Dappa Dan

Ok... Two things: 1: Is he being let go because he's a nuff nuff? Or SOLELY because of injuries? Something doesn't add up here. 2: Assuming he's not on drugs, or poisonous to the playing group, and assuming there is hope his body will pull itself back together, he's got to be the closest thing we've seen yet to someone who fits our needs in the PSD... Like everyone else, I think these "should we or shouldn't we" threads are getting old, but surely this guy demands a serious look. He's the first delisting to pique my interest. I remember in his draft year I wanted him.

Not that you're bitter...

Well... It was a winning final? We were pretty much out of it at half time having only kicked 3 or 4 goals... and despite the fact they were out of rotations, you still have to win the match. And we did it in fine fashion, using a bunch of kids in many positions, among them Brock in arguably his best game to date. At the time it was perceived as an important step, us breaking the finals hoodoo and there was little talk at the time that Daniher was out. Besides, it wasn't just the fans that thought the dees were a premiership chance in 2007. MANY "experts" believed we'd go on with it. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Fair enough... I think I'm just touchy about us shifting so far away from our spiritual home. I, like many others, am worried that it may be seen as a halfway step to being shifted interstate by those at AFL house. Hopefully Casey to the MFC turns out to be more like Tassie is to the Hawks. If you look at the glass half full, it's one step back so that we can take two steps forward. Hopefully it continues this way.

I see. But $600,000 Per year... I realise it's not a lump-sum payment, but there still is cost involved in community service. My point being, would we be committing to an equivalent if our base was, say, the rectangular stadium? (Not re-igniting that one, just interested for arguements' sake) If the over-all package is a great deal cheaper, then you can live with that sort of commitment, because in the end our financial position is improved. I would just hate to think that if our fortunes improve in ten years, and we want to take advantage and install ourselves as a presence in MELBOURNE, then wouldn't it be considered a bit of a ball and chain? I'm the first to admit, I don't know a whole lot about this, and 11 pages of a thread is a LOT to read... So I'm more looking for instruction than arguing for the negative. As for being turfed out. I would imagine that a 3 x 10 year deal would suit us more. We could reassess at the end of ten years, and if our supporter base is dwindling in an important area, and not gaining enough at Casey, then I would HOPE we would be free to turf THEM. My point being that 30 years ironclad commitment seemed more a limiting factor. I would have thought flexibility would be a big issue, given the uncertainty in the AFL climate, as well as the worlds' economic climate. We have? We're still a LOOONG way behind the power clubs, and are not paying our full salary cap. I wouldn't say we're "unstrapped" yet. I have hope, but we're still in a relatively desperate stage in MFC's history.

I would expect nothing less than for them to leave no stone unturned. All 3 guys are not without their question marks... I'd be quite pleased to pick up Rich. Watts would be my preference, but still...

I don't get it.... 30 years?!!! Surely that's far too much of a committment for a cash-strapped club. 10 years would have been pushing it. How do we know what the climate is going to be in 30 years?!!

I scoffed at first... But that's not the worst idea in the world. When we go through all our campaigns to land West and Buckley, and they fail as I'm certain they will, we could look into a switch... My feeling is that MFC is USELESS at planning for the future. I rate DB highly so far, and there's no reason to suggest he can't be the next Clarkson, but we should at least THINK about being prepared for him to move, should he have a change of heart. In modern footy, as it is these days, I fully expect coaches will become like players in that they'll switch clubs on whims, if their market-value is perceived as high. With that in mind, it would make sense to recruit a coach that is a serious long-term senior coach aspirant, such as Ratten, Voss etc etc... If they do what Ratten did, then fair enough... But if DB wishes to move on (or is axed) it would be good to have someone who can step in, instead of someone who always had a foot out the door, like Williams. :D :D :D

Wow. That long ago... Time flies. What's the old saying? You're only as good as your last three years? Well we really are the worst side in the comp.

It's not going to happen people... But it's worth inquiring, if for no other reason than to push his price up!

That's mine so far. Come from behind, Carroll smashing Gehrig, McLean comes of age, Neitz the dominant forward... The Freo game this year comes pretty close and the Brissy game was pretty special, that oh-so-long last quarter, Wonna's run that felt like it went in slow-motion for about a minute... Loved the last 3 games of 2006 (?) Rds 20, 21 and 22 - Cats, Dogs and Dons... Probably first the Dogs one with White's winning goal, then the Cats one, the first in such a long time, then the Dons with Robbo's magic leg-break... In that order.

http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tab...px?newsId=69106 Is that the last of Daniher's Coaching panel now gone? My opinion... No huge loss. May be a bit unsettling for the player group having a new face next year, but we can't go worse in the midfield than we did this year. Prospective appointments anyone?

Ok... So would you say picking the perfect captain would make more of a difference now than it would coming into a year where you're a premiership threat? I would have thought that the LEAST important time to pick a captain would be now in our premiership clock (for lack of a better term). Which is not to say it's COMPLETELY unimportant, but we're not picking the captain of the Australian cricket team here... Besides... The truth is, NONE of our players over 25 really embody what we want as a skipper. Green does, but he has his doubters... Miller does but his form only picked up 22 rounds ago, and since then he's hardly been threatening to win the Coleman. JMac does, but he's older than ME!!! And where is it written that a courageous player is the be-all and end-all... The player has to be able to get on the park (rules JMac out, as there must be doubts about him holding up) Must be able to play well (Miller COULD do this, but going on last year still has some sins to make up for) and must be a vocal leader as well (I hear Green has a mouth, but more as a sledger, not an inspirer)... None of the leaders scream out to be picked... and in the end it's only temporary... Everyone knows this!

Except his half-time speech in the GF! :D Neitz was given a fairly hard time when he was captain, but at least no-one doubted his courage... so while he wasn't a great talker, he could lead BY EXAMPLE... Bruce isn't the hardest player going 'round, we know this... but he is a contributor in games, whether posters on here will admit to it or not. He's one of the senior players at the club, and one of the "other" options... We all know McLean will be captain one day (unless one of these other young guys gives him a run for his money, and even then, they'd have to win a brownlow, a norm-smith and cure cancer)... the ONLY question is when... and if it's not in season 2009, then who is to take his place as interim captain? As far as I'm concerned, the question is as simple as that. And really? The captain in 2009, a season we already KNOW will give as at the MOST 6-8 wins, is about tenth on the to-do list... What we're doing here is giving the captaincy to a player who deserves it, it's not going to make the difference between 4th an 5th spot on the ladder, or change the result of a prelim. In 2010, they'll look and see if we show genuine signs of climbing again, we'll do this over from the beginning. But a 22 round captain? Is there really this much need for fuss?

Is there anyone in the AFL you DON'T know?

Yeah, Rivers is a tough nut... and loves getting under the skin of his opponents... If he could put it together for 20 rounds out of the year, then he'd be a monty to be in the leadership group (in this squad, anyway)... The only issue is the potential that's always hovered over his head that he might go home. If he gets an AA gurnsey as CHB this year, and is made skipper next year (or stand-in this year) it doesn't look good if, after a good season, he feels the price would be right for him to go home...

:D

Post of the week to 45hotgod.

I would agree except that in some cases interim captains have worked really well. And to be honest, out of the older guys on the list named here (except Miller) they probably wouldn't be looked at as captain for more than a year, maybe two tops. And next year CERTAINLY won't be a big one for the club. Seems like a perfect time to put in a caretaker.

Yeah... sorry, forgot to mention Miller... His indiscretions over the past few years have made me doubt him... If he had put two years together, or maybe three of the quality of this year... Then maybe I'd put him in the list. And I would suggest that the footy department and board would feel the same. At this time last year he was looking like he was in trouble.

Yeah. Cos THAT'S important... I do have to say though, that is one thing I agree with Y_M on. I don't think Bruce is a captain... and would be so clearly an interim captain that he'll be given as hard a time as Vandenberg a few years ago... For that reason, it's Brock as #1 for me (probably still too early), then Green (He's earned it, and if you're going to have an interim captain, have it be someone with some toughness), Then Macca (He's VERY old, which would give me concerns about him making it onto the park, but he's got the respect, career, and he's earned it). Oh and PLEASE no dual-captains...

No... PJ will be, and maybe is already, the best and most flexible backup ruckman going round. As your starting ruckman though, plaing 4 quarters out of the middle, he'd get found out :D

That's not a terrible guess... but I'm sticking with Buckley. His arms are WAY to big for Morton, and Buckley has that 'do. Same hunched shoulders too... This is starting to sound like biological field notes.

I'm gonna take a stab and say Buckley.

Yeah... try not to take it TOO seriously. What I meant is that Col, since I've seen him play, does a variety of stretches whenever he stops moving. At bounce-downs, time offs etc etc... Notice that everyone's doing something different in the picture... but Col is doing what I've seen him do more than ANYTHING on a footy field. Stretch. Hard to find that photo a "development" in the ongoing saga of this player, but I didn't want to bring the mood down...