Keyser Söze

Yep. I think this is where it might become advantageous for us when the AFL introduces the facility to trade future draft picks. We can have a talented team now, trade those surplus to needs and warehouse the future picks we receive in return, so that we may top up as needed.

Annoyed that I missed it. Which Chris Yarran is featured? I'm guessing it is not the Yarran signed to Carlton, but the other one (as there are 2).

I don't mean this to be offensive, but that is one of the stupidest suggestions I've ever read on this forum. Ridiculous. What do you think that would achieve? How paranoid are you?

That's exactly how it works. CC would know this, hence, it sounds like tripe. Maybe... what CC was trying to say, is that we will have that many talented players we will not be able to accommodate all of them with a spot in the 22, & due to the numbers we are likely to lose at least 2 very talented youngsters over time. This I would think is a possibility.

Yeah, expected Bennell to get a run for the all-stars. I was surprised when he wasn't mentioned earlier.

Is this post serious? I'd like to think CC understands the rules for poaching players a bit better than this. And he'd have no idea of the state of NM players this far out. I'm inclined to believe this is all pure fantasy.

Has anyone paid any attention to the EPL transfer period deadline? The smart clubs have sat back and not made a move, knowing that market prices are ridiculously inflated. Liverpool & Chelsea felt forced to do something, but they were not wise moves. It's all building to a crescendo.

I don't necessarily think so. It's just that we're all removed from the situation. It's much easier to remove emotion and the concept of loyalty to an employer from the situation, when you're not actually involved in the relationships that have been formed. Lack of perspective more than anything.

An hour ago I was thinking of forging one of those... Let's wait until it's a bit more out in the open. Right now it would seem a bit pre-emptive for a 6 year old.

His hands are too small anyway.

The key with Ablett and Judd is that both had already achieved the ultimate success with their old clubs, winning premierships, club B&Fs and brownlows. Their clubs had reached the downward slide out of their golden eras and it was plain for all to see. Many of the older players were reaching the cusp of retirement age and the clubs were beginning to think about rebuilds. Essentially - the ties that bound them to the club were severely weakened. At mid-20s, having achieved the main goals that players set themselves early in their careers, fresh challenges are needed to maintain peak motivation. Nobody wants to be stuck, fighting a lone hand to keep a struggling club afloat. When seeking a new home with new challenges, money becomes a very important part of the decision of where to head next. This is not about the decision of which club to choose as a new home - it is the decision between staying and going. Scully is not in this position. He is young, has achieved relatively little in short career and is playing with a young team, full of his mates from juniors, that will only get better as time goes on. It's all there to be achieved for Scully and any young bloke in his position (hence Swallow and Martin re-upping). No matter where he is, he will earn enough to live very very comfortably. In fact, money is probably a lesser consideration now, because no matter what (barring injury) he will never again be wanting financially.

Probable? Now that is laughable.

I just think there are degrees of everything and you paint him as an absolutely bad decision, without apparent consideration for the alternatives.

Like it always has..?

Yeah, clearly the words of someone who doesn't understand the motivations of a champion. Money is a consideration, but hardly the only one. I don't expect you to get it, though.

That's not included in the compensation rules, to my understanding. Best we could hope for is 2 or 3 mid-1st round picks.

That's not the case at all. They left for greater challenges and because their clubs were reaching the ends of golden periods. If you don't understand that, then I doubt you understand the motivations behind why people play AFL.

Maybe. That's possible, but I have no recollection of that. Was that also the case with Gysberts? Gys took 2 years, while Tapscott got 3. Either way, it makes little difference. We have re-sign all of them at some stage, and all are at risk of going to GWS.

These are not absolutes as you present them. Newton is depth. Deep deep depth, but depth nonetheless. The first statement I don't agree with - he is not great, but better than Dunn or Sylvia going into the ruck. The second is wrong. The 3rd and 4th are debatable and the same things could be said about McNamara, Warnock, Campbell and others.

Fairly obvious - staggering the contracts of our projected stars to make it easier to front-load contracts. Neither of the 2 are safe from GWS if they want to go. It's harder to convince kids to leave for money when they are so young that they don't have a family to provide for and it seems like they have a whole career ahead of them where they will earn bucketloads of cash compared to what they are used to. Money is less important as playing with mates, playing close to family, playing infront of large crowds at the MCG instead of 14K at a suburban stadium in West Sydney.

I'm not worried about Scully leaving. I'm confident that there are more than enough reasons for him to stay, that will keep him here in Melb. But even still, we should get used to this. Once Scully is signed up, it'll then be Trengove... and Morton... and Watts... and Sylvia... and Grimes... and Gysberts... and Jurrah... and Blease... and Bennell... and Garland... and by that time Frawley, Cook and Viney... It'll never end. When teams have great players, rumours circle that they will leave. It is as much people talking crap for the sake of it, as it is other clubs and supporters striving to create instability so that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. To say that rumours circled about Ablett all year and then he eventually left, therefore it indicates causality, is eminently foolish. Rumours also circled about both Selwood and Pavlich. Don't confuse coincidence with causality. Sit

Some supporters may not recognise it, but Campbell's presence off-field will have more impact than his presence on-field. If Spencer, Martin and our other bigs develop quicker than expected, I bet he'll have something to do with it. Whether he plays or not, a shrewd move by the club.

flout the vest rules?

Christian Bale might need to grow a bit, but I reckon he's one of the few that could do Jimma justice in a film.

A subtle sign for us that things are changing in regards to our profile as a club: The Hun website on their link to the above-mentioned article, has a thumbnail picture of Scully. At a time when they could select a Colligwood player, or a Hodge, Ablett, Selwood or Judd... they choose a demon. Subtle, but it still made me smile.