Japaljarri

Had the fortune to meet him on several occasions while he was Coach of MFC. He was an absolutely terrific person, who cared very deeply about his players. From the little l saw they regarded him with real affection for his 'father-figure' role in attempting to 'grow them up' as young players and more importantly as men. He also seemed to have an excellent wry humour, which most of all showed that he did not take himself too seriously. He also seemed to understand the power of football in these (and other) young men's lives and the positive role it could play in society. He was a fine, humble and genuine man. A real loss to the footy community.

If you read the press at the time Ablett was only rated late first round, early second round. Scarlett was rated much later than that.

l'm not sure why people are separating 'the club' from 'the doctor'. He is a club employee and the the club will be held accountable for anything he has done wrong. As per the recent $500,000 fine due to 'club employees'. l also think it is incredibly naive to think that only the Doctor was aware of the extent of this relationship. He was clearly acting as a consultant to the club. He was providing services to the club. This is the heart of the matter, not whether he is strictly judged as an employee or not. As per others dishonest leadership at best from the club. Why not state, at least privately to the AFL (which clearly didn't happen judging by the recent statements from the AFL) of the nature and extent of the Dank relationship. Exhibit Z of the off-field cultural and leadership problems that have permeated at the club in recent years. Hopefully Peter Jackson is good with a broom.

Really good and level post l reckon. Would only add the significance of the Andrews report an independent report that encouraged people to express their honest views about issues and the best way forwards. Which was then shelved because people didn't like the answers. There's been smoke pouring out of the club ever since then. The week/s just before 186... The club has been fragmented ever since then. Hopefully everyone can start to come back together and move forwards. Improving performance will take a long time but it wasn't possible with such discord within the club from the last few years.

l'm not interested in commenting on or about Liam other than to say he has always deeply loved playing for Melbourne footy club, bringing its supporters joy and playing with his 'brothers'. Unfortunately this has obviously been a year from hell for him. His own health and wellbeing is more important than anything of course, even AFL footy! Being with family right now is the best thing for that. But l do want to respond to the suggestion earlier in the thread re. Rudeboy as someone who lives in Yuendumu and who knows Liam and Rudeboy well. Rudeboy has spent literally thousands of hours working to support his friend Liam to return to play with Melbourne this year. Let alone before this year in helping to make it happen with Liam and Melbourne in the first place. Melbourne Football club officials themselves would be the first to confirm this, as they have had constant contact and joint efforts with Rudeboy this year in supporting Liam, most especially through Craig Lees. They should both be commended for their unerring efforts in supporting Liam through his nightmare of a year. l know Liam does. The idea that Rudeboy has done anything other than support Liam to returning to try play with Melbourne throughout the year (as Liams clearly expressed desire) would be highly offensive if it wasn't so laughable.

Would be interested to know if this could be confirmed as had not heard this before. Matthews was certainly a full member of the Adelaide selection panel during this same period.

Not bothering to buy into the broader issues, it is simply too early to judge Neeld although no one can be encouraged by 0-8 etc etc. However just on a more specific point of process surely this can't be true?! Not from first interview to appointment? Melbourne hired Neeld three days after interviewing him, but McLardy stands by his club’s decision. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dees-chief-defends-coaching-appointment-20120522-1z284.html#ixzz1vaw0Ll6J

From the prosecutor which may be of interest http://www.theaustra...y-1226359362953 Mr Robson told the court alcohol may have been a factor among some of the witnesses, as many people allegedly present at the dispute had been drinking. "To be fair, there is some disparity in the oral evidence in terms of who did what," he said. Counsel for Jurrah, John McBride, said identification may be an issue in the case.

Neeld. Due to the inability to land the other big fish. Viney just lost to Port and Richmond and just beat GC, surely one of the gun Assistant Coaches out there (Neeld, Richardson, Sanderson) is likely to win out in any objective process?

Understand having a crack but 0 chance. The guy loves Hawthorn, is deeply committed to the playing group and is in the middle of a serious premiership window. His $ value is going up at Hawthorn this year, he is more than happy to wait for a better contract than he would have got at the start of the year.

As others have said both clubs would be really happy l reckon. Anyone who thinks NN hasn't played some cracking footy at times this year, that shows an amazing future hasn't been watching West Coast - or indeed just looking at the numbers. And ditto for Watts if anyone said same of him. Good luck to both young men, its been horrible how much they have been compared. Just let them play and both become stars.

Just to clarify l only meant injury and form. No idea on anything else. l would suspect that one's own injury and form concerns would naturally lead to a greater self-focus and limit one's ability/time/focus on leading others. Perhaps just as applicable to the Skipper.

Great post/concept l reckon.

Bit harsh with the last call in the first post for mine but it certainly has been a challenging year for that group. Thought Jetta showed quite a bit early in the year, he can be quite tough and hungry in the contest which is something the club needs. l think Daveys (and previously Whelan's) leadership of that group has been immensely important and perhaps less possible this year as he has been caught up with his own issues. He has been an excellent servant of the club and is just back from injury....And that Aussie and LJs home situations/personal losses over the past 12 months in the NT would be a significant source of stress and imbalance for anyone playing AFL away from home. Would just love to see Aussie get back........Hopefully they have all learnt alot and can bounce back next year.

You can talk about this in an on-field football sense. But you take it too far by saying " a real leader" or "the Leader he wants people to think of him as". As the first player from the deserts of Central Australia he has shown enormous dedication, guts and effort. He is a Leader, to his Warlpiri people here. And to other remote communities where his journey and courage has a real life impact of thousands of remote indigenous Australians. Including his previous on the ground mentoring work here in the Warlpiri homelands. Which saw him awarded Young NT of the Year in 2009. Much more important than anything that will ever happen on a football field.

Great interview about the book/Liam with Rudeboy here http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2011/07/27/3279399.htm?site=darwin

Cheers mate - always liked your posts. Out here in the desert no one has ever heard of these tiresome fads like defensive press! And it's no surprise to see your backline flying for marks down in the forward line or flying down the wing in attack! It is sensational footy for anyone who ever gets the chance to see it. Rudeboy knows what it is like out here, he is family for Yuendumu - that is why his forthcoming book will be so interesting. Its a document of an incredible, courageous and historic journey - be it 1 game or 100. It is too difficult to describe what it meant to remote desert mob see one of their own out there for the first time (and now others are coming like Liam Patrick at the Gold Coast (and Liams real cousin) and Zephy Skinner at the Dogs). It seemed impossible and it basically was until Liam. lm actually a Cat fan but Liam swings everyone in Yuendumu on board. Family comes first. l saw our Cat youngsters grow together. To be honest the rise of the kids was just as enjoyable as seeing them hold that cup up years later. Make sure you guys enjoy the journey.

Agree and l heard Bailey on SEN saying as much also and that he thought Liams workrate/tackling were much better this week from recent weeks. This is all part of the enormous journey Liam is on - he is learning a new culture of football, its so hard to communicate the significance and enormity of that. Probably the easiest for those who havent been out here is that no one, no one has ever come from the remote desert communities in Central Australia to play in the AFL. l have played on Yuendumu oval (and others in this desert) (poorly) many times and you split yourself open the second you get tackled/tackle to ground. Not a blade of grass, and indeed not only dirt but many rocks. l've been hospitalised from skin infections from simple grazes on grounds out here. This (and many other matters such as skill level and body type etc) naturally engenders a free flowing open and attacking style of footy. To my mind its actually better and more attractive but obviously the AFL isnt played like that! His cousin Liam Patrick is now going through the same learning process on the Gold Coast as well. l reckon Liam is learning alot this year about the intensity of AFL footy, as people became aware of his talent. And now he is really learning to do the hard work off the ball as well as the many wonderful attacking and unique factors he brings to the Dees game (and that are largely overlooked in this thread). He seems to bring a unique value, role, talent and GOALS to the team to me - that will be really important as the Dees grow together over the next few years. But l'm probably biased like everyone out here in the desert

RR. You must not be aware of the incredibly significant role that Rudeboy has played in Liams journey - many on this forum already are. He has been Liam's Melbourne family long before there was any reality of playing AFL. And l know from Liams family here in Yuendumu, and Liam himself, there is no one better placed to tell this incredible journey from here in the desert to the MCG. One of which all Warlpiri people are very proud. This book may help people understood just how hard and unique that journey has been, even to make it to one AFL game - and indeed how proud Melbourne Footy Club can be of its role in this history.

l don;t think this is right and might need to temper that expectation unfortunately/give him time to work his way back to full fitness - With serious shoulder injuries you often aren't allowed to even walk/jog for 4-6 weeks at all, as it can create undesired movement post operation.

Worth looking beyond the stats and watching the game with both eyes open. Niknat was outstanding last Friday night. Good luck to him as well as all the Dees youngsters. Both coaches rated him best on ground. http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/92667/default.aspx

Give Rudeboy a break and have some patience mate, its the Clubs business to evaluate and announce these kinds of things when they are clear and whatever the prognosis may be. They obviously work through all of that in the Clubs and Liams best interests.

For those who might be interested l posted a handful of pics of the Melbourne visit on the YuendumuMagpies web page. www.yuendumumagpies.com. Just go to the Liam Jurrah section in the headers and scroll down for the photos. Forgive the general busyness and formatting mistakes lm doing my best!

Does Young Australian of the Year for the NT make him a star?! Liam just won the Young Australian of the Year for the NT. In the running for Young Australian of the Year (each state/territory has one entrant) on Australia Day. This was not just based on his incredible football story of courage, strength and leadership in coming from a remote desert community. But also his profound work here in Yuendumu with the Mt Theo Program in the Jaru Pirrjirdi project, where he worked with us as a youth mentor (www.mttheo.org) from the age of 16-19. He was incredibly strong in helping us create positive life pathways for at risk youngfellas. In getting their lives on strong, proud and meaningful road. He carries on his inspiration with his new journey. It is testament to the incredible person that he is, even better than the footballer he is, which is really saying something. All Warlpiri proud. /// We had an incredible visit over the last few days from the Melbourne Footy club. Jimmy Stynes, Dean Bailey, Cameron Schwab, Don Mclardy, Chris Connolly, Ian Flack and Liam were joined by Rudeboy from here (!) and Collingwood Industrial Magpies as well as Rupert Betheras (as well as CH 7 Tim Watson and Martin Flanagan). They came with great respect, interest, kindness and generosity. Liam brings people together, he is a leader of men, across cultures. l will let Rudeboy write of his adventures here, in Alice, then journeying out to Yuendumu, greeting all of Liams family, the school, us at Mt Theo, the Arts Centre, a trip out bush and a footy clinic and scratch matches. But most importantly the community was overwhelmed with joy at seeing Liam home but also at the grace and care with which Melbourne came here (Rudeboy and Rupert have been out before). And thus obviously the respect and love they have for Liam. You should be blood proud of your club fellas. This is history being made, beyond football.

Down in Melbourne with Liams cousin and uncle to attend the Rising Star Function today with RudeBoy. An incredibly proud day for Yuendumu Community and all Warlpiri people. Its beyond pride actually, we are simply inspired by the heights that Liam has soared to this year. So many have done so much to help this dream come true from the desert, but it was Liams talent, and most of all his commitment, courage and character that really made it happen.