Lucifers Hero

In his interview last week Goodwin said he was confident Jesse would stay and was comfortable if it takes weeks, months or even the middle of next year for the contract to be done. I'm sure Goodwin would love it to be done asap but there is no point putting pressure on Jesse to sign under the circumstances. We need to cool our jets and let everything take its course. If it means the club being flexible on when Jesse starts his pre-season with the team so be it. Even if it means he misses the start of the season to spend time with his family so be it. None of this is ideal, but football is just a game and we have a young man about to go thru a life shattering experience. Compassion and patience is what our club needs to provide and I have no doubt it will. The rest will take care of itself.

We have plenty of depth for defenders. If Dunn left the remaining defenders who did not play round 23 are: Wagner, Melksham, Lumumba, Garland, Jones, (Hibberd). They are not all a straight swap for Dunn (height) but could play a role if a defender went down, with a bit of juggling of players. Its sad to say but Dunn won't be depth, he will be a Casey player. I would rather he takes his chances elsewhere who need him than see his contract out in the reserves. And we need players in other positions so any trade picks we get in will help us get those players.

That is my take also. He had 22 kicks and 2 handballs. Big kicks are fine with the kick ins (there were 5) but the other 17 were field kicks; at least half were bombs to a pack or no one. That isn't the way our backline functions now. As you say, it is fast movement often using hand ball to get out and then let the ball carrier run with it. I think he had plenty of opportunities over the last 3 years to get fit and follow coaches instructions and the time to show he can/will play the coaches 'team first', fast-moving game style has passed. And a change may be the best thing for him and his footy career. Its always sad to see a long-term player go but if his pick helps us trade in a back up ruckman or ruck forward then it will be good for us.

A big move to take his family to Qld but I hope it works out for him as he will be a regular 22 for them. With Hibberd, Melksham and maybe Lumumba coming in, giving us lots of depth, it will be unlikely he will play seniors.

Yes I was serious. I wasn't doubting the truth of it and it was not the reference to Jesse's father being ill, that I found insensitive... ...It was the reference to 'stuffing it up for us'. In the circumstances I felt it was a poor choice of words. If Jesse goes back to play in WA to be with his family so be it. I will applaud him. I will not think his father's illness 'stuffed it up for us'. You have a different view, that's just fine.

Breathtakingly insensitive.

Thanks guys. Bizzare rules . So if a team were the minor premiers they had all these special privileges - lose the 2nd semi, no problem go thru to the GF; get beaten in the GF, no problem just challenge the winner. Makes our reign of the 1955 to 1960 seem massive.

Certainly doesn't like it when someone ruffles his!! He took a beating with his Board after the 'Caro drowning' episode. It nearly cost them the Holden sponsorship. Now his 'captain's call' with Grubby Allen may have backfired having lost Balme and upsetting Derek Hine, not to mention his favourite son/coach is struggling. Cracks are appearing at Holden stadium on and off the field!

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/eddie-mcguire-hits-back-at-alastair-clarkson-declaring-hawks-threepeat-better-than-pies-fourpeat/news-story/6ae534301a431e92e07840843c5c13c2 Looks like Eddie is getting extra sensitive - having a go at Clarkson for saying his 3- peat is better than pies 4 in a row! Brave words by Clarkson. He said: “They talk about Collingwood and four in a row. And it was a fantastic achievement, but honestly. They won two of those losing a preliminary final, Collingwood.” Very funny seeing Eddie upset over the jibes coming his way, firstly from our PJ now from Clarkson. Anyone know what Clarkson meant by Coll winning 2 flags on the back of prelim final losses. Did he mean the 2nd semi or was the prelim something different in 1927-1930? Just curious.

Flamingdees made that suggestion after I posted, schmutt. And it doesn't change that 3rd party deals/upgrades are much easier said than done. People just need to be realistic that once a player nominates a club the trade comes down to what the receiving club has to trade with. Adelaide had to accept unders for Dangerfield: Pick 9, 28 and a player who is yet to play a game. Brisbane had to accept unders for a heap of players a few years ago. Ditto Gold Coast for Harley Bennell. Just watch GCS get unders for O'Meara because Hawks don't have good trading chips (unless they give up players). Just saying, I don't think we are in a strong bargaining position if Hogan goes to WA and especially if he chooses Freo.

Freo and WCE cannot trade out their 2016 and 2017 first round picks so if Hogan goes back to WA it will be very difficult to get two 1st round picks from either club. Some posters have suggested Freo/WCE will need to trade in another 1st rnd pick from a 3rd club but this is much easier said than done. Given their likely available picks any trade won't be as attractive as some hope (unless they give up a star) and it would be very difficult for us to refuse to trade. Could shape up as the classic 'catch 22' for us. With a less than satisfactory result.

7 goal lead...bring on the rain!

Salem is a big loss today; he has dominated the game. Unfortunately, can't see him playing next week with his concussion history. Time to put him on ice for next year!

Nailed it! Excellent first post.

I don't doubt Pennant either and I don't doubt that Jesse's father is ill. I do doubt GNF's claim that that is the reason Jesse will go back to WA (and the claim that if he does we get Fyfe). I'm usually in agreement with your thoughts but on this one we have a different opinion, binman. Just the way I see it.

The only 'info source' we have is a GNF post last week that the outlook for Jesse's father was dire. And I'm not sure he is that reliable a source. I'd be inclined to go with the journos and the press ie the decision to return to WA will not be made on family matters.

It is very sad that Jesse's father is not well. But increasingly his return to WA is looking less about family and more about Jesse! "...But despite the Dees’ strong on-field progress this season and significant salary cap room, Hogan may now wait to consider each team’s direction in the early part of next season before he is prepared to give his contract more consideration...Fremantle has been widely considered the main rival for Hogan, but Eagles’ football chief Craig Vozzo yesterday said the Eagles had also been circling the powerhouse big man for years...“We have been in constant dialogue with his management over a long period of time,” Vozzo said. Surely, he knows enough to not need to wait till 'the early part of next season'. If that is correct it is disappointing that Jesse keeps moving the goal posts with seemingly little concern for the interests of MFC. He has us on a string...

Of course they will be hated!!! If for no other reason that they will have to beat us to get them!!

Clarkson highlighted that in his press conf...said the games changed in its interpretation...a thinly veiled dig at the umpires! Right to the end the Hawks were whinging!

Brisbane's development is beyond woeful and hardly anyone there gets a decent run at it. He has put on 8 kg in 2 years and needs to put on about 8 more before he can properly be judged. I trust our development team to see what he may become over the next 2 years. He may thrive in our environment with enthusiastic young teammates. We can get him 'Free' as a DFA and we could do with a swing player. No downside to taking him.

Looks like Hawks are tiring late in quarters and doggies get a bit of a run. Should be a fascinating end!

Goodwin was just on SEN and re Jesse - his comments were that he assumes contract talks are starting soon and thinks Hogan will be staying and will not be worried if it takes 6 weeks, 6 months, next year for him to re-sign. It may be a long wait folks!

Goodwin on SEN tonight - . Not verbatim - can't type fast enough! (Italics are my comments) Melksham had his medical yesterday. Did a bit of labouring during the year. Lost a few kilos so in good shape. With Hunt and Wagner’s development, Melksham may be played HB/Wing. A bit surprised that we still chased Hibberd. Big benefit of the two years was to get to know the club and get to build relationships. Implication he doesn’t need to spend time now doing all those things. Game plan. Have built the team ‘from the contest’ out. We will be competitive around the footy with fast ball movement. Roos was definitely the coach this year. They talked during the week and Goodwin did stuff during the week and training but Roos was it on game day. Re Jesse: Assumes contract talks are starting soon and thinks Hogan will be staying and will not be worried if it takes 6 weeks, 6 months, next year for him to re-sign. That should certainly put the Hogan thread into a tizz! On Hibberd, hopefully he wants to come to Melbourne and hopefully we can get a deal done. Didn’t sound convincing. The Geelong game: We had a few 6 day breaks late in the season and it eventually caught up with the young team. Wasn’t the way we played in the first 21 weeks so don’t read too much into it.

Stinear is a replacement for Michelle Cowan. Still leaves the coaching spot Goodwin vacated available. Egan would fill that spot, but not necessarily as Senior Assistant Coach. If we have another Senior Assistant Coach that role would probably go to Macca (promotion).

Your question of ET: "Not being fuuny Ethan, but would they let ANB do 8 hours of flying during an important match week, when he didn't have to, if you get my point...Can you confirm how you know? was completely serious until daisy and I pointed out the photo had been doctored. Then you started back pedaling, fast! All the joking aside...Hogan is still in Melbourne which can only be good news all round!