Norm Smith's Curse

If his intention was to force the club to get better by making it publically accountable the problem is that it may potentially scare off any recruit thinking about coming to the Dees. But I still think the main issue started at the injury because he has barely been at the club since.

If he ends up at Collingwood I will expunge every memory or thought I ever had about footy and follow lawn bowls...

That is literally the fifth version of the same events ive read in this thread alone.

If Melbourne is too much of a shambles how come it nearly beat his side with half of its side out injured?

Yes may have been a 'Grand New Flag' level rumour though.

For players to be going semi public tells me that what ever has happened - be it player conflict, differing standards, no dh policy no longer in action, etc it tells me that the damage is seen as beyond repair.

Yeah tis a pity that we thought that once we had a premiership the old - care about furniture or now partying more than footy - Melbourne would be gone...

Incorrect.

Parker's best is behind him and I believe he once rejected an offer to come to the Dee's but I think he would be an ideal soldier.

I don't think Hunter will be getting an extension..

The weird thing here is that all of this gets played out in the public arena. The Clarry situation, the being floated for trade. And now Petracca seemingly angry about his treatment by club during injury or being frustrated with other players slacking off/up to no good, a divide between the professional players and the party boys. None of this being out in the public will solve the issues. In fact it's likely to worsen them, put off potential trades to the club and entrench positions.

Apparently Houston spent time reading Demonland and that changed his mind.

Mitch is a pretty solid VFL player and at times does look a cut above but surely we have to back our youngsters and development

Yeah its very easy to preach all that from outside, but Trac is a generational talent of the like we have not had for decades prior. If you asked the average supporter who they would choose to stay at the club v Tracc I think there would be few or anyone we would choose over him. His frustrations could be about things that if we also knew we would be just as frustrated with - we just dont know other than the whispers that go around that may or may not be on the money.

This is an insane post. Houston is a genuine a grader. A proven a grader.

Schwartz sounds like he is on the money given what has occured on and off the field. I think a lot more to the story.

Ah Melbourne. Even a premiership can't change it.

The window is shut and the rebuild begins. That is the direction some folk aren't happy with.

No apparently Covid being in the air stopped the curse for working for a year or two before switching back on.

The only scoops I ever got were from an old guy at the golf club who I now suspect was slipping into dementia. His strike rate beyond Kennedy for Howe was very low.

Yeah the word i heard was the family were panicking thinking his life was in danger with emergency blood transfusions and the club were busy posting that he would be back playing in 6-8 weeks. The priorities were way off.

Best post of the night!

Yeah I've heard a bit of this as well. Nothing overly positive.

I've heard a rumour they are bringing Mark Neeld out of retirement for a wholesale clean out. A hand of pics and every superstar spurned for a might-be if we are lucky.

I'd think this is mainly to do with the the injury and the years of kicking into a dysfunctional attack. But the club posting that he will be back in 6-8 while he is in hospital having an emergency blood transfusion said a lot. The weird 'dont complain about injuries, sickness or use them as an excuse' mentality at the Dees just doesn't understand the modern reality. But if I was Trac and his family panicking that he was going to die while the club was posting that kind of thing would have annoyed me also.