PaulRB

Caroline makes the MFC sound like the catholic church "anointing" but not appointing...

We need to close the deal with the Saints joining the fray...

And Mick as Football manager.

If I were the Bank of Melb, I'd have the MFC get their new coach to announce their sponsorship when he starts in early Oct...

I think the "dithering" is simply an agreed tactic the MFC is undertaking to keep the heat off Mick and the Pies until their finals are done. Then...

Perhaps, perversely, the process of trying to woo Tom to stay has forced the MFC to address issues in the FD faster than we may have otherwise done... So even if we ultimately fail to keep him we will still gain from this excruciating process. The possible scenarios we are on are: 1. Tom's gonna take the cash. With GWS holding back the announcement till the right media moment arrives (early next week) 2. Tom's open to staying if some stuff is sorted (i.e. coach,... ). Which means we must wait till the coach has signed on before Tom will... The longer we wait the more likely scenario 2 is the one we're on.

Is Mark Thompson a possible candidate? Watching Geelong play last night I was reminded how much I enjoy watching them play and how devastating their game style is... and how well an embryonic version of that style seemed to suit us last year.

Is the consensus view that the only thread holding Tom back from taking the GWS cash is the prospect of the MFC getting an A-grade experienced coach? Assuming Tom wants an experienced coach, the choices and timings are: Ross Lyon - next week (if Saints lose) Mark Thompson - next week (if Dons lose) Mick Malthouse - in at least a couple of weeks... Would the TS decision be delayed a month if it's MM? Fair enough for Tom to want to know before he signs on...

I think that we should not react to hastily (i.e. trade picks for older players) to a very average year from several of our older players. As West Coast has shown this year, these slumps can be turned around in a year and form of yesteryear recaptured. Prendergast has done far better of the two, especially as he's only been there since 2008 and Cameron has had 10 year to accumulate his list.

The shame about the whole Scully saga is that it has highlighted the contempt with which the Fans of football (and specifically, in this case, the MFC fans) are held in by the massively overpaid football industry. Some examples, 1 - TV Rights deal = huge revenue, players want and get more, game admin want and get more, Fans get... more expensive tickets to games and the pleasure of paying foxtel for what used to be free! 2 - Expansion Teams = huge investment, the 100 mill being pumped into GWS and GC came from the gate receipts, sponsorships and other revenue streams FROM FOOTBALL FANS. Yet the Admin is spending it in a way that strips away and upsets these same fans. 3 - Money Buys success - Fans of the poorer Victorian clubs are annually duped into believing they have a chance when the cold reality is that only the rich Victorian clubs and the expansion clubs win flags. In the past 21 years: 9 flags have fallen to the RVs in Collingwood, Hawthorn, Essendon, Carlton and Geelong (once Skilled Stadium converted into a money machine). 10 flags to expansion teams in West Coast, Brisbane, Port, Sydney 2 flags to the poor Victorian North(2), St Kilda, Footscray, Richmond, Melbourne... Ho hum... back to waiting for Tom to deign us with his decision.

Agree RR I just went to http://telstra.com/subscriptions/afl/contactus/feedbackchoice.asp and sent them my thoughts... nice and sweet. Time for the caged monkeys to start tossing their sh#t around...

May be old fashioned but Tom would be putting together his Pros and Cons list about now... Pros to staying at MFC Team mates and established relationships Team more developed than GWS Home town, established routine... New coach in ... (Tom knows ;-)) Possibility of finals in 2012 and beyond Cons to staying at MFC More money at GWS May not have covered all the factors at play and am undoubtedly biased. Any other issues (pros and Cons) you'd be weighing up in Tom's shoes?

Hey Sue, I think I've been in all your categories. Kind of depends on the time of day/week, how we played the week before, my emotional state, how much i've drunk, who I've been hanging around with... Been quite exhausting really. Sorry not to clear that up for you. Go Dees

Negotiations seem to be going on.

Watching Garry Lyon last night he looked like he has the new coach deal quite well in hand. Toms the first card to be revealed...

My theory is we are playing for time on the coaches front, having received a nod and a wink from either Ross Lyon or Mick Malhouse. My suspicion is we lined up Mick a couple of months ago and are simply putting on a show to ease the speculation on Mick/ Pies (or Ross/Saints) till the finals are over. No big secret that Garry Lyon wants big name coach and only Lyon and Malthouse fit the bill. The new coach would have to have an influence on young Tom's decision, and undoubtedly the MFC will use everything they "have" to keep Tom.

I reckon if Tom stays we will have also been given a BIG hint as to who the next coach of Melb will be... B)

Not wanting to risk the ire of the doomsters by being too optimistic. I think our young team has just experienced a character building year that will serve to build the grit and resilience of our list of gifted kids. 2010 saw the team over perform on the back of Jamar, Green and the old brigade. This year the senior group struggled with injury and form and the young kids were revealed to be a year or two off the required level. However, with another pre-season into our kids the following will get better and (if injury free) have better years in 2012: Bail, Rohan Bennell, Jamie Blease, Sam Grimes, Jack Gysberts, Jordan Howe, Jeremy Jetta, Neville Jurrah, Liam Martin, Stefan McDonald, Tom McKenzie, Jordie Morton, Cale Petterd, Ricky Scully, Tom Tapscott, Luke Trengove, Jack Watts, Jack Wonaeamirri, Austin Others will display their mastery of the art and continue to produce consistent performances: Frawley, James Garland, Colin Jamar, Mark Jones, Nathan Macdonald, Joel Moloney, Brent Rivers, Jared Sylvia, Colin Bartram, Clint Some will fight back to redeem their performances in 2011: Green, Brad Bate, Matthew Davey, Aaron Some kids will blossom before we expected them to: Gawn, Max Spencer, Jake Cook, Lucas Davis, Troy Fitzpatrick, Jack And some will confirm our suspicions or pleasantly surprise us: Maric, Addam Warnock, Matthew Dunn, Lynden And one poor sod will hopefully fully recover from a broken leg: Strauss, James In 2012 we have a new coach, a renewed focus on accountable team footy, and most importantly a maturing team of proud and talented young players who have just endured the most humiliating year of their football careers to date. Bring on 2012!!! It will be a cracker...

Nice work Flemo. I recon Gareth (and others) needed a hug, so you are spot on. Go Dees.

Perhaps from inside the club a Port team with pride to play for is better than a a MFC team without Scully, Sylvia, Gysberts, Grimes, Petterd, and Jurrah (and Davey)... Don't know who Port had out, don't care. Either way, to say we "delighted" in a loss to the spooners is very embarrassing...

Viney hoping for Scully decision soon

Classic work RR

Interesting what Sylvia said about his "confidence" in the panel to find the next coach. I reckon the coach is "en route" once final are over (i.e. MM) and knowing that is making Toms decision soooooo hard (or at least long to announce)...

31 maybe?

Do you think Tom would have sat down with his team mates and discussed his decision? Would the thoughts of your team mates be relevant when deciding weather to stay with or leave the team? I hope he has and I hope the team has, irrespective of what Tom decides. It's been a tough year for Tom. I hope he stays. But if you do go Tom as the great song says "... keep your eye on the Red and the Blue".