Redleg

How many players have we lost to injury over the years? Ox, Lyon, Jakovich, Prymke, Dean, Charles, Pickett, Rivers, Robbo, Davey, McLean, Moloney, Whelan, etc, etc, etc.

The best boys available.

So am I and I am 56, 175cms and overweight.

Would that mean that Cloke and Ackland are for the chop? Does anyone have an opinion on Hampson, is he worth pursuing given that his club has now seemingly bypassed him?

Trifecta. We strike out on all three.

Lets face it we have been knocked from pillar to post this year. We have been told by the AFL we stand for nothing, finished last, sacked two CEO's, had another reject us, had our Board walk, lost money and ended up $5m in debt, dithered over our new training base ( Olympic Park, Casey ) among other lowlights. What to do? Raising $3.1m in a month to ease the debt is a great start. Promoting a closer relationship with the wealthy and powerful MCC is also a positive and who knows where that will end up. Uniting all of the factions/divisions within the club is another positive. Having 3 picks inside the top 20 at the Draft is another. Appointing CS as CEO with his experience should be another. Adopting a business plan/model that can be successful going forward will be another. Finding more sponsors will be another. Trimming the list of players who are not part of our future is another. Completing a fairly successful trade week will be another ( not expecting a miracle ). Getting a good player in the PSD is another. Having given game time to young players like Garland, Maric, Martin, Frawley, Wona, Grimes, Valenti, Buckley, C J etc is another. Having found a coach who is prepared to develop youth and remain totally focussed is another. Improving the fitness/injury/strength side of training is another. Having a home base during summer, instead of being gypsies is another. Having some luck with injuries and getting our better players on the park next year is another. Having our supporters talk the club up instead of putting it down is another. Promoting any positive in the press will be another. Probably the most important, having the side play a good brand of football next year. These and many more things are part of improvement and making our club strong on and off the field again. If we can get our act right the Warnocks of this world might pick us instead of others. PS. If Warnock does go to the Blues I hope he costs them a trade that they regret in years to come. I dislike that club more than any other and wish it 12-14th position on the ladder for the next 20 years.

Lets hope he is as good a brother as you are. Welcome to Demonland.

Hilarious. We get investigated yet the suggestion is he wants to go to Carlton. Would he decide that on his own or would he have been spoken to? When would that have been, yesterday or during the season? I note Icke flew over to speak to him several weeks ago. Anyone investigating Carlton? Last year they were so far up Judd's backside during the season but no investigation either. Wouldn't it be wonderful. They get Warnock as well as Judd, we get investigated and they laugh at us again. Hope not.

Forget about us covering Carlton. The crux of this is where he wants to go. Freo will end up doing a deal with that club and the loser can only look on and weep. We need to convince him to select us, end of story.

Disagree. My information is that we were $3m in debt and would lose another $1.7m approx this year. Therefore before Debt Demo we would be about $4.8 in the hole. Debt Demo has raised $3.1m and we have a debt therefore of about $1.6m, which the current Board would like to try and wipe off before the start of next season, so we would be debt free. Being debt free would save about $500k in interest for next season and therefore improve the bottom line by that amount.

Thanks.

What is the source?

Brian lives in Melbourne.

I watched the Pies game on saturday and it was clear to me that the bloke who won them the game was Clarke the Irishman. Davis was great in the first and faded and Swan had a good couple of minutes but it was Clarke who took control of the game. I note that we appear to have given up on the Irish ( probably finances related ), yet we have the best Irishman to have played our game as our President. It is clear that some of these Irish kids can make it and I would be terribly disappointed if Jim with his connections back home couldn't suss out a couple of boys to try. I was at a function last night and saw Jim and his brother Brian together and recall that Brian was a Captain of the Irish team some years ago and a star Irish player and former Demon. He should be well connected back home as well. I hope we aren't ignoring Ireland. Other clubs aren't.

Nice piece Jack.

Took me a second, but very funny.

Bob, what is the story on Dowler? Has he been injured this year? Has he got ability? Will he ever get a game with the Hawks given their talent? Is he worth chasing?

Just gotta love those ego pumping posts ( I know it all ).

Unlucky given his second half of the season. He was one of their best.

Why not?

Clearly no Coach would instruct a player who is 50 out and running in to goal to turn sideways and kick to a contest. PS. There was also a team mate 30 out on his own waving his arms for the pass who was ignored. It was just a piece of poor play from Maric.

Very funny. I knew you had it in you.

He has had an up and down year with some indiscretions, but given his last few weeks and especially the last round where he was Freo's 2nd best player and leading goalkicker, he is unlucky not to have been given another year. He can still play good football.

I went off Nat at the Dome game but I am not so sure now. He can clearly do what Watts is supposed to be good at, taking a mark in the forward line. He is big, strong, quick and has an amazing leap. He can also play in the ruck and backline. He is aggressive in his tackling and if played in the forward line will help keep the ball there with forward defensive pressure. He is not a one trick pony. He will be ready to play next year. He would be a marketing dream for the club as well. Could he be the next Buddy? Maybe. All he has to do is mark the ball coming down and kick truly. Easy isn't it? Not impossible though. If we take Nat, Watts will wait until next year to nominate and we still might get him. I am truly confused.

Either do I.