Smokey

the cheese platter killed me hahaha

While a like-for-like replacement would be ideal, we don't have the stock for that (at this stage). I wouldn't be surprised to see Hibbo come across into levers role, and for Hibbo's spot to be replaced by Hunt. Good opportunity for Hunt to find some form and help the team out. As a player he has an enormous upside if we can get him firing.

Dom is shaping up to be good trade bait now, a few clubs could use him. Not sure we have any use for him anymore.

I have genuine sympathy for those who are so scarred by our past that they cannot enjoy the beautiful football we are playing at the moment without being pessimistic and feeling the need to remind everyone that it can all fall apart. Enjoy it guys, I've been waiting 31 years for this and am loving every moment of it. Dee's by 80+

Why on earth would something like this bother you?!

I'd take 1 Clarry over 2 Cripp's. Clarry has a far higher ceiling.

You seem like the kind of bloke that has there school listed as "The School of Hard Knocks" on Facebook ...

I couldn't get any context whatsoever from the seemingly random quotes in this article. Fake news.

I couldn't believe the persistence with Omac for a long time but look how he's going now. Must be his last chance though with Viney coming in next week. Keen to see how he responds.

Since when were the smart, dumb, young and old considered a minority? Senseless comment.

Perhaps reading the article before having an opinion on it would be a start

Happy with both of them right now. Can't figure out why we need to compare the two though.

All 3 fantastic, really hard to pick. An in form Gawn is a salivating prospect. If he regains AA this year we're top 4 IMO. ANB has been progressing as steadily as any player I've seen in recent times. His work ethic and attitude must be of the highest order. Bayley has already made me forget Jack Watts. Hopefully doesn't go missing in JLT 2 because at this stage he's making me slightly moist and I wanna see him in round 1. I could go on. Noteworthy - Melk looks likes he's ready to breakout to elite this year. As are a few more. We'll find out soon enough. God damn I'm excited for the season actual now ...

“It just reeks of self-importance. I reckon he’s got to be more humble or choose his words better, ” Blight told Sportsday radio. “The future will be what it’s going to be, but I had a saying, which I think I nearly invented, and that was: ‘The footy god can sometimes get you’. Translation: "Oi young fella - be more humble! Oh and by the way everyone else, check out this brilliant phrase I invented!" The irony is too much. Jog on, Blighty ...

Agree with all of that. Just thought it was a bit ridiculous to say that our performance in 2017 would have zero bearing on potential investors.

But surely a history of playing less games in a season than we should have, in turn offering our brands less exposure than was possible, has crossed a potential investors mind? This isn't about MFCSS, it's how someone with business sense analyses a potential investment. Historical data is very important. If I buy a product that should have a life span of 26 uses, but I only get 24, I'm going to question my purchase.

I would have thought the missed opportunity to give the sponsors more exposure by playing extra games in September would absolutely be a major consideration. Any other scenario doesn't really make sense from a business perspective.

If she feels violated and expresses so, then it ends there. Regardless of agreed upon facts. There are no legal tests to determine how a person feels in any given situation so this point is moot.

I hear you, but don't necessarily agree with all of this. No-one said they need to be knocking down the door at Dreamhack, but a local Melbourne team that competes nationally wouldn't cost much at all but would provide enough exposure to younger generations for a positive ROI in my opinion. A byproduct of this exposure is of course membership. I see this as a viable longer term strategy to expanding our membership base, not a way for us to make millions in the next few years. Our biggest problem is securing long term major sponsers (no answers for that from me other than getting a better draw from the AFL). Consider this idea a side project at the most.

Esports team for sure

To a certain extent - yes, I do. They are professional athletes - not your average 20 year old off the street. Of course the professionals are required for guidance, but the coaches can't feel a player's hammy or knee the moment before it goes. Only they can. As everyone else, I'm only speculating here anyway. I'm choosing to back the players in that they made a decision for the right reasons. That's all.

Haha yeah I guess so @Win4theAges's comment resonates with me quite a lot - we had a serious year for injuries last year. Perhaps the players identified the pre-season camp had something to do with that? You can hire all the coaches and sports scientists in the world - they will never understand the player's bodies quite as well as the players themselves.

I'd be lying if I said your sentiments hadn't crossed my mind, because they indeed have. And me 2+ years ago would've thrown my arms in the air and cursed them in a similar vein. But I honestly believe we are past our bruise free footy days. I hope for all of our sakes I'm right, eh? I'd hate to be proven wrong on this (but am, as always, prepared to be).

I didn't do "camps", training like this was done most days before work. I don't use that as a basis for necessarily agreeing with what they did - more so giving them the benefit of the doubt that they took a certain course of action for a legitimate reason. I can see the work the boys have put into their bodies before the pre-season - and that's all I need to have faith at this stage. I'm a glass half full guy. Each to their own.

You do realise that your ridiculously long winded comments don't actually hide the fact you never seem to address the questions people ask you, right? Show me proof of what your saying - or dare I say it, is this just more know-all rhetoric?