Jaded No More

Proof that fat people CAN play football Really dreading going to Geelong on Monday... they'll probably call a day of mourning at work now

I think you'll wish it was us every year... I'd rather see John Meesen up there than Shane Crawford (although he does deserve it and I am very happy for him).

I'm working in Geelong at the moment, for a company that sponsors the Cats. If I barracked for anyone else on Saturday I'll be an outcast for life. Oh and I hate Hawthorn.

Love Brad Green, and so does everyone. But the reality is, he won't be part of a premiership side at Melbourne and hence is expandable. We have to look beyond our emotional attachment and think with our heads. This is why I also advocate trading Bruce, who IMO is overrated by the AFL community and we should try and get something for him while we still can.

Nobody will pay what he's really worth to us because of his injuries. Trading him for a speculative second round pick will do nothing for our future. We have to hope he can get himself right, because there is no doubting that he is an absolute gun when he's fit and the possibilities of playing him up forward or as a rebounding defender are endless (especially given we're developing other defenders). Two years in the big scheme of things is not the end of the world. Sylvia missed nearly as much football as Rivers has.

Never judge a player by their first 4 matches Garland= Jared Rivers + Pace - Injuries* *everyone knock on wood, throw salt over your shoulder and spit on a black cat immediately

Has something we sorely lack... football smarts. Love him.

Of course it doesn't. I was just pointing out that Jones and Buckley are regarded around here as future key midfielders, and they both lack smarts and awareness at times. So to simply dismiss the idea of Bell playing in the midfield (not referring to you) based on the fact that he gets caught a lot (he doesn't by the way, it's just that when he gets caught in the backline the cost is magnified and so it seems he does it more often than not), is silly. IMO Bell's disposal is better than Jones' and Buckley's and he wouldn't struggle in a foot race against Buckley. With Davey, Aussie and Maric I think we have enough medium/small forwards, but we could really use some more pace in the middle Tried finding one for ages, but couldn't.

Which of course never happens to Buckley or Jones

Initially Bell was recruited with a midfield role in mind. The hope was to get McLean, Sylvia, Bell and Moloney to become the nucleus of our midfield for the future. Clearly that plan bombed, however Bell does have midfield credentials. Secondly, Bell has extremely good pace. He is one of the fastest players at the club, however his long struggle with injuries, especially an ongoing groin complaint, have really stopped him from developing and understanding how to best use his run. Whether he can or can't play as a permanent midfielder successfully I don't know. I don't have a crystal ball and I don't predict the future very well, however it is certainly worth trying him out.

Absolutely he won't be delisted. It has been my dream ever since I adopted Bell into my 'Love Child' brigade to see him play in the midfield. Injuries have stopped him from doing that, but I hope that maybe next year he can progress into that role. He has the advantage of being strong yet quick, and that is something we could use.

I can't see W.A. clubs taking Watts simply because Watts is dead set on finishing year 12 in Victoria. If he got a sniff that one of Freo or West Coast would draft him, he wouldn't nominate for the draft. This is why I think we'll pick him up, and also why I wouldn't mind swapping picks with Freo for Warnock (but only if we knew with 100% certainly that we can still get our man).

$1.6mil over 4 years = insane His perceived worth seems completely disproportionate to his achievements thus far. Potential is not worth $1.6 million.

My heart breaks a little every time I read about Jared Rivers these days... it's never truly good news. That it had to happen to such an enormously talented player is just so cruel, especially given he is so young.

I don't for a second doubt that we should have courted him or shown interest, not at all. However, initially I don't think the club thought it would cost us so much to get his services. Now that the scum of the earth from Carlton have got involved, it appears that Warnock's price has over-inflated, and I'd be happy to see us walk away and not fall into Carlton and Freo's game. We've been sucked into players' demands too many times in the past. I'd hate to see it happen again. By the way, Freo were/are the masters of bad trades and player pick-ups...

And potential is NOT worth 4 years, well over a million dollars and an early draft pick. We're all moaning and bitching over the fact that Yze and White were given such long and expensive contracts, yet we're happy to offer longer and more expensive contract to someone who has proven very little and couldn't get a game with a bottom 4 side? We've definitely been sucked in hard by the hype if we're stupid enough to think Warnock is worth that much. You have to think of the residual cost here, in 3 years time if Warnock has proven to be nothing more than a middle of the road ruckman, and we're looking to re-sign Morton, Maric, Grimes, McLean etc..., we may just not have enough money to do so because we're tied to such a ridiculously massive contract.

He'd be fighting for a position with Kreuzer for the rest of his career. And Judd turned down Essendon and Collingwood (two clubs who have played more finals in recent times, and whos brand is as strong if not stronger than Carlton's) in favour of Carlton. This has nothing to do with culture or the chance of maybe playing finals next year.

Yes, because it's Carlton's culture that attracted Judd and Warnock If a player is chasing the money above all else, then us and 14 other clubs can't compete with Carlton at the moment. Lets see how long it takes the AFL to actually do something about it!

As with Judd, if a player chooses to chase the money above all else, I don't want him at the MFC. Warnock clearly chose the dollar over being the no.1 ruck for the next 10 years and playing alongside his brother. Good on him. Lets move on and concentrate on getting players who WANT to play for our great club.

*sigh*

Completely agree. Try as we may, we can't compete with the financial rewards that Carlton can offer Warnock. It will basically come down to money or playing with his brother... and not that I have a brother, but if I did I'd just take the money and buy me another one

I will quite literally have to burn down the CFC if we lose yet another player to those cheating bastards. There is no LEGAL way that they can afford Judd, Fev, Stevens, and now Kerr and Warnock. Trust the AFL to investigate us for talking to Warnock, but letting the "Judd is now Visy's ambassador" thing slide. Typical!

I'm sorry, but we were paying Yze and White over a million dollars combined? :o *Insert many swear words* Unbelievable!

People underrate his season. Indeed, he finished second in Demonland's B&F despite missing half the season. With the exception of the first 2 games (where everyone was terrible), Brock was one of our best and most consistent. To put it simple, without him we have no midfield and we lack serious leadership. It's sad but true.

And why is that? Btw, it still doesn't make the post any less irritating.