SaberFang

Nothing says "I need a healthy way to get over depression" quite like painting yourself as the biggest jerk in the history of the game and maliciously betraying tens of thousands of die hard supporters and dozens of close professional friends who've busted their ass to help you. Yep, living with that for the rest of your life will really ease any unsettled emotional problems!

Oh yeah, forgot about this guy leaving.

Well, we know he isn't going to Essendon because Tim Watson wouldn't be saying he owes Melbourne.

Who even wants this guy at the club anymore after watching the way he and his manager have played this? I would love to know what the inner sanctum of players are feeling right now, especially the leadership group. Who knows, maybe this will be a galvanizing moment for the list.. (heard that before).

Plus a few more Instagram filters and a vignette.

Well he can't win either way. If he knows he's gone, coming out and lavishing praise upon the guy (after such a despicable betrayal) and saying how desperately we want him to stay just make the club look utterly pathetic. He's clearly resigned himself to the facts and the next step will be compensation, which he mentioned several times.Saying he's our best player is complimentary enough. And frankly, given the way this is all painfully unraveling before our eyes, unworthy praise for a man with such a dearth of character.

One impression I got from Roos is that Clark might be underestimating the full extent of commitment required to be an AFL player. He said he had to tell Clark it's more than just game day glory he's missing out on, there's some bloody hard work involved off the field. Gave me the impression perhaps MC is being a little naive about his intentions to return to AFL, ESPECIALLY if his current mindset is "I'd rather go to a better team because it'll be easier for me, physically and mentally." Get the feeling Roos may have given him a reality check, while also becoming somewhat uninterested in resigning a player who might be in it for the wrong reasons. Plus all the talk about this being one massive preseason coming up. It all kind of adds up in a sad way.

Can't disagree with Gary there. If the AFL were only entertaining the idea of an end of first round PP for us, Clark defecting would be reason enough to bump that up to a pick after our first. Can't imagine other clubs kicking up a stink about it without looking like insensitive flogs, given how such a defection from Clark to another Melbourne based club would be received. Given the class and sensitivity we showed Mitch throughout, I'm damn proud of how this club conducted itself and that should be factored into the equation. Hopefully just getting ahead of myself here and everything works out for all parties, but if this is an outcome we can pursue (if everything turns to [censored] and the rumors are true) then PJ and PR will be all over it. Suddenly that request for a PP a month ago seems much more calculating than I initially thought. Still hoping this is all a horrible misunderstanding but the silence is deafening for what are very concerning rumors.

It was a rhetroical question. We're all going off what has been said by Ralph and Barrett, but the deafening silence from Clark's camp, and the reaction from Mahoney, isn't filling me with confidence. There was a meeting Friday morning about his future, was there not?

Was referring to the main rumour of Mitch only wanting to play for a contending club, not the other rumour (which seemed fanciful to me).

Regardless, the rumour is out there now and gained plenty of momentum. Mitch is aware of this and has thus far said nothing to refute it or reassure people. Compare it to how Swan came out within hours of the Buckley argument rumours to debunk it. If Mitch's sole intention is to return to the Dees, it only takes one tweet to make that clear.

Didn't both Damo and Ralph say they asked his manager directly and were told Mitch wasn't interested in returning to the Dees?

I can't see Roos going along with some kind of false story related to Mitch's "retirement", although everyone was extremely coy about what was wrong with Mitch at the time. Did any official MFC source ever confirm that it was clinical depression, or was that assumed?

If he's unstable then for god's sake, our leadership group should be getting straight into his ear. Weren't he and Dawes incredibly close? He said a huge part of the reason he came to the Dees was to play with MC for crying out loud.

FCS, sorry... but anyone saying we should give him the benefit of the doubt and wait for a statement needs to accept some facts. The official AFL website says he has contacted the AFL directly enquiring about his options for returning to the league. That's right, he skipped going to his current (technically) employer, a football club, and went straight over their heads to the league itself. That alone speaks volumes about his intentions. If you retired from your job and decided you'd had a change of heart, do you talk to your former manager or the company's CEO? It's over. Time to accept it and watch the [censored] unfold. Thankfully we don't have morons running the club anymore; Roos and PJ will not be taken for fools on this, which it sadly appears MC is treating them as.

What kind of self respecting club would even touch him after seeing what he's done to other clubs that looked after him above and beyond their duty? Culture killer.

AFL 2013: "No, you can't have a priority pick because you have the fantastic Mitch Clark, your best player, waiting in the wings!" Aforementioned player rorts and screws club over in spectacular fashion, under the guise of mental illness. AFL 2014: "No, still not getting a priority pick because you have the fantastic Jesse Hogan, your future best player, waiting in the wings."

Wasn't next year the last year of his contract though?

Surely, SURELY, the AFL need to step in right now and do something about this?? This is an absolutely outrageous, appalling situation.

Mahoney's comments aren't exactly filling me with confidence that this is all hearsay gone wrong. I get the feeling we're on the verge of witnessing yet another kick in the nads for this formerly great football club. And here I was hoping this, paired with the special assistance comments, were part of some kind of elaborate plan.

Fair point but this is a playing group that managed 4 wins for a season. Not sure their opinions hold much sway with Roos in charge. He'll be doing his due diligence and will certainly ask for input from the leadership group, and Dawes should be able to give a more accurate appraisal than most. Not dissimilar to the way Sydney handled the Buddy Franklin contract.

Yeah, how about electro shock therapy? I'm sure Hirdy's had plenty of free time in France to think of new and exciting ways to cheat the system.

Ducked his head, same thing. Guy could win an Oscar with his acting.

And Lindsay Thomas dives his way to a goal to put North in front. How wholly predictable!