Bedraggled Dee

Contracts are just bits of paper. Dew can leave anytime he wants, the Swans have to then decide if they seek compensation from him for a breach of contract or pursue any contractual conditions that may be present in the conract. I can't believe the AFL or the coaches association would be keen for that to occur. I agree with BB, if Roos and PJ want Dew then bugger the Sawns, we should take the fight up to them and get him when he and the MFC reach an agreement. I also agree with rjay, that this should be done professionally and with due process but definately not with any regard to the wants or need of the Swans.

I dont think you can judge FA purely on numbers and based on a single years operation. Statistically if you take out players who werent gettiing games at their original clubs like Tom Murphy (6 games), Byrnes (4 games) Knights (5 games), the majority vast majority of the quality player moved from lesser cubs to strong clubs. FA will never just be a stream of players heading one way but based on the first year it seems likely that if the current trend continues it will make it more diffucult for lesser clubs to attract and retain experienced quality players who want to leave to seek success. There will always be players who leave to take up significant contracts at clubs that have salary cap room but if the Buddy thing tells us anything then it is that where there is a choice it will be to a stronger club. After all, the upwards pressure on player payments and better job security throuigh longer contracts is wha the AFL PA pushed for with FA. I hope I am wrong but in my view the notion of a premiership window is no longer a truth and you will find that clubs in strong positions will be able to continue success over a longer period by toping up the list. Thats not to say Melbourne etc cant come good, it will just be harder.

I recon it is going to be Dew and have absolutley no doubt that if Dew is the prefered option for Roos then PJ will make it happen and ther is nothiing Sydney will be able to do about it. He is loke a dog with a bone once he makes a decision.

Whether you like it or not we are a very young list, and probably more importantly inexpeienced list. Many of our early 20s players like Bleaze, Strauss, Bail, Jetta, Evans etc have played relatively few games due to injury etc. Statistically you need to get you best 22 averaging around the high mid 20's and aroun 70 games to be a competetive outfit, we are no where near that in terms of our best 22 and losing experience is something we cant afford because it will just take us longer to get there. If we lose a FA player each year like the past few we will never get there. Thats why its important to retain experience. To win a flag it has to be the right players but just retaining players would be a good start.

Grow up, its a nick name!!! its a term of endearment not derogatory or intended as an insult.

Not sure I agree. I dont recon its all doom and gloom I would have prefered to keep Sylvia but we have enough talent on the list to think that a turn around is not a million miles away. The forward line and back line are solid and better than most clubs. I also have confidence in the ruck stocks with Jamar, Gawn, Fitzy and the pencil. The midfield is substandard but it is not as hard to fix as the bookends. I think for everything that Neeld did wrong in managing people and his crap game plan he did enact cultural change and created a more professional approach. There is no doubt the club is better trained and developed thanks to Neeld and Craig. Look at Garlands development and Jones's development as examples. Neither were the players and leaders they are now a couple of years ago. PJ has said the club is not all bad. If we can add a couple of senior mids and a few qulity draft picks, implement a decent game plan that players buy into I think the turn around can happen pretty quickly.

Not sure your comparing apples with apples there. Stick most of the Swans on there own in Melbournes midfield and there numbers will drop significantly. No player other than someone like Ablett can do it on there own. Sylvia could have been better but could have been alot worse.

Agreed, regardless of the performance of Col over the journey the last couple of years were good in a rubish team. In a quality team with more ball and space he will be a star and we will defnately miss his strength and skill. I wish him well but wish he had stayed. The reality of the Dees is that we will struggle to attract any A grade talent during the trade period, why do you think we ended up with Rodan, Gillies, Pedersen and Brynes? The Roos factor may play a part but finding 3 players of a similar profile and skill to Sylvia will be very diffcult unless we pay over the odds like Dawes and Clark which in our current financial state will be difficult and will impact on keeping players in the future. Our best bet is through the draft but bringing in more youngsters in a team devoid of experience in the midfield will inevitably result in a tougher path for our young talent to develop to its potential. I think Chappie may be an option as much for his leadership and experience as his playing ability.

Sorry fat fingers

The get lots of practice on game day

I agree 100%. The media moneyball took on a life of its own and became a truth because it was stated so often. The recruitng last year was the best we have done for years. None of the duds we moved on got a game anywhere. Molloney was a loss as will Sylvia but if the player decides to walk then that is their call and there is only so much the club can do. Rodan and Byrnes were free ad cheap and were ot our worst performers and added critical seniority and leadership to the team. They allowed for the appropriate development of the youngsters at Casey without the need to play thyem in the AFL too early. If we can get the same results this year as last I would be very happy.

Love Grimesy. I definately think he should be the Captan if this club for the next decade. Jones is a ripper but in my opinion not a long term Captain. My preference is: Captain - Grimes Vice - Garland and Jones Leadership Group from - Dawes, Trengove, Sylvia, Frawley, Clark, Jamar

Col is a required player. The Ros wants to keep him is because he can build a game plan around Sylvia and and couple of other class players including Watts, Howe and Clark. We have too few of these types to let any of them go. There is no doubt the Col has not maximised his talent but the team is better with him in it. What we dont need is to lose another senior player from the locker room and big body to get in a teenager. Will he get us into a grandfinal, probably not, but between now and then we need to hang on to some older heads and bigger bodies to be competetive.

Its a touch inaccurate to say we happily let Rivers go. Riv was always a required player and was offered a deal but chose to go to Geelong to experience finals before he retires. I watched Pedersen at VFL level and he played some very good games but seemed to struggle at AFL level. A couple of people I know in the VFL umpiring rate him. Not sure myself and I recon three years was at least one to many.

Cant believe the carping and sniping on this forum has started already. Surely you must give PJ and Roos some credit that they know what they are doing. You dont have to be a gun player to be a good coach you need to be smart, a good comunicator and a motivational leader. For what its worth Miller was and is a quality person who obviously, in Roos eyes has those qualities and I thought the team always looked better with him in it even if it didn't show in his stats. It wasn't just the loss of Jnr that left the club bereft of leaders. You can include, Miller, Green, Bartram and Bruce in that list as well. Great to see Brad back at the club and I thnk he has the potential under Roos to become a very good coach. PS looking forward to seeing Pia at the B&F

Grimes is a good captain who will mature into a great leader and needs to given time. He is one of the hardest working and most professional blokes on and off the field and leads by example. He will be a gun off half back in the next few years. Grimes is mature for his age and a good public speaker with great media potential. There is absolutly no reason to change Grimes for anyone but I agree that Trenners probably struggled with the role and should drop back to VC maybe with Jones. Others in the leadershp group Dawes, Garland, Clark, Sylvia and maybe an experienced new bloke for mine.

I agree with nearly everthing above except that the game looks prety good right now. I dont think the game is poor but could certainly be improved. I think the rule changes have created a game that you either compete in or you dont, there appears to be very little middle ground. I also hate the sight of the player all in one quarter of the ground and the reulting melee. It reminds me of watching the auskick games at half time. I think the use of the interchange by the coaches has gone past what it should be and it has not been good for the spectical.

I dont want a priority pick and prefer the club to stand on its own but if the rule exists then surely we may qualify. Our history including wasted picks and poor development is irrelevant it is a decision that should be based purely on the here and now. Does the MFC need a priority to become competetive and not have a negative effect on the comp?. I am not sure of the answer, I think our back line and potential of our forward line means that we are not weak across the field and that key big men are in place in some depth. This should mean that we dont really need a leg up. If Watts or Sylvia walk then that may impact on the decision.

I have no problem with Jones but I dont think Grimes has done anything wrong this year to warrant a change. There is an argument that Trenners may benefit from being freed from the captaincy. There are plusses and minusus here, Maybe Jones would not handle the captaincy and that Grimes is the best man for the job. I think stability is a good thing right now and sacking our current captains and installing Jones would have little effect on performance and could be detrimental to Jones and potentially Grimes. My preference would be to discuss with Trengove and if he is comfortable get him to focus on his own game and maybe just have Grimes as skipper and retain Jones as VC.

Retired Rodan, McDonald, Davey Definately gone Couch. Magner, Sellar, Gillies and Davis Trade bait everyone except Hogan, Clarke, Grimes, Trenners, Garland, Frawley, Dawes, Macdonald, N Jones, Toumpas, Viney, Howe and maybe M Jones, Terlich, Kent, Clisby and Evans

I prefer the 2008 debarkle Watts Bleaze Strauss Jetta Bail Watts has played the most games with 70 odd. The rest below 40 out of over 200. Undeniable waste of picks

I agree apart from Barry. Leave him in twos and given the Bulldogs lack of height I would leave Spencer in and play Watts through the midfield and Have Gawn, Dawes, and Fitzy up forward and sharing ruck duties

Do they seriously think anyone at MFC could possibly have taken performance enhancing drugs????? Really???? We should be asking for our money back. I think we will get a slap for not reporting the Dank link when initally asked ut from previousl released info it seems the link to Dank was via the Doc inaccordance with protocols. My bigger worry is if the EFC players get infraction for AOD use Trenners will as well if it can be proved he used the precribed cream.

Are you for real?? I realy think MMM, Eddie and Co would know if she was a players mum or not. Or maybe you think its an AFL counterinsurgency plot? You need to get off the conspiracy sites on the web

Players; Watts (Trade, the difference between his atitude to the club and Flash's was and eye opener to me); Nicholson; Gillies; MacDonald (Gone); Sellar; Davis; Bail; Magnar; Couch; Davey (gone, but I would have gven him aother year); Strauss; Jamar (cant keep him, Gawn. Spencer, Clarke, Dawes and Fitzpatrick on the same list) Coaches: Chocco (never any good); All the others subject to the wishes of the new coach Admin; Mahoney (need a hard nosed experienced football administrator wihtour Mahoney's baggage). Gets - Junior needs to come back in some capacity; As many quality mids as possible (I would chuck bucket loads at Daisy), quality small forward (Happy to trade Watts for one of Carltons), I would also like to add an offensive running backman like Harry O