nutbean

He didn't pick the coaches alone but at least he has never shied away from the mistakes made in making those appointments. He is passionate about our club but as a football commentator must try to be impartial. This is one great of the club who I don't think should be kicked.

Which is huge improvement on last year where we accumulated no possessions and got nowhere.

I think that once our midfield structures improve he will find an "outlet" with a little more ease. However I squirm when Jones is described as elite as this is the one knock on his game. I will not criticise his endeavour, his heart, his continual ability to leave nothing on the park - he is an absolute gem. Watch an elite footballer called Pendlebury - in heavy traffic his hands are pure magic - they are ultra quick and on most occasions when he grabs the ball he has got it out in a split second. Jonesy will often try to bullock his way through the congestion and get wrapped up causing a secondary stoppage. I love Jonesy with a passion and if he can improve this area of the game ( and to a certain extent he needs good outlets to help him) then he will rise to the next level.

T.assie wouldn't have us either

So what is the story ? Do we know ? Besides being placed on the LTI list do we know the story ? His intentions ?

The one point of the argument I don't get is the money aspect. So he is taking $35K a week personal leave. If he was on $1K per week that would be ok ? $10K ? What actually is the dollar value cut off point where taking personal leave due to issues is acceptable ?

There is a difference between differing opinions and abuse. Yet to see anyone chopped for differing opinions but would like to see a lot more go for abusiveness. It's just not necessary.

Someone help me here. Have I missed something with Tania Hird. "Andrew D told us something ( tipped us off about the investigation ) and he shouldn't have". Biggest red herring ever ? Lag AD in for his indiscretion but that still is not the issue. Its like Ivan Milat saying that Andrew D tipped him off that he was being investigated for murder. The issue is not whether someone disclosed what was being investigated but whether or not you are a murderer ? Edit - not trying to suggest that Hird is a murderer but I just don't get what she was driving at ? The issue is - did they take banned substances and what was his involvement and knowledge.

And just a little bit dirty too

Straight out of the coaching manual - fail once - Casey for the year. hmmm

I present as not getting too carried away and too positive - I like to think of it as balanced - but I go to every game with the belief that we will win. Even when we play Hawthorn I imagine them getting a couple of crucial injuries early and 18 of our players playing blinders. Alas I am delusional.

Seems like a hundred years ago and also yesterday.

I can't watch it on the off chance that I mistime pressing the mute button and accidentally hear something that Sam Newman says.

I am wildly, excitedly and enthusiastically guarded about our coming season. Its the best I can do.

I dream of that making sense

I would suggest the only demand the club would be making ( if it is indeed mental health issues) is that Mitch talk to a professional - and a professional would indeed guide Mtich as to whether talking to players who have experienced similar problems was a good idea or not.

In the list of reasons why a player picks a club, barracking for the Dees as a kid or having a few mates play there I reckon would be faaaarrr down the list of good reasons.

He was injury ravaged last year. Have a look at his 2012 where he also shared duties with Cox and his 2011 wasnt bad either.

IMO you are looking at this wrong way - you are looking at what you think is best for the team and the club and the "message being sent" rather than about what is best for the player. Also being a first year or 10 year player makes no difference at all. Health issues are health issues.

I was at the Rod Laver concert - played for well over two hours and were great but Robert Smith wasnt looking at that good. My gf and do laugh about the same thing " can you imagine Robert Smith wearing board shorts and feeling sand between his toes at the beach ?"

I didn't add injury into the mix in my post which is obviously another "pressure" - the two major pressures being that secure players like Clark would feel some sense of letting the team down and for borderline players like a Tapscott his injuries must add mental stress - " if I can't prove myself I will be cut and I can't prove myself because I'm injured". All that being said, the life(style) of an AFL could hardly be described as a normal existence.

Free agency and the way players are moving from club to club has made me completely change my thinking on players. 1/ love them passionately when they are at the club with the knowledge that they could walk or be axed tomorrow 2/ Any players that puts his contract talks on hold I considered gone and am pleasantly surprised if they stay The clubs are ruthless and the players are equally so - that is the way of AFL and that has now moulded my thinking.

As you have said lots of time and agree 100%, all opinions can be aired and conversely disagreed with by others respectfully ( I get the last part right about 98% of the time)

I think opinions which are out of step shouldn't be ignored but respectfully debated. The idea that being paid large slabs of money disqualifies you from having mental health issues needs to be robustly debated. I have often pondered the whole life of an AFL footballer and am surprised there are not more social and mental health problems. It is a lifestyle that is far what we would call normal. Very young men being paid extraordinary amounts of money, constantly bombarded with adoration from the public ( and vitriol in equal measure), for most of them being faced with perform or perish, pushing their bodies and adrenalin levels to absurd levels for relatively short periods of time and then having large amounts of down time.

OD - you have the full and unqualified support of the board.