hoopla

Unfortunately.. I don't think the relationship with the MCC is quite THAT close

Fair enough. It might be bleedin' obvious - but that hasn't stopped the AFLPA from campaigning for it! Influentlal people have to state the bleedin obvious to keep the AFLPA on the back foot

A side that wins enough games to make the finals must be competitive. You can be competitive without being the best - and you can be competitive even there are a handful of teams that will beat you every time...... and you can be a competitive unit .... even if you are thrashed from time to time I agree that we over-rated ourselves. ... and that we had serious weaknesses. No - we weren't that good .... but we were competitive.

I never thought I'd stand up and applaud Mick Malthouse !! But his comments this morning on the threat of "free agency" are absolutely spot on. Clearly free agency would strengthen the powerful clubs at the expense of the weaker clubs - with serious flow on effects for the strength of the competition. Under free agency , we would not have devoted thread after thread to Luke Ball - he would be training with his new club, Collingwood!! I think there is an even more fundamental problem with free agency. Tribal rivalry lies at the heart of our game. Progressively free agency would begin to break down club loyalties. There is no more certain way of disillusioning supporters than by setting up a process which encourages their favourite players to look after No. 1 .... and jump ship. How would we feel now if we knew that there was a fair chance that in 6 or 7 years time Watts , Jurrah , Scully and Trengrove (!) would be snaffled by Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon under a free agency regime? Free agency is a serious threat to the success of the competition - and all football supporters should let the AFLPA know that money will flow out of the game - and out of the hands of their members - if they try to force it through. Thanks Mick - for making the point!

It is matter of fact that ND took teams into the finals and into the top 4. It is therefore a matter of that we were extremely competitive. Unfortunately our game plan based on run out of defence and high risk attacks straight through the midfield became too predictable. We stood still - while other clubs improved - and we poured few if any resources into player development. Football has changed completely since. We showed enough late last year - with injury-riddled teams - to suggest that DB is on the right track.

OK Darren. I'd forgotten that no one could ever get dodgy numbers past you! I confess that I did make up the 25% efficiency rating .The 4 was in a newspaper after one of his better games but I couldn't remember what percentage went to advantage. I suspected it was zero - but I thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt Your figures confirm the old saying - that " there are lies, damn lies and statistics". 12 hit outs per game? .... must have been before the umps recalled bad bounces! Unfortunately although he is a good athlete for his size, JM is not a good knock ruckman - and he has much further to go to get there than his injury prone body will carry him. You can't possibly claim that Mark Blake is the worst player in the competition when John Meeson is on an AFL list. Thankyou for acknowledging that I do know something about football - even though all that "mover and shaker stuff" is a crock of excrement . ( How perceptive is that HighTower?)

..likewise...lol

The purchase of additional equipment will slow the release of debt. I hope the fund -raising strategy takes full advantage of the tax deductibility of donations to the Red and Blue Foundation. If we assume that the marginal rate of tax for all potential donors is 38 cents , we could effectively get the general taxpayer to contribute $380 to the MFC for every $620 we get from our supporters. I have described the workings of the Foundation on another thread

Sounds to me like a sincere attempt to give us "some information". If we were in the pub - we'd probably be thanking you.

[quote name='billy2803' date='Nov 5 2009, 10:07 AM' post='286598 I'm not sure why the criticism of Meesen either. I think he showed a lot of improvement in the handful of games he played. I will be watching him in 2010 to hopefully see him have an injury free year.

Quite correct...he has no obligation whatever to say anything to us ..or indeed to any other club. Why are you just attacking him? Why don't you have a crack at CC while you are at it? What does he know? Has Ball refused to answer his calls ? Does he think Ball lacks etiquette? If so why doesn't he have enough balls to come out and say it? ( yes..pun intended). If not why doesn't he have have sufficient empathy with his own frustrated supporters to say something to them? Has he given Ball an ultimatum? If not.. why not? I have no quarrel with CC - but then I have no quarrel with Luke Ball either. If you are going to bag Ball for his silence - the please bag the MFC for its silence as well

Absolutely correct.... definitely worth persevering with

Perhaps he already has thanked us- and perhaps St Kilda has asked him to stay silent until they have approved his new contract ?The fact is we don't know. ........ We just have to wait In the meantime Ball has done nothing wrong.

So much for dillusionment with Melbourne!! Thank goodness we didn't try to match it

You need a couple of competitive ruckmen. As I see it we have quantity - but doubtful quality - Jamar - clearly our best but only has a one year contract- improved last year but needs to say fit and keep improving - PJ - useful back-up because of his versatility - but unlikely to be anything more - Stef - may develop into an excellent No.2 ruckman - but likely to be used elsewhere - Meeson - very dubious - even in his 4 games last year when he got a bit of the ball - he was brushed aside in the ruck - Spencer - still very raw Big men take a long -time to develop. I'd be looking to at least rookie another option this year. Gawn is a giant - and he is quite agile for his size. I'd try to sneak him in somewhere I can't comment on Vardy as a possible #18

You've got to be kidding. He played his heart out for Brock McLean when he thought he had a chance for the captaincy. He has always been slow - and he has always been reluctant to chase. When it became apparent last year that others were passing him in the pecking order, he should have gritted his teeth and worked harder again.Instead he went back to those who liked his confidence as a first year player - Ratten and Riley at Carlton - and gave Melbourne the heave-ho. Melbourne did try to persuade him to stay - but he was determined to get out How many players have a managed injuries and loss of form and confidence to get to 100 games with the MFC ? Every one of them has shown a greater commitment to this club than Brock McLean did

You are right .His image is suffering during this period of silence - but it shouldn't be. He is facing a huge decision and he is entitled to take his time. We are all jumping at shadows .. and so is the media.We don't know all of the issues.... we don't know what he is thinking... I am one who has said that I would have expected him to talk to us if he was interested. But then again perhaps he's decided to dismiss the other options first.. The fact is that we have to reserve judgment... and wait until Luke himself makes a formal public statement

One thing is very clear - Luke is really struggling with the decision to leave St Kilda........... which is understandable .... it's been his life for 7 years. He can see himself making the move to another hungry Top 4 club ( Collingwood)..... but he's struggling with the career- changing move to a team that may not get there until he's over the hill ( and is dropped in round 18 yet again) It's in his best interests to meet with Melbourne - even if only to confirm his concerns about us. You'd like to think that someone of his intelligence and maturity would want to ensure that he has to have all the information in front of him before he makes a decision. Perhaps he's frightened that once he meets us - he won't be able to say 'no'.

Your analysis is reasonable.I hope you are right about another delisting because I want to get as much new talent on to list this year as possible. Don't forget that the PSD is not just for known talent - but for talent from outside the ,mainstream. eg Martin, Jurrah. I think they'd be reluctant to close off the option. There's no way we'd go for Bradshaw - having already delisted Robbo.

You're very definite about this. -Bit rough on the player to delist him at the last minute - when other doors might be shut. Who do you think it will be? -If Ball doesn't come to us, do you believe we'll keep this player and pass on the PSD - so that its effectively him or Ball?

He was .... his present silence isn't helping

Like you I'm delighted with pick 11. I think the antagonism follows the hypocrisy. Here's a bloke espousing his love of the MFC , donating money etc one year - and walking out the next. As soon as it became obvious that he wasn't going to be captain - all that love disappeared and he was off

Leave me alone Darren... just because you kicked 12 goals once and still couldn't get a game The $500k has been quoted several times. I agree with rpfc .It does give us greater incentive to take Ball

Sorry to say it again... but at the moment we have only have 5 picks. So it's a bit fanciful to prepare wish lists with both pick 34 and PSD in it

Sorry mate... at this stage we have only got 5 picks altogether - so that 2 of Daw, Grimes and LJ MkII will have to miss out!