Dr. Gonzo

The year he played at Casey and not on our senior list counts as service towards FA. The question was asked about some of GC/GWS picks they took a year early who played in neafl the year before they joined the AFL and the answer from the AFL was that those years count towards FA.

If the reported $1.2m/year offer is true (no idea if it is or not) then it will be Freo. We're not pushing him out the door like Watts, the only circumstance I could see where we pay some of his contract is if it helps get us a better trade deal.

Not saying it won't happen, but Port would be stupid to do that trade. The draft is still very much a lottery and I would rather have two top 10 picks than one top 5 pick.

Reports are that he won't consider a contract extension. It's pretty easy to put 2 and 2 together and get 5 but it also would make the club a bit wary.

I reckon since then Freos put a big offer to his management which has given him cause to consider his options. Combined with the club seeing Weid come on in September and us talking to May and things seem to be adding up. Why would we be talking to May last week knowing we had no chips to play for him? We must have had an inkling something was going on.

He also has a tendency to beat up on poor teams and have less impact against the top sides. I'm not gonna lie, if this was last year I'd be distraught but I've fallen out of love with Hogan a bit this year. Not as in I no longer love him as a player or want him gone, just that if he goes I won't feel like my heart's been ripped out like I would've in the past. He's had injury but even earlier in the year he had a great run while we were smashing sides and didn't do much when we really needed him to stand up. He still misses too many regulation goals as well, especially against the Swans which cost us big time. Yeah he was injured but if your ok to play then you still kick those goals If he ends up staying, great. If he leaves, let's see what we get.

How can you say we got unders for Watts? He proved himself to be nothing more than a fringe player at Port and Fritsch (who we took with the pick we got) played 23 games for us. Do people still not realise Watts is just not that good?

We're not gonna trade him unless he asks to go home. If he does we'd be nuts (and pretty hard hearted considering his circumstances) to hold him to his contract.

Pick 13 (or 14 it ended up being I think) was the compo pick we got for Scully leaving.

C'mon mate no need for cheap shots. You're a good poster, people will be understandably upset and in denial upon hearing this. Give them some space.

We didn't exactly trade two first rounders for him, we trade 3 & 14 and got back pick 20 and Dom Barry as well as the minidraft pick for Hogan. So we traded pick 3 and a 6 pick downgrade from 14 to 20 (can exclude Dom Barry if you want).

Garlett

It would be a big loss but if he asks to go back to WA I wouldn't begrudge him that. If that eventuates then we try and get the best deal for the club and move on. Personally I'd rather Jack Martin than Steven May but May definitely fills a need. If we can get another top 10 pick/player as well (a mid preferably) we could potentially be better off.

So did Carey

Didn't TMac have the same thing 2 preseasons ago? Bilateral shoulder recos?

I agree. However my 5yo son who started coming to games regularly this year winders why we don't have anything after our goals when every other team does. Markets are changing we may have to change with them.

KC, Minnesota, Pats

We played poorly but that doesn't equate to a return to form. Were the Tigers last night the Tigers of old? Or did they just have a shocker?

My thoughts exactly. Im looking forward to the next few years. This was our first taste of finals, I can't recall many (any?) teams in history going all the way on their first assault. Today was hugely disappointing obviously but overall we've continued to improve year on year. The finals experience will do a world of good to Viney, Oliver, Petracca, Brayshaw, Gawn etc etc

Well it was fun while it lasted. Bring on 2019.

Pies were very good against West coast in Perth too.

There's a lot to be said for accepting your vulnerability, putting aside your ego etc. Everyone has vulnerabilities, while the old "macho" culture will tell you they are a sign of weakness and you should bury them acknowledging them and being open about them in fact make you a mentally stronger person.

Not the move I would have made. I don't like messing with a winning group or taking in an injury prone player. Hope it works out for us.

We split from the MCC in 1981 and incorporated as our own entity. This was due to the FC constantly having to rely on the MCC to sign off on releasing funds to sign players etc. We rejoined as a sporting section of the MCC in 2008/09 under Stynes/McLardy but still exist as an independent entity for financial reasons. That's my understanding, someone else may be able to confirm.

The MFC is a sporting section of the MCC so it is one and the same.