Lucifers Hero

'7 a side' played on a small rectangular field - the Aussie Rules equivalent of 20/20 cricket. I take that back - it would no longer be Aussie Rules - it would be a hybrid of something (s), no idea what. AFL stop wasting money on 'new developments'!!! Gil, yes you want to be a hero and go down as the most innovative CEO who changed the face of the game. Well stop! First, just get the 18 clubs on a strong commercial footing with all clubs in a position to make Grand Finals regularly. Everything else is a distraction from the main game.

Maybe he expected to win a top 5 or other Award... Reality check if he did. I thought his position on the BnF was about right.

Discussion of Roos' speech at the B n F: http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/paul-roos-says-melbourne-united-richmond-in-disarray-in-farewell-speech/news-story/115f12006df77c0be0f041f29f1e68e8 Roos' own farewell message to the players: “Decide to be great. It is a decision, it doesn’t happen by accident,”...“You have to want to be great. And greatness is not going to happen when you turn up on November 1 or whenever you turn up and Simon has got the whistle in charge...“Greatness is going to happen when you walk out of this room tonight. That’s when greatness starts...“You have to commit to it you have to want to do it and I would love nothing more than to see Simon and Nathan holding up the premiership cup.” He has laid down the challenge: Greatness. Up to the players now. Hope they want it as badly as we do.

Players often say that peer recognition is the most satisfying. Clubs make nominations for the different categories. The awards are decided all players in the comp. http://www.aflplayers.com.au/ Warning Alert: picket fence - turn away now! MFC nominees: BEST FIRST YEAR NOMINEE: Josh Wagner Interesting that Wagner got the nod ahead of Oliver for with 14/13 games played respectively. Obviously highly thought of. This suggests (to me) Wagner will be offered a contract on the main list for next year. This nomination and that he has played a heap of games injured shows that he may become a very valuable player for us. Went under the Demonland radar a bit in the second half. Well done to him for winning this nomination especially as he did it as a Rookie.

Players often say that peer recognition is the most satisfying. It is decided by the Most Valuable Player award voted on by all players in the comp. http://www.aflplayers.com.au/ Warning Alert: picket fence - turn away now! MFC nominees are: MVP NOMINEES: Jack Viney, Max Gawn, Nathan Jones BEST FIRST YEAR NOMINEE: Josh Wagner MOST COURAGEOUS NOMINEE: Jack Viney CAPTAIN: Nathan Jones Interesting that Wagner got the nod ahead of Oliver for 'Best First Year Nominee' with 14/13 games played respectively. Obviously highly thought of. This suggests (to me) Wagner will be offered a contract on the main list for next year.

Coaches look at much more than stats eg sticking to game plan, following instructions, leadership acts, team acts, pressure acts etc etc That average of 5 from 10 for the best performer means all of our players have considerable improvement in the eyes of the coaches. No argument there. What I like about our voting system (unlike a 3, 2, 1 type system) is it gives a much truer picture of where an individual player is at and his improvement to be made. Everyone can score votes (not just 3 players) and each player scores according to their contribution on the day. A comparison of 2016 votes vs 2015 shows that the coaches think the team has certainly improved. Last year the top 5 scored a total of 1511 votes, this year the top 5 scored 1845 votes. Again we would all agree the team has improved.

Thats huge considering he missed a game and played with a broken finger for few more games. Great night for the little champ!

Jay Clark Verified account ‏@ClarkyHeraldSun Max Gawn thanks Dean Bailey & Jim Stynes. Says Stynes is "the reason I'm playing footy today". ------------------- The serious side of our Maxy --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jay Clark Verified account ‏@ClarkyHeraldSun Gawn thanks list chiefs for giving Mark Jamar the flick "so they finally give me a go". Says he's now "palming it down their throats". ---------------------------- ...and Max the joker

Oops

Copied this from Big Footy Round 21 updated. Max is clear by 25....but since it's possible we might have more than 2 games still to play, I can't call it. Huzzah.

Thanks SF. Glad for Jesse to be doing well - clearly the coaches see his year vastly different than a lot of people on DL...

Where does Hogan rank?

Too suspenseful...any chance of progress scores after each round, please?

I didn't realise she has played 302 games of football! In fact I had no idea there was a raft of leagues for women's football. This is an extract of her achievements from a release on mfc website, when she was appointed: Lee has been a longstanding figure in women’s football, both on and off the field. She played 302 games in the Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL), founded women’s football club VU Western Spurs (formerly Sunshine YCW Spurs/St Albans Spurs) and was VWFL president from 2004 until 2012. Lee actively pushed for AFL Women’s Exhibition Games at the Melbourne Football Club and has driven the club’s women’s football program since 2013. This year, she was included in the AFL Women’s Football Advisory Group, which makes recommendations for the inaugural National Women’s League. The standing ovation is richly deserved.

You were too quick for me MW...was editing it and the spelling probably as you were writing your post. Thanks.

Not surprisingly, Jayden has won the Best Young Player award at the B&F. Its awesome to think what he will be like next year and beyond

At the B&F Bartlett has announced that this sponsorship has been extended Assume details will be announced later. Great news and another step on off-field stability!

If anyone is going to the B&F tonight could you give an occasional update, please. Edit: There will be live twitter updates on the mfc website

On FC last night Caro said the AFL will definitely sanction Whitfield et al but not sure which of 1, 2, 3, you mention will be the 'charge'. Cynical me thinks the AFL will wait till after the finals to announce sanctions - can't deny the kid playing finals, can they???. An announcement on the Sunday before Melbourne Cup should be a suitable day when no one will notice.

I don't really want to buy into the broader issues around EFC deserving pick1/Lions pp but I would like to clarify those two comments. 1. Recently the AFL changed the 'Delisted FA' rule interpretation for EFC to contract top-up players 'free' outside the draft so other clubs cannot draft them and EFC do not have to use any draft picks. Recent suggestions are they will sign 2 to 4 of those players. That one irks a lot of people on here because EFC and the AFL dug their heels in to stop Hibberd coming to us as a 'Delisted FA' forcing a trade yet get 'free kicks' going the other way. 2. In the 2014 draft they did lose rnd 1 and rnd 2 picks but they got an 'end of rnd 1 pick' in return. Still a penalty but not as severe as it looks at first glance. The AFL deemed EFC would get the #1 pick in 2016 if they finish last, so EFC have nicely tanked a few games to make sure that happens. EFC have proudly proclaimed they will play finals in 2017. Also, the AFL has made it easy for EFC to recover their $2m fines by giving them preferential fixtures in terms of family friendly time slots (ie gate revenues), MCG home games vs bigger teams (more gate revenue), prime FTA times (keep sponsors happy and committed) etc. So considering all those AFL maneuverings, one could form a view that the 2013/2014 draft sanctions and the fines have all but been offset.

Not yet. He had surgery last week which suggests he will get a contract so I removed him from the 2016 OOC players in post #38.

I found this from the drafting guru extraordinaire, Emma Quayle: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-clubs-to-get-free-shot-at-multicultural-and-indigenous-rookies-after-this-years-draft-20160727-gqexp2.html Summary: For 2017: "Clubs will be able to add players straight to their list as a category B rookie if they go undrafted, provided they have not already filled their quota of three". ie if another club does not draft the nominated player in either the national and rookie drafts. We have 2 category B rookies. If we get Allsop that will fill our quota of 3 (unless we delist Smith and then have 2 rookie B spots). From 2018, " clubs will need to nominate and bid for their players on draft night using the bidding system that applies to father-son prospects and those from the four northern academies." This means we will be using 'draft points' in 2018 to get the nominated player. So in 2017 the player is a 'freebie' if he is not selected by another club first in one of the drafts. Our zone is South-east Melbourne (Dandenong Stingrays), Alice Springs (NT) Back to young Allsop. Given that Clarrie Choo Choo shot up the drafting ranks last year when he won the Moorish Medal there is every chance that Allsop, being equal 2nd this year, will not get thru to us. If we really want him we can take him with one of our draft picks and add him to the main list.

Jakovich pulls no punches in a scathing attack on Chris Connolly (for criticising the non selection of Lachie Neale) http://www.theage.com.au/afl/west-coast-eagles/eagles-legend-glen-jakovich-hits-out-in-scathing-attack-on-chris-connolly-20160905-gr8wj7.html "That's his opinion, but look, he's a guy that's come from a club where he played and didn't win a lot of games, so he was always involved in a losing culture…He came to Fremantle... then he went back to where it all started. Went to a club and was part of a football department that actually created a losing culture. They actually started throwing games. And what was that called? Tanking. And they got fined from the AFL…And he wants to tell me how to pick an elite team, and he's been involved in tanking and crap clubs all his life? He wouldn't even know how to spell elite." Nasty. Not very becoming of Jakovich. The personal attack on CC aside, I was quite sad to read that as it reminded me of the worst times as a supporter. We will never be allowed to forget the 'non-tanking' era and all those at the club will be tainted by it even tho we were the 'fall-guy'.

Quite telling - a table from the Rich Board challengers on botched recruiting: On the bench are: Heppell, T. Mitchell, Ziebell, J. Lewis. Emergencies: Gunston, Monfries, Shiels. Dr Hiscock: "Why did the club even contemplate a road to nowhere recruiting strategy?" I guess that is easy to say with hindsight but it is hard to understand how they missed all those players. Woeful recruiting!!! Maybe Neil Balme can bring Derek Hine with him from the Pies.

Nev is the quintessential quiet achiever on and off the field. The last thing he would expect is awards for his community work. Nev won the club 'Ambassador Award' for his community work last year so he would be short odds to win it again tomorrow night. I reckon he will be very proud to be nominated for the Stynes award given the connection with the club and the great community work example that Jimmy set. Well done for the nomination.