old dee

Good questions C & B, I too was wondering does he do anything besides "look Big" So far I don't think he has played a game anywhere. May be wrong but I cannot remember one. Hope we don't have another John Tilbrook here, all muscle looks good and no action!

Oh get over it "A" the clash jumper is going to be white. The current one is a hell of an improvment. It's time to accept it and move on.

Spot On C and B I agree 100% I was there last night and you are correct. In real life they looked fine.

I think you over estimate how much the agents get. I have it on good authority that the going rate is 3% but lets say it is 5% 5% of $500 000 is $25 000 5% of $1000 000 is $50 000 I would not call $25 000 a mint as you actually have to work for it

But what if the job offer was 50 or 70 or 100% more? You would soon make some new friends and remember it is only 18 months ago that JS started with a new bunch and he seems happy with them.

yes in a heart beat if the existing salary was $3 million for 6 years.

You are assuming it has to make sense! May just be that they are dick heads.

Can I adopt him?

I could not agree more WM, we are seeing the 21st football world develop before our eyes. First Tom Scully did not pick Melbourne he had no choice, he was drafted to the bottom team. So IMO he owes Melbourne only one thing and that is to play at his best while he is a contracted player. When the contract ends he is sort of a free agent! He can make the decision to stay or go and tough for us if he should decide that the next paddock is greener. That is the reality and it will be the same for a number of our players in the next few years,I find it hard to believe we will keep them all. I would hate to see him go but that is the reality of the football world we live in. The challenge for the MFC is to make him an good offer of which the financial element is one part of the offer. What I would hate more than loosing Tom is for us to try and compete with the money that may be offered by GWS and others. Make him a good overall offer and then move on if we loose the fight.

My memory of this is that both players were offered 3 year deals. Trengove took the 3 year deal and Scully chose to take the std. 2 year deal. I always thought he believed he would be worth more in the third year then the Dees were offering on the original 3 year deal.

I agree with you Harcourt it is hard to believe $6 mill for 6 years. However if that is the offer I would say take the money Tom! It would hurt but who could say he was making the wrong move. Not me. By the way Melbourne should not offer anything like that he is a second year player for god sake!

Five Minutes! I would have thought 2 at the Max. I suggest that the fact Lyon has raise it suggests he knows he has a problem. If you look back over the last 3-4 years there is a recuring theme at St Kilda. They have not won after three consecutive GF appearances. Another miss in 2011 and it might be close to the end for RL. A number of their better players are approaching late 20's and due to there time at the top of the ladder the recruits of recent years have been average, the drop cannot be to far away.

You mean there is a game for Him! Took himself out of 20/20 because he was too slow. Cannot make runs in the fifty over version and has one reasonable score at Test level in twelve months. Back to NSW for me and the faster the better. There are a dozen batsman at State level that could not be any worse. Give one of them a go anyone! how could they do any worse!

Tait was a breakdown waiting to happen, even when "fit" his fitness seldom allows him to bowl more than 4 overs on the trot. he is a one trick pony, fast and nothing else. He also has trouble bowling a consistantly tight line. Should never have been picked he is from the past and no longer good enough. There is a God after all as he broke now and not in The middle of the World Cup.

Hi Rhino there is one unescapable fact concerning Mr. Hilditch. He is part time! It is the 21st. Century for god sake, Australia should have a full time chairman of selectors. It is not his fault in this matter it is at the feet of the ACB board. They should have said Full time or nothing. lets get with it ACB are you serious or trapped in a by gone age?

Spot on His selections have been either no change or he picks someone out of nowhere. His contract is up in April it cannot come quick enough for me.

Well our wonderful Captain ( yes the under wear salesman )has done it again! Leading from the front he has made a magnificant 10. Continuing on from were he left off in 2010. Well he has played at 5, 4 now 3 can we hope for 2, 1 and you are out! gone ! Perhaps we could hide him at 6 he could not be much worse than Smith. and so we head off to the World cup With A captain who has not played for 7 weeeks and was in poor form. A VC who is bad and very slow on his good days ( have not seen one for a while ) A number 4 who has a bad hamstring if he gets a game A number 6 who has not made a score all summer Three bowlers who cannot bowl a tight line to save themselves and one of which gets very tired bowling three over spells. Does not look pretty! cannot see us getting into the top 6 teams. Oh well looking on the positive side. By April we will have a new Chairman of selectors, a new coach and several of the current lot will have confined themselves to the shield ranks never to be seen again. This might be the time not be picked! How luck are Siddle and Company to be left out.

Could not agree more with your last comment. we have almost no mongrel, there is probably no melborne player that other teams hate. Too many "nice guys"

Me too DC but the only way you find out is in real games. Training proves very little, some players are great trainers but lousy players when in the heat of battle and vice versa. Hang in there till April.

I agree but after todays statements you won't get anything from this lot it is all about self preservation. It reminds of the old one "we did not break down we just failed to proceed" Is james Sutherland the "king with no clothes " of australian sport or what. We just got beaten in the worst manner ever recorded vs the Poms. Have some decency and resign alone with Hildich and Neilson.

I think it is all fairly simple. We do not have enough quality players to compete with the top 3 - 4 test teams. If you look at the performances over the fives games then IMO only 4 players would be in contention to get a game with England. Watson at 5, Hussey at 4, Haddin and perhaps Siddle, would any of them actually replace an english player? The only player I think that would replace an englishman would be Watson for Collingwood. I have been around for a while and this is the worst team that we have fielded against England. Even the team that took on england at the start of the "Packer" revolution did not get belted like this team. At least we had a captain and Vice captain that justfied their spots in the team. It is sad but we have a very long way to go to get back to the top. IMO it is time to start at the top, how can you entertain a chairman of selectors who is part time! We should replace the selection commitee, and coaching panel even if they have long contracts, the ACB is far from broke. A bit of "Essendon Therapy" is required then start a fresh with the team, pick a side for August based on performances over the next three months shield results. A few players should be advised that their ACB contracts are under review and a few others should be told that it is over, eg. Hughes, Ponting, Kadich, and all the bowlers except Siddle and Bolanger ( too early on Beer ). I know that is a lot to replace but as the saying goes "to make an omelette you have to break a few eggs".

I am not trying to get up your nose, go back and read the end of second last line. It says " but he is really quite innocent" Whatever else he is it is not "innocent"

Well AoB he has put up another fine display today 4, yes FOUR! Summer average is now 18 and still headed south. a long time ago I was told you dead bat the last ball of the day no matter what the game position. He was the VC with his team in a tough position. Pure and simple he gave away his wicket. If you look at his long term average the big scores are against the weaker test nations eg NZ. The guy is a good shield player who is not up to it against the better test sides. Should not be in the test side let alone be the captain after his performances this summer.

No he was not in Brisbane! However you can get a drink in New York I believe