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From The Age: Melbourne is talking with the management of Rising Star winner and premiership big man Luke Jackson with the Demons categorically denying they have had any talks with Fremantle about the WA native. Jackson is out of contract at the end of season 2022 and Melbourne wants him to extend his stay with the former Australian under-17 basketballer developing faster than many expected culminating in his ruck work in the grand final helping to turn the game to the Demons in the third term. Demons list manager Tim Lamb shot down any suggestion they had talked with the Dockers about Jackson. “At no time, has there ever been a conversation internally, or with Fremantle, about Luke Jackson,” Lamb told AFL trade radio. “I can categorically say that has never occurred. “He’s out of contract at the end of next season, we’re talking with his manager and happy with where it sits.”

We've become a serious football club.

I’m not convinced yet. Seems a bit selfish winning Rising Stars and Premierships at 20.

He isn't going anywhere (no source just my take). He looks so happy and settled with the group. He just won a flag with more to come hopefully from a young group. He talked about working with Max (who he said was like a father figure) for many more seasons. He got an MFC premiership tattoo!! What more do you need?

I was hoping the footy club would send at least one out for each membership to make up for us missing the Grand Final and games. I know COVID has hit the club hard and this is just an extra cost but the merchandise windfall surely would make this small token of appreciation to members a possibility. This is not intended as a knock on the club just a thought.

The experience I had with with dad and uncle was enough in itself. After the first quarter the smile on my uncles face and my dad saying things like “last time we were in front in quarter time in a grand final, we won.” Second quarter my dad leaving for half time show, my uncle saying “we had them, we were so close…” Third quarter from my uncle declaring it over and my dad being on misery to the turnabout. Dad saying, he’d be very happy going in with a one goal lead, to the burst. They both erupted. It’s never seen them like that in a long time. Fourth quarter, both men shedding tears. Neither are much for hugging men (I’m the only one who still gets hugs, my brothers don’t) they actually hugged each other. It was extraordinary. Being able to experience that moment with them is something I’ll never forget. Knowing my uncle doesn’t have much time left, it’s a family memory we'll always treasure.

Bit of blood around it still but this is what I got today

Seriously though, no one with any choice in the matter is leaving the MFC in the next 5 years. it's going to be bloody exciting.

ummm. every player between the teams of 1964 and 2021....

He would be bonkers to leave now, if he really wanted to go home you would stay with us until he hits his prime in 5-6 years. Take the 1.5 mil from freo and head home with 3 premierships draped around his neck.

Hey Guys, I've got some badges from the GF with Family names on them. The names are "Demunk", "EnBom", "Emmitt" and "Estes". If anyone knows these families and can find out if they would like these Badges sent to them I am happy to send them to them. I'm not looking for any money, it would of course be free of charge. I just think it would be a nice thing to do and something I would appreciate if I were in their shoes. Anyway let us know. And well done on the win guys. Most of Perth were going for you guys. Cheers West Coast Tragic IMG_2562.HEIC

There’s discussion on Knightmare’s thread on bigfooty about the need for patience with Andrew. His view is that “if you're drafting him, you shouldn't expect to see him until year 4 or for him to be playing a high level of football until year 6. It takes that long with ruckmen generally, and it's hard to see it being a quick process with Andrew”. So I registered myself and asked “how on earth a club can use a top 10 draft pick for a player it shouldn’t expect to see until year 4. Is GWS the only club that has this expectation or are there others?” Knightmare’s answer was as follows - “There have been Andrew to GWS links made but I don't have any strong word on how interested other clubs are. With rucks the rule is you're drafting them for who they'll be in their mid 20s rather than who they are today, just like with key forwards it's about who they'll be in year 4. There was until Jackson was picked at 3 a concerted effort by clubs not to take ruckmen so early for this very reason. The vast majority take a really long time to come good and become competitive at AFL level.” I’m very understanding of the need for patience when dealing with big men including KPP’s but find the answer unsatisfactory. The likes of Luke Jackson are the exceptions. That’s why they get picked early. The same goes to an extent with the likes of Jamara Ugle-Hagan, Riley Tilthorpe and Luke McDonald. These guys were getting games in year one, the kpp’s were kicking goals in their early games (Tilthorpe kicked 5 on debut). You would be expecting big things from these players by the end of year 2 (Dogga was a key part of a premiership team). To put someone in their category of top 10 in the draft with a four year window of reasonable expectation doesn’t compute with me. Not for a top 10 pick - maybe at mid 20s.

Being proactive in signing players like Oliver Salem and Petracca last year, they are following the same process so that players have certainty and contract discussion don't become a distaction during the season.

How to upgrade pick 17. We have 4 'live' picks with value: 17, 37, 49, 57, (and later picks 94 and 112 which can be used to promote players from the rookie list). We won't have enough list spots to use all 4. Hypothetical: GWS and Freo are playing a bit of cat and mouse re Lobb. GWS have picks 2 (untradeable), 13, 53, 71. 13 is too much and 53 not enough. We can 'help'! We get GWS #13 and give #17 and #49 (or 37 and something back to us if we really want to sweeten the deal). GWS will have a better hand to deal with Freo. We improve our hand and still have 3 'live picks' if we want to fill all our senior list spots. Freo have a fistful of picks and if they were to get #17 as part of the Lobb deal they could then deal with Geelong for Clark. As an aside Geelong would take out the 'grandstanding' award by demanding a 1st round pick for a player they have had for several years but haven't played very often.

So you think we’ll take him?

Brody Grundy, who was 10 times the footballer mac is now, when he was drafted, went at 19. Luke Jackson also was a far better player than Mac is now, when he was drafted. Mac weighs 70 kgs and was 13th in the B & F at his club. Mac may or may not become a good AFL player, but he is a risk IMO, with a top pick, as those players are expected to play early. I am not sure "all the talk" is actually accurate, or mischievous.

From today's session: But the premiers haven’t finished their wheeling and dealing just yet. “We’ll look at every opportunity to try to get as high as we can. We’re certainly having a little bit of look at some things,” Demons list manager Tim Lamb said on Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio “We've had a habit of trying to get back into the first round of the draft or improve our position in the draft and that was something we wanted to do again this year. By being back in the first round again that will give us five first-rounders over the last three years. “We’d seen the impact at Hawthorn of a group of young players that come in together over a two- or three-year period and they can really grow together, their relationships become really strong, and they go on the journey together. So that was our real focus.” That looks like another 'drafting cluster.' The first cluster was under Roos over three drafts from 2013, when we took Salem, (Tyson), AVB, ANB, Stretch, Hunt, Harmes, Petracca, Brayshaw, Oliver, Weideman, when Roos' goal was to build the midfield first and have 10-12 on-ballers. Some have moved on but they are our core players now in their prime. The second cluster started 5 years later and is the one we are in now: Jackson, Rivers, Pickett, Laurie, Bowey, x and y from this year's draft. And a few choice picks in between: Spargo, Petty, etc etc.

It was actually Gary Lyon who told me this during an on air call to SEN

I would. Don't need or want them.

Really? I'm there...

I look at the round 23 game differently now. The comments from the peanut gallery were 'you've done nothing', 'the cats took their foot off the gas' etc But the belief the players got from coming back against the odds at a hoodoo ground coupled with the momentum in the second half were simply breathtaking. The 3 finals games were a juggernaut because of that momentum and belief. And now we have a flag, the players know that their sacrifices are worth it, their selflessness is the key, there is nothingthey cannot do, there are no barriers to success any more and if they continue to work the next 5 years could be pretty special. Go Dees

I liked the highlight clips of just about every demon who we have ever drafted since all the footage has been recorded and made available. When we drafted a fat red head kid I could see he had skills but was a bit unsure we took him so early. When we drafted Luke Jackson all his clips showed a bloke who couldn't kick and we were taking an interstate ruckmen way to early. I love watching the draft highlights but I prefer the grand final ones where the fat red head kid and a young ruckmen who couldn't kick win us a premiership. I'm backing Jason Taylor on this.

Is a 10 year deal too long?!?

I recommend this video https://fb.watch/8vsOxjJGPv/

Sounds like nobody is worried about Jackson leaving and that we are working on an extension with his manager. I don't believe him when he says we've had no discussions about Jackson with Freo. I think we have. The discussions went something like this: Bell: "Can we talk about Jackson?" Lamb: *Hangs up phone*

Sounds more like they belong to an English county cricket team!

" We're gonna need a bigger cabinet! "

Oh dear, lapping up the delusional words of their Pres (below)?! Spare me. We've heard about these expectations and predictions for years. As much as I like and respect Cook, I can't see a bunch of second-choices and second-raters delivering them to the promised land any time soon. That warms my heart, having endured too much Carlton success (and arrogance) following footy from the late 70s, early 80s. On-field defensively (I'm talking about whole-team defence), they are pathetic. Listless. Outside Weitering, they have a bunch of one-way running, unaccountable, selfish, possession gatherers who are not prepared to sacrifice their game. We know exactly how important this is and how long it takes to get that part of the game right. Bloody years and years. Their first-round drafting since 2016 has been - to put it kindly - grossly ineffective (SPS, Dow, O'Brien, Stocker, Kemp, Philp) except for Walsh. I know it's early days for a couple of those guys, but these are the blokes that should form the core of a team that contends - and I don't think they do. Perhaps acknowledging their hit-and-miss (mostly miss) drafting of top-end talent in the last 5 years, they've decided to trade out their first-round draft picks in the last couple of years for over-paid so-called stars, also for questionable returns. As for Vossy, the jury is well and truly out. Things ended acrimoniously at the Lions, relationships broke down. He may have changed his ways. He may have discovered himself and learnt how to delegate, trust and manage people. The word out of Port is positive. But I wonder. His merry band of 'Traveling Wilburys' assistant coaches does nothing for me, either. In short, I hope (and expect) they stay in a deep, dark blue footballing abyss for a long, long time.

For anyone worried he isn’t up to our standard, watch the Rnd 14 replay against the Tigers. Wet and cold Friday night big stage, lined up against Dusty often in the middle Luke had 32 quality touches, 1 goal and 3 Brownlow votes. If that is your injury cover, that’s sensational

"Luke, let me introduce you to this nice girl who's a stunner, who lives in South Yarra, right near Gosch's, and whose family all live near Casey fields, and who has no intention of moving anywhere else in Australia, ever."

Peter Bell has prepared a very attractive contract for Jackson with benefits such as tattoo removal vouchers & an impeccable dental plan

On Trade Radio, Lamb has said we will try and get as high as we can and there are a few things they are looking at. So every chance pick 17 could move up the order.

I was planning to donate the badges I got to the Western Australian Museum, where I work, as they are part of a fascinating sub-story of this historical sporting event here in WA. However, if I have anyone's badge here on Demonland who wants it, I'll certainly be happy to repatriate them back to Victoria. Badges I've got are: Corkill, Dent, Bayly & Ricketts.

There is a group on facebook where kind WA people are listing the badges they have its called: MFC Member badges brought home.

My view is the club are rewarding these guys for a tough year and finals series where they were away from friends and family for the betterment of our best 22 where they weren't going to crack a spot. Fundamentally, this is a "culture" decision where the whole playing group are in focus and the club isn't being mercenary with 7 list spots that won't change whether we contend or not next year. We know what we're going to get with these guys, and it will start with holding a standard through pre-season (the same standard held through the finals series).

Yeah not my finest hour there.

Right now I’m watching the match (yet again). [censored] we’re good!

Spoiler alert - Oliver will win

Not the grand final but it's amazing that between 2007 and 2020 we beat Geelong twice. In 2021 we beat Geelong 3 times.

I take real offense regarding Trengove. He was a great player who was destroyed by poor handling of his injury and being made captain of a rubbish club with horrible culture at age 21 Trengove picked by Melbourne in 2021 goes on to become a 200 game champion.