Freddy Fuschia

I don't know much about this whole situation but what concerns me is the lack of publicity about any of our other out of contract players signing up (other than Jordan Gysberts from earlier in the year) which suggests to me that the Scully standoff might be influencing a lot more than just his own negotiations for the future.

The 23rd player for Casey Scorpions would be one of the Hector twins from the Gippsland Falcons. Both of them are mid sized players who go all right. They made the initial Vic Country Under 18 squad for the national championships and I think Hayden has played for VC in an early round so my guess is that this one is Damien. The 23rd player for Werribee Tigers is related to the SEN commentator.

Moving back on topic, is anyone going to Visy Park tomorrow to watch Jack in action? Vic Metro Backs A. Tomlison (28) B. Darrou (37) B. Ellis (32) Half Backs L. Plowman (25) M. Talia (27) D. Tyson (29) Centres L. Sumner (5) T. Greene (2) H. Crozier (15) Half Forwards X. Richards (26) T. Curran (16) D. Markworth (21) Forwards M. Bussey (13) J. Patton (38) T. Totevski (6) Followers B. Longer (40) A. Greenwood (3) J. Viney (7) Interchange A. Kennedy (4) A. Brown (12) H. Hunter (19) J. Newnes (11)

With Jamar and Tapscott possibly back for the Freo game, it would be a real boost to our playing stocks and our depth. I wonder how Austin's going back on the Tiwi Islands with his family? Would be terrific to see him back here and happy as well.

So I suppose Swan will really be bruise-free that week.

You miss the point. There have been instances in the past of people coming on to this site posting unsubstantiated rumours. It's people like that who the moderators have a responsibility to deal with whether you believe that constitutes "exerting control or not". That's what moderation is about and Demonland is a better place for having a high standard of moderation. As for people coming here for "inside information", it wouldn't be inside information if trolls were permitted to roam here and tell porkies about the players which is what inevitably happens with poorly moderated forums.

I will believe what I want but you missed the point. Nowhere does Wilson refer to "excessive drinking", nor does it confirm anything, least of all that Tom Scully left the trip for any other reason than to be close to a relative who was not well. Scully was distracted during the course of the trip by the knowledge of that situation and that's why he went home early. I know of two people who made the trip and were close to the players of both clubs. The only "excessive drinking" they witnessed was from a certain former Brisbane Lion who is playing a lot closer to home these days.

"The No.1 draft pick returned home early from the 2010 post-season trip to China due to a family issue, but clearly was not enjoying what some believed was an end-of-season junket that even its backers agreed lasted too long." What part of what Wilson wrote here refers to "excessive drinking" or confirms your so-called revelation about Scully not being rapt in "excessive drinking" on the China trip or that he left because of this?

Now that he's had a taste for the game it's time for Fev to start getting serious about his footy and do what every footballer should do in a situation when his football career is on the line and he wants to continue playing at the highest level. Work his butt off at training and accept the authority of his football coach. Keep his nose out of trouble and let his football do the talking. If he's not prepared to do that, he can stay at Narre Warren and play with the boys.

First half was a shocker and did anyone notice where Cam Bruce's first two handballs went?

Yeah, we should bring Brock McLean and Chris Johnson back and forget about Scully.

That's how it should be but in its desperation to promote the new franchises the AFL has done some wierd things. Let there be no doubt that Sheedy's brief is to drum up publicity for the code in what is rugby league heartland and to do this he has to appeal to the lowest common denominator. The result is a GWS circus and the AFL is throwing lots of its filthy lucre at the enterprise, some of it to the detriment of traditional long standing clubs. I agree that it will take a long time for Blacktown to be the right place for an elite player to develop his career.

Was it not Ricky Petterd who was said to have been signed, sealed and delivered to GC17 at about this time last year? Then when he was signed to Melbourne again, was it not James Frawley who was destined to go north? Premature speculation and expansion teams seem to go hand in hand nowadays.

I'm going to Adelaide. To those who want to avoid Adelaide because of our poor record there in the past - get over it! We've got a much better side now and it's time to replace the loser's mentality among fans and to really support your team.

Daisy Thomas is a thug.

No Kieren Harper in the top 25. She's joking!

If you have your eye on a good young tall who can play both back and forward then Pat McCarthy is a better bet.

Eddy is symptomatic of the problem St. Kilda has ATM. He points us to the reason why they are unlikely to improve in their current cycle. Eddy was one of the bottom half dozen players in the Saints' grand final teams who just didn't cut it. This lack of depth is the their Achilles heel and while the situation took a turn for the worse in 2010, it doesn't look like improving any time real soon. The problem was not aided by their recruitment of Andrew Lovett and Jesse Smith, their refusal to deal on Ball, a reliance on aging ruckmen King and Gardner and their over-inflated belief in the worth of Koschitzke.

Lots of people haven't worked out yet that DB has a dry sense of humour. He did say JA was worth looking at but he also said he was shocked at the Bruce decision. There might have been a touch of sarcasm in those pronouncements.

Questions without notice. (a) If Bruce is picked up by the Gold Coast Suns in any of the forthcoming drafts, is Melbourne entitled to compensation for losing an uncontracted player to that club? and (B) If so, what would that compensation be?

Wills was the more colourful of the two characters but Harrison was the stayer who had a lot of influence over a long period of time. I once read an interesting book about the pair but I have no idea where I got it from. Perhaps a library. Not a bad effort to still be around seven decades after he invented the game. You like sitting around old blokes at the footy WJ?

It is just that (a load of carp) according this article in the Hun which has the Crows at home to the Hawks at AAMI in round 1:- http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/saints-and-cats-to-clash-in-round-1/story-e6frf9jf-1225942708663

The trade and draft dates bore me. When does pre season training start and can anyone get out there (presume it's at Casey and the ground has recovered)?

It won't be the perception that does him in but rather, the reality. The various clubs make it their business to know as much of the facts behind the incidents a particular player is involved in. Was it just a schoolboy's sex romp or was there alcohol involved? Has there been a pattern in his behaviour or were the incidents isolated? Was he really an innocent party in that bashing? There are many aspects to these young players that we don't know about but ultimately, clubs have to decide whether a player deserves the [censored] title and whether this rules him out of selection. Given what we know about some of the AFL's major [censored] like Fev and Aker and of their capacity to disrupt and destroy a club's season, it's important for the recruiting people to get it right. I don't believe we're in the position to make a judgement on Jack Darling with our limited knowledge. I suppose that's why some people have him going at #4 to West Coast and others as deep as #20 to Freo.

I don't recall this but he shouldn't complain. He was in the system for seven years and was on the lists of two AFL clubs. True. he had injury issues over the years but he played less than fifty games. He and he alone, has to decide for himself whether his glass was half full or half empty. I wish him and all players in his position the best for the future. Whether you're Chris Judd or Chris Johnson, if you reach the elite level in the game you have a role to fulfill and not every one can be a champion.