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In disappointed that its all coming to a messy end. I dont think Mitch will return to footy via the Dees and tbh im now ok with this. My last Melbourne Mitch memory will be that fateful day. He certainly gave us some great footy and even more reason for hope when sfa was there for much else. If we are to be somewhat more objective though the Mitch experience/experiment was flawed and in the. cold light of day an abject failure. 15 games and a truckload of scheckles realised us not too much. He finds himself now drawn to the prettiness of the outside world ? Go. Please do as you supposedly wish and facilitate some meaningful return but go. I can only feel the ghost of Benedict Arnold about all of this. What was actually wasn't and what is,is. We need players of calibre that CAN make it to the park, we need players to earn their keep and ideally players to rise to their abilities and lift us up. Im over my anger. Melbourne needs to move ob and discard anything and anyone that doesn't add to the equation. Go Mitch. Hope your life picks up. Where you go matters not. Im Melbourne, you're obviously not. I was to suggest caveat emptor to your new home but then I don't really care. Seems you were an ill fit to #11 in many ways. Au re voir. ...happy snapping

Uber Alex Georgiou ‏@UberAGeorgiou 11m Roosy said every player was on the trade table so I asked him what I was worth. His answer was: "Who the hell r u & get out of my office!"

Gee that's a hard comment. I can think of many worse players - ones who never played seniors for a start. Very underrated footballer who polarized opinion a little like Watts. If you were a fan there was plenty to like and if you weren't there was plenty to dislike. I'm the opposite to you Joeboy, thought he got the most out of himself and played many good games.

FA is destroying our competition. Between 1996 and 2006 every team played off in a Preliminary Final, now we have a two tier comp with the smaller clubs nothing more than feeder teams for the large clubs. The AFL needs to step in quickly before its too late. The AFL needs to adopt the US NFL FA system and must urgently make the following adjustments. Tier 1: Teams 1 - 4: Forbidden from Free Agency. These teams can only lose players not gain players. There is no compensation for lost players. Tier 2: Teams 5 - 8: Restricted Free Agency. These teams can only gain players if they lose players. There is no other compensation. Tier 3: Teams 9 - 12: Open Free Agency: These teams can poach FA with no restrictions, they can also lose players to FA. No draft compensation. Tier 4: Teams 13 -16: Open Free Agency but can't lose players. All players wishing to leave must be traded. Therefore no draft compensation required. Making these changes would reverse the flow of players. The good teams would lose players to the poor teams, the reverse to which it is today. The big teams will still have an advantage when down the ladder as naturally players will want to play for them. I call on the AFL to urgently make these changes for the long term health of our competition. No one wants to see the same teams win every year like in the EPL. AFL is only played in Australia, destroy the competition and the sport will suffer.

Gotta love this from: http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2014/09/10/football-loyalty-well-complicated/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+New+Daily+Thursday+11914+Aus+Super&utm_content=The+New+Daily+Thursday+11914+Aus+Super+CID_8bf9e0bdfb41ffddbed8676185cfa7df&utm_source=&utm_term=Football%20and%20loyalty%20Well%20its%20complicated Matthew Lloyd feels Paddy Ryder owes Essendon because of how much they put into him. The ruckmans camp feels Essendon owes Ryder because of how much they put into him.

He's from the Robbie Flower school of deciding to be awesome even when the world is going to shite all around him.

If he leaves the club, I'll move to India and take up Buddhism. Walk around wearing a robe all day with no access to television. I'll stop short of saying I'll stop posting here though because I don't want to make sweeping statements.

I'm so over it now I dont think I care anymore. Same goes for frawley, stay, go, whatever.

SEN news reported that AFL boss Gil Mac said if Clark ends up playing somewhere else MFC should be compensated in some way. Best outcome might be for MC to go and we get consideration from the AFL Commission of Drones for assistance under the existing rules.

we are such a precious lot aren't we we have one of the worst lists ever in the history of the afl we have to turn over mega amount of players to improve the list where do posters think we are going to get all these "stars" we crave/insist on setting up impossibly high requirements lumumba will do me fine. he will improve the list immediately and so we move on with the slow process of rebuilding

Third consequetive Bluey. Only the great Jim Stynes has done that. Played every game this year .. again Ambassador for MFC on and off field Does not demand credibility, but earns it Easily in MFC team of the decade and arguably player of the decade Thank you Nathan Jones You are now my favourite MFC player. Cant wait to see you in 2015

Holy Christ.

Lovely. So your attack on his character is nothing but an opinion that is not based on any fact at all. Great work.

It's like a starving man turning his nose up at a hamburger.

GS but we haven't heard from Eddie yet!

I don't agree with all of his points but equalisation is a big problem and it's where the commission is not doing it's job. Mike "I'm out of the room" "integrity lol" "conflicted" Fitzpatrick has been a disaster. I am getting really annoyed by the AFL's latest buzz about a game day experience. Smoke and mirrors. They seem to be enamoured by the whole Port/ Adelaide oval thing and yeah it's really good...for now. Do they think it would be the same if for one it was still played out at football park...hint about playing at ANZ in Sydney v the SCG. ....but the big one. How would the Port game day experience be if they had only won 4 games this year on the back of 2 the year before etc. etc. To get a true game day experience, a good one at least for the members and supporters... you have to win games. All the dazzle, dazzle means s....if you can't win a game. Stop trying to please everyone, "Simon the likeable" Gil and make some tough decisions. Actually make any decision on your own without asking Eddie if it's ok. That would be a start.

And if our old friend Hannabal was still around, he would remind us of the numerous times he begged the club to consider a young prospect from Xavier College named Daniel Hanneberry at picks 17 or 19 and how all of his efforts fell on deaf ears.

***BREAKING NEWS*** MFC is paying for Nathan Jones' new baby's clothes!! word is that Jones and wife were seen walking with said child through MULTIPLE baby stores in order to buy clothes for the infant. Jones offered no comment at the time other than to question the reporter as to - what business is it of yours where I spend my money? MFC members are in uproar as to Nathan Jones spending his salary on something other than himself. Meanwhile, Mitch Clark assists in fiance education fees, MFC Members partake in mass weeping session in disbelief of this support.

Vilification is bullying. Advocating or justifying bullying is not on. Laws have so far identified some common targets of bullying, but I expect there's more to come. Think current focus on pedophile behaviour, domestic violence, corporal punishment, sexism - with ageism next cab off the rank, and then who knows, roadhog driving, kids freezing in inadequate school uniforms, politicians lying-obfuscating, Hollywood violence operas, bank fees and other faceless computerised rip-offs, holier-than-thou-ism, etc etc - there's a long way to go to make our society ok for all, not just for those with greater power. Somewhere down the line hegemonic foreign policy will be seen for what it is, and opposed. I think we are living through a big trend, towards civilisation. A thirteen-year-old student suggested to me once that everyone dies and emerges on the other side with some sort of consciousness; and she'd been thinking, is it heaven or hell? That depends, she told me she'd realised, on whether or not you are happy with the state of the world over which you no longer can exert any influence. She thought God would have it all his own way once we were dead, so that our consciousness could impose nothing on anything any more, and all it would be able to enjoy would be Nature and so on. The diversity, the sunrises, seasons and growth and so on. If that lot is your thing, eternity watching it has to be heaven; but if you are say a petrol-head or hard-drinking picker of fights, unending passive powerlessness with no opportunities to do your thing would have to be hell. Maybe there's something in this for living people - leave aside all the controlling and dominating, and co-exist with generosity; it'd be a happy way to be. Sport must be a special case, I suppose - ritualised competition, within rules, determined by skill and quick response to chance. No need to be nasty - there's a real cameraderie among players in any code.... Maybe I'm as dopey as a thirteen-year-old girl, you want to say?... And I think Jesus must have been a nice bloke. He stuck up for the little guys. I imagine he'd be pretty puzzled by what religion is largely about today; probably get annoyed and upend their tables. There's a story in the Bible that Jesus killed a tree once, in a moment of frustration or a bad mood. You don't have to be perfect.

Tune in to hear some paraphrasing of content ripped from the pages of Demonland!

He'll come on next year, just like sylvia...

Surely not a swap for Robinson. Please god no!

You're so like not cool.

You had a dig at me because I said I'd heard Ball, Maxwell and Dawes all speak highly of HL as a bloke. At least I had some evidence to support my opinion.

Give him all of the money.

I tell you what if Nathan Jones signed a contract extension for the [censored] he has been through personally he will go down as the greatest demon of all time. I would even go to the extent of naming an award after him at the best and fairest.

I don't understand the question on his talent and or natural ability. Without having seen him in the TAC cup myself but knowing people who watched him regularly the consensus is he was a dominator at that level. He was also an early draft pick. Just because somebody gets the most out of themselves doesn't mean they were not talented to begin with. Talent and hard work combine to make A grade footballers and that is what we have in Jones.

They should make this Jones boy outright Captain.

No matter the out come for 'us' the guy is either still having to face some demons or is a very short time removed from said issues. The further this goes on, the more vitriol sent his way and if he was struggling as much as had been reported, I'd still be worried about his health and what may occur. Life, happiness, health, caring for your family are more important than a job, footy or club fans getting on your case.

I've only ever heard respected people in football like former teammates Ball, Dawes and Maxwell speak in glowing terms about HL and his character. I'll take their word over media gossip and innuendo.

Yes! Because I would then be dead!

Surely you can see this difference between being allowed to discuss, or even criticise religion, and saying it is okay to religiously vilify an individual. One is fine, the other is reprehensible.

You know, as I read that, Inj my mind I could hear stirring music playing that kept building and building until it reached a wonderful crescendo at the end (at which point I imagined fireworks going off in the background). Nice stuff BB!!

And despite all that, when JV was asked who he'd like to see drafted alongside him his answer was Jimmy Toumpas Go figure

I wouldn't describe Harry as a Hack but I don't think he satisfies our main need off half back. We consistently shoot ourselves in the foot with poor disposal and decision making resulting in turnovers Harry can find the footy, he can break lines but his disposal & decision making aren't great. Better than some we have currently but not great. His one on one defending is ordinary at best & he doesn't really do the mop-up across half back like Heath Shaw for example. I'd be doubling our efforts to get Malceski. He is what we need. Failing that I'd be looking to prise Suckling away from the Hawks. Suckling has been described as a one trick pony but it's a trick we are desperately in need of - the ability to use the footy. If Collingwood are so desperate to be shed of Harry O then I'd be saying ok, we'll take him off your hands but don't expect much for him. His value is limited - he's played 200 games & he's not likely to have many more seasons left in him. If you don't like it, find him another home. Nor would I tie him to a deal involving Clark. Two very separate situations & transactions

Enter Neeld

Oh good. The old 'he bleeds red and blue' cliche resurfaces. That's extremely irrelevant in the age of free agency. A bloke by the name of Moloney was said to bleed red and blue.

I think his manager is trying to double dip, and MC being naive at best is going along with it. I think MCs manager is playing Mitch like a fiddle. Maybe the advise to remove yourself from an environment where you developed symptoms of depression could be valid in some instances, clearly this is not a normal circumstance and it would be removing him from his support structures and throwing him into the thrust of media scrutiny and the judging public. No thought has gone into that. Dollar signs are over riding logic. I'm starting to feel Mitch will be the one to pay for a conniving snake manager that has twisted the reality of MCs position and used a statement from a doctor that doesn't fit Mitches circumstances to suit his own end.

I immediately feel sick to my stomach knowing we picked Toumpas over Wines when Ollie was living with Todd Viney and best mates with Jack....

i think he may have expelled the vilificator from the temple of sport (mcg), just as he expelled the money changers from the temple accusing them of turning the temple into a den of thieves through their commercial activities. One hopes he and his disciples find time to visit afl house one day

Some Facts you may not now about Mitch Clark Clark began his football career with East Fremantle in the Western Australian Football League. Although Clark was hit by meningococcal disease the week before the 2005 AFL Draft, Brisbane showed their strong interest, making him their first pick, the ninth player drafted across all clubs and presenting him with their number "1" guernsey; he later made a full recovery from his illness.[1] 2006-2008: Injury plagued Clark made an impressive debut for the Brisbane Lions in the first round of the 2006 season against Geelong, converting his first mark and subsequent kick into a goal, but his debut season was significantly hampered by injury problems, in particular osteitis pubis,[2] and only ended up playing a total six games that season. Even before the 2008 season began, Clark was already in injury strife, after injuring his quad during pre-season training.[2] Clark played his first game for 2008 in round seven against Geelong, and lost by 27 points after falling away in the last quarter. Clark kicked three goals in the process. He managed to string together twelve consecutive games for the season, but was sidelined for the remainder after the round 18 clash with North Melbourne, during which he injured his quads yet again.[2]Clark played his first game for the 2007 season in round nine against Collingwood, after overcoming his injury problems. His five goals in that match earned him an AFL Rising Star nomination.[4] However, the promising return lasted only three weeks before Clark was hit by injury again, allowing him only one more game that season. Clark hurt his foot in that first year, 2012, and played 11 games. It blew up again after Round 4, 2013, and Clark missed the rest of the season. In two seasons and two games with the Demons, Clark has played just 15 matches. The injury was a fracture to the Lisfranc joint at the top of the foot. The name Lisfranc is after French surgeon Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin who first described the injury about 1813 in the Napoleonic Wars. It occurred when riders fell from their horses with their feet caught in their stirrups, causing a twisting, high-impact injury. Clarks foot recovered for him to join pre-season at the end of 2013, but he repeatedly tore his hamstring, which placed him in rehab for eight weeks, and upon recovery twice tore his calf muscle. Described as being in a dark place, Clark sought leave from the club last month. 2014 Clark announced his immediate retirement from football, due to clinical depression and personal issues. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/luckless-melbourne-forward-mitch-clark-to-meet-with-demons-officials-and-his-management-to-discuss-future-plans/story-fni5f0at-1226874913629 Mitch Clark has had a extreme run of Injuries, when Mitch is right there is no doubt he is a good footballer maybe even possibly a Great Footballer However considering Mitches History you would have to say for that too happen he would have to have a 1000 Leprechauns on his side all peddling at the same time to get him up and over the line . If Mitch was playing for any other Club you would say no way grab what you can for him and move on . Note I said any other Normal Club After Reading http://mfcdemonblog.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/lolmfc-fistedforever-files.html We can all see that the MFC is Far from being like any other Normal Club . No matter what happens you can bet your bottom dollar it is most likely we will get stitched up in some shape form or another If the AFL is serious about keeping the MFC a vialble entity they must step in and Give the MELB Football Club a Major Boost a priority Pick is just one of the things seriously needed and one that this time we must not blow it if granted . We deserve better I dont think there are any other Supporters who have had to endure so much in such a consistent manner for such long time as we suffering Demon supporters have had to contend with The point is though we are still here regardless and I think that needs recognition as well !! As a Melbourne supporter for over 50 years now all I can say is Give us a Break !!! This shite cant continue .

My job is taking American pensioners around Europe, teaching them about German and Dutch history, culture etc...Suffice it to say they've been hearing much more about Aussie Rules than they should the last few days and are fully up to date with the Mitch situation. Which is to say they know [censored] all like the rest of us.

Could Wagner replace Strauss?

Should H_H really get weeks for that? What he said and the way he said it and who is looks bad, but he didn't vilify anyone. He just said he thinks religion is fair game. Even if he said he thinks racism is fair game, doesn't mean he has racially abused someone. He put his thoughts out there, and people know what kind of person he is, isn't that punishment enough? Censorship and forced political correctness hide who people truly are, I like to know who I'm dealing with, but that's just me.

Watch the North game and you'll see him trotting 5 metres behind his opponent. Roos had to move him at least twice in that game. Forget that he can kick the ball, he just can't get it unless someone else does the hard work.

Can't believe some of the tripe written in the other thread in regards to this great man. Nathan Jones. A player who's 'talent' levels or 'natural ability' is being questioned and compared to other players within the AFL. This is a guy who has consistently improved every part of his game since being drafted. This is a guy who has stood tall and who hasn't been affected by the failings of the MFC over the past 8+ years when nearly all of his fellow teammates have crumbled and fallen. Nathan Jones is our very own superstar. I rate him just as highly as any other midfielder in the competition because of the unique situation he finds himself in. How many other star mids in the AFL would be the players they are now had they been drafted and developed under the same toxic culture that Jones has been subject to? He hasn't had anywhere near the support some of the other stars of the comp have had. He is a self driven, smart, hungry and desperate work horse who has done everything he can to get the absolute best out of himself for our club. Nobody who has been drafted to the MFC at that time or since even comes close. Viney may be the next breed. Congratulations Nathan, you're a legend of the club already in my eyes and someone who has the capacity to help turn this ship around.

I can't Handel all this.

Can he bring Heppell with him?

Runour file...seen having coffee with Bernie and Dawesy...