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Anyone who isn’t thrilled with that (if it’s true), is an absolute fool! Securing our talls means we can focus on restocking our midfield!

So, there’s simply NO TRUTH WHATSOEVER to the rumours about Clarrie. I talked to Chocco then Selwyn (they were there a while before the players came out) starting each convo with, “I understand if you can’t talk about this…” but they each said they had no problem talking about it because there’s no substance to any of it. And you reckon we go to town on these so-called journos? Chocco in particular had some choice words for them. 😁 Then I saw Clarrie coming over from AAMI. I met him halfway and we walked arm in arm to the tent coz ranga mum n son type dealio. 😄 I said “Claz I’m not gonna ask you where you’ll be next year, I just wanna tell you how very much we all love you, regardless. Honestly, us fans just want you to be happy, and healthy, mentally as well as physically.” He simply said, “I’m not going anywhere.” Just like that. I said, “I didn’t ask you that but now that you’ve said it unprompted I’m thinking it must be true.” He said, “It is true. I’m staying with Melbourne… if they’ll have me.” I said.”That’s good because all that cr@p I said before about us loving you regardless… I was lying. If you leave Melbourne, you’re dead to us.” 🤪 Anyways then I talked to Perty and he was even more emphatic about it than the others. He said there’s not much for “these people” to write about currently so they’re running with a “non-story.” Long convo but that’s it in a nutshell. After the session when most everyone had gone Clarrie was sitting in the tent changing shoes. I told him I had asked Perty if Melbourne still want him and he laughed and wanted to know what Perty said. I told him “Perty said ‘That lazy [censored]-er? We’re trying to get rid of him’.” 😂 Good times

Of course it wasn't nothing. Which is why he has been able to play as well as he has. Despite having a very limited preseason and having a badly broken hand that required surgery (that he is clearly still struggling with) Oliver has been our best mid this season. And that's also despite playing a different role - a defensive mid. A role that no doubt he is playing because of his limited preseason (because he doesn't have his breakaway speed and stamina). It must be so frustrating for clarry, a bloke used to being a walk up AA. He is working his guts out week on week out. Just look at him at the end of each quarter - he's spent. He knows he's not near his optimal condition and knows there is little he can do about that in season. Because he is so far off his peak condition he is often starting on the bench and is only playing 72% game time this season (I think the lowest of any regular best 22). He's working hard by all accounts on his wellbeing and off field stuff. Doing what is asked of him, including the things like the koz trip home. And on top of all of that had to put up with the peanut gallery in the media taking lazy pot shots - peanuts who are predominantly ex footballers who know all about fitness and preseasons, and so are simply gaslighting footy fans. Wouldn't it be great if clarry, who by all accounts is a really nice young man, had the full support of dees SUPPORTERS who instead of amplifying misinformation the media spews out for clicks, ratings and profit pushed back and got behind him. Or at the very least bothered to educate themselves about some basic facts about AFL football circa 2024 - for example the impact of interrupted preseasons and in season injury and surgery on elite athletes.

FWIW… On Sunday I spent the halftime break with The Wiz and his mob and for the most part we talked about the Quairading - Going Home video (if you’ve not watched it, you really should). Jeff loves the video. He said that Kozzie’s mob will forever consider Goody and Clarrie and Shano part of their family, and that’s huge. In particular, the part where Clarrie piggybacks Kozzie’s grandmother up the hill is immense. As Jeff explained it, and I’m paraphrasing, it meant the world to Nan to be able to be up at that special spot at the top of the hill, the very spot where Kozzie and his cousins spent many carefree days swimming and playing and all the while Nan would be watching and enjoying seeing them so happy. But… she wasn’t able to walk up the hill without assistance and maybe it’s a cultural thing, but she wouldn’t ask for, nor expect, assistance. No-fuss-Claz without any ado just did it. I asked Jeff what he thinks lies ahead for Clarrie. He believes Clarrie will remain a Demon. As I said, for what it’s worth. 🤷‍♀️

If you’ve missed a lot of the little things Petty has done with positive talk to his team mates, great forward pressure and routinely putting his body on the line then you’re letting your bias cloud your judgment. There’s a very good footballer - forward or back - in there. Don’t drop off now.

My sister from another mister attended training at Casey today, she was the sole spectator. These are her notes. She says apologies in advance if she’s left any players out or if anything is unclear. The gates weren’t open and most of the action was on the other side of the ground. 10am -Max out there -Group doing drills in 2 groups -Then doing 30m sprints all together -Salo doing 1/2 pace running -21 talking to coaches -Now 100m sprints -Bbb trying to run along boundary- really struggling -Goody not there -Breaking off into groups -Max with mids -Practicing drills -They’re doing a strategies training drill. Max hasn’t kicked and is slow -Max marked and kicked left foot small pass -Training with energy and loud speaking -Sestan running boundary -Break into 2 groups -Practice is tight- moving quickly from one activity to another -Jefferson and Lever on own with coaches practicing marking and handballing- lever disinterested- kept watching the fowards and backs group drill -JA26 Big talk in middle ⁃ 2 teams white and blue Blue 8 1 29 45 36 15 2 11 30 4 13 24 6 18 45 42 35(BL) White 16 44 38 19 43 33 14 12 20 28 16 27 22 37 18 35 36 43 blue 38 30 2 white -all practicing drills forward drills Split into training drills swapped bibs over. ⁃ 15 13 12 14 did 1 sprint Early finish at 11.30!!!! And… That’s all she wrote

He’s still a bin diving misogynistic [censored]

After 24 tackles, 27 disposals, 11 clearances and a goal for Casey on the weekend do we reward K. BROWN with a game against the giants? Those sorta numbers force him into the team, don’t they??

Melbourne leaked it early because they heard there weren’t enough meltdowns on Demonland after that loss.

Petty for mine because I never worried about Windsor going anywhere at this stage. I am thrilled to secure a key position player who is only 24 and a proven defender, a proven contested mark and a potential gun forward. And just for context, it took Tmac 2 entire seasons to find the form he’s currently in post a Lisfranc injury. Every man and his dog wanted him paid out and delisted. Now everyone hopes he stays on.

“Just my opinion, there’s no world that I’d be changing or trading Clayton Oliver. There’s no footy world where I follow that I would contemplate trading Clayton Oliver,” Lyon said on SEN. Oliver signed a monster contract extension in 2022 which ties him to Melbourne on a $1m-season deal until 2030. Lyon said he would hand back his membership if the Demons paid any portion of Oliver’s deal while he played for another club. “If they paid another club to take him, that’d be the last straw,” he said. The former Demons skipper said with the emergence of Trent Rivers and return of Christian Petracca in 2025, Oliver could recapture his mantle as one of the AFL’s premier midfielders. “He’s 27 years old, he’s won four best-and-fairests, he’s won two coaches awards, he’s a premiership player. He’s a superstar of the game who is in a bit of a hole, relatively. He’s still averaging 25 touches,” he said. Lyon added: “If you believe everything you read he’s like a 10-possession player that can’t impact. He’s nowhere near his peak. But we know his issues. “We know how well documented they are. And if I’m the Melbourne footy club, I’m looking at him as getting through this year, hopefully still playing good footy and then cracking in, big summer, Petracca back, midfield going and go again.”

Just to flag,Clarry is currently: - 4th at the club for tackles (total and average per game) - Leading the club for disposals (both) - 7th for total effective kicks (the top 5 are all defenders who always take safe options so lead this stat, 6th is Langdon) - Leading the club for total contested possessions (2nd behind Gawn in average) - Leading the club for total possessions. - 2nd for turnovers (unsurprising because of how many posessions he's had, but he is second behind Viney here). - Streets ahead in first for ground ball gets. - 2nd for centre clearances, 3rd for stoppage clearances. - 4th for pressure acts. And he's done that while averaging 77.7% tog which is 18th at the club (Ben Brown the only non regular above him) Yeah he's having a down year by his standards, but a) he isn't on his own here and b) he is still performing statistically as well as anyone else in the midfield.

Trac was on Nova this morning and will be back at the club tomorrow on light running duties. He wont be playing this year as he will be on non contact duties until October.

Big difference between getting stuck into a player based on their form, or something they did badly in a game. Totally different story to call players useless, weak, gutless, a cultural cancer etc etc We all are guilty of getting emotional about the club, myself included, and I am no saint, but some of the utter [censored] that gets written about our players not just here but everywhere online, is downright embarrassing. Just look at the post Melbourne made about Petty's re-signing. Some of the comments made about him were awful. I always try to think to myself if this player was my child, or my husband, would I be ok to read what I write about them?

If it was just reading that they’re playing poorly I’m sure they wouldn’t be so affected. It’s the straight up bagging. This isn’t me lecturing people on it, this is directly from someone who is offended. These are kids ffs.

Brilliant news People on social media should be ashamed of themselves with some of the comments being made about Petty. Absolutely shameful garbage that I would expect from Pies fans not Dees fans.

extraordinary stat line from pup brown 25 (15, 10) disposals, 11 clearances, 21 (!!) tackles, 1 goal in a 27 pt loss super impressive

You really are cranky, aren't you? - and that is putting it as kindly as I can. You say $200k as if it is a fortune. It isn't. They have to live their entire lives around football, in their diet, activities, social life, everything. There is often charitable work involved. They go on to the football field and literally risk their lives - ask Trac. They get baked from pillar to post and it is a rare player who doesn't have a"niggle" ie constant minor pain. Which in turn becomes a wrecked knee/shoulder/whatever in later life. Their sporting life is limited to usually no more than a decade. $200k is reasonable pay but not generous. And no, it is NOT right that there should be such vitriol.

All time Brownlow Votes for Melbourne (EG is eligible games played) 1 – Robert Flower – 130.5 votes (269 EG) 2 – Clayton Oliver – 116 votes (152 EG) 3 – Greg Wells – 92 votes (224 EG) He's alright Clayton. Just need him to get back to what he does best

Why would you trade a top 5 player during their poorest season to date? It's like buying shares at the top price and selling when they crash. At worse Clarry never returns to the same player, and we trade him at the end of 2025 after a full pre-season. At best he returns to his previous form and we don't make fools of ourselves trading out a top 5 player after ONE mediocre season. Even if you are a cut throat fans with no attachment to players, it makes no sense to get rid of Clarry now when his value has never been lower. The chances of his playing worse next year after a good off-season, are slim to none.

Do they? As WCW said, they’re kids. Maybe the ‘adults’ on here, most of whom are decades older than these boys, with years of apparent experience and wisdom, could ease up on the ridiculous critical bagging they hand out to these very young men, who are ALL trying to survive in a massively taxing, ultra-competitive sport.

Melksham on radio this morning revealed that Gawn has a fitness test today. Also said Sparrow plays a defensive and team role but also needs to play with more freedom without just focusing on his team role, which is why he’s been dropped. Sounds 100% spot on to me.

But Kane Cornes told me we needed to trade him and a first round pick! Why won’t anyone listen to Kane when he tells us Pickett and Petty are leaving and then says we should trade Oliver? Poor Kane.

Ok Im saying this now, If Clarry is out, Im out, no more memberships, no more training reports and probably better for some no more P.F I know little of his background BUT I do know footy clubs and cricket clubs at ANY level have their fair share of hipsters, jive bunnies, try hards, alternatives, party animals, wacky terbaccy imbibers clowns, nutters, mad men ( and women) eccentrics,musicians, drunks you name it I have seen them all then some more!!.You embrace em and support and encourage whatever the scenario. AND LOOK AFTER THEM! NOT SAYING CLARRY IS ANY OF THAT, BUT ...Clarry needs us as we need him!

I've got [censored]-all interest in us paying half a million a year for Oliver to tear it up for another team for the next 5 years. Yes injury and his off field issues stuffed the latter half of last year and much of his pre season, but he's seemed in a much better place this season. I reckon we'd be crazy not to give him the chance to get a full preseason under him and show his wares next year before giving trades a consideration.

Did he sign in the rooms or something?

The young players are not the problem. Senior players are. Fluctuation in form is one thing. But when you’re getting mauled in every “effort” stat that’s another. Smashed in every aspect of the game that is meant to be our DNA. Inexcusable. Nobody expected us to win, least of all me, but effort is a non negotiable and so many players have to be questioned on their effort today. And no I don’t mean first year, or second, or even third year players. I am talking senior players with 100+ games under their belt, letting their opponents waltz out of packs and mark uncontested time and time and time again. I didn’t care that we got monstered in the ruck, I cared that we had Viney Oliver Salem Nibbler and Sparrow, premiership players with stacks of experience, apply no pressure in the contest. Young, Sarong and Brayshaw may as well have been at a little league clinic today. -36 in contested possessions and -31 in clearances, with the lowest clearance numbers recorded since the 90s! That is sky is falling level performance. Or no performance.

Love this. Well done Kolt. I think next up is Judd McVee on a 10 to 15 year contract extension please. Thanks Tim.

Its a bit sad. He had just secured a permanent spot in the 22, and then he did this dumb thing. I really think we have missed his versatility in the forward line. With his spring, he could have also taken on some ruck duties. Losing him and Gus at the start of the year has really set us back. Then, for good measure, we have lost Trac for the season and Clarrie is having his worst year.

It must be all but certain that he is to be delisted and not seen again, but it really is appalling that his case is taking so long to reach its end. Whoever is running this - ASADA? the AFL? - is showing no regard for the player. And after all, what was his offence? Nothing more than taking a very common, albeit illegal stimulant too close to game day for it to clear his system. That's it. Not performance enhancing, just dumb. However, no-one will go in to bat for him because an example must be made of him. So sayeth the AFL.

It's well stated that Melbourne has been dealing with Clayton's off-field issues for a number of years. From what I understand, while the footy in his life has been consistent, he's been able to manage and juggle it ok. From what I know based on a conversation with someone at the club, the problems all started with his hamstring injury last year. Without the daily grind of footy everyday, Clarry lost the structure in his day and that's where his off-field problems started to escalate. I thought Buckley made a really good point last night on "On the couch". He said sometimes "manic on-field" and "manic off-field" works really well for some individuals. He then went onto say, Oliver is clearly had a transition from that "manic off-field" lifestyle and it may take a while for him to fully adjust. I'm backing Clarry in. With him in a better headspace next year and a full pre-season, I expect a return to somewhere near his best. He may never reach that same level, but I still think he can be a top 10 player in the game.

I’d bring Max Gawn in, I reckon he could be the answer to our ruck problems.

Any chance we give our multiple club champion, premiership winning midfielder an uninterrupted pre-season before we talk about trading him? It’s his first down year ever and if we’re being honest it was probably expected after the troubles he had before this season. Clayton deserves far more respect than he is getting from some.

Play him in Defence

Cannot believe the chicken littles, sky is falling and the constant disparagement. Young ones will be inconsistent, it is the next few games that will define our season. So we lose one, it is not the finish of us as a competitive team. Keep building Dees.

Let down by 3 of our highest paid players first thing Clarrie (first half), Lever and Kossie need to do is put their hands up and admit their effort and accountability was nowhere near the required level today.

It also doesn't matter how much you earn, nobody deserves to be personally attacked for doing their job. You never ever know what anyone is going through in their personal lives, or how what is said about them by faceless individuals online may impact them. I have been around this forum for 2 decades. I still remember fans calling Trac fat, lazy, useless, and wanting him traded as a waste of pick 2. A lot of morons around with an over inflated sense of entitlement and intelligence online.

You got this Melbourne, let's go boys!!! Hey Riv, you probably get this a lot, but my daughter thinks you're hot.

A first year player should thank his lucky stars for any senior game time and put his head down like he is doing. He is a skinny kid. His time will come. but feel free to continue to Goody shafting nonsense

Yep, it started when he watched the replay of the first half against Freo. Symptoms - nausea, loss of hope, dizziness, mood swings

Surely Tim Lamb’s got to feel the heat soon? Goody in his presser saying we don’t have another ruckman who can win hitouts, well why not? Gawn is 33 in a couple months, how was this not addressed in the last trade period? Speak to any lions fan for 2 minutes and they’ll tell you Fullerton’s not a ruckman, so why was he brought in? It’s not about having an A grader in the wings, a C grade ruckman would suffice as long as he’s competitive, incompetent list management, a big trade period awaits for Lamb, do SOMETHING

I recall an interview a few years ago where TMac said he'd like to play until he was 35. That was before his most recent foot injuries. In a couple of interviews this year he's stated that he's treating 2024 as his last year and he was determined to enjoy it, whether he was playing at AFL or VFL level. I think he's surprised himself and the club with his form this year. If his body holds up for the remainder of the season, I doubt it would take much to convince him to go around again

Goody unwell.... unable to attend match committee meeting....out Sparrow PS Humour

I was listening and this is where the media doesn’t report what is actually said. The bolder bit Garry actually said he would under no circumstances trade Oliver who is in a form slump With regards to handing back his membership, his words were worse then trading Oliver if they were to also pay some of his salary to play for another club that would be it for me. Whilst it may only be semantics it’s how the media works and the truth gets lost in translation. The next article changes it slightly again and click bait goes wild. The biggest issue for me is Kane Cornes(who tries to be controversial just for the sake of it) made a suggestion that Melbourne would potentially pay part of Oliver’s salary and off load a first round pick to get Oliver off our books, suddenly becomes something that the club is considering. FCS this is the same person who absolutely pushed the Kossie to Port move 2 years ago as if it was a done deal. Never believe anything Cornes or Maclure say

Wish it was this simple mate. Unfortunately during the season you have to prioritise recovery. Means that maintenance of fitness level is really the go - outside of the L word or the 6-8 week 'mini' pre seasons that we sometimes see. Your pre-season sets up your year. Talked to a mate about this recently who played at a high level. He missed a month or so of preseason once and said he couldn't get near it for the rest of the year, eventually his body broke down before the end as well. Full preseason the year after and he was back to his best. Feel free to take with a grain of salt as it's just a one-off anecdote. I fully expect it's the same for our boy though.

If we look at our best 5 players coming into this season we could probably say Max, Trac, Clary, Gus and May. 3 of those are out, 1 at half power and the other going ok. We get the results we should pretty much expect. We don't have the star power on the ground to win against top teams. No coach is going to fix that, genius or not.

I think I heard Goody say Woeys corky wouldn't be risked on the long flight to Perth but they were hoping he'd get up for a game in the VFL. Makes sense.