Jaded No More

I have it on good authority that this will be our new mascot, following the announcement of Ireland being our major FOJ sponsor Edit: that is one creepy looking thing

Excellent, can't think of anything better to do on Friday night than listening to a really biased cover of a glorified training run against Port. So sad!

The sad thing is, that this latest fiasco has put more heat and more attention on the whole Jurrah story, which is the last thing someone in Jurrah's fragile position needs. Whoever is to blame, should really think about the implications to Liam here. It's just completely unnecessary, and another day this story makes the front page, where the best thing for the club, and for him, is to be left alone to deal with this in a private manner. Eddie McGuire, you are a [censored]!

What I don't understand is why the people who have Liam's best interests at heart, would let him do the interview without the club's permission. It doesn't make sense, and I am sure there is some reasonable explanation. As for Eddie, he is a disgraceful low-life scumbag. Should be ashamed and disgusted at his behaviour, but clearly his enormous ego and tiny brain would prevent him from ever feeling remorse. He seems to really enjoy sabotaging our club. I hope Melbourne puts a blanket ban on anyone at the club ever doing an interview with this [censored]. Be it on his devoid-of-any-content Foxtel show, or his MMM show. What a joke.

Yeah, because Liam is such a chatterbox, he is likely to blab to a journalist. I'm 140% sure that Liam did the interview with the club and his lawyer's blessing. We probably need to give him a bit more credit.

There was nothing sinister in it. It was simply Eddie asking Jurrah if he still wanted to play footy, to which he replied that besides family, footy is the most important thing and that he wants to continue living his dream. His grandma then spoke of the importance of Liam playing footy and what it means to his community and other indigenous kids living in remote communities. They mentioned nothing of the case at all. Had to turn it off as soon as Scully's face appeared on my screen. Kid makes me want to projectile vomit while throwing sharp objects at the TV. A lying, manipulative, heartless [censored].

Fingers crossed it's Starwood, and not just because I want a discount at my favourite hotel in KL, which is a Starwood hotel B)

I don't buy the leg excuse. McKenzie has had about 2 weeks of pre- season and was on the bottom of every bloody pack. You either want to go hard, or you don't. Sadly, Davey is the only player in our midfield who can hit a target, so he will get plenty of game time. Find me a replacement, and I'll be happy.

Indeed. Some weeks it seems a bit pointless caring about footy. Exhausting and defeating.

Get poor Davis off Hale. FFS what is the point?

And it's a pretty big one. You can win a flag with average towards and defenders, but nobody has ever won a flag with a crap midfield lacking class.

Umpiring today has been massively sh!t, but that is what happens when you are constantly chasing tail. Our midfield is really just incredibly poor.

Why? Why must we always look so pathetic against this team? I don't expect a win but I expect us not to fall over so weakly without a yelp.

This team of absolute [censored], have had the wood over us for years. Not just because they are supremely talented, but also because they treat us with such contempt and we let them. They know they can throw us around and take the [censored] and they do. All I want in the second half is to see us stand up and dish out some tough treatment. Not stupid punches to the head like Sylvia's heroic moment, but really hurt them in tackles, and make them realise that we aren't their [censored]. For now they are miles better than us, and maybe that will never change, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't expect to leave the ground sore and bruised. If we turn this into a hard slog, as opposed to an easy victory, I'll be happy.

Not even in the same league. Jurrah a proven AFL gun who kicks bags, Magner a 24 year old yet to play a real match. I hope he is alright, because he is good and can help us with his size and inside skills, but how quickly we forget what Jurrah can do.

Watts doing well. Howey is seriously a gun. Could be anything. Should be a high half forward. Amazing skills. Our midfield is really lacking class and I really don't know where it's going to come from.

Inexcusable start. Our midfield is so bad when pinned up against actual quality. It's sad.

Here is the thing, we are f'ing woeful against top quality attacking teams still. Looser than a cheap prostitute. For shame.

I question why they haven't rested Jamar yet. If he gets injured, we are f*&cked, if he gets sore and tired by round 15, we are f*&cked. Basically, he would be my #1 most important player and without him we are doomed to a life of midfield epic failure. Somebody wrap him up and put him away until Rd 1!

What I meant was, that I don't want players getting a game because they behaved better than their teammates. It's different if a player is punished for bad behaviour, but players shouldn't be rewarded with games for good behaviour. It is expected that everyone behaves well off the field, and therefore on field selection is based on on field output only.

Interestingly we haven't heard from dictator Demetriou yet, or the AFLPA. I assume they were waiting for legal matters to be sorted today, but you would assume that it would be up to the club to choose his penalty. St Kilda weren't made to sack Andrew Lovett, and Collingwood weren't told to suspend Didak. Plenty of players have been through the courts before and generally the AFL stays out of it and lets the club handle the situation. If Melbourne decide not to play him, then the AFLPA might intervene.

Agreed. If he wasn't a footballer, what would have become of him after Wednesday night? Football is his salvation, and the only reason he has to stay in Melbourne and help himself and his family to a better life. I have no doubt that he is well aware of that, and realises that without footy his life will be very different. That's why his people are very keen and supportive of his career, because they understand the wonderful implications of having stability, a career, money, and most importantly something real to focus on. He has done an extraordinary thing for his people and his community already, he has given them a name, and a voice and a place on the map, and his power and influence will continue to grow if he remains a successful footballer. We should be doing everything we can to help him achieve that goal, not for our own selfish needs (because lets face it, he is a gun footballer and we need him in the team), but because it is the right thing to do for someone who has very little to fall back on.

Rubbish. No teammate of Jurrah's would wish ill upon him, and no player would ever begrude him if he made his way back onto the field. Players will lose their spot in the side because they are not good enough. I don't want players getting games based on their off field behaviour.

I certainly don't envy the club. Whatever they choose to do, they will be critised. It's a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't. We definitely need to show Jurrah a different level of compassion and understanding because he is coming from a very different culture, and the circumstances he finds himself under are complex, dangerous, and extremely personal. None of us can say how we would behave if our family was in danger, and none of us truly understand what goes on in Liam's community. The fact that he's injured and unable to play makes it easier for now, it means he can go about his rehab away from the public eye, and things will naturally settle down. What sort of 'punishment' the club hands out, I am not sure. Certainly the drinking needs to be addressed, but our club cannot get involved in legal matters. We can't act as judge or jury, and I personally hope we offer Jurrah all the legal support afforded to us, and let the courts settle the charges. It will not be beneficial for Jurrah if we take a hard line. What he needs now is support, and understanding, and to feel like, in losing his right to return to his real home in the near future, that he still has a nurturing environment and a home in Melbourne. If we push him too hard, he'll retreat, and that puts his career in real danger, which will put his life in real danger. I would hope the club can resolve this issue of Liam wanting or needing to return home while this situation with his family and community continues. If Liam cannot remove himself for that danger, and won't feel emotionally satisfied in Melbourne, then there is no hope of him ever continuing at the club. Because while my heart goes out to him, and while I absolutely want us to help him escape charges and return to the field, we cannot ever find ourselves in this situation again.

OK so it sounds like he was drinking (not good, and deserves punishment from the club, as you do not go out and get drunk during pre-season), and when he felt he was under attack he picked up a weapon to protect himself. It doesn't sound like he rocked up somewhere with a weapon looking to pick a fight and hurt somebody. Whether it was him or the other man who actually caused the injury to the third party, remains the question. An incredibly sad situation. Just thinking how many other talented, promising young men and women live up there who never get any real life opportunity, is devestating. At least Jurrah has his talent and his career to hold onto if he so chooses.