Neil Crompton

I was from the camp that said we shouldn't be trading Hogan unless he wanted to leave. Well it seems he wanted to leave. And to me, given Freo's back peddle, i think this is now a major problem for us. If i was a player at Melbourne, i would not want to be going into battle with someone who no longer wants to be there. And if I were our coach, I'd be telling management to get him out of the club. For this reason i don't think our management are at all happy with Freo.

Ethan, what has given you this though?

The “go home factor” may be real for some, but also a convenient excuse for others who simply want a better deal.

As we appear to be going round in circles, I’d like to ask a more pressing question. At what point in time would it be tactful to delete Jesse from our DL banner and who do we replace him with? Not sure when, but my vote would be Gus.

Yep you are correct. But if you want facts here rather than opinions, then here’s one: Gaff committed an act of undisciplined thuggery. Bugg lost me when he flipped, so too has Gaff.

I’m in the minority but I’d prefer us not to chase Gaff. IMO he is damaged goods. WC won a premiership without him. So can we

Interesting to note that this thread started in mid July when some pseudo jurno had the audacity to write that he thought Hogan would be gone at the end of the year. Our members jumped all over him - typified by this comment by our DL Administrator: “This isn't even a rumour. It is an unfounded and uninformed opinion from an irrelevant ex-footballer.” Did he really know something back then, or was he just shooting the breeze?

As with Hogan, if VDB needs to leave for personal reasons then I wish him the best. However, I would love for him to do a full preseason, show what he is capable of this coming year and then judge him. I think he is far better than a lot are giving him credit for, and has that aura of fear around him that perhaps only Viney and Nev have in our squad. We are supposedly chasing May for that very reason. Yes he has some disposal issues, but he is certainly no worse than others in the team - like Jones, Tyson, ANB and even Brayshaw in this regard - but 2 years out of the game can do that to your skill base. IMO he needs another year before he can be truly judged.

So sorry to see Jesse go. But unlike one particular poster I wish him every success in the West.

If we are being really honest, I don’t think any of us on here, mid season, thought we’d get this far. So what we have achieved has really excited me, and I think deep down all of us are finally proud of our Dees, despite the complete capitulation yesterday. Some month so ago I said that 2019 will be our year. Given how much we achieved this year, and the growth that will come from the experience and pain of yesterday’s loss, I still think we are a cert next year.

Gee I hope we get May cause Oscar and frosty just don’t cut it

Score for Dion Jonstone - 2 down, only 20 to go!

Personally i'd like to see Joel Smith tagging Issac Smith. I think he'd do a great job. Don't ask me who we drop though.

it really makes me smile to read these posts. The absolute joy of finally making it to september has engulfed all of us. Go Dees

I'd like to see VDB man up on Dangerfield. I think his pressure work and strength could counter Danger - and hopefully give him a few bruises along the way.

McKenna has this final series to prove himself. By all accounts he played his best game to date last week, so might be coming good at the right time. Good players usually play well in finals, so we shall see. Its up to him.

Hasn't everyone?

Trying to make sense out of all this discussion, I only see a couple of reasonable scenarios: 1. If another club offers big money to Jesse: If so, and he wants to leave, then we get as much as we can for him. If he wants to stay, we negotiate a new contract for him now. 2. If no offer forthcoming, we keep him - no way we sell him IMO. We certainly don't go pawning him off. Everything else at this stage is just wild speculation. Let it play out.

I think if you'd put Spargo's football brain and determination into Petraccas body you'd have Dusty Martin.

You only think Petracca's ceiling is higher than De Goey's. He certainly has never shown the match winning form that De Goey has - and perhaps he never will. At best he has shown glimpses, but he has never contributed a 4 quarter game. He seems to me to be a very immature player, who may, a couple of years down the track, grow up, and start to play consistently to his undoubted ability. I certainly hope so, but i fear the worst - that he may end up being, in terms of level of disappointment, our replacement Jack Watts.

Totally agree. But 3 more pages and we break the Jack Watts' post record.

I luv Gus's ability to win the ball but his disposal lets him down time and time again. If he could hit the targets he aims for - either by foot or by hand - i'd swear we'd be a 2-3 goal better side every week. To me that is the main reason he is not in the AA squad.

Wow! With runs on the board like that, our football department would be mad not to take you on as an adviser! Send them your CV

After the Brayshaw mugging, I'm glad he wont be joining us. The money saved is far better spent on keeping our our superb young talent at the MFC.

Tell that to Kent, Tyson and Melksham