Bedraggled Dee

We have the following players on the list that I think are currently AFL standard. Mids - N Jones, Tyson, Cross, Vince and Viney (maybe Watts and Salem maybe??) Backs - Jetta, Dunn, Frawley, Garland, Grimes (I know people dont like him but I thought we realy missed him yesterday when he went off) and Macdonald provided he learns to kick Forwards - Howe and maybe Kent Rucks - zip Appologies to Pedo I just dont know ehere he fits in.

Based on the weekend Garland Macdonald Jetta Dunn Vacancy Grimes Vince Cross

Bottom line for me so far is that the AFL have created a bit of a dogs breakfast throughout ths investigation. They have tried to maniupulate the outcome and in doing so muddied the process and leaked like a seive. If they had taken the NRL approach and stood back and let ASADA get on with it we would not be here now. I dont blame the AFL, they did what we should expect them to do and protect the competition and its clubs (including Essendon) but by pushing for the joint investgation and the interim report in a race to whack Essendon before the finals they made some mistakes. In hind sight they should have let the 2013 season play out and deal wit the fall out once the ASADA enquiry was done and dusted. If had taken that approach they would now be hung drawn and quartered for sitting in there hands and allowing this to drag out and not taking action earlier. They would just be in a better position legally.

That might be the case regarding the contents of the Interim report but never the less it was an ASADA document and therefore subject to the Privacy Act and handed to a sport adminisration body (the AFL). For this to occur it nees to comply with the legistlation that requires it to be treated confidentialy and not handed to the media like the AFL did. It is arguable that its use in determining sanctions for breaches of AFL rules (if it can be proved it was used) is an improper use and therefore the sanctions could be challenged as invalid. I dont think it will hapen as the AFL has the pwoer to investigate breaches of its own rules and ASADA has the power to accept and use that information for WADA breaches. All they are arguing is that the mechanism for sharing information which was a joint investgation rather than two separate ones with info passed after the event. The other problem for ASADA is the use of the AFL's coersive powers during the interviews. If Middelton thinks that this was improper he could have all the interview evidence chucked out. That would just mean ASADA would need to reinterview so I think Middletin has discretion t allow the evidence to be used even it he finds against ASADA.

I recon if the interim report is found to be given to the AFL illegally and used it for a purpose for which ASADA do not have powers it will definately open up the AFL to receive claims from Hird, Essendon, Thompson and the players. Given Hird and Littles letigious nature I would be surprised if they did not prcoeed down that line. I would hate to think of the cost to the AFL if they were successful. They would need to repay the $2m plus damages and maybe costs which could be any amount. I have said it before, for every AFL fan this is a huge issue the AFL just have to win.

Dont know why that posted three times but suspect operator error

I am not a lawyer but that is my take on it. Middleton will only rule on whether the joint investigation was legal or not and if any or all of the evidence gathered during that investigation can be used by ASADA. If everything goes Essendon and Hirds way ASADA have stated they will just reissue the show cause notices using evidence gathered legally. I suspect that the hope is that ASADA are bluffing and they will drop the matter. Either way this action will not change the fact that a case exists for breaches of the WADA code by Essendon.

I am not a lawyer but that is my take on it. Middleton will only rule on whether the joint investigation was legal or not and if any or all of the evidence gathered during that investigation can be used by ASADA. If everything goes Essendon and Hirds way ASADA have stated they will just reissue the show cause notices using evidence gathered legally. I suspect that the hope is that ASADA are bluffing and they will drop the matter. Either way this action will not change the fact that a case exists for breaches of the WADA code by Essendon.

I am not a lawyer but that is my take on it. Middleton will only rule on whether the joint investigation was legal or not and if any or all of the evidence gathered during that investigation can be used by ASADA. If everything goes Essendon and Hirds way ASADA have stated they will just reissue the show cause notices using evidence gathered legally. I suspect that the hope is that ASADA are bluffing and they will drop the matter. Either way this action will not change the fact that a case exists for breaches of the WADA code by Essendon.

Niffty is a ripper. I always liked his aggression and attack but thought his tank and skills were an issue. Exact opposite to how I feel about Watts. Welcome back Neville hope you play 200 games and win a couple fo permierships

We may have been playing 'bruise free' football but this moron consistently play brain free football. brain the size of peanut IMO

I can think of a few reasons why not but I bloody well hope you are right. I would love to rub their arrogant noses in it for a few days. Carn the DEES, hard graft and tackle anything that moves is the only way

The first of many cracks that will end being a fissure that will end up with a complete rebuild similar to Roos revival at Melbourne. The cost of Hird and Little to this club will be measured in millions of dollars. Cant say it bothers me much, happy to see this god forsaken pack of lunatics get what theydeserve

Just received the following from a Hawthorn supporter who got it from a Hawthorn forum. Fun facts: Of the 22 that lined up for the Fuschias last week, only Lynden Dunn has played in a winning team for Melbourne against Hawthorn. That was his third game, back in 2006. In the Clarkson era, the cumulative scoreboard reads Hawthorn 203.180 (1398) to Melbourne 134.126 (930), a Hawthorn percentage in excess of 150%. Since that 2006 loss, the figures are Hawthorn 175.159 (1209) to Melbourne 101.99 (705), a Hawthorn percentage of 171.49%. Since Melbourne won its last premiership, Hawthorn has won ten. Melbourne's current premiership drought extends to 50 years this season. Melbourne last played finals in 2006, so this year is eight years in succession that they have failed to make the top eight, far and away the longest September drought in the league. Since the end of that season, Melbourne are 38 wins, 2 draws and 132 losses. Hawthorn has 38 wins from its last 46 games. Super-mega-hyper-ultra-cyber coach Paul Roos' winning percentage with Melbourne is 22.2%. Melbourne's winning percentage in the previous seven seasons was 22.1%. You can clearly see the improvement. What a f*&^$*& rabble. I hope they fold. Whilst I enjoy the percentage builder every year, it's a travesty that this joke of an organisation is permitted to carry the name of the city that is the home of football. They should be forced to rename themselves to the Junction Oval Junkies or Casey Catastophes or the University Dropouts or something, anything but Melbourne. You're a stain on the city, you're a stain on the league, you're a stain on the sport, and you only exist because I voted to keep your 'culture' of losing, blame and a half-century of ceaseless mediocrity out of my footy club. F&^% off Melbourne, you're s*&^. Gives a pretty clear indication of what the reast of the comp thinks of us. I really hope we win but fear we will get thrashed. I a torn between wanting to g to support the boys in what will in all likelyhood be a tough day out, but dont really want to sit through another flogging surrounded by the above types and am not keen on giving my entrance money to a club I hate. Just n case your interested the following was my reply This sort of rubbish is not surprising from the Hawthorn membership. There is no supporter group I have less respect for than Hawthorns. Arrogance borne from recent success without a decent foundation seems to be the culture. True there are a few decent ones still around who have followed the team through the drought from 1873 to 1961 and remained true but the vast bulk have jumped on board since the late 70’s. These are people who bend with the wind and will naturally gravitate to whatever feeds their egos and desire to look down on others. They have no loyalty and no spine. The fundamentals of human decency and all that is true and good in this world is missing from this group who inevitably will destroy this club from the inside out. When the worm turns (and it will) the rats will desert the sinking ship, maybe not the members now but their offspring will. It’s in the genetics you see, they will not stay without success they will not face adversity with strength and stoicism, they will not display the moral courage required to be a Melbourne supporter. I am happy to read below because it confirms my belief that you are all a pack of soulless arrogant buckets of s&$t. I will be at the game on Sat without hope and in the knowledge that it will not be pleasant but if the roles were reversed I am confident that the only p^ss and s%^t at the ground will be in bowls and troughs of the MCG sewerage system.

Out Blease, Tapscott, Bail, Riley, McKenzie and Terlich In Buddy Franklin, Gary Ablett, Scott Pendlebury, Nathan Fyfe, Joel Selwood, Jobe Watson Thats the only way we can win

He may not have a choice or could be charged with contempt

Just read Mark Robinson's Article in the HUN. Hmmmm now let me get this right. Essendon has 2 court cases running concurrently. One to fight the the allegations of wrong doing from ASADA because the club believes they did nothing wrong and the investigation was illegal and should never have happened. The other stating that Robinson (their employee) deserved to be dimissed on the back of the allegations that they insist are false. They are arguing that Robinison deserves to be dismissed when his direct supervisor who oversaw his activity at the club and received at least one letter from the club doctor warning him of serious issues, who also accepted punishment for serious AFL offences over the same allegations for which Robinson was dissmissed remains employed and is vigorously defended by the same employer. ????????????????????????????????????? Speachless. This will be settled out of court IMO.

For mine Retire - Clark, Byrnes Free agent - Frawley Delist - Evans, Nicholson, Strauss, Blease, Tapscott, Barry, Clisby, Fitzpatrick (none of these players can get or hold a spot in a rubbish side) I recon we will hold onto Georgiou for depth. I think most players are up for trade dependng on what we get offered. The above gives us 10 spots. Niffty will be upgraded and I recon that young Max King showed enough in the pre-season to maybe get a spot. Georgiou will be retained as rookie as will Harmes. That leaves 9-10 positions to fill plus or minus any trades we are able to sort out. I dont think any defenders other than Frawley will be let go. The defence has been good and ranks well in the comp. We obviously need to get some depth in defence if Frawley goes includng some speed and someone who can hit a target. We will move heaven and earth for a big key forward player and will trade pretty much anyone and anything to get the right player (Patten, Cameron, Jaksche or Boyd from GWS). Kent appears to have some chance of filling the small forward role with JKH. We also need to add some depth and class in the midfeld along with Salem with decent preseason and hopefully Toumpas if he comes on.

I actually dont care and have a terrible feeling that this game will be a disater for the club. A win yesterday would have allowed the upcoming thumping to be absorbed better but I think we are looking at a 100 point plus loss. Getting Cross back will be a good thing but we will be lucky to kick 4 goals for the game and they are likely to get 100 plus points. The only option is to make the game a defensive slog to minimise the damage but all our mids will have play out of there skin.

Okay, maybe a lower case fact?

FACT Clarks not coming back FACT Hogan is yet to pull on a jumper for the Dees Just typing the work FACT in capitals doesnt make it a fact. Its not a fact we could have expected up to a hundred goals from Hogan and Clark. IMO we were very lucky to win 2 of the 4 we have won. We could just as easily just as easily be on 1 or 2 wins using your logic. The FACT is however we are on 4 wins with a percentage of 74%. The other FACT is that without further wins our percentage will drop, so lets not hang our fact hat on that one. What I dont accept and where I differ from many is that finishing last has an up side. With all things taken into consideration it is a big fat negative.

No I dont think finishing 16th will reverse the trend but I do think finishing 16th with 6-7 wins and a percentage approaching 90% puts us way ahead of getting the woodenspoon for the run at next year.

I am in furious agreement with Deeluded and Paul, there is no doubt that getting pick 1 and what ever we get for Chip if he goes will put us in a strong position to trade and will obviously give us a couple of chances to get the best player of the draft. My point is that the benefit offered by having pick 1 as opposed to pick 4 is more about options than it is about any guarantee of picking the best players. There is every chance that we will acheve the industry average of getting recruiting right and while I havent done the figures I doubt it would be much more than 50%, way less when you start looking at getting that Judd, Swan, Buddy type player we need. The successful team dont rely on draft picks because it is so hit and miss they just buy the stars in. Playing out a year under Roos and ending up with only 4 wins will place us in a worse position than 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2007 and I think the damage will be enormous that wont be repaired by pick one. The damage will be in terms of attracting sponsors, attracting members, getting a decent draw (financial), and reparing the damage to the players we have. It is the senior players we have now that need to drag the Dees up the ladder. We cant wait for no 1 draft picks to lead the charge. Melbourne is loosing all our best FA players when they come out of contract and the only way to halt this is to climb the ladder and give the boys hope and belief. Getting a draft pick 2 spots earlier will do nothing to stop the exodus. Winning the wooden spoon is a path to joining the merry go round at the bottom of the ladder feeding the powerful clubs with early draft picks we have developed for them.

Rubbish. The recruiting team this year is the same as the last. Yes Roos will have a say on what he wants but they are people who have to deliver it to him. Todd Viney has done a good job but we and many other teams would gladly go back and take Wines over our earlier picks if we could. There is no doubt we need to rebuild the list but getting pick 1 rather than pick 3 or 4 will likely make very little difference to the outcome. I agree its a fact that geting pick one gives you the best chance I just dont think the difference is significant. Its only my opinion but I think going into the break on back of an improved season in terms of competitiveness and wins is the lift this club needs.

Good on him. Unlike some I was not so critical of the bloke. He played a couple of good games for us in 2012 and was brought in more for his leadership than anything else. Best of luck to him and I hope we see him around the club.