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Save for the fact that he was about to be paid the last of his $800k in 2015 after missing 51 of the previous 66 games.

If I have left the room - who are you talking to? And I don't really know what JVF was saying - does he agree with his Neanderthalic mates and their views on depression or is simply relaying what a great deal of people think about the issue? Frankly, I cannot say what is going in Mitch Clark's head but as someone close to one who suffers from anxiety - I know that it is not a simple issue, and nor one that can be easily defined or dismissed. And probably one that Land should steer clear of discussing in any depth, lest us reach lower depths...

Enough to steer clear ...

The LG is simply the individuals chosen by the players to lead them - it will change when those individuals change, there really shouldn't be restrictions placed on who is in that group. If there are restrictions, then you might find that the it is not a proper reflection of the leaders of the playing group. Pick the LG every year and the captain every year - you will find there isn't much change anyway...

Two things - you won't convince anyone with just the answer, you have to show your work...and I can definitely say that a statement like that will not be the last word on this topic.

We are $2.95 dogs in the market for Rd 1...

Are you hearing this, or are you hoping this?

GC are ahead of us, although they may be without their best player. GWS in Canberra is not the fait accompli that some (for some reason) think it should be. Adelaide away - this will be a line in the sand game for the Crows - they have already mentioned this off-season that the loss to us was the derailment of the season. Richmond is still a feather in the wind, but we dream of being a feather in the wind - they are ahead of us. We could smash an Ablett-less GC, come up to Canberra and grind out a win against GWS, we can go to Adelaide and gauge the disinterest of Danger Mouse playing his last year in SA, and allow Richmond to think they have won before they have and then beat them. We could be 3-1 but we could also be 0-4. We could be 1-3 and be playing good footy.

To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld "you play with the leaders you have, not the leaders you wish to have, or hope to have at a later time."

Less and less to focus on over the years with leaders seemingly on every line lately... One huge thing I learnt in my first final was to never forget about focussing on your own performance. Once I was comfortable with that - I would make sure of little things like new players knowing roles and players in new positions being comfortable - the stuff people overlook because they are worried about themselves (the players) or tactics and the other team (the coaches). Off field is different at my level because I know that I will have players who are hungover, possibly still high, and tired from shift working. So you have to roll with the punches there, we come down hard and the next week we have 10 people less than we did and 30 [censored] off blokes still at training. The 10 blokes that want to see you crack down on that kind of thing are the ones that have to acquiesce... That stuff is frustrating but no-one does these things to hurt the team or their teammates or themselves - they're just idiots, and I am fine with idiots - they help the team, they help you get people to training, they help you win...as long as you don't have too many. But the thing that won us our GF in 2014 was an abundance of leaders in the backline and a midfield that was fearless in the first quarter - a few people you aren't sure about reveal themselves in finals I find. Sport doesn't build character, but it sure as hell reveals it. And fortunately for us, we had great character in every line and in every leader.

Doesn't start till Feb from reports.

Maybe there are many who don't understand how important a good LG is that players can trust and look up to. Although I think there are many Landers just annoyed at the co-captaincy idea and channelling that through the notion of an LG. With that said - my own experience of captain is that you can't win without a strong LG, the better we have become, the more superfluous my role has seemed.

Was it the prevailing view?

He lost his way - that's why we got him for ND60, there are not too many around who think he was worth more than that. Hope he is happier and we can get a few solid years out of him.

It's funny you say that because it is the exact thing I thought when watching training about a month ago. The only other players close to Jones were Tyson and Lumumba with ability to win the footy, keep the footy, and have a sixth sense about what to do with the footy let alone pull off what they wanted to do with it. If Tyson has a 2015 equal to his 2014 - he will have had a fantastic season so Lumumba will provide the bulk of what is different about us through the middle next year.

I hope Geelong lose a lot of games. Aside from that, I hope everyone health and happiness!

The US has dealt with this issue - as Roos has stated, and sue mentions in this thread - the contract parameters need to be changed where players are contracted by the league, therefore they can be moved anywhere. If players take great exception, they can retire, take a two year holiday and came back through the draft. Or they can leave the game. You don't HAVE to play AFL, if professional football is not for you, it's not for you. The AFL has set the precedent with the draft; players get drafted to teams whether they want to go there or not - it is not a great jump to trading them against their will.

All teams have these guys - one in my team infuriates the hell out of me at training but as soon as the whistle goes the switch is flicked...

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-01-16/trading-against-players-will The AFL website is letting their 'journalists' have an opinion on things - this time it is whether players should be traded against their will ie. clubs can trade their contract at their will. This will lead to nothing of course, but it is a huge plank in a more even competition. I know there are a few who agree with Michael Whiting in the link above but I have to say that I have not heard a compelling argument that is congruous with the draft that we have come to be very comfortable with. Jennifer Phelan brings out the populism with 'the players have too much power' but it isn't really that - it's the ability for teams to improve themselves using the only real commodities in footy - the players.

I would take Danger on a mil running on the G for 5 years any day of the week. Yes please!

If that rule began in 2008, the cap has gone up over $2m since then. So $500k then is now equivalent to $625k.

I don't think they will match. We are still waiting for the first club to do that... I think we will still be waiting... In terms of team planning - it would be a massive headache to have a contract on your books designed by another club, it would be easier to take the top 10 pick and move on.

I am glad that they seem to be drumming in a game plan designed to get the ball down the field as quickly as possible (at least that is what I gleaned at the session I went to), in 2014 it seemed we were playing a style to not get thrashed; retain the ball at all costs, minimise risks, rarely trust forwards with one-on-ones, etc. Hopefully we can push the ball up the field quicker by being confident and on the same page, I am certain that is all it takes, of course you have to have confidence in the coach and your teammates of course, and that will be the battle.

When I saw him at training he looked like a 5 year pro, and he looked bored too, like he just wanted to play some football. I think he will struggle a few times in 2015 but he does have star talent, I hope his body lets him play the way he wants to play.

Here is hoping Dangerfield is as awful a person as Frawley is. I, for one, would welcome our new disloyal mercenary! I would toil in underground sugar caves!