Whispering_Jack

Humbug. As far as I'm concerned, if we're not in it then it's the same as any other day on the calendar.

The game has changed enormously since Robbo's career began. He played most of that career (and it was a very good one) under a traditionalist coach of the older school and, like most of us, we didn't really understand the enormity of the change until it was far too late. What's happening now at the club is that we're trying desperately to catch up with the future but sadly, Robbo still doesn't get it.

McGurk leaves Demons The Melbourne Football Club wishes to advise that player Marty McGurk has requested a trade and will be leaving the Club. McGurk met with Club officials on Friday morning to confirm his decision. Melbourne has reached an in principle agreement with the Gold Coast Football Club for their third choice (selection 3 overall) in next year’s National Draft. This agreement is subject to the finalisation of paperwork during Trade Week, commencing Monday 5 October 2009, and the completion of medical screenings. General Manager - List Management Tim Harrington said "It is very disappointing to lose a player of Marty's calibre. Once Marty made this decision it was important that we secured a commensurate trade. This has been achieved." "We are now in a very strong position at the 2010 National Draft with one selection inside the top 18. In the context of the first compromised draft for a number of years, this represents an outstanding opportunity to further build and develop our young playing list." Marty McGurk said "I have come to the decision that the best thing for my football career is to move on to the Gold Coast where I can spend the off season sucking on cans of frothies and getting pissed out of the public's glare. While it has been an extremely tough decision as I have given the Club my all, I am confident it is the right one for both parties." McGurk's former manager Mr. "Tricky" Dicky Nixon had earlier denied that McGurk was a passenger in Bomber defender Michael's taxi during an alleged altercation which took place at 5.00 this morning insisting his client was asleep on a park bench outside Rod Laver Arena at the time. At a hastily convened press conference McGurk announced he had retained Paul Connors as his new manager and expressed confidence that under new guidance his career was "about to take off in a big way." The Melbourne Football Club thanks Marty for his contribution over the past six years and 34 games with Sandringham and Casey Seconds. He made a significant impact both on and off the field. He has been a liked and respected Melbourne person. All associated with the club wish him well.

I just realised that the getting of national draft selection # 11 is going to make 26 November an even more exciting night for Demon fans especially given these comments as reported by Greg Denham in today's Australian newspaper:- "Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab said yesterday his club was "probably" going to retain selections one, two, 11 and 18, for the last uncompromised draft for several years due to the generous concessions awarded to the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney for their AFL start-ups." Just imagine the Foxtel telecast that night. The top 10 picks will be done before the programme starts and then they're supposed to be showing a countdown of selections 10 to 1. And all the time while this is taking place, Melbourne supporters will be well aware that when the drafting resumes, we have the next pick at 11 with another to come not long after at 18. Barry Prendergast and his team will have plenty of time to discuss and decide upon selection 11 as well. This all makes for exciting viewing for Melbourne fans. I wasn't sold on the countback idea when I first heard about it but the concept has certainly grown on me now.

I never said that he doesn't want to come to the club because we are a basket case. I think the truth is that he had made up his mind from the start where he wanted to go and he's finally announced it now. As a club, the MFC's response to his announcement was fairly muted compared to 2 years ago when Chris Judd put us in his list of "possibles". I think we gave him a hearing and that's about it. He really doesn't fit the profile of the type of player you want at a club in the early stages of rebuilding. At 27, with a bad knee and a couple of years of indifferent form behind him, he was always going to be outside the parameters of what we're looking for in a recruit. Are we a basket case? I don't think so. We did advance significantly in 2009 and will continue moving upwards at a fast rate. Given a good year with the health of the players I expect significant improvement.

What a surprise!

Well that's one of the 2% of rumours that comes true. I think we should congratulate all concerned on consumating the deal without the usual argy bargy that goes on at trade time. It sounds very much like a win-win situation for both clubs. Personally, I feel sad for Brocky who I once considered an absolute certainty for the role of Melbourne's next premiership captain.

Well, the fact that he's had surgery makes it a dead set certainty that he'll not only be at Melbourne next year but that he'll fit in well with the rest of the team.

There will be another 98 rumours like this one between now and the trade period and the drafts. About 2% of them will have a credible basis.

There will be another 99 rumours like this one between now and the trade period and the drafts. About 2% of them will have a credible basis.

You should get to the footy more often Tim. JT was on show in 2 Under 18 Championships games in June/July and the boy can definitely play!

That's a fair effort for a half forward flanker who's just turned 18 and playing in a senior SANFL final. Even more impressive when those kicks are constantly hitting targets.

Tom Scully has been invited to the draft camp and will be attending!

Club CEO Cameron Schwab said at the Summit (the general one) last year that he was always receptive to ideas from supporters. Why don't you email him at the club with your concerns?

Are we certain that Melbourne is prepared to pay him $700k a year?

Stingrays into their second grand final in a row! Dandenong Stingrays 5.3.33 6.7.43 9.13.67 11.17.83 Geelong Falcons 1.2.8 2.8.20 4.9.33 5.12.42 Goals Dandenong Stingrays Parker Treloar 2 Amalfi Bastinac Cottrell Kerr Millard Scully Sheppard Geelong Falcons Cunnington 2 Bright Rohan Smedts Best Dandenong Stingrays Andrews Bastinac Roberton Shaw Heddles Pitt Geelong Falcons Buchanan Christensen MacKenzie Sodomaco Dare Cunnington

1964 Grand Final Melbourne 8.16.64 defeated Collingwood 8.12.60 It's been too long a time!

A happy new year to you too Joeboy. Here's two of my three word wishes for the next year: Peace on Earth and Grand Old Flag Cheers

I haven't seen him play but Temel gets a glowing report from Kevin Sheehan in today's HUN. The article says he's been a standout because of his athleticism. "His agility is surprising. He's got a great set of hands and then he moves so well laterally. He's got a wonderful feel for goal. For a big bloke he really does have great goal sense." Sheahan's views seem to read contrary to what many others are saying about Temel, particularly those who question his athletic capacity and his ability to test well at draft camp. The results of that testing will be very interesting.

I've been reading various thoughts and opinions on the draft ranging from experts through to amateurs and it's interesting that, despite the fact that WA won the national carnival, there are so few players from their team in contention for first round draft selection. You hear Morabito and Lucas being mentioned as top 10 picks but that's about it. Jetta and Black are from WA but didn't play in the carnival and a couple of others are too young to be drafted but I'm wondering why it is that there's such a heavy concentration on Victorians when the two Vic teams performed so poorly at the Carnival?

Former Demon forward and Prahran champion goalkicker Kim Smith has passed away at age 57 after a long battle with lung cancer. Smith played four games with Melbourne in 1975 but returned to the Two Blues where he set many records in an era when the VFA had many great full forwards. He was one of the heroes of Prahran's 1978 premiership team when he kicked seven goals against Preston in the grand final. He booted 610 goals in 136 games and was leading VFA goalkicker in 1979 with 97 goals. I always thought he left the Demons prematurely and that he could have made a handy forward if he had remained at the club. Condolences to Kim's family.

Er... The Demons have been accused of a lot of things this year. We're supposed to have pulled players out of AFL and VFL games on the grounds of injury who were not really injured so that we could obtain some perceived advantage over rival clubs in terms of draft position or other reasons. Now, if they manage to spirit the birthday boy out of the eyesight of the 15 other clubs at the weekend when he's due to play in a preliminary final, then you can call me a believer. Anyway, I thought we had a policy of not drafting players with injury issues.

I like Bucks and you don't get too many linebreakers like him. His disposal was iffy last year but he didn't really get a chance to show us whether he'd improved it this year. Also, I don't know if the fact that he's going in for surgery after a season where he managed just one game is going to help his cause. Assuming that he's uncontracted his future might well depend on the number of new players the football department wants to introduce in 2010 and the outcome of the trades.

He's an impressive footballer whose height is unfashionable and he's competing against a plethora of midfield talent. I think you can forget him for the Demons if, as expected, we take Scully & Trengove at 1 & 2. If he were still available at pick 18 (reasonably likely) I couldn't see us going for a small midfielder. He might appeal to the Cats who have missed out on some of the outstanding talent from the Falcons in the past and have also drafted tall in the past couple of years.

And let's not forget that he's just undergone a knee operation the result of which will not have been resolved by the trade period. If the club's policy from last year of not drafting injured players is observed then we won't chase him too hard.