Slartibartfast

Great read Jack, thanks.

Joeboy thanks for your efforts during the year, your comments create a lot of discussion and you're on a hiding to nothing. I think we found out when you were away that the three word analysis is not easy to do. Well done and I hope you're up for it again next year. BTW I reckon you finished on a high!

Nice one. B)

More to the point is that this thread is to "farewell" these players, not to debate their contribution to the club. There have been countless opportunities to comment on these players and there is the opportunity to discuss it in future. So rather than turn this thread into a debate about merits lets just recognize the contributions of these players here and keep other discussion for elsewhere. Hope that helps clarify things. In light of this post Enforcer you may wish to edit some of your posts on this thread. Thanks

Let me make this pretty clear. If there is a thread in recognition of a players retirement then those that want to should post thanks and good wishes. If you don't share those feelings DONT POST. Abusive and tasteless posts will not be tolerated. Any poster who ignores this warning faces a one year ban. Pretty simple really. Thanks Fan

I agree with what you've said but be cautious. I remember one morning before the game teeing off on TJ for his total lack of application and good footy. That afternoon he played a blinder against the Saints and we won a game that was not on the radar for us. TJ went on to win a Bluey (a year or so later I think) but ultimately the original assessment was right. We were blessed to get out of that one!! Sylvia reminds me of TJ in his football journey. Enormous talent largely unrealized, fantastic to watch when he's "up" and after a long time in football he suddenly has a epiphany. Let's hope Colin really does make something of his career. I think he's got a chance because the infrastructure around him at the club is much better than TJ ever had. All power to YM for his support (although I suspect much of it was just to annoy other posters) but if Col decides to walk out on MFC because he was forced to play for Casey yesterday then he's the flakey character of TJ and not a person strong enough to be a consistent AFL footballer.

See what I mean??

Don't get so defensive, I've not "turned" anything. I was merely interested in your opinion and wanted to know if you thought the club was being run the way YOU wanted it, whether you thought we were doing everything we could to win a flag and if not, what. And I'm not talking "minutiae" here but strategies, principles etc. Having not read the thread fully you may have already addressed that. If so just let me know and I'll go hunting through the 200+ replies for the answer. If you haven't got the time or inclination to answer that fine. I think it's an interesting thread and has clearly got many thinking about the club and the reasons they support it. That is a good thing. But I've been down this road often and I'm totally accepting that the club is made up of a diverse membership and supporter base who's reasons for supporting us vary. And I reckon that we are the same as all other AFL supporter groups with the same diversity, just with lesser numbers which perhaps camouflage our likeness. BTW the reason I've not read the whole thread is that much is just semantics and I've no doubt we all want to see the MFC win a flag and we've all got a very high "want" factor.

Hannibal do you think the current MFC Board and management has a sole objective of winning a flag? If not, what do you think it is? I'm asking in a practical sense, not a theoretical sense.

I disagree. Geelong have had many father son's which have been a huge free kick. Ablett and Scarlett are two. Crows, Power, Swans and Lions have had assistance outside the normal draft. Bombers and Kanga's have done well on this point.

I've not read the whole thread but it seems to me that a lot of this is semantics. Question 1. Does anyone here desperately want MFC to win a flag and believe that every decision made should enhance that (on the proviso that all things we do are legal)? Answer. yes And I think that is the essence of Hannabals question. Question 2. Do people think that the club provides other benefits outside winning a flag? Answer: Yes And here is the rub. Question 3: If you knew MFC had no chance of winning a flag would you still support us and what would your football involvement/interest be? Answer: the debate we are having. My answer is that I would still follow footy as I love the sport but the proposition would be quite different and not nearly as important to me. It would be an interest rather than a passion.

I hate to get pedantic here but it was five and a half wins. Five wins qualified you for a PP until 2006 when it was reduced to 4 wins and you had to qualify two years in a row to get a first round PP.

Bob probably felt like that when you used a quote of his for your "sole priority" thread. You reap what you sow.

He was. Source is 2009 AFL Record Season Guide 2009. Johnstone is listed as a "PS" or priority selection.

I have trouble with the word "sole". If it was "primary" I'd agree, a flag is what we strive for and every decision we make is directed towards it. Old55 hit it on the head when he said " Maybe it's a pity that most of us are unable to change our allegiance based on which club might best fulfill our aims. " The fact that we can't seems to indicate to me that whilst the primary reason we compete is for a flag there is more to our support than that. In the EPL the majority of clubs can't win a "flag". Why do they still have supporters if this is the case? And why do all of us watch football games where MFC is not involved? I'd suggest it's because we love the game and suggestions that "I'd give it away if I thought we'd never win a flag" sound a little extreme to me. Interesting thread H. You and I have discussed this issue at length and I doubt either has changed our view. FWIW I don't see one group as "better" than the other and I'd suggest that Melbourne supporters reflect the spectrum of any club. Einstein: I was typing as you posted. We make the same point.

Joeboy - should chose replacement

I haven't and I won't look at your previous comments on Belly. I looked at this one.

If you support him but though the injury may threaten his career how about "injury threatens career"? Or is that a bit hard and you thought "Goodbye Ding Dong" was a really clever play on words?? If the answer is "yes" then you missed the mark, you just sounded like one of the nuff nuff's and totally disrepectful to a kid who has done nothing but give his all over the journey. Bell went off in the last minutes of the third having had 7 possessions in that quarter. So lets not wriggle out of it on a technicality eh DD, he had 60% game time which was only 10 - 15% less than players like Jurrah, Morton, Jamar and Moloney, easily enough to evaluate his performance.

DD Bell has been playing midfield for Casey and has had 2 or 3 BOG's in a row. Suddenly he gets selected and lines up on Robbie Gray and Ebert in the seniors as Bailey clearly thought we didn't have the players in the seniors to shut them down. Neither of the two players mentioned had an impact. Bell made one kicking error. Nice three word analysis. More accurate would have been "effective defensive effort".

Nice work Hannabal. I too was one that was educated by Craig Cameron in this regard. I remember trumpeting our depth and thinking that set us up for a tilt at the flag. It was when we had Neitz, White, Yze, Johnstone, Davey, Bruce and Green as our leaders. They were fair average quality "top 6" (I know I've named 7) but fell short of elite and we probably did well to achieve what we did. CAC set me straight. The club was well aware of this and try as we might we never produced an elite player in the Daniher/Cameron era. I think we are much better placed now with an abundance of early picks that CAC never had. But as you rightly point out it will take time because our "top 6" now is really not worthy of that designation.

I was at the Brisbane game and saw the last quarter of the Brisbane reserves v Broadbeach (or someone) and Trav was playing. He looked totally disinterested, made terrible decisions, was arrogant (tried to take tackles and muscle his way through situations and couldn't) and disposed of the ball in his usual flukey way. He's had lots of problems over the journey. He's not looked after his body at all, ignored his rehab, alienated his team mates and as we all know never really applied himself over more than short periods of his career. It has been a terrible waste Peter but Trav's problem was never football but his understanding, application and ABILITY to apply himself. Some players like Barty, Brown Dog and Godders had that ability in spades but limited ability, Trav is a classic couldhavebeen. BTW, we tend to blame people like Trav for this but it is no different to just having ordinary skills. He just didn't have the ability to do it. I think it's quite possible Trav is playing his last season and may have played his last game. I doubt Brisbane will offer him a new contract and if he does play elsewhere it will be on base payments. A very sad end to what could have been a great career.

2 costly turnovers game to forget seemed completely lost was taught lesson Well of the 8 games he's played this year you had 4 negative comments. Is 50% really RARELY? The reason I make the point is I'm a big fan of his and have been from day one and I've been surprised that you've focused on his negatives and and ignored his clear class and development. But you did get it right and there is plenty of room on the bandwagon; just don't expect a spot near the front!!

And of the 9 games or so he's played it's one of the rare three word summaries you've given where you've said something positive about him. No credit to you about Grimes Joeboy, you're last on board a very crowded bandwagon.

TimD and Jarka I'd suggest you don't correspond; you clearly don't like each other and the forum doesn't benefit from your exchanges. Drop the antagonism and abuse please and observe the COC. I've edited a few of your comments but I'd ask you to both review your posts and edit as appropriate, to be honest I can't be bothered being a nanny to two squabbling kids and I've got better things to do with my time.

How can you "generalize" all?? It's a generalization Jaded, meaning a majority or a characteristic. Of course there will be exceptions and of course some will have other characteristics.