beelzebub

Actually I do...despise them and Messendon both

There seems to be some sort of unilateral observance that any progress we make can only be linear. Given the constructs surrounding the changes i'm suggesting there will be a quantum jump in capability.

He is actually a player im intrigued and looking forward to see playing

why are we running two threads on EFC ? just asking

Fair enough if your view. Ostensibly isn't much to disagree with . I do however feel others will go past him as they have more inherent talent to work with. This is in no ways meant as a slight to Chunk.His ability to see within himself and extract that which he does is without peer really at the club to date. I think that whilst Jones has a little ways to go he may well find his ceiling. Others will go higher. If they, the others, can only find the same dedication and effort of application that Nathan has then this team will most definitely go places

The machinations of the behind the scenes plays. The people who became involved. Curiously some may be asked if there wasnt a conflict of positions etc. The AFL has never really had the stomach for any of this. It's not their bag. Vlad inc just wants the game to roll along nicey nicey. It's only when it gets called out that it really ever gets a wiggle on with anything. There has never been a desire to really go after EFC. It cant have one of its powerbrokers in strife. Dangerous and dicey ground.. It might upset the footy, doesnt matter who suffers in the process, the game must go on. In reality all of this should have gone before the AFL commission, where transparency would exist, where record of hearing etc are kept. But then it would become apparent to all maybe just how complicit the AFL itself ( or just some of its office bearers ) are in all of this murky business. So it was shuffled off to dark rooms and muffled corners , all hush hush secret squirrel shlt !! Here a conspired outcome is evolved. One that will seem to satisfy the hounds. But alas the truth outed anyway. Its often mooted footy is just business, but whilst it is a business there are so many stakeholders that a greater observance of rules observance ought to be handed to the public, who is after all its greatest de facto stake holder. Its suggested there was nothing more than a negotiation here. Why was there even a negotiation. There were transgressions, there ought to simply have been punishments, end of story. Bu the mighty get to play by different rules dont they.

crap...it became transparent after they were caught out. Then and only then did the AFL take the steps it ought to in the first place

probably with mine...lol

sounds about right

I agree. The midfield of 2014 will be a useful group, not superlative ( not in their first season in this guise ) but capable. I'm not really convinced that the Ainters midfield will all that flash at all. They , in my view will become long term cellar dwellers.

I have a good feeling about round 1 . I think we'll be the better balanced and prepared side. Dspite any protestations Roos in effect has been looking at us for a long while. He has had in his mind an idea of how he would want to ( and now is ) mould this team. StKilda on the other hand have disassembled an element of a game that kinda worked in the hope that new blood will be their future. Their coach , untried at this level and so ,a s we all know only too well , will be learning on the job will have to play catch up coaching. this is a game between coaches. Melbourne will win round 1

Actually OLD...quite the reverse.. we are getting on with or club and such. Messendon are in a holding pattern ( they just dont know or accept it yet ) and will land heavy. Call me whatever but im enjoying their misery

Yes they are indeed essentially practice games with a a bit of icing perhaps. But given they are supposedly practicing something it can give a clear idea of how progressed they are at doing that. They're not drills, theyre not just training they are games under full live combatant conditions. Its till real footy, not pretend. i wouldnt say meaningless. They are windows to progress.

its not for us to necessarily predict who will, just for the club to work as whole to ensure the avenues are there for those that might. Someone will

its not that his efforts arent valiant. its not that hes not a good player . Its great that he has Melbourne in his veins but I feel you have simply missed the tenet of the notion that if Melbourne is as good only as Jones then we will not evolve. its quite simple. The caliber of player needs to lift over all and the Bluey winner needs to be better than even Jones is at present. Thats not to back hand him its to say hes the current benchmark, but it need s to be better.

Messendon still paying Hird despite the AFL's instructions he shouldnt be. Again EFC shows little and scant regard for the authority of the game, they just do what they want.

wish the like button was back

and Fairfax is squeaky clean.... come on all as bad as each other.... all have their barrows

try dead last...... just ahead of the retraction occasionally

nupp

can someone merge this into the actual Messendon thread? cheers

The Melbourne 'thing' for want of a better title was an occurrence within AFL boundaries and jurisdiction . The messendon thing has pushed beyond those boundaries into a much bigger arena. One the AFL doesnt rule. WADA does. Am happy for Melbourne to be scrutinised. This is not a transgression against the AFL as was ours, supposedly ( though unproven etc ) Messendon has run foul of a much bigger set of rules

3rd parties....now that'd be ironic.

There is no IF

It certainly bemuses me to see just how arrogantly ignorant Messendon are. They are so used to a world that they deem under their spell that it all but reminds me of the The Emperors New Clothes. So used are they to being a big wheel in this town that it has never occurred to them that there is a bigger pond with bigger fish. Theres an oft coined phrase " They just don't get it" and it so applies to this. I have no doubt they consider themselves the harassed, indeed the victims in all this. How dare anyone intimate wrong doings. Icarus didnt listen either.