hemingway

Fact- Jack's career was affected and terminally damaged by injury. Speculation-Jack's development and career was mismanaged by the MFC. We have many examples of sportsmen and women whose career has been cut short by serious foot injuries. With Jack the impact was seen through missed games and diminished speed. Pure speculation that his journey would have been different if he had been drafted by another club at the beginning of his career. What we do know is that he was an outstanding junior, showed enormous potential in his first season (more than Scully) and that he was an outstanding young man. He has carried himself with dignity and humility over the years.

It is societal symptom. Politicians, celebs, almost anyone making comments fill sentences full of jargon words and phrases. The old fashioned word was gobbledygook. You do not talk to anyone these days, you have a conversation and on and on it goes.

Fair comment. At the same time, we had a substandard list per se. Form and Injuries just made it worse.. You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

When you look at the effective big guys in the comp, they are mobile around the ground and good in the air and on the ground. They also have a good footy brain. Braydon has some work to do.

exactly.

I do not know. One would think that our poor season and the negative perception of the club would not attract an experienced player who is looking at joining a successful team. After years of playing for one of the power clubs with a culture of success, the Dees don't stack up well. You have to have a very good reason to leave the Hawks.

Agreed. Also comments suggested that if Smith was to move then Carlton was a preferred option but that did not happen. I'm told that Smith was not interested in the Demons as a destination.

Smith has a few years left. And his body is good. He has great leadership qualities and is a very good outside or link player. I think he would be great at Melbourne as he has the qualities that we need. He may be past his best but he is still head and shoulders above many in our best 22. However, comments in the Hawks camp suggest that he was interested in a trade but now his preference is to remain at the Hawks. Perhaps influenced by lack of offers or unfavourable contract terms on offer but also a reluctance to move so late in his career and leave his mates. The desire to be a one club player still resonates with some players.

Agreed. Goodwin like all coaches and human beings has his failings. However, a little more courtesy toward our coach would not go astray. You can question his game plan, but for goodness sake look at the depth of his list. Most of the current day coaches would have struggled. As you say, it will all play out in 2020.

Crazy to consider taking a 27 year old on big coin with years of chronic injuries. If we had a team of champions and could afford to take a risk then fair enough. But serious back and hamstring injuries never go away. We already have a team of crocs (some on big coin) for goodness sake. Bring to the club another bloke who may sit in the stands and unlikely to be a regular member of the team. You can almost guarantee that he will have time on the injury list. And the Pies don’t let good players go. They also have some of the best medical and injury management staff going around, light years ahead of the Dees. No more players who make fleeting appearances please. Foolhardy desperation.

Makes no sense to trade Frost given his improvement and given the dodgy bodies of Lever, May and Jetta. His physical attributes have been mentioned by others but it is the probable loss of other key backs during the season that worries me most. And despite his brain fades, he brings genuine excitement that few of our players bring to a game Many of our players have as little spark as a flat battery. Would be really disappointed to see him go.

sadly, these articles do nothing to change perceptions. a little like a corporate AGM, when the head honcho's try and spin a story (sorry we call it a narrative these days), when the shareholders have seen an ongoing fall in the share price. They don't buy the narrative. also sadly marketing jargon and communication are rapidly becoming our everyday language and normalized. but marketing jargon never provides an honest or truthful explanation.. we accept that advertisements for material goods are full of hyperbole and bluntly, untruths. it is understandable that the harsh reality of our performance is hard to spin but that's the problem. perhaps the truth hurts too much and the club has taken the view that it has to provide hope to its supporters. but in spinning their message, supporters lose faith in the club. the club is between a rock and hard place, but a little more honesty would be sensible. when personal relationships are in trouble, honesty and plain, direct and simple communication goes a long way in mending broken fences. of course it is possible that there are two different t perceptions. Those of the bulk of supporters and those of the coach, club and players. unfortunately, the words of the president, coach and players are unconvincing. the explanations lack credibility because we have heard them all season. from goodwin down, those delivering the explanations talk like empty vessels, as if they don't believe their own explanations. you can sell hope for only a limited period of time, unless it is supported by performance improvement and winning games. perhaps hopefully we supporters have got it wrong and things turnaround in 2020. I don't know, the club has got itself into a terrible position. 12 months ago the club and the majority of supporters were basking in our success and the thought that sustained success and even a flag was within grasp. everybody believed we were heading in an upward trajectory. we have become the victims of our own expectations. its going to be a hell of a year in 2020 one way or the other. so much at stake.

My mail is that it is not so much that the Hawks want to trade Isaac but more the case that Isaac wants a change that will maximize his remuneration for the remainder of his career. The implication is that in the past Isaac has accepted less favourable terms to stay at the Hawks. Added to that is the rumour that the relationship between player and Clarkson is not strong at best. .

Given his late pick (age 22) he is a young 31.

Isaac would be great for us. Reads the game well, pace, good mark and kick, experience and leadership and sets up a lot of plays on the spread. But his interests are elsewhere. There may be an offer from the Dees but there will be no acceptance.

Hi there Lucifer, thanks for your comments, I decided on a self imposed exile due to my depressed state and the veil of negativity from all and sundry. I literally had to stop absorbing all the negativity to maintain balance. I don't think I have ever felt so depressed over footy. But a stint in foreign parts helped restore my mood state until I returned home for the end of the season and logged into Demonland. The benefits of travel evaporated immediately! I guess players these days live in the AFL footy bubble and it is hard to maintain humility and a centred approach to life. Family and friends outside work are important. Those who are there to support and not be critical or provide gratuitous advice. And hope that the family are not mad keen Collingwood supporters or supporters of any of the other other big clubs.

The beating of jungle drums after the poor season that we have had is predictable. It is perhaps surprising that it has taken so long. Cracks appear in all clubs when they are performing poorly. The footy media like all other news outlets are looking for headline stories every day. It is 50 years since Vance Packard wrote about news creation so nothing new about it all, other than the fact that the 24 hour news cycle and electronic media has worsened the environment. Everyone wants to be a media star whether for good or bad and this includes journalists, reporters and news breakers. The game is seen as entertainment and the old ideas of footy and the behaviours of all involved in the game has forever changed. Like its supporters you would expect some players to be getting itchy feet. With some dysfunction between players and perhaps between players and coach, and admin staff there will be tension. Also the natural reaction of any well performed player is going to be "do I wait to see if things improve or get out now." With the Demons history and the perennial bagging of the club by all and sundry, players would feel depressed. Hell all us supporters feel suicidal, ashamed and embarrassed by our poor old club so imagine the feelings of at least some of the players. With ego massaging that comes from approaches from other better performing clubs, it would be tempting for anyone to consider a move. Better facilities, better money, and perceived stability, the temptation is there. And the grass is always better on the other side of the fence. When you are offered a job you feel pretty good about yourself, life and future prospects. At the same time, if players are hearing stories that they may be traded as part of big changes to the playing list, then this only encourages them to look elsewhere, supported by rapacious player managers who have a vested interest in the players career. Like with most things, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The next 6 months is going to be a time when the professionalism of the clubs decision makers is going to be fully tested. I hope they are up to it. How much risk does the club take? Will it be able to manage the issues with intelligence, common sense and integrity. Its internal and external communication is going to be very important. Any perceived differences or tensions are going to be exposed and talked about. Testing times. I just hope the key people are up to it. At this stage it is hope rather than belief. Unfortunately, we will not get any sympathy from the AFL, other clubs, the media or the footy industry per se. Huge challenges ahead.

Isaac Smith will move but not to Melbourne. We are no longer a destination club. As a result of this season and disunity which is evident on the field, we have lost the respect of other clubs. We are regarded as a rabble by opposition players.

This is no surprise. Generally there has been a lowering of standards across the board in many occupations. It not only applies to training and education standards but also regulatory authorities. There is a great deal of pressure to pass students or grant registrations in many occupations due to the business driven (profit) ethic that now applies and due to bureaucratic corruption or manipulation. For many overseas students and workers there is an expectation that if you pay for a course or certificate you will pass or be accredited. If this does not happen , there are claims that the particular person or group is being discriminated due to race. Security has been notorious for many years. Many security guards are only guards in name. They have little or no training and many would run the other way to avoid confrontation. Cultural differences are also relevant in how individuals behave in any given situation. But the problem applies in most sectors with a general lowering of standards to accommodate individuals and groups.

Hate to be reminded of this infamous plot orchestrated by certain Board members and sponsors. A disgraceful action to circumvent member democracy and fair play. Only the Hawks and the intervention of Gutnick and Dixon saved us from the ignominy of a merged club

Indeed, OD that is the simple fact.

Probably mate. As I get older I see the sense in Neil Young's lyrics that "Its better to burn out than fade away."" When my time comes, I think I will go for the air injection. And don't believe the myth that Ernest ended it all by shotgun. Far too messy.

Not everyone Jim. For some remaining folk with attention spans longer than a few minutes there are still words in print, called books.

Surely you are too young for a retirement home or time spent commuting between the bowls club, the shopping mall, or the boardwalk ?

In previous years we could allow OMac some slack hoping that the tide would turn and we would begin to see improvement. This year there has been no improvement and the same failings are apparent to all. It is like watching a Jack Watts rerun. Hoping each week to see the potential unlocked but instead seeing the same failings. It all adds up to the same feeling of frustration merging at times with anger when one watches his hesitant bewildered game style. It really is hard to imagine what goes on in his head. All I know is that like Watts, you can't keep selecting a player with little or no intensity at the ball or the opponent.