Lucifers Hero

Its interesting that the AFL has put its chips on Essendon on the back of their 'successful' trading...last time I looked their only trade of note was Shiel. Last year the AFL put its chips on Carlton who have now been banished to day games (only two night games). Backing Ess could easily backfire, not as spectacularly as Carlton did but backfire nonetheless. But hey, couldn't happen to a 'nicer' club!!!

Home games at the G vs Ess, Hawks, Tigers and Pies is huge for us financially. Also huge for fans to see us play some really big games at the G. Will be good for memberships. Lots of good value games to watch - a few may be sell out games! Edit: Not fussed that ANZAC and QB are 'Away' as we only miss out on hosting rights - the 'return' games will still get good crowds as fans come to the G to watch some damn good games.

Travis Auld: “We want to bolster Friday nights, we want to make sure that Thursday and Fridays are really strong that those feature events are there.” "We want to reward teams that have been playing really good football...West Coast and Collingwood are the two obvious ones but Melbourne and Essendon look quite exciting after trade period...So we want to feature them in the right spots as often as we can.” Melbourne and Essendon set to take centre stage Thursday and Friday nights here we come!! Hopefully a few are home games at the G as better for our sponsors and members!

Not sure if this is guesswork but here is a view of the Easter - Anzac weeks. Thursday 18 April: Easter Thursday (Brisbane v Collingwood?) Friday 19 April: Good Friday game (North Melbourne v Essendon?) Saturday 20 April: Four games Sunday 21 April: Easter Sunday, two games Monday 22 April: Easter Monday (Geelong v Hawthorn) Tuesday 23 April: No footy Wednesday 24 April: Anzac Eve (Richmond v Melbourne) Thursday 25 April: Anzac Day (Collingwood v Essendon) Friday 26 April: Friday Night Footy Saturday 27 April: Four games Sunday 28 April: Two games Easter and Anzac Logjam Presumably the AFL will keep the Rich vs Coll and Demons vs Ess as the games post ANZAC day. Hopefully, Melb and Richmond play their Pre Anzac games on the same day, ideally Sat April 20, altho the article suggests Rich could play North on Good Friday. I just hope we are not disadvantaged by having the shortest breaks during that 3 week period relative to our opps. Will put my hand up as being wrong about an Ess vs Carlton Good Friday Eve match. It was requested by Ess and endorsed by Carlton but fortunately the AFL had different ideas.

Heard the news? The AFL wants 'Carlton to be Great Again'!!! AFL general manager...Travis Auld: the Blues were never going to be stripped of the fixture privilege despite their struggles in recent seasons. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-27/afl-reveals-opening-round-fixture-for-2019 Carlton will get other favours one way or another: The new Good Friday Eve vs Ess game, also a stand alone, marquee Thur night game. They may have less Fri nights but will still get some, will have lots of Home games at the G vs big Vic clubs (good for revenue) and will get more than their fair share of FTA broadcast time slots eg Saturday night and Sun afternoons. Yes, some sour grapes on my part when it comes to Carlton's many privileges but mostly I feel for the likes of North, Bulldogs and Saints who are small and get few favours to help grow: Catch -22!!

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Fair comments by those that suggest a crowd of 25K+ will break even/make money. But this for the majority of the season from smallish crowds vs i/state and small Vic clubs is not financially beneficial. But, my comment re financial impact of Home game opponents was that if the majority are vs 1/state or small Vic teams we are being disadvantaged. Imagine the difference to our bottom line if we played Ess, Hawth, Rich or even Carlton at Home at least once each season. Anyway, I feel we have earnt the right to host those clubs at the G. Will eagerly await the fixture to see how we fare. I bet Carlton do better than us at the G and they aren't even a tenant! Ditto Essendon but to a lesser extent.

The AGE: "The AFL...is set to reveal the full fixture on Wednesday" The Easter/ANZAC fixturing will be interesting to see which of the 4 ANZAC game teams get advantaged. Ess have pushed for a new time slot - Good Friday Eve game vs Carlton. So Ess will have the biggest advantage over that period. As we play them after ANZAC Eve I'm preparing for disappointing news on length of our breaks between games. Hopefully, we play Easter Saturday afternoon.

I'm not so sure it will. Remember we are now out of pokies so that revenue is gone. Sure, winning games will bring out our demon fans but not i/state fans and we need big crowds to boost revenue and to keep Home games at the G which means a decent number of opposition fans. Home games vs Port, GWS, GCS, Freo, StK, North, Syd, Brisb just aren't going to fill the seats and help us financially (and fund things like new facilities). We have now earnt the right to get a decent fixture that will help us financially and our Home game opponents is a key part of that.

Port is not a good start to the season financially. We will probably lose money or barely break even. Last year the majority of our Home games at the G were against i/state teams or small Vic teams both of which are terrible for our Revenue. Add to that our two Home games in NT and our revenue from Home games becomes rather meagre. In 2019 we will be relying on the QB vs Coll games to top up the coffers (ANZAC Eve is Away). Oh, and please no more gifting Carlton and Essendon 4 - 6 Home games each at the G. It is not their home ground. Let them play at Marvel!!

Updated for upgrade of Maynard to the Seniors. Have used draft pick #104 for the upgrade (it could end up being #91 if we don't use it at the draft). We now have 34 senior players and need at least 4 to reach the minimum list of 38 which can be covered with our 4 draft picks. To reach the max list of 40 we need a Delisted FA or two or upgrade another Rookie. Still haven't seen anything official on the Keilty and T. Smith Rookie extensions for 2019...

Last year we traded Balic in on a one year contract but not sure if that is allowed for a Rookie upgrade. Its worth noting Maynard is already contracted for 2019, as a Rookie. The announcement is silent on contract term so on the face of it, it looks like a change of status only, giving him better income. I hope his contract was extended - if good enough to be upgraded then good enough to get an extra year or two. But it is odd the announcement didn't indicate such. Edit: we will use draft pick #91 or #104 to upgrade Maynard and counts as one of the three minimum draft picks we are required to take.

More insight into the draw: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-26/aflw-fixture-a-clubbyclub-breakdown-of-who-plays-who Summary: 'Teams Not Played' happens because of the Conference system. It is easy to see how unequal the draw is when Collingwood, Adelaide, Brisbane and others don't play the recent Premiers ? whereas we play both!! We have the toughest draw by playing all teams bar a newbie, Geelong and last years cellar dweller, Carlton. We have two trips interstate: Brisb and Sydney but fortunately no game in NT. Collingwood has the dream run just one trip interstate, Freo and doesn't play either of the two Premiers. Also get to open the season again! Don't know what the Demons and Bulldogs, the pioneers of the sport, have to do to get some recognition! Well, at least Carlton aren't opening the season any longer. Their low scoring, boring game cost the competition's 'brand' last year. It will be interesting to see who gets the prize with the most and best broadcasting time slots. Undoubtedly, Collingwood will feature handsomely! The challenge for us will be covering the loss of Daisy.

This is from Bernie https://www.playersvoice.com.au/bernie-vince-beginning-not-end/2/ A great read. My two favourite parts are: the section on RISE OF THE DEES where he reflects on how things changed from when he arrrived. when he told teammates he was retiring: "Michael Hibberd didn’t make it any easier. He was crying in the front row the whole time I was addressing the boys. I was looking at him thinking, ‘Mate, are you walking away as well?’ The boys joked that he was only crying because he was losing his drinking partner...But it was lovely. It will stay with me forever". That Bernie and Hibberd played together for only two seasons speaks volumes about the comradeship built among the players. Bernie's love for the dees really comes across. He is another player who came to us when we were a basket case and ploughed thru the tough times and gave his all. Love everything about Bernie! Will miss him but glad there are plans to keep him around the club.

BUMP! Looks like Jack will get another year at Port. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-24/port-trio-set-for-lifelines-rookie-still-in-limbo Rapt for him. Of all people he deserves to keep his AFL dream alive.

Yes, 5kg heavier (96 kilos) but 5cm shorter. That in itself tells a story. I have a niggling doubt - that he might be of the Watts, Hogan mould. Talent to burn, lauded as a star before time but struggles with motivation to do the difficult things to be the best he can be eg diet, fitness. Jessie leaving really opens up the forward line for Trac to kick more goals and find space. Hope that is enough motivation to step up: He would be aware that his contemporaries at the dees and elsewhere ie JDG have moved well past him. Time for him to shine, to cast away the doubts.

Just for interest - here is a list of the Academy and F/S players in the draft and where some pundits have them. I've seen some mock drafts with North's Tarryn Thomas going in mid 1st round. With all those 2nd round possibilities, I can see our pick #54 going up the draft to the low 40's and pick #62 up to the low 50's - pick #53 perhaps ?

Just for interest - here is a list of the Academy and F/S players in the draft and where some pundits have them. I've seen some mock drafts with North's Tarryn Thomas going in mid 1st round. With all those 2nd round possibilities, I can see our pick #54 going up the draft to the low 40's and pick #62 up to the low 50's - pick #53 perhaps ?

Thank your to posters for feedback and corrections. Changes were fix draft pick error - we have #54 but not #36. Also updated for T.Smith and Keilty being re-contracted as 'A' Rookies for 2019. So we need to fill a minimum of 5 (maximum of 7) list spots and with 4 effective draft picks we would be looking at one to three Restricted Free Agents.

Mahoney said May will be the General of the backline. So it doesn't matter if he isn't in the 'official' Leadership Group. Lynch isn't coveting Cotchin's captain role and I suspect May to have the same approach and probably quite happy to have that burden lifted and settle into our structures and our culture.

Hey, MAH, I recall somewhere you mentioned that Keilty and T Smith had been re-signed for another year as Rookies. Would like to update the 'Contracts' thread but have been unable to find anything from the club. I noticed the AFL article showed no-one at mfc was still un-signed but do you know if Keilty/Smith contract extensions have been officially announced. Thanks.

Interesting there is a bit of that recently. Paul Roos preached that approach when FA was first mooted. Except cellar dwellers, clubs realise they can control the trade and will get better draft picks/players if they trade players before their FA year. The whole comp really benefits from pre FA trading: Firstly, there are fewer FA comp picks to distort the draft. Next year Shiel, May, Neale and Wingard would all generate 1st round FA comp picks. 2019's premier's first pick would be about 22 or over! Secondly, and this is really significant: the receiving club does not get the player free. Imagine those 4 going to Essendon, Demons, Brisbane and Hawthorn next year for nothing! Collectively they paid about 6 first round picks and some second round picks/players (+/- bits and pieces). This is much fairer than a system which allows a premier to get a key forward (Lynch) for zip! A huge free kick to an already strong team. As an aside, For the demons Roos, Goodwin et al have done a great job of insulating us from the 'go-home' factor. Our interstate players are Jetta, May and Neal-Bullen. I doubt they are going anywhere so we are reasonably protected from losing our best talent when they reach FA status.

Unfortunately, Essendon has already earmarked the Good Friday Eve game but against Carlton and to make it an annual event. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-proposes-good-friday-eve-blockbuster-against-carlton-for-2019-20180809-p4zwlb.html It is yet to be ok'd by AFL but wouldn't be surprised if it happens - AFL is still trying to get Carlton 'successful again...' As we will play Ess the week after Anzac Eve/Day - it gives them a big advantage by having a longer break before the Anzac games. Hopefully we get Saturday afternoon to even it up a bit. Will be filthy if we get Sunday twilight. As an aside, I just don't get this fixation of including Carlton in big games. They do not deserve the permanent opening season fixture and certainly don't deserve the Good Friday Eve game.

He still loves Jessie. ? The video of him hearing the sad news is in this link How many kids going this. I am especially thinking of the little guy in the pic below who is the son of @markc Hope your little fella and family find a new demon hero.

It was mentioned somewhere that Carlton tried to get him during this year for a similar job. Being a smart fellow, he turned them down but that was when there was much talk that he was a serious contender to replace Jackson. Hopefully, he and Pert become good mates. But he is such a good operator, for his career development he will move on at some stage. Hopefully, not before we deliver a premiership or two.