Dr. Gonzo

It is concerning that we've been spouting all year about how we have the cap space and the money in the bank to be a player in the off-season only to find out that nobody wants to even talk to us when we get here. Schwab & McLardy are the ones who used this term "war chest" so you'll forgive the members if they sit here a little perplexed now that it seems the only players we look like landing are a small forward who couldn't crack the seniors in a team that finished 6th and a 2nd tall forward who has been all but pushed out of his original club after a mediocre year at best. Neither of these seem particularly thrilled to come here either. It is only day 4 but as other deals are made and rumours about trades surface it is obvious we will be lucky to land a decent player and probably no one other than Byrnes & Dawes.

Hmm Adam Goodes, dual Brownlow Medallist, premiership player struggles for form coming back from his first long term injury and is persisted with due to having the runs on the board. Compared to MFC legends Yze, Johnstone, Bruce, White, Robertson etc who for the better part of 10 years got games on a reputation that was undeserved due to crumbling in big games when the pressure was on.

WTF? That's a bit random considering I haven't posted on the last few pages of this thread - neither I assure you (don't even know who "bubsy" is?) I used to post under Demonic Ascent which is also my name on Big Footy if you must know. Pick 4 for Dawes and Wellingham would be a massive fail for MFC and if they did this I don't know if I can be bothered wasting more time and money on the club until they can show they're serious. I doubt they would be this stupid but you never know.

You just don't get it. Do you seriously think all AFL clubs have a good culture even when they allow their senior players to coast along and get games on reputation, don't hold them to account to put in the hard yards on the track, do the team things in games, put their bodies on the lines etc (BTW I'm talking about the MFC here)

Yes, of course you can. Having a good culture doesn't mean you will win every game or always be up the top. But it does determine how you respond to poor results.

Of course every player wants to win the difference is in what they are willing to do to get there. What are they willing to sacrifice to achieve it. How hard are they willing to work for it. The environment of the club (which as BH rightly points out is set by the players/LG) sets the expectations for this which is what helps to define the culture. There is a difference between the players and clubs that want to win and the ones that have to win.

Haha was about to post the same thing. Stating you found the 2012 GF boring and then saying you were looking forward to the "excitement" of car racing is hilarious. Nothing more boring than watching a man sit in a car and race against another man sitting in a car. If you didn't like Saturday's game then you don't really like football. Good football isn't just watching someone kick a ball with silky skills. It's guts and determination and what the Americans call "smashmouth" football. Saturdays GF was brilliant as was 2011, 2010, 2009 especially and 2008. The old Swabs under Roos was boring at times as they would try and slow the game down at all costs. This Sydney team is different they hit the packs hard to open it up not just to lock it in.

Martin will be lucky to be on an AFL list after next season. Take the blinkers off.

No one has indicated how they think we might be able to get Butcher. Is he actually on the table? As far as I can tell he signed a 2 year contract extension last year so is contracted until the end of next season. Has he actually said he wants out of Port or is this just another trademark Demonland fantasy trade?

The funny thing is I can't see Collingwood wanting Martin now that Lynch is going there but I guess if they lose Dawes they may want him but I just don't see it.

He said a proper source - ba-doom tish!

Yeah heard that - could be best for both club and player, not sure who would want him or what we would even get though to be honest. Morton, Cook, Gysberts hmm I'm sensing a theme here.

Martin is not our best ruckman, he's probably not even third or fourth best being behind Jamar, Clark, Gawn when he's fit, Spencer & even possibly Fitzpatrick in coming years. He's a pretty terrible footballer who can do some athletic things on occasions.

It's not boring to watch when you're winning.

I don't particularly want Dawes but if we got him as a replacement for Martin I'd take it in a heartbeat. I agree with the posters above I just don't see what all the fuss is with Martin. He can plug a gap down back, up forward or in the ruck but can't really do any of them any well at all. He is an athlete first and footballer second and he is not a very good footballer at that. Dawes can only play forward but at least he can do it to a satisfactorily level. Having said all that I doub Collingwood would want Martin now that they have Lynch.

Do you actually understand what we're talking about? Culture is the environment and expectations that exist at the club, I can't see how it is so difficult to understand. BTW Nietzsche would be better - nothing in life worth anything comes without struggle.

I hope GC believed that as well, then it would have worked.

I agree however where we're at I think it would have benefited us to have someone like him for a year or two until we can get someone else in (hopefully Hogan). Not gonna happen now though obviously.

Jesus please no!

How about we give them Petterd for a 5th round draft pick??? It's nothing personal against you it's just getting tiresome to sift through the [censored] here, making Demonland almost impossible to read.

You do realise that Petterd is hopeless and unwanted, can't get a gig in the worst team in the league and GC actually have to REDUCE the size of their list this year? Why the hell would they want a spud like Petterd? They're not a dumping ground for NQR's that can't get a game with a proper team, this isn't the Bad News Bears or even the 1990's Dockers. The comments on this board absolutely astound me sometimes I can't believe people who watch football all the time and read about it so often to the point they comment on a footy messageboards can have no idea about how the AFL and the clubs operate. To put it another way, would you take Josh Fraser off them if the situation was reversed? I wouldn't even want to waste a spot on the list for him even if we got himf or free.

What do you expect them to say? "We will be taking Jack Viney no matter what whether we have to use pick 3 or 26. If GWS or GC bid for him we will definitely take him with our first pick." I mean really, are people that thick???

I would assume the players new contract would also play a big part. So Goddard on $800K/year would be worth much more than Rivers on $350K/year or Moloney on $250K/year or both of them combined. The fact that these guys had high finishes in the B&F will be a very minor factor in determining the compensation we get. Again I would be absolutely shocked if we got anything higher than a pick in the late 20's or 30's.

Or it could make us even weaker...

Exactly H_T - culture doesn't necessarily mean something that is endemic to the club and built in to the bricks and mortar. It is something that is created and changes with the people who make up the club. The culture can be passed down from the old guard to the new but can also disappear with the people who created it in the first place.