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The biggest thing I got out of today was Joel Smith. Pace, height, decision making, disposal and he cracked in. A Jayden Hunt type story in the making.

Clayton Oliver with 14 tackles so far ?

He had 7 clearances and 9 tackles in a hot game agains the most mature and hardened midfield in the league. This is the team that ragdolled us in the wet on the same ground earlier in the year. He was doing last night the things we were too "tired" to do well in the last two rounds. As a free hit under UFA it gives one year to protect and develop Brayshaw and Oliver whilst we build up their midfield time. It also is good mitigation to injury from Jones, Tyson or Viney (who all had pretty clear runs). Worst case if form doesn't warrant he will not play all 22.

Well done to Daniel Cross to who has just won a premiership for Albury tigers.

Rumours Fyfe will be at the Casey/Willi prelim today at North Port with a few of our boys....

Just went and checked the practice wicket area where Salo hit his head. Relieved to say that it's still reasonably soft ground underneath and there's some good grass cover. Just not as grassy as the rest of the ground. I saw the hit and it looked bad, but at least he's not hit a concrete type surface.

Oh, pipe down Saty. I'm a film producer. I know which one I'd rather be. A VFL player or a filmmaker doing what I love everyday.

One of my mates coaches out at Eastern Rangers and watched Petracca come through the junior ranks. Said he'll be one of the best players in the comp in time, but I reckon Oliver is going to be the better player. Petracca has x factor, but Oliver just keeps getting clearances and tackles. The player I'm most excited about. But how exciting are these guys going to be after 50 games?

Would you like to see some of my headshots AF? I had some professional ones done recently.

I wholly disagree with you. IMO he's criminally underrated. He's 21 years old. The fact you say he's "not too far off his prime" is a perfect example of how, for Hogan, the goalposts are set markedly differently to all other young key position players.

A lazy 17 tackles for Oliver

Salem was killing it before going off. Joel Smith will be a serious player. Dunn and Oliver probably our best. ANB whilst he wins the ball well is unfortunately a very limited footballer. Important to get a couple of early goals to put it beyond doubt.

You provided no commentary on the game, you went the poster, as usual. Get over yourself, dopey.

Ed Carr from Williamstown is a weak dog!

Barrett's source: Demonland. No one likes you Damian.

Can't he stay just for one little premiership? Is that too much to ask??

We gave up pick 3 and 14 just to acquire the mini draft pick to get hogan. After four years development, I wouldn't think his worth(in picks) had decreased

I missed the game so have been reading through the thread. Thanks to everyone for the running commentary, just a shame Saty had to derail yet another thread with his usual off topic dribble and baiting of other posters. Very excited about Joel Smiths prospects.

I don't like that. They should have the medical staff monitoring still.

In fairness, his true passion is painting.

Three weeks ago he hadn't had a full pre season and he still hasn't. Give him a break and just enjoy the win.

Clinical win by the Scorps. Looking forward to witnessing Oliver's final ever VFL game next week. Dunn did his potential trade value no harm. Joel Smith with a full preseason next year could be very interesting.

Dunn looks like he's lost a bit of weight.

Just showed Simon Goodwin with Jason Taylor.

Don't think it was the tackler people were angry about, it was the dirty [censored] who threw the knees in after he had been knocked out

Oliver is aggressive, a beautiful kick, a great decision maker and he ensures his tackles hurt.

Good to see Roosy there

So you mean me standing outside my house naked at midnight, howling in the direction of Perth, has no influence whatsover?

The problem is that 'destination club' can mean whatever you want it to mean. Players have been coming to MFC for quite some time, Clarke, Dawes, Tyson, Lamumba, Melksham, Bugg, Kennedy. Marchbank is no better or worse than those. Does that make us a destination club? I don't know. My sense, when Roos was using that phrase, was that being a destination club meant removing the club reputation as an impediment to trade and turning it into a benefit. So that 'All other things being equal' a player would prefer to be at MFC than another club. Since we in the public never REALLY know the details of any given deal, we will only ever be able to evaluate it as a general feel over some period of time. No doubt we look better from the outside now than we did 3 years ago. If we are to believe what we are told, and I have no reason not to, the club is stable, profitable, the players are happy and engaged, the list is solid, young and improving. All that remains is a period of sustained success. I am betting that is coming. We must be a more desirable destination than we were 3 years ago, that is a good start.

Scully was dishonerable about the way he did business, Promised Jimmy Stynes Yadda Yadda and then left. At this piont I really beleive we need to play a bit of hard ball with Jesse and his manager. I just have a feeling in my gut that he wil go! I think we set a very short time line and say, Well u can see whats on offer, are u in or out!!????? If he hedges I would be very tempted to be ruthless and Say.. Well Jesse, you have one year of your contract left and we.. will trade you for what's in the best interest of the MFC. If you believe then what's stopping you?? Sign or ,we will see what we can get, cut our losses and move on! Time to get very business like and not be seen as cap in hand!!

Scarborough played Trinity Aquinas in the WAAFL A grade GF yesterday unfortunately The Sea Eagles went down by 12 points. Hogan is a Newman College boy from Scarborough and played junior footy for Marist who don't have a senior side. A lot of Newman boys end up playing at Scarborough and Hogan has friends at the club. Ryan Murphy ex Freo plays for T/A Luke Mcpharlin is an Aquinas old boy and Tendai Muzungai came through there so this is really a nothing story. I was unable to get to the game yesterday so can't say who was and wasn't there

Oliver is going to be a STAR. big Oscar Mcinnnerney looks like a rookie chance. Kielty definitely should be drafted late.

I don't think the thuggery techniques work against Clarry; it just makes him angrier. A bit like Doomsday at the end of Batman vs Superman.

The whole ground is a crapheap. Cant believe they are playing every final here. Surely princess park victoriapark junction oval are better or even the home teams should get home final.

You photoshopped your head onto Zach Galifianakis' body.

So you think kicking 40 metres across goal to no one but a Willy player was a good decision do you? You should be a coach.

Just saw a Willie player trying to rough up ANB on the ground. Oliver just picked him up and tossed him aside.

I'm honestly so over this saga. I feel for the whole Hogan family if the illness stories are true, but I'm done investing in players who burn us. Scully, Frawely, Hogan... We will survive regardless. Make a decision and let us all move on already!

I was being facetious. I must have said half a dozen times that Hogan shouldn't go back to WA due to 8 hour plane flights every second weekend. Jakovich and other West Coast players have declared that the travel shortened their careers. Considering Hogan didn't debut until he was 20 due to stress fractures in his back it would be madness to even contemplate a move back home. But he may not be the sharpest tool.

The great Dale Carnegie explained back in the 1930s that it's impossible to 'win' an argument. It is especially so when the other person is deranged.

Theres another player with no luck, hope its not serious for Salem.

It'll be great for Salem to farewell his VFL career with a premiership!

Anyone who is not in Vic but wants to watch, get the 7live app on your tablet and enter a Melbourne postcode when you start the app

Three scenarios. 1) Decides to re-sign on a long term deal. 2) Decides to go back to WA. 3) Plays on with us next year under current contract. Tarde period officially kicks off on 10th October so thinking we would want an indication of where Jesse's intentions lie within the next fortnight. Love to see the club come out shortly and say he's committed to a long term deal. Hate to say it but I've got a bad feeling about this. Maybe it's just me being a typical negative Dee's supporter. Agree with Bombay. Two top 10 selections with one being a top three. I mean what did Treloar go for? Pies pick 7 last year and pick 7 this year. Don't get me wrong Treloar is a gun but Hogan has more upside as key forwards are hard to get and take much longer to develop.

Didn't we get the Weed because Hogan 'demanded' another KPF to play alongside with?

If you're feeling sad, just think "Trent Croad". The single most important player in Hawthorn's success. In his own way. Or two ways, really. The magic scenario; Hogan goes back to WA to spend more time with family. We get the equivalent of two top picks in the draft plus change, and a nice open space in our salary cap. Then: Hogan gets a bit older, gets a bit wiser and more independent, and when his massive four-year contract is up and he's stagnated as only a 'very good' player at Freo, he decides to come back to Victoria - Melbourne are only too happy to oblige, offering Fremantle about half what they 'paid' us. His return is also on a more modest and manageable salary. At which time Hogan rediscovers his form and promptly kicks 80 in a season to give Melbourne the final push they needed to secure the premiership, after four years of finals but not quite reaching the pinnacle. Satisfied, and now aged 32, Nathan Jones makes his retirement speech on field with the Premiership Cup in his hand. I'm not sure I've even made the most convoluted or fantastical post in this thread. But it is the happiest, that much I'm sure of.

BTW I want to keep Jesse. I wouldn't swap him for Fyfe.

Just got the word that the Casey staff members have said that Melbourne are indeed having a serious look at Declan