Lucifers Hero

Sorry to quote my own post. But here is a really good article explaining the advantages to the affected clubs of the extra sal cap from suspended players. Written by none other than the outstanding journalist Emma Quayle http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/silver-lining-emerges-for-clubs-with-suspended-exessendon-recruits-20160301-gn7ne6.html On a side note: Eddie is so so hypocritical at being incensed if the AFL give the sal cap relief? I bet they are getting the sal cap benefit from not paying their 2 players serving ASADA suspensions - for 2 years. Eddie - what is good for the goose is good for the gander!!

Check out this recent DL thread for iphone and android options

I feel the rule has merit for clubs like mfc. Before it we had to pay 100% of the cap meaning players were paid more than their value (I think Mahoney recently said the 'over' payment was 26%, now down to 4%). But the other big downside was we couldn't build a war chest to go after FA's or trade in players and fit them into the salary cap. All clubs have to work to the sal cap rules but the 'power' clubs have facilities, success, marquis games, big crowds etc to entice players but mfc can't (at least not yet) so we need the flexibility to have some chance of getting players we want. Also, we (as other clubs) can now stash some cap space away for when a good young player is coming out of contract and reward them. Hard to do if it has been 'spent'. So generally I am ok with the rule.

The AFL players' top 50: 50 to 41 No idea who wrote it but great that Bernie and Nathan get this recognition. Bernie ranked 48 and Nathan 42. (With a countdown there may be others but unlikely). Very well deserved by the guys. It is another public acknowledgement that we are improving. I even saw mfc and 'destination club' in the same sentence in The Age recently! Bit by bit we are earning back respect!

1. "The new rule allows clubs who have spent under 100 per cent of the cap in the past two seasons to spend up to a maximum of five per cent over it in 2016". http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-08-07/clubs-set-to-spend-up-big-under-new-tpp-system 2. I don't see any practical way clubs could 'front-end' contracts this year as the CAS decision was only made in Jan and the AFL is yet to determine what salary cap relief is given to the 4 affected clubs. Also, All contracts for this year will have already been signed before the start of the year. If the AFL doesn't incl the suspended plalyer's salary in each clubs cap the benefit is in future years, hence why the power clubs are 'incensed' about it being used for recruiting.

Its to do with unused sal cap being carried over to the next year or two as clubs do not have to pay 100% of cap each and every year. Edits: I think there are limits to how far a club can go (maybe 95%) and over how many years a club can miss the 100%, to avoid clubs building great war chests in their sal caps. As I understand it suspended efc player salaries are in their cap but salaries of top-up players are not.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/port-adelaide-melbourne-st-kilda-western-bulldogs-could-benefit-from-salary-cap-concession-on-exbombers/news-story/90698df596a7cfc7384cb9e76b679aa5 Quotes: "Leading AFL clubs are incensed that the salaries of five suspended former Essendon players are likely to sit outside the salary caps of their new homes". Sydney, Richmond, Hawthorn and Collingwood are among the clubs concerned that this salary cap exemption would create an opportunity for those four clubs to use the space for recruiting" "...The league has indicated that more than half the players’ salaries will fall outside the cap — an outcome that has riled rival clubs, which are hoping to overturn the AFL’s initial ruling". The AFL's initial ruling is based on the fact that the 5 clubs will not be paying the salary so should not be in the cap. Sound logic to me. While the salary cap concession doesn't benefit mfc much, in principle I feel it is poor sportsmanship by those clubs to take this heavy handed stand. This is especially so after (by all accounts vehement) opposition to allowing 'top up' players like EFC. It would be good to for the AFL to be decisive, show some leadership and not buckle to the pressure from powerful clubs.

I re read the articles re the injury on our web site and scans were not mentioned. In fact Goodwin said: "It's just a minor medial, so we'll just assess him as the week goes on," The scan seems something assumed by the media or fans. Also the quote from The Australian does not say scans will be cancelled it says they 'will not be required'. The club took him off the ground on Saturday to not risk Gus. They will not risk him now and will give him whatever treatment and rehab is required. Lets wait the next installment from the club.

All very sage comments and lets hope the club does everything to look after young Gus. (...and the club still needs to confirm the report in the Australian). On the positive side it means the injury is on the minor side, as reported by Goodwin and in all likelihood Gus will line up in round 1 rather than miss the first part of the season.

From The Australian: "However, in more promising news, Melbourne general manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said yesterday Brayshaw would not require scans scheduled for today". http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/victorious-demons-to-keep-form-going-against-bulldogs/news-story/410a1514bd17896aee0982c97dcbbd09 Hooray!!

Finally got to watch a replay. Four big things I noticed about our game plan/ball movement 1. We almost never went backwards! Our players didn't even look like going sideways let alone back. Eyes nearly always forward. 2. We didn't hug the boundary line nor did we play thru the middle. Our forward play was between the two - attacking but conservative. 3. When we went forward there were players running alongside the ball carrier. 4. We played with Intent! We relied on defensive aggression rather than defensive ball movement. It worked! It looked like we were practicing our new game plan as I would think during the real season we will revert to some defensive ball movement. Can't attack all day against the really good sides. Will be interesting to see the balance between attacking/defensive ball movement next week against the fast moving Bulldogs. To me those 4 things showed not only will we be a 'contested ball side' (Goodwin's words) we will be a much more attacking side. If we continue we will have a lot more i50's, many scoring shots and hopefully a lot more goals (and wins). We will also be infinitely more enjoyable to watch...a good way to get supporters come to games!

Ok I'll take the bait! - Many DL posters are pleased players found guilty of drug use are out of the game for a year, regardless who they play for. A victory for clean sport. - Many DL posters are unhappy with the AFL's kid gloves handling of EFC in the aftermath of the CAS decision. Its like rewarding cheats. - Very, very few DL posters are critical of the mfc decision to hire Goodwin. Those positions are not mutually exclusive. Nothing to reconcile. If is interesting to you there are other threads where you can read the discussion about Goodwin and EFC saga. Post your issues over there. Therefore, I'm signing out of the EFC/Godwin discussion on this thread.

Not sure where to put this article so here will have to do http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-season-2016-development-programs-becoming-the-best-route-to-an-afl-premiership-20160226-gn4x7c.html I think we all know that FA's and players look at facilities and development programs before moving clubs or going to so called 'destination clubs'. I doubt any of us think we are such a club (yet). So I take with a grain of salt this comment by the writer, Jon Pierik: The Demons, for instance, are a "destination" club again, due in part to their development system. Top 4 clubs will generally be the most attractive. Nonetheless, it is good that mfc is starting to be linked to the words 'destination club'. If our development is top notch it will help player retention as well as attract players. We are slowly getting off the bottom rungs of the ladder, in more ways than one!

From the young man himself: “We were down by five goals and then we really turned it on and then we just kept going,” he said. “I just loved it. I loved going in for the ball. I hunted it and loved the contest. It was my sort of game. “It was awesome.” Just have to love him, don't you.

Out today and didn't see the game so just caught up on 15 pages! Going on the posts I wondered if Viney went to sleep after running out as Captain. Then I read the Age game review and saw this: Jack Viney (28 touches, 11 clearances)!! Well done Captain: 1 from 1! The other thing I read is that we had 10 goal kickers. That will create a few headaches for opposition backs especially if our on-ballers continue to hustle in and around the stoppages. Keep Hogan down and others bob up! He won't mind that - he doesn't have to do all the heavy lifting! Should be a good atmosphere at the Family Fun Day at Luna Park tomorrow!

Not quite numerical order...and I did qualify it with: "Given that they have the wrong coach listed I wonder about the rest of it"!

Port: Starting 1Travis Boak 5Matthew Broadbent 3Jake Neade 9Robert Gray 7Brad Ebert 8Hamish Hartlett 11John Butcher 13Cameron O'Shea 12Jackson Trengove 15Karl Amon 18Jimmy Toumpas 16Oliver Wines 19Matt White 21Jared Polec 20Chad Wingard 23Matthew Lobbe 24Jarman Impey 27Alipate Carlile Subs 39Justin Westhoff 28Jay Schulz 29Jasper Pittard 36Jack Hombsch 32Dougal Howard 37Jesse Palmer 33Darcy Byrne-Jones 46Sam Gray 41Brendon Ah Chee 42Thomas Jonas 40Aaron Young Coach Ken Hinkley Not a bad line up from Port. Lookin forward to the Viney/Wines clash

Line up: 4Jack Watts 1Jesse Hogan 3Christian Salem 11Max Gawn 7Jack Viney 10Angus Brayshaw 12Dom Tyson 14Lynden Dunn 13Clayton Oliver 15Billy Stretch 17Sam Frost 16Dean Kent 20Colin Garland 22Viv Michie 21Cameron Pedersen 25Tom McDonald 28Oscar McDonald 29Jayden Hunt Subs 30Alex Neal-Bullen 37Aaron vandenBerg 42Josh Wagner 31Jack Grimes 39Neville Jetta 32Tomas Bugg 35Ben Kennedy 45Matt Jones 46Dean Terlich 36Jefferey Garlett 43James Harmes Coach Paul Roos Source: http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/match?matchid=NAB20160203 Given that they have the wrong coach listed I wonder about the rest of it. Goodwin is coach today. Good to see Oliver starting on the field. I assume some of the 'Subs' will be dropped from the final list.

Look forward to how we play with Goodwin in the chair and how he responds with tactics during the game. He will be on show just as much as the players and am expecting a good performance from all.

From most of the interviews one thing altho unstated, that comes thru loud and clear is HUNGRY! Hungry to make the 22, hungry to hold down a spot, hungry to win games, hungry to bring MFC success...(I especially love their commitment to the latter). Can't remember when we had hungry players let alone a hungry team!

This will test the AFL's mettle: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/clubs-take-steps-to-guard-against-possible-players-strike-20160225-gn3v8s.html The AFLPA thru Paul Marsh, looks set to play hardball on the new CBA and sharing the spoils of the new TV deal. The outcome of the CBA will be a major factor setting the AFL landscape and who knows the state of the game after the new CBA has been in place for a few years. It is uncharted territory for Gill having to negotiate with an adversarial foe. Suspect some sparks will fly!

I was lucky enough to see most of the 1964 team at their 50 year anniversary reunion at the Bentleigh Club luncheoon. One of my faves was Hassa Mann. A delightful, friendly bloke and 3 flags, 3 Blueys, 3 times Captain, 2 times AA. So if not Barassi I would choose Hassa

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-02-25/at-80-the-life-and-times-of-ron-barassi What a wonderfully full life! Full of challenges, setbacks and highspots. I had forgotten many of the things listed. Still in awe that he trekked the the Kokoda Track when he was 70! There aren't enough superlatives to describe him. I'll try a few: Legend Champion Inspirational Reilient Hero Wouldn't it be great to win another premiership in Ron's lifetime!

Agreed! If anyone is still feeling nervous may this be reassuring: "Hogan hasn’t seen many victories in his three years at the club, but if it can continue on its current trajectory then he’ll sign for life....He wants to see the club achieve success as much as the most passionate Demons fan and is heavily invested in making that happen...It’s hard to see him walk out on the Demons just as they, including best mate James Harmes, are about make a return to finals for the first time in more than a decade". That is fairly strong! And among the tea leave reading by all the journos on this, there is zero indication that he may leave. It is actually good to be dealing with a sensible player manager. Remember the mess the respective manager's of Scully, Clarke and Howe made of negotiations and the merry dance they played with the club. This is different, the delay seems genuine and not gaming by the manager.

Such as this: “Jesse has already indicated his commitment to Melbourne in late 2014 when he extended his contract by an extra two more years without playing a game...Melbourne is where he wants to be and nothing has changed. He is heavily committed to the Melbourne footy club and nothing has changed.” from Jesse's manager. Sounds fine to me!