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Stuie and WYL, PLEASE STOP OR YOU CAN HAVE A HOLIDAY. IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT THEN DO IT VIA PMs. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR IT.

Geelong have been the absolute professionals but Daniel Menzel's career is practically over before it started with what 3 or 4 knees. Nathan Vardy nearly had to stop playing with a hip injury and now has done a knee. Hamish McIntosh missed the entire of last year. Yeah you can draw parallels between Clark and Jurrah. Both struggling with injuries and other happenings and therefore both granted leave. But what I don't get is why you are so negative on the individuals. Jurrah was always a risk of things going bad. He came from a culture that was pretty much another country to Australia, may as well be another planet. Not to mention half his family was fighting the other half. Jurrah's actions post AFL have told me enough about him and his community that we did all we could. Clark himself may have been a bit of a risk with homesickness but ultimately pick 12 in a weak draft for an immediate impact key forward and leader. It was a steal. The injury happened. It was terrible luck. Whatever troubles he is facing now are massively contributed to by his initial injury. If he was playing for most of the last two years and ready to line up on the weekend I bet all the other problems in his life could be managed around footy. Either way I refuse to hold it against the club for making some decisions that took a bit of risk and I refuse to hold it against individuals who have troubles in their life for whatever reason that the feel they need to walk away from their employment. Take a deep breath, consider the individuals and move on. Plenty of other injustices to worry about.

That goes for everyone. You want to fight amongst yourselves then you will get a holiday. No warnings. You don't have to agree but you can't flog a dead horse. You can either share in the excitement of rising from the ashes or you can fight like children on another board.

How about we change it to "Mitch ,get on the pitch,we're not rich and people are starting to [censored]"

this is place is turning into demonology if you come on here and pointlessly grind some personal axe with somebody post after post to the sheer annoyance of everyone else that uses the site, you should be banned - simple as that shut up and talk footy, nobody cares about your little quarrels FFS }(

Dear Mr Clark, We don't know each other, but through both your fantastic photographs and your courageous performance on the football field I can tell that you are someone worth meeting. I envy those who have had the opportunity to do so, and I hope I get the same priviledge in the future. I understand that you have returned to Western Australia in the wake of yet another in a series of frustrating soft tissue injuries, and I'm sure you must be questioning whether all the work you've put in at the Melbourne Football Club has been for naught. Let me say as a supporter that it most certainly has not. In a dark time for the club, your example both on and off the field has been a shining light for not only me and over two-hundred thousand other Melbourne supporters, but indeed for all football enthusiasts. Whether you have lost your passion for the game and are counting the days until your sporting commitments are over; or whether you are frustrated not to be playing and wish you could be out there against St Kilda next week, please know that I and all those who have been lucky enough to watch you play and to see your work behind the camera are both envious and awestruck by your talent and commitment. Yours, Chook (a Melbourne supporter and photography enthusiast)

Well said Jane. Nothing more needs to be said really on this topic. All the best Mitch and just know people often come back bigger, stronger and better having gone through adversity. True Dees supporters are with you 100%

I just read a tweet from Mitch thanking the MFC and everyone for their support. Whatever emotional issues and disappointment about the ongoing health issues he is experiencing, we as Melbourne supporters should be behind him 100% of the way. He is only 26 years old and those that know about young men and emotional issues understand that it is support, encouragement and patience that is required. We cannot cast him aside and reject him now. Hang in there Mitch - this Demon supporter is with you all the way. Stay strong.

except for the millions dollars

Posters on here said a few things you didn't agree with. That's what happened.

Done our 3.2 million cold it's as simple as that.

Flanagan first, Daylight second and then another 24 timezones before you get another journo who writes with the pathos of Martin.

someone asked me why I don't visit or post on Demonland much any more ... and btw I'm not blaming the moderators - it's an impossible and thankless task

Get your hand off it mate - if you want to send some personal well wishes go through the club and encourage others to do the same, or cut and paste the posts you think are appropriate to send. We support our players but we support the club as well and sometimes we start thinking/posting about the effects on the club but it doesn't mean we stop caring about the players involved.

Rather lose the game than the plan. Haven't we seen enough of quick fixes?

By the way Sydney traded Darren Jolly to Collingwood when he was reaching the peak of his career. At the time some questioned it I'm sure even if Sydney got a first round draft pick for him. Last year Jolly revealed that at the time his wife was suffering pretty badly from Post Natal Depression and they had to move the family back to Melbourne. Roos didn't tell Jolly he had to stay he just told Jolly no problems, got the trade done, no leaks in the media etc. Jolly won a flag at Collingwood, Sydney have since won a flag as well. With what I've read here I can't help but think some would attack Jolly's wife if this was the Sydney board of whatever year that was.

Wow of all the muppets you've gone to the front of the cue. Listen to PREMIERSHIP WINNING AND CULTURE BUILDING coach Paul Roos. We are giving him time away from the club (in which he wouldn't be playing anyway) for him to fly back to his family (probably on his own expense) to get his head right. It's the path recommended by Roos and club doctors. It's about getting him back so he can play and return on the investment. If he can't play again then locking him up at the club the whole time isn't going to help. Or are you denying mental illness because that's even worse. There is no MFC mediocre or otherwise without being a club of people. With the recent losses of Dean Bailey and Jimmy I would've thought everyone would realise that people can't be replaced.

Screw it, I'm gonna buck the trend and say Clark will be back in a demons jumper this year. Furthermore will win the B&F in 2015! At least in the far off chance that I am actually right I'll be one of the few on here that wasn't a dick

Jurrah's situation and Clark's situation are COMPLETELY different. Whatever dodgy analogies you want to wheel out it doesn't change that.

Behind every 26 year old millionaire professional sportsman is a human being no different to the rest of us.

Corrected it for you

You're spot on, but the speculating won't stop. I don't think anyone is doing it in a bad way, it's just human nature to want to know what is REALLY going on and to question the motives of those involved. We've heard a few different reasons why Clark has taken this extended leave, and I'm sure some of them are not far off the mark. But we need to put our faith in the club and trust that their decision to give him the leave is the right one, and that we can continue to move onward and upward without him there.

FFS give it a break you blokes. Let the posters post and the moderators moderate. Leave the sanctimonious moralising alone.

At this stage, I don't feel like we've lost much. We've been without him so long now that I know what life is like without him. If he does not return, we will survive. We will recruit wisely and replace him with new talent. Life goes on. The club is bigger than any individual and, whilst I will miss his fearless attack on the footy, we will soon be attracting players who want to be a part of the new powerhouse of AFL. They come and they go in this business.

Big difference between "walking away" and "being granted leave".

This is the exact reason I generally stick to bigfooty. This place degenerates off topic, into a [censored]-fest within 2 pages of almost every single thread. Sorry to say this, but this forum is very poorly moderated in this regard. Any posts that arent on topic or at least within the spirit, or very humorous - should be deleted so that when we want to read about an actual topic, we dont have to wade through such an incredible amount of unrelated, boring rubbish. A penalty system should apply to the continuous perpetrators. I would love to be more active on a forum specifically for Dees supporters, but at the moment, I only come on here to read training reports and see if there is any inside info leaking about certain topics (such as how Mitch Clark is doing). Sorry for the rant - but I hope it is considered constructive feedback.

if he is a 26-year-old millionaire professional sportsman and the reason is 'homesickness' I might have to take exception

None of our business frankly. It is enough that the club have given him time off to help him. If anyone does know please do not post.

thread worked fine despite person who started it trying to act as moderator

Hodge is as good Judd. They just do it differently.

I'll try mate but it's going to be difficult.

I don't want "all right eventually" gee this hurts all the way to hell. While Wines "Blows them away" Toumpas will probably start at Casey! It started with Tillbrook and has continued till this very day! Neeld will go down as the greatest flop of a coach in MFC History and the recruiters who masterminded this should go and recruit ants for a sugar picnic! Livid!

Watts has a role, has prepared for it over the summer and should be left to carry it out. Pedo worked himself into the ground providing options against Richmond, he has trained recently with the forwards and deserves the crack. Fitzy has a chance to make FF/ replacement ruck his own. Love to see a defender stop a pass from Watts to Fitzy at pace. Add in Howe and our forward line has enough height to stretch the Saints.

Plus Gawn resting in pocket

The kid has the hugest set of legs. He is the immovable object and when he gets going an irresistible force And unfortunately his disposal is much better than I thought I like the Toump, but oh dear

Personally I thought Stuie's thread was always going to be more about Stuie than Mitch Clark.

I often miss out on getting it as I dont buy the paper every day. So, thought I'd be pro-active this year and call the HS, to see when exactly ours would be featuring so I could make a point of getting the paper. They told me it'd be this coming Thursday (20th) Just thought I'd pass on incase anyone else is interested....

Who cares now? The Toump is a demon and wines plays for an opposition club. For whats's worth my two bobs worth is that Wines looks a gun and the jury is out on on the Toump. A very similar scenario will have played out for Hawks fans when they took Hodge not Judd. For years Judd was the clear standout - indeed until he was in his mid twenties he was probably the best player in the league. Two premierships and a norm smith later I doubt too many Hawks fans would now say they made the wrong call.

That's why you are not a recruiter and that's why you hear over and over again from anyone with knowledge say - rule one - you recruit the best player in the draft - need is a secondary consideration. It isn't an exact science but that's exactly what recruiter are trying to make it - by attending every game they can, by assessing so many different areas of strengths and weaknesses at draft camps and doing psychological work-ups on the players. So what you and others are saying is - don't pick the highest rated player available, pick for need , say like - Cook ? ( The All Australian TAC CHF) - unless of course he turns out to be a dud and then you should pick the highest rated player. You can't have it both ways. I am not silly enough to spout that Toumpas will be better than Wines but I won't lambast recruiters for taking an option that seemed logical and sensible at the time ( as opposed to recruiting Cook, Strauss and Gysberts). Edit - on need - both Toumpas and Wines were midfielders - which was our need. I do recognise though that they are entirely different sort of midfielders.

I understand that Wines is showing acres more than Toumpas. If Wines continues his current trajectory no-one from that draft will be as good as him. Is it a mistake ? Only in hindsight. Mindnumbingly awful decision ? - only looking at it now not at draft time. No brainer decision at the time ? - it may be now but not at the time of the draft. So we all want to disregard what all major recruiters and experts knew at the time. Toumpas was rated in the top 3 - Wines wasn't. As I have said before we punted on the likes of Gysberts and Cook - picks that we taken well before where they rated - they were absolute punts and absolute failures - the recruiters need to get kicked for those selections. But it is nothing more than hindsight to slap recruiters for picking players sensibly acccording to their ratings.

I would rather see Fitz and Gawn given the chance supported by Pedo and Howe. Apparantly Gawn played well for Casey the other day and is a better option than chucking Jack Watts into a role he hasnt trained for and based on previous years is not suited to. This has happened way too much to Watts over the years and is why we have been critisised for porr development. I dont think there is a chance in hell Roos will do that to Watts, as he stated at the season launch, young blokes like Watts are not the saviour of this club and should be left to learn their roles. If he gets th ball in his hands and delivers inside 50 he will put it down the throat of whoever is playing up there anyway.

big footy beckons stuie

Let's acknowledge the mistake and move on. Toumpas will never impact a contest like Wines.

Like we don't have enough misery to go round. If this thread is going to be bumped every time he plays a blinder, it's going to be bumped every second week. He's just re-signed. The thread serves no purpose other than to mourn the fact he doesn't play for us. Lock it and let's move on.

I understand the frustration amongst some posters and I don't think it's about Mitch Clark. It has more got to do with - we don't have a forward line, Clark looks done regardless of passion, Dawes keeps getting injured, Hogan brings excitement - but we've lost him for a bit. Frawley is undecided, we are aware we need results for him to stay. We finally have a midfield - yet now we have no forward line. All in all, we have Clark and Dawes locked in, yet we can't get them on the park. We don't have Frawley or Hogan locked in and we are desperate to secure both. Vince, Tyson, Michie and Cross bring excitement, yet we still need to kick goals. Our best backman in Garland is still out. Jamar is a distant memory. We haven't seen Viney for a while. I think all the frustrations of the above could wrongfully be directed at individual players at times, and I think that is fairly normal. Not right, but normal.

So when they start reporting that Clark hasn't been at training for two weeks we all go into meltdown mode and pot the club for not being up front about what is going on? I think the club have handled it properly - he is taking extended leave and we are supporting him 100%. For the time being nothing more needs to be said other than us getting behind him as well.

not sure why some seem to think this is the end of Mitch Clark - my feeling is that he has having some personal issues (relationship?) right now, and the club (Roos) has wisely considered that since he is not close to playing right now there is no need for him to be hanging around the club when his personal issues need attention over in Western Australia. It would be a totally different story if he was cherry ripe fit, but my feeling is that since the club 'loses' nothing by letting him go sort out his situation they are doing him a solid. It's a temporary thing for mine. My question is WTF they felt the need to make an announcement out of it, we didn't even need to know.

Get over yourself stuie. You're sounding like a whining sook. What's next? Hold your breath until your face turns blue? Of course we all want Mitch to come good and play, but you don't get to control what posters write anymore than the rest of us non-mods. Yours isn't the only point worth discussing and threads change track regularly here. It is simplistic to think the thread would not change course.

D 26 at present you could trade him for a two day old macdonalds Big Mac

Yes. The exit gate.