Lucifers Hero

Heard an interview with Peter Gordon on SEN this morning talking about all the things he has to do as President to get all the off-field things and people set up for the GF. I think he said that Hawthorn are helping him. Did anyone else hear that? I don't like giving Hawthorn credit for anything but if they are helping Gordon it is very magnanimous of them and great sportsmanship.

As dc said its hard to know if the bye hurt winners of the first round of finals. However, what is absolutely certain is that it helped WBD immensely. Without the bye they would have had 2 trips to Perth in 6/7 days. Without the bye they would not have had the likes of Libba, Roughhead and a few others fit to play the elim final in Perth. Without the bye they would have had some 6 day breaks in the finals (if they had beaten WCE). With the bye they had 11 days between the Perth trips, 8 days to 2nd semi, 8 days to prelim and they got all their preferred players back into the team. The bye (and scheduling) has given them maximum recovery time between games. I would go so far to say that they would not still be in the finals without the bye.

From today: The good: Most of last years draftees get finals experience - great for their development. The bad: 32 scoring shots to 16. Never really in it. The ugly: Shows how shallow MFC depth really is.

Too many players from the 'mentally scarred' days: Dunn, Terlich, Grimes, Garland, Trengove, Spencer, Jones falling into old bad habits. No fight. No coming back now. I never bag our players but I can no longer stick up for those guys.

Really sorry to say it but a number of players today signed their own delist papers at the dees and probably killed their chances of being picked up by another club.

The reason 'never tear us apart' works so well is that it is full of emotion and galvanises players and fans. 'A call to arms' so to speak, similar to Liverpool's 'you'll never walk alone'. I like 'its a grand old flag' after we win games - nothing brings up the emotion more like hearing it after we beat the Hawks. The song's emotional pull doesn't work so well before the game, imo. I really like 'hells bells' and it sounds eerie. But if everyone is going to use then it isn't a good choice for us. I think a pregame song would work better for us if it spoke to people's hearts as do the two examples above. Can't think of one right now... ...any ideas?

Go Giants! Sorry but I'm not buying into the doggies hype!

The weeks, months thing came from an SEN interview (I think). That aside, yes, it does seem that his management has deferred talks and Jesse is torn about where to play. I think (but don't know) that Jesse is genuinely torn rather than gaming mfc. I guess there is not much the club can do as he has a contract and it would be very drastic to trade him without knowing that he wants a trade ie against his will. We all wait with bated breath.

May I note that the highlighted point is inaccurate. Not sure if you heard Goodwin's interview last week or using previous posts which selectively quoted Goodwin. While Goodwin did say the end of the year had arrived and it was time for talks to commence which the club and Jesse's management would now do, he went on to say that he was comfortable if the contract was not signed for a few weeks, months or even the middle of next year. So I don't know how you can say the negotiations that were promised didn't happen nor that there was media pressure on anyone. Goodwin's gave a simple answer to a simple question on Jesse's contract status. Now everyone in the media and on Demonland is speculating.

Geelong went in underdone: Rnd 22 - Easily beat Brisbane, Rnd 23 - Easily beat Demons Bye First Final - just beat an average Hawks Bye Prelim - totally outplayed by Sydney. Hardly any match practice, match fitness for 6-7 weeks. On top of that they didn't have enough players who wanted it badly enough.

Well P-man it will get absolutely nauseating if EFC get their request for round 1 2017, to be their home game at the G versus us!!! They will turn up the volume on their 2016 round 2 'walk to the G to support our boys' to mega, mega levels and if we go to the game we will have to sit their and watch their fanfare, stomachs churning!! They think they have the wood over us and will play on adrenaline like round 2, 2016. I just hope we smash them so bad and wipe their disgusting smirks off their faces!! Especially off that little pipsqueak, Parish!!

Looks like Brisbane will get the pp http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/brisbane-set-to-receive-priority-pick-in-national-draft/news-story/58702c952f6df1ce486137351a67df61 But likely to be at the end of the 1st round which I think is a reasonable outcome.

Buckley will end up at the same place as Brad Scott and Hardwick; with a cobbled together team made to go up the ladder. He will get to the same stage as them where after 5-7 years as coach with a team in the bottom half of the 8 that stagnates there then drops back and do a proper rebuild. Teams like Essendon, Giants and Demons are being built to win finals by coaches who know how to do it.

Because he wants to play for the Demons.

It would be natural for him to worry about them and how they will cope if the worst happens and that is where is personal loyalties lie. He has gone home 'immediately' and will spend the next few months there and time over Christmas. Depending on what happens in Perth he may or may not do the pre Christmas preseason. So that gives him several months at least in Perth. He does seem a decent young man so if the club supports him thru this surely that would make him think hard about leaving a team that is on the up. Also, by playing next year it gives him the time to see how his family settles and make a more objective decision. Btw Greg Denham said on SEN this morning that he spoke with Glen Bartlett last week who believes Jesse will re-sign with us. Coach said the same thing. His manager is hedging his bets. Bartlett said Jesse's relationship with Goodwin will pull it Melbourne's way. I remain very optimistic he will stay.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/sydney-swans-young-gun-isaac-heeney-wins-aflca-young-player-of-the-year-award/news-story/7053648c7235c334a7323f799c90f0bb In the meantime Jesse comes second to Heeney, in the AFLCA best young player award - voted on performance over two years. Not bad, eh especially given the challenges and scrutiny on him this year.

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.