Ouch!

oh, sorry he's had media attention! 😲 damn, how could I have missed that part. Thanks, phew my life now will so much easier, I can just let the media tell me what is true! The rumour is floating around because people are bored, and the MFC is an easy target at the moment with the mess they are in. Petracca was 100% gone, before he wasn't, and my statement where I changed a couple of words is absolutely as accurate as your words were, it is not nonsense. It's just opinions!

sorry, back for another crack at this post. Can I just flip some of your words.... and in doing so they are still 100% as accurate as yours. Humour me. "At no point in time has Oliver actually come out and said that he is leaving. As it stands today, Oliver is a Dees player." Oliver does not have to say anything, and nor should he. Tim Lamb and Brad Green publicly have said he isn't going anywhere. Technically as it stands today, that is the ONLY definitive statement about Oliver that has been made. Should I believe them? not definitively, but I trust them more than Barrett, McClure and the others that are bored because nothing is happening.

.......OR!. No trades since day one and they have nothing else to talk about. Graeme Wright as CEO was the most exciting thing that happened on trade radio,.... not sure if Collingwood gets a future president in return.

Had to turn off a trade radio podcast about the Dees today, listening to Barrett talking about Melbourne.... it's almost like he's too slow and old to be a gutter journalist like McClure or Morris, but he's still just absolutely trashing everything about Melbourne. The only good part about the segment was that Bickley was actually a lot more measured, but I think I heard 2-3 minutes and realised the best piece of journalism outta Damo's mouth in the last year has probably been one of his 'recipes' that he talks about on the Sounding Board podcast. It's like everyone else including some of the [censored] have moved on, and his brain has only discovered it was newsworthy two weeks ago!

Rarely are donations provided with absolutely pure philanthropic intent behind them. It often has intent or purpose for how or what the money is used for. Perhaps even as innocent as having the ear of someone in influence. I don't know this person at all, however I've received e-mails and it probably is a smart thing to not have any strings attached whilst things play out.

could be worse, he could have bought Rhys Stanley or Tom Stewart!

and by manage do you mean cover things up and pretend that they aren't happening?

.... so Clarry had no part to play in all of this? No one likes this situation, but it aint all on the club here.

Can I ask people an honest question? there are a lot of rumours about Clarry. If only a few of them are true, and the decision has been to part ways as the best option for all parties. Is it not incumbent on the MFC to look at the best option for itself, whilst also attempting to facilitate something that is in Clarry's interests too? I have no inside info, I have no clue as to whether there is any language of "him or me" with Petracca, and I hate that we seem to be firmly in the spotlight yet again.... but 6 years left at a mil a season, which apparently is 7-8% of our cap. If we can facilitate an outcome of a 1st round pick and a good player that meets our needs, we may need to act for the best interests of the club. The MFC played the tough love card at the start of the season with Clarry, and I don't think they can play it again with him. I understand also that this is one of those decisions that can break a club, but it can also help galvanise (especially as it would appear that this is just one of those things that will not go away) I don't judge anyone for hating the club if a call is made here. TBH I'm still struggling with what happened to Gus, and seeing him make that speech and still looking like he is struggling with what has been put upon him.... so yeah I get the emotions.

It's the logical one given the connection to the club, and that he's just coached the premiership midfield, however I think I heard Greg Swan on the radio over the weekend saying that most of their football dept have been signed up for next year and beyond, so probably unlikely. Seem to also recall that unless it's being put up as a 'Senior assistant role' most clubs are reluctant to let assistants move clubs across in essentially the same role if under contract.

I'm all for bashing the journalists, but he isn't taking a pot shot at us, With McQualter moving to West Coast, and it's got nothing to do with our club, it's about opportunity.. It will be a fascinating to see where we go to recruit for both vacant positions.

Yup, I've heard whispers that Wright is coming in to head up the football dept down here in Tas. Likely to be one of Brendan Gale's first appointments when he comes on board in the next few months.

Hmmm, yeah I thought Melksham is possibly in his last season too. Believe me I am not saying he wouldn't be bad as depth, more that why would he move clubs to play reserves with us as depth, he could do that playing for St Kilda with the 1yr or whatever is on the table? Basically go to Richmond or Nth if you want an almost guaranteed game in the AFL, and I know MFC forward line has flaws, I just don't think a medium forward is our issue.

nah, triggers too much when you get to Cale-M ....orton.

Who is he the upgrade on in our forward line. I'm not saying he is a bad player, I like him and he is in accurate enough kick for goal. But where does he fit, as he wouldn't be swapping to another team just to play in the VFL. If we are interested in Membrey, it suggests we lack confidence in Jefferson, McAdam, or the others to take that next step next year. Whilst our forward line was not great, and not pretending it is, however when Melk came back later in the year I thought, Turner, JVR, Fritter, and Petty started to work things out between them. We lack a crumbing small option when Kozzy isn't up there. I don't know if we lack for medium forwards.

I think ANB and McAdam for 25 is fair. We kicked the tyres but would prefer a refund. Sure it might look like we are giving them ANB for nothing, I'd prefer to say we are trading ANB for 25 and giving back the steak knives.

you can probably get a cream for that yeast infection! But the applicator 😬

Do we need to help Brand Petracca with getting this thread to above Watts and Hogan page count? It's the least we should be doing as supporters :D

Don't disagree, but I don't think it matters. If you chose to bump, and you make contact with the head you are stuffed.

Correct. So statistically minded me checked a few ruckmen, and these were just some who came to mind. Aaron Sandilands went on till 36 Dean Cox was 33 Todd Goldstein is 36 and still playing Simon Madden was 35 ish Justin Madden was 35 ish @Cranky Franky Why can't Gawn go on for a similar amount of time?, given that this extension doesn't mean he'll be captain for another 3 years, or even that he'll be our main ruck. Note I am not disagreeing with your comments that you would prefer single year contracts, as I would with most players north of 30yrs. There is no doubt that the timing of Gawns statement, lined up with the Petracca and Viney speculation is designed to show a fair dollop of confidence in the club and it's direction.

Nibbler has become one of my favourites after initially being a little critical of his finishing, but has worked on that, and would be gutted to lose him. Behind Gawn (and Gus :( )he's probably the one guy I love listening to in the media too! The bigger issue than this news is that this appears to be leaked and to be honest whoever is leaking to the media currently needs to be dealt with immediately. If Nibblers intention is to get back to Adelaide and be close to family then I wish him and the family well. We will get good compensation for a him I suspect, and if we can somehow leverage this with Port and a deal for Houston it could work out as a net win for both parties, although I suspect both trades would be done separately. I'll hate seeing him in other team colours, but family comes first.

I'm not even sure that C Scott was suggesting that they were covering the players in the absence. Just that when things normalise, they are stronger as a result. I don't think Cameron will be too much of a loss for Brisbane, they have other forwards to cover and he's not in great form. Losing Neale would hurt them more.

same, we need to be a team that is more than just one player, and I think we are proving that. Hearing Chris Scott on AFL 360 was interesting the other night. Talking about not having Guthrie and Dangerfield meant that they could put more time into Bruhn and Bowes. Ultimately in the end when these established players come back, the group as a whole is strengthened, and better than if they didn't have that opportunity. Getting games into Tholstrup & Moniz Wakefield by placing Rivers in the midfield makes our list stronger as a whole, when we do eventually get Petracca back into the team, we are all the better. Match Committee obviously haven't thought that the scenario with Gawn is the same by bringing in new players, but by stretching our existing players by putting them in unfamiliar roles is a better path at the moment.

I think the boys will, and rightly should be hurting after the poor effort in Alice Springs too… we lost a heap of credibility that day so beat them on their home deck in front of their supporters would also be a sweet way to earn some respect again.

Very nice win without some of the best players in our squad. Good job boys!!