Dee*ceiving

Very harsh Jazza and I don't agree. Brad Green is a perfect example of a bloke that willed himself into being a courageous player. He was little short of kamikaze in the sencond half of his career.

Whether we land Roos or not, we really can't lose here. The way I see it we are operating with a short list of 5 at the moment. That list is categorised into 3, in order of preference and urgency for engagement. Category A - Paul Roos. This is the AFL's man and currently available. Every effort should be made to sign him in the short term, if we can manage this before the end of the season then great. Launch the propaganda, get the supporters and members involved and believing again and get ready for 2014. Category B - Al Clarkson & John Worsfold, These 2 should sounded out now and then courted heavily at the end of the year should we not be able to land Roos between now and then. Clarkson may pull the pin on his own career at Hawthorn should he not be able to get them over the line again this year. A $1million a year offer from the Dees would obviously make him a little less desperate to retain his current spot. On top of that there is a small chance the Hawthorn board will consider a change come the end of the year considering Clarkson may be viewed as underachieving with the list he has had. Couple that with the potential loss of Buddy and an aging list they may see a change of coach now rather than in 2 years time a little kick a long to reload just like Scott was at the Cats. Worsfold looks in danger out west. Another coach that could be considered as having underachieved considering the lists and resources at his disposal. There is still a real chance of the Eagles missing finals and even a finals berth that ends in a R1 loss may not be enough to secure another tenure. Some have speculated Scott Burns is being setup to usurp JW in the short term. Category C – Mark Williams & Rodney Eade. In my opinion I think both of these guys will jump at the chance to coach again and both would represent better than reasonable options. Because it is unlikely they couldn’t be convinced to take the job on they don’t necessitate the urgency of the other 3 and can wait for a little while to be approached. Doing this could even be construed as courtesy to their existing roles and employers. I would fully expect each of these guys to put some conditions on the club in order for them to take on the role. Items such as salary, football department structure & staff and football department spend come to mind but considering we have AFL backing at this time it shouldn’t be impossible to meet things such as that. The AFL have no choice but to assist us in rebuilding the club. The best way to ensure they get a return on their investment is to make sure we get the absolute best people in place to make it happen. But – this gracious assistance from the AFL won’t last forever, so we need to make it count, NOW!

When we no longer represent commercial value to the AFL we will fold. Until this time we must be supported and hopefully restored to the proud club we once were. if through our own hard work and AFL assitance we fail to achieve this by the next TV rights deal however I suspect we are dead. We may find that the overall AFL product is worth more without us than with us. At which time the lights egt turned off and the doors get closed, once and for all.

I agree to an extent Deevoted. But I am afraid a purely good business based strategy on it's own will take years to dig us out of this hole, that's presuming we actually make the right decisions and we score a couple of lucky breaks. I am afraid we don't have the luxury of time. If we haven't made some improvement by the time the next TV rights agreement negotiations start we'll be in real trouble. Don't think for a minute that just because there is 9 games a week now that the product needs to have 9 games a week in 5 years time to be worth more or even the same as it is now. if we are a poor team, with little support, low ratings and non-existent attendance it may just turn out that it costs TV operators more to cover our games than it returns in terms of revenue. When and if this happens the AFL product may actually be worth more in a commercial sense with us gone. It will be curtains for the Demons.

Regarding a boutique stadium in Casey or another developing region of outer suburban Melbourne I'd support that so long as: 1. We still get half a dozen home games at the MCG agains the likes of Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon, St Kilda, Richmond, Hawthorn etc. 2. Home games a the boutique stadium are limited to non Victorian teams and 1 of Western Bulldogs, Geelong or St Kilda each year 3. We get at least half a dozen away games at the MCG against the teams in point 1 Getting to Casey would be tricky for anyone not on that side of town so at least if the above is met there remains ample opportunities for those supporters to see their team live on the G.

One would think the additional salary cap would be accompanied by a financial hand out of some kind to enable use of it. Other wise it is useless as others have stated. I actually think a once of injection of $2 million will work to some extent. No doubt attracting good free agents to the Dees will be next to impossible at the end of the year. Few players will consider us even for 50% more salary than they would get elsewhere considering how bad we are. However, if we have an extra $2 million to spend this year only nothing would stop us from approaching Daisy with an offer of: year 1 - $1.5 million year 2 - $750K year 3 - $750K year 4 - $750K Essentially he ends up with an annual salary similar or slightly greater than what he would command on the open market but he get's a $750K sign on bonus in year 1. This wouldn't have a long term negative effect on salary cap management and would make us a real player in the FA market. $2 million would mean we could actually makes offers like this to 3 or 4 players and retain Sylvia, Watts and co. A Sylvia deal might look like this: year 1 - $750K year 2 - $400K year 3 - $400K One would think Sylvia would demand $400K a year max on the open market, maybe slightly more if he goes to a club with an inflated slaray cap. 1 would think giving him an extra $350 in year 1 would make it difficult for him to walk away. I am not necessarily advocating the signing of these specific players for these amounts just using them as an example of how we could make that $2 million work for us as a once off assistance package. One could also question whether making these once off arrangements to sign and retain players might have a negative impact on the team's culture and perhaps that is true. Nathan Jones for instance may be dissappointed that because Col is OOC this season he gets a $350K bonus whereas he misses out because he comes OOC in a year we don't have the special assistance package. Then again a team man like Chunk would likley just be happy he has good players to play with and to hell how much they are getting paid!

Peeps, I am afraid you couldn't entice a rat with a gigantic chunk of Cheddar to come to our club at the moment. Likewise you couldn't attract a super, semi decent, ok, hack footballer to our club with a red ferrari, 17 virgins and $10 million in a swedish bank account.

The more I think about the VCGLR investigation the angrier I get. There would be countless nightclubs, bars and strip joints right across town that are owned, operated and shaken down by underworld, bikie gangs and crooks. They would no doubt use these facilities to sell drugs, promote prostitution, illegal tobacco and alcohol and god knows what else. They are violent, shady, despicable people who dodge tax by dealing in cash and ruin lives for their own benefit. Yet is there any evidence that the VCGLR are doing anything to proactively address what we all know is out there? Are they moving to revoke liquor and gambling licenses from these venues and people? No. instead they’ll pick off an easy target. A high profile target. A Not for profit football club that exists through nothing more than the good graces of it’s members, members who are prepared to fork out several hundred dollars a year just in the hope that the teams performance gives them some semblance of joy and excitement despite have very little control over what and how the club operates. It’s a disgrace, whether is fizzles out to nothing or not I am fuming…

Gents, think about it. MN wouldn't want to ostricise 1 by saying he is simply a contingency plan for the other. What's he going to say? We really want Chris but if Chris tells us to get nicked, we'll see if Scotty will come play. Taking this attitude may just make Gumby think 'I am only the contingency for those guys. screw em' I doubt he legitimately believes we have a shot at landing both but would want to play to both of their egos. Smart strategy.

the blues can't cut our lunch because the Pies won't deal with them unless it seems they will rob them blind. Not gonna happen with Shifty Mick at the wheel

20 for Dawes is a good thing if Collingwood can remove their heads from their arses long enough to smell the roses. We will not pay overs for him. 20 is fair and adequate compensation. It gives them 2 first round picks, maybe 3 if they can get one off the Eagles for the Fringe. We are lean at the draft table if we trade it though. Only 1 live pick (4) in the first to rounds (assuming FA compo pick will be 3rd round or later). No way that pick 4 gets traded now.

Col has 12 so probably not the go. 31 maybe. Or a different number and he can build his own legacy. Maybe 3, if Barts retires/gets delisted. So many options, so excited

Our uncontested footy was deplorable this year. Ray and Byrnes are not perfect but they will definitely help us reduce the gap between the number of uncontested possessions we get and the number the opposition gets. It's a worthwhile investment. We will still have plenty of kids on the list and Viney and few others added as well.

By the way, Jack Martin just looks like another skinny kid to me. Don't we have enough of those already?

Pick 4 does seem overs but if you look at it this way its' not so bad. Note the use of 4 to land SW and CD is said to be based on the proviso of not needing pick 3 for JV. Currently we have 4 picks in the first 26, using pick 4 to get SW and CD would mean a net gain of Pick 3 - 3rd best 18 y/o Pick 4 - Chris Dawes and Sharrod Wellingham Pick 14 - 14th best 18 y/o Pick 26 - Jack Viney This gives us at least 3 players that are ready to improve our team from round 1 next year. Plus 2 more 18 y/os in the first 14 picked. Plus at least Shannon Byrnes as a FA. It might seem like a quick fix but in reality it's not. CD and SW are both < 25 and first 18 in one of the best teams in the league. Our chances of landing a true superstar with pick 4 is remote to moderate at best.

I agree with Clint, I heard GW also and all he said was melbourne were interested in CD and SW. Pick 4 was not mentioned.

Pretty sure I read JR is keen to remain in Victoria. Lions or Port seem long shots

The Ox also dismissed his value vehemently only a day or 2 ago. Seemed harsh at the time. Mark Allen compared him to the Ox as a player and I think Shwarta nearly belted him...what an insult!

The whisper i heard today was the Eagles offered Koby Stevens and their first pick and Big E McChins gave them a 1 fingered salute. No doubt they are seething about the Eagles & Sharrods arrogance. Stiff [censored] to them i say, couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch. Unfortunately we have to play this game too if we want Dawes and worse for us he is still contracted.

What about 13, 3rd rounder and Petterd for Dawes and Wellingham?

Would be great news for us. Now we play the "what Collingwood want vs What's reasonable" game

Don't think so skills, Article i read on the HUN quoted his manager as saying Chris is studying in Melbourne and doesn't want to move interstate

I actually like that one Olisik. I reckon Carlton is our concern with regard to getting Dawes, I just hope the Pies will be so against giving Carlton and Mick anything that they'd sooner trade with us even for less return. Great news that he is not interested in going interstate

I like most of what you've said Devo except the bit about Watts. I actually think adding Dawes to the side will aid Watts' development into a key forward. Clark and Dawes will command the number 1 and 2 tall defenders leaving Watts with a 3rd string tall or undersized journeymen. The instruction to Watts in this scenario must be to run, run and run some more and gather possessions across the wing and half back and then press hard and fast to deep inside 50 when the team is on the burst and back his speed and play reading to get on the end of balls running back with the flight. I think it could be just what Jack needs to progress from what he is now to what he may be able to become without undue pressure.

If we are to get him the Pies will definitely want pick 13 which is way over. But adding goldsack and a player or our 3rd or 4th rounder to the mix would work for me.