SaberFang

Not trades but recruits seem to point to: 4th rounder for Frost? 3rd rounder for Billy Stretch? Pick 3 for Shiel/Dangerfield/Cameron/Mitchell?? Gwilt as delisted free agent. Malceski for 2nd rounder (sign and trade to prevent diluting free agent compo?) Pick 2 for Petracca?

Very well said. I think MFC supporters have been impressively supportive of Mitch throughout, and nobody minded when he chose to retire because we all agreed his health was paramount. Footy is just footy, even if it was heartbreaking to see the club on the receiving end of horrendous luck... again. Now he's going to a club where their supporters demanded of their president a "fan forum" to discuss what the hell was wrong, because they missed finals? Apparently that's a tragedy of Titanic proportions if you're a Colonwood supporter (imagine if they endured what we have!) So Mitch wants to put himself in that environment? The spite coming from their supporters will be ten times worse if he can't get on the field, and even worse if he doesn't perform. Would love to know what your doctor thinks about the risk/benefit ratio of that decision. I'm with the above. If they try to screw us with a trade, bugger him. Send him to the PSD and he can suffer at the Saints and 2 years of wooden spoons before looking for his next pay cheque. And if they pass and we ignore him, he can languish in the GWS seconds for the rest of his career, because they won't pass him up.

Dawes has been worth every cent in a couple of matches, and hopelessly outnumbered in others. Sticking a few overhead marks once in a while will go a long way to helping raise my appreciation of him. In fairness, he's been carrying the whole forward line while double tagged by every other coach in the league. Let's see what happens once Hogan and another KPF get out on the field at the same time.

Would rather Zaha but he just re-committed (god knows why) to the Bummers.

Getting Heppell on your list for 5 years, but banned for 2 of them, is still better than not having Heppell on your list at all.

Not sure if he's a [censored], just undisciplined.

That rumour that he was trying to get out last year, only for Roos to convince him to stay, somehow makes a great deal of sense in light of everything that's transpired this year. Jaded summed up my thoughts pretty well. The more that comes out, the clearer it becomes that Mitch is both a fairly classless individual, and also perhaps more mentally unwell than we initially thought (see R. Lyon's undoubtedly 'ín the know' via Roosy comments). And if that's the case, he should not be pursuing an AFL career.

Some very interesting recruitment being rumoured for the club. Not sure if coincidental or not but if Roos is targetting some controversial players it could say a lot about what he thinks of our current list.

Considering how disheveled and exhausted all Demons supporters would be feeling after this week, not hard to imagine the coach himself would be fairly tired as well. He's got a much bigger job ahead of him than he probably wanted to believe.

For the right price, anyone is most definitely tradable. For example, clubs desperate for a KPF, say the Bulldogs, would pay overs for a future star like Hogan. Not saying we'd do it but in any trade situation where we hold all the cards, we must be relentless.

Thank you Malthouse. Cantankerous at times but always always speaks his mind and says it how it is. Refreshing to say the least.

There's a lot of conjecture from lots of sources in the football and media landscape, but the overriding impression is we unofficially offered him a position next year he wasn't happy with, so he looked elsewhere. Lloyd on FC indicated it may have been a rookie position with us and he wasn't happy.

Keep the GWS kids coming, Dom!

I'd say just about every sane person in society, and the football community at large, agree with this and the stance we've taken as a club: putting Mitch's health first and not worsening his potential recovery by shoving him back on to a senior list with all the associated pressures. It was this that caused his apparent depression to begin with, so for his well-being we aren't prepared to put him through that again until he's confident with himself.Unfortunately, his manager and the slime at other clubs just see the world in dollar signs and wins & losses; whose only concern for Mitch is how much his price is and not how healthy he is (physically, mentally and emotionally). I think Mitch is incredibly unwell, not thinking clearly, and this was rightfully Roos' first concern and talking point with him after he heard what Mitch was doing to us. No rational, straight thinking person would entertain what he and his manager are allegedly doing, with all the toxic vitriol it will attract to Mitch, it seems like a lethal and unnecessary burden to put on an already burdened young man. The most sickening part is the increasing likelihood that his manager is the one pulling the strings, all in the name of a larger commission.

His foot is apparently fine, but every attempt to ramp up training has given him a constant run of soft tissue injuries like his hamstring, etc. But from all accounts after taking a few months off and getting back into training, it's been smooth sailing. So smooth in fact that our offer to rookie draft him was laughed off and he decided to shop himself around to other clubs. He did, after all, do us a favor by asking to be taken off our list.

Outstanding! Wonder if Roos has seen him play. I'm sure Viney will be all over it.When did the club get Billy in last year to train with us? Will they do the same with Jake over this preseason?

http://www-static2.spulsecdn.net/pics/00/03/03/01/3030187_2_M.jpg Looks pretty well built already. 182cm and 82kg and still only 17. Least we know he has no problems with size.

So this kid goes into next year's draft?

Why not both? Give GWS their precious pick 2 for Shiel + their end of first rounder. (which we then trade for another player)

Roos can have whatever title he likes, as long as he's around the club in some capacity. His presence alone will help the club in so many ways, not the least of which is the recruitment and retention of players.

It seems like the only way we're ever going to get anywhere is if we can bring in 2 or 3 massive A Lister recruits, but the only way that happens is by having serious coin and serious trade material. We have neither. The AFL could assist us with both if Roos puts forth a strong enough blueprint to present them with, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Hope you like the third round talent this year! Who knows, maybe we'll find another Kent or JKH.

He looks to me like a coach who might know a fair bit more about the situation than we so. He and Roos are very good mates, can't imagine PR (if he's "furious" as GNF indicates) wouldn't have talked to a few friends about the situation.

I doubt that, heavily. Implication on Footy Classified was perhaps he was offered a low ball salary, rookie position to stay with us. Clearly his manager got in his ear if that's the case. They could be talking crap though. Craig was unapologetically sympathetic though and seemed to have no qualms about the AFLB stepping in to award a PP as compensation, which Caro agreed should be first or second round. So the chips may at least fall our way there.

The only conceivable way I can imagine Roos not wanting him is either: a) he's tired of dealing with players that have baggage b) already has a replacement stitched up, ala Cameron/Mitchell/Reid Frankly neither seem likely at all. It seems we may have been quietly confident Clark's return to us was a fait accompli. Also doubt Cameron's in any rush to get here anymore (if he ever was) after our pathetic end to the season and the Giants quietly chugging along to 6 wins (convenient how they started winning once Petracca was out of the equation.)