old55

A fair bit of pessimism from you. "we should confess to the AFL ..." "we should take our punishment ..." "I doubt it will work ..."

I think that's a great statement, very carefully worded - very happy with that.

I've got significant reservations but the immediate key for me is about our best current course of action in relation to the tanking issue. Aye, two birds with the one stone - if that comes to pass you should buy a Powerball ticket.

See this is where I get confused - I thought you supported tanking but not our implementation of it.

Yes really My view is we should get behind the club and if that means supporting McLardy and Schwab at this time of crisis despite their short-comings then so be it.

It certainly appears they certainly discussed it too widely but it's simplistic to say they should have kept it on a standard commercial-in-confidence need to know basis. A football club is not a normal corporate environment - there's a lot more media and public scrutiny and transparency of activities. If only the Board, the CEO, the Football Manager and the Coach were in on the strategy it would have been very hard to manage in FD meetings and on gameday in the coaches box. Coach: "Take Jones off and put Spencer in the square with Jamar". There's going to be a schism somewhere - good luck managing your relationship with your assistant coaches. It was a difficult to manage strategy.

I think the Board, Admin and FD were acting in what they believed to be the best interests of the MFC for long-term success but poor implementation may have come unstuck. Do you agree?

So was the tanking wrong or the open discussion of it?

Agree, I generally like her and she's usually just doing her job - but she's starting to annoy me now.

You're confusing me ... "We should confess and take our medicine without an official opportunity to state our case in front of the Commission" - there is no way that's going to happen, we'll appear before the Commission before this concludes. And now "it's crucial whether the players were complicit" - FMD, not even Caro is suggesting that, in fact she's adamant that the opposite is the case. You're too hungry for the noose - around someone else's neck.

Let's try to keep the panic in one thread folks ...

Yesterday Caro's article on-line in The Age spoke of "The Vault" conspiracy - I note that the article now doesn't mention "The Vault" - the headline and associated image do - maybe they realised it was bull-[censored]

Look it's a small point but it shows how hyberbole can inflate the situation ... "The Vault" is not a conspiracy to tank. It was the nickname for a portable building used as the FD meeting room at the Junction Oval. I went to a post-draft members meeting in "the Vault" with Barry Prendergast in 2008 - tanking was not discussed. The meeting that has been raised in The Age may have taken place in the Vault but that's as far as it goes. I think a little less panic is advisable.

It's not Caro's fault - don't shoot the meesenger - she's got a legitimate scoop she's running with.

Yes, nice work thanks - and the 4 Rookies to be re-contracted too It's Bartram btw - he needs Trengroves (sic) often inserted extra r

He's been offered a contract so he can't be a delisted FA and the AFL told Adelaide they can't delist him now so he has to go into one of the drafts. I'd be amazed if GWS used 1, 2 or 3 on him - coud you have seen them trading any of these picks straight up for him? Much more likely Brisbane at 8, GWS at 12, GC at 13 or Sydney at 23 - maybe the Dogs at 6.

You wanted to take a massive risk - whereas Harrington delivered a premium outcome. You might have got what you wanted, but equally you might have got 3, 4, 14, 27 and No Viney OR Viney, 4, 14, 27 I'm extremely happy with the way it panned out. It was 3, 14, 27 and 48 for Hogan, Dawes, Viney and Barry in the end.

Who do you reckon might turn up out of shape and be vulnerable?

You don't want Jack Viney, that's the bottom line of your analysis.

I'll be surprised if there's any further delists.

the cockroach - unkillable

Tippett should be sent to Port along with Adelaide's draft picks for the next 2 years.

I think #1 has been moth-balled - I belive it's euphemistically allocated to us, the supporters - the #1 asset of the club.

To nit-pick 48 for 63 was involved in there so I left Barry out. But yes, Viney at 27 is integral to the whole deal IMO. I reckon TIm Harrington has had a sensational period.

We more or less traded Scully for Hogan and Dawes, retained pick 4 and got Viney in the 2nd round. Yeah that's an F for fantastic.