Grand New Flag

Sassy: round 2 is true.

I am sure the club is putting a full effort into both Tomlinson & Hoskin-Elliot. Both these guys are exactly what we need.

Watching that video makes me want to cry.

Neeld was a disgrace. Neeld did more to destroy our club than any other in our history. Neeld never backed his players............ especially those with skill. Bennell was always a highly skilled player, but simply had trouble getting his hands on the pill. Any AFL level coach should have been able to develop him, but instead Neeld failed to back him, destroyed his self confidence, made football unenjoyable and then at the end delisted him on the back of an AC injury. What message does this send to the group? Neeld still makes me feel sick.

Neeld had appalling bias to the unskilled battler, he could never relate or develop the underperforming, highly skilled, early draft [censored]. His game plan was an out-dated, copied, embarrassment, developed for a team with completely different strength and weakness to out own. I can't believe it took until round 12 last year to fire Neeld. He sent the club back at least 5 years and may yet be the catalyst to our extinction.

I am sure Bennell will smash us this weekend, and although it will hurt, it will be justified to the appalling development, lack of faith and unjust dismissal he endured.

Good luck to Jamie. I hope he plays in a premiership for WC. He sure as hell was not going to get that opportunity at the Dees.

Good God we are a sorry lot.

We are entering our 8th year of hell.............. and at the moment we can't even find any straws to grasp. Despite our injuries, a full strength in form Eagles, we must find a way to be competitive this weekend. The only positive I can find is that the game is at home.

We definitely have the money for him with Clark coming out of contract with a new contract at only a fraction of his old. It is unlikely too many other clubs will have the salary cap room we have come seasons end.

We would have to push for finals this season, become a glamour team and produce exciting footy to have any chance.

Without tall forwards out for the what seems likely as the first half of the season, and no midfield depth I see this as highly unlikely. But its not going to stop me dreaming.

Seriously who cares what Caro thinks????

Bossdog, I love your post, but surely you should not read Demonland if you expect anything less. Demonland is an outstanding vent for us poor supporters frustration. Personally, I enjoy all the dump this person, fire that person threads. Generally they are a good laugh........ except the "Time to go Mark Neeld", that was the one time I truly believed that someone really needed to be shown the door and quickly. By the way how did it take until round 12 to get rid of him?

If we beat the Saints I look forward to the "we can make the 8" post, if god help us we loss I look forward to the "trade everyone" post. I for one will probably be venting!

Our club must be cursed!! Everything that could have conceivably gone wrong over the last 3 years has. When will we get some luck?

Was really looking forward to Hogan's debut, with the injury he has sustained this could be weeks to months away.

What an epic failure 2011 draft was! Neeld was indeed the biggest mistake this club made since sacking Norm Smith.

Champ, I find your comments offensive.

Clark is desperate to return, and is doing anything and everything he is asked. His only desire is to return to senior football. His photography hobby is good therapy through these difficult times.

As others have said, he has had a very serious, potentially career ending injury. The club is managing him conservatively to give him his best shot. He will return this season and this is when all the questions will be answered. This sort of injury will not reoccur in on the first week back, rather 3 - 8 weeks back. If he can stay on the field he is cured, if it reoccurs for a third time it is all over. Simply nothing more needs to said on this issue.

I rate Strauss. I disagree with many of the comments on this thread. I am sure we all hope he can prove me right.

Dawes & Hogan will both play at least some of the game.

Just a point on Hogan. Of course he is underdone. He jarred his knee and has had limited training for at least a month. However, round 1 is still a month away. He will get plenty of match fitness in that time and barring any further injuries will be 100% by round 1. Same goes for Viney.

The last 150 seconds of the 2nd quarter, were the most pleasing passage of football I have seen in a decade. It outlined the improvements we have made under Roos.

Richmond flooded back, and we simply played possession football patiently waiting for the opening. There were no stuff up, and no unnecessary risks. There was no kicking to a contest. Finally an opening was seen and we kicked a goal with the last kick of the quarter. Richmond did not touch the ball in the 150 seconds.

Roos made a play for Kennedy, but this has been rejected. Roos thought that Sydney may require more salary space combined with rumoured dissatisfaction of Kennedy made the offer worth a try. No one was surprised it was rejected, it was always a long shot. If you never ask, you never know.

With the free agency and trade period having already delivered four midfielders to date and another seemingly on the way via draft pick 9, I think its time to look around for a dangerous crumbing forward either through what's left of trading, delisted free agents or the draft.

We have Shannon Byrnes but his best days are in the past. I think we would definitely cap off our efforts if we could find a player capable of kicking goals on a regular basis at the feet of Clark, Dawes, Hogan and Howe but who can we chase?

I think back to the days when Jeff Farmer was at his best roaming the forward line and causing havoc. He turned us from also rans into a formidable team back at the turn of the century. A player of his ilk would be handy to say the least.

I think Shannon Byrnes did enough to suggest he still has a couple of good years left. There were few forward entries last year and on the rare occasion the ball did go forward there was no forward set-up to speak of. Thus Byrnes had few opportunities.

No to 9 and Howe for Kennedy. Not worth it. Howe will be a star. Hold on to pick nine, we still need good youth coming through. And fitz stays, he's a champ, after all he's been through we must hold on to him, such strong character to get through all his ups and downs and still produce what he did in season 2013.

I disagree. Kennedy is awesome! Howe is the best mark in the comp and his glamor high flying would bring people through the turnstiles in Sydney. However, as a player I believe he is overrated. Mind you I have always thought the rest of his game would improve dramatically with proper development. It would be sad to see our only highlight of the last 2 years go, but for Kennedy a could easily swallow it.

Anyway we are getting way in front of ourselves no player has been suggested and I believe Sydney would be more interested in a ruckman.

My source has confirmed that Roos is having a crack for Kennedy with pick 9 and a player, however, he thought the likelihood of success at less than 30%.

He also said that this had come out of left field. As widely reported in the press MFC traded out for pick 2 for 9 as they were certain that one of the "ready made" players they would like to pick would still be available at 9. Therefore we essentially got Tyson for effectively nothing. MFC believe there is very little between pick 2 & 11 in this years draft.

Kennedy would be a mega coup.

I disagree.

Carlton paid about the same price in the draft for Chris Judd in 2007 who was the best player in the comp. I understand that we get pick 9 as a sweetener but its still a big punt on an unproven kid. I was hoping if we were to trade pick 2 it would be on a proven midfielder at the least. I'm not araldited to my position and will happily eat humble pie if Tyson and pick 9 prove to be amazeballs - however I'm skeptical at this stage.

Simply BS. Judd in effect cost 3 first round picks. Pick 3, Kennedy (pick 4 previous season), and pick 9 I think. No where near the same price.

I have just heard a rumour from a mate closely connected to another afl club (he has a 60% track record of being right over the last 15 years) that Dom Tyson, this week's rising ster nominee, wants to come to the MFC to join former teammate JV.

Well done angrydee!!!!!!!!

Well done Roos! I highly rate Tyson and we will get another very good mid-fielder for pick 9.

If we can't pick up the young, quality mid-fielder we want with pick 2 we should keep it. Instead we should trade our later picks for older midfielders like Myer and Vince. These guys will be around 2 - 5 years and worth later round picks. They will help develop our younger talent, but more importantly should be able to give us the instant competitive up-lift in the midfield which we require. I am against trading pick 2 at a significant loss, despite our desperate need for ready made high quality mids.

Shiel will only be traded by GWS if he asks to go home.