praha

IMO I see this as a win-win for the club. Either we keep the bloke or trade him and get good compo in return.

I don't quite get the situation at all. The options are: A. We trade him. B. We re-sign him. C. We delist him. If we delist, his options depend on whether or not he was *officially* retired. If officially, he has to go through the draft. If he wasnt officially retired, he can sign with whoever. Why would they delist him? Seems likely he'll either remain on our list, or we'll trade him.

Isn't the essence of camaraderie and team spirit to respect your teammates irrespective of class, race, sexuality, whatever? You're criticising him for calling out people that *aren't* like that, in essence trying to argue he's the antithesis of team spirit. Look, I hate the ultraPC [censored] as much as the next guy, but a good culture is not one that makes a mockery of lifestyle and brushes it off as "team spirit". That's not professionalism. I agree that his type tend to think the absolute worst of people for the most trivial of reasons, but you can't seriously blame him for not wanting the club he's involved with to have a culture of homophobia. I'm not gay and I tend to think debate on issues surrounding homosexual lifestyle (like gay marriage) are mindlessly tedious, but that doesn't mean I have a free pass to act intolerant towards that lifestyle, no matter how casual or good intentioned the comments and acts may be (the mardi gras scandal seems very trivial, admittedly). There must be more to the story and he probably just want an environment where a group of men can get along and be mates without joking like 15 year-olds. It's not an unreasonable expectation to have as an adult. I would take him in a heartbeat. He's run and drive out of half-back is something this team is absolutely screaming out for. The fact some are arguing they don't want him because he tries to rise *above* a culture of homophobia and racism is quite astonishing. I'd rather a bloke like that than someone that hangs around with bikie criminals, or has a history of alcohol and/or drug abuse.

He's done. Trade him for picks and move on.

He dislocated his thumb against GWS or WC.

Terrible Richmond.

I said he would struggle to make their top 22. Who in the midfield would come out in favour of Jones? Comparatively, Melbourne is far, far below Hawthorn's best standard. Jones is a good player in a bad team. What makes you think he would walk into Hawthorn's side? During the year when Melbourne gets flogged, everyone hyperventilates and says we don't have a single player that would get a game in a top 8 side. Why? Jones gets a very loose tag every game. He simply isn't damaging enough with the football. Don't put words in my mouth and equate that to being, "Jones is not a good football". He's just nothing more than a good player in a bad side. We need much more talent and depth in a midfield area already with Jones, Tyson, Vince and Viney. I think that's quite telling. I'm just trying to rationalise why he isn't in the AA side. I don't think I'm the only one who thinks this.

You'll be burnt at the stake around here for such comments. I love Jonesy as much as the next Melbourne fan. A star who will end his career being one of the club's all-time greats. But he's a good player in a bad team. If he were as good as people say he is, we wouldn't be drooling over the prospect of Dangerfield coming to the Dees. He's been the only player from 2008-2012 who has been a genuine treat to watch every single week. He bleeds red and blue.

I think Tyson will lead through rounds 1-10. Jones I thought had a more consistent outing in the latter part of the year and was really the only consistent performer in the last 10 losses. He'll probably *just* beat him.

Link to Tweet? EDIT: Found this one http://twitter.com/chrisstubbsfox/status/507055966060167168

Yep he'd fit in to Melbourne's lineup quite well: sprays a lot of kicks and goes missing when the team does. Seems like Melbourne material!

He'd struggle to be in the Hawks best 22. Gets the ball a lot but provides little run and simply isn't damaging enough. Great midfielders influence a match no matter how bad a team is. If was as great as many here think he'd have taken matches like Brissie, Bulldogs, Saints by the balls. He doesnt. I really love Jonesy and want nothing more than for him to earn a premiership trophy, but hes no superstar. It takes watching a lot of footy to know this. Having him as your best player (by far) is *not* a good thing.

Many just refuse to admit this. Jones was best afield maybe once, this year against Richmond. And that's a maybr. I love the bloke, but he's a good not great player in a bad side. Champion Demon, but not one of the top 40 in the land. Harsh reality.

Like the bloke but nah. He's done.

How would you grade the year overall on an A-F grading scale? I said at the start of the year that 6 wins was my pass mark: anything less and the season would be a failure. But there have certainly been some positives despite not having reached my win benchmark: 1. Blooding of JKH and Riley 2. Rise of Jetta 3. Howe is becoming a more consistent performer 4. Tyson acquisition and performance 5. Adelaide win 6. Essendon win 7. Near-double win in Adelaide The things that frustrated me the most: 1. Brisbane loss 2. GWS loss (both of them) 3. St Kilda loss 4. West Coast loss in Round 2 5. Losing so many games by so few points Overall, I give the season a D overall: Didn't meet expectations, but still areas of promise

Watts will probably finish top 5 in B&F. Some of you view our games behind angry glasses.

Hawthorn is reaping the benefits of building a great culture and drafting superbly in the mid-00s. How exactly to you suggest the AFL "fix" up clubs from performing well in areas they're *obliged* to perform well in to succeed? Hawthorn was not a "big" club in 2004 when they drafted Franklin and Roughhead, arguably the beginning of their rise. We're blaming FA for all the top clubs getting the good free agents, but FA is not the problem: Melbourne's ineptness is. Stop trying to handball the blame off to other clubs. Melbourne has the same access to the same talent pool, is under the same salary cap, plays in the same city, and plays at the MCG. If you can't attract free agents, that's not the system's or the AFL's fault: it's the clubs. You won't be asking the AFL to "fix" the system when Melbourne signs a good player, will you?

It was a great season up until the team's 13th match. Then it unravelled. Just a terrible way to finish the season. I expected wins against Brisbane and GWS, at least a win against the Dogs. The team really let itself down. I told myself at the start of the year and said it here that fewer than 6 wins would be a fail. I'm sticking by that. The team let us down in that second half.

Hahah came here to post that.

...You'd...rather us lose by more and be within less of a chance of winning but kick a higher score, rather than have a low score and being closer to the opponent? DAT LOGIC

Agree mostly with the OP, but Roos backing Watts means nothing. "New coach Damien Hardwick gave Tambling a leadership role and, at the same time, told him his future was at Richmond." 'He pretty much told me I was needed in the team and everything we were going to do within the next 12 months, however long it takes, was geared towards winning a premiership,' he said." Awks.

Geez another kid? I remember going to a luncheon in the late 90s, around 97, and he had two young kids then.

Joke?

Dear God...it'll be the first time since 1919 that no one kicks at least 20.