binman

And all this from the captain and most respected player at the club. such class

Exactly. What is so frustrating is that now continues to be a story when it should have been dead and buried. Thw afl should have made clear when wada found tbem guilry that should all legal appeals fail he will have to lose the medal. The angst would be done and dusted. instead we have to put up with dross from efc apologists like slobbo

Id rather merret

Just read it over a coffee. The fact im not surprised how woeful it is says it all about slobbos journalistix skills. Had to laugh though. The headline of the article says AFL COMPELLED TO STRIP BROWNLOW. Yet the article argues the opposite, concluding with a statement that jab must keep it. Also had to laugh at the front page treatement and two page spread repletw with what must be the hun's 20th timeline (they should do a timeline of their timelunes). Thw hun will milk this to the last drop. The quote from a mr hird in london that a great injustice had occurred and that the players were innocent also made mw chuckle. Who is mr hord in london - a cabbie?

I'm not in to serials. Mainly because i watch enough footy and sport that more TV would be too much but also because i lose track of episodes and i'm not on one of the streaming services. But one i did watch all of was The Wire when it was on ABC2 a few years back (though to my dismay they didn't show the final series and i ended up buying it on DVD). Simply brilliant. The best thing i have ever seen on TV and the closest TV experience to reading a novel i have had. As it was on free to air it was old school tension having to wait a week for the next episode, but i think that really added to the experience. Interestingly it was set in Baltimore and two of its main characters (both American) were played by English theater actors

Agree. As you say both the Melk and Hibberd strenthen our list consdierabley. Perhaps not at the top end but as is often said it it is about a club's bottom 6 as much as their top six. Which is one reason i think the Hawks fell away in the last part of the season amd will likley struggle next yeay (i hope). They also really help the age profile of the list giving us a couple more quality mid twenty players (with 100 odd AFL games and 7-8 pre seasons under their bel) to help even out the list.

Agree. having not really seen much of him this year i was surprised how effictive he was, particulalry in the first. Great pick up i reckon, particualry given it is essentially a free throw at ths tsumps. Played a lot of junior football so not a footy novice like the import B rookies, comes accross from basketball - and increasingly those skills are highly transferabl - and not only that has been playing in elite basketball systems since late teens so was pretty fit and fully up to speed on the dedication and discilpine required to be a professional athlete.

As deejammin notes they also decided to lie by ommision by not indicating on the pre testing ASADA forms they had injections. I assume these forms are confidential, in so far as the club would not not know what a player puts on their form. So they wouldn't have to stand up to their bosses at all. Just tell the truth. The club would not have known which players did so. I'm actually amazed that the players did not cop more stick for this lie by omission. To me it was the most daming bit evidence against the players (one that wouldn't have come out if they had taken a deal early in the piece - so much for trying to protect their reputation by fighting on). That all players seem not have recorded what drugs they took or the number of injections is way too much of a coincidence not to be aconscious decision to deceive ASADA and suggests the club asked them to carry out this deceit. Surely this should have set off major alarm bells for the players.

The efc players deserved their penalty. One for taking peds. Naive - maybe. But that is neither here nor there. Do the crime and do the time. Take responsibilty. And two by componding that stupid decision by not taking a deal early, pleading guilty and missing only 3 months and perhaps as few as 3 games like the cronulla players. I dont buy them getting any slack for taking the peds based on just doing what they were told by the club. But even if i did they cant blame the club for not taking the deal. They made that stupid decision all by themselves and more fool them if they took advice on that matter from the very people who got them into the mess in the first place. But they have served their penalty and i have no issue with any of them. Looking forward to having the melk run around for us. Its like gaving a brand new recruit.

Agree. I'd add that it is a big bonus Hibberd being a left foot kick, and along one at that

This might be a stupid question but are you saying the deal is done on hibberd and if so what is the deal?

Almost all players these days are completely one sided so that is a moot point. His advantage is he is a left footer which is very important from the hb line as it so often opens options up the field as players instinctively cover the right side. I have no doubt it is key reason were keen on him. That and the fact he can consistently hit targets 50-60 metres away meaning he can kick over the zone and put players like braysue, trac, kent and garlett running into space in our forward 50. This is a key wlement of our game plan

Terrific. More comedy gold. I assume the irony in the above post is deliberate (or at least i hope it is) - if so then points for the satire and well played. If not.......

Agree, terrifc runner. and not only can he kick well when running he really gives it a roost. His kick to Watts against GC and the one on the weekend to Weed traveled all of 60 metres. A player who can run and carry and then deliver the ball accurately over 50 metres is a critical in our game plan and indeed the way all teams are trying to play therse days

I like how they have been discounted already.

That's something ive really noticed as well. From the games and training reports the vibe seems supper positive and the camaraderie just terrific. Watch Salem's goal. After he kicks it he is all smiles and his teammates swarmed him. Oliver was laughing and you could just see the positivity and connection. Similarly after Bugg's goal his teammates really got around him (was it his first goal for the club?). Great to see and it is what Roos has been working on

A nice bold, big Ben Hur Shiraz? Or perhaps a Sharp Hannibal syrah?

‘‘He (Roos) was one of my favourite coaches with what he did at Sydney, and I was hoping to be drafted to Melbourne so I could learn from him so it’s all a bit surreal." Two words. Destination club.

I posed a question on either this thread or the judgement one about the Melk taking a voluntary suspension. Essentially my question was if the Melk took a voluntary suspension from the end of the last season if it would come off any penalty? It wasn't clear if they had already factored this off season in but it is clear now they didn't so i assume he could have chosen to take a voluntary suspension. The start play then would have been the dees to advise the Melk to take a voluntary suspension from the end of last season (assuming we were planning then to take him, which i assume is the case). Before the suspension came into effect they could have devised a training program for him. He then doesn't come to the club at all during the suspension. If that had occurred he would have another 4 months shaved of his suspension meaning he would be eligible to train in May 2016 and play in July 2016. If they ended up getting off then no harm done. Either way the dees look smart and prudent. Obviously all the EFC players could have done the same thing. The writing was on the wall so why not?

The importance of this can't be underestimate in terms of our decision to draft him. Roos has been unequivocal about the need to build a team of players with strong values and good character. Crucial element of the Roos rebuild of the MFC and the culture he is trying (successfully i believe) to develop.

Thanks. I read somewhere that he might slot into a third tall role early dawes

And what position? A true full forward with Jesse chf? Has he played mainly out of the square?

Assuming he is injury free what is the likliehood of him playing next season?

100% agree. The fact that he had a brilliant second half of the season, played solid VFL games and did well at the combine might have keen factors in deciding to make him our target but that is very different from him being a 'bolter'. I have little doubt the club has had Chunk jnr on their radar for the last two years given the directive from Roos as to what sort of player he wanted them to recruit with our first (and subsequent) pick; ie a physically strong, competitive, see ball get ball beast. I could also imagine Roosy saying it would be nice if that player is a good chance to be AFL ready come round 1 next year. Cj ticks all those boxes.

Inetersting - if true - that according to the article most clubs rate him no 3