I hope he smashed the big girl McPhee

I saw Sylvia stumbling out of a nightclub a couple of weeks ago around 4am...this boy has some serious issues regarding alcohol.

Let me start by saying that i like Sylvia and believe he should not be traded as he has shown glimpses of what he is possible of doing in games this year. But the kid needs to pull his finger out. He is tarnishing his reputation and the melbourne team. It now comes into melbournes hands. The season is almost over but i believe if he makes another mistake next year, he should be suspended by the team aka Steve Johnson. There are other players on our list who although may not be as talanted as sylvia, deserve a spot if he behaves like this.

Take a hard long look at urself Sylvia. You cant be involved in this heavy drinking and other affairs when you have the reputation of the club, supporter, players, members, supporters and family on your back. You are being paid lots of $ and if you want to drink heavily and binge drink quit footy now cause i dont want you if thats your motovation and not footy

I saw Sylvia stumbling out of a nightclub a couple of weeks ago around 4am...this boy has some serious issues regarding alcohol.

Serious issues?

Haven't you ever stumbled out of a club at 4am. Hell on Saturday I stumbled out at 6am.

Someone started me a few weeks ago and I had a blue with the bloke.

These things happen in life boys and girls. People get drunk, get stupid get angry.

He has done the violence thing one to many times but that doesn't mean he has a problem with the drink, if he has "serious issues" get me to a rehab clinic quick.

I find this all pretty disappointing. The kid has talent to burn, but maybe not the drive/focus at the moment.

Was it Brock saying a couple of years ago that he went on a fishing trip with him and he was staggered by the amount of grog him and his mates could put away? Col obviously has a liking for the booze and these incidences are already too frequent.

Sure hope he doesnt end up like Rocket Rod Owen... wasted talent and a bit too fond of the sauce.

When you're a professional athlete, being paid 200K+ a year to present your body in peak physical condition on a daily basis, its simply not good enough to be continually found out drinking into the wee small hours of the night during the season. Shane Woewodin cut out all the excesses in his life, got himself into his absolute best condition possible, and won a Brownlow as reward for his dedication.

How many times do you hear of James McDonald or Nathan Brown being out and about till 4AM at a club? These guys don't have as much ability as Sylvia, but present themselves in the right manner and try their absolute guts out each week, they get best they can out of themselves. McDonald may well win back-to-back B&F's, and Brown should finish Top 10 this year, reward for both for their hard work. Sylvia on the other hand still has 'potential'. The other Melbourne player drafted with him in the draft is talked about being our next captain.

Next year is show something or pack your bags for this wayward individual..

Lots of people living in glass houses it seems.

How many times do you hear of James McDonald or Nathan Brown being out and about till 4AM at a club?

Little difference. 30 year olds.

Sylvia is only 21. If he lived in another country like America he would now for the first time be legally able to drink. Settle down.

Lots of people living in glass houses it seems.

whilst I note the sentiment it really doesnt apply. We arent playing at AFL level. We arent expected to maintian our selves in peak physical readiness. We arent expected to uphold the values of a jumper etc etc etc..HEv IS !

No one is really going to care if he has a beer or two...but not too many elite athletes do during their "season" But the point is he is exhibiting very poor life choices which if left unchecked will form the basis of his off field persona....this will impact on the ON field player also.

Again its a simp[le choice....be the player he can be ..OR the couldabeen pisshead !!...plenty of them around in life.

I think everyone is over-reacting just a tad. I saw the entire Melbourne team at Fix nightclub at Docklands on the weekend QUICK lets suspend all of them. Col is 21 and entitled to live his life like a normal man of that age. You never hear about the McDonald's and the Brown's being out on the weekend, because they are 30 and have families. Think about it.

I think everyone is over-reacting just a tad. I saw the entire Melbourne team at Fix nightclub at Docklands on the weekend QUICK lets suspend all of them. Col is 21 and entitled to live his life like a normal man of that age. You never hear about the McDonald's and the Brown's being out on the weekend, because they are 30 and have families. Think about it.

I have no issue with footy players going out, I don't expect them to be holed up in the their homes 24/7. But there are ways to behave and they can't be going out getting [censored] or getting in fights. Col's accepted his fat pay cheques, which makes him different to the average 21 y.o, and the responsibilities that go along with this also need to be accepted.

Deserves to be disciplined for that sort of behaviour. I'd suggest that he be dropped from the side for the rest of the season. Let him get some hunger for the game and make him play for Sandringham for the next fortnight. They know the meaning of discipline down there. Perhaps he might learn.

I agree that the club has to nip Sylvia's tendency to be out and about at night spots till all hours of the night and I agree with your solution Chelly!

Sure hope he doesnt end up like Rocket Rod Owen... wasted talent and a bit too fond of the sauce.

You mean you hope his knees don't go?

Yes he's 21, yes we all go out and get wasted every once in a while and probably disgrace ourselves.

None of us are public figures however, none of us are professional athletes, none of us are representing the MFC.

He can go out and drink and enjoy being 21. He cannot however make a tool of himself and get his name in the paper or on TV because he had a fight with someone. That is not acceptable, no matter how old you are.

Putting it simply, he needs to grow up, and he needs to cut down the drinking if it makes him do stupid things.

Unfortunately Colin is becoming a repeat offender in this regard and that is the worrying sign, not the fact that he is doing what we have all done.

I would never condemn a kid having a drink nor doing something relatively stupid when having said drink. That would be hypocritical of me.

And I honestly have no problem with any of the going out stuff, nor even the mishaps that can come along with that, especially since being a relatively public figure, they live under a slightly different mentality and for that they would get treated differently both in the positive and the negative.

The problem I have is that it does seem to keep happening and that is not a great sign.

And he needs to learn, and quickly, that while he is more than entitled to go out and enjoy himself, he has a set of responsibilities (to his health and subsequently to the club that pays him) that others around him simply don't have and he must live up to those, especially when living in a fish bowl.

And I think that asking him not to get drunk repeatedly and punching someone would not be a too difficult request.

The greatest problem surrounding Colin Sylvia is the level of speculation used a invalid proxy for actual facts in judging what he might or might not have done.

The greatest problem surrounding Colin Sylvia is the level of speculation used a invalid proxy for actual facts in judging what he might or might not have done.

Fair point Rhino, but the conerns are still valid

I would like to say that people should not say "we all go out drinking, stumble home etc etc"

Some of us don't drink, so don't do this

If the story is true then it is his third strike. Time for a club imposed suspension. I don't expect our players to be choirboys but if they drink too much and/or can't handle their alcohol then they have to change.

I find this all pretty disappointing. The kid has talent to burn, but maybe not the drive/focus at the moment.

Was it Brock saying a couple of years ago that he went on a fishing trip with him and he was staggered by the amount of grog him and his mates could put away? Col obviously has a liking for the booze and these incidences are already too frequent.

Yeah, and I think Brock also said at the time that they ate meat pies and drank cans for brekky and that he had to come back and go on a strict diet for a month to get back to normal!! LOL

They live a different life the ol' country boys - I guess it's bred into alot of them!

Seriously though - and I'm not speculating about this current "incident" as I don't know much about it - I can't see why if afl players want to get smashed they can't just stay home and get a few mates around for a barbie like the rest of us. You can drink yourself silly, pass out, act like a tool and we are all none the wiser. I do remember what it's like to be 21, but at 32 I've finally realised staying home is the wiser option.

The greatest problem surrounding Colin Sylvia is the level of speculation used a invalid proxy for actual facts in judging what he might or might not have done.

Speculation aside, is the club going to do anything about the allegations or is it preoccupied with the process of selecting a new coach? At least the members should be advised that the matter is in hand, otherwise we might find that we lose our highest draft selection of the past seven or eight years because of neglect. If he has breached club rules he should be suitably disciplined. If he hasn't, then tell us.

The greatest problem surrounding Colin Sylvia is the level of speculation used a invalid proxy for actual facts in judging what he might or might not have done.

He keeps getting his name printed in the paper and spoken about on the news... and it's not to praise his on-field efforts.

That in itself is not good enough. He shouldn't be putting himself in situations which have the potential to get him into the trouble and tarnish the club's name.

I doubt the altercation was major. It was probably two players letting their drunk egos get the better of them. One could even argue that it's not news-worthy. However the point remains that it made the news and it compromises our public image.

Besides, it's a bit worrying that a large majority of Melbourne supporters have seen Sylvia out and about, drunk, at some stage or another. Not the greatest endorsement of character I would have thought, especially for a player who has been struggling to deliver since being drafted in 2003.

He keeps getting his name printed in the paper and spoken about on the news... and it's not to praise his on-field efforts.

That in itself is not good enough. He shouldn't be putting himself in situations which have the potential to get him into the trouble and tarnish the club's name.

I doubt the altercation was major. It was probably two players letting their drunk egos get the better of them. One could even argue that it's not news-worthy. However the point remains that it made the news and it compromises our public image.

Besides, it's a bit worrying that a large majority of Melbourne supporters have seen Sylvia out and about, drunk, at some stage or another. Not the greatest endorsement of character I would have thought, especially for a player who has been struggling to deliver since being drafted in 2003.

Once again the stuff in the press is speculation.

Its a bigger worry MFC supporters have been observed by Sylvia out and about drunk, at some stage or another.

FWIW, I dont put a lot of weight on some of the late night claims of posters on this site <_<

I dont see how we can validly judge his character at all.......without speculation.

Once again the stuff in the press is speculation.

Of course it is, and some of it is probably false as well, but it's there, the damage is done.

We can't judge him on one incident, but he's been at the club for 4 seasons, and this is his third offence. While maybe not as serious as the other two (especially the girlfriend incident), it paints a very unpleasant picture. Whether the picture tells the whole story or not, is irrelevant. Reputations take years to build, and only seconds to destroy. Sylvia's behaviour in the past has put the MFC in a bad position with the AFL, the general public, sponsors and members.

And besides, at 21 you'd expect him to know his alcohol limit and have the smarts to carefully select his crowd.