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THE LOW RENT PUB by Whispering Jack In the old days, long before the draft and salary caps, club recruiters would travel the length and breadth of the land trying to find players to enhance their club lists. Often they would have to use their wits to beat opponents to their man. Legendary club secretary Jim Cardwell mastered the recruiting art at Melbourne in the early 1950s when he skillfully assembled the side that was to win six premierships in the decade 1955-1964. In later years he maintained that much of his success depended on perseverance and sheer determination never to give in when chasing his targeted player. Until last week it was thought the Cardwell spirit had long departed the Melbourne Football Club. Others with a more professional approach and more money to spend took away Jim's mantle as the prince of recruiters and it was left to other clubs to score the major recruiting coups. More recently, those with the patronage of wealthy entrepreneurs or the power of the AFL bolstering new franchises prevailed when it came to snaring the prize signings of the competition. Things changed on the Wednesday of trade week when the Demons moved in cloak and dagger style to wrest Brisbane Lion ruckman/forward Mitch Clark away from his intended club Fremantle. The story was told this morning on radio station SEN by new Demons' coach Mark Neeld. The Melbourne recruiters were discussing how the Lions and the Dockers were unable to do a deal on Clark and a decision was made to go after him. Thanks to some of Chris Connolly's contacts, Clark's management was contacted and permission obtained from Brisbane to speak with their player. Following an initial telephone conversation it was decided to pursue him. Neeld, his new assistant coach Jade Rawlings and club CEO Cameron Schwab were off to Brisbane in hunt of their quarry on the 8 o'clock flight. When they arrived, there was no accommodation to be found and the trio settled on a shabby one roomer in a low rent pub near the airport. Here they were - a high power AFL club delegation of three trying to recruit a power forward. It was the Belgian Beer Festival and Schwab's personal assistant could find only room at $91.00 for the night in horrendous conditions. "When we got up in the morning we thought we can't meet Mitch Clark in this place so we got up and Jade Rawlings got us to the Stamford Plaza, we walked into the buffet breakfast and got a little room to the side. We acted as if we stayed there and no-one asked any questions," said Neeld. They met Mitch and his partner at the swank Stamford where they had the run of the place from 8 o'clock until well into the afternoon even using offices and going off at one stage to buy new clothes. The group finally left the Stamford at 3.30pm when they felt they had overstayed their welcome, finished up at the Marriott and caught up with Mitch again. At this stage they thought they were a real chance. The deputation met Clark again the following day and at one stage Fremantle's Chris Bond interrupted their meeting. They met their man again before returning to Melbourne on the Friday night feeling they were still in the running. It should be pointed out that by the Saturday morning, the football world believed that Clark was off to Dockerland having repeated his preference to return to his home town Perth. However, Melbourne persevered through phone contact with Mitch and then "at 10 o'clock, he said 'OK you won't leave me alone. You've persisted, you've done this and that, I'll come and play for you,'". Neeld says the result in the end was worth the effort. When he came to the club and went through the list, clearly a power forward was one of the gaps. "Mitch fitted the bill, his age (24) was critical and ... we're going to have him for that period of his career ... we did what we believe every Melbourne supporter would have wanted us to do." Neeld believes that Clark's presence will help the way the club is going to move the ball in the forward and there will be a ripple effect in that it will help the other forwards like Jack Watts and Liam Jurrah with the roles they will have to play and with the opponents who will have to go to them. "There are a whole range of options that we didn't have a week ago." Melbourne takes on the Brisbane Lions in round one next year at the MCG. For their return match, I suspect those extra options won't extend to the team's accommodation near the airport.

[MFCSS]Hopefully they're on the same page[/MFCSS]

HF: Sylvia Watts Howe F: Davey Clark Jurrah

I think the fawning comes from the fact this fine young fella is 19 and 206cm and at that age the fans are not thinking of what they can do, but what they might do. He won't play regularly for a few years yet, probably the same amount of time Jamar has left... I hope we can keep him because he could be a Sandilands like weapon when he is 22/23.

I think they traded one of the compo picks to GC last year, for pick 15 which they used on Smedts,

His Dad's passing earns him some leeway on compassionate grounds for what happened in 2011. These matters have to be taken into consideration at a quality football club. But I'd make it last chance saloon for Aussie in 2012.

Young players have to be very careful with their training loads. We may have been too conservative in our approach, but it's well known that young players don't have the same intensity in their preseasons as more seasoned bodies. Considering Melbourne have the second youngest list in the competition it's little wonder that there's a disparity with other clubs. It has nothing to do with laziness, or culture, but everything to do with list age. Most of our quality young talent are entering their third/fourth seasons, so the collective group is ready for far more intensity.

and the worst part is - I know you're being serious

Each team gets a bye. One thing bb may have been alluding to, or is at least relevant, is any difference in costs/revenue. What do we get out of corporates, signage, etc versus at the 'G? What does it cost us to send 35+ people up to the NT? etc. That has to be taken out of the $400K you mentioned.

I think the answer is to ensure we get a bye the week after or play our annual skilled stadium game the next week and rest most of the team.

We agree on most issues here. I don't want to do it. But if it pays for Neil Craig's salary I would do it in a heartbeat. And then in 10 years time when we have 60000 members we can pay for a great FD and we won't have to go up there.

It's not black and white for me. I don't want us to play there. Current circumstances dictate we play there.

Forgotten how to tackle, lost a yard of pace, can't kick a goal, kicks when he should handpass, demands the footy when he shouldn't, doesn't take a mark, shouldn't play an AFL game until he demonstrates some of the qualities he showed before he caught the soft Melbourne bug.

Isn't it funny that all of these supposed "ugly exits" occurred with a bunch of players that copped such an easy ride for so long under their best mate Danners All of these blokes held us over a barrell at contract time, all threatened to leave, all signed at the death knell during trade week, after "....seriously considering an alternative" All underachieved for the MFC (no doubt they had good careers but they were paid immensely well to do this, far more than some genuine stars of the game) All couldn't see their time was up, as evidenced by White, Yze, Robbo etc. nominating for the draft TJ copped it easy for so long from the club, then had a parting shot after he was traded out I don't think this was Bailey's doing, this was a lingering problem from Danners era - all players who played the majority of their career under him Junior was told (as far as my understanding) early in the year he wouldn't be getting a contract, then played some reasonable football therefore expected he would He didn't His time was up too

When we are as strong as Collingwood and have the support and the draw to average 80,000 people to our home games - we won't have to sell games. But until then...

As Schwab tweeted a few days ago we are moving from a $25m in 2009 to an outfit that will spend $40m+ in 2012 . We need revenue streams. Half a million is not to be sneezed at. I would like the Demons to be in a position not to have to take this money but we are not there yet.

Or just not turn up at all, like this year.

So he says.

I used to rate King, he sounded authoritative and knowledgeable and speaks about interesting topics - until I actually started to listen closely to what he said. He's full of it.

Which is the classy way is that? Offer them another contract when their careers were past it? Junior could have been done better. But hell Neitz, White Yze and Robbo were finished as footballers well before they left MFC. After years of just ruling the roost, all of those mentioned bar Neitz have whinged like cut cats over their false sense of entitlement. MFC use to be a great superannuation plan for many LT players. We used to give one too many 2-3 year contract at the end of their careers

Nothing says irrelevant more than being a Footy writer for The Australian

You are posting on a Demons-supporter website. We are all biased, including yourself.

I'm sure Bruce is a nice bloke, but that's irrelevant. He decided to walk from the club and go to the Hawks via the pre-season draft, he gave the club no chance to negotiate for a trade. That's a bloody disgraceful act by a so called leader. The club managed the list in such a way to guarantee his high salary through to his retirement, he would have been the highest paid player on our list, but he decided to screw us instead. I understand the reasons for him wanting to leave for Hawthorn, I have absolutely no issue with that at all, but the way he did it was disgraceful. Zero sympathy if Hawthorn delists him.

You don't have to come to terms with Stef being a gun 2nd ruck. You have to come to terms with other people believing he is a gun 2nd ruck. Respect other people's views and they will respect yours.

I think it's a shame that we're reduced to being so bitter towards him. I was disappointed that he chose to leave the club for the Hawks, especially when I could see he was never going to be a regular player for them, but I still feel it's worth noting his contributions while he played for us and for me it's better to remember him as a handy Demon than a turncoat Hawk. He wasn't the best kick but i really think he became a player that no matter what he did, Dees fans (including me) just saw laconic running and poor disposal. I feel the reality was that he brought experience and a cool head to the backline in his later years with us. The rest of you can continue acting negative towards him, I find it sad that he won't finish a Melbourne player and may end his career on a bad note.

A myth is that Cam Bruce was ever a good kick - he always kicked helicopters - it just took some people longer to realise than others.

Haha. Anyway, I hereby award you with the title of Demonland's #1 Cameron Bruce Defender (no pun intended).

Cam's 'helicopter' kicks were an endearing source of amusement for me and my friends as we watched him play. And the guy could run all day. His form before the Guerra tackle in 05 was the stuff of myth or legend - it was that good. And in a decade I am sure all will be forgotten about his departure from the Dees. But... The criticism that rings true in my mind are his inconsistent kicking and the 'hospital' handpassing that Viney12 described - they were quite awful...

Cam rolled the dice and went with a deal that he thought would let him play longer and in finals. Not to be. So be it. I found him a good footballer nothing more. His disposal over the middle to end part of his career did let him down. It is not a myth. We supporters go to games and watch - 72% meh. We watched - we saw. So he will do a Robbo - unhappy with the club - went away for a couple of seasons - now back in the fold. And I for one will thank him for his contribution when the dust settles ( but i will not have rose coloured glasses as to what his contribution was)

Cam Bruce handballs to Melbourne Player, loops up a high handball, Melbourne player stands and waits for the ball to come to him, takes the ball = effective possession for Bruce and also = said Melbourne player waiting for ball being crunched It is not a myth, his disposal was ordinary Early in his career it was actually reasonably good However he lost confidence with his disposal and never got it back (pinpointed moment when he lost it? the woeful miss against WCE right on half time that would've put us up, running into goal, approx 35m out - should've slotted it, instead kicked a horrid helicopter that missed by miles). That was the beginning of the end of Cam's reasonable disposal

Hindsight? For many it was foresight and it was a train wreck we couldn't do anything about. His ego got in the way of sound judgement and that is the sad reality.

Who? Thanks for the salary cap cash good sir.

Yes, but they had the opportunity to spread their bounty over two years. 11 of the top 15 in one draft rarely if ever pan out to be decent footballers. I don't really think the "throw it all up against the wall and see what sticks" strategy is logical. J selwood went 7th in 2006. This is a comprimised draft and so is next years. There simply cannot be enough quality taken in simply one year

I'm sorry barry but you're talking nonsense. Misson is not going to be diagnosing or treating any medical condition. There will be a new doctor, and a very good one, because doctors are queuing up to get a gig as an AFL club doctor. He is no loss whatsoever, and frankly it will be good for the club to get in a young doctor with fresh ideas. Misson would know a lot more than a doctor in terms of appropriate rehab and fitness regimes. As the last poster said, nothing to see here...