Lucifers Hero

I know it is not an MFC selection but delighted to see Jack Fitz has been selected for the Hawks. Always good to see ex MFC players getting a go. Has had a tough year so hope he has a good game!

Good point - finals experience, albeit @ VFL will be really good for him.

Over the moon to see Salem back in - pure silk!

I meant Ess could get O'Meara for a PSD pick and not their main draft #1 pick. Maybe not but he did the right thing by WCE to ensure they got a fair trade. If I recall - an early rnd 1 pick and Josh Kennedy. That showed some character and integrity in my book - a lot more than Luke Ball who just crapped on the Saints who got nothing.

Yes, that is what Luke Ball did. Or he could do the decent thing like Judd and Dangerfield and ensure GCS get fair trade value. How he plays it will say something about the character and integrity of O'Meara. The news wouldn't be a surprise but for some reason Eade sounded really angry. Something has blindsided him. Will be interesting if O'meara chooses Ess who have the 1st pick in the Preseason Draft and they pick him up there, for nothing. Given how the AFL are bending over backwards and changing rules to help the drug cheats climb the ladder quickly they would sit back and play it like 3 wise monkeys. I watch this trade with interest!

I may be wrong dc but I think it may not matter when the delisting is. We got Ben Newton towards the end of the 'List Update Submissions' (or whatever it is called) even tho we had been talking with him for months and Port had a contract in front of him. We sat back, didn't trade and Port had the good grace to delist him rather than force him to stay. So I'm assuming that other clubs have learnt that 'trick'.

Very moving and a far greater tribute that anything to do with football.

GCS have drawn a line in the sand, Big time. O'Meara has asked for a trade. GCS have said he is NOT and FA so does not have the right to nominate a club. Therefore they will entertain offers. Its about time a club stood up and said a player cannot call the shots and walk to where they want to go!

on what

That is what an interested club wants so they can get him as a DFA for nothing (ie no trade). Ditto for other players who are OOC and not in line for another contract. Interested clubs will just sit back and wait. A by-product of the FA rules.

While Lyon, Hardwick and Leppich have had terrible on-field results, Scott would have to be in the conversation as one of the worst performing coaches of 2016: Went from 9/0 mid year to 12/11 at the end with only 2 wins (from 11 games) vs top 8 teams. From 2 Prelim Finals to barely scraping into the 8. Poor media performer: PR disaster for his club when he mouthed off at umpires for their bias that cost himself and his club a bucket of money. Poor media performer: PR disaster yesterday when he 'Shot Bambi' aka Boomer. Poor media performer: His surly manner showed little compassion or empathy yesterday. Poor media performer: Always winging and surly in his post game press conferences Effectively, surrendered the 2016 Finals series by saying they are unlikely to play in Melbourne again this year. Has their supporters ready to riot. Lyon, Hardwick and Leppich teams have performed badly and the former 2 fallen way down the ladder but they have not damaged their club as Scott has - it will cost North a heap of members next year. Brayshaw must be having serious doubts about his coach as their front man. Won't be long before the media start baying for his blood. Lucky to see out next year as coach, I reckon (contracted to 2018).

Does this thread include coaches we may be chasing? Brenton Sanderson is said to be on the radar of several clubs as an Assistant Coach. Collingwood are the front runners (great mates with Buckley) and we are also interested. Sandeson worked with Macca at Geelong so is a known quantity to our coaching panel and I would be very happy to see them reunited at the Dees. Edit: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-08-24/sando-to-step-back-in-with-pies?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS+feed%3A+AFL+Latest+News

Will the AFL ever stop given Ess 'gifts' to help them up the ladder. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-08-24/afl-set-to-soften-rules-around-bombers-topups?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS+feed%3A+AFL+Latest+News Initially the 10 top up players had to go into the draft and any club could draft them. If EFC wanted them they had to pay the draft price. The AFL has now conveniently changed the rules so that the 10 are classified as 'Delisted Free Agents' and can go to the club of their choice, FOR FREE. ie no draft picks involved. Theoretically it looks as if it could benefit any club who wants to draft them but of course any decent ones will go to Essendon, So EFC not only get pick #1 for doping their players, they get most of them back in 2017 and now don't need to use any draft picks to keep any or all of the 10 top-up players that want to stay. I despair at this latest AFL aid to EFC. The complicit silence of all other 17 clubs is astonishing.

While lots of people are upset about our loss to Carlton it is worth marking Roos last week with the club. Here is a walk down memory lane in pictures, of the three years he spent with us: https://www.google.com.au/search?q=paul+roos+pictures+at+melbourne&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&imgil=f4EK8d1NfrrXhM%3A%3BuG5sgEdQp7s1BM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%252Fsport%252Fafl%252Fpaul-roos-return-to-coaching-a-feel-good-story-for-football%252Fstory-fni5f91a-1226713334035&source=iu&pf=m&fir=f4EK8d1NfrrXhM%3A%2CuG5sgEdQp7s1BM%2C_&usg=__MZlS0KSFganCBWrj3pnALNhf-gw%3D&biw=1125&bih=614&ved=0ahUKEwid6vSq49TOAhVLmJQKHf3uDr0QyjcIKA&ei=wc66V92FM8uw0gT93bvoCw#imgrc=f4EK8d1NfrrXhM%3A NB: Couldn't edit out the non mfc pics. Enjoy the journey fellow Dee fans!

I get that Cards, but I repeat who would you leave out of our team? Our small forwards (one of whom Harvey would most likely replace) are Garlett who has kicked 27 goals and Kent who has kicked 26. Harvey kicked 34. Not sure that increases our chances of playing finals next year. I would still prefer a team with Garlett, Kent and our young guys than a team with Harvey replacing one of them.

How many people saying we should take Boomer would think that if it stopped one of Kent, Salem, Hunt, Stretch, Braysure getting games and the experience of playing and gelling together. Or what if it meant Garlett was out of the team. Because to include Boomer someone has to go! Big NO from me. No room in our team for a selfish, whinging, diver who would deny one of our young guys valuable experience.

A bizzare comment from Scott: “We were determined to give their players the opportunity for their friends and family and loved ones, along with the fans and supporters to farewell them in Melbourne,” he said. Sounds like he has effectively surrendered the rnd 23 game vs GWS because surely they expect WBD to beat Lions. If Adel beat WCE and North beat GWS, North would play WBD in Melbourne for 1st Elim. Seems defeatist to me! They could even beat the WBD in the elim final given the Bulldogs injury woes. The timing is bizzare. Should tell the 4 guys next Monday when they have 2 weeks to process it not 4 days before a critical game.

Thanks 'Demon'land'. WOW: Hogan, Petracca, Hunt, Viney! 4 of 22. Could add a few more: Brayshaw, Oliver, Weideman but they haven't played enough this year to make a mark. At least the HS recognise Hunt's performances even tho the Rising Star voters don't (yet)

Quote: "...He’s contracted at Melbourne until the end of 2017 and as things stand, he doesn’t look to be going anywhere else anytime soon...“There’d be no reason for players around our situation to leave I think,” Tyson said. Sounds like he is staying!! No hand wringing over him re-signing another contract.

Another side show od: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-08-24/old-heads-rule-our-over30s-all-australian-team?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS+feed%3A+AFL+Latest+News Yes the best AFL Team of over 30's!! Staff writers with too much time on their hands! I mention it only because our beloved Bernie is in the team altho I doubt it will appear on any CV or Career Honours list he has.

Paul Roos was on SEN this morning as Ambassador for Father’s Day Fun Run. Regarding Coaching he said (paraphrasing): Carlton game: Played it with a straight bat. Said we aren’t a finals team at the moment and we have another level to go to. His greatest achievement: Will reflect on it after the season. Big thing that’s stands out is the list turnover and gave credit to: Taylor, Viney, Mahoney. Gave great credit to N. Jones for his improvement and performance of captain. Suggested he will be a captain for a few more years but will be a great role model for those that may aspire to replace him. Re finals in 2017 he can’t guarantee when but with Goodwin as coach and the young talent, it will happen probably sooner rather than later. If players really commit to it, 2017 finals can happen. On Goodwin as a coach: Not much will change as he has had a big role this year in the game plan and he has good relationship with the players, good at giving players feedback which is what they want and need as a young group. He enjoys it when in a café and someone comes up and says they are a Melbourne supporter and thank him for what he has done. A most selfless man! So impressed that not once during the interview did he take credit for what has been achieved – passed it on to the people mentioned above. I find it incredibly sad our last game isn't a home game - I wouldn't care if it was at Etihad, at least we could manage the pre/post game activities and Dees supporters could attend in big numbers. I hope Geelong have spoken with PJ and find a way to acknowledge his last game in a special and fitting way.

I'm a bit reluctant to bump this thread while the 'Dumb and Dumber Coaching' is so active. But here goes: Final Training Session with Roos - Thursday Morning: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-08-23/final-training-session-for-the-season: Fans are encouraged to come along and wish ‘Roosy’ farewell before he hands over the reins to Simon Goodwin...BBQ food and coffee will be available to purchase. Lets hope the lads can send him off with a win on Saturday. Edit: Have changed Thread title from Countdown to Farewell.

Quite a fair assessment of how Carlton beat Max Gawn. http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/how-carlton-used-a-combination-of-tactics-to-get-the-better-of-melbourne-ruckman-max-gawn/news-story/8a82c31a2ac5fbd2bcd500ca30c07293 Can't for the life of me understand why we didn't try and negate their tactics. This last line made me laugh: 'It took the efforts of four players to beat Max Gawn...But beat him Carlton did.'

Welcome back. Kudos to you for fronting up again. Thanks for earlier info you gave us on the EFC players. Tip: post on other threads as well.

Very profound Mr hemingway... ...also made me laugh!