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I thought we'd all agreed not to watch OTC any more??

Wait until Hitler sees this one!

"War" about to "erupt". Man I love the hyperbole of the footy media.

apparently got an on-going chronic knee problem and needs to rest it while he's suspended from school spread the word (cough cough)

That is not a rumour. That is what a draft watcher who contributes to BF says Richmond should do. It is not a rumour.

I wouldn't have had Naitanui in the squad of 40, but for him to be named first ruck is the worst decision in AA history. It's very much a populist vote and borders on reverse racism. If one dismisses those ruckman with less than 10 games he averages equal 14th in hitouts. Maric and Jacobs average more possessions, more hitouts and more marks. Jacobs has the most hitouts to advantage in the league. Naitanui kicked more goals because he played forward so much. Which is another reason he should never have been number one ruck. Will Minson had a better year. Disgraceful.

Pro-stats (the stat company the AFL uses) have Naita ranked 18th in the ruckman position for 2012. How he was picked as first ruck in the All Australian team is beyond comprehension.

I heard he is actually eligible and available but simply not good enough to make the Oakleigh 22.

C'mon Old Dee, We will do better than that and sooner. We will play finals in 2014. We will play in consecutive finals for at least seven years after that and will win two premierships in that time. How do I know? I've seen the light and its name is Neeld/Clark/Jones/Grimes/Howe/Viney/Trengove/McDonald/Watts/Frawley/Blease. My support has and always will be unconditional. It's just not possible to stop supporting. No way, no how, never. Go Dees!

"without cerebral masturbation winning would be pointless" - Daisycutter c 2012

Does the MFC have my unconditional support ? - yes Does the MFC have my unconditional agreement ? -no I will always love this club I just dont always like it.

IIRC, Luke Ball was able to nominate his remuneration and, as a result he nominated front loaded terms which had been pre-arranged with Collingwood. Ball made himself unavailable for interviews with other clubs and his medicals were also off limits to everyone but the Pies. Ultimately, this made Ball a less appealing prospect to clubs that might otherwise have drafted him. Since the AFL allowed this to happen, it was not regarded as tampering with the draft and, in the end, Collingwood was able to pick Ball up with a second round selection after several clubs passed on him. My question therefore is whether a first year player is able to nominate his terms and, if so, could Viney and Melbourne agree to a front loaded contract for two years which would make it prohibitive for GWS or GCS to select him?

This team is girt by disbelief.

Mike Sheahan said on last night's On The Couch that war is about to erupt between GWS and Richmond because of overtures made to a GWS youngster. He didn't name the player but he did say it was one of their top 10 picks from last year. The Giants have re-signed a number of their young early picks but this sort of thing is inevitable when you have the likes of Voldemort picking up a cool million a year and providing a substantial meal ticket for his old man at the same time. I hope all of the other clubs including us start circling GWS for their talent and I would be targeting Dom Tyson early in the piece.

dont shoot me this was just posted on facebook AFL News and Discussions Shannon Byrnes is expected to be the first player to switch teams via the free trade agency. Hes agreed to a deal with melbourne

I've said it before, but there's got to be a market out there for a sports news site that delivers purely factual, thorough, well-reasearched articles. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd much rather read a handful of good articles a week than wade through dozens of shitty ones every day. By and large when reading or watching footy media these days I feel my intelligence is being insulted.

This has been done often. Closed.

Dude wears hipster specs with his Collingwood tracksuit. He should be waterboarded in a pool of Danish-based Apple cider for that.

Unfortunately, I think going for international recruits is somewhat of a luxury, the type of thing you would do if you had a strong list and were able take a punt on your rookie pics I feel we will be trying to recruit football players (WAFL, SANFL & VFL) with these sort of picks, so have no room for speculative guys from overseas. I don't resent the club for this, as I'd be p1ssed if the recruiters were looking for talent overseas when we struggle to make the most of the National Draft as it is!

'Melbourne Football Club' isn't a recruiter so our past record of recruiting players in the first round is largely irrelevant. Mark Neeld, Neil Craig, Todd Viney and co. are the ones who will be selecting players, so pointing out Dean Bailey and Barry Prendergast's past mistakes is a naive thing to do. Give Neeld and his men a chance to do their thing before assuming they will stuff up.

Your trade scenarios always make me weep. Pick 4 for Vickery and 9? Pick 9 for Caddy? Please stop!

Yes, I know, everything was better in the past. Even the bollocks were bigger then.

I would like to think that at some stage in the next couple of weeks that an article will appear in the Hun/Courier Mail stating the Melbourne have made a massive play for Tippett, with a potential trade of our Pick 4 being put up. If Gold Coast want him, they will have to come up with a better deal, and really reconsider putting up a dummy bid for JV. Of course, my suggestion of Pick 4 for Tippett is all smoke and mirrors, just a ploy to get in to the heads of the other recruiting teams.

NikNat is a truly terrible decisiIon. If he had red hair and freckles would the panel have still put him in

When he has a pot of crap at Melbourne already...

Calm down. Gysberts is a talent but if you don't want to put the work in to get the most out of yourself, you can leave. He has had his injury issues but he turned up to PS training the most unfit of every single player on the list. Every single player. I don't know why you have such an affinity for players who have played less good games than you have fingers on your hand. How about they earn our admiration from now on?

Lol settle down. If anyone is up for trade I don't want then anyway. Thems not Neeld players sir. You need to put some faith in Neeldy sonny boy. The club knows the list better than all of us. Bex time!

And on their supporter sites they say the same things we do, and even point to how good our recruiting was to get Howe and McDonald where we did. Drafting is an inexact art.

found this on you tube lol!!!

Dee-luded:

Can't wait until we get the GF out of the way, so we can get onto the real football, trading and drafting.

What hate? Jared's been a great player, a great clubman and a warrior in defence. For his sake I'm happy to see him look elsewhere. With an ageing body and losing the leadership role, I think his cards were marked anyway. He's not part of the future and we'll capably replace him. Good luck and thanks.

I don't even need that now H_T I don't think we will get that good in the next decade Just a good side that wins more than it loses will satisfy me. All I need is a side that plays tough is respected and I can go to matches believing we have a good chance of winning most.

This is a thought provoking thread and I've searched for a tipping point and I can understand some including the OP'er, having a tipping point or two in their support. I have a belief that deep down people like the OP'er have unconditional support for Melbourne. They just don't realise it. In other words, the club could totally stuff up this draft period coming and there would still be a glimmer of hope for them. As long as there is hope they have something to hang onto. They've said it themselves. They may see it as a tipping point, it's just that right now they can't quite see beyond. Because they see this draft period as being absolutely critical - which I can relate to and totally understand. I harbour the same thought process as the OP'er with respect to winning a flag. That's what I want to see and live through. I admit that when I was younger and even not that long ago, I've been obsessed with this thought. Still am, like others though I've become jaded, but my support has not wavered. I emphasise every now and then the need for the best midfield in the comp, the need for quality players, improved list, star players, non negotiables, strong leadership, improved culture. I go giddy sometimes just thinking about it. When don't I think about it? I thought 2011 was as low as it could get (186, this following 2007-09), then 2012 came along. Event after event, the media pounding us to a pulp, loss of sponsor, racist claims, Jimmy, Jurrah, a 4-18 record, no apparent improvement to our midfield...further wholesale changes to come. Where was the tipping point? I'm still here, so are many more of you. Resilience. I share the same favourite moments as BH mentioned - Viney's snap (nothing could beat us that day after that release among the faithful), and R22 the week before.It will turn around BH, and as you stated not that long ago on here, you will be there for the 13th, with your brother on the steps of the MCC. Unwavered and unconditional in support and by god, full of joy. My support is undoubtedly unconditional. I can't see it any other way. You may refer to it as blind faith, I know it as what I love. And that's fine with me.

Best thread of the year - bar none!

Unconditional. My support/love for the team never waivers, much like family/girlfriend it gives you the shits from time to time, but at the end of the day the love and emotional investment (if you like) I have for it just keeps me coming back for more.I want to be around for when the players and coach gets the job done. When that eventual 13th Premiership Cup does get hoisted by the Captain/s and Coach of MFC, I'm taking a week off work which will consist of drinking booze and watching the winning GF DVD over and over and over again. Then I'll watch it some more.

I love the MFC and always will. But like a family member, if they keep F$&@ing up there is a time where you just have to walk. We are not at that point yet. But if we don't play hard ball with Free Agency and recruit players we need for NOW & not in 5 years time we will go down. The gap between top & bottom clubs is getting wider. The time is now to pull it back otherwise it will not happen.

True Gonzo.I hate the smugness of those Hawks pricks who have never been to the wilderness. I feel like they need to learn about loss. I want them smashed-I want them crying and bleeding.

And so another lockout begins. Pathetic leadership, greedy filth bags all around - once again the biggest losers are the fans. Bettman needs to fall on his sword.

Naitanui last night was woeful. Gave nothing. Not saying he's a dud, because he's not, and he's got the potential to be a total star, but the wraps on him now are ridiculous, OTT, and largely unfounded given his limited contributions. He needs to learn to get involved more and to stop trying to kick a goal every time he feels like he can take possession. I hate Darren Jolly, but he did very well last night. Agree with the Shuey comment; anyone who disagrees has no idea what they're talking about and probably has only watched one West Coast game in their life. Disagree with the 'legitimate game' thing. For a team as poor as us, every game is important, even against the stragglers, and to beat them as convincingly as we did, three times, gives our young players confidence and shows that we're not as big of a rabble as we otherwise could be.

J. Watts into the Sunday Footy show handball grand final surely puts this debate to rest

Certainly didn't show a real thirst for the contest tonight unlike Kerr who was magnificent. Party tricks are not for finals football.

All except id rather explore better options than Caddy...seems nearly as hyped as some other bloke we knew .

Uuhhgggh seriously fcuk Caddy. We dont need more B grade mids. Id rather take Viney at 3,Kennedy at 13 and a decent 2 nd rounder then take Caddy at 13 so Viney slips.

Binman - we shouldn't be bluffing anyway, the clubs would have got word of the clubs intentions. Do deals and make sure of it. And just to regurgitate how you can do this without receiving the Wrath of the AFL © you simply say, for example, to GWS: "If you want Pick 3 in the MD, you better keep it alive." And then to GC: "We would be willing to part with Pick 13 for Caddy, which may help you get Tippett, but we would be less willing if we didn't have Pick 3 alive." Done and done.

It's one of the questions. There's no doubt Worsfold wouldn't have given Watts the soft treatment that he got from Bailey. And if NN had gone to us he might have become the next Nick Smith. But there are people on this forum who argue, apparently in all seriousness, that Watts right now is the better player. This is insane.

as they stand now Nic Nat is a FAR better player. But what If Jack Watts went to West Coast? Would he better than he is now? And if Nic Nat played for us would he have learnt the game as well? that's the real question I think.

Here! Here! Many thanks KC.

At the beginning of the year I wanted Jones to be our Brad Sewell. It was the challenge I threw down in my own mind. He's done that. Sewell has had a great year and so has Jones. They both missed top 40, because they're a smidgen off that league. I'm comfortable with that.