Bedraggled Dee

Great article and summed things up well. Clark was a star and was sooo important for this club and I think he knew it. I think that contributed to his problem. Watching that video gave me a buzz that I dont get at the games anymore, I hope Hogan gets on the paddock soon and tears it up so we ca enjoy going to the footy again, but I would rather endure more misery than have him out there without at least Dawes to support the young fella.

Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Absolutely right! We failed at failing and then got caught and punished for the failing that we failed at

I feel for the bloke and his family. I always thought Mitch could be the equal of Franklin after watching his first few games, he was a good grab, athletic and handy around his feet. He was a good set shot and capable of anything in the run. He above everyone else on the list had the potential to drag this club kicking and screaming out of its current predicament. The club is the poorer for his leavng not only for his playing ability but also his obvious leadership. I hope the club, his family and his doctors ensure he gets all the help he requires and he becomes a successful and happy phographer. All best to Mitch and his family. Regarding the comments around the club and the contract. This thread is about Mitch and I am sure Mahoney and PJ have that under control.

My mates 8 year old son wont wear a demons jumper on the school footy day because he gets picked on when he wears it. I dont know whether he will cntinue to follow the Dees but I think the impact of this sutained period of poor form will be felt for years to come. My family is red and blue and that will never change but growing the membership outside of the traditional demons families is difficult when the team is rubbish.

I was shattered leaving the ground after the Hawks preseason game. I thought this loss was the one we did not need and it took all the wind out of a fragile groups sails. This fixture damaged the playing groups psych and was terrible for the supporters who turned up. I left the ground listening to Hawks supporters whinging about the game and comments of 'imagine barracking for the Dees'. I wanted to punch them all. I laughed when the Lions sent a seconds team against the Hawks a week or so ealier but in hind sight we should have done the same. The result would have been no worse and the players confidence would not have been shreded. Since that game Roos has been battling the mental demons in the heads of the players and a list that has the depth of kitchen sink. I go every week with the family inlcuding a father in law who has been a paid up member for over 60 consecutive years and walk away depressed, angry and devoid of hope. Why do I do it? for couple of reasons. 1. If the old fella can be bothered so should I. 2. If Jim could turn up with a whole in back of his head then so should I. 3. and finaly because the young blokes who pull on jumper each week come out to face the enemy do it and we all should get off our a^$ses and support them. What I want is for this club to turn it around and become a premiership contender and that is a lot easier if the boys can feel some support from the outer. I cant see the hope in the playing list right now but I do have confidence in PJ and Roos and I guess eventually something must give. What does pick me up is seeing the supporters each week come out knowing that they are likely to go home disappointed. We may not have that many supporters and its hard to compete with the noise of the Colingwood and Richmond faithful but we do have as loyal a bunch as any team in the comp.

Tyson's stats are very good with the exception of tackles. He only had 1 and needs to stick a couple more. Tyson is head and shoulders above the majority of our midfield and one of our few quality players, I have never seen Salem other than a few training session preseason but he looks skillful and has some pace. I think potentially this was a very good deal for the Dees getting a ready to go potential A grader in Tyson and having Salem coming in to the side later this season or next year. I dont read the HUN or News.com because the reporting is rubbish and dont want to waste my eyes on it. Its not surprise the reporting is lazy, sessasionalist and without basis. They are a pack of flogs

Third party deals are a big issue fr the AFL with FA (see Franklin and Judd etc). TPD's are also subject to restraint in trade considerations and have the capacity to compromise the draft. Clubs like Collingwood have enormous capacity here that they would love to be able to use outside the salary cap and I recon thi9s will become and issue together with the FA in years to come.

What your talking about is player trades not free agency. Free agency is about the players being able to move if they want to and having the ability to maximise income by movn to a club who will pay them more. The clubs have always been able to trade players where they can both reach an agreement. The players only have limited input in those decisions. Bernie Vince is a classic example, he never wanted to leave Adelaide. At the end iof the day he needed to agree becasue he has a contract with the Crows but it was obvious to him they did not want him so it made no sense to stay. FA is a different beast and you cant have FA where players have no say because then its the players that are the free agents.

The threat has been carried out around the world indifferent comps. There would have been plenty of agents touting for business who would take on the case because the risk of losing is virtually zero. I actually think that the current FA is just delaying the inevitable. It was never an bit claim and the AFL new it.

You might not like it but its true If the AFL did not agree to some form of FA players would have taken legal acton for restraint of trade though the AFLPA and won and ultimately we would be exposed to a free market that would have compromised the draft. For clubs like Melbourne this would have been a disaster. I dont agree with rpfc that a freeer FA would be better. This assumes the all clubs can compete and I dont think that is the case. You only need to look at the value of our sponsors compared to collingwoods to see the vast gap between us and them. We cant acheive equality because we dont have the membership and cant grow the membership because we dont have success and without the membership we dont get the exposure to generate enough income. This cycle can be broken and we can turn the club around. We need to grow our revenue and JP is right the only way to do that is throught the core business, ie winning football matches but we have to acheive this in an environment where there is not enough high end talent to go around and where our resources and revenue is less than the competition.

Free agency was inevitable and the AFL had to implement something or risk significant player action. Players want the ability to cntrol their careers and maximise their income and who can blame them. FA is the vehicle for that to occur. The AFL introduced a restricted version that requires players to stay for a significnat time to be eligible to use free agency. This was to protect us and the doggies etc. Unfiortunately it just minimises the damage. Over time we will see a trend of players leaving clubs with limited resources and little success to clubs with an abundance of resources and who provide oportunity to win a flag or at least play finals before they retire. There will be moves the other way for different reasns but over the next 10 years I think the trend will be more away from smaller clubs to the bigger ones. The market will ensure this happens, we just cant offer the exposure, support, the money (we still only pay 95% if the cap) and the success that the Collingwoods can. The club can be as smart as we like and try to maximise the benfits of free agency but ultimately we are fightng against market forces while others are swimming with them. This does not mean we cant have success it is just that much harder to acheive. The majority of our free agents have left the club and Chip will buck the trend if he stays.

Their precious little competition?? The AFL acted to protect your competition and did exactly what they are paid to do. Why is it a bad thing that the AFL acts in the best interest of the AFL competition? You should hope they do win. I want Hird out of the AFL and the EFC to cop their fair whack for doing what the did to the competition. if the players took baned substabces deserve whatever they get. IMO the AFL have attempted to punish those responsible while at the same time trying minimise the cost and damage the AFL as a whole. Surely thats what we want them to do even though they did not get everything right and made some errors during the process??

I now believe never, That way I will be pleasantly suprised rather than havng my hopes shattered leaving. Its diffcult drinking from a stubby lying in the foetal position

Melbourne round two vs Best B: Lynden Dunn, James Frawley, Alex Georgiou (Col Garland) HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Dean Terlich (?) C: Jack Trengove (?), Dom Tyson, Daniel Cross HF: Jack Watts, Cam Pedersen (Chris Dawes), Jimmy Toumpas F: Jeremy Howe, Jack Fitzpatrick (Mitch Clarke), Rohan Bail (Jessie Hogan) FOLL: Jake Spencer (Max Gawn), Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince I/C: Shannon Byrnes, Matt Jones (Jack Viney), Jay Kennedy-Harris, Viv Michie, The sad fact is we playrd near the best side last week minus a quality forward or two. We were flogged but I cant see too many changes to the backline or midfield. Most teams play with at least a couple of the best 22 in rehab. Garland is not a game changer in the backline and neither is Gawn in the ruck. Jack Viney is ripper but we cant expect his inclusion to turn the middfield around Are Terlich and Trengove in the best 22? I am not convinced with either player and would consider MacKenzie for Terlich and M Jones, Evans, Blease and Kent as replacements for Trengove especially if pace is a consideration. What is your best side and can the current list be competetive with a good dose of confidence and some more time learining the game plan?

Rubbish, you are advocating that Roos does exactly what Neeld did.

If anyone from the club/AFL is watching, can we please not have the umpires in pink tops and dark shorts like last time???? Also maybe the pink runners outfits need to change for this match. I thought using our clash jumper against the saints was ridiculous.

Completely agree

I would hate to see Watts play as a key forward. He has tried this and failed then went to the back line. The bloke has only just been drilled to play midfield and he should be left there. Let Watts develop into a quality midfielder, we cant critisise the clubs development of young players the advocate moving Watts out of the position he has trained for all summer. He is not going to outmark any key defender and for us to have chance he needs to be the one delivering the ball insde 50. if Gawn is fit he needs to come in. I was impressed with young Max King in the preseason and would rather give him a trot than continue the flawed approach of Watts being used as a Jack of all trades. I think Roos comments were about the team looking different and having a different attitude rather than massive position changes, at least I hope so. One of the missing elements is confidence and that wont be created through wholesale changes. Bringing out the hatchet after a bad loss was Neeld's approach. I remember Craig early one season saying to the media the risk of responding with the hatchet to bad losses is creating a merry go round of players coming in and out and lossing stability and having player constantly worried about mistakes and getting dropped. The list is limited and there are only so many options. I hope Roos shows some faith in the players and doesn't respond like Neeld.

There are a lot of post regarding Grimes and his perceived high percentage of mistakes Grimes disposal efficiency yesterday was 86% from 22 touches. That is oustanding efficiency.

Gawn was talking in the bar before the game. He indicated that he should be in full training this week and availbel this weekend. I hope he is right we need him.

I dont like the Neeld approach of regular changes of 2 or three players each week. You end up with the Blease situation where the playrs never settle and never learn. That being said if Gawn is fit he needs to come in. I prefer to see Viney come back through Casey. I would change out Bail for Gawn. I would also play Toumpas on the bench and start with JKH. If I was tempted with a second change it would be for Kent over Toumpas.

Pedersen is a worker but just does not have the skills for an AFL footballer. I think Jones is a star, regardles of a few mistakes. It is easy to look great when the team is on a roll and you have half a dozen quality mates to take the pressure off. The reason he has turnovers is he gets the ball and is under constant pressure without propoer support. This bloke stands up for this club week in and week out often alone and I am happy to cut hims some slack. Stick him in the weagles mid field and he would shine. In sort Jones - absolute star Pedersen - skill free workhorse The Toump is a worry. We dont need another low draft pick who is a bit Ho Hum. We need game changers and excitment machines not plodders.

JKH showed some of the older players what was required. Gave a real spark to the team and I would love to see him start.

AFL standard is a subjective assessment so I am not exactly sure where the line should be but here is my list: Proven performers Jones - and absolute star and our best player Tyson Cross Dunn Frawley McDonald Grimes Terlich Watts Howe Vince Viney Garland Jury Out Trengove Matt Jones Georgiou Toumpas Spencer JKH Michie Kent Evans Hogan Salem McKenzie Clisby Riley Hunt Gawn Fitzpatrick - just Harmes King - hopeful Spuds Byrnes Blease Pedersen Nicholson Barry Tapscott Bail Jetta Lost to injury/Age Dawes Clarke Strauss Jamar Sad and sorry list IMO. The missing ingredient is the list of players with 4 - 5 years on the list with only around 50 games who I dont think will ever make it. I am talking about Strauss, Blease, Bail, Jetta, Tapscott , Trengove, MacKenzie, Evans etc many of whom are early picks. The backbone of our midfield should be in this list but its not. We have resorted to buying a midfield.

Guaranteed to annoy that poor woman whose son was a part of Hirds pharmacology experiment. No mention of the hurt done to the players by a selfish egotist. Mark Robinson is a hack and has little or no journalistic integrity.