Lucifers Hero

Sydney has a novel solution to a training base - put the oval in the middle of the Randwick Race Course!!! "... the facility will also be used by the Swans NEAFL side, its academy as well as for junior participation". https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-field-to-be-built-in-middle-of-royal-randwick-20180709-p4zqbi.html The article doesn't say it, I would think the training oval will have the same dimensions as the MCG. An MCG sized training oval seems to be the solution for i/state teams and teams to whom the MCG isn't their Home ground. Its no mean feat to find create a training oval in the middle of inner Sydney. Good on them for being innovative.

The past is done and dusted. The St Kilda loss is the most glaring hiccup on this year's finals charge but other winnable losses also hurt. Bottom line is making the 8 is still in our control.

We aren't the only ones with a difficult run to make finals. How the contenders shape up: The Pies and Sydney have the toughest run. Both have quite a few injuries and I'm counting 5 of their 7 games to be 8 point games. So I reckon spots 2 to 5 could change quite a bit. While Adelaide and Ess are effectively out of the running they can still mess up the Wins/Losses for the contenders. Wouldn't mind it if the young Lions pinch a game here or there! I reckon we will make it: wins vs WB, Adel, GCS. Geelong is 50/50. They are playing poorly and their narrow ground suits our game plan (altho they will have an extra two days rest). WCE and GWS are also 50/50 depending on how many of their injured players are back at the time we play them. Sydney is a loss for mine. Unless North completely lose the plot their very easy run will get them in. Ditto Hawks. Who drops out of the 8 for North. Demons or Cats? We must beat Geelong to get a game up on them.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-07-06/comment-blues-roos-and-saints-should-shift-focus-to-class-of-2019-mids " If the 26-year-old re-signs with the Eagles – or if he enters free agency and signs with the Demons..." Its part of a wider story on the bottom teams chasing a 'big fish'.

Very, very damning of the anti-ageing doctor at the heart of this saga. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/essendon-saga-doctor-acted-at-highest-end-of-unprofessional-conduct-20180705-p4zpry.html VCAT found “... Dr Willcourt’s conduct to be at the ‘highest end’ of unprofessional conduct,”. Yet, the penalty was just $7,000! And VCAT rejected the Medical Board's bid "... to force Dr Willcourt to undertake education and be required to practice under supervision." Should have been banned!! Instrumental in damaging the lives of 34 young men.

Update for re-signing of Harmes till 2020 and Wagner till 2019. Nev and Oscar are in contract discussions with the club. A bit concerned that no word of Gus contract talks starting. Given some selections/non-selections of late, I would be very surprised if we don't trade out a contracted player/s. Especially, if we want to upgrade our Draft position. GCS need experienced players and will have plenty of draft picks to play with. We have had good draft relations with them (pick trade to get Oliver, even after Howe pulled out of the trade at the last minute) so could easily see trading with them, if any of our players agree to go there.

Absolute gold! Gave me a big LOL!

No change for nearly two weeks?. Either staff are on holidays or prospective members saw the writing on the wall after the Port game... Just a few weeks till the cut off date. Its good to break last years record but oh, what might have been...

Other journos have written the same stuff so not sure why folks here are gunning for Caro. I'll reserve judgement on the content. At least we know the 5th candidate: Sam Graham - the AFL's candidate it seems. Looks to have a decent CV. One thing in the article that makes me uneasy is if Bartlett is "...determined to take a more active and vocal role in running the club." On my experience that sure ain't a President's nor a Board's job. A Board's role is to set strategy and policies and to establish corporate governance processes to make sure strategies and policies happen and to know when they don't happen. But if a Board has the right people in place it should trust them (CEO etc) to run the organisation; that is their job. The President and the Board getting overly involved in management and football matters is exactly what went wrong at Collingwood. I really hope Caro has it wrong about Bartlett's intentions.

Various organisations would be aware of options. Any one of them could have leaked it. You might have missed it CBD, Bartlett commented on the report in his interview last week. "...the Demons' plan to build a new training base and headquarters, with an area next to the MCG and Yarra Park being considered..."We're really keen and have been working with the AFL and state government to look at all options in that area," Bartlett said...We're working really hard behind the scenes … and making sure we set up the club for the next 30 to 50 years..."It's early days, but it's exciting as well." Hope that fills in the gaps. There are various options out there. My view is nothing will happen at least till after the next election so commentary by the club or others won't mean much.

I hadn't picked on posts saying the lack of a Home Facility is the major reason we can't beat top sides. It looks like faulty logic... ...we all know there are lots of reasons we struggle to beat teams around us on the ladder.

Maybe, maybe not. I would propose that if we had had the facilities of some other clubs and the attractions of other clubs then there is every chance we would be in a better position on and off the field. At some stage we need to give our club a solid future foundation and a facility like Yarra Park/Jolimont rail is the way to go. Making it happen isn't distracting anyone from their day job.

There are many benefits beyond marketing and branding: It is ineffective to have management in two separate locations (MCG and AAMI) which are themselves shared with other sports. Time wasting and inefficient communications result. More time wasting with FD staff to transport training gear to/from AAMI to Gosch's paddock Have decent player recovery, meeting room and training facilities to compete with Vic clubs to attract FA's and OOC players. Train on an MCG sized oval. It is no coincidence clubs have built or are building such training ovals at their facilities. Avoid being totally left behind by AFL clubs - look at Ess, Coll, and the future Hawthorn facilities. Bulldogs have upgraded Western Oval and have new grounds in Ballarat. Carlton will get mega $$ for Princes Park, Geelong has and will do more at Kardinia Park. StKilda is doing same at Moorabbin and North are now fund raising to upgrade Arden St. We don't even have a patch of dirt to dream of such things. In fact, even when we have a new facility in X years we still won't have what Vic clubs have now or are now building. Opportunity to consolidate our revenue base for decades into the future. Potentially easier access for fans to buy merchandise Club rooms to display our fine history and memorabilia. Some of these will directly affect our footballing abilities. Others will help the club's identity and standing in the AFL community. There is no real benefit to supporters nor should that be a motivator to mfc. For mine, walking past the Yellow and Black to get to the G will be a little bit more bearable if I know there is a mini Red and Blue version of it on the other side of Yarra Park.

Tom Morris has 'leaked' quite a few things from mfc in recent months and he was dropped from hosting the club podcast. But in this case I doubt it was a leak. I think the club would be happy to have this out there to counterbalance the negative commentary around Pert's appointment. With all the staff involved, the meeting would not have stayed quiet for long. A good move by the club to get everyone together. And, Pert's comments about not coming in to change what Jackson, Roos and Mahoney have achieved would go some way towards soothing worried staff. I like that the club had the staff 'meet and greet' prior to any press conference. It would also be reassuring to staff that Jackson will see out his contract.

They are making sure they get full value for him if he leaves as an FA. A first round comp pick from the AFL will be around 16 to 20. A forced trade will net a much better result especially if he wins or comes close to winning the Brownlow. A six year deal will be quite an offer for other clubs to top. Hard to see him leaving. If he were to come to us he will be expensive in both contract and trade terms.

Thanks for the clarification. I don't read HS so was going on this thread...clearly, I missed something in the reading...

Thanks CBDees. When you say the 'site mooted' do you mean the area I mentioned earlier that is on the city side of the Jolimont station or another part of the rail? (So far most people have been talking about the area over the station itself). Agree, it would be a shame to do anything to the station and its charm.

Thanks dc. As I thought - it is effectively a subterranean station. I have checked the heritage listing and Jolimont station is not listed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heritage_listed_buildings_in_Melbourne#Railway_stations I can see various options with subways and/or overpassess for cars, rail and pedestrians. But I guess it will be up to the engineers, architects and lobby groups. For now, I am simply rapt with the potential of this site.

True, I have no idea about engineering. I guess I took the dialogue so far to mean literally over the Jolimont station. Given the limitations you mention, is it feasible to build over the tracks to the city end of Jolimont station (and leave it intact)? Again, in a way that reduces a building's street mass and landscaped into its surrounds.

Jolimont tracks and station are already sunken well below street/park level. It is effectively underground as it runs under Wellington Pde to the East. With clever design (and maybe lowering tracks a bit further) only 3/4 stories of the proposed 6 would not be visible above ground level. Furthermore, with the increasingly popular 'green roofs' architecture the building could easily be camouflaged from the street and to blend into its parkland surrounds. And for those worried about losing trees, a replanting program should cover it. Lobby groups will lobby. But there is a lot more for the community to gain from this than to lose. Just needs to be worked through with them. A Red and Blue colour scheme on the externals of the building would work very well don't you think...

There is already a precedent for this. Esternwick station was redeveloped along these lines about 20 years ago.

Yarra Park is within the Melbourne City Council boundaries. But I believe Yarra Park is Crown Land so owned by the Vic Gov. Not sure if they need Council permits to change the use of Crown Land but the Gov would need to deal with managing public lobby groups etc.

What a sensational prospect. A real 'Home'. Can we ever thank Peter Jackson enough.

Agree 100%. He is too professional to crack the sads. I was referring to the external noise ('fugazi') about him being unhappy with the process than thinking he actually is.

Talk of PJ being ‘shut out’ of, or unhappy with the process might be ‘fugazi’ or there may be some substance. I don't know. But before we get hung up about it, it is worth looking at a typical Executive Search process - Bartlett/Board engages Russell Reynolds who use their network to identify, interview and profile candidates from which a short list is compiled to give to Barlett. He (and nominees eg another Board member, AFL rep) choose which to interview and who to recommend to the Board. The process happens at RR premises or other neutral venues. RR would have strict confidentiality protocols precluding them from discussing candidates/short list with anyone outside this process (and certainly not with the boss or referee of a candidate). So on a rational level I can see how the process by its nature, excludes an incumbent CEO/boss of multiple candidates ie PJ, from the loop. I can also see all sorts of things that may displease a candidate or PJ during that process but I would only be speculating to write them here. However, on an emotional level, if I was in PJ’s shoes I would desperately want to have a say in who takes over the care of my ‘foster child’ and push for ‘my guy’ or 'guys' to carry on my work. Which of course is exactly why independent executive search firms are engaged. It would be a very sad day, if PJ was to leave us on a downer as he deserves to go in a blaze of glory. So I will assume the talk of him not being happy is just 'fugazi'.