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That's because there's less pressure and more time to execute. I don't think he has a future at the club, but I'll be very disappointed if he doesn't get to 100 games and take his rightful place on the no.31 locker. I wouldn't have had this view 10 years ago, but the older I get the more I realise that life is all about relationships and not many have had to endure the circumstances unwittingly thrust upon Jack. When he should have had a relaxed mindset and been working on his own game his head would have been in a spin as he was dealing with issues surrounding the club while also trying to be a role model for teammates. None of this was conducive to good football and making him a better player. I agree that the team and club are the big picture, but I also don't believe that either are compromised by getting Grimes to 100 games. If anything, it's the opposite. And it won't be a "hollow" milestone. His teammates will make sure of that. When history looks over its shoulder it won't remember how he got there, it will just read Jack Grimes 100 games for the Melbourne Football Club. In my view the club needs to ensure it happens.

It's my least favourite anyways

I don't believe we compromise the playing side of things by including Grimes. I like Stretch as a player and want to see him developed, but right now Grimes would offer as much or so close to it that it wouldn't be noticeable. The same could be said for others, such as Harmes (who I also like). Supporters get far more annoyed by the odd turnover than coaches, who expect occasional skill errors. We've hindered Grimes career. He could and should have been developed better. We owe him the two games in my opinion, especially when his form warrants inclusion. There's still room in football for sentiment and building better relationships.

Walker, Betts and Jenkins to be late outs.

Last night on 3aw, Roos confirmed that Grimes will be a fixture in the side after the bye. Form in the VFL has now become too hard to ignore.

Or the whole team decides not to show up and we win by forfeit.

Hard work deserves reward irrespective of his perceived limitations as a footballer. He has been sterling in the twos this season and should have been given a run.

Tonight Jake Niall was waffling on about how Richmond are still fuming over the embarrassment of the Adam Treloar situation, that they simply, "will not allow it to happen again -- they will stop at nothing to ensure Prestia chooses them." It says a lot about their collective immaturity that they actually feel "scorned" over something which happens to every club every year. Throwing a tantrum via media mouthpieces over Treloar, who's proving to be a downhill skiier anyway, makes their entire club appear unprofessional. I would be embarrassed as an MFC supporter if Roos & co. came out with tripe like this for every player they chased and turned them down. It makes you wonder -- are Richmond actually so blind as a club that they felt Adam Treloar was the difference between premiership success and wallowing in mediocrity? Melbourne, St Kilda, even Gold Coast when their injuries are under control, are all ahead of their putrid list. They hang their hat on Daniel Rioli as if he'll be the cherry on their premiership list; in actual fact, he's just a kid refused the chance to discover his own football path, with his own club unable to help themselves with endless comparisons to his famous uncle. They are a poorly run club without a clue.

Generous of you ET

Didn't used to be like this. Seems to me standards have crashed in that place since Sheahan left and Slobbo was elevated. Will never understand that elevation. Certainly a long way from the top of my list of AFL journos.

Agree. We are giving games to guys who on form don't deserve them, solely with an eye to the future. That is fine, but you still need to reward good form, or all you are doing is telling guys on the list, don't worry about how you play, you won't get a game in the seniors anyway, as you are just a list filler. That is an extremely dangerous position to adopt for a sporting club. A balance needs to be struck between long and short term aims.

I got there for about an hour. Plenty of kicking, handpassing and marking. Lots of running, they did that well. There was a good selection of different coloured footy boots too. Found out that some support Arsenal, others Man Utd. There was one who supported Leicester but that was a bandwagon jumper, chap. Took an unbelievable amount of photos of their arms and legs. Got one player while they were bending over too. I also took the opportunity to tell every single player how poor they are and what they need to improve on. Surprisingly they took it well, told them not to look at Demonland as they do the same thing there but it doesn't hold any weight as it's not in person. Any questions feel free to ask.

Bitterly disappointed that it has come to this. Roos' insistence on playing his favourites each week, irrespective of form and effort, costs us on a weekly basis. We can agree to disagree as to Grimes's ability, but he has never let us down with his effort. It makes me sick that guys like Dawes, Lumumba, Kent, Wagner and Harmes (until recently) are guaranteed a game each week irrespective of performance and workrate, but others such as Grimes are not given the same opportunities with far superior performances at VFL level. It is insulting that players such as Newton and Michie who have never threatened to become decent AFL players keep getting opprtunities, whilst Grimes is repeatedly overlooked. I have 32 consecutive years of membership of this club, but I will seriously consider not renewing for next year if Grimes does not get to 100 games for the club.

I think you will find that Salem is one player who will not want to leave Victoria. We haven't seen the best of him yet due to illness and I can't see the club entertaining any notion of a trade for him. He will hopefully become our next Adem Yze.

As a former journo I can confirm that 99 percent of these stories come from player agents. They need the journos to help drive up the price of their player which in-turn means more money for them.

Damn, opened this thread in the small, futile hope of reading that O'Meara was coming. :D

I like and respect Jack Grimes but have always been critical of his kicking under pressure. It seems unanimous that he is a quality person. I would love to see him become an effective player in the next couple of years but understand that he may not make it. Its interesting to look back at the 2007 draft and trading period. Jack has been the most successful of the crop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_AFL_draft Trades - John Meesen AFL draft - 4. Cale Morton 16. Jack Grimes 21. Addam Maric 53. Kyle Cheney 66. Tom McNamara 73. PASS 75. Tex Walker Preseason Draft - Stef Martin Rookie Draft - Trent Zomer, Aussie Wonaeamirri, Jake Spencer, Shane Valenti Sorry to join out Tex Walker but I could also have mentioned Dangerfield (10), Cyril (12), and so on......... WOW! what list managers we had!

Hopefully their bus travels via the Montague Bridge.

Overly sarcastic and extremely short sighted. Who is suggesting giving games away? How about this scenario - the new game plan actually suits him, which is why he is cutting up the twos. What have we to lose by giving him a few games (based on form) to show us whether that's true? Or how about this scenario - the way we handled McDonald, Green and others, while playing favourites with kids, had a huge hand in creating an extremely disgruntled playing group. Look how well that went down in the aftermath. And do you seriously think they'd have told him he's not going to be there next year? Sure - just make him emergency every week and have him stew for months and months about how his career is about to be ended. You've got to be joking - that's about as sure a recipe for personnel issues as there is ever likely to be.

I'm hoping that Jack gets a few more games, not just for nostalgia reasons and to have his name on the great 31 locker. Since Neitz retired we have a terrible record of humiliating departures of club captains. -Junior was effectively 'sacked without warning'. -Brad Green was unceremoniously dumped as captain. -With Grimes we have the opportunity to show respect and dignity towards our former Captain. It would be a travesty of justice to just let him walk out the door with a full season in the reserves. Our last game at the MCG is rnd 22 vs Carlton. He should play that game, hopefully his 100th and be carried off the ground by his long suffering teammates.

I wouldn't know what to feel if St Kilda made the top 8 and North dropped out of the 8. I think I'd laugh then cry then laugh while crying.

The National Draft started in 1986 and West Coast and Brisbane were introduced in 1987. Go back and look at the success of those earlier drafts and you'll see they were pretty hit and miss, with a lot more misses than hits. Adelaide came in in 1991 and while I'll acknowledge that both Adelaide and WC received advantages of players from the local SANFL and WAFL. They received nothing like the advantages of the GWS and to a lesser extent Gold Coast. Firstly, licenses for West Coast and Adelaide were applied for by the WAFL and SANFL so the money and establishment of the club's came from something other than the governing body. Secondly, these teams were fabricated in well established AFL markets where they were going to be extremely well supported both from sponsors and supporters. Accordingly, there was no push from the governing body to make sure they were successful as it turns out they were successful and continue to be successful not because of the advantages provided by the AFL. If you look at what the GWS were given and are continue to be given it's chalk and cheese. The major issue for me is that the AFL is conflicted, they run the competition and have a major and expensive investment in the GWS. They need GWS to be successful and therefore will give them an unhealthy advantage (such as the Riverina zone and academy talent). If the GWS were made to build the club similar to the way Port Adelaide and Fremantle had to, then I would have no problem with their success. Make no mistake the advantages they have been given are extraordinary. The AFL are trying to sure up an investment club in a disinterested market. They need them to be successful early and for a sustained period to make sure they get a return on their baby. You might think that I'm sooking about the situation and being dramatic. Let's revisit in a few years and see how things have gone. At some point in time the AFL has to decide if it's running a competition that is set up to be as even and equitable as possible or if it is running a series of events in the entertainment industry to maximize profits. While they are conflicted, running the competition and only some clubs it will leave a bad taste in my mouth.

They gotta fill space everyday....

Tex was a scholarship player and tied to Adelaide. We couldn't have got him.

If not for that stupid Casey bye we may have seen Angus come in this week. Somethings gotta be done about VFL fixturing (and AFL for that matter)

ProDee has said this more completely but you may have missed it. You are 100% wrong. We are big enough to give him 100 games. Well said Pro.

Here is Jason Taylor's take http://www.sen.com.au/news/afl/06-16/dees-recruiter-talks-mid-year-trading-draft#UyzRIZugwYlwpHIy.97 “I’d be happy to go along with guidelines the AFL put in place with anything but the answer to that in short would be no,” said Taylor on SEN radio. I fear the AFL is playing this as a carrot to get the AFLPA over the line on the CBA , instead of agreeing to a fixed % of revenue. I don't think the AFL should use key features of the game as bargaining chips with AFLPA. Simply, I don't like the mid-season trade because it is more watering down of the game we know and love that was once called 'aussie rules'.

Sure we do: The inconsistent one.

Reckon Hogans taking the pizz and thoroughly enjoying it.

I understand he has deficiencies but if he's putting in consistently strong performances at VFL level, how can you be certain as to the degree he has improved upon those deficiencies until they are once again tested at AFL level? He hasn't played a game this season. Not one. He's also being played in a variety of more attacking roles in the seconds so he doesn't necessarily need to be pigeonholed in the backline. I'll be bitterly disappointed of the club doesn't see fit to get him to 100 games given the servant he has been. It's two games ffs. In a season we are pretty clearly not playing finals in. But nah, let's give Kent another three or four games in a row to put in lacklustre efforts until that one game he does something useful. Agree to disagree.

I really hope Jack Grimes gets to play 100 games for this club. There are very few players before him that deserve it more.

Picket, with all due respect, honestly, you know what they say about being better to keep your mouth shut and leave people wondering....

They want their cake and eat it, Saber! They have an Academy gun called Jack Bowes who will go very high in the draft 1 or 2 it seems. If they keep 3 and 9 they have to use those 'draft points' to get him once another club bids for him. But with pick 1 they can take the best player (cynical me thinks not the one EFC wants) and then use 'draft points' from their stockpiled high round 2 picks (from 2015 - Rich, Freo, Port and their own 2016 rnd 2 pick) for Jack Bowes and their other Academy players. So they end up with two of top 3 players!!! Of course EFC would be delighted to have 3 and 9!! Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-season-2016-gold-coast-suns-bombers-in-draft-intrigue-20160624-gpqu4v.html Cynical me says there is a high risk of draft tampering here.

Shiel is in a different class to Prestia, and Prestia is a class above Crouch. Shiel would be our best mid if he came, so a trade for Salem is a no-brainer. But Salem offers something that we lack, which is quality ball use out of defence, so I'd baulk at trading him for Prestia or Crouch.

What the hell would you know nutbean. He is gorn. G.O.R.N. (I'm playing both sides of the fence so I can claim that I knew)

Brilliant!

I think the point is, you seem to have an uncontrollable compulsion to lock horns with any poster who disagrees with you. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and move on Stuie. Winning battles won't necessarily win you the war, in which you always seem to want to engage.

Jesus Stuie, he clearly hadn't seen those posts, are you incapable of just ignoring posts like that or are you hardwired to have a dig at every opportunity?

Disposal, disposal, disposal

Oh c'mon, he was a pretty good dancer on a balcony with a beer in hand. And he's apparently a fast swiper on Tinder (according to BBO). Saints will end up with 11 wins, 12 at best. A very good effort this year but not finals. They will struggle to take the next step as Roo, Joey, et al retire.

Possibly, but to me it's no different to what we did with the expansion clubs a few years back so they wouldn't bid on Viney. Clubs will always try and find little loopholes here and there to exploit within the rules, and this seems like one of them. If they do that deal then fair play to them.

Yeah, but we got done by 'you know who' who won't win another game all year. We'll become a trivia pursuit answer in 10 years' time.....

You could say that about most players. Salem is an important part of our future though, and it would take plenty for us to trade him.

We know which defence turns up each week

I think you forget how good Matty Whelan was. I think Gorgoroth is selling Jetta short a little, but Wrecker was sensational in both his drive off half back and his ability to win the one on one contest. He was a super player.

Surely you are taking the pi55? Wrecker was better and if not for injuries would have been a gun defender of the comp. When Jetta smashes Hird I'll allow that statement to stand.

4 divided by 5 ???

Not even close. Not even the same galaxy.

Nevs good but he's no Wrecker

I think Jack Viney and Daisy would make a great couple...