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Mitch Clark is the bizarro Tom $cully. good luck to him.

If the Lions didn't like Pick 12 + Maric we could up it to just Pick 12.

I can live with the "mediocre" description as until you consistently challenge for a flag or win one you are just that. I do resent the term " stand for nothing". The AFL used it a little while ago and it is offensive. We are the oldest club with a number of flags and great players . We have major involvement in community matters like Cancer week games etc. We are in the black, in new facilities, with a good list, good coaching panel, well sponsored with more to come, have assets etc. What do other clubs stand for? If the criteria is winning flags as meaning you stand for something every club outside the premier stands for nothing each year. What do the Pies stand for? They have had several unsavoury incidents in the last couple of years. Obviously they are to be looked up to. Also the Saints , look at their last couple of years, a great culture. Denham however would say these clubs stand for something. I hope after trade week our admin discuss this with him and indicate in strong language that this term is offensive and we are greatly offended by it. An apology would be nice but I wouldn't expect one from a journo who stands for nothing.

I'm horrified that we couldn't use cash to persuade someone to uproot his family and leave his desire of living and playing at home. I mean, how could anyone resist cash...oh wait...maybe he is an adult with his own soul and brain...

Yeah you will because there is absolutely no benefit in thinking this way. You're a committed, long term Melbourne supporter and you're not jumping off. The more we focus on our negatives the more we'll be viewed as losers. No-one wants to be associated with losers. We're the club that invented the game, we're debt free, great facilites, talented young list, increasingly large football department, an inspirational president and a fine young coach. The only negative I can see is the 'woe is me' mentality that has gripped so many supporters of late.

Billy... Mitch wants to go home. Hes more than aware that should a deal not happen with the Lion sthen he could stil wind up a Demon and would be happy enough with that.. Again, he wants to go home. Not he doesnt want to play with us..he wants to go home. Why is this so hard for people to understand.

Apologies if this is being discussed somewhere else, but I can't find it... Feel free to delete/merge this thread. So...are we insane? Pick 39 for Bate, to me, is perfect, and I can't see any basis for us demanding a higher pick. Ridiculous, really.

I find it strange that this site is full of people wanting Melbourne to take a risk and go hard at getting what we want. Then when we do people complain about it being too much!! Obviously Neeld and co and decided that we specifically need a big body that can go forward. Clark is the only one avalible so we are going out and making it happen, against the odds. Its a specfic targeted strategy and if thats what we need then we have to be preparded to pay for it. Clark could be the link in the chain that wins us a grand final in a few years. Make it happen Dees!!

Pass. Payin way overs for a good ruckman we don't need or a makeshift key forward. Pick 12 is all that should be put up. Rather use both compo next year on the supposed superdraft after missing out on Jaegar.

Simma, Clark IS a key forward. I know you don't believe it, and you're entitled to your opinion, but think about it from the perspective... Neeld, at his job interview, put a MFC team on the board, and highlighted where the holes are on our list. In terms of rucks, it would be safe to assume that we are travelling ok with Jamar (AA ruck), Martin, Gawn, and for drastic measures we can use Robbie Campbell (rookie), Jack Fitzpatrick and Lynden Dunn. It's only after Dunn that I would consider Spencer. It was no secret that we made a play for Dawes. What's his primary role? Full forward/Centre Half Forward. We didn't get him, even after throwing big dollars at him. The very next person we are throwing those sort of dollars at is Mitch Clark. If, as you believe is right, Mitch Clark is a ruckman, why on earth would we be offering him a similar contract to what we offered a full forward/chf? Is there going to be any stage that you will think, and don't worry - you're not on your own, that maybe, just maybe Rawlings (who was an assistant coach for him for the past 2 years, Neeld (who is our head coach and has been given a licence (within reason) to target the exact type of player he wants), that these blokes actually know a bit more about M Clark's strengths than you do? I don't mean to sound like a smart ass, but I think it's pretty clear what role they think Clark is best at playing, and as a result, are wanting him to fill that role in our team. They WON'T be offering those sort of terms to a player that isn't the right man for the job.

It would be awesome to get him. but let sort something out first. when White left the club we didn't look like having anything good in the ruck department for years, then Jamar comes along out of no where. he's had 3-4 great seasons after we have waited so long, and now people want to get rid of him??!?!?!?!?! So many people have spoken about getting the culture right at this club. Getting rid of Jamar, just to get a good pick is exactly the attitude that the club is trying to get rid of. lets give him the respect that he deserves and remember how much of a shining light he has been the last few years.

You should have gone for a walk then I'd rather we went after Fev's brother!

It's interesting that nearly everyone on here seems to think that Darling will play well for a year and then gradually disappear in to the ether. Have any actually considered the possibility that he may get better? If he was playing with us the same ones would say this was his first year wait until he hits his straps he will only get better with a couple of pre seasons under his belt. But he doesn't play for us so he's a dud who will probably struggle to get a game next year; how old is he again?

The bloke seems to want to go home to WA - there's really not much more we could have done. At least we had a crack at it. I'm disappointed with our MD trading strategy but in relation to Clark it seems we did everything possible. It's not a poor reflection on the club as he wants to go to his home town.

And good on him really. Its his desire and its not about money. Now we can hardly berate a bloke that seeks a destiny uncoloured by money can we B)

Oh mate I know it is friday afternoon but what have you been drinking? That is the stupidest idea going around.

It would be the recruit of the century if we obtained him NOT stupidity as you put in. You are just being narrow minded. He has not misbehaved since joining Casey. Still would be at least a 50 goal kicker and this would basically make us a finals team. Just imagine a forward team of: Sylvia Watts Jurrah Davey Fevola Gawn(interchanging with Jamar) I say- WOW.

WYL He keeps saying " I WANT TO GO HOME" In the end the Lions will take a good offer as compared to nothing. It will not come done to the PSD.

Lions have There'll be no IF. The Lions have now got two perfectly good picks 16 and 20 on the table, a distinct improvement on the original offer. Now they know its all over bar the shouting they ( Lions ) can stop postulating and start signing. Simple really No need to wait til Monday.. Now they know the currency Lions can look to either use them or trade them , time is of the essence.

Agree, it is disappointing. I'd even aired out the sleeping bag and fluffed up the sleeping mat.

What's your care factor?

Some still dont get it.. If not for the want to go home hed be in Red and Blue right now, and happy to be so. Its not that we CANT land a bloke. He had a very different agenda. He stuck to it. I dont see it as a rebuff at all. We just didnt get our way. ...and we move on.

I understand the frustration that fans feel when we cannot attract players, but not long ago we were a basketcase. It's a steep climb. We have been able to attract off-field names and that is promising, but we are still wading through the inertia that comes from being as poor as we have been. As for Clark, he wants to go home.

It was never more than an outside chance from the start and good on them for trying. As we've seen with Judd, Scully and now Clark, you need months if not years to set up the major coups.

You do realise that Trade week is not just about getting players. Keeping your most dangerous opponents accountable is also part of the game. Getting involved in the Clark negotiations was always a win-win.

RR I can only report what I saw, he was ordinary in those games. He may end up the greatest CHF since Royce Hart. You may be right he will take time to develop. But surely we are allowed to comment on what we see. Or do we have to say nothing till 2015 if it is anything but complimentary?

no, we cant! lets have a crack at someone else who doesnt want to come!

Wrong. He is an enigmatic but at times dominant young key forward who can ruck. You obviously didn't see him eat us up at Visy in the pre-season playing full forward.

Keep him and try to turn him around. Norf get enough charity, we don't need to donate a player as well.

didn't seem to worry defenders when they were at brisbane...

I don't even know what "stands for nothing" means. To me it's just a vague, hollow insult flung at us by muck-rakers who can't think of anything specific or substantive to have a crack at us about. As Redleg asked: what do other clubs "stand for"? To me if you (a general "you") tell me that the MFC stands for nothing, that's my cue to stop listening to you because it's clear you have no substance. Just as I'll stop reading a Demonlander's post the minute he says "stop accepting mediocrity".

Oh noes... We could miss out on a worse player by trying to sign the better player?! What are we doing?!

I believe Neeld has a 'no perm' policy.

Can't say we haven't gone all out for Clark, with a top contract offer, a good pick offered and Coach, Ceo, List Manager and Lions former assistant Coach all flying up yesterday to make the pitch in person. I could not criticise the club on its efforts on this deal if we fail.

Bate would be getting paid more than Walsh amd I don't think the saints have the cap space...interesting offer though...

We probably wouldn't lose too much if we offered what we get for Maric or take that pick from Dogs for Bate and use it to Saints. A straight swap for either of our boys is worth a chance to see if the kid can improve. Maybe we should offer Bate to Saints as a swap.

There was supposed to be a change with the new CBA, but the slow negotiations have meant there's been no change for this year, beyond a raise in pay for rookies, meaning there's a big squeeze on middle-tier players. Guys like Toovey.

Can we please land this bloke? It will really give me something to get excited about.. Take the cash mitch!!

I've resisted using the "like" button, just because i'm kinda sick of it from facebook. But I couldn't resist, I could not agree with you more, so many on this board have been guilty (probably me included at times) of demanding loyalty from players and hating them for taking better options, but then are quite happy to just toss them aside when the "right deal" comes along. Footy clubs are built on more than just good players and high draft picks (something GWS will learn very quickly), you keep the good players around for as long as possible so they leave a legacy. If Jamar stays with us until the end of his career he will be a one club player, something that is rare. He will have a story of someone that for ages was on the fringe and at times possibly in line to be cut, but he stuck at it and we stuck with him and he became an AA ruckman. We need to keep him around, so that when the times comes that he hangs up the boots he'll want to stay a part of the club. We've got this great period of past players from the mid/late 90s that have come to the party to show they care, tell me how many from 2000 onwards have stuck around?

He isn't a replacement for Jamar. His manager said that Freo saw him in the forward line and that excited him. If he comes here he will have the same opportunity. Jamar and Martin can rest in the forward line and Clark will stay there for most of the time. That will be the hypothetical structure.

I think if this doesn't come off we will have to drop it, we can't be seen to be hawking ourselves to whatever/whoever is available, it's not a nice look and smacks of desperation.

Can I suggest anyone seriously thinking we should pick up O'Hailpin be committed! We may as well get Brad Miller back if we are going down that path!

The important thing to remember is that Clark is being sought because it's deemed by Mark Neeld that he'll be valuable to the structure and gameplan that he wants to implement. Clearly the club wants to give Neeld every opportunity to succeed. The concept of getting Clark appeals to me as I like him as a footballer and believe he'll compliment our forward line while providing ruck relief. Clark is roughly 198-200 cms tall and a better player than David Hale, who proved valuable to Hawthorn this year. He's also coming into his prime. There's no doubt he's a talent, but he's also been inconsistent. I'm pretty confident that the Mitchell Clark of 24-28 will be a significantly better player than the Mitch Clark of 20-23. It's not easy for clubs to get their hands on ready made talent, especially those of the tall variety, so not only do Melbourne improve their playing stocks they also gain ground on opposition clubs. That said, Freo are no doubt favourite to gain his services. However, if we do land him it will be seen to be a massive coup.

For along time Brad Ottens was no Brad Ottens . Thats how the Cats got him .

If Clark says no to us and insists he wants to go home or will stay at Lions I would offer our pick 12 to Freo for 16 and 20. I don't think dropping 4 spots would kill us and then we have another pick 4 spots later. I am sure Freo would do it in a heartbeat to get Clark.

Cheers for that. It wont be long before juice newton will be a Veteran.

No way at all we're letting Martin go. Ridiculous suggestion.

He did not play well this year but I think the poor captaincy is tainting the thoughts on his playing performance. I dont want him to Captain but very happy for him t be at the club and prove this season an abherration

Yeah, let's change our colours, too. Lets be the team of the yellow, red, blue, black, white, navy, purple, maroon, gold and brown. Did I miss any? Honestly, why not keep our modest, unique and time-worn song and just turn our attention to something a little more important?

Screw that, we have the best one!