Nasher

That’s a bit like selling your car just in case someone steals it. When Jesse gets to the FA stage, he’ll be a RFA anyway. If he comes to the club with an offer and wants to go, we make the other club come up with a suitable trade, Dangerfield style. I definitely wouldn’t pre-empt it though. Save that stuff for the paranoid and the insecure, and back ourselves to keep him. This is all hypothetical anyway. I’m very confident he’s not going anywhere. I know some people think footballers are all filthy liars, but the quotes from the article listed by @ProDeereally resonate with me, because they align with exactly what I thought would happen. So long as we could successfully navigate those first few homesick years, he would develop in to an adult that was settled in Melbourne. That’s precisely what has happened.

This is what playing AFL footy until you’re 40 does to your brain.

Do you take that view about people in general, or just football players?

Happy to go on record and say there is absolutely no chance, whatsoever, that he is going anywhere. Zero. No source, just confidence: belief in his character and belief that players would want to stay at Melbourne.

Why would he leave?!

There would be a degree of setness to it. A few times I’ve seen Gawn smash it out to Brayshaw running at full pace. That kind of play has to premeditated. They would also have to plan for the unlikely event that Gawn doesn’t win the tap as well I guess!

I wasn’t expecting him to be the huge possession winner he is. Has had over 30 possessions in 4 of his 12 games, and at least two of those where he didn’t were prior to finally being put in the guts. Having an outstanding season. I wasn’t as worried as many others that he wouldn’t hit his straps, but nonetheless it’s a relief to see him out the other side of the issues and playing with confidence.

I wouldn’t bother. I think we’re past the point where we retain decent but undependable players just in case they come good. That’s definitely where I’d put Kent. Seems 1/3 in form, 1/3 out of form and 1/3 injured. At this stage I’d say he’s most welcome to explore other opportunities.

This poster was also famous for “I’ve had enough of Tom McDonald” a few years ago. If you’d run a book on hardest bundle dropper I’d have wagered the house.

It’s not that interesting; there is absolutely zero chance Brayshaw goes to Freo. More chance of us getting Andrew here than Angus going there, and even then that’s remote.

Okay, I’m listening.

Um, I read their BF forum and all I saw was how to work Hogan or Brayshaw in to a trade. Their views aren’t worth squat.

I had literally never heard of Ed Langdon until the weekend when I saw a quarter of the Freo game. Just assumed he was from WA and a relative of that white haired muppet who used to play for West Coast and now makes a living stirring s*** in the WA footy media.

It’s so hard to have this conversation with a straight face.

Maybe they’ll bully him when we play them like Adelaide did with Lever.

?

I often wonder what happens behind the scenes with these multi-sport talents - especially the basketballers, when they’ve chosen the other sport, then suddenly rock up at Cat B rookies in the AFL. Given that there’s daylight between the career prestige and cash between the NBA and the AFL, you would owe it to yourself to have a crack at the former first and fall back to the latter when it was obvious it was not going to happen.

Prestia choosing Melbourne also would have required Melbourne to choose Prestia, of course. The vast majority of the time the players are going to choose the club that pursues them the hardest.

I feel for McCartin. The way the footy public crush these early picks with expectations and them flog them mercilessly with them disgusts me. He needs to be given time and patience, there’s no doubt about it. I don’t feel for the Saints fans though. Years of being kicked while down by other supporters has made me bitter and spiteful. I get a bit of a kick at seeing them seethe.

BigFooty Aints supporter comment of the day: Well on todays exhibition the Paddy V Petracca has been settled once and for all - we should have picked Brayshaw! Eat a bag, Aints!

Summary of the last page of this thread: Oscar is a dud because he couldn’t stop a perfectly weighted kick, nor chase down Essendon’s fastest player who some other dope in a Melbourne jumper let get 30 metres in space. Sweet.

@Grapevineywill be happy! Me too for that matter. It’s a disgrace to have a member of the media so willing to trash the club representing it on its official podcast. It’s a bit petty but I hope he was escorted away rather than “stepping”.

?

While I'm supportive of (and pleased by) the social aspect of this decision, I highly doubt it's any more than a side effect of a decision that was otherwise 100% business. The current administration hasn't done anything to suggest it operates in any way other than a shrewd one. I'm surprised you're not prepared to cut them some slack and let this play out before flying off the handle.

You don't think it reasonable that people's view might evolve as life experience grows? 2010 for me was 50% of my adult life ago and I can tell you that my knowledge on the topic at hand and desire to explore it was precisely zero.