hemingway

Yes, I don’t get it. In the immediate term it’s very reassuring and provides a confident approach by player and club in the clubs future. But it’s a financial risk. How long does Max have left given the battering he takes each week and the way he plays the game. 100 per cent effort every week with players falling all over him. . Like Jake Lever, I worry about guys with dodgy knees ! Whilst it’s an important signing, we wait with bated breath on Clarry. I hope it does not remain an issue all season, but I fear it will as his manager tries to maximise his bargaining power by entertaining offers from other clubs.

I like your comments. Lord took huge pack marks despite punishment from opponents. Like The Rock of Gibraltar. Laidlaw was underestimated being a very smart player in the air and on the ground. And what about the speed of Bluey Adams and Brian Dixon, the ball magnet of the team. Remember that Norm himself in his playing days was used as a small decoy full forward to the likes of Mueller, Cordner and others. It’s forgotten that Norm was a great player who despite his decoy role kicked a bagful of goals. So it is not surprising that he used small decoy type full forwards as a coach. Webb, Bourke and Rowarth. There was a gulf bigger than Carpentaria in the tactical genius of Smith to other coaches of the day. Probably still is, if you know what I mean.

Let’s hope that if true, Kobe learnt through the club/coaches and not the media. I would also hope that players get some counselling and support after being cut or not offered a place. It’s still disappointing for the player that his expectations have not been fulfilled.

Interesting to look at the names in 59 & 60. These teams had something. They were great teams, with team spirit, belief, grit and determination and mobility. They loved Norm who was inspirational and a great tactician. It only took a Norm Smith roast for the team to come out and lift after half time. They had great players and leaders on the field. However, what strikes me is that the teams were also made up of good ordinary players. Not stars but players clearly playing a role. Players like Alan Rowarth, Dennis Jones, Trevor Johnson, Fenton Smith, Len Mann, Clyde Laidlaw, John Lord, Brenchley etc. Some like Lord, Trevor Johnson and Fenton Smith were good overhead but slow on the ground. I guess I am just thinking that you don’t have to have a team of stars to win a flag but you do need a champion team (sorry for the cliche). We sometimes think that the great Melbourne teams were composed of champions but this was not the case.

Agree. His commentary on horse racing and athletics particularly the latter is unsurpassed. He accurately informed rather than entertained. With footy he tried to entertain rather than inform. Hence, the over the top hyperbole and saccharine laced comments. A good decision to give it away as his commentary had long become predictable and irritating. However, the thought of JB and BT is almost worse. JB should not be allowed near a microphone. Get ready for the boys show with the loud macho boorish antics and commentary as Jim and Brian attempt to entertain us. The mute button will get a workout from this viewer.

Amazing how differently we see things and that difference explains why opinions not only vary but are quite.....different.

You have to remember that back in 1965, the Demons were “the Team.” Half the footy population loved us and the rest hated us. We had a huge supporter base and most kids who barracked for the Dees wore 31 on their back. So when Ron went to Carlton, the impact was seismic. The shock that went through supporters and the footy world was of a magnitude that has not been felt since. Dismay and tears were the order of the day. Times have changed so that if Dusty was to leave the Tigers the impact would be like a wind change rather than an earthquake. Despite Ron leaving, the respect for Ron continued. That’s really something. Respect. There has been no one like Ron. Simply, The Legend.

Very well put 56.

Very encouraging. Our ability and willingness to stay in the game, kick away and then maintain the lead in the last 10m was good to watch. High energy levels and team spirit was evident. Also encouraging to see young players step up and show good application. Jordan, Sparrow and Spargo seemed composed with footy smarts. I love Spargo’s tackling pressure, energy and creativity. But gee whiz we better hope that Gawn stays injury free. Such a dominant force and leader. Nevertheless, a time to be positive.

Melky has played some good games for us and at times he has been pivotal. However, inconsistency has been the hallmark of his career at Essendon and Melbourne. He does not do enough, enough of the time. And now Father Time is against him.

A turning point at age 30, I don’t think so. He is not the future. We need to develop others. I thought last year that he had outlived his usefulness in footy terms.

Nasty Uncle, very nasty .....and distasteful.

Oh no not bananas again. Show some imagination please you banana loving nutbags (apologies to OD). It may well be a deep seated Freudian thing. If so go off and get some psychotherapy but leave the bananas in the fruit bowl and stop boring the well balanced fruit lovers who ditched Freud and psychotherapy years ago and got on with their life. And please forget the french Biffen. Too many French films on SBS? Pathetic. .

Smacks of desperation. But with your two key forwards out of action, and a dodgy old TMac as a a fill-in, a bunch of small to medium sized players with nothing to crumb, the Daw experiment is understandable but bound to fail. What would I do? Dunno but the footy season like Covid, maybe another year of endurance, patience and stoicism. Joy maybe something to hope for in another winter of discontent.

Reads well. Oh, except there are 17 other sides all of whom expect big things.

Fair enough. There are players on both sides of the ledger that support or don’t support your argument. Gawn is an interesting one, and, no, I probably would not have taken him However, selecting him was a risk. There is risk, injury management and luck. I would always prefer a player or recruit that does not come with a track record of injury. Just like I would prefer to buy a house or car without any structural or mechanical problems. So it includes an assessment of risk and a decision concerning how much you are prepared to pay for that player. And perhaps, clubs should have more stringent requirements to ensure that they are getting value for money. As to BB, at time of selection, j was just as concerned about his suitability as per our team structure and game plan as I was about his knee. I know nothing really but these are some of my musings.

Another injury to a highly remunerated player, without firing a shot. It does make you wonder. It seems that whenever a club goes after a highly ranked player there is a thought process influenced by past form/history, expectation, need, injury assessment and character. Perhaps desperation. However, it’s like any marketplace where the bidders become increasingly pressured to cut a deal. Like buying a house. In many cases, prospective buyers significantly exceed their budget because in the emotion of the auction , they not only want that house but they also don’t want someone else to get it. No of us like to be beaten. Rationality, common sense and a state of calm goes out the window. The footy field is littered with dead bodies, well at least injured bodies of well performed players who have still been courted by clubs throwing wads of cash at them. Like giving a car salesman top dollar for a lovely prestige European car with dodgy electrics. The car looks great, the buyer feels great but the car breaks down on a cruise down the road. I sometimes think that a club would be better off giving its conditions of hire to a broker who has no attachment to the result. Where there is no negotiation when the basic minimum standards cannot be met by the player. I know that’s crazy. But at the moment there is a disconnect when a club gets itself into a big mess by paying a player a huge salary before he has got to play a game. If you are going to pay huge dollars you at least need a standard like a probationary employment clause that gives the player and club three months to meet the playing requirements. The appalling history of these trades suggest that a club is better off trying to develop young recruits and have a pay structure that allows them to be developed and paid accordingly. Because the problem is that a BB situation results in a salary cap issue and the salaries of other deserving players being compressed. And can lead to money and resources being wasted on a player that may never be right. There are players that recover from injuries and go on to become valuable players. But the risk is so much higher with a player that has a chronic injury. Best not to chase a player with a serious injury history or chronic injury.

Tremendous summary Binman.

Spot on. Listening to the Magpie mouthpieces and then Lumumba speaking on 774 this morning there is a big fat compo claim in the wind.

True. The Boys Club is variation on the theme of “boys sticking together”. A group of men protecting their turf and one another. A milder term may be the word contacts or connections. It may include women but generally men are the ones who seek power, influence and status. At the end of the day, Eddie is a product of his environment. Increasingly, we see in the media and entertainment industry, lots of Eddies. They do not know humility and contrition. However, they do not know what it takes “to make it.” Often that is to be loud, forceful, aggressive, opportunistic, opinionated and to be both seen and heard. Getting your own way irrespective of the methods becomes laudable. Hurting other people’s feelings particularly those without power and influence is a way of being. Regret does not feature in their vocabulary. These days the marketing people call it developing your brand or product. Let’s face it, we live in a world focussed on selling, marketing and spin. Eddies response and comments are no surprise and are entirely natural for this media beast.

Definitely a train wreck of a press conference. I listened in disbelief from both a PR viewpoint and moral standpoint. It started off as embarrassing bur ended as shameful. It reflects a leader that has run out of time and one who lacks humility and wisdom. A soon to be ex President, like another recent ex President who lost his way by his inability to see outside his own bubble. Ego and conceit in your own importance and infallibility always ends badly. Only crocodile tears will be shed.

Scully is a good example of a young champion footballer that makes the grade but struggles to make an impact. Happens to many if not most. It’s a warning that champion schoolboys need careful assessment. Also a warning that many schoolboys are “over trained” by the time they get there and develop chronic injuries early on. From memory Scully had problems almost from the start. Certainly, he had an injury hampered career. From a monetary viewpoint he was in the right place at the right time. He and Dad made a killing but only because clubs came knocking with pockets if not sacks of money. Given the nature of the dog eat dog mentality of footy these days, you can’t blame him. Sure he may have misled many in the process but he was a young kid taking the advice of an elder. And whose to say he was wrong. Financially, footy has delivered a comfortable lifestyle and secure future, even if he never works a day in his life. As it was, it turned out to be a blessing for the Demons. Saved the club lots of money and what to do with an overpaid player that falls below expectations. And think of how many of us would have had the Jack Watts if Scully had continued with the Dees.

Very moving and thoughtful comments. The bitter sweet reflections on life. Demonland at its best. Marks spirit soul lives on in the memories of family and friends.

Uncomfortable commenting on this matter or any other like issue where opinion is influenced by moral judgement and the colour of a players jumper. The guy obviously has problems that need to be addressed. For me, it’s more about what happened and how it is dealt with by the player, club and AFL. Do you treat it as a health issue or a civil or criminal issue.? This is a difficult area for the club and the AFL. Like taking illicit drugs, how do you deal with it in a fair and balanced way, given the public shaming involved ? Are there strict clauses in a players contract ? If not, should there be? And what the consequences for the player for his actions.

But Uncle, I have always been led to believe that schoolboys grow up and become adults and use adult humour. Did you miss an important developmental stage?