Maldonboy38

If you look at the press release, the reasons are right there. He "maintained" this and "maintained" that, but it looks like there was no expansion or fan base development. He managed the club and it pretty much stayed as he found it. There might be one or two achievements he and the club are very proud of, but in the main it was steady-as-she-goes. He was too young and inexperienced for the brief he was given.

I am not one of those people who like seeing opposition players injured, no matter how much I may despise them. I had too many footy injuries of my own to want anyone else to suffer in a similar way. The only exception was seeing Whelan flatten Hird which I enjoyed immensely! So when it comes to Mitch Clark, I don't want to see him in physical pain or declining in mental health - I just hope the Geelong venture is an absolute failure. There is a part of me that wants Frost or Dunn to run straight through him but deep down I don't really want that to happen. I'm just disgusted with the way he left our club. I didn't like it when so many MFC players left over the past decade (Rivers, Moloney, McLean Scully etc...) and the Scully one was horrible, but I have never felt so burned by a player as when Mitch Clark left. The bloke is a gun when on song. But I am truly looking forward to the first journalist to write "Clark dropped to reserves until he finds form".

Liam Jurrah was the last player who got people out of their seats, yelling out his name every time he got the ball, and as brilliant as he could be his form was flaky. Before him we probably have to go back to the Wizard and the Ox. We need 1-3 players to be crowd pullers, commentator darlings, the kind of player that other supporters wish their club had. It has been far too long between drinks at MFC. It is possible that Hogan and JKH could be, but it remains potential. We need to see an A-grade breakout season very soon and I hope it happens in 2015. But apart from the crowd-puller, I reckon Toumpas or Newton will become lock-in starting 22 for mine.Toumpas will be an entry inside 50 specialist delivering with precision. Newton will replace Cross by mid-year and our starting midfield five will become Jones, Vince, Tyson, Viney, & Newton. Kent might slot in there as well.

I loved his comment about the Bulldogs and McCartney. "They were on the right track". I get the sense that Roos' deliberate, slow 3-5 year evolution at the Dees is significantly similar to what was happening at the Bulldogs. As soon as he was sacked Rood swooped because the philosophy of club and list rebuild is so much alike. I am neither here nor there about John Ralph but I love Roos' direct answers. He might be a new age sensitive kinda bloke but underneath that he is aggressive, determined and steel minded. I was not a real Mark Neeld fan either but it was great to hear Roos be so open about him. He was a tough coach in the wrong place at the wrong time. McCartney the same.

I'd take him back. I simply enjoyed his footy. And if he was the person who, via his On The Couch comments, made the football community investigate our brilliant policy called "the benefits of loosing" then I am actually glad he did. Did he drop us in it? You bet. And if he didn't we would still have Connolly, Schwab & Co making players wear blazers and every other crazy thing, without any vision to become a success-driven club. Is he [censored]? Yes. Are his social activities questionable? Yes. But I simply like his footy.

The list has to make sense for the season we are in AND building for the future. I understand that having Evans, McKenzie & Spencer on the list may make us look lame, but players like that are not best 22 or even best 28 players. They are on the list for those like-for-like injury occasions. Insurance if you like. If we get a heap of injuries, Roos does not want to play untried, unready 18 year old rookies and draftees. He wants to players to develop out of the spotlight. He prefers to play people who have training/club/footy experience and developed bodies for his contested ball emphasis - even if they are not the best players. Good strategy I reckon. Long term they are moved on as others more skilled develop and take their place.

If "in debt" means operating with an ongoing debt, then it all depends if the debt is manageable. Anyone with a mortgage is "in debt", but the debt is (hopefully) decreasing over a 20 - 30 year period: it is manageable debt. It doesn't sound too bad to me. However, if the Crows and Power have walked open-faced into a poor financial deal with the new stadium, there should be hell to pay from their fans and from the AFL.

Well, I really liked him as a footballer and personally believe MFC stuffed up what could have been a great career. Yes he was slow and the game got past him, but his grunt and awareness were a pleasure to watch and he loved being part of the club. He left because the club was going down the path of "the benefits of losing" and when he was asked, he answered. Could he have been smarter when interviewed?- oh yes, he really is not the sharpest tool in the shed - but I have absolutely no axe to grind with him. I find the whole thing bloody sad and the whole 2007 - 2013 period a blight on our club and our great game.

I agree with most of your 22, but reckon one of Fitz or Pederson will be on the bench in place of Michie. Jamar is too old to play 100% game time. I also reckon by round 11 2015 Jamar will have lost his spot to Gawn. What this does show is that we need to build quality midfield depth for at least the next 2 seasons.

I still believe that the Dees have not fought hard to keep either of Frawley or Clark. They either know or feel something about both and are happy to "trade up" and let both go. Perhaps it is different behind closed doors but there has been a distinct lack of passion from the club about keeping both players. You could see Roos fire up about Free Agency and equalisation so he can come out swinging - interesting that he hasn't about Frawley and Clark. Frawley can be a great player but hasn't been his blustering, monstering self for 2 seasons, and Clark looks cooked to me. I can't believe I feel this way, but I actually trust the club with this!! I can't remember the last time I felt this about the MFC.

It is inconceivable that Robbie never won a Brownlow. Keith Greig was skillful but soft and won two of them. How does that work? How could thugs like Libba (who I hated) and Dippa (who I liked until he flattened Robbie in '87) win a best and FAIREST? It is even harder to contemplate that he only won one Bluey Truscott trophy for B&F. It speaks volumes about the dysfunction of our club when one of the best players ever to play the game (let alone for our club), playing in a team which were pathetic, could only win the Bluey once. Wearing Red & Blue today also.

By far the greatest player I have seen at the Dees. Poise, grace, skill, courage, leadership - all in a skinny body not made for footy and horrible eyesight. I met him at a club open day in the 70's, still have his signature in an old autograph book. I had a kick with Paul Callery but desperately wanted to kick with Robbie. In the country growing up, on cold Sundays in the late 70's I would be out kicking a soggy, rotten old footy between trees and yelling out "Flower"!!! I was fortunate enough to meet him when my friends' brother-in-law played for the Dees in the early 80's and I was allowed in the rooms before and after the game. I was there for the 1987 finals series, rising with the whole Dees crowd, yelling out "Robbiiieeee" every time he went near the ball. I love Schwarz, Farmer, Lyon, Brett Lovett... many others. But no-one comes anywhere near Robbie for me. I am just so sad tonight. I feel like the whole MFC family has lost its elder statesman, oldest son, and club icon.

Two separate quotes from Brennan: 1. "I just heard that Bluey got the flick... Damn, a year late!!! In all seriousness though" 2. "Feel for the players who didn't get a chance to develop and excel because of his stubbornness and one-minded ways".

Both the sackings of Bluey McKenna and Brenton Sanderson are huge errors. Both of these blokes are seriously good coaches and are being sacked as if this was the EPL. The ridiculous Jared Brennan tweet just confirms that boards are now listening to players too much and not supporting their man. I hate this part of the AFL.

I absolutely DESPISE Essedung. I never really enjoy watching other people/clubs/organisations suffering, but the ego driven, chest thumping, narcissistic attitude taken by Hird and Little leaves me actually enjoying watching them implode. Under Hird's leadership, his club allowed the players to take a regime of unknown and un-traceable supplements. How they could not just put their hands up and take their right whack is morally reprehensible and demonstrates deep character flaws in their leadership. I hope they go bottom four and then wooden spoon as we rise.

Frawley was a gun and I am sad to see him go. A genuine defender who could break a line, play on the huge forwards, and monster opposition forward lines. My son's favourite player. Thanks Chip for every effort you put in for the Dees, and for giving one of my sons a favourite player to look up to in a era of losses, no excitement and few thrills. However, I am neither surprised nor disappointed. Neeld killed his natural flair, and Frawley leaving sits right on Neeld's lap. He has not played any of those great backman games for almost 2 years, and needs fresh air. Pick 3 here we come.

Sorry to interrupt the flow of this thread, but I have been reading through a lot of rumour/trade threads, trying to sort out the wheat and the chaff. As far as I can tell, it looks likely (not definite, but getting warmer) that three players are heading to the Dees: 1 - Lamumba 2 - Frost 3 - Gwilt Do these sound realistic at this stage, or nothing more than "possible"? These three are all backmen, and Roos has said publicly that he wants to continue to build the midfield. So, are we jumping at shadows? Where are we in terms of midfield trades: - Dangerfield, Taylor Hunt, the Greenwod rumour, other midfielders looking for a change etc...?

Yes, I think so. I thought Rioli was very flaky and you could get inside his head. This Sydney team is the best single year 22 I have ever seen. The Hawks kicking game and finals experience will be a factor but the Swans have got a unique thing going: they are a team of champions that have merged into a champion team.

My dad was born in South Melbourne in 1935 and had to wait his entire life to see a flag. I can't stand what the Swans have done to get Tippet and Buddy, but this Swans team is the best single year team in my living memory. They do not have a flaw across the 22 and that is very difficult to achieve. Swans by 28 points.

I don't know too much about either of them, so neither fill me with too much excitement. However, Roos does have a strong tra k record of bringing players from other clubs who sit just outside their best 22, and making them into a 150 game player.

I am a de Boer fan. A work horse whose disposal is clean without being penetrating. He is something a lot of Melbourne players are not - effective. Whether closing someone down, or providing reliability across half back he is a role player. His pace is a concern but has not held him back from being effective in his career. Yes for mine, unless other better options present.

I like this outcome, but mainly because Bartlett, PJ and Roos have been the driving force behind the decision, and I can't remember the last time I had genuine faith in our top line decision makers. This trio are the probable foundation stones of our intended "sustained success". The decision making process to find a coach/successor has been attended to quietly, professionally and expertly behind the scenes, with no media bulldust or leaks to lime-light seeking journalists, gives me confidence in the people making the decisions. This Igives me a kind of confidence that has been rare for too long, and I hardly dare to invest in this confidence. As far as Goodwin being the man, I have absolutely no idea if he will be any good. Everything seems to appear in order, but the same could be said of Bailey and Neeld. And I will become a Collingwood supporter before I ever again jump on board a new coach, investing all my hope in him. But I have to admit this appointment and the explanation of how this appointment was reached makes me feel good about 2015.

I reckon its pretty good. Left field, visually appealing, and well produced. But it doesn't make me renew - I just renew because I love the Dees, can't help myself. Definitely aimed at the under 30 age-group which could be a mistake. We have hardly won a game in their lifetime.

I almost cry watching anything from 1994. Best Melbourne side I have ever seen and we didn't even make it into the GF. The Eagles slaughtered us at the WACA in the Prelimary Final. Neitz, Shwartz, Tingay, Jakovich, Lyon, Stynes, 2 x Lovetts, Charles. The Ox is/was a genuine superstar. Pity gambling and dodgy knees stuffed his career.

This year there have been no leaks or whispers coming from our club, at least none of weight or importance. And even on this issue there is a deafening silence. This again reassures me that PJ and Roos know all the ins and outs of this and are fully knowledgeable about this issuel. On top of this, the total lack of official comment signals to me that there is no desperate or frantic effort to keep Mitch. I suspect MFC believe Mitch is cooked. If I remember correctly he had 2, not 1, lower leg/foot injuries. The Lisfranc thing is a shocker that has finished the career of other footballers. Also, the only 2 players I can remember being public about their clinical depression while playing - Johnathon Hay and Nathan Thompson - never recovered their spark. I would love to see him in the red and blue again, but I have no confidence he will get back to his brilliant best, whoever he plays for.