hemingway

Very hard to be a successful professional sportsperson with a major chronic illness.

Agreed, I was exaggerating to make a point. Luck plays a part, a little like winning the flag. I agree that this does not mean that you cast considered informed opinion to the winds.

Perhaps MFC members need to be telling the club this via emails and club website. The jumper is really very sacred to supporters, as it reflects the history and continuity of the club. It is something that binds our loyalty to the Club. One of the reasons why, over the years, there has been so much angst over the alternative strip.

What a complete [censored]. An arrogant, self serving and contemptuous attitude. Sadly it does reflect the reality where sponsors, advertisers and media, no longer observe or recognize the line between their financial interests and the game itself. They view the game as secondary to their commercial interests and a game that can be manipulated at will. Is there a tipping point, one where, the people will say enough is enough ?

True, it's a reminder of the vagaries of recruiting and recruiting outcomes. We see it so often. Some who are unable to make the transition from teenage star to senior football, those who don't fulfill their potential due to their work ethic and attitude, those crippled by injury and so on. And with someone like Max, those who take time to develop. At the time of recruiting, I thought we had won the jackpot with Scully and Trengove, and that Max was just a big lazy kid with dodgy knees. When you consider the variables and the success rate, recruiting is really a lottery. A bit like getting a champion race horse. You can get the best bred horse and have the best trainer but not get a winner and vice versa. Some of the best horses have been el cheapos, sometimes overlooked in the sales by the experts. As a friend of mine who breeds and races horses always reminds me, it is mainly luck.

Michael Christian is not the smartest guy on the block. I think that part of the reason for incompetency is often that the person/s are not very smart. Causes confusion, poor logic and reasoning. If they were smart they would not be sitting on a footy tribunal.

Like others I had my reservations about Max in the early days. Over the last few years, I sometimes have wished that he would stop playing the joker and be a little more media shy. However, you realize that humour is part of his make-up and no doubt helps him cope with the pressures of AFL footy and helps relieve some of the tension and pressure amongst his team mates. What you can't do his doubt his commitment and talents. Like all top line players he has made a huge mental and physical commitment to succeed. No-one has worked harder on the track and no one works harder on the field. You can't make it without single-minded obsession to being the best. Max has done that. As a result, he will reap the benefits for the rest of his life both in footy terms (reputation and respect) and in financial terms. No-one will say there goes a guy who "coodabeen" a champ. His performance on and off the field tells you that he has become a role model and leader of men.

Agreed. It takes time to transform an organisation from top to bottom. Probably the transformation began with Jackson and Roos, but as we have seen it takes time for that to become evident on and off the field. Transformation is on-going and will be incomplete until the club has sustained success on the field over 5 to 10 years, continued membership growth, strong and stable leadership, and a strong financial position etc. And you can also throw in the importance of having its own training base and infrastructure. We cannot be seen as a club that needs benefits or support from the AFL over that of any other club. All of the big clubs with influence have enjoyed sustained success over many years, even decades. The big clubs all have had their bad times but unlike Melbourne they have had significantly more success over the past 20 to 50 years, and, as a result, more support. It is easier for the big clubs to rebuild their membership base after lean years. Perts goal of 70,000 members has to be achievable. We cannot become truly powerful without a big membership base.

G’day mate. Missing your robust comments.

Link between GF twilight:night and their own remuneration and bonuses? One thing is for sure, the AFL is not prepared to take a stand against the broadcasters. Both men are softening us up for the cave-in.

Well done and well said. Nothing vanilla about your sensibility.

Proudly outed as a quality country member.

What a great moment that was, never forget it. Straight from the heart capturing the emotion of a nation.

True Harmes you will not be the only one. In fact any teetotalling supporter that did not have a drink or two would be lousy! As for the rest of us god help our livers.

One week at a time please Demons. There are some quality sides this year who all have improved lists. The outcome is going to be measured in centimetres possibly even millimetres. As in all cases, you need to have everything going for you and on top of that have a lot of luck. Second half of the season will hold the key in terms of form, injuries and position on the ladder. No swagger for me until we win the big dance. We need to walk the talk.

I regretted my comments almost as soon as I posted them. I do not like being unduly negative about players, and I was in the case of JKH. I hope your opinion is correct, i really do. It is always interesting to read a contrary view, without hyperbole. I wholeheartedly agree with the second para. They have a reason to keep him on the list and that's good enough for me.

Only intelligent, informed, learned, respectful discussion on DLand.

Forward delivery was hopeless after quarter time. Slow and indirect with the ball just being pumped into the forward line. On most occasions TMac competed with 3 or 4 Tigers and even the odd Demon. Rance beat him alright but whilst Rance was leaping from behind, Tom rarely got off the ground so that his long arms were of no advantage..

Description is unfortunate. However, of all those on the list, I see little upside with JKH. He reminds me of many we had on your lists over the dark years. His skills and attributes are very average. He does not excel at any facet of the game. He tends to get caught a lot and does not have the ability to break away from a contest. He is one of those players that follow the play rather than initiates play. I really hope that I am wrong and he comes of age but I just have yet to see any glimmer that anything will change this season,

Terrible things to wear playing footy. Was always taking it out when not near the ball. However, if the choice is between discomfort or not having a full set of teeth, I would choose teeth every time. Handy things teeth particularly for chewing. My female friends all preferred a mouth with teeth. Taking out the dentures before bed is never a good look. I suspect that some of BBO's house maids don't have teeth but that's another matter.

Nicely put EO.

Maybe, but your use of the words "innovating the product" assumes that it is necessary to change the product to keep consumers (supporters) interested. That the product needs to be changed. First, I am one of those folk who think footy is a game not a product and those that follow the footy are supporters or fans not consumers. I don't hear many people say that they are looking forward to watching the product on the weekend. Second, I get concerned about the use of marketing terms and the introduction of innovations that are intended to grow the market, and to ensure more opportunity for advertising and the growth of revenue streams. Will more people follow the footy or attend games due to product innovations? We have a game that has existed more or less in its present form for 160 years. The game has a history, culture and continuity that is unique. The continuity and uniqueness of our great game is one of the reasons why it remains popular. Why it is in the blood for many of us, why people refer to footy as a religion in Melbourne. The history and traditions of the game are important to maintain its continuity and on-going popularity. Third, there is no sign that the existing game is waning in popularity. I am not sure that you have to innovate to keep young people interested. One of the things you notice at the footy is the large number of kids and young people (and women). It is a dubious assumption to think that you have to make changes to the game to maintain the interest of the young. I don't get the feeling that young people at the footy are impatient or bored because the game is too long. Change is required when there is a demonstrated need for it. If evidence show that footy is losing its popularity and that fans are calling out for change then fair enough. Some of the rule changes this season have been sensible and will improve the spectacle. No problem with that. We need to be cautious about innovations or changes that dilute the appeal of the game as we know it. .

Yes, they had the good sense to squash the idea, so I give them some credit. The AFL stopped it before it became an embarrassment. Overall it seems like a stuff up. It seems like a decision made and announced on the run, without sufficient time on research, discussion and thought.

Just looking at the list of "high earners" is a warning for clubs thinking of paying big bucks to players on the basis of potential. Similarly, paying big bucks to players with an injury history. I hope the Demons appropriately reward their young guns rather than go out and pay big bucks for a trade.

Team success is obviously critical for a club to retain its good players. If the MFC enjoys that success, it is going to put a strain on the salary cap as players become more valuable. That is a challenge for the club as compromise and balance become key ingredients of successful salary cap management whilst retaining your best list. What history has told us is that players are prepared to forgo money to remain at a successful club. Dusty Martin is an example. There will always be star players that remain loyal and stay at an unsuccessful club (ie Flower/Jones), but it has become less the case over the years. There will always be the star player that leaves a successful club for money. Ablett is an example. But that is the exception rather than the rule. For both club and player the one common ingredient is team success.