3183 Dee

For well over a decade now, this club has not had quality experienced players that have played their career at Melbourne, to ensure that the new guys in their first couple of years learn the right habits and behaviours to make the transition into quality players. It is vital that we have Jones around the club to take on this role. Look at Richmond - I believe a great part of their success is that they have a core of four 200 gamers (Riewoldt, Martin, Cotchin and Edwards) who lead that club - the other guys follow, willingly. Imagine if that could be Petracca, Viney, Oliver and Lever in a few years.

There are many reasons why this decision is a good one, the least of which is about his playing ability. Culture, leadership, experience and mentoring are the predominant reasons he’s got a new contract. The playing side of things is cheap insurance and a hope from many of us, that he may earn himself 6 more games!

If he put his needs first, he would have been out of here in around 2011.

I don’t mind the Jack Higgins link.

Argh! Still can’t warm to Polec.

If he doesn’t listen at the moment, he won’t have much of a choice now that Pert has got involved.

It’s a long way, he needs to talk a bit louder.

Maybe TMac in the equation with Preuss to GWS? Probably not enough to snare 9 on its own, but would move us closer to it.

It’s his wife.

Sounds like Voss could be in the reckoning for North, who would be a great get for them. We really must step up this year - I think Top 5 is the minimum now.

No need for that.

Absolutely.

Well, I don’t mind that we have a player that is hungry for it: I don’t think that he is a selfish player, but I do think he craves team/personal success. Of course, I’d love him to sign up for 5 years today, but I don’t blame him for waiting to see what happens. Since finals, we have finished 17th and 9th, with some quite good and also pretty poor performances. That’s two years, without a sniff of finals. For a player of his ability and ambition, he’d want to make sure that the next contract he signs (which is going to probably be the biggest of his career) is going to be with an organisation who will get him as close as possible to a flag. We need to prove ourselves this year.

I know, right?! I’m not sure whether that’s a specific recruitment policy (I reckon it was, in the past) or a long standing cultural hangover that still rings true at coterie and board level. Maybe once we have our home base and Melbourne supporters of all backgrounds can mix together, this might change? I love it when we recruit a genuine hard nut, like Steven May or Clayton Oliver but I must say, I was very impressed with Ed Langdon’s tenacity and contest, when my preconception had been of a one way runner. Perhaps it’s inverse snobbery, on my part?

Tend to agree - still a bit of the old boy, ammo stuff about our club. I cringed a bit at the last Captain’s Run podcast, with Gus and Wattsy chewing the fat like a couple of Church St retirees.

Also Oliver’s hero growing up. But I think he has said he’ll stay at Port. I would LOVE Hodge!

Dodoro RARELY Saadisfies!

Could be something in it - like the Saints’ return to Moorabbin. Conversely, if our new hub is in the MCG precinct, we should be on a fast-track to Premiership glory!

Good luck to Preussy, no reason why he can’t do a good job for the Giants. I like him - kooky unit!

Yes - he’s also not a bad tackler.

I disagree - Pert has now put his own reputation on the line, by owning the responsibility. Good leadership in my book. Whether it works or not, is another question...

I agree - whilst there’s no doubt Brown is a bonafide forward, he leads on tracks, meaning that the ball into 50 needs to be good. What we need (and I don’t think there’s any out there at the moment) is a big clunker! I would rather get Petty right - who can clunk - and try and get TMac back, who is a good lead.

He has also taken responsibility for conducting the coaching review, which means that all decisions will ultimately be on him. You'd think there will be pretty significant changes, as he'll want to get it right, not only for the club's sake, but for his own.

Good on him! He didn't look particularly thrilled though ?

I don’t think he’ll have a choice @SFebes - the board aren’t going to fork out big dollars for someone to sit in the coaches’ box and not be allowed to say anything.