Captain_Jack

100% factual

Will not come near the club with Pert involved. Pert sacked him from Collingwood and Balme despises him. Anything negative you read about Pert, written by Caro has been fed directly to her by Balme.

Nothing resembling a 'plan' or 'strategy' anywhere near this. This is just a bunch of claims that sound great, tied up with a nice little bow in the claim that 'if' it all happens we be flying and a powerhouse, with lot's more members... Tell us what you're doing right now. How are things going to be different? When Gale and O'Neill rolled out their plan, they at least started by addressing the shift in culture that was required. Followed up by appointing Balme (who was available because he's been fired by Collingwood's CEO at the time...). That's a plan, that's action, that get's results.

Oh boy... if your opinion could be classified as 'news' this would be the definition of 'fake' news'. This is categorically false.

Rather than looking for a scapegoat to pin this too, why don't we look at the facts from Pert's time at CFC: - Time at Collingwood extraordinarily successful - peopled laughed when he set the target of 80k members as they are laughing now at the target he has set for MFC - no club in the history of the game has experienced the level of growth that CFC did in Pert's time as CEO - membership, revenue, profit etc. - took a bottom 4 list and built it to a premiership side - Developed a facility that has become the benchmark for all others WITHOUT requiring taxpayer funding - Exited CFC from the gaming/hospitality investments of the previous administration that were haemorrhaging money and returned CFC to profit within 2 years - Removed a coach that looked good on paper but was subsequently moved on by Carlton FC shortly after his appointment (interestingly, spent most of his first preseason at Carlton on a book tour rather than overseeing training) - Appointed a coach that in 2018 took the team to a grand final - In the face of intense criticism that ultimately lead to his demise as CEO, backed Buckley and his system when the easy thing to do would have been to sack Buckley and buy himself time while the club 'imbedded' a new coach and system. Buckley now coaches the premiership favourite team which surely vindicates the club and Pert's support of him. Didn't get everything right; - Appointment of Allen and Eade, potential missteps. Removal of Balme arguably another (although Balme was in favour of removing Buckley so perhaps this has also been vindicated). If we look objectively at the decisions that are now up for debate as to whether that have enhanced or will hamper long term success, they were overwhelmingly made under the leadership of Jackson and Roos and Mahoney (the latter being Jackson's preferred CEO appointment to allow Jackson to stay on at the club as a mentor...). For what it's worth, I think the decisions that have been made over the last 5 years at least, will ultimately prove to be astute moves that will take us where we all desperately want to go. I believe, the appointment of Pert will be another of those positive moves and that at this stage, all be can do is have a little faith. When it comes to faith, every day of the week, I'll give mine to those that have been there and done it and when you look below the surface, have made a majority of very positive calls.

Wow, strategic thinking at it's best. Win the ball in the middle, hit targets and kick more goals... Mate, you have to tell the FD about this... pure genius!

Agree 100%, seems they prefer to throw Jack under the bus and cause a standard media [censored] storm than make the facts available.

He IS injured, take that as gospel. Not emotional, others just have access to information you don't.

Carrying multiple injuries and wearing all the heat for a team underperforming across the board. Absolute joke. Makes a nice easy whipping boy, every time the coaching staff want to look like they're taking a stand. They pick and choose which players they take a hard line on 'team rules' with and it shows. Has McCartney's fingerprints all over it, there's a reason why he was moved on from the Bulldogs and they've never looked back.

Jaeger...? ?

I'm hearing Hawthorn are now well and truly in the mix and the VERY early favourites to secure him. If GC want to get near the offers that are being talked about, expect to see Ablett back in the hoops to free up some cap space. Unrelated but the same source also said not to expect to see Brayshaw on the park this year. Long term prognosis positive, but not much to be gained by bringing him back with 3-4 weeks left in the season.

Finally some sense. Has played most of this year as a significantly undersized ruckman, then expected to float forward, take the best defender and consistently kick a minimum of five goals. He's an athlete, being placed, due to lack of personnel, in a position where he has little chance to use his athletic advantages. He's playing an incredibly valuable role for the team just getting out there and giving a contest in the middle. Anything else he manages to deliver before Gawn and Hogan return, should be considered a bonus.

I sat with a current MFC listed player at the Brisbane game and asked directly, how we let Martin go. His response was, "can play a bit but a really ordinary unit". Direct quote.

If Roos can turn this around I'll be the first to congratulate him and the coaching group on the job well done. The problem is, every indication is that we are going backwards, falling back into old habits, and Roos talks about it like it's unfair that the finger be pointed at him, like it's somehow not related to his role... No coach in the history of the game has ever accepted a bigger pay packet. You took the Messiah's price tag, you accepted the Messiah's adulation and now you have to live with the scrutiny of massively under delivering. You can't preach accountability and responsibility to the playing group and then not demonstrate any yourself. Just once I'd like to hear Roos say, I came into this job with my eyes wide open, I knew what I was getting into and what I had to work with, I have under delivered to this point but the players and supporters can rely on me, as the senior coach to remain 100% committed to achieving what we as a collective, set out to do. Roos was asked the question on 360 last night, "do you want to coach this team next year?" He cut up rough and avoided answering it. At the very least, he owed long suffering supporters a direct answer to a very simple question. Once again, he treated supporters with the contempt that has become all too common.

Sounds like you didn't see years 9, 10, 11 or 12 of high school either.

Huh...??? So clubs don't use later picks anymore... does that mean we have to give Jay Kennedy-Harris and Tom McDonald back? He was seen as a likely superstar, hence we used pick 4, using pick 4 on Toump also precluded us from using it on guys like Wines etc. hence the panic/hysteria if his progress looks even slightly delayed. Once again, it is vitally important that he becomes a gun. Not just because we used an early pick on him, but because we are heavily deficient in the type of link up, ball carrying, distributor we drafted him to be. We'd all have liked to see him burst onto the scene and put beyond any doubt that he'll be an a-grader. My point is, I've seen nothing to suggest he can't cut it just yet.

I choose to liken the Toump to Nick Malceski. similar run, carry, distributor type players, albeit Malceski is a bigger body. Malceski was a slow developer also, was drafted in 2002 and didn't consolidate his senior spot at Sydney until 2007. Nobody batted an eyelid because he was taken at 64 in the draft and, like Toumpas, was recovering from some injury troubles. Has gone on to become an All Australian and one of the more damaging half backs in the game. If Toumpas wasn't an early draft pick, we'd probably be taking the pragmatic view that he is young, developing, managing a developing body and an outside player, who will also struggle in a side that has great difficulty winning and keeping the footy. Malceski struggled in the Swans 2's that was playing in the Canberra league and winning by 100 plus points every week. Toumpas was running around in a Casey side that was getting smashed, in often heavy conditions and had lost their best inside ball winner from the previous year in Magner. I'm still amazed at how he was able to play his best senior game for us in 2013 in horrendous conditions in Geelong. We're all a bit jumpy because it is vitally important to us that he develops into the player he was drafted to be. Give him time, he'll be fine.

I spoke to a prominent player manager who informed me I should be quite confident of seeing one of Treloar or Shiel at the Dees next year. Treloar is contracted but apparently keen to look at opportunities elsewhere and they Giants have decided to make keeping Cameron, Patton and Boyd together, their priority. This means they'll certainly have to concede something in the midfield. Shiel won't be there next year, wants out and not well liked around the club anyway. On that basis, assuming we finish where we are now, Frawley leaves and we get pick 4 as compensation, what do we think of the following: Pick 3 and Blease OR Tapscott (both former 1st rounders) to GWS For Treloar and Shiel (alternative for GWS – blow up you salary cap trying to hold onto Treloar and lose 1 of their key talls which are harder to replace). Next year's midfield stocks: N Jones Vince Tyson Cross Viney Treloar Shiel Salem Trengove Toumpas Pick 4 (priority pick having traded pick 3 to GWS… Brayshaw?) GWS most likely use pick 3 to get Petracca as a replacement mid.

A game played between two sides at VERY different stages of their development. One side that's been a tight unit, practicing a disciplined, attacking game plan that will stand up in finals for the last 3 - 4 years. Another that's still learning how to defend, how/when to attack, who will play what roles, rebuilding from the ground up. We need to remember 2 key things: North pummelled largely the same playing group less than 12 months ago. When 'on' the Roos have been able to get hold of some VERY capable sides this year, including the Swans, by a similar margin, at the SCG. Let's chalk this up to a learning experience and turn our attention to a very winnable game next week.

I was at the team photo shoot yesterday. Grimes and Jones sitting proudly either side of Roos, read into that what you will. Clark and Frawley either side of them but I don't expect to see a third captain, despite what happened at the Swans. The decision at the Swans was based on having a captain in each sector of the field, Hall (Forward), Kirk (Mid), Barry (Defender). On that basis if the third was to come from Clark or Frawley you'd have to favour Clark, I think they'd be more inclined to let him focus on getting his body and mind right to play footy. All theories, very likely everything I say is waaaaay off.

That's just hard to look at... Jimmy Toumpas is a blimp and Nate Jones looks like he ate Allen Jakovich.

It's been quite a while since we were referred to as bullies on any track...

I saw a group of 15 or so players (not Dunn or Chip) doing repeat sprints up the Anderson St Hill. Not sure how many they did as I was only there for a couple, but they looked like they'd been going for a while when I got there and were still going when I left. McDonald leading all of them with Toumpas very hot on his heels, Trenners not far behind him and Jack Watts really putting in, consistently in the next group. Spencer, Fitzy and Pederson were lagging behind and Westrupp was being beaten by several of the coaches. Interestingly Roos was doing his own sprints but setting off well before the players and being beaten to the top by some. Not a bad tune up pre-Christmas.

I won't be the least bit surprised or disappointed if we've put our cue in the rack for this years trade period. The word is that next years draft is an anomaly in that it's choc full of quality key talls. By the end of next year we should have a much clearer idea of where we sit with our own big man stocks and what we need to take the next step. If we have early picks, and I expect we will, there is always a few sides desperate for bigs, that will trade just about anything to get them. Addressing gaps in the midfield is a lot easier than trying to find quality big men. I think the reason they went so hard for the priority pick is not because they wanted Boyd, they're confident Hogan will be the better player, but because they knew they could pretty much name their price with a side like the Bulldogs.

I've had exactly the same hip procedure, it gives you the ability to completely rebuild your core and change your biomechanics so you'll have far more speed and power long term. The first 12 months of the rehab though are a slow process and should be treated as such, especially with an 18 year old kid playing in a team that's nowhere near finals. If you thought he looked quick and powerful in his tapes pre-surgery, hold onto your hat, the kid will be significantly better than that in the next year or so. Toump will be a genuine gun!