Leaderboard

Angus Bradshaw - A Tribute - Loyal. Selfless. Empathetic. He was the perfect teammate. - He was always team first. Was there a position he didn’t play? - He was our unofficial leader. You just knew how much singing that song meant to him after a game. - So brave. That mark in the 2021 Grand Final defines you. The goal you kicked straight after it was representative of your class and skill. - He united all of the age groups. Gus loved them all, and they all loved Gus. - He was the Everyman. He could dag around with the first year recruits, or he could soar with the corporate eagles on the board or in the coterie groups. - His was the voice that brought the most laughter in the change room. He always had the right words at the right time. - When Gus pulled on the jumper you never thought Melbourne was out of a game. - Melbourne never recovered from his loss. If I could change one thing about season 2024 it would be that he got to wear his beloved red and blue one more time. - His legacy looms large. We, the supporters do not worry about his future as we know that the world is his oyster. We hope that in time the club recovers from his loss and that it recaptures the ‘Angus Brayshaw spirit’. - Go well Gussy!

Happy days for former Demon Billy Stretch as Glenelg go back-to-back in a classic SANFL Grand Final.

When it’s all said and done we had 42 players ( or 2 short) with our list this season. Still don’t know why we couldn’t get a replacement for Gus. And the treatment of Joel Smith ( no matter what he did) and the delay of nearly 12 months with him in limbo and is a player down for the whole season ( and our Club forced to abandon him and accordingly be treated like a criminal ) is quite dehumanising and would in any other situation be a red flag alert for mental health issues. His father Shaun our high marking forward of the 90’s is a case in point with football related issues affecting his life to the extent of marriage separation being a consequence as a result. why can’t there be a rule in drugs cases handled by WADA that you are allowed to continue your sport till it is ultimately proved you have broken the rules with your drug taking. It shouldn’t take that long ( I am aware that they are investigating some further alleged breaches to do with possible charges of approaching others to take drugs). Then Trac and Clarry our 2 best onballers and champions laid low thorough fitness and side effects of injury for half a season. Plus Spargo out for 2024 playing only one game. 2025 needs to be a whole new season and possibly a new updated game plan plus more 2021 attitudes and team bonding.

Not worth 5 years. He's a decent player, but reality is he's a second tier midfielder. You don't give long contracts, big dollars, or high draft picks at trade for him. Good we had a crack, but not worth what he's getting. Fair play to him milking the $$$ when he's overvalued.

The way he went about his football and involvement in MFC reflected the quality of the person. That speech (without notes !!)cemented my thoughts exactly. Well done Gus !!!!

I recently attended an event where Trent Rivers spoke and I’ve got to say he was outstandingly eloquent and extremely personable for such a young man. i can see him following in the footsteps of Angus in the near future, with captain material in obvious abundance, and a source of pride for all true Dees’ supporters.

If he can smash a pack playing as a key forward and can ruck the F50, he’s worth a swing. Maybe add some physicality and tackling too. The reality is that we need JVR freed up to become a true key forward. The club is looking for ways to do this.

They just rename the article How the academies and Fater/Son systems win you flags.

Wonderful speech by Angus. The cutaway to the Dee's table was great too. May,Lever, Max together. I hope the afl hierarchy and the Filth table shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Go well Angus. Our 21 flag had many contributors. But your 3rd quarter all over the ground was number one for mine.

Much more optimistic about him than Fullerton. this bloke takes contested” big pack “marks , and reads the football very well. Has succeeded at both end of the ground at vfl level .

Time for this again, I think..

Yep. Everyone knows it's Brashaw

I do not mind this at all. And to all the people whinging that they would rather Harry Boyd instead, just tell me exactly how that happens in a draft where it's a complete lottery. You are not even guaranteed that he'll be available at any of our selections and yet people are screaming they much prefer that then a free hit at this option What Tom Campbell brings is another senior mature and experienced body who'll provide some much needed leadership and guidance to our VFL team. He's a fantastic character who's one of the most hard working and dedicated guys going around with a team first attitude. An absolute workhorse. He's also a ripping fella who's done a lot for the AFL community in general. Talk about bringing in people to help shift the culture and standards, well Tommy will certainly help, especially with our younger players. Gawny isn't getting any younger, he'll need a decent chop out next year and part of me doesn't see him getting through the year again without injury. This is whether Campbell will be able to come in if need and play his role. He smashed it in the VFL this year and his numbers were elite so worse case is that he's making Casey a whole heap better.

Gawn unable to watch hits hard. Beautifully said Gus

"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone."

Thankyou for putting that speech on here. The only 4:30 minutes of the night worth remembering. Never Forget what happened to Gus, Demons….

Proud to call this bloke a demon - what a brave articulate speech Absolute legend hopefully he is now a step closer to getting involved in the club again - sorely missed

If we took Parfitt and he struggled next year, as he does most years, SONS would bemoan it as another Hunter/Billings style acquisition. If Geelong were truly ruthless they wouldn’t be holding onto Stanley and Duncan.

Absolutely renewing. I remember the years that turned into decades when we were nowhere near the finals. The club I love is competitive and has some wonderful players and I will support them every way I can.

This thread needs a background image

Nah, the geometry of bricklaying is too much for that Neanderthal, far too much. He'd be a good deal better off with a broom and keeping the billy boiling for those who have talents.

We wanted Grundy out. Geelong wanted Stengle out. Gold Coast wanted Chol out. Port Adelaide wanted Teakle out. Gold Coast wanted Bowes out. Hawthorn wanted Mitchell out. It's not a good argument. We have paid peanuts to get depth players to complement the strong list we already had. Hawthorn paid a lot of money because they had salary cap to burn due to their terrible performances whilst we had a list with the contracts of Petracca, Oliver, Gawn, May, Lever, Brayshaw, Salem, Langdon etc on it. You're comparing apples with oranges.

Cripps was ranked 15 in SuperCoach. He had a good year but not a Brownlow worthy win. Bont keeps short changed.

"Campbell reached his 50th AFL game during the 2021 season, where he was lauded by his teammates and coaches for his leadership and guidance while playing tandem in the ruck with Todd Goldstein." "Considered a strong clubman and mentor to younger players, Campbell won the Saints 2023 Best Clubman Award, with the Saints’ Executive General Manager of Football describing Campbell’s impact on the club as ‘profound." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Campbell_(footballer,_born_1991)

My heart goes out to Gus. I could feel his pain and hurt from a career cut short during that speech. The players sitting in the room felt it too... No wonder we had the year that we did. Thank you for your brave words that spoke from the heart Angus. Hopefully Gus will be there to present our next Premiership cup to our team!

Good player, but the bidding seems to be heading toward excess. The body of work isn’t significant with Peatling, 5 years is a big investment.

Demonland after Derk takes his first intercept pack mark

The music put them in some rhythms for this morning run. Light duties included Mackin, Zanker, Rigoni, Taylor, Johnson. Paxmen still restricted, attending some drills. Many didn't have numbers on their kit. I couldn't tell how Beasley trained. Tayla and Pearce still assisting on the track. Simulations, the squad split into two groups, ground ball gets and hit up to two leading forwards. The other was stoppage and clearance around the defensive mid. Plenty of goal kicking practice during the session. They finished with two teams taking on the coaches and tie-ins, The teams rotated in and out, as the coaches battled the flood of strong players, coaches ran out of steam.

The dust settled on the 1924 season and, on the face of it, the Melbourne Football Club had very little to show for the experience. It was described by one observer as a perplexing season that promised so much but ended in the team narrowly averting a wooden spoon and finishing eighth in the nine team competition that was about to expand with the addition of three new clubs. The VFL premiership was won by the Essendon Football Club, its sixth flag and the second in a row. It won the round-robin finals series which was the last time a VFL/AFL premiership was not decided by a grand final and the only time when the premiers lost their last match of the season as they were beaten by runners-up Richmond 9.13 (67) to 6.11 (47) in the last round-robin match. Things quickly turned ugly for the premier. Some Essendon players were unhappy at the poor performances of teammates in the round robin match against Richmond. There were reports of heated arguments and fist fights in the rooms after the match and after a post-match function later that evening amid accusations of match fixing and receiving bribes. Little wonder that when the VFA premiers Footscray challenged Essendon to a match for the championship of Victoria, it was the former which won comfortably by 9.10.64 to 4.12.36. The unofficial “championship” match played a week after the VFL grand final was in aid of Dame Nellie Melba's Limbless Soldiers' Appeal. There were further accusations of match fixing in that game and, as a consequence, champion centre half-back Tom Fitzmaurice was so disgusted that he never played again for Essendon. Footscray’s performance was the catalyst for the club’s admission to the VFL but the League didn’t stop there. North Melbourne and Hawthorn also defected to make it a twelve team competition when the 1925 season began. In the meantime, the VFL introduced an award for the fairest and best player based on the vote of the umpires and the first Brownlow Medal was awarded to Edward "Carji" Greeves of Geelong. Melbourne’s Bert Chadwick was runner up by one vote behind Greeves. 1924 might not have been a watershed season for the Melbourne Football Club but there were changes taking place that would see a significant improvement in 1925 to third place and a premiership in the following season when the club won its second flag in 1926. By that time Chadwick was captain-coach alternating between the ruck and centre half back and the great Ivor Warne-Smith had returned to the club to win the first of his two Brownlow Medals . In the space of two years, the club had risen from the doldrums to cover itself in premiership glory. Photograph of Melbourne Football Club, Premiers 1926, Image courtesy of the Melbourne Cricket Club Museum collection

Lol.. how can you seriously praise their ruthless list manage yet take a swipe at ours at the same time? Rohan is absolutely cooked and was struggling even at VFL level to get a kick this year. In 5 VFL games this year he averaged 6.4 disposals per game and yet you think he had a one year left in him and that him being cut is ruthless and good list management but poor on Melbourne's behalf?? Bizarre.. Foster a young Tomahawk!?? Lol if he is a young Tomahawk then why didn't he play senior footy or is getting delisted? 19 goals in 18 games averaging 6 disposals a game doesn't reek anything remotely close to being compared to Tom Hawkins. Hardie and Parfitt are clearly both VFL scrubbers and no different to any other delisted player going around. They'd add zero benefits to our team.

GEELONG premiership players Gary Rohan and Brandan Parfitt are among seven Cats delisted after their season ended in a preliminary final loss to Brisbane. Phoenix Foster, Oscar Murdoch, James Willis, Mitch Hardie have also been delisted having not played an AFL game. Former Hawthorn tall Emerson Jeka has also been axed. *** I hate the Cats. But I admire how ruthless they are. These are not easy calls as each have shown real ability. Rohan could play another year. Parfitt is capable. Hardie was excellent in the VFL winning a role in VFL team if the year. Foster is like a young Tomahawk. But they are ruthless. They see them as not quite premiership material. So they are out. They are after new youngsters. They are after Bailey Smith. They are after 1-2 Werribee players in the same way they got Mannagh. MFC hangs onto players with extensions and extra years beyond what they have demonstrated. FFS. Did I mention *** I have the Cats. Parfitt is a chance. Obviously he had talent. It’s the hard work to bring out the talent. Does he still have it ?????

The choice right now is pay Campbell 200k for 1-2 years and hope Verrall or others can take over. Or give up a pick and pay Soldo 500k for multiple years for similar results. I think I’d rather bank the useful pick and extra 300k and use that to target players in more important roles than back up ruck. Obviously it would be nice if we had some trade momentum to adding a best 22 player to justify the cheap ruck option.

+1. His loss was almost unbearable as he could fill any hole and play any style. Forever grateful for 2021.

I’ll save the bucket for Finn Callaghan. 👍🏻

Because they were brought in to fill a need. Hunter was a genuine winger who enabled Gus to move to half back. Billings was brought in to allow more flexibility with Lingers, who played between wing and half forward in the first half of the year. We needed someone with the running capacity to cover those wing minutes, and we weren't expecting Windsor to play as many games as he did, nor to the level that he delivered on. So they're not random salary dumps. That's irrelevant. They are strategically and cheaply acquired assets.

Yes, an impressive human being, and a profound loss to the club and football if he can’t bring himself to be involved again

So Derksen, Campbell and Owies Good news is the value of our Future draft picks are sky rocketing!

Oh dear.

Spoke without notes. That is a wonderful skill. He will be in high demand in both the football and corporate arenas. Selfishly, I hope it is within the Melbourne Football Club. As others have said, he was our spiritual leader, the glue that kept the playing group together. The impact of his loss on the team has been greatly underestimated by some who have been so critical of our performance this season.

Gus' speech at the Brownlow was superb, representing the best speech, the most intelligent, the most encompassing discussion from a footballer that I have ever heard over the years. The room was full, impressed and totally silent, attentive and respectful on each point he raised and weaved meticulously into his message. Gus, you are an example to us all; quality stuff, par excellence. Our Club needs your constant input.

...because we’ve had an already established team that was consistently at the pointy end, so to break into the side as an established player you’d need to be very good. And all of those recruits were depth players recruited for peanuts, so shouldn’t have been expected to contribute significantly. The problem is that it’s a collective that makes these decisions, but the tendency is for the blame to be unfairly targeted at an individual. Maybe you think we should hold the collective responsible, but I’d say that collective has enough runs on the board to make up for this perceived negative.

Gus 💔💔💔💔 right now but Will always be 💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️.

AFLCA Champion Player is the pinnacle in my opinion. https://aflcoaches.com.au/awards/the-aflca-champion-player-of-the-year-award/leaderboard/2024/20250125

I just hope the Norm Smith award winner acknowledges Daicos.

So strange how Heeney’s vote’s disappeared after he got suspended I know he was better early but still Its like the AFL is trying to kill all genuine interest in footy

The hate i have for he who shall not be named....

Gus is all class [watching the Brownlow right now] 🥂

Destination club

It was an opportunity for Hamish to fall in love with Hamish.