deespicable me

That was a brilliant speech by Dangerfield. He is a worthy winner and a very clever person to boot. His take on family being the most important thing in life and how he had the Adelaide table and everyone in the room forgiving his move home was pretty moving. By the end I was going "Oh jeez, home you go Jesse, you get on back to your family, we'll be O.k." After that speech I think we're in trouble.

Hardly sighted 2016 season, 0 contested possessions, 0 intercept marks, 0 metres gained, needs to lift.

It's a nice idea but I just wonder if the game hasn't got so big that you'd get clubs giving out scholarships to schools in their zones etc. Those three pre-draft choices would be like gold and probably very soon exploited. Which club is in the private school belt and can offer a scholarship to Xavier, Carey etc.

Fyfe could probably do a better job than Hoges did in 2016 playing full forward. It's how good Hogan might become in three or four years time. All things being equal he has another 10 years of footy left, We've all had a rough previous ten years, surely not the next ten as well watching him become a superstar playing for someone else. We've had one good year. And not Hawthorn good. Didn't even play finals. Got beaten by 100 points in our last game for the year. That was a good year for Melbourne fans! And now this. Aaaaaagggghhhh!

I think the club is being dictated to. I think Hoges and his management are running the commentary. Unfortunately MFC has said all along they were giving Jesse time and space to make up his mind. And so he is. So they are. It would be wrong now for us to change the commentary to anything else. But it stinks that they are being so reluctant to make a decision. We are stuck. Rooted.

I think the club should help Hoges by making the decision for him, we are going to trade you. I really dislike players that put themselves above the team when the essence of the game is that it is a team game. He's not the first and there is a long list of difficult full forwards that have graced the turf before him and the indications are that he is another. Buddy, Fevola, Ablett snr, Jack Reiwoldt, Jacko, Farmer, Allen Jakovitch, Carey, maybe even Stringer. This is not a Melbourne footy club problem but the personality of someone who has to see themselves as better than others to perform. They are confidence players who's egos need constant stroking and off the field they can be quite damaged, fragile individuals. If you can control them they can win you a premiership but keeping them focussed and on track and constantly telling them "you da man" is hard work. Many of them have ended coaches careers. Its interesting how Tex Walker responded to being made Captain after getting off-side, ending Sandersons coaching career nearly leaving and is now an inspired choice. He was certainly told he was the man. Are Melbourne a good enough strong enough club to go on this journey. I'm a bit negative here and say no we are not. We should probably trade him. It's going to end in heart ache. Cut our losses, get as much as we can, help him out by sending him home and try once again to move on.

Totally agree. He either signs or we trade him this trade period to the best offer for the club, whether that team is based in Perth, Queensland or Timbuctoo. If there is any thought he's going then GET HIM OUT, players like that ruin clubs.

Don't want to sound callous but I think Hoges unwittingly has in a sense invited us to view him as a commodity. If he had signed or if he does sign we all sigh a collective sigh, go yay, post all our love and then get on with the business of bagging him every time he shows a bad attitude or goes his Fred Astaire run up with a twist and kicks it out on the full. But due to the fact he hasn't signed and really if he was a committed player he would have signed we are "in stasis". So personally I don't care, just make a decision so we can all move on because people have to realise we are in a good position with this. His value has gone up enourmously so as long as we don't stuff up on a trade we should hopefully be in a similar position to if we had Hoges on board. And given his hesitation to commit is his greatest flaw then again I don't care, Hoges I understand you have a personal issue but I don't see that the two issues need to be related, so sign up get on board and commit, ......or don't Just make the $$$$$$$$$$$cking decision

Hello, President of the Hawthorn Football League here and I'd just like to clear up a couple of misconceptions you lot may have with regard to some of these trades etc. Hogan, Fyfe, Fyffe, Gaff, yes, yes all good players I'm sure but I have to make it perfectly clear all trades must be ratified with our board. I repeat ALL trades. Fyfe and Hogan will be coming across next year and Gaff as soon as he becomes a Hawthorn (sorry I mean free) agent. We brought in that work experience kid this year O'Meara. Played the old Burgoyne bung knee card there ha,ha,ha. Anyway back to your little games. I'm working with Fitzy and Gill (terrific chaps, very ameniable to our cause) to let you lot have a cameo appearance in 2018 or 19 in the top four. On the proviso of course that we never leave the top 4. Talked about a series of exhibition matches next year (you might call it the Home and Away) before our games start in September. Anyway toodle pip.

I listened to Fitzpatrick for about 5 minutes on 774 pre game before I had to spew up. Just recovering. That guy I will hate for the rest of my days as a destroyer of the game. Started talking GDP and numbers etc. What an arrogant piece of work. Get someone in there who cares about the fans not numbers.

Tomlinson a gun, Hopper a gun, Patton a spud and umpire no. 15 shouldn't be getting a game, he has no feel for the game.

Boring

I think he's got ability but hasn't played enough football in the last year or so with injury. Sometimes with a guy like him who I would think has an attitude problem they frustratingly don't realise their career is shot till it's too late. Whether us or another team take a chance on him he would have to be minimums pay and trade (ie free) and then maybe it's what he needs to turn his career around. But he has a lot of baggage. The odds are stacked against him. It's always a nice story when a (percieved) wastrel turns his career around, works hard and becomes a good AFL citizen.

Finally a poster who makes a bit of sense, Oh Magoo...you've done it again.

There's one match winning super star that is thinking of leaving, Nat Fyfe. If you are going to spend a fortune he's the best. Who would you have? Tom Mitchell for 700 or Fyfe for 1 mill..............Fyfe J. O'Meara for 800 or Fyfe for 1 mill..............Fyfe Prestia for 550 or Fyfe for 1 mill...............Fyfe And the big one Hogan for 900 or Fyfe for 1 mill..................not sure If a team is going to throw all their eggs in one basket then get Fyfe!!!!!!!!!

I'm just so glad to see Hawthorn, Geelong and Swans up there again. Just a bit more tweaking to the free agency rules and we can all look forward to the next ten years of these three teams finishing top four. Gee it's great. Well done AFL. My suggestions would be because every player wants to go and play there maybe we should think about letting the big three have a couple of extra players on their lists, the players association is all for it, that Marsh bloke is positively wetting himself he's that excited. And for all you Dees fans I know this year was a bit of an abberation but don't worry with some hard work and dedication I'm pretty sure we can get back into the bottom four, well maybe not next year but deffo 2018. Go Dees, Go AFL. Or is that the SGHFL.

I think he should stay in but I also think "he has much to learn young superstar forward". In the meantime sign him up for $500,000 a year which is all he's probably worth just at the moment and then he can explode on the scene next year.

I like it and I don't mind the AFL giving something like this a go. They said they want the teams in the 8 to make a big deal of their training sessions and they will help them and if we make it I am certainly going to get along to a couple. Also for a team like us if we were to make it I would be more than happy to bask two weeks in the glory of making the finals. If we were there the build up would be intense. I can only imagine it will be the same for a lot of other fans as well. I think the AFL said they were also making a bigger deal of the rising star and with 4 in and Jayden Hunt a real possibility to take it to 5 for the club (what a great effort) that would become a great event to go to, especially if we were alive in finals.

I think Jumping Jack is doing well to only lose 3 of the last 40 years, the 90's were a bit of a blur for me

I think he will leave. To me he does seem the type that wants ultimate success over money. The amount of work he's done to make himself one of the best in the comp. I don't think he's "putting it out there" for the money, he's got heaps, he's already set for life. Freo better get their act into gear if they want to keep him but I'd say he's a strong chance to leave.

I think they should "trade places" with Hawthorn. Complete lists and staffing. Give Leppa a five year deal. Give Robinson a five year deal and the Captaincy and a bunch of tickets to the summer festivals. Then we can all have a laugh at those smug Hawthorn supporters who won't have anything to do in September for decades to come.

Surely they won't drop Harmesy. He and Brayshaw walking off the "G" arm in arm singing the song was one of the highlights of the day for me. That and his brushed tackle, don't argue then kick to Kent in the first.

And yet no free kick for any of the three incidents. Sam Mitchells simpering looks at the umpire every time he gets a free kick against him give me the pip. They are the most favored team by umpires going round and yet Gibson, Mitchell and Hodge constantly appeal to the umpires throughout a match. They won the free kick count (again) on Saturday yet they constantly appeal to the umpires that they "got it wrong". They are precious and pathetic. Most players don't think the free against them was right but most just get back on the mark and get on with it. Gibson has been tunnelling for years now and getting away with it. He gets pinged for a 50/50 and he thinks theres no justice. Those Hawthorn players should be fined and it made public that they shouldn't be seen to influence umpiring decisions.

Now I'm not one to get ahead of myself but surely there are two things most obvious to the football world. 1. We have the best midfield in the league........and 2. For the first time ever a team (Melbourne) will trifecta the rising star award. Yay!!

Thats great news he's re-signed but I am also interested if he can still be picked up by an AFL club and does Melbourne have first dibs on him. Thanks KC for the news, I think he is a good player, maybe better than VFL and still only 20-21.