Jaded No More

They still have another game to play you know

AFL needs finals at the MCG. Watch all the Victorian teams in contention get up this week

There is also a very real possibility that we contend for a flag again and North remain a bottom 4 side. Jack is contracted. He is going nowhere.

I’m sorry, are people born after 2021 allowed to post on this site?

For two first rounders, he can stay right away from our club. Thank you for never coming.

Please explain how we will be forced to do anything given Trac has 5 years left on his contract? 🙄

He wouldn’t leave Victoria and he won’t go to a cellar dweller. It’s not happening. Neale wanted out. Brisbane forced him to stay. It all worked out.

Have you done a welfare check on @picket fence?

Honestly the melts over Jefferson not getting selected, is worth him not getting selected.

Nah I heard from a reliable source that it's because he doesn't want Petty to play as a forward.

Straight swap for Trac or they won't even entertain it

At least it's never boring being a Melbourne supporter!

Exclusive vision of our ruck plans once Gawn reaches 35

To be fair that mob manages like 50% of the industry. It's why everyone knows everything.

Oh yes, Chris from Camberwell is definitely someone I suggest you listen to. He is not at all unhinged.

I’ll have Nick Daicos and their future first, since they’ll be bottom 6 next year. Thanks McRae you self indulgent pr!ck

There are two separate truths here tho That Trac is unhappy with the direction of the club, and that Trac wants to leave. I think the first is correct, and frankly what senior player should be happy from going from 4th to bottom 6th? The second however, is a very big stretch.

Supporters would be ok to get rid of Clarry, but happy to bring party boy Smith in? How is Smith going to be better for our culture?

Trac is a very emotional guy. I think (hope) that in time he will regret how this has played out. He is obviously being driven by the trauma that he's experienced and it's obviously clouding his judgement. You also need to remember that his brother works for his management group. There are a lot of conflicted interests here. If he really wanted out, he would come out and say he wants out (not let some rumours filter thru), and force the club's hand to do a trade. The club has come out and said he is categorically going nowhere, therefore there is nothing for him to say right now. One would assume that Trac read or was privy to the media release before it was sent out. This is not news to the club, just because Morris reported it as 'news' doesn't make it so. The timing of the leak could also show that Trac did not want any distractions while the club was still in finals contention, because he does actually care about the club.

To beat the [censored] Pies!

And Houston, who has been playing for like 10 seasons, has never in his life encountered internal conflict and is not well aware that these thing are common place in football clubs? He plays for Port for goodness sake, Hinkley has been getting the sack there every year for 5 years now. I reckon other clubs smelled blood and are pouncing like vultures. If a trade has been sorted with Port already, then not only will other clubs have to satisfy Houston, they would also have to trump our deal.

My apologies, you suggested that Viney was demoted because he demanded high standards. That suggested to me that Gawn was then made captain because he didn't have the same demands. Viney is still VC and has been for many many years, probably because he demands high standards. I don't think Viney was demoted because of what he was demanding, but because of how he was demanding it. That's just my take, but of course I wouldn't know for sure.

I think it's very harsh to suggest that Gawn doesn't demand high standards, considering the player he is and that he led us to a flag. I think Gawn just goes about demanding standards in a manner that appeals to more players than Viney did.

I wonder if the players' frustration with Trac going to Noosa, is not that he went there to recover, but that while he was away from the club he continued to be annoyed at the standards on display, despite not being inside the 4 walls. It's one thing to demand better when you are leading by example, another when you are removed from the situation. I think Gawn would be entitled to be annoyed if his standards are being questioned, when he's also battling injuries and playing as well as he possibly can, or take it personally as an attack on his captaincy. I am not saying it's right or wrong, I am just trying to see it from both points of view. Either way, it doesn't seem like anything that can't be resolved with a chat and a good pre-season. If standards are slipping, and I have no doubt they are, then the only way to fix it, is to be honest and admit that changes need to be made.