Jara

definitely been reading too many matthew reilly novels

need to update your library - LOL

Nothing very mysterious about Mathew Reilly novels (excepts why grown-ups read them)

My favourite bit of the saga was when McKenzie or Baker were interviewing Dank and he mentions he gave the players TB4.

Journo looks it up and finds its illegal.

Dank: oh is it? Well, we didn't give them that then.

Almost as good, Little's persistent "we've no idea what we gave them, but whatever it was, it was legal."

Geniuses in charge down there at Windy Hill.

Watched the game for a while. Gave up. Too one-sided, boring. Gone to bed.

That's the AFL these days: so one-sided, top-heavy, artificial.

My only hope is that the Swans can do the Hawks. Especially if I have to look at that smarmy little rodent, Rioli.

Good book beckons.

Alexander Downer

Paul Kelly? (The singer, not the football player of the journo)

I can't think of a more worthy recipient than Jim at this time, for his efforts on and off the field.

Kennett can't help himself, just loves to seek attention by being controversial.

Kennett......uuughh!

That man's interior is even uglier than his exterior, something I would have hardly thought possible.

Jimma: the antithesis.

equalisation is only for the rich

Yep, that's how it works. Welcome to the brave new world. Top teams pick up champs from the bottom teams (with a few exceptions, such as Buddy) because they "want to play finals".

Bottom teams get the delisted riff-raff (again, with a few exceptions, such as Cross)

I'm a bit unclear about this, as I suppose we all are.

In the first case, I'd hate to do anything that would cause complications for a person struggling to recover from a mental illness. I suppose that's the first priority.

But......I didn't like hearing John Ralph (I think) saying on KBs show this morning that Clark wants to go to a big, successful Melbourne club to help with his recovery. I'd like to go to a big successful melbourne club to help with my own recovery (from the pain inflicted by being a Demons supporter) but that's not likely to happen.

Ralphs interpretation of Clarks motives has a hint of selfishness about it - a selfishness which could well be a contributor to depression (just been looking at Anne Mannes new book on our society's growing narcissism - one thing about narcissists - they aren't very happy.

It would help if I knew how well he's been treated to date. The article in The Age this morning implied that he had been generous in letting us off a contract which could have netted him a massive amount for a fourth year. Does anybody know if this is the case? Did we do the right thing by Him? Would we have had to pay another $750000 or whatever? Would there have been a non-performance clause?

I must admit, my initial response was - jeez, this guy's already taken a fortune from a struggling club and given nothing in return. Now? Well, I just don't know, but I'd like to.

My real fear is that this business of everybody wanting to go to the big, successful clubs - even if it is to help with your "recovery" - is another nail in our coffin.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/melbourne-president-jim-stynes-offers-mitch-clark-his-no11-guernsey/story-fn69a32t-1226169127861

Clark praised Demons coach Neeld for the "sell" to both himself and partner Samantha Blades, who is looking forward to starting a university course in Melbourne next year.

Good get, but doesn't confirm that we actually paid for her course, or how much we paid.

If anybody has any more details, I'd be grateful if you shared em.

It's our money - shouldn't be top secret.

I dont think Roos is ambivalent, I think he is mightily disappointed Mitch is the sort of player virtually any side would scramble to get. I think he is gutted in loosing possibly his best player for a second time, i.e. lost him to retirement to then find there maybe a chance of a return to now find he wants to go somewhere eles. But what can he do about it on national tv that will not either come back on him, the club or mitch. he played it cool as he could. It now about where we go from here,

i have to question the depression bit, for a guy who quickly went into depression he seems to have quickly found his way out again as well, and in doing so have negotiated not only a healthy settlement to his multi year contract with the MFC but possibly a nice healthy new contract with another club. Gee things seem to have really worked out well for Mitch and his manager financially. If mitch was really seriously depressed then my deepest apologies to him, but unfortunately the world is full of unscrupulous people/managers who take advantage of other peoples good will and good intentions. I hope this is the former case, but fear it is probably the later.

Just clarifying the situation: did I hear Ox say, tonight, that MC received $2 million for a total of 15 games?

Cheeses. My wife is a nurse in charge of a major emergency department. Saves lives every day. It would take her about 30 years to earn that amount.

Heard his manager on SEN. What a scumbag.

Do these people have any morality at all? Does the fact that a struggling club has given you that much money not suggest to them that you might feel morally obliged to give them something back?

It was fun seeing Essendon and Richmond lose this week. Now for the Kangas next week and Hawthorn the following week.

Hawthorn? Jeez, I wish, but I fear it won't happen. Yet another hawks premiership looming. Yuk oh yuk.

FA isn't going anywhere, deal with it. I'm glad they're smirking, we'll wipe it off their faces. Life isn't fair and even, suck it up.

Some people work hard to get where they are, judging by your political view and post, hand outs and a free ride is your preferred option.

Hey Ethan - sorry for late post - been busy all day. Good point, though. You're right - there are lifters and leaners out there, and we've been leaners for eight years now. No, by god, fifty! Pathetic.

And it's all our fault! Hand outs galore - why, we even got Scully and Blease. And have had the nerve to ask for more. We deserve to be punished. Let's go the Full Hockey - let's give massive subsidies to Gina - er, sorry, Hawthorn, or Eddie or Geelong. They worked hard to get where they are. Give them our best players. They can have the blockbusters, the Friday nights. Let's slash our health and education - I mean player development - programs - riff-raff like us don't deserve such things.

As you imply, we'll be better for it in the long run. The very, very long run. I feel better already.

Jones is at a level all of his own. This argument that he is not in the same league/ level of others in more successful clubs is without merit. He's at the very top level.

Ranked 1st in total effective disposals in 2014 AFL. That's effective disposals lads. He delivers the ball effectively more than everyone in the AFL.

You have to be very very good to achieve that in our team, especially when most of our players cant even get the ball. Jonesy put it lace out time and again he carries this side.

This is what I admire so much about our boy - he has to do it all on his own. No back-up, protection, etc..

Those clubs who were lucky enough to be up the top of their cycles when FA came in are laughing all the way to the finals every year. Make no mistake, if FA came in when Hawthorn or Geelong were a basket case, which wasn't that long ago remember, they would be floundering down the bottom for the foreseeable future. It is a vicious cycle, and we are going to have to d an amazing job to break it.

So true. Great post. It's not just free agency, though, it's everything about the creeping corporatization of the game ( ie rigged fixture, expansion clubs)

It all supports the clubs who were big when it came in (I suppose if it had happened fifty years ago, we would have been gloating)

I'm in complete despair about this. Just see no hope of us ever winning a flag. We'll be like the Bulldogs.

Smirking bas&$!s from the big clubs love to see us down there, and have got absolutely no incentive to do anything about it. "Equalisation" is a myth, a bone tossed to the dog so that it doesn't roll over and die. All we provide is cannon fodder. If by chance we do ever get a decent player, he'll be off to Hawthorn etc by the time he's at his peak. Every one of our free agents have left us (think I'm right there) The players are mostly morons who don't understand the passion of those of us who are supporters.

Sorry for such a bitter post. Maybe out of bed on the wrong side this morning.

Footy's like the wider society; an accelerating division between the haves and the have-nots (as exemplified by the current morons in charge in Canberra - if you're rich, you're laughing, if you aren't, you're stuffed)

The argument about wasted picks in the past is baloney - Jackson and Roos are better credentialed - the Tyson and pick 9 for pick 2 last year is a winner re Tyson - time will tell re Salem.

The argument about "tanking" is baloney - MFC have been penalised and so many other clubs did it without penalty.

MFC's win loss ratio over the last 8 years, the recent Lions and GWS debacles and the pain of sitting thru the Eagles game on Sat nite make me certain that if MFC don't qualify for assistance by way of a priority pick - NO-ONE will ever qualify for a priority pick.

(do the idiots at the AFL seriously want Melb consistently being thrashed on T V and only masochists like us not switching over to a rubbish movie?)

I'm sure the next time one of the Big Boys find themselves down in the cellar they'll be demanding (and getting) a PP.

It's just the riff raff who don't deserve it (my god, as I write this, it seems like something out of Evelyn Waugh - I suppose there's not much point in being a member of the elite if you haven't got a peasant or two bowing and scraping before you)

I wonder how many people actually know how many priority picks Melbourne has received since 2007. I reckon the footy world thinks we have have 4+ the fact is we have had 2, one end of first round and one before first round. Through the Hawthorn rebuild they got 3 before round 1 picks from 2001-2005, Carlton got 4 before first round picks between 2003-2007. Most clubs have been able over a 4 year period point it in the right direction, we are now entering into 5 years since our last Priority pick, 8 years of bad football and our 3rd season in a row with less than 4.5 wins. Thats 5 years of the 8 we have won less that 4.5 games, with one year, 2007 we won 5.

Carlton was suspended from the draft for Cheating the salary cap and still got Priority picks.

Others have already commented, but just wanted to say thanks drdrake for a very clear (albeit depressing) summary of the situation.

Wish somebody could get that message home to the morons in the media. Trouble is most of them - not to mention other clubs CEOs - are quite happy to let us stew down in the pits. They justify their position by saying its all our own fault.

It is just amazing how it is impossible to have a logical discussion on this issue. The Saints coach said oh how could the Dees get one while we are one below them. The other teams above us are reduced to talks about do we deserve it, its our fault we are shyte etc. The PP rule talks about poor performance over an extended period but let's not get to hung up on the wording or intent of the rule. It is really about whatever the top 10 or so AFL club presidents think is fir for them.

Hear hear! Drives me nuts. So many supporter of other teams I know keep saying "you don't deserve it."

Deserve! WTF has deserve got to do with it?

All I want is a little logic and a little equality.

It's pretty rich from a club who still gets a free rid from the AFL. Pay no attention to it though. He's another that simply doesn't understand the rules. He's used the word 'deserve'.

Makes me despair, all of this. I just see no way out of it. The odds are so heavily stacked against us. I've waited 50 years to see a premiership. Barring our stumbling across a freak like Ablett, I can't see us ever winning one. I'm not greedy. Just one, so I could know what it felt like.

Scheizenhaus article from Quayle. Is she related to Dan? Does nobody teach these people logic?

Her premise? You don't "deserve" a PP because you are hopeless. Well, wow, that makes a lot of sense. Let's give one to Hawthorn, then, or the Swans. They're very good. They certainly deserve one.

There's no "deserve"; there are simply rules. The AFL is so secretive I can't work out what those rules are, but if a team doesn't get a PP after 6 wins in 2 years, they might as well throw the rule out, admit that the AFL is nothing more than a business designed to serve the interests of the elites and their pet teams, and that riff-raff like us, Dogs, Saints, etc, are only allowed in as cannon-fodder.

What PP player do we have on our list?

You of course are against the unfair draw some clubs get which affect wins and revenue.

Also draft academy's of some clubs . The Swans will get 2 boys in the next 2 years who are top 5 but will go at about pick 20 for them each year.

Also that the Pies were allowed to take an American player this year who was denied to clubs like us which couldn't afford to go the US to interview him there.

Also the extra salary cap of some clubs which allow players like Buddy and Tippett to go there.

Also FA which has been brought in to bolster the top clubs as has become evident. We will lose our 5th player this year to it. See any champs under FA asking to come to us?

Also rules made on the hop like the Judd salary sham allowance from Visy yet denied in 3 seconds when we suggested we would do the same to try and retain Scully.

Yes you are against all these handouts aren't you, or only one given to us because we are crap as a result of our incompetence and the system we play under.

Great post, Redleg. There is already so much inequality in the AFL, and you've highlighted most of the main points.

The draw is the one that gets on my goat. These days, a good draw equals money in the bank, and money in the bank equals success on the field.

To all of you doubters, do you think Hawk or Filth fans have any qualms about the premierships they won using priority-picked players?

cheers

My take, for what it's worth, on Roos

The good: always been impressed by the fact that the Swans players gave the impression that they'd follow him to hell and back, and there were some pretty inspirational types in there. I presume that means he's got strong leadership qualities

The bad: he's too defensive (all that sideways stuff, slowing down, etc) . I know our forward line's been crueled this year, and I gather the mantra is that great sides are built upon strong, rebounding defences. But why can't you develop an attacking capability at the same time? I don't get it. Aren't they of equal importance?

I went along yesterday. Had quite a nice day actually. On my own - kids no longer interested, cant drag em along. After twenty minutes I gave up on the game. Decided not to surrender to despair. Had a little book of Japanese Buddhist poetry in my bag. Sat there and read that, glancing up from time to time, just to make sure that the train wreck was continuing. Yep, it was. Back to Miyazawa.

Don't feel great today though. Worried that the team will disappear, and I'll be bereft.

Big picture: I feel we've been screwed. Trouble is, I can't work out who by. Maybe by the AFL, maybe by big business, maybe by the expansion teams, maybe by ourselves. Maybe it's a class thing; must be what it's like being a Bulldogs supporter. You know the toffs will toss you a bone from time to time, but you also know you're never going to win a flag.

Good for them. Let them "riot."

What can they actually do?

Er - I thought that, collectively, they could deny us the PP.

Nasher. Its simple. For their orchestrated rorting of a system. For their contempt for the leaugue. For their complete indifference to the health of their charges. For the lack of any remorse or conciliatory shame; chuck them out of the AFL altogether. Charge their board with whatever work safe feels appropriate.

They are a despicable blight on decency.

Yay Beelzebub! Out on their asses!

Little's strategy seems to be to keep on appealing until most of the players implicated have retired, thus minimizing the damage. Fourteen have already left the club; others will leave or be delisted this year.

I'm with Why You Little on this one. Screw em. They're stuffing up the League and damaging us all with their arrogance.

Not likely to happen, of course - unless Middleton decides against them.

Just back in from a long day's work, haven't heard the news all day. First thing I turn to is Demonland. Sorry I've got nothing new to add to the discussion, but I had to say something to someone.

Lemme get this straight. The Bombers have used every delaying trick and barrister in the book - even brought in Neil Young - to avoid having to face the consequences of having pumped their players full of pig effluent...and now Little is trying to get a political crony to call the whole thing off on the grounds that....huh? It's all gone on so long?

Words almost fail me. The effrontery of that man - not to mention the arrogance of the rich.

Mind you, given how much the Libs are piddling in the pockets of people like him, I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled it off.

Has nobody ever said the word WADA to him? Does he propose to blacken the game our kids play - indeed, all of Australian sport - just so that The Annointed One can avoid taking responsibility for his actions?

Scum, the lot of them. Pure, unadulterated, stomach-churning, blood-bubbling scum.

Didn't I read somewhere that - hmmm - maybe just over twenty of the players involved are still at the club? Maybe their plan is to keep appealing for so long that they'll be well into the rebuilding process by the time they get hammered.

That Little looks like a cunning little ba$&tard. He's also, is he not, notoriously litigious?

(Apologies to M9 - looks like we crossed over in the ether)

that he did.

I love the way Hird, in trying to paint himself as a victim, said that he went against his beliefs because of threats and "inducements".

Inducements? What sort of an idiot defence is that? Basically saying "I was bribed". How does he think that's going to go down with all the poor nuff-nuffs out there in Bomberland struggling to get by on a salary about one twentieth of his "inducement"?

This whole hero -worship thing is weird weird weird. Makes people delusional. After a while they start to believe all the drivel dished up to them by the tracky-dack-wearing, Slurpee-guzzling morons with nothing else in their lives who support them.