PaulRB

Always thought our back line was our strongest area with midfield and forward line lacking. Don't see the losses mentioned (aside form Liam) as huge. Getting Clarke fit for all 22 matches in 2013 will make a difference. Cook and Watts as CHF were plays that don't appear to have worked out, I have more confidence in Fitzy, Martin or Sellar holding CHF next year. Aaron is a wild card, will he step up...? Forwards going into 2013 would be Clark, Fitzy, Davey, Sellar, with Blease, Howe, Sylvia, Tapscott, Trengove going forward when not in the midfield. So I think we have the HFF covered. Need a big man and a small forward,

Continue with the night of the long knives, draft and trade well, big pre-season... Win games of footy.

Contracts are set to expire 31 Oct, at the end of the trade period. So even if their contract is ending, it generally won't end till after the trade period. I assume the same for Liam's contract. No idea on Dessy Headlands. In Luke Balls case I think he tried to get the Saints a deal but they and the Pies couldn't settle so he walked into the draft telling all other suitors he only really wanted to be at Collingwood... Buckley got traded by Brissie to Collingwood using the trade path... No biggy and as Rudeboy said Liam's focus is not on footy so helping the MFC do a deal with Port was probably a low priority...

32 familiar + 5 awesome + 3 mystery boxes

Couldn't there be multiple picks if you lose multiple players? would fit the rule you quoted...

A couple twigged halfway through the year, thankfully.

From day one Neeld has been explicit in his demands and aspirations. And that there would be casualties. Perhaps Brent wasn't listening?

Sue, traditionally all players move between clubs via a trade. For example, Des Headland a couple of years back wanted to go home to Perth and said he's up for a trade (to one of the Perth Clubs)... He was traded to Freo and I guess Brissie got some kind of return for it. Liam's essentially the same deal, except Liam decided not to try and do it in a way that returned anything back to the MFC. It's happened Liam's way before and it always leaves a bitter taste for the club (and fans) that invests for nothing... Luke Ball left the Saints saying he'd only go to the Pies, and the Saints got nothing and Ball was never liked by saints fans since.

Breaking up is hard to do.And the ambivalence was/is rife in our relationship with Liam.

Ok so if we lose Beamer and Riv, don't pick up any FAs ourselves, then we might be looking at another mid first round pick with some points over (3rd round)...?

Sometimes you know if you ease up things may be ok for a while.And sometimes you don't ease up.

He was certainly near the top of the list by the end of the season.

What do you think we would be likely to get for Brent leaving?

You're assuming the club didn't choose to have Liam leave.

Losing Liam and Brent for nothing, makes me a bit nervous...

Knowing what you want/need and being prepared to pay for it, are not the same as being "desperate". Neeld has said they are looking to fill out the list with the right players, and will go for those who fit the need and culture/work ethic he's building.

You lift the bar higher, and some can no longer get over it...

It is a tough issue, on one hand the club has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into Liam over his time at the club. Including this year when the return on this investment was minimal. On the other hand he is a person who has had a challenging year, and we want to be compassionate toward him, support his journey etc... I'd hate for the MFC to lose it's capacity to act humanely toward it's players and people. However, we'd continue to fail as a club if we keep investing in players that don't return our investment.

Point was they all left the MFC (and AFL arena) because it had become too hard, or a lower priority than other things in their lives.The club invests a lot of time, energy and draft picks /position in every player they recruit and train. I'd suggest with Clark, Sellar, Magner, ... the club has already already shifted to ensure we pick up players with sufficient hunger/endurance/priorities/support to stay the journey.

huh?

Gerard always hit me as the kind of bloke who would do something awful to you, then find a way to make out it was your fault. Same with him and MFC.

As in Spiral dynamics? Spork?

In some ways, quite the opposite.

I like euphemisms They make me laugh.

possessive and don't watch shitty TV.