Rhino Richards

How do you know we had any special deal beyond arms length rates that would apply to any Club? But for the record, I think it is a great issue and good timing before the start of the season. Well done MFC.

Correct Graz. I hope Frawley comes through this year and we can turf the peanuts like Carroll.

Correct. Hopefully its a turn point for the kid. Correct. I understand he admitted the breach. What other times has he breached team rules? And what relevance to they have to this situation?

Not to that. Your reference about the ability to sweep undesirable activities of players by the Club under the carpet. There are few areas of privacy for AFL footballers

Turn it up! Its a positive that he was not [censored] and detrimentally affecting his physical fitness He might have been pretty distraught about the events that occurred. Now if it was Brock McLean :wub: ...there would be a plausible explanation like he doesnt have a licence now and has to rely on public transport!

I think it is an solid roll out given the circumstances.

Including media. Its on the public record. There was nothing alarming in what has been reported. DB and CC would not divulge such secrets.

The pen's probably worth about $0.80c. How's the rest of your life holding up?

Any coach who had a highly fancied recruit that did not show the application required and chronically underperformed would not like that player much at all. Deanox would be interested in the actions of supporters. <_<

The key issue is that he did not make the recovery session. So it was implied firstly that he was unfit to attend and confirmed by the Club when questioned later that he was out after 1am in breach of the curfew. Hardly softening the blow. More likely he came clean on it. Hopefully its the line in the sand that turns him around as a player.

Very informative. The comments on TJ are telling. So much for those bemoaning a loss of "class".

Thanks. I knew you a few facts would burst your bubble.

Put it simply we would have been better having access to that talent than not. Not at all. From the very few first round picks, Travis Johnson, Scott Thompson and Daniel Bell would counter your argument. And so far there have been few players out of 2003 that have been better than McLean and Sylvia. They still have time to be 10 year 200 game players for us.

The picks 1,2 and 3 could have been the three key players (possibly leaders) on our list who have played 150 games each on our list and are cemented quality AFL footballers. We have been denied their impact for all of those nine years and they have impacted the way we have recruited because of the holes they leave in our list. IMO it has hurt us the most in the past 3 years when those notional players would have been at their peak. This is why in my opinion, the cap penalties on Carlton which were worse than Melbourne will stuff them up for some time. It partially explains their eagerness to tank last year to get that extra player to supplement their crippled list. We have traded for players on a needs basis. Simmonds was traded for the best defender available who subsequently did his knee and also pick 26 in the 2001 draft. I have already stated as others have 2001 was a bad draft. Holland was traded in 2003 for pick 21 in the 2003 draft. Richmond took Alex Gilmour with that pick. Who better would MFC have taken in that draft (which is proving itself to be one of the shallowest drafts on record for talent). Holland has been serviceable where we had a deficiency. The idea to bolster our midfield stocks with a 2 year period was a reasonable one. We gave picks 28 and 44 to Port for Pickett. Pickett had he been motivated could have been outstanding for us. Who was taken with those picks or even lower that have had a greater impact besides Bartram. Our poor showing with the early picks have been counter balanced by the success of the later picks. On the 2003 and beyond drafts time will tell. Its easy to pick the eyes out of things and build an argument that collapses when viewed against the relativity and totality of whole picture No its equivalent as I have stated earlier. In both cases you are denied access to a quality long term footballer.

Pickett's penalty was light on and no more than Sylvia's. I cant think of a bigger slap in the face a player can issue to his teammates than not front to a game! Completely unprofessional. I would have sacked him from then on. It was an injustice we let him get his 200 games up. Given we have placed alot of the momentum in 2007 on players like Pickett performing and he did not lift a finger. His act of disgrace happened when we were crippled by injury. We gave up pick # 20 two years earlier and was paying the imbecile approx. $300,000 a year to bludge when we could least afforded it. He cost us plenty. Pickett was a terminal embarrassment to the MFC.

You dont seriously expect a new coach with a new game plan and nearly half the team on restricted training program to have a well oiled and well drilled game plan at this point!

FCS, he will need to. Sylvinator's team is close. I doubt Bartram will be ready and suspect Maric could get a run. In seriousness we will probably go into the game with either CJ or Bode (gulp!).

Your best post to date and much better than your cheap shots. I agree with both points that many seem to have missed in their communal "woe and disaster" mode. What team rule did he break when he did that? Hell, that's a minor incident and there is no evidence he is anyway implicated with Didak beyond uninformed rumour and speculation. I have seen many a punter fall asleep in a nightclub drunk. Did MFC smooth the Pickett incident over?

Probably not. Its a pipedream to think that DB can come in with a new coaching team and a new game plan with many players having interrupted pre season and expect it will run like a well oiled machine from Round 1. Ross Lyon is as an example. And its equally ridiculous to throw the book at DB's game plan at this juncture. There might be more pain in the short term as players learn and commit to the game plan. DB is no fool and would know that from what he has seen in the practice matches and takes into account the key players missing from the team.

Its so typical of an attention seeking [censored] like YM to turn like a cut snake and sink the boot in to the Club. About as much substance as windblown fairy floss. True to form

You should explain that to both of them especially the red neck in the ute with aspirations of captaincy. McLean is lucky his last offence was prior to Sylvias stuff up. I think the Club may not be as forgiving of future indiscretions.

Just his public aspirations for captaincy. I dont know why you care to differentiate between either of McLean and Sylvia. Each player's actions have brought discredit to themselves and undermined the Club and its officials especially given the Club's poor situation and the expectations upon both players. They are five year high profile senior players who were highly regarded draft picks. They both need to deliver on their talent this year. Let this be the kick up the arse needed to both of them. They have both been A grade fools. The ball is in their court. Neither have I. <_<

We got rid of 426 because he was no good. With or without the additional drink.

There are those that would. And then there are those that would say someone they know who was involved with the Club that they saw XYZ out on the turps. The message gets back to the Club one way or another.

Given the size of Melbourne and the high profile nature of AFL footballers, it would be hard to maintain such practices without it a1) getting back to the Club 2) being sprayed over a website like Big Footy or here and 3) the media not finding out and having a frenzy on it. Some of piddling things that the media have crucified players for the sake of a story has been appalling. I find it hard to believe a Club can sustain that behaviour, condone in any way that behaviour, hush up the incidents and believe they can get away with it. On the other hand what evidence do you have to suggest otherwise?The culture and leadership at the Club has been an issue. But not to the extent of covering things up. I agree that it will not be fixed overnight and may take two years at least to address the issues at hand.