Real Demon

Exactly! I think it's great that supporters think highly of our players, but we need to be realistic at the same time. Collingwood need a ruckman, more so than a midfielder, so the punt is worth it for them. Pendlebury, Thomas, Lockyer, Heath Shaw, Clarke can all finish, so they are not short of talent in the midfield without Buckley.

Pick 55, 2001 Draft

It is pretty exciting isn't it! I know we will be sharing parts of the facility with other codes, but having the MFC with a permanent home in the heart of Melbourne is brilliant. Bring on 2009!

Certainly couldn't question the courage of Fergs! Was knocked around a fair bit with injuries too, with a couple of shoulder recos, and also being cleaned up by Sylvia didn't help him. I recall a standout game he had against the Bombers at the start of 2005 where he would have been close to BOG. Could easily have been given one more year, but not surprised he wasn't. Hope he gets picked up by another club. Good luck for the future Fergs, and thanks for giving the MFC your best!

I really feel sorry for the bloke.............and yeah, yeah, I know he is is responsible for his own actions etc which is true, but to see a bloke whose life is caving in around him is sad to see. Football is the least of his problems now.......he has a serious fight just to get his life back in order, and I hope for his sake he does. As stated earlier, his family must be gutted, and feel helpless.

Absolutely spot on!!!!! And in all seriousness, it's unfair to even expect a gun player at 14. If we can pick up another important piece in building a premiership team, then it's a good result. We have had TJ for 10 years........moving him on now while he still has some market value, even though a difficult thing to do, is a shrewd decision, and the best one for the club going forward. If Travis was honest enough with himself, he would realise that he is the reason he has been traded. If he has the work ethic of a James McDonald, he wouldn't have been going anywhere......he would have been untouchable.......but meandering through his football career for 10 years, and putting in when it suits him has cost him.

Pick 14 is fair for Johnstone....we were never going to get a top 10 pick for him! If he was 2 years younger, then maybe, but not now. Sorry to see him go, but it is the right time. Good luck Trapper!

I never like to see a player leave the club, particularly after having been with us for 10 years, but "nothing changes if nothing changes!" As stated earlier, we finished 14th and have gaps in our list.....something has to give. There would be a supporter that could make a case for every player on our list to stay......even some who questioned the delisting of Godders. Our 10 year Daniher era is over. Changes are needed. Is TJ going to turn things around and be the player we need him to be for the next 4-5 years? Highly unlikely!

Beautifully said, and spot on!

Considering he is meant to be heading off to China next Monday, and participate in a personal development program with a group of other young players, I find it hard to believe he is now being traded from the club http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/com...5E19769,00.html And an article on the MFC website today saying he was looking forward to 2008 and for better opportunites under Dean Bailey. Might be a beat up this story!

I'd rather keep a Trapper that fulfills his potential, or at least strings a few consistent years together, but at 27, I just don't see it happening! Time to move on. Let's not kid ourselves.......either.........the key is pick 14 in this.....Shaw just gets the deal done.......he isn't a star, and if the Pies rated him highly, he wouldn't be leaving.

3AW all but confirmed this just now as well, so looks very likely to happen, depending on medicals. I like the deal.......I've loved Trapper with the Dees, but we need to make a change. Pick 14 is a nice pick up, and I actually rate Rhyce Shaw......we need his pace!

I agree......I reckon Johnson is an untapped talent, and could become a very good player.

Great news........go Brock 2008!

I think Griffen went 3 that year.

Agree, will can still pick up a damn good player at 4, perhaps even a future champion...........just found the hits and misses with pick 4 over the years interesting.

We all would have liked higher, but pick 4 is what we have...........so what can we expect to get with it? You have to go back to 1999 until you see an outstanding player picked up at number 4 over the past decade........hoping we get it right this year.......we need to.........check out this list of recent pick 4's: 2006 Matthew Leuenberger - Brisbane Lions (looks promising!) 2005 Josh Kennedy - Carlton (high pick, but stocks seem to be dropping, now trade bait!) 2004 Richard Tambling - Richmond (a long way from delivering on potential) 2003 Farren Ray - Western Bulldogs (thank god we have CAC!) 2002 Tim Walsh - Western Bulldogs (no longer an AFL player) 2001 Graham Polak - Fremantle (on second chance with the Tiges) 2000 Luke Livingston - Carlton (career finished at end of 2006......never fired a shot!) 1999 Matthew Pavlich - Fremantle (thankfully one star amongst this list!) 1998 Ryan Fitzgerald - Sydney Swans (ohh no!) 1997 Mark Bolton - Essendon (make it stop.......I'm getting scared now!) Apart from Pavlich, a pretty uninspiring list.......and plenty of horror / trade blunder stories of top players going after pick 4! Good luck CAC........this is our first crack at a pick 4 for a while (if ever).........show them how it's done!!!!

Ling higher than Pavlich........now I know it's a joke!!!!

A fluke......that is gold!!!!!! No AFL player "flukes" a good game of footy. If you don't like the guy, fair enough, but don't come up with this crap!!!!!

Any player with any potential should not be off loaded IMO as I have felt for a long time that we were not effective enough in developing the players that we currently have. Not that I am expecting Bailey to become a miracle worker, but I'd rather he has a crack with what we have first before we go dismantling the entire list!!!! Miller should stay. He is not a dud player. He has talent, is aggressive, strong, and shows leadership, but like many footballers is a confidence player, and has had a couple of average seasons. Why throw him out? So we can go and "speculate" in the draft with the late pick we get for him, and pick up some kid who will take even longer to develop, if they do show anything at all? If Miller had showed nothing, then fair enough..........but he has played good football for the club at different stages, and was our best player in a losing final against Freo last year. Work ethic isn't a problem for Miller, so the desire is there. I think that with some fine tuning, and playing under a different game plan, Miller can turn things around, and quite clearly so does the club if they want to keep him.

I can't believe the crap going on about keeping Jamar! Give me Jamar over the two duds that lined up for the Pies in the Prelim.....Bryan and Richards anyday!!! So he isn't setting the world on fire like a Dean Cox or Hamish McIntosh, Jamar still has a lot of upside, and I'm glad we are hanging onto him, and will continue to try and develop him! Would you rather we had the dominant ruck force from the Blues........Cain Ackland, and Cameron Cloke ??????

I think I nailed it pretty well !

I've got a feeling they want Bruce to get back to his best form, and carving up the opposition teams with elite fitness, and ability to go forward and kick goals! When he is on song, Bruce is a star!!!!!

I like Robbo, and would prefer to see him play out his career with the Dees.......but under the clubs terms.....not his. 3 years is too much, and he won't accept 2 them he leaves himself open to a trade. We are not unique in offering older players less years, and even a player as good as Crawford has been playing on 1 year deals for the past few seasons.

Look at who just won the flag in emphatic style on the weekend. It wasn't a club that sought out a single superstar player to fix their ills.....it was a gun team developed over time. No bottoming out, no playing for draft picks, no chasing one messiah player or one messiah coach..........it was hard work, vision, planning, focus, and commitment that won the flag for the Cats, and it's the same combination that will win a flag for us. Good luck to Judd......sorry he didn't come, but we have a chance to add the 4th best young player in the land to our list, and a list full of emerging talent. Bring on 2008!