Ollie fan

There are lots of things I don't agree with PF about but I am 100% with him on this. We should have worked hard harder to help him defeat his problems and kept on of the greatest players ever to play for our club.

BOG in the Collingwood/GWS match sim. Power, clean hands, killing them at stoppages.... 😭😭😭😭😭😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

Really loved him as a player and he always looked like a top bloke, too.

I have no opinion at all about the show itself except that if it gets up Trump's nose that's fine by me, but I hate the AFL shows. As always, the AFL demonstrates it does not believe in its own product, by refusing to accept that some people go to the football for the purpose of watching the football. The Superbowl has the advantage of an extended half time break ( if we did that we would lose the advantage that the fitter team deservedly has) and huge funds - but it still detracts from the focus in the game. If we must have entertainment, the Grand Final sprint would be fine.

I would think that his joining us makes Kossie very happy, and I imagine that was a factor in us selecting him. This might lead to a very good outcome for us: Kossie secure and happy, and an underestimated player to join him.

My very close friend and fanatical supporter, with whom I had attended innumerable matches over 30-40 years, died unexpectedly a few weeks before the finals. My daughter is convinced he was manipulating things from above.

Occasionally?

I am a broken record on this topic, but that was the year that got away. We had a phenomenal forward line but Neil Balme wanted us to "share" the footy - ie mess around with it, over-handballing etc, instead of just getting it into the forward line quickly. As a result we lost lots of games that we shouldn't and ended up 7th. And therefore had to go to Perth for the prelim. I still think that that was the most talented Melbourne side I have seen. So many gun players: Schwarz, Lyon, Stynes, the Lovetts, Tingay, Wight, Charles ... and no weaknesses. And to return to this thread: pre-injury Schwarz was better than Carey.

I have thought for ages he should be at least an assistant coach for the men. Watching the forward line moving on Saturday was eye-opening. If only the men moved as much!!

I remember Len Mann vaguely- wasn't he a ruckman? - but I didnt think they were related. Anyone know?

I still have and treasure a signed guernsey and his photos remain on display in my office. I will never forget how great he was and even though it would be for GWS I hope he gets it back.

Exactly. So many times the man odd standing in the mark while the player with the free out mark is metres to one side of it and then plays in. The rule that you can play on FROM BEHIND THE MARK needs to be enforced if the stand rule is going to work. The reasoning behind most of there changes, however, is to shorten the games. These obvious reason for the longer games is the breaks after a goal, which seems to be now out to a minute or even longer. But perish the thought that we reduce advertising time!

I won't be changing my username. I loved him as a player. He very obviously had some demons, so to speak, but I believe we should have made a better fist of helping him. He was obviously born with incredible natural ability, but equally, he obviously was born with mental weaknesses. I am not going to criticise him for not being able to deal with what the world threw at him as a star: adulation, money, total lack of privacy, constant scrutiny and, as this site so clearly demonstrates, a public prepared to jump down his throat at the slightest mistake. These are things that an unsophisticated country boy can't be expected to deal with unless they are born with mental equipment that Clarrie clearly doesn't have. I hate Geelong but I wish we had kept Clarrie out of scrutiny and judgment the way that they did with Stengle. I wish we had kept him and supported him and got him through his troubles. Everyone I have spoken to who has met him has said that he is a really nice person. I will HATE watching him destroy us for GWS, but I wish him all the best for his footy life and the difficult times after that.

It seems completely clear that we chose King over Buckley as the better candidate, not because Buckley was not prepared to commit, was going to coach Tasmania or whatever. As an out and out Clayton Oliver advocate, I still have my reservations about the appointment of King, however.

I am still absolutely filthy about the whole thing. Obviously, he has been very hurt by it and has said things that he shouldn't have said, but which one of us has not said stupid things when in pain? I do not understand why the Club was determined to force him out the door, And I will absolutely be devastated to see him in another teams colours, let alone playing brilliantly as I expect he will. I'll still be keeping my signed photographs on display though.