nutbean

I'm surprised the whole team didnt want out at the end of 2013 season ( contracts not withstanding!)

I will ask this question - who here would have enjoyed playing small forward for the MFC in 2012/13 ? ewww is all. Just ewww

This does get lost sometimes

Whack em before they get here, whack whilst they're here and a nice little whack on the way out.

Well down to Shannon on his retirement and his time at the MFC - Instead of criticizing (not you Hardtack) maybe his time should be looked at in context with the clubs performances over the time he was with us. Imagine if Pederson had an injury riddled year this year and retired - imagine what his epitaph would read like based on his previous years output. Maybe we should apologise to Shannon for convincing him to put down roots in our neighbourhood for the past two years.

I got a medal on Sunday for finishing 5564th in the Run Melbourne 10km event - top that Byrnes !

And besides free agency - how would it work. Salem says my contract is up at the end of the year and I'm off to the Swans - I've signed a contract with them. MFC says - no problem - we want three top ten draft picks or he can go into PSD and take his chances that he gets through to the Swans.With a draft picks/National draft/PSD model pre-announcing a signed contract can't work except in unrestricted free agency.

I truly vacillate on this one Rjay. I actually I like all the intrigue and machinations unless it is a valued player on our list that is the subject of the leaving rumours. Then I hate it. As I said before, after being Scullified I have learned (with varying degrees of success) to unattach myself emotionally from any of our players falling out of contract who are not re-signing nice and early.

I'm not suggesting Arrow's source is unreliable ...wait a second...OK.. I will suggest that there are so many "sources" that are quoted on here with diametrically opposed views that someones sources can't possibly be reliable. Even the media who you think ( sic - hope) would have good sources have him signed sealed and delivered at various stage to Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwood. There is one poster on here whose inside news has been pretty spot on the money as to the rest - I enjoy reading the rumours and take them as just that. Your presumption though that no player manager or player would leak is just that - a presumption. The trouble is that once you start to shop yourself you open yourself to interpretation. Apparently Chip has met with Selwood and Hawkins ( another rumour) - imagine them talking about their state of the art facilities and how money is no object to go and climb mountains in Alaska for preseason. Chip being a very smart individual would say " geez - so much different from my current mob - it would be great to play here" - Interpretation from Selwood and Hawkins - "he's ours, boys". So much guff and nonsense goes on at this time of the year - better just to take it all in and not twist a bowel until it actually unfolds.

I agree with this...except ... I don't know if we are heading down the NRL line as we have a far more complex system than the NRL - NRL players have a contract and that's it - when its up you can re-sign or move on so it is much easier for players to move in the NRL than the AFL. We have a National draft and PSD - so how can a non free agent player announce that he is leaving to go to another club - a deal may not get done ? It would only work for Free agents - they are the only player category who could announce prior to the end of the season that they are going and where they going to. I despise all this speculation so I actually prefer the NRL transparency. It would hurt to see a player in your colours this weekend who you know will be at another club next but is it any worse than the current Scully/Ablett/Franklin/Frawley charade ?

I agree with this...except ... I don't know if we are heading down the NRL line as we have a far more complex system than the NRL - NRL players have a contract and that's it - when its up you can re-sign or move on so it is much easier for players to move in the NRL than the AFL. We have a National draft and PSD - so how can a non free agent player announce that he is leaving to go to another club - a deal may not get done ? It would only work for Free agents - they are the only player category who could announce prior to the end of the season that they are going and where they going to. I despise all this speculation so I actually prefer the NRL transparency. It would hurt to see a player in your colours this weekend who you know will be at another club next but is it any worse than the current Scully/Ablett/Franklin/Frawley charade ?

Problem is - to finish bottom we would have to at least lose to the Lions and GWS - to lose to them means our efforts would have to well below our effort in the Port game (IMO) - I would like to see our effort for the remaining games at least at the Port Adelaide game level. If it is at that level I can see us probably winning 2 games ( maybe 3 depending on what the Eagles serve up) and therefore not finish bottom - anything else would be disappointing. Roos' constant theme has been that it is not about the winning and losing - it is about the effort, intensity and improvement. But the logical extension of that is if we bring the right effort and intensity to the Lions and GWS game we should win. So yes - I will be disappointed if we finish bottom.

I will be disappointed because it will mean our intensity has dropped off. I think if we play with the endeavor we showed from mid way through the second quarter against port and bring that to the Lions and GWS game we should win. I even think that we can beat the like of WCE and North with us playing at our best. To me coming last means that we haven't finished off our season playing the best we are capable of.

Because as stated on many occasions - players don't inform their clubs of their intentions for that very reason - being dropped. Players have contractual obligations - they can be incentivised in their contract on number of games played, goals kicked, finish in the best and fairest etc. So it may cost them financially to be dropped. To what end does it help the club to know now that he won't be at the Demons next year. The argument of playing someone else in his place is more than countered with the argument that we want to win games. And the preplanning/list management argument is a nonsense. The list managers will have contingencies for him staying and leaving as they would for most uncontracted players. To date two players have acknowledged prior to seasons end that they were going - Bock with one game to go ( who was promptly dropped) and Davis who was injured and wasnt going to play again anyway.

Hey Saty - can I ask - how do you find Damien Barrett ? It is interesting that sometimes the public personae can be totally different to what you get when you have a quiet one on one conversation. It can be a much more positive experience than expected or conversely much worse ! ( Not to get political but I didn't have much time for Peter Reith or Peter Costello - I spent an afternoon at the football with both of them on separate occasions - one of them went up in my estimation and the other was even worse than I expected)

You do realise that the compo pick we will possibly get and whether it is enough to entice players from other clubs are two different issues ?

I hope that is not sarcasm... Depression is such a complicated issue. The pressure that playing AFL football caused Mitch is a contradiction to a game that Mitch obviously loves playing. I would suggest that it would be part of his treatment to not avoid the contradiction but try and resume playing the game. That does not necessarily mean at AFL level as he may not be mentally capable of handling it. But part of his therapy may be to get him back to playing football at a level that he can derive enjoyment out of it and doesn't feel pressured or trigger the depressive symptoms. We hear of a lot of retired footballers who feel a great gaping hole after they retire and some go on to play local/country footballer and ween themselves off football over a number of years. I would further suggest that any programs or discussions the club may have with Mitch would be done in consultation and co-operation with his treating doctor to ensure it is a positive and not detrimental to his health.

Ohh I ran my first 10km run in the Run Melbourne on Sunday and came in 5564 ( I think out of about 7000) and I demand that you remember me !

I had no problem with him not continuing - it was handled poorly though - even Bailey himself admitted that. Happy to say that with the benefit of hindsight we certainly could have used his leadership for a year or two more.

After that confession you are now on ignore ( well almost...)

I haven't picked up anywhere that the media is "judging" him one or another on his comments- that is reserved for the domain of some at Demonland. Only are here is it being suggested that he is reflecting poorly on the club both on and off the field. I have seen many in the media pick up the obvious flaws in his game ( his kicking and decision making at times) but only on here are people suggesting his efforts are "sylvia-esque". I am ambivalent about him staying - happy for him to stay and happy if we turn him into a draft pick that is well used ( a big if). What I won't do is turn him into a giant spud who is completely surplus to our needs and a poor reflection on our club just because he won't decide in line with supporters timelines.

sort of a rogue Bill Clinton ?

incorrect - terrible doesn't begin to describe the song "if". Bread is more depressing than 186 and that is saying something.

I like Jacqui - but then again, I do have a package so that makes me number one on her greatest hits list.

Been mentioned before - we have a very shrewd operator as our CEO and a clever coach. I suspect that the end of the season we will lock in a senior assistant coach, I suspect we will go down the succession path and I have enough faith in the people now running our club that the successor will be evaluated by Roos and co at the end of season one and before the end of 2016 and we will either proceed with the handover or we will have been actively seeking out a higher profile out of contract coach to take over in 2017 because the confidence in the successor is not as it should be. Succession plans are NOT set in stone. ( we only have to reflect on the events that led to Roos getting the job in Sydney - whilst it was clunky at the time I admired that they abandoned the Wallace takeover as it was determined that it was not the right choice)