Lucifers Hero

That is effectively what I was saying in the post above yours: extra contract years = more income and more 'security'. Foot could deteriorate at any time. Naturally he wants max $ and high $ in earlier years achieves the same result but will be difficult with sal caps going down.

I'm wondering whether the contract term is an issue. Jack will be 27 next April. At any time his foot could deteriorate so he may be looking for a 4/5 year deal taking him out to 31 or 32. Nothing against Jack but I hope we don't offer that. In recent times we have given a lot of 4/5 year deals: TMac (when he had a significant toe injury), Harmes, Langdon, Lever, Tomlinson, May, Brayshaw etc. While some were necessary how many can we have without impacting list management flexibility. eg TMac, Tomlinson and Harmes are not best 22 yet signed until 2022, 2023, and 2024 respectively. Difficult to trade players out for any value when they are not in best 22. Geelong tend to not offer longer term contracts. With their interest in Daniher and Crouch and not being a club who pay overs there is a good chance they don't take Jack. But Geelong wouldn't be the only club considering Jack as an FA.

I'm more confident of beating Ess than I was a few days ago. If Daniher goes, which seems likely, they will get a 1st round pick immediately after their natural pick. On current ladder position that is pick 6 and 7. If they beat us and end up 11th they will have pick 8 and 9. That differential could be enough to make them tank.

Bulldogs, who are still in finals contention, have announce departures of Assistant Coaches. bulldogs-assistant-coaches-salary-cap-financial-impact Look fwd to our changes. Clean out essential.

No. If Hawks are prepared to let him go after giving up Pick 15, 35 and Burton (who was pick #19 just two years earlier) there is a problem. iirc didn't he tell GWS or GCS to not draft him as he wouldn't go there. Stay away.

Nev is contracted for next year. Jones is said to be on min contract. And he might stay next year. The club has additional critical signings: Jackson and Rivers are OOC next year. Petty is OOC this year. They are the best of our up and coming players whom I hope we re-sign ASAP. Fortunately Kozzie is signed until 2022. Not to mention attracting a player we need. It is said the sal cap will go down significantly so the club has to be disciplined with how they spend it.

If we match the offer he probably stays and there will be no picks and other trades. Geelong don't muck around. They are honest brokers but they drive very hard bargains eg they got Rohan, Dalhaus and Stevens for 3rd round/ 4th round picks but didn't let Kelly ago until they got the deal they wanted which happened a year later. Geelong will take him as an FA but probably not entertain a trade. And they are linked to Jeremy Cameron who is also an FA so if they were going to trade for an FA it is more likely Cameron. If the club believes they have put a fair deal to Jack they should stick to it and let the cards fall where they may. If he stays it has to be on the clubs terms.

Worsfold has put the cat among the pigeons on his way out: “I understand that Essendon people think that Essendon should be better, but they’ve also got to understand that the competition challenges clubs now to work to the same rules – the draft and the salary cap. “No one team has any more right to be successful quicker than any other team, just because they’re a big-name club.” Just love that! Big slap down to those entitled cheats. Thrashing them next week will be a delightful end to our year; not a substitute for finals but a good consolation prize.

Ess are setting themselves to win next week: This week they left out Hooker (omitted) and Hurley (injured but not on their injury list) and didn't bring in Francis, Laverde or Bellchambers who were all 'Test'. Wouldn't be surprised to see the majority of them come in next week. They lost 20% of their membership this year and will be keen to end the season on a high note - that means our scalp. They will give it all they have and we need to be ready. Can't mark it down as a win for us.

Mathematically possible. But I think our race is run. Too little. Too late. Only thing left is to smash the bombers.

Maybe he does want to be at the dees but on his terms. No player is bigger than the club. Hope the club sticks to its guns.

Great feedback to him from May on playing his role by reinforcing the right behaviours: “Both of his goals came from closing down his man and winning the ball back… I told him that’s what happens when you work hard and play your role. “I’m super proud of him and that should give him a lot of confidence.”

I was thinking Crows overtaking North (who play the Eagles next week) on %. But agree Crows will lose to Rich so probably won't get the % boost to get off the bottom.

Good on them. Showing that pride is more important than pick 1 (or they can still get the draftee they want with pick 2).

I had used the 'Ha Ha' icon for this post but worried you might think I was ridiculing your comments so changed it to 'Like'.?

Crows are on a roll: thrashing Carlton. That might change but they have a big 5 goal lead! Glad we played Crows when we did.

A trivial question: How should we interpret the 'Laughing/Ha Ha' reaction icon? The Old and new software don't credit it as a +1 in the 'Community Reputation'. I've noticed that most of the time posters use it as a +'ve as they like the humour rather than a -'ve 'ha ha, that is sarcastic' type response. I'm sure the funny people don't care whether they get credit but should I change to using 'Like' rather than 'Ha Ha' in acknowledging witty posts?

Tom Green had an excellent game last night but as he has been nominated already there is an excellent chance Rivers will get the nod this week. Not just for his overall game but the composure and quick thinking he showed to kick the critical goal that gave us a lead we could defend to win the game.

Fabulous wit!

Our finals pathways: Melbourne has a number of options of how to play finals from here - all reliant on them beating the Bombers. - If the Saints lose to the Giants, and if it’s a big enough loss to impact the percentage gap, the Demons should make it; - If the Bulldogs lose at least once, the Demons should make it; - If the Magpies lose twice, the Demons should make it. top-eight-race-ladder-predictor

Adelaide tanked! They rested players and iirc they made some unbelievable decisions during the game to avoid scoring. They had the 'Live Ladder' at the ground so they could see exactly the score they needed to lose to keep us out. They didn't want us in the finals and they wanted a better draft pick (they held our 1st rnd pick). Very different this time. The Deja vu I was referring to was having to sit and wait after messing up our chances to make finals in our own right.

A few days ago I was in the 'must keep Jack' camp. But since it seems he is driving the move to go, which he has every right to do, it suggests the 'bleeds red and blue' we love about him isn't so strong. And maybe I was wrong in thinking he is the 'bellwether' for the team. Last night there was so much genuine enthusiasm by our under 25 brigade says we have a lot to work with. And seeing how May plays and hearing how he has helped Rivers and Weideman with their games says there are other great, or even better role models at the club: May is knowledgeable, tough, committed, disciplined and does the team things. Jack had little time in the midfield last night which was odd given Brayshaw was out. Jack doesn't have another position. With Gus to come back in and Sparrow and Jordon being groomed for midfield roles we have plenty of coverage if he goes. So if Jack goes, I wish him well. If he stays I hope it is on the club's terms.

There in lies the problem. I don't think he can change and it doesn't look like he wants to. After 8 years he still has no right side, doesn't look for options and as you say doesn't do the team things. Finesse? I hate to say it but he is a 'brawn rather than brain' type player. Love his toughness but gee he costs the team in so many ways. Not the least of which is his 'non team first' style of play sets a poor example, especially to younger team mates.

I'm optimistic that Freo can beat the Bulldogs next week. They have developed the 'possession/control' game plan ala Eagles, Cats that works very well vs 'chaos/play on' teams. Freo have been in Cairns for a few weeks so are more acclimatised to the weather. Next round will be nerve ranking, especially if we beat Ess and we have to sit around and wait for the Freo/WBD. Deja vu to 2017; hopefully with a better result. If we make finals we can do some damage in the early rounds by playing the way we played last night.

The center bounce mids set up seemed to be Oliver, Petracca, Melksham and AvB for most of the game. Viney had one clearance suggesting he had little time in the midfield which seems rather odd with Brayshaw out. If my observation is correct were we experimenting, if Viney goes? As it turned out we went very well. Does anyone have access to the 'Centre Bounce Attendance' stat?