Mel Bourne

Watch last year’s Grand Final again. It’s a big loss, and though many here have come to his defence with level-headed and compassionate arguments for him leaving, I can’t shake the opinion that he’s let down the club. I also can’t see how this doesn’t negatively affect his mental approach (and those around him) going into the pointy end of the season. In general, I wish there was a way to keep any trade-talk strictly off-limits to players mid-season. It’s just not good for the game.

Speaking of running, MFC social media have just released a clip of Tom MacDonald going a fairly purposeful, seemingly-unhindered run at training. Obviously going to need more time, but early signs are good that he’ll be right for finals.

I’d say Petty. And I think Brayshaw has generally risen a whisker this season. But yeah, you’d wan’t that list to be much bigger.

Unlike Jackson, Gus very much has a life in Melbourne. Between the club, his partner Danielle and the Frawley family, it’s very hard to see him leaving.

You’re making a very basic point - being selfish in a team-led activity is bad. I don’t think too many people would disagree with this, and I don’t think it requires any degree of experience as a player to understand it. It’s a tenet that applies to all kinds of life situations that involve co-operation to achieve a result (in sport, business, arts etc) The question being debated here is: Is Bailey Fritsch being selfish or is he doing what the coaches have asked of him? The answer would appear to be somewhere in the middle; that he has been told to generally take his chances, but has on occasion gone too far in that direction instead of opting for something much better/less selfish. Personally, I don’t think he’s an inherently “selfish player” like some pundits are suggesting. I think, as other posters here have said, that his errors of judgement are being singled out right now because a couple of them have looked particularly bad. Also I’m not so sure that ex-players are always correct when it comes to game analysis. Enough turkeys have passed through the commentary boxes over the last couple of decades to back this opinion up.

Pro tip*: You won’t win too many arguments by telling people on this forum that you know more than them because you played “at a reasonably high level” at some stage. Unless you’re Gary Ablett, nobody’s that interested *if you’ll excuse the expression

Hang on. What’s your benchmark for perfection? Not having ever sexually harassed/assaulted somebody?

Merits of the strategy aside, has anybody else noticed that the camera is already positioned to the left side of May’s kick-ins before he’s even collected the ball?

That’s a big call. I have faith in the guy. We shall see….

Great post all round, but particularly regarding Sparrow, I completely agree. Folks who think Sparrow has gone from the form he displayed in last year’s finals to basically not knowing how to play footy anymore are totally weirding me out with their theories. I’m not going to say he’s been brilliant of late. He needs to regain some form. But ”regain” is the operative word here.

He’s gotta be sore after hurting his shoulder like that, but hopefully not injured.

Obviously things to improve on, but watching Kozzie’s game was well worth the price of admission. Gameday thread, embarrassing to witness as ever.

I said it was an “incident”. Do you know what “incident” actually means? It’s something “incidental”. Would you have liked me to call it a “happening”? An “occurrence”? A “whoopsy”? It was a slightly-newsworthy incident (and remember, incident doesn’t have to mean “big deal”) of a captain publicly potting (twice, mind you) an ex-player for changing clubs. That’s all. I wasn’t “outraged” by it. Just another dumb-arss feather in his dumb-arss cap. But as is typical of you lot (people who think anyone who has a problem with Tex Walker is an “activist”), you’re far more eager to be outraged than anybody, but the hypocrisy is absolutely lost on you.

He may be capable of redemption, but I don’t want it to happen at the MFC. A comment like the one he made? As an adult? Nup. It wasn’t a “dumb kid” moment. It was as an adult, as the ex-captain of a club. This is precisely why it gets the extra scrutiny, and the harsher judgement as compared to other similar incidents. And then you’ve got the Lever stuff, the defence of “the camp”…. The guy is made from the purest of [censored]. Edit: the word that was censored was “flag” with an “o” instead of an “a”. Just want to clarify that it wasn’t something cruder.

Yeah, at age 31 he finally discovered racism. Sure.

Sorry, who’s getting outraged by trivial stuff?

His two public admonishments, CYB. Which is what I mean when I say that this guy doesn’t exactly seize opportunities to learn from mistakes. And no, I’m not stoked about the prospect of LJ leaving but I’m talking about the way a captain should behave, not a supporter. I would be shocked if LJ left then two days later Max Gawn is appearing on radio talkback venting his spleen about it.

This doesn’t get said enough. People here saying those opposed to him are opposed to second chances, forgiving mistakes etc… Come on. With the Lever incident, he potted him publicly once, than rather than learning that this was deeply uncool (especially as a CAPTAIN, mind you) blew his “second chance” and potted him again. With regard to the other incident, are we seriously to believe that this was a rare “mistake” that he deeply regretted? Or is it the far more likely scenario that at age 31, this was the first time he was caught being a thick-headed racist and spent the previous nineteen years (y’know, the ample amount of time when you’re supposed to learn that you should not ever call indigenous people “black c$&@s”) not bothering to learn these incredibly basic things. Second chances? Mistakes? Societal-rehab at the greatest club currently in the league? Gimme a break. He can get his second chance elsewhere, and I’ll be incredibly disappointed with the club if this d-bag is allowed in

Look ultimately I wish the kid well. I certainly don’t feel any genuine malice, just find it a bit hmm…soft. And I do think it provides yet another cautionary tale for recruiting youth from the west. WA’s a funny place. I played in two bands with WA folk at their core, and it seems people from there fall into two pretty distinct categories; “I don’t want to ever live here again” or “I don’t want to ever leave”. The folks in my bands were very much the former, but whenever we played over there we’d meet up with their mates in the latter camp. There was always a bit of a strange underlying tension. There seems to be a lot in those two extra hours on the plane. But you’re right, it’s part of the game (though I agree with a lot of posters who’ve pointed out that it seems a bit more prevalent in the AFL than other major international leagues), and yes, one door closes etc etc.

Won’t lie. I find “homesickness” to be a pretty feeble reason to cut and run on a club that has given a person so much in so little time.

Aside from everything else, I’m not sure confidence is found on the other side of removing yourself from a team, mid-match.

Really solid take. Brayshaw has been outstanding for us this season. His intercept-marking across half back has gone next-level, to the point where Lever must be getting genuinely itchy out there (in the best possible way). Losing Gus would be a bigger gut-punch for me than LJ. But it would be great to keep things as they are for a couple more years.

Isn’t he just two years into a mega-contract? How does he wriggle out of that one? And if he can, what are the point of these mega-contracts anyway?

Tell me if I’ve got this wrong, but I’m imagining (hoping) that if the club were serious about enlisting him, there would have to be consultation with our indigenous boys (and probably Jake Lever) before proceeding. Can anybody else see this as putting those players in an incredibly unfair position? If any of them weren’t ok with it, would they speak up? Or would they see speaking up as getting in the way of the club’s supposed progress? Wouldn’t it be better to just avoid this scenario entirely? It’s not like Taylor Walker is the answer to our prayers

I’m curious as to how anybody who values club culture could also be onboard with recruiting Taylor Walker. I just can’t reconcile how the two aren’t mutually exclusive.