Ron Burgundy

At the very least, there's no way this club can be accused of tanking next year.

I'm not as set or rigid in my views as some others here. Most people regard that as a quality.

I've dealt with it. Find someone else to argue with. Preferably online.

Bloody hope so. I've been very impressed with him as a coach. He's not afraid to take a calculated risk. I agree that the players also seem to respond very well to him (with the possible exception of Watts, obviously). This has been the first big issue during his time here which has caused me to exercise some caution in my assessment of him. I hope he manages to settle and regain the focus of the player group very effectively prior to Christmas, as I expect there'll be plenty of attention on him and not a great deal of wriggle room if there are any ongoing player commitment/engagement type issues.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I think you should exercise some caution with this angle given your comments about Watts. Having seen Hardwick (and others) interviewed on what changed this year, he said that it was after enormous self-reflection and conversations with other players that he quite deliberately amended his ways, showed vulnerability, and invested in the human stuff including the strengths/positives about his players, not so much their weaknesses. This created a great bond and culture at the club. I'm presently trying to recall which long term MFC players over the years have really exited the club well. The MFC seems to lack EQ. And, for much of the past decade prior to the appointment of PJ and Roos, IQ as well. I'm sure there are some valuable lessons to be borne out of the Dogs and Tigers' recent flag successes, which have to do with player engagement, and not the overtly technically stuff.

This is a needlessly gratuitous post. How is it productive to post this stuff? Everyone here knows the currency of pick 31 - I expect the original post was intended to illustrate the historical value of pick 31, which is not great. That elite players might've been picked up after it from time to time is widely known and not worthy of a response like this. It's just divisive. That some people have 'liked' it though illustrates how unnecessarily partisan this 'debate' has become. It's like observing the masses in a fairground in Manassas, Virginia, roar in furious acceptance of anything Trump has to say on anything. They simply believe in the quest. Many here have argued (correctly in my view) that pick 31 reflects Watts' current trade value. For an experienced and skilled player, who only last year knocked back several other clubs to then sign a 3 year deal with the MFC on very good terms, pick 31 is an indictment. On Watts. I've come to side with this view. I think the club has however handled this situation very poorly. To date at least. I hope the club now seeks to re-built some trust with a sizeable chunk of its supporter base (and possibly some players), and we now set sail for the top 4 in 2018. No doubt this will attract some jerky responses from the usual suspects, but I simply cannot see how this is a remotely remarkable (or controversial) view to hold in the circumstances.

Exactly.

I'm not seeking to undermine the club, nor am I intending to be divisive. But this trade, the genesis of it, and the likely terms of it, have never stacked up to me. I like Jack Watts. I like this club a hell of a lot more. In short, my loyalty is absolutely to the club. But I don't want to be bullshitted by it either. It seems to me that the club has pivoted somewhat in its game style, its approach and its needs from its players, and that Watts is just not worth the dough we're paying him. I just wish they'd stop dancing with (what appears to be) the truth. It erodes trust.

Quite frankly, that's not the issue. Watts is one year into a three year contract (which the club didn't sign under duress), and it seems the club has now sought to exit him on 'made up' grounds i.e. they've manufactured events of default. It seems to me that his performance has been little different to what the club observed in 2016 following which it put a 3 year deal to him, which it is not now wishing to honour.

This club's statements and approach to this has always concerned me. Elements of it just haven't been sufficiently plausible. Plainly I don't know the truth, but what you've written ticks all the 'likely to be true' buttons for me. There are a lot of loyal disciples here though, so the club line was always going to attract a fair bit of support. I guess the rest of us will just have to fall into line. Port will have a bloody good team next year. I hope we get a decent pick and don't have to pay any of his salary. It's disappointing to see a player who was clearly so emotionally invested in this club, and who shared many of our dreams about success with the MFC, being cut prior to time potentially over issues that would seem remediable.

Terrific post.

You have just won the Rising Star. This is the best first post I have ever read. But for paying any of Watts' salary going forward, this seems to be a very good deal.

There is undoubtedly something super strange about this divorce. Don't know what exactly, but there's definitely more to it. I'm just annoyed we have to make maintenance payments to Port going forward. That really sucks.

I am very good friends with Alan Jones, the artist, and have many of his works in my house. Hence, my question. But people not in the art world typically confuse this Alan Jones with the dude that speaks his mouth off at just about anything on the radio. https://www.alanjonesonline.com/

What's wrong with burgundy? White, by the way.

Nice post Pro.

The super talented artist?

I get what you're saying. BUT we spent two first round draft picks on landing Lever (which I'm personally comfortable with). That simply can't be overlooked though. Throwing Watts into the mix as well seems gratuitous.

Watts wasn't part of that trade. It was a trade between the Crows and the Demons involving Lever and draft picks. That we ultimately secured Lever may now influence what we seek to do with Watts but he wasn't part of the Lever deal. Fact.

And OUT - 2 first round draft picks.

Yep, I think so too. But I don't know much about him other than from his highlights reel, which is pretty impressive. Our back six seems set now. Would he be able to fill an outside role in the midfield? Is his kicking okay? Defensive pressure?

It seems a second round pick in this year's draft (and we're likely to have a few) would probably satisfy the Suns on Saad. Thoughts on Saad in the red and the blue?

It's weird - I had thought Henry would love them, but I think he thinks they're stupid. He likes planes, rockets, diggers, T-Rexes, spinosauruses, and Jackson Storm from Cars 3. And, thankfully, the Melbourne Demons. Fortunately, he doesn't like clubs like the Essendon Underpants or the Fremantle Farty-faces.

Yep, that they are. Diggers too. But they're not quite as cool as meat-eating dinosaurs. And rocket ships. In my house at least.

Henry will get over it. His favourite player is Petracca. I think he thinks Petracca is part T-Rex.