Inner Demon

He needs to get on the park soon

two years with little return will not be good.

I get a faint Tilbrook smell here!

Looks Good but all muscle and not much action.

Hope to god he plays somewhere in the next few weeks.

Probably a bit early to be writing off his 2nd year in the 2nd week of February...

I love people who bemoan a mascot 'not intimidating the opposition'.

Can't you just see the scenes in opposing changerooms pre-game:

Coach: "Now boys, before you run out there for the warm-up, I want you to remember what we've been speaking about all week. I know that picture of a demon has had you all sleeping with the lights on, but you just have to find a way to get past it. Furthermore, I need you all to be very brave, because there's going to be a real-life version of that demon out there on the ground running the boundary and taking photos with kids in the crowd. Look, I don't blame you for being scared out of your wits of this person in a styrofoam suit, and if it helps I don't mind you holding hands to calm each other down. This is going to be a real test for you boys, show me what you've got."

I wouldn't see guernsey numbers or a profit/loss announcement being described as "cool". Sounds more along the lines of a partnership/event/gimmick type situation.

I agree with that.

But I am not sure why the other poster needed the Bartram sympathy vote. All thats being argued is that while Bartram has improved over last year there may well be better options in the small defender. I put forward Bail. And Bartrams disposal has moved from problematic to moderate. He still has a fair way to go to claim his disposal skills as much of a strength as his endurance

I think Bail would be wasted stuck deep on a small forward. He's so attacking and fast, really fits the mould of the old-school wingman. Looking forward to his play this year, could be a smokey at a good price in Supercoach.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Geez poor Barty is copping a bit of stick on here, Personally his second half of this year was as good as anyone's. The thing about this forum is people start talking about how bad Bartrams disposable is all of sudden it snowballs and then it's taken as gospel. I watched him closely this year and since he started wearing those yellow boots he was outstanding. It's not true to say his decision making and disposal is poor beacuse it simply isn't.

Agree wholeheartedly. He's been tarred with that brush and nobody will accept any evidence to the contrary. Now when people watch him and he makes a single mistake the response is, "Ohhhh Bartram you always butcher the footy". It's very annoying.

From what I've read, which is all any of us have to go on really, Jack's "head issues" seem to be just as much physical as they are mental. If we wind up passing on this kid who does appear to be talented and ready to play, I will back the judgement our recruiters have made based on the extensive research they will have conducted on both this kid's mental state, and most importantly, the state of his ongoing health.

That said, all things being equal, I'd like to see him in our team. I get the feeling Darling & Tapscott could do some damage across our half-forward line in years to come!

I think you'll find the idea of the knockout comp featuring teams from the lower leagues is the idea that's been taken from English soccer, namely the FA Cup format. They're not suggesting the curtain raiser portion of the idea has English influence.

On the topic, I love this idea. I would definitely get there early to watch a VFL team take on a SANFL team. Obviously it would be endlessly better if the VFL team happened to be Casey.

Yeh, it's possible. But an 11 year player at the club trying to hold the club to ransom is actually unlikely, and I suggest not in keeping with his personality (although I am sure he is a good self-advocate!).

Unfortunately I think you may have erred in your judgement of Cameron's personality as unfortunately an 11-year player holding the club to ransom is precisely what we've just observed.

The reason there are tears being shed over it, is because Cam has overestimated his value to the club going forward.

Good points made there. But at the very least, I don't think there is much denying that a better outcome would have been trading Cameron rather than having him walk for nothing. So I think the club has to take some responsibility for, as Bailey said, being "totally shocked" that this has happened.

It seems more likely to me that Cameron (and Nixon) thought that he would have the leverage he needed to force the club's hand into giving into his demands if it realised it would lose him for nothing.

I'm glad we didn't fall for it.

Somebody made an excellent point a couple of pages back regarding the Club's recent handling of renewing contracts of key players with reference to how we handled negotiations with Aaron Davey.

One of the frantic doomsayers in this thread was trying to use the Bruce situation as a pointer to how the Club would mishandle future important negotiations with players like Grimes & Scully, incorrectly assuming that the Club was now taking some unreasonable hardline stance where it would make a single offer and not entertain any sort of compromise. Just a year ago we were faced with the horrifying possibility of losing Aaron Davey who wanted more years than we were willing to give him and the Club made an excellent judgement call in ceding to that player's wishes because he represented long-term value to the Club and it was a battle we were winning to lose in order to win. Clearly the idea of paying Bruce more money or giving him an extra year was judged the opposite to the Davey situation. This isn't mismanagment or carelessness, this is a clear illustration of where the Club is willing to compromise where necessary, but not just cave in whenever tested.

Excellent stuff.

Sure, my assessment of White is coloured, but are you re-writing history in saying that was a great move?? Name me one good ruck between White -> Jamar...

Jeff White retired end of 2008.

Mark Jamar All Australian 2010.

Great move. Arguably one of the best ever.

Honestly mate, u should be embarrassed by that.

Cam made a decision in his self interest, as you and I do every day.

It's not a question of making an ethical protest, its a question of the interests if his career. I think he's made the wrong choices, but that's beside the point.

But your accusations that cam has pushed back against the youth led revival is simply made up to promote yourself. There are a number of players who nominate cam as a role model. Also, whilst he was never captain material, you're being a keyboard hero suggesting he offered no leadership except his age. His work ethic and honesty was very much valued.

We will move on from him, he's hardly indispensable, but don't speak rubbish.

Not made up accusations at all. Yes, Cam is a good trainer and in that sense he had leadership qualities insofar as setting an example for how to be a professional footballer. That's not in question. But he was never a promoter of clubmanship and very much a holdout of the old ways where the players were not expected to be a part of a bigger footy club culture, but rather told they were more important than that. He has often been heard in recent years talking through gritted teeth about the youth culture at the club and resented that he was no longer the one with his name up in lights. These are observations made from close range, not the grandstand. He has and always will be on the "What the club do for me" side of the fence as opposed to "what can I do for the club".

I have just had a very interesting conversation with a respected past player of the club. He is not 100% happy about the Brian Royal appoinment as well. However for different reasons. He has no worries with Royal as a coach. What he said was that Chris Connolly stuffed up the situation. He said he was told half way through the season that Knights would be sacked and Hird appointed the new coach of Essendon. Connolly should have known that and that Wellman and Hird are good friends. So therefore as he said Connolly should have nailed Wellman down with a water tight contract with very short time to sign to see if he wanted to stay at Melbourne towards the end of the season. The other reason is that the timing was bad for the football department. He thought the appointment of Royal was OK in the situation. But he is worried with the coaching at both ends of the ground. As he said we are well covered in the midfield with the having Todd Viney at the club. He thought Todd would be vital in improving play around the ball-up and boundary situations with stoppages of play.

The other comment was that he thought 2011 will be the real test for Bailey. He saw signs in 2010 that Dean Bailey could be a very good coach.

He also said that he expects all Melbourne people to yes support the club but make sure that the right decisions are made. As he said we have had the head in the sand period that could have sunk the club. The past players he speaks to are now more concerned with what is happening at the club. He said we have a very healthy situation at the club and we all should make sure it stays that way.

Out of interest, why do you put so much stock in the 20/20 hindsight opinions of this highly respected past player who floats around the periphery of the club but have decidedly little faith in the decisions of the highly respected past player who is living and breathing the club 24/7?? Doesn't really add up.

If I said I spoke to a current and a past player who both think Royal is a terrific appointment and that Chris Connolly is doing a great job do I win the thread??

Cam gets a lot of undue credit for being a leader based solely on his age and experience. Unfortunately he has always been pretty selfish and money hungry. He is a true relic of the Daniher era where the best players were considered bigger than the club and he's pushed back against the club's youth led revival in recent years in a way we didn't see from the true leaders and clubmen like Neitz & Junior. Put simply he hasn't been on board with the rest of the Club and now he's gone because of it. This is neither a sad or happy day, it's just another day that will not significantly alter the upwards trajectory of the Club either way. Don't be sucked in by claims this is a flow-on from Junior's retirement. The man himself made peace with that long ago and if he has then I don't see much basis for claims that a selfish bloke like Cam Bruce is staging some sort of ethical protest on his behalf.

Johnson & McNamara added to Miller & Bell delistings with Junior retired & Cheney traded.

Spencer & McKenzie promoted.

Newton retained as a rookie.

Meesen, Hughes & Healey delisted.

Leaves us 4 picks in National Draft & 5 picks in Rookie draft.

No surprises. 9 new players is a pretty good intake.

I would go so far as to say we have the best fixture in the comp.

This is an absolute ripper. Night games, FTA games, minimal clashes with 2010 top teams, only 4 I/S trips.

There's no pleasing some people, but this is a draw our footy department will be absolutely rapt with.

I like this concept. After all, nobody really cares about NAB Cup, but seeing the team play 2 games in an afternoon before potentially moving on to the next stage of the comp should make for a pretty enjoyable afternoon. Why not??

Can we start a generic thread titled "Awful player >196cm rightfully delisted from rival club. Interested?"

You could've also ripped the wrapping off all your Christmas presents before your family was sitting around the tree.

What's wrong with a bit of patience and enjoying some ceremony around the unveiling??

Or we could let the club reveal the new design in their own time instead of ruining it like we did with the emblem.

I'd be surprised if they uprooted the kid in Year 12. More likely he'll finish off at PA's and the family will move down once school's finished and he's drafted.

Think I'd prefer Scott or Laidley. Not a bad thought process though.

Well Cloke is out of contract unless you have been living under a rock you would know that so if he goes to draft we can draft him .... seriously did you just ask that?

Not sure about White think hes out of contract too but i may be mistaken.

White is signed with Sydney through 2012.

Cloke's not going anywhere, his pinhead father just thinks he's a good negotiator and Collingwood are shaking in their boots over his ludicrous threat to enter the draft.

I can assure you of two things: 1) They're not, and 2) He won't.

Great house and land package indeed.

Good move MFC. Well done.

Where does Todd's role fit with Kelly O'Donnell's role?

Viney will report to General Manager – Football, Chris Connolly, and will work closely with senior coach Dean Bailey and General Manager - List Management, Tim Harrington on building the premiership model.

Viney will oversee the operations of the Club’s overall player development programs, including the academy with Kelly O’Donnell, and personal development with Ian Flack. He will also work closely with conditioning coaches to ensure the development of the players’ physical skills are consistent with longer term objectives in the context of the Premiership Model.