forward and then waited until next season/preseason to bring it up and hold him accountable to something that hadn't been discussed previously? The babying of guys in their late 20s is crazy. Yes there has to be an element of respecting someones mental health, I'm not de ying that - but it is a two way street, you can't just continue enabling someone's bad behaviour it doesn't serve either party well.

I think it is possible to have an honest conversation while being respectful and tailoring it to the individual. No one is saying we can't tell Clarry that his role may change next season, just questioning the delivery of that message (particularly given the past few years of a rollercoaster Clarry and the Club have experienced)

Just now, DeelightfulPlay said:

I think it is possible to have an honest conversation while being respectful and tailoring it to the individual. No one is saying we can't tell Clarry that his role may change next season, just questioning the delivery of that message (particularly given the past few years of a rollercoaster Clarry and the Club have experienced)

How do you know how it was delivered?


4 hours ago, Demongirl35 said:

There were talks of tigers wanting to split pick 3

If we got Oliver for pick 13 which is a BIG stretch I understand that but let’s play as if we did.

Can we send pick 13 with Trac

Melbourne

out Oliver (gws) pick 13 and Trac (GCS)

In Humphrey Flanders (do we ask for another pick?)

GCS

Out Humphrey Flanders(Melbourne) pick 13 (rich)pick 6(rich)

In Trac and pick 3

Richmond

Out pick 3

In pick 6 and 13

I have zero idea and I know I’m not good at this but hey I’m having a crack 😂

And we appreciate you having a crack

Was that nonsense that will never happen?

Yes.

But the effort, dg

The effort

9 minutes ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

I don't - but we're all speculating here

Exactly - so this talk about not treating him with sensitivity is just garbage isn't it?

 
1 hour ago, Ollie fan said:

I predicted this type of response

My view has evolved a lot over the past 12 months, especially these last few weeks.

I was absolutely on board with supporting Clayton through his issues, and aggressively pushed back against anyone who said he was an adult and needed to get on with it. Mental health is complex.

But it’s still a two way street. Just because I’m prepared to support you doesn’t mean you can take advantage in perpetuity. There needs to be growth, and and intent to repay that support.

Clayton’s reaction to this alleged meeting shows he still has a long way to go. We supported him when his issues were most acute, now we need to give him our blessing and move on.

The club can’t be held hostage to his troubles forever.


My bet is this chat with Clarry was respectful from our end......but he did not like some of what we were saying.

If you want to be a midfielder, you are going to need to improve your craft....and besides that we are going to be trying you in other roles, like we will with all our list.

If you don't do this, feel free to explore your options.

12 minutes .....and the only parts he probably heard were you will play at Casey if you do not improve, get fitter and better + extrapolating we don't need you.

We were challenging him to get better, and what that might entail, he did not like it. I know he is fragile but this is what he needs. You think if he goes to GWS Kingsley is going to give him an easy ride? He is going to whip him into shape like rest of their team.

Honestly I hope Oliver has a good think about it all, then chooses to come back & really buy into what King and our coaches were trying to sell.

18 minutes ago, rpfc said:

And we appreciate you having a crack

Was that nonsense that will never happen?

Yes.

But the effort, dg

The effort

A girl can dream but the Flanders announcement right after my post has my dream now shattered 😞😂

15 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

He's been taking the [censored] for years/taking the club for a ride on a huge contract. As soon as he's confronted with an honest conversation from his new coach he has a sook about it.

Would it have been better if King wasn't honest with him about his role in the team going forward and then waited until next season/preseason to bring it up and hold him accountable to something that hadn't been discussed previously? The babying of guys in their late 20s is crazy. Yes there has to be an element of respecting someones mental health, I'm not de ying that - but it is a two way street, you can't just continue enabling someone's bad behaviour it doesn't serve either party well.

No, it wouldn’t have been better at all. Whatever was said was what the club felt needed to be communicated. My concern is the way it was done. I realise I view this situation at this point primarily via my feelings and as I say all the time in real life, feelings aren’t facts. The thing is with this, whilst I have concerns about Clarry personally, respecting his mental health includes accountability, taking on feedback, and growing from it—so he does have a part to play. This doesn’t appear to be how it’s gone for the past however many years. Sensitivity to mental health isn’t not being upfront, it’s about doing it in a way that is conducive to engaging the person and not having them walk away feeling devalued. I’m not talking flowers and candles, but in this case adequate notice for a meeting, considering what they know about Clarry, etc. This could have led to a productive discussion. Instead, we have a player feeling blindsided, the media in a frenzy, and the club potentially worse off because a player’s trade value could be further diminished. It’s not about not treating him as an adult, it’s about considering how a message is delivered to minimise fall out.

ETA: this is all based on assumptions from reporting. Happy if I am proven wrong.

Edited by 710 Asbury St

2 minutes ago, NeveroddoreveN said:

My bet is this chat with Clarry was respectful from our end......but he did not like some of what we were saying.

If you want to be a midfielder, you are going to need to improve your craft....and besides that we are going to be trying you in other roles, like we will with all our list.

If you don't do this, feel free to explore your options.

12 minutes .....and the only parts he probably heard were you will play at Casey if you do not improve, get fitter and better + extrapolating we don't need you.

We were challenging him to get better, and what that might entail, he did not like it. I know he is fragile but this is what he needs. You think if he goes to GWS Kingsley is going to give him an easy ride? He is going to whip him into shape like rest of their team.

Honestly I hope Oliver has a good think about it all, then chooses to come back & really buy into what King and our coaches were trying to sell.

I suspect the conversation started with "you're not fit enough to run both ways...."

I can't imagine a world where King builds a midfield that can't run both ways or hit targets.

50 minutes ago, 710 Asbury St said:

TL;DR: the way this was handled is part of the problem, mental health is a real issue, but also requires accountability from the person, I’m butt hurt that this is happening.

You guys can all laugh at me and mock me over what I’m about to say, but it’s my honest opinion. From reports, the way this was handled was awful. Think about it, we know Clarry has struggled both on and off field and is a bit fragile. He’s leaving on a planned trip to Sydney and America and gets called in to meet with King with very little notice—from what I read he was home in Echuca and was told the night before. We know he was upset last year at being dangled for trade 2 years running—and last year per reports, there was a decent deal from Geelong that the club put the kibosh on.

I know I heard Guerra say that King listed both him and Trac in his best 22. Oliver later made a statement that he was committed to the Demons. Now, 2-3 weeks later things have changed—according to the media. Different statement from the club. So, in that, I understand why he’d be upset. All of my friends/family know I love Clarry, but at the same time, I have also worked in mental health type services for 25 years so also get that he’s a professional on a large salary who attended his workplace and met with essentially his boss and reportedly got a bit heated—I’m also giving a bit of the benefit of the doubt here. I wasn’t in that room, so I’m leaving it at that. But, if it did happen as reported, behaviour wise, having someone who sets standards and expects players to meet them may be the best thing for someone like Clarry. But, I am in no way insinuating that I have any idea what has actually transpired personally with him over the years or that he has a diagnosed mental health condition.

This one hurts for me. Sorry, I’m a human being and he’s my favourite player. I don’t want to see him go. I have been backing him to get back to his best. I thought having time off prior to preseason without the distraction of the club wanting to trade him combined with a new coach would set the stage for him back to near his best in 2026. I am completely powerless over whether that’s at the Dees or not, but what I most hope for is that Clarry gets back to his best both personally and professionally. I am not a booer of past players so refuse to boo him—if anything, I’ll be cheering him personally.

So Oliver had a planned trip to the states with an overnight layover in Sydney that conveniently gave him the opportunity to jump on a boat with the Giants team in between? What luck!

Think there was a bit happening behind the scenes.


1 minute ago, jnrmac said:

I suspect the conversation started with "you're not fit enough to run both ways...."

I can't imagine a world where King builds a midfield that can't run both ways or hit targets.

The message was clearly get fitter however it was delivered! Mental health issues or not, no incoming or current coach would dance around issues like this.

Gets tiring the bagging of our club vs the incredible leeway supporters give to players that have got the big dollars, then caused us pile of issues, let alone underperforming.

46 minutes ago, Redlagged said:

Yet according to King (via Guerra) he's in our best 23? What happened to that? Get the impression that they are making it up as they go along.

Inexperienced CEO, Inexperienced coach, and a president out of his depth...this is what you get.

are you putting your hand up to do a better job ? I know I would not want any of those jobs. I only have a little bit of hair left now and its grey !

2 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

But how do you know he wouldn’t accept playing in any other position? I personally believe he’d be open to changing roles. I also believe he’d even play for Casey if it came to that. Point is, he wants to remain a Demon above anything else.

Imo the only “damage” done by King et al is how they’ve made Clarrie feel. They’ve obviously - and probably unintentionally - made him feel he’s not wanted. This may not affect other players to a great extent but it certainly does with Clarrie. This shouldn’t be dismissed nor even underestimated.

What worries me is the timing of this: we no longer have Stephen Rendall (former club psychologist) and his position is still being advertised so we can only assume we don’t have anyone to replace him as yet. And of course we no longer have Goody, another integral part of Clarrie’s mental well-being.

Yep, looks of someone that is open to playing at Casey and a complete role change.

Screenshot_20251004_123241_AFL.jpg

54 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

He's been taking the [censored] for years/taking the club for a ride on a huge contract. As soon as he's confronted with an honest conversation from his new coach he has a sook about it.

Would it have been better if King wasn't honest with him about his role in the team going forward and then waited until next season/preseason to bring it up and hold him accountable to something that hadn't been discussed previously? The babying of guys in their late 20s is crazy. Yes there has to be an element of respecting someones mental health, I'm not de ying that - but it is a two way street, you can't just continue enabling someone's bad behaviour it doesn't serve either party well.

Bloody well said.

21 minutes ago, KozzyCan said:

So Oliver had a planned trip to the states with an overnight layover in Sydney that conveniently gave him the opportunity to jump on a boat with the Giants team in between? What luck!

Think there was a bit happening behind the scenes.

Again, lots of this is based on speculation—we don’t know the facts, we know what’s reported. I said in another comment, I am happy to be proven wrong if that’s the case. None of us (that I know of) have direct knowledge of the situation. May have very well been happening all along, but his alleged reaction to the meeting is disproportionate if that’s the case.


56 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

He's been taking the [censored] for years/taking the club for a ride on a huge contract. As soon as he's confronted with an honest conversation from his new coach he has a sook about it.

Would it have been better if King wasn't honest with him about his role in the team going forward and then waited until next season/preseason to bring it up and hold him accountable to something that hadn't been discussed previously? The babying of guys in their late 20s is crazy. Yes there has to be an element of respecting someones mental health, I'm not de ying that - but it is a two way street, you can't just continue enabling someone's bad behaviour it doesn't serve either party well.

Spot on. The reality is that in literally any other workplace you couldn't even dream of getting the same leeway that Oliver has been getting over the past two years. The club has bent over backwards for him countless times.

The irony is that some of the people who are angry at the club over this are the same ones who have lectured others when they dare to critique the club's decisions.

15 hours ago, Ollie fan said:

I shouldn't be on this site at all. It makes me sick in my stomach to think of Clarrie playing against us - and I am CERTAIN that next year (unless the present mess wrecks his mental health and who should blame him if it did?) he will be a champion again - but the thought that we might be PAYING him to do it is beyond my comprehension. Steven King has got a lot of work to do for me to forgive him or back him. He got the job saying that CP5 and Clarrie were in our best team. So much for honesty and transparency.

Mate you have a history of criticising other posters who question the coach and the club's decisions and now you're already turning on someone who is still yet to coach a single game in his life.

Funny how quickly you've shifted the goalposts.

Edited by Temporarily Hopeful Demon

2 hours ago, Deestar9 said:

Jack Steele offers to relinquish captaincy but still told to explore his options ..def no of field issues. Rowan Marshall their No 1 ruckman is off to Geelong to become their No 1 ruckman. They are paying a BGrader in Silvagni $4 mil over 5 years …Wanganeen who’s already at the club $2 mil a season for the next 2 seasons ..I could go on. My point is ..the game is brutal …most of the supporters on here were screaming for change ..are still blaming Goody & yet when change comes …there seems to be more negativity than positivity. I’m sad about Clarry …mad at Judd..understand the May decision & disappointed in Trac (not the fact he’s going). 2026 will determine how this all plays out but get on board with the new coach & our team. I feel excited

Will you be as excited watching Clarry and Tracc blitz the opposition, including us next season??

Edited by picket fence

 

I don't believe a word of the flavour text these journos throw into their "reporting". I hope Clarry stays. I believe if he does he will give us his all. I still have a lot of love for him. Time will tell

2 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Will you be as excited watching Clarry and Tracc blitz the opposition, including us next eeason??

Would you be happy to find out we may be better off without them both?

That we play a more exciting game style that we could not achieve with them in the team?

Hell, even Jeffo may bloom, back our coach in to create something special....the belief will grow, from players to supporters...

Fwiw on last few years form I would not worry about blitzing too many opposition. Both have issues hitting the side of a barn, best luck to em both, should they move on!


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