Pates

I don't think it was bad shape, but he hadn't done the off-season regime so that definitely says his heart wasn't in it.

Doesn't want to play football then no point in him being here. Good luck in whatever you get into, Dom.

Pretty much how I'd see it.

Viney's got his number and he's going to make it his own in the same way his old man made #12 his own. I would like to see it retired for at least this year.

I think that's a realistic expectation. With poise and a bit more leadership we could've got about that this year. 2016 is where I'm hoping we'll start to push towards the 8. Of course next would be awesome!

I believe I heard somewhere due to the high logistics of it and the desire not to dilute the significance they only want to do that once every 2 years or so. I think we'll still have a "pink" game, i think I heard possibly against Sydney. I reckon it should always be against the dogs and build it up with them.

AFLPA are some of the biggest idiots going around, they really must have nothing better to do right now.

Look it's not a horrible draw. As many have pointed out from a football perspective it's actually quite good. The thing that does frustrate is us constantly getting shafted with the bigger clubs getting the "home" matches against us at the G. Richmond, Blues, Essendon, and Hawthorn all our only MCG games against these clubs and all of them away games. Meanwhile we get the Saints, Dogs, and the Roos (and our QB Pies game) as our Victorian opponents at the G. The Essendon and Blues games really stings as it's not their home! Bombers in particular I'm sick of them always taking the gate $$$ at our bloody home. Still we start with some winnable games (I said that this year as well!), and finish the last 4 rounds with 3 winnable games.

Will Salem get a clear run this year? Fitness was most definitely a problem in 2014.

Pretty much his last chance. Reading the AFL.com.au article it says that 95% of these injuries have no troubles with the screw, but of course that's not the case with Trenners. Making the call now gives him an outside out of playing a bit in 2015, but realistically we won't see him until 2016.

Well done Kurt, enjoy those who doubted eating some humble pie. And well done to MFC, we're building a very good footy department.

That seems a strange frustration, what could be more bigger picture than developing the younger players?On the proposed appointment, at the end of the day the reason why he was given a gig at being a senior coach was because he was so highly rated as an assistant. Good get if true.

It's how Barrett claims credibility on a story, he'll write a story in the HS and then go on AFL.com.au and say, "the Herald Sun is reporting....." as if it's someone else backing up his claim!

I must say I am in agreement with you on this. While yes the ability to improve and the competitiveness of the player should be there, it's on the club to unlock these talents and turn potential into a player. The amount of failures tells me out recruiting hasn't been the biggest problem, most of these guys were rated where we got them, it's the clubs development that has been abysmal. Look at what the coaching staff is doing right now, they are almost trying to rid the club of its recent failures and start fresh with guys that haven't been burnt by the club already. Blease failed and we failed him. Didn't know how to motivate him in the beginning, didn't know how to use him. I can see him being useful at another club.

That is one of the most intelligent opinions I've heard from an Essendon fan. And it's always the supporters who suffer the most (although in this case the players are struggling too), when Melbourne was going through the non-tanking saga it was akin to watching a family member struggle with a health issue. It was just on my mind 24/7. It's also good to hear that despite everything you will continue to support the club. I remembered some people questioned why I kept buying a membership with what was happening and I explained that a membership was a sign of support to the current regime it was a show of unending support for the club I love. Do you feel that the only reason Hird is going to continue coaching is that the club has painted themselves into a corner or do you feel that the current regime genuinely supports him? If the bombers start the season with 9 losses, could the board use that as a quick fire measure to sack him? For Essendon to move forward from this saga, at some point they need to remove all who involved in this and start fresh. Otherwise it'll never stop. On a slightly unrelated point, is anyone else getting a little bit of sick pleasure from Caro being proven wrong in the end? It's nothing really against her in particular, I just like see footy reporters getting stories wrong and looking like fools. Barrett next would be great, problem is he deals so much in vagueness that he finds a way to slither out of it.

I'm a big fan of Jacks and I was really sad to hear he was potentially going to Richmond, but that pales in comparison to how gutted I felt for him when I heard about this latest set back. Coming back from an injury like this requires someone with a strong mental ability, so if anyone can do it it's going to be him. FWIW there were just as many people on here saying Col Garland would never play another game so let's all keep that in mind. In terms of how the club deals with him, obviously first step is to try to get him out on the park. I don't expect we'll see much of him at all but at the end of the contract I would say we are well within our rights to consider his worth to the club, we will have younger players pushing up the ranks and potentially he might not fit into the side. But at the end of the day it's all up to coaching staff to decide whether he'll fit into the club after 2015, and it might be a case of a fresh start could be best for both parties. That said, he's asked us to back him in. So I'm doing just that.

I hate you.

You're probably right that it'll be up-converted to HD however for channel 7 games on foxtel that's what you're getting anyway and it does look better. That said, most of the equipment on offer is HD so it may be simpler to do just do it in HD from the get go. It might depend on who they sub contract the broadcast to.

I don't expect we'll get any Friday night games but surely they can finally give us a home game at the G vs Essendon. It's not even their goddamn home!

Honestly I think this is a good thing. ABC we never going to look to improve the coverage, the graphics look exactly the same as what they used in the year 2000. I'd imagine it'll be broadcast on 7Mate, ironically that'll be in HD while the AFL will be in SD. Go figure.

Thanks for the 10 games where you were a genuine star. That's about all I've got in me.

Welcome to the club, he fills a need and will hopefully be drive prove his doubters wrong. So after all that it was just straight swap Lumumba for Clark!

I wanted him to stay but not like this. We have been royally effed by some recent injuries to players who had the ability to take our club up the ladder. Really gutted for Trenners. I hope he's able to come back from this, but it feels like this is an injury injury you either get right the first time or never at all. I'm usually an optimist but I feel really sorry for Jack (even if he doesn't want me to!).

The thing is that anyone saying stuff like, "it's a business" then have no right to be angry at any player choosing to leave the club for more money. Doesn't stop them though.

Not happy at all with the proposed deal, I think he's got more upside than him + 23 for pick 12. I confess I am a fan of his but it's an absolute no from me.