binman

Yep, that's how i see it. I'd go as far saying as they won't push too hard for him and their offer will be good but not near what he can get on the open market, even though we have the coin and the salary cap space. We will be able to use that extra pick, salary cap space and coin to push hard for the quality half back we so desperately need.

To (badly) paraphrase Mick Dundee: 'that's not a succession plan, THIS is a succession plan'

I'm not sure about that. I wonder if getting a second top ten pick might be more important than keeping frawley. We need mids and a gun kick at half back way more than a kpd. Perhaps he wants to let prospective trades he sticking around as they weigh up their options

not shocked or even surprised. Pleased though. The timing is interesting. Thought will have gone into when they chose to announce it. I suspect they want to create a good vibe in the playing group to maximise the chances of winning sat night

Could Mitch be the fabled successor? Part of honorable tradition of big ruck types captain coaching the dees stretching back to to big Carl

Is second lady a euphemism?

That's rubbish, over sensitive rubbish. Spuds don't deserve security or a fans's loyalty. Delist them. Now. Just like that Pederson player. What a spud. Delist him. Oh wait. Not him he's not a spud any more. But delist those other spuds. Quick smart. Bloody Frawley, disloyal bastarrd. How dare you maximize your value. You owe us. He's a spud any way. We're better off without him. Spud. Insert joking emoticon here. But seriously i don't understand this idea that we are in a new world of football where loyalty has little value. I would argue that it has no more or less value than it ever has. I posted about the huge movement of players 70's and 80's a few days ago. But you could add to that players moving clubs in all eras. In the 40's, 50's and 60's many a top player even moved from the VFL to the VFA and even country footy because they were offered more money. And really clubs have always been brutal when it comes to cutting and trading players. The players want (and deserve) FA to balance this lack of loylalty from the clubs. In fact you could argue loyalty is more highly valued now than it has ever been because there is such an emphasis these days on team building, team cohesiveness and the importance of successful team sticking together (in the name of winning of course) - for example the Cats and Lions.

I reckon Ratten has quite a few big ticks. One, he has been a relatively successful senior coach so knows the caper. Often when a coach gets the bullet it is the end of his senior career as it usually indicates he has not cut it. However as DD notes he got them init finals but Carlton (who suffer from the same messiah complex MFC has over the years) who were hell bent on getting Malthouse in and amazingly thought he would put some shine on them and make them a flag contender. Well Ratten was more successful at the Blues than Malthouse has been - with essentially the same list. Tick. Gets the maximum from a list. Tick Apparently had the support of the players at the blues where he was liked and respected. Tick He has the passion Roos has said is mandatory. Tick Has remained directly involved in the game since he started playing. Tick Has had 2 years as an assistant at the the Hawks under a coach many consider to be the best and has been able to witness the Hawks system firsthand. Tick. I get the sense that unlike say Bomber Ratten would be be happy to do the 2 years as an assistant required as part of the succession plan. Tick Is young enough that if he becomes senior coach could be in the job for a a number of years. Tick Has coached at MFC and by all accounts did well. Tick Perhaps he is not the most marketable of coaches but who cares. To be honest can't think of any crosses.

I just had a funny sense if deja vu

Not according to the Rhodes scholar yobbo. He is increasingly trashing his own reputation when his asinine views are at odds with respected voices such as Leigh Matthews and Essendon heroes Watson, Lloyd and Daniher.

And really players have been moving around for ever and a day -almost always because of money and/or premiership glory. In the 70's there were big players moving all over the place. As JBFossil notes there was Alves and Wells, half of Melbourne's side were from other clubs (Fowler, Big Carl etc) , Norths premierships were built on bought players. Possibly the biggest was Wade who was (and remains) a Cats legend. Carmen, McKenna and Byrne were other examples from the 70's and there were heaps more. In the 80's there were also lots of big name moves - Moore and Templteon being two Melbourne examples. Ryhs Jones, Williams and many others. Easy to forget Brereton went to the Swans and McGuan went to Carlton of all clubs. Loyalty has never been as strong as the current dialogue suggests

Totally agree. The other thing is that skills now have to be executed under fr more more pressure. The defensive work and in particular tackling is unbelievable these days. Watching the replay of the Port game i was struck by how ferocious the tackling was and also by how quick the players hands are these days.

Close to my all time fav as well though Robbie will never lose that mantle for me. I've recounted this story before on DL but my favorite Wizard moments and one of my all time favorite footy moments was at that game he kicked 9 after half time, against Collingwood in 2000. Before kicking his first he had 1 kick , 1 handball and 1 mark. I was in my usual spot on top of the Ponsford and this moronic redneck Magpie fan, sitting right in front of me had yelled abuse at Farmer for the whole first half and well into the second - most of it racist , but in a way that that he probably thought was clever. Farmer 'looking for a handout again' was one of his favorite lines. What was worse was that he had his 10 year old son with him. I told him to pipe down but he just got worse and in those days (not that long ago is it) you didn't really get security (though i probably should have). In any case Farmer did the work for me by going wild in the second half. I never gave the yahoo a single opening to have a shot at me because i never directed anything at him. However I could not have yelled more enthusiastically and made sure every shimmy, kick and mark by the Wiz was loudly appreciated and highlighted. The redneck got quieter and quieter and eventually skulked of halfway through the last as the dees ran away with it. Gold

I knew Glasgow was pretty poor but i didn't know they didn't have the internet

I care. Last is last. I want to see us win some more games and if we do we won't finish last. If we finish last this year it will likely be because we don't win another game. I have seen enough wooden spoons in my time. I don't want to see another. Ever.

Thanks GNF. The 3 years thing is obvious i reckon. I mean this stuff about if the club want to know he'll give an answer is just a nice way to annoy pesky journo and answer without answering. Control the message and when you want a nice little boost of positive news and some media coverage announce it then. Make the media dance to our tune not the other way around. A sign of the new MFC in my book (note: i'm not having a go at you at all - just in case you though i was being a smart arze). Can't see Bomber being an assistant coach personally but there is no doubt they seem to get on really well if 360 is any guide. Stranger things have happened i guess. Any more info on who the target players might be?

sweet dee have you given up on Benell coming home? I'm with you. I'd hate for the dees to get the spoon. St Kilda or GWS can have it! I can only assume we will be going all out to beat both GWS and Lions and if we bring our game and intensity and one of the Hawks, Roos or Wet Coke don't we are a chance of snagging another win on top. Wouldn't it be great to beat two hoodoos in one go in the last round. Beat North at ES, with Hogan kicking a bag.

what he said

yeah I read it the same way. Both his connection to the mfc and the disconnect with the swans (how stupid was that by the swans). 3 years full time senior coach. Establish the roos culture. Get his man in place. Stay on in a part time development role for both coaches and players alike. Do a spot of talent spotting and developing young players. Live part time in Hawaii and part time Melbourne (his home town) and be connected to a 150 year old club. Maintain a culture. Leave a legacy that in decades to come will be compared to norm smith.

chip would also know how to get to training which is probably an important consideration. It would take him 12 months to work out how to get to waverly if he joined the Hawks and you can forget about an interstate side - he'd spend all Hus time lost

The pies makes sense. They need a simple country lad after giving shaw away. But seriously they have a big hole down back with no stand out back to match with the power forwards. Why did they ask Buckley about frawley? Has there been some scuttlebut?

could not agree more re how important these guys have been and will be for us. I said to a mate way back during the tiges nab cup game that Tyson seemed to have the ability to stand in a tackle and still get the ball going forward, something we have lacked for years. Vince is great at it also. They both have the knack of moving the pill forward, something Jones is OK at but not as good

Not sure about that. Disappointment and crushed hopes seems pretty certain to me

What on god's good earth are you talking about?

Interesting. Would fit with the comments Roos has made about the importance of experience and passion for the role. Ratten has had both senior and assistant coach experience and was very, very unlucky to get the bullet from Carlton. Instructive that the best club in Victoria and reigning premier snapped him up. Has not been out the game since finishing as a player has he? Also he knows Melbourne. I get the feeling that unlike Bomber he would be ok with playing second fiddle fro a couple of seasons. I reckon it might work. I still think Dew must be a chance though.