Ollie fan

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.

There are lot of things I don't agree with Picket Fence about, but I am completely with him on the subject of Clayton Oliver. One of the very greatest MFC players ever, has had problems in the last two years but his attitude looked to be right back on track, and as for the complaints about his disposal: the first thing you need is someone to GET the footy, and he has no peer at that when he is on song. He deserves AT LEAST another season and he deserves our undying respect.

I think there is nothing wrong with his desire. I think that playing him as second ruck often brings him into the game. But he does need to stick his marks. I expect he knows that, actually.

I think Rivers got a lot of opportunity and did well, but his kicking is not much better than Trac's or Oliver's. I really like Tom Sparrow and think he does most tons really well, but he just doesn't seem to get much of the ball. I world be very certain that Petty was not played forward because of any issue with May, but because he is a good contested mark, which we lacked as JVR just didn't come in this year. And frankly, what is the great advantage in freeing up our salary cap when there are no really top players available to pay it to?

The thing is, the "really good experience at the older end" is being pushed out.

With all that is happening, the title of this thread that I am starting sums up an important question, in my view. From the number of players that have been pushed out, it seems that Club is committed to rebuilding. Is this a good idea? It won't surprise anyone who has read my posts but I really don't think so. Rebuilds rarely work. They can work, if the club has a host of top draft picks, and an excellent coach, but without both of those, they usually don't. Look at Carlton. Look at West Coast. Look at North Melbourne – a highly credentialled coach but seemingly going nowhere. Richmond might succeed, because they seem to have both of the required factors but they still have a long way to go. I believe that at the end of the season just gone, we were very close to being a good team and we had had a number of good matches to show it. But getting rid of May, Petracca, Oliver, Spargo, and getting in a very meh player like Mihocek seems to suggest we are trying to rebuild. As a supporter for over 60 years, I would love it to succeed, but I am not feeling optimistic. To me, this is a classic baby with the bathwater set of actions. Which way do other people think we should be going?

Goodwin had a proven track record and held a bunch of highly sought-after players together, and I was of the view that we were still only a touch away from being top-level again - as shown by us beating Brisbane in Brisbane, as well as in some other games. King comes in, and the players start marching out. I would love to see us return to the top, but we are off to a very bad start. And I will say it again: it will be awful to watch Clarrie tearing us apart for GWS or whoever. And I haven't shifted the goalposts, but if Clarrie does that, there will be many posters on here rewriting their history.

Is this having a go at him because after a week or more of pure rain and cold in Melbourne, he is out on a beautiful sunny day on Sydney Harbour? And enjoying it? Shame on him!

Completely agree. That is what I meant about handling it sensitively.

Agree with almost all of this and it is what I was trying to say. If reports are correct this was handled appallingly and, as I said, it reminds me (shudder) of the Neeld era. And if he plays for another team I certainly won't boo him, he has made it plain he doesn't want to go. Rather, I will be weeping as I watch him tear us to shreds, as he is perfectly capable of doing as a footballer.

I expect he could and would deal with it. But as I said, a bit of sensitivity was needed. But the responses have been exactly as I expected - and not because I think they are right.

I predicted this type of response

As usual, GW, spot on. Anyone can see that Clarrie needs to be handled with sensitivity. That's not a knock on him; it's just what he is. Of course, the Neanderthals will say "shape up or ship out" or some version of that, but they are Neanderthals. However, if reports are correct, and they are all we have, there was no sensitivity about this at all. I am already having dreadful PTSD flashbacks to the Neeld regime.

I shouldn't be on this site at all. It makes me sick in my stomach to think of Clarrie playing against us - and I am CERTAIN that next year (unless the present mess wrecks his mental health and who should blame him if it did?) he will be a champion again - but the thought that we might be PAYING him to do it is beyond my comprehension. Steven King has got a lot of work to do for me to forgive him or back him. He got the job saying that CP5 and Clarrie were in our best team. So much for honesty and transparency.

When we gave the contract to Clarrie, he was widely considered to be the premier midfielder in the competition, had won 2AFLCA awards, numerous best and fairest at Melbourne, and generally the contract was applauded. I just think it's terrible that we are now trying to get rid of him when he looked to me to be on his way back after a rough couple of years. I, for one, will be absolutely devastated to see him go.

....a bit like people taking over the"reigns"

I thought Steven King spoke very well in that story. And he is exactly right. Trac is a great player and is contracted to us and there has to be a very good reason fit us to let him go. And if he stays, then as a professional I am very confident he would give his all. And if he chooses to leave, then as it is his choice, there would be no prospect, in my view, of us paying one cent of his ongoing salary.

Love the useful information and good ideas on this site, and thanks to Andy and the team. I deplore the constant critics though, but I guess you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Well, I would be very sorry to see him leave but it does seem that he is not a true team player. But any talk of swapping him for Soligo, or for draft picks, or with us paying one cent of his salary, really riles me. If he went to Adelaide perhaps a straight swap for Thilthorpe might - just might - be enough. But Soligo? - that would be a joke. In a relatively poor midfield he is not even their number 1 or 2.

I thought it was established that at the exit interview he was told that his preparation etc were not up to the standard expected of an AFL player, let alone a first-rounder. But perhaps I was wrong. Can anyone help with this?

Let's see how he reacts to the advice given at his exit interview. He might turn it all around. Let's hope so!

I watched the first quarter of the greatest game ever played (21 GF) and reminded myself of what he can be. I would just love to see him get back to that form again - so relentless, so clean, so powerful. Let's all hope for it.