Red But Mostly Blue

Josh Jenkins saying this has me thinking Trac will be in the red and blue next year. What a peanut.

Hamill is not instilling much excitement or confidence, sorry.

Can circle back and touch base later?

Would be great to land Humphrey if he chooses to come home. Feeling a little less optimistic than usual/I'd like. As much as it looks like we will have the $$$, the guy's a jet, and I can see him taking a haircut on whatever we offer to win games and perhaps a flag. We're back here - the dark old days in terms of enticing people to come across. For a while we could argue the lure of playing alongside Maxy, Trac and Oliver, now it's just Maxy (and Kozzy) - and Maxy won't be around too long. We need guys like Humphrey to buy in on the kids and the future, and that does not look as exciting as playing for the hawks, who were not far off a GF appearance - and on the rise, with lots of good years ahead. Bug crowds. No Casey (sorry), etc. Hard sell. Getting rid of Trac and Clarry is good for $, but not so much for prestige. They are generational midfield pillars. Without them, we have an ageing (but still the best) ruckman, question marks over the last few years and potentially another stint at the bottom for a while. Can't believe we are here again.

haha YES

Wow, typical of trac to want his own stage. Look at moi.

A King standing tall in the ruins is still a King, and can command such power. (I am hoping haha)

What a day for this thread to pop off, to offset the (potential) gloom of the Trac/Clarry news. Looking forward to the mole extermination, and Flanders/Bailey goodness (a huge coup if true, and tbf, a very plausible explanation, and perhaps the only likely one for being so quick to offload BOTH Clarry and Trac).

Post of the pre-trade period 'trade talk' um, period, change my mind.

8K at Metricon. Enjoy!!!

Certainly must have some truth to it. I am just concerned a. who we're going to play b. how we will attract serious talent and c. avoid another decade in the doldrums.

Saw that. Pretty intense situation now if I am reading that strange post right. He is contracted after all, so he could just say nah and live the rest of his footy days at Casey??

Let's just say we lose both Trac and Oliver, which now looks to be the most likely outcome. Fine - I imagine the decision (at least insofar as it applies to Oliver, as Trac has told us he wants to go...) is for our own good. But, wow, I mean if we just pause for a second. We lose our two pillars of generational talent. Still in good years. Plus May and McVee (not our doing, fine). In one year. That's really... umm, bad. We don't have to cattle to replace those 2 guys. One, we'll make do. Both?? We don't have anyone special screaming out to come to us. St Kilda are getting everyone with their bottomless money pit. It's not as if we lose those guys and we're linked with a KPF, key back and a mid, for example. Just Flanders (maybe) and Mihochek (he's ok but what's the point if in full rebuild?). And that's fine, again, you say we have some good kids, and we play them. Yeah, we do, but NOT THAT MANY. And (worse, yet) then you have the cyclical effect of these kids, say Langford for example, who will want to win games, rather than just be stuck rebuilding in a rabble of a club notorious for endless rebuilds and doldrums. How do you think they will feel about it?? Max does not have many years left. Ditto Viney at top level (despite his contract, sigh). They won't want to lose every week. I can see one of the current (and seemingly evergreen) crop of contenders grabbing them from us. If we lose Langford and/or X in 2 years. How do we all feel about the 'burn it down' sentiment? Still raw and exciting? Dunno about you, but I don't want to revisit the doldrum days getting pantsed by everyone every week. It took FOREVER to turn it around in 2021, and just 4 SHORT years later, it's fire sales and 'play the kids'?? WTH???!!! Nobody does implosion like the Dees, I will give us that. Sigh.

Same. I hope, and expect, this noise to be sorted soon.

Ah, another totally normal and not shambolic, depressing offseason.

Thanks all! Not an easy gig at the best of times, and particularly so given it's not been smooth sailing for a while!

Heart and soul ❤️ Imperfect, sure - as we all are. He's been one of the greatest players of the last decade while growing up in front of thousands every week. Some take longer than others. But I know he tries his guts out every week, you can see it. This was a transition year from a tumultuous period. The bridge from his past to his future. Another solid preseason and Clarry will be an absolute beast in 2026. And I have a feeling without Trac, he will shine even more. Sam above says Brownlow 2026. Definitely possible, what a great story. All in on Clarry 2026.

All of this.

Hear me out. If Trac gets to the Suns (better for us trade wise), and JUH also gets there (reports he has travelled there to 'reignite' his career - which is a somewhat good move, although I am not sure the Gold Coast is the best place for him, but certainly interstate is best for a fresh start)... ... then that means Trac will have to play in a team with a culture/standards issue FOR SURE. Something it he has been grappling with. The Suns can do the funniest thing right now.

Kid's gonna be alright I reckon.

I reckon they have definitely put someone younger/looser at the helm. Here for it. We need things like this. They may seem like small things, and I guess they are, but it's the sort of activity that builds connection with a fanbase. MFC has always been very distant/aloof with this sort of stuff. Hopefully one of the many changes to come.

One of the positives gleaned from 2025. Can play, with raw talent that will only benefit from a solid preseason. Best of all, he looks like he really wants to be out there, and if we have a team full of that sort of enthusiasm, we will improve very quickly.

I think everyone knows this one was a bit of a punt. High risk, high reward sort of a thing. Given our dual straight sets exits, I can see we were trying to become more dynamic/dangerous i50. He certainly has the potential. Sometimes these things land and sometimes they don't. We'd be praising Lamb if it worked. Anyway, still a year left, you never know. I hope Shane has some luck with his body and tears it up in 2026.

This is such a nice, wholesome, thread. A delightful departure from some of the other content lol I also didn't get to see Robbie play (live), but from what I have seen and heard, he was one-of-a-kind. The good ones always go far too young, and leave us with the monsters who live to a million years old.

Tough, but correct decision. Pleasing to see it looks like we're starting to make some big decisions regarding our list. There may (ha!) and should be more to follow, I'd say. Will miss May, agree with posters above that our flag does not happen without him. Probably won't miss the fist fights, occasional on-field melt downs (I love his passion, but the Gawn dress-down etc, no) and the soundbites he gave other teams (shoulda smoked them, etc. - even though I, too, believe we should have smoked them) but I will miss his immense presence down back. This year wasn't his best, marred by injury, inconsistence, lack of speed (odd how quick this happened), but I hope he sees some more good footy, but not against us, of course. Big opportunity for Disco/Petty/Lever and others to step up and form a new brick wall.