DeeSpencer

Moloney [censored] on a bar Davey finished last in time trial and was soft as butter on field Trengove and Grimes were better footballers than Garland and Jones at the start of 2012 Rivers gave up whenever it got hard Chip Frawley derrr Clark was new on the scene from Brisbane I'm hoping Grimes gets back to form soon. That he is still co captain tells me he wasn't the worst choice in 2012. Trengove was way too young but then again leaving Grimes by himself would've been silly as well. Grimes and Moloney was probably the right call but Neeld couldn't make Moloney captain based on what Moloney dished out in 2012 - petulant sulking football when asked to modify his one dimensional game.

My thoughts are that we do need to continue to be on the look out for a suitable facility that we can call our own. One that we own the asset and has all our staff together and preferably a place for members as well. In the mean time I think AAMI is great for our players and I don't know what if anything we really lose separating footy with admin. If I was a billionaire I'd build a Fed Square style development over the railway lines and Brunton Ave from Exhibition St extension until the MCG and put a training oval in next to the cricket nets with MFC facilities in the southern stand expanded outwards to the training oval. Expanded demon shop, special social area for post games, facilities for all staff and facilities for all the players all at the MFC. Alas I am not a billionaire.

FB: Georgiou Pedersen Clisby HB: Grimes McDonald Howe C: Evans N. Jones Cross HF: Vince Dawes Bail FF: Kent Dunn Frawley Foll: Spencer McKenzie Tyson Int: Watts Viney M. Jones S: Byrnes Out: JHK (full game in VFL), Fitzpatrick, Terlich In: McKenzie, Dawes, Clisby

Whelan was a beauty. Neitz was good but he was a lead and mark full forward, he simply didn't have the opportunities to make a statement. James McDonald was the classic unassuming tough as old boots guy. But for everyone like him there were plenty of Yze's, Green's, Bruce's etc.

I'd offer Jake Spencer a two year contract extension if he uses the first bounce as an opportunity to run through Warnock and uses the first possible occasion to put Bryce Gibbs into the third row of the crowd. That might wake a few others up. Next step after that is to target Mitch Robinson and wipe the smirk of his ugly head. It's about time we stop being insipid and if that means going way too far the other way first then so be it.

I remember last year Warnock beat Spencer against Carlton. Spencer was rubbish against Mumford but had been ok before that. If he is ever going to be an AFL ruck he has to beat Warnock this week. But yes it's unlikely to be the defining match up for the game but it's one match up we have to win if we are to get anywhere in this game.

Right now: Ruck: Warnock > Spencer 2nd ruck: Rowe is no worse than Fitzpatrick Tall forwards: Henderson and Waite > Frawley and Dunn +/- Dawes Tall defenders: Jamison and White no worse than Pedersen, McDonald Half back flank: Simpson and Walker better than Grimes and Terlich Small forwards: Garlett and Menzel better than what we role out But in none of those areas (maybe HBF) are they head and shoulders above what we have. And main midfield mix: Murphy - Jones Thomas - Vince Carrazzo - Cross Gibbs - Tyson Curnow - McKenzie Robinson - Viney Yarran - Watts Bell - Evans If the thread is about future talent then yeah I think if we finally start to develop kids and a team our future should trend up, Carlton's will trend down. But in terms of talent 22 v 22 this weekend they have us covered. But it's not by a significant margin and every player should feel comfortable they can beat their individual opponent.

Just wanted to say one thing about depression. We obviously don't know all it's secrets but there is definitely some biochemical effect involved in some cases. 10, 20, 50 years from now we might know all about it and point straight to a simple chemical imbalance, I hope so. But until then the lack of knowledge fuels the 'mentally weak' and 'soft' brigade. But I just wanted to say is we know Mitch had at least 2 operations on his foot right - the initial one and the removal of the screw. If you google you can find plenty of evidence showing that general anaesthetics can lead to depression. Not saying that's the case here but it's food for thought for anyone stupid enough to consider the nature of depression.

See I don't understand that. He may want to be away from football when he was getting paid and try as his might couldn't perform due to illness and injury. But I'm really hoping that he sees the club now as a place where his friends play and where he can get support. It's all dependant on what Mitch and those advising him suggest. But I'd be making the offer for sure. Instead of hey Mitch will give you an 200k pay out for the rest of the year that you'll feel horribly guilty about accepting we could say ok we will give you 150k and you can come take semi-professional photos of trainings etc here and there are make the difference plus it will help you set up your post footy career.

Would love Walker. And don't want to count our chickens on Dawes and Hogan. But I can't see Walker, Dawes, Hogan all working anyway. We should go after a decent ruck/forward to replace Clark presuming by the end of this year we haven't seen improvement from Gawn or Fitzy. I'd focus still on midfielders and try and find a bargain buy back up forward or forward/2nd ruck and head to the draft. The presumed number 1 draft pick is a tall forward who can ruck at around the 200cm mark. Would be a good Clark replacement.

- Mitch likes photography and is still tweeting about shooting weddings etc - People complain about lack of photos of trainings/games to the club website - He'll need work - We're providing him some payout and offering support - He's well liked and respected around the club Is this too hopefully and too soon or is this a good idea in how to embrace the supporting culture that MFC wants to stand for? I would hope that the powers that be at least consider it. Even if it wasn't on an ongoing basis it would be nice to get him down to take a few special shots at a training in a few weeks/months time that could go on the club website as well as his personal website. Thoughts?

It would be a tremendously brave thing to do but I think it would help. Mental illness is obviously different but if it were a physical illness he'd have a media conference, explain some feelings, probably be incredibly emotional but everyone would support him. That's what Jim did. And if we can start viewing depression as a blameless illness like cancer we'd be better off If people on demonland can't even come to grips with this decision how can the rest of the community?

In contrast to the above this is a shot at Clark - I wonder if he could've braved a media conference and delivered some words and emotion for all us. And to the club - a hasty press conference from Josh Mahoney seemed a bit light weight for our highest paid and arguably best player retiring at 26. I would've preferred Roos or Jackson as well and as I said above Clark. I understand this is a sensitive time for him but I think he missed an opportunity to help himself and for the club to close a significant chapter in a bold way.

This is not a shot at Mitch or MFC But: I'd like someone to say that Clark is retiring as it's what he wants or has been advised to do to overcome his depression Andrew Robb the federal trade minister had depression, stayed in politics and now just inked a trade deal with Japan It's wrong to assume depression itself is a career ending injury however it has been viewed that way in this case. The other thing is often the best way to overcome depression is to continue in work even in reduced capacity to create routine etc. Players retiring through depression boosts the profile of the illness, but players stepping away or modified duties before returning to full AFL is what would really help.

I don't mind that as long as somehow we can scrape together a team that's competitive enough to allow development. We can't cop 100 point hidings and not win games all year which is our current state. No one seems to get any better. McDonald, Garland, Dunn would be the core of the defense and probably supported by either Pedersen or Georgiou. That's not hopeless. But it's not as good as Frawley in there. My biggest concern is not that Frawley leaves on field it's that we've shown further inability to get anyone to stay loyal and once again had a good player walk out. I don't know how that effects the remaining playing group. By the way Roos' time at Sydney he was much better at developing a team from 22 able mature bodies than developing young players.

Well that's just great injury news isn't it.

I think we should inquire about Bomber as some form of consultant for 2015. He seems destined to walk away from Essendon. Hird will coach, Craig as director of coaching, Goodwin as senior assistant (an option to take the successor role at MFC). Bomber really has no role and being at the club would only cause them trouble. I'm not sure where we'd put Bomber but maybe just a part time one day a week maybe as a quality control coach to work with Roos. Come to main training and just review the training as an outsider it would be worth so much. He doesn't want to work full time I don't think so don't make him.

Maybe we should follow the bulldogs of 2013 approach. Step 1 just win contested ball. Don't even worry about anything else. Name the 22 best contested ball players in the team. Once that's been achieved only then bring in the running players

I believe Fitzy went a lot closer to quarter time in round 1 and then in round 2 he didn't last too long in to the third quarter. In fairness to him he played 1 overall game in the first 2 weeks. Then last week it was pouring with rain. The GWS version of him (Giles) had plenty more hit outs but had all of 8 touches and no scores despite playing on Pedersen. I don't expect much from him but it's almost to the stage with replacements that he may as well stay in. He takes the second ruck job and therefore gives Spencer a chop out and a tall defender stands him letting the other forwards - Frawley and Dunn possibly getting smaller defenders. I would be tempted to bring in another small (there are no other talls) but if we bring in guys like Clisby, McKenzle and Blease who else do you bring in? Nicholson? A reprieve to either Toumpas, Trengove or Michie before they've earned it? I'd monitor him at training and if he's training hard and looking more competent in basic skills then I'd probably give him another shot. He does have some talent and it would be nice to get his season on track now rather than having him back in the VFL and no second ruck/forward option. With Pedersen down back the question would be what to do with the second ruck spot anyway if it's not Fitzpatrick. Personally I'd go back to a Neil Craig tactic and try Watts in the ruck for 5 minutes a quarter

Out: Terlich In: Clisby Out: Byrnes In: McKenzie Out: JKH In: Blease FB: Grimes Pedersen Georgiou HB: Howe McDonald Clisby C: Watts N. Jones Cross HF: Vince Frawley Bail FF: Kent Fitzpatrick Dunn Foll: Spencer McKenzie Tyson Int: Viney M. Jones Evans S: Blease - Unfortunately nothing can be done with Fitzy until Jamar is ready and that's probably another week away. - Worth trying Frawley and Dunn forward again although either Georgiou or Pedersen have to take on Waite which is dangerous, McDonald to Henderson I'd think - Blease/JKH swap to give the kid a fresh run in the 2's - McKenzie in to lock down hard on Murphy or Gibbs, free up Cross to use his running game more on a wing and then we can try some of our better mids resting forward - Keep the faith with Kent, Evans and Bail another week but get rid of Byrnes, offers nothing If there is one player who can rebound from a bad game and give us a surprise lift in confidence it has to be Spencer. Mumford on a wet day in a stoppage based game, he was always going to be up against it. He'll get Warnock now. Same tall, unco, untalented type of player and he'll get Carlton's largely one paced small midfielders to deal with as well. His got the strength for Warnock, got the support with Greg Stafford, Carlton will be playing Rowe as a back up so he can rest and Fitzy can ruck against him so he doesn't have to worry about 2 guys going at him. It's a bit of a sorry reflection of where we are at but I'm serious if we are to make a statement about bruise free footy and contested ball then Jake Spencer has to start it off in the ruck.

If (and it's a decent if) Jamar showed anything at all in the VFL today then I'd put him in for Fitzy. Jamar and Spencer not a great combo but at least they have rest and you can sub one off and get by with Pedersen in the last quarter. I still think Fitzy can be an ok option. He's still young for KPP and is in a horrible side. He's never going to be a solid reliable type but a lot is going against him at the moment. There was a mark, a lead and a couple of hitouts and chases today where I thought ok he's horrendous but he could be worse.

Obviously for future contracts etc the sooner the better but it's not really until September we need a definite answer. A partial answer with a plan going forward would be a logical conclusion. Anyway it might be irrelevant, I've got decent mail that the meeting with the club this week will result in Mitch retiring. Not sure what will become public or whether in typical MFC fashion it will be released in dribs and drabs to soften the blow but that's my mail.

Howe was ok, but not composed. Double hand spoil on the boundary line, missed spoil in the last quarter that led to a Kelly goal but worst of all multiple running torpedos from the back half, I mean what the heck is that all about.

So Dawes can walk. That's great news. Shame he can't run and play football. McKenzie and Nicholson best on. Please help us.

McDonald Pedersen Tyson Cross Georgiou Dunn 6 to 1.