SaberFang

That is correct. The panel the AFL handpicked, the panel ASADA were warned by insiders was designed to get the players off and protect the AFL's commercial interests, hence the appeal. And lo and behold, every hearing since has thrown out Essendon's case with great haste.

You mean, exactly like the AFL setting up an "AFL Tribunal" to rig the outcome of their own kangaroo court and ensure all the players got off, purely because they were looking out for their own commercial interests? As for Slobbo? The half-drunk, compromised, biased Essendon mouthpiece, fed his "exclusives" by Essendon's media unit and instructed by the upper echelon of Limited News (whose senior partners are Essendon ticket holders) to defend the club no matter the stupidity of his arguments? Well, who can defend the indefensible? There's only one person being 'deluded' here.

It's disgusting they weren't sanctioned when the WADA findings came down, and yet again nothing will come of today's upholding of that decision by the highest court in the world. For all the damage Essendon have wrought about the image of the game, at the very least they should be punished for bringing the game into disrepute. But nope, can't hurt poor Essendon, don't want to hurt those gate takings for AFL HQ do we?

Don't the players nominate the team? Or was that the older system? I distinctly remember a year or two ago some kid had the choice between nominating St Kilda or Carlton due to the father son rule.

I'm guessing we'll miss him if we wait for pick 9 in the rookie draft, but would we have enough senior list spots vacant to take him late in the ND? It doesn't look like we're planning to upgrade any rookies this year.

And just about the average worker's yearly salary.

Pick 27/28 seems right to me.

Probably because we don't put our name out there in public attached to a player unless we know for sure we'll get them. Just look at how embarrassing the Richmond situation was last year with Treloar. We're trying to prevent having eggs on our face. Comparitively, this just makes St Kilda look desperate. They've said they're attached to Dangerfield, Hurley, Fyfe and countless others, and ended up with none of them. It actually just reflects poorly on their club and reiterates a perception that they aren't a destination club.

Isn't 3 enough for those bastards?

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-confidential-demon-follows-carlton-on-instagram-the-nonbreaking-news-jesse-the-giant/news-story/3a99e5ecbd52c0ed6b67543d1fdbd282 Noteworthy? Probably not, because he also follows Adelaide, Port & North and I only bothered scrolling through who he follows for 30 seconds.

Yeah, and only Barry Hall complimented the kid. The others all called it out for what it is. Let's hope the [censored] was watching.

#bitchmode

Was pathetic. Loved the way the crowd started booing him after the 5th or 6th free kick from "high" tackles, ie. him just throwing his head backwards into the tackler's shoulder. The one against Oliver in the dying minutes was pathetic. How the [censored] do the umpires not converse about this at half time and stop paying it!? It was so bloody obvious to everyone; even the commentators started mocking the kid as the game went on and he was only able to win the ball via free kicks.

I get the feeling it was probably all part of the long-term plan right from the start. Roos and Jackson are no muggs. It seems more and more clear to me that this was a stealth rebuild all along; they just couldn't admit it publicly without getting supporters off-side.

If we finish much higher on the ladder last year, we don't get Oliver and Weideman. If we finished higher the year before, we don't get Petracca and Brayshaw. Pretty happy he ensured our defensive foundations were in place, even if it took 2 years. We can't balance the attack and defence just yet, but once it all clicks together we'll see the benefit of Roos' first two years. These 4 top draft picks being a key side benefit, too.

Let's just hope they sign McCarthy for $800k and have to sell the farm to get him. End of story.

I can't for the life of me understand why Hogan would leave what looks like the most promising batch of youth coming through, bar GWS and the Dogs, for a team that's just fallen off the cliff. He's spent 3 years enduring a rebuild about to flower, why on earth go back to endure another rebuild that has no guarantee whatsoever will deliver? Ross Lyon ain't known for youth and development, and Fremantle is a black hole as far as trading in big-name players from other clubs. It makes absolutely no sense.

I'd say the potential long-term gain outweighs any short-term pain as far as his performance goes. He could just as easily play a blinder, if he feels he owes the club for letting him visit his family.

I'm sick of all this media exposure already, and he's signed until next September. You wonder if it'll start affecting his performance if he remains under so much scrutiny, to the point where the media are starting to question if an interstate family visit could be a visit to Fremantle FC. Maybe if they keep bringing it up he'll just re-sign to get the camel off his back?

Even Hogan must realise Fremantle tying up that much of their salary cap on one player is a hideously short-sighted move. We're yet to see how the Buddy deal works out but Fremantle are hardly Sydney and they don't have the Academy protecting their success.

Amazing what happens when we get the bloody ball into him cleanly. Good to see him rebound from his 0 last week. Great work Jesse.

Oh, the irony of the whole situation. Seems like nobody is going to come out a winner there.

I just want the damn 2-in-a-row monkey off our backs.

Cannot wait to see him in the midfield with Gussy. Wow!

Hilarious to think that some posters thought we should shield him from round 1. He's Brayshaw all over again; no chance he isn't lining up against the Giants. Deadset gun in the making, this kid.