Lucifers Hero

Totally agree with that. My concern is they will allow the additional clubs 'poaching' rights and draft privilege like they gave GWS and GCS which will dilute the quality of the teams already in existence. We saw how GWS and GCS for the lesser AFL existing clubs. The AFLW teams won't have the resilience to bounce back as they themselves will be fledgling teams still. Nonetheless, the expansion is a now a given and I was looking at it from an MFC point of view. It is a huge opportunity for MFC to capture the players and their supporters in the south/south east before STK and Hawthorn do.

I just started a thread in the DL Women's forum but think it is just as relevant here: AFLW Expansion. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/why-essendon-and-hawthorn-were-overlooked-for-aflw-licences-why-geelong-and-north-melbourne-are-in-for-2019/news-story/5567991b13f37b81126bbf5957c6e831 Existing Teams: Carlton, Collingwood, Melbourne, Adelaide, Freo, Brisbane, GWS. Bulldogs 2019 - Geelong and North join 2020 - West Coast, Richmond, St Kilda, and Gold Coast join. ?? - Essendon, Hawthorn, Port, Sydney (have not applied for a license). There will be no AFLW team south of the Yarra until 2020! Even then it will be the Saints who look to the bayside as their catchment area. We have a Multicultural Academy taking in the area around Dandenong. We have the Casey Demons. From next year we have a Casey Demon's team in the VFLW. This is a huge opportunity for MFC to lock down the southern and south east corridor of Melbourne and its outer ring suburbs as its catchment area. It is really important we establish ourselves before Hawthorn move to Dingley when they will spread their wings from the east to the south east. The potential for supporter growth in the next few years is huge with a commensurate increase in memberships beyond that.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/why-essendon-and-hawthorn-were-overlooked-for-aflw-licences-why-geelong-and-north-melbourne-are-in-for-2019/news-story/5567991b13f37b81126bbf5957c6e831 Existing Teams: Carlton, Collingwood, Melbourne, Adelaide, Freo, Brisbane, GWS. Bulldogs 2019 - Geelong and North join 2020 - West Coast, Richmond, St Kilda, and Gold Coast join. ?? - Essendon, Hawthorn, Port, Sydney (have not applied for a license). There will be no AFLW team south of the Yarra until 2020! Even then it will be the Saints who look to the bayside as their catchment area. We have a Multicultural Academy taking in the area around Dandenong. We have the Casey Demons. From next year we have a Casey Demon's team in the VFLW. This is a huge opportunity for MFC to lock down the southern and south east corridor of Melbourne and its outer ring suburbs as its catchment area. It is really important we establish ourselves before Hawthorn move to Dingley when they will spread their wings from the east to the south east. The potential for supporter growth in the next few years is huge with a commensurate increase in memberships beyond that. Mods - sorry I opened this in the wrong forum. Could you please move to the AFLW Forum. Thanks.

I think some convenient reporting is happening to create headlines and stories. From my reading the sequence has been: circa $300k was reportedly Crows opening offer early in 2017 - probably their 'strict formula' for a 3rd year player. Who knows if it increased during early negotiations. He put off talks to see what the CBA looked like. In the meantime other clubs came in, with WB reportedly set to offer $800-850k. CBA done and clubs were given a $2m sal cap windfall to spread around. I recall reading the Crows then offered $600-$650K. CBA done but now Lever decides to wait till the end of the season. Lever made the AA squad after the Crows' reported offer of $600-$650k. At some stage MFC joined in. The figure I saw reported a few weeks ago in The Age was MFC's offer of$750k+. With the AA gong it makes sense the Crows would revisit their offer. So do the Crows need to pay >$900k Warner says MFC have offered? (btw Warner's doesn't have a good track record for accuracy, headlines are more his thing). Conventional wisdom is that players will stay at a club for less than other offers. I guess it depends how much he wants to get back to Vic. Nonetheless, I doubt the Crows will let him go without another try to keep him. Sorry response is a bit lengthy but thought I would use your question to summarise happenings, as per my interpretation of events and reports.

The deal is not done yet: "...Michael Warner told On the Couch:...“Five years, $900,000 a season,” he revealed to gasps from panel members Jonathan Brown and Jason Dunstall...The Crows will come after the Grand Final pretty hard and I think they’ve got some more money to offer.” TBH, I don't give a lot of credence to anything Warner says/writes. But I wouldn't be surprised if the Crows open their cheque books for Lever. But Lever seems a genuine kid so if he says he is leaving he is leaving. It would be really disappointing if he/his manager have used us as a bargaining chip, as his team mate Tom Lynch did two years ago.

Quite a lot on innuendo in those " " quotation marks. Not one of your better efforts. Fitzy was a guest of another player or dare I say partner (without quotation marks). Molloy is a panelist on the Ch7 footy show. ...and no idea how they vote!!!

And mfc has created a Casey Demons women's team in VFLW comp. Start up 2018. The Academy and the two Casey Demons teams will help establish our colours and the name 'Demons' in the region and hopefully spin off to the men's teams and then memberships.

With the exception of Oliver, Hibberd and Jetta the rest of demon polling isn't too far off the mark, imo. They consistently stood up and should have polled more. Other AFL gongs recognised the three as being in the very best in the AFL. However, our 5 leaders polled in a total of only 13 games (15%) of the 88 games they collectively played. (Oliver alone polled in 7). Maybe there were a few more games where the leaders should have polled but overall it is an indictment of our leadership team. This says the leaders didn't impact enough in the games they played. Note: A miscarriage of justice that Jetta, in the AA squad, did not poll a single vote!

I didn't watch it but that is by far the best assessment of the media stuff this morning. Very positive! Thank you. I wish I had seen the Matisse part and Daisy. Daisy always has such class and poise. Is it possible for her to take over from Bruce...

I think you missed the point of both posts quoted...

Goodwin's biggest job is to work on what is between the ears! That was our single biggest failing and it affected the whole team (Hibberd and Jetta notable exceptions). This by Jack Viney is quite telling: “...but I think the biggest thing for younger players coming in is to...want to buy into the standards and behaviours and the game style that we set and taking pride in performing for your mates and teammates and coaches......I can’t force my love for the club onto younger players because they’ve grown up supporting other football teams..." http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-09-25/leadership-to-go-to-next-level-viney Jack's comments suggest there is some way to go for that 100% commitment from everyone. This year proved every minute, every point counts. Without that 100% buy in we won't make it to the top. Can Goodwin get into each player's headspace? Does he know which individual buttons to press for each player to get the best from themselves? Does he know how to get them ready for 'battle' each week? Even tho the players love him will they give their all for the club? I admit, I have reservations about Goodwin's 'man management' skills. And, I'm not sure if there is anyone on the coaching panel that excels in that area to help him out. It isn't Macca - that was his failing at the WB and Beveridge showed what happens when player head space is converted. Each week we cry: 'Its all between the ears we cry'! So to me re programming each player's head space is Goodwin's biggest challenge. Without the 100% buy in and pride that Jack talks about Goodwin's footy nouse, game plan and tactics will not be enough. I hope Goodwin is up to the task.

And Oliver, not to be intimidated responded: Swanny would be the guy that puts stickers on apples if he didn't play AFL Oliver takes no cr-p on the field nor off the field!! Well done!

Oliver is few years away. It seems their is a bit of a seniority/personality content to the voting. Do your time or be a media darling and you get noticed. eg Pendlebury 15 votes from 16 (mostly losing) games. And Matt Crouch only 11 votes!! None of the six young guys in the Coaches Award top 10 (Merrett, Josh Kelly, Oliver, Matt Crouch, Ross or Zorko) were in the Brownlow top 10. Proves the point about seniority/personality gets the votes. Who got it wrong? The coaches know a thing or two and they have a birds eye view of the game. The Brownlow has become a media fanfare and a farce!

Nice of the umpires to not give Danger any votes in round 22 to ensure he didn't win and embarrass the AFL! Rnd 22 - Dangerfield: 32 disposals, 12 clearances and two goals. BOG from every other award voters. Umpires colluding is even more embarrassing than Danger winning - that it is not in the spotlight does not make it less unethical.

The best photo of the red carpet - natural and fun

Thanks - forgot about Tom. I thought the same thing about Jetta. They invited only 5 players from each team and Tom got a spot by virtue of being in the leadership team. Or because we have 2 captains they both get invited. No offence to Tom but I would prefer the AA squad nominees got a gig first.

I recall reading that our attendees are Jones, Viney, Hibberd and Oliver. Oliver is predicted to score about 18 to 22 votes. If so he will be our highest vote scorer for more than a decade... Amazing achievement for a second year player. What impressed me was he continued to get votes in the second half of the year when we were losing games. That is the mark of a really good player (dare I say 'elite') - a high performer in good and bad times. If Oliver polls in the top 10 - 20 players, it shows how idiotic the selection of the AA squad of 40 really is.

Wise, I agree it is worth being cautious. But Jack seemed to confirm a potential trade when he said something like: I want to stay but it depends on what the club wants to do, I suppose. Not something a player with 2 years on his contract would say if a trade wasn't being considered (doesn't mean it will happen). Even if he was interviewed to speak to his love of the club I see no benefit to the club or to Jack. If the club wanted to skwosh rumours the best thing to do is say nothing or have his manger say clearly that he is not up for trade like Connors did for Salem and he didn't do when asked about Watts.

Yes, the women's game can be quite brutal and this article backs up those traits you mention. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/vfl-womens-star-chloe-molloy-wows-with-incredible-act-of-toughness/news-story/9ced49e8597a0d9b2fc34aff314f7dfb On teenager Chloe Molloy: "The teen footy gun copped a brutal blow to the head late in the third quarter...Molloy instantly hit the deck after the blow...But instead of leaving the field, Molloy took her free kick and slotted one in through the sticks to score her team’s first goal of the match". An incredible achievement which drew this tweet from Ben Brown: One of the toughest acts I've seen on a footy field @chloemollloy - inspirational. Hoping the injury isn't too bad! In a true show of courage she came back playing out the game with one arm. She is touted as a top 3 pick in the upcoming AFLW draft.

Melb supporters boo him so Pies supporters will ravage him if he 'makes a mistake'. Agree Jack will hate it at the Pies. He is obviously keen to stay so he will probably hate it anywhere other than the Demons. Let Geelong have their fairytale and get their prodigal back. 5 of their top 6 players are over 30 and the 6th (Dangerfield) will be 28. And they have only a few potential stars coming on but they certainly don't have any KPP players coming thru or a half decent spine. Their premiership window is rapidly closing and I would be very happy to see them take Ablett and slide down the ladder

RE the ch 7 interview. No other player at our club rumoured for a trade is put out in the media to showcase or defend himself. Goodwin said on SEN last week that they don't talk about trading players in the media. Well, afford Jack that respect and not parade him like that. Like Jack said to Roos': 'I just want to be treated like a human being'. So MFC, if you are going to trade him, trade him. But do it respectfully and let it play out in private like, everyone else.

The lifeline Cotchin needed: GWS doctors unsure which incident caused the concussion. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/trent-cotchins-grand-final-hopes-could-be-saved-by-inconclusive-gws-medical-report/news-story/41fd7650008de7f202403bbaa182304c Have mixed feelings: Footy fan in me says: Let him play Cynic in me says: AFL did some horsetrading of a future benefit with their appointee to GWS: David Matthews. If I was a GWS supporter: Shiel's absence for most of the game influenced the result. Cotchin getting off is probably the right result. I wouldn't want one of our guns outed for the GF. Footnote: Hope the Carlton doctors are paying attention on fair medical assessments.

That final was of teams made up from volunteers. The AFLW comp improved out of sight from the first game to the finals series. Also, they don't kick as far as the men and a game is only 80 min vs AFL 120 min so the scoring will always be lower in the women's comp. AFLW will get better each year. Its worth hanging in there.

I don't know. I just read that Daisy is unlikely to line up for Casey as she lives in Bendigo. But Darebin's future is up in the air as well. Like you I'm undecide and will let it play out for a bit.

It never fails to amaze me the angles posters find to make a thread into 'Get rid of Jack'! There is nothing whatsoever to link Watts (or Goodwin) to that article - it is about GWS. There are other threads for Watts bashing. Good Grief!