Older demon

Viney in Italy, Hunt in Sri lanka and Max posted on Instagram he has taken his bike with him to Europe. Holiday mode

And we would not play him at CHF and only saw him as a beckman. He thrived at Carlton up forward, we got that one wrong.

Well GCS are a very weak team. On the other hand Port bought in three first year draftee, Rozee, Duursma & Butters who played 22, 20 &19 games respectively. This is an excellent return on an investment in youth. One would hope with the core group of MFC regulars high draft picks could flourish with us

Thanks Drunkn all the best to Dec he is a ripping bloke who even posed for pic with my daughter and her dog at family day. Polite, easy to talk to and a gentleman. I wish him all the best in his football future.

MFC have exit interviews till Wednesday so I doubt there will be a Mad Monday maybe Thursday!!!

I read in a VFL report that Tim Smith has announced his retirement. Can anyone confirm this please?

And I hope a contract offer to Sam Frost

Thanks Demonland that is a great summation of the contested possession winners. To my surprise even though I think Clarrie handballs to much his kick to handball ration isn't that much different to the other gun mids in Neale, Fyfe and Cunnington. I wish he would kick more goals and maybe it is the quality of handballs or their outcome that lets him down. Another thought is that is a setup/organisation thing where rather than handball to an outside mid he dishes off to a ten mate who is also in the contest. Dangerfield is the only mid who kicks more than he handballs. Something the coach and midfield coach ned to work on

It has been shown many times over that players who don't have a full pre season often have a poor year. Jones and Viney both had minimal pre seasons and played their first half a game for Casey a week out from the season opener. I am not saying they will be better next year but it comes as no surprise that they got off to bad starts and had ordinary seasons It is common for a player over 30 to be offered year to year contracts with incentives. Boomer Harvey did it for many years quite successfully Viney is problematic with his foot but still has a role to play in the team but I don't think he should be captain. I like what the club has done with the Jones contract offer if what he hear is true. He may not like it but I hope he will back himself to have a great pre season and play games next year and thereafter. I suspect he will only be offered annual contracts by MFC for the remaining duration of his time with us. If GC have offered the security of 3 years up north then it is up to Jones to make a pragmatic decision on what is best for him. He should, in my opinion, step down from the captaincy and expect that he may (if he stays) spend time at Casey just as Bernie did last year without a complaint

No for me! We already have too many inside mids who cannot kick. There is a reason he has been dropped 4 times and the new configuration doesn't suit hime and his only role is as a tagger. We need elite outside run and kicking

On this note the recent discussion about the culture at hawthorn says a lot. Should Roughead get a farewell game? Well he did but the Hawks mantra is that you never get gifted a game. It goes back to the days of Dermie when interviewed about Roughy also said when you look back at your Hawthorn career you know you earned every game. No freebies, no sentiment and that is why Hodge retired, Lewis and Mitchell were moved on and Roughy has spent most of the season in the 2's I hope Jones accepts the offer of 1 year, surrenders the captaincy and is prepared to play at Casey and develop the next gen because sadly he will not be in the next team to play in a GF

Just read the article and it suggests Tim Smith Keilty JKH and Garlett unlikely to get new contract Guy Walker has shoulder problem and Maynard and Lewis are retiring. That is 7 of the list and 5 of the senior list with the rules saying we have to delist a minimum of 3. Anyone else of the list would be a trade

Forget the personalities and let us look at what we want the captain to do and what abilities should he have. Let us treat it as a job application. 1. In absence of runners, someone who can weigh up the game and organise the team. Footy smarts to put it bluntly and the respect of players so they will do what he demands. Think Hodge, Selwood, Cotchin and Hurn. In the event of a run or when the opposition is on top someone who can re-organise on field and is the extension of the coach 2. Someone who provides leadership on and off the field. The position is Club Captain not match day captain. Leads by example in games, at training and away from the club 3. Media savvy. No potting players in public, ability to front the cameras and take the heat and questions. Being articulate and able to speak in public is good 4. Ability to develop and grow into the role and commit to further training and development 5. Have some leadership experience Having said this I am happy for others to add to the job description and requirements for the job. There is no-one on the list who satisfies all those requirements but some who cauldron grow into it. I suspect the idea behind Viney and Jones is the hope between them they provide the above and create a succession plan. I think the Viney/Jones hybrid lacks footy noise and ability to lift and lead. If need be leave Viney there but add Max and develop him as he has most of the skills and the potential to grow in the job. Then groom others in the group for the role IMO Lever is a natural born leader but has dodgy knees, T Mac and Melksham come to mind Comments requested

Of course I will renew as I do every year with the MCC subscription. Now more than ever the club needs our support and not joining doesn't assist and I don't think it is a protest. The club is aware of supporter dissatisfaction and if you want to protest do say via membership otherwise your comment won't be read. Also don't take it out on the volunteer who may ring you next year when you haven't rejoined. Don't shoot the messenger.

I assume the weather has set in as it has closer to the city and play has become quite difficult. Any senior players present?

6- Melksham the only forward 5- Lewis. effort and solid 4- Lever. took marks and ran not an easy backline to defend in 3- Frost. please offer him a contract, has a go 2- Petracca. surprise ruck but took him to the contest and he competed 1- Gawn. The only leader in the team To the midfield who got smashed yet again. Collectively win the selfish award. Why because they are all trying to get a kick and not doing the team thing and looking for cheapies and stats to make them look good. I was horrified the number of times team mates spoiled each other going for the same ball. Coaches -10 for overseeing this garbage and leaving us with absolutely no visible style or brand as they like to call it

Well done Kade on your debut. A great kid who is small (174 cm) but quick. Noted at U18 for his forward defensive pressure so I can see why he is being tried even if others cannot. Early season at gate 3 handing out scarves we were swamped and the players who came to just to meet and greet actually hopped in and assisted. If my memory serves me well It was Kade, Billy, Oscar Baker and Jordon or Walker (memory failing). Kade was first to put his hand up and took up a role immediatly at the table with many a supporter being handed their scarve by this young man. Similarly Oscar Baker was assisting organising the queue with Stretch & Jordon was behind the counter unpacking. They stayed way past their scheduled time and impressed me greatly with their character and willingness to work. Kade looks so young but will now have payed at least 1 game of AFL more than I ever did.

I am so sad to hear this and my condolences to the family. Such a great person he will be missed. I met him on so many occasions at family days etc with his family and was happy to be one of the crowd but such a gentleman. My best story was at Luna Park where Frank and grand children where in the queue to get Jack Watts signature and no-one around including Jack knew who he was. I knew who he was, as he was my late mums favourite and suggested that maybe Bluey should be signing autographs as a premiership hero. Introduced him to Jack who didn't know who he was and but then started asking him questions about all those flags. He will forever be remembered in 1955 (I was 2 months old) for that short lived finals appearance of a few seconds when late in the Grand Final he sprinted onto the ground of the bench and collided with wingman Des Healy of Collingwood. Both ended up unconscious. Healy had won the Copeland that year and never played again at age 28 while Bluey went on to win 6 premierships. Another of that great era has passed.

I thought that we got smashed in the midfield with Sidebottom seemingly always on his own, Pendlebury never fumbling. We were down on both wings as well which is no surprise with baker and Dunkley learning the trade. Someone needs to tell Clarry to gain some composure, as he is always in a hurry and handbills before the recipient is ready. He should kick more instead of those errant handballs. They got so much run of half back and we got none. Such a low skilled game neither team should be happy.

6 Fritch 5 May 4 Trac 3 JKH 2 Harmes That is it in an awful game with terrible skills and our usual butchering and turning over off the ball.

Mac as backup ruckman .....really. I hope Drysdale is correct and there are late changes ie Hore and Stretch. Oscar can never say he wasn't given opportunities

In May, Hore and Stretch Out Oscar, Preuss & Wagner or Dunkley Move Salem into the centre and leave him there to develop as a mid or stick Trac in the middle and let him develop into the midfielder we hoped to get with pick 2. Hunt to a wing and JKH back to where he started as a forward pocket rover/pressure forward Jones May Lever Hibberd Frost Hore Baker Salem Hunt Trac Petty Melksham JKH Oliver Fritta Gawn Brayshaw Viney Stretch Harmes Dunkley Lewis 1 ruckman and someone else nominated to play the Grigg role as Richmond did so successfully. If not stick with Preuss and omit Dunkley.

Suggested yesterday that Stevens goes to Geelong, Kelly goes to Free and Hill goes to the Saints with swaps of late draft picks. No good for us but seems a good fit with 3 players who want to play elsewhere. If we get pick 2 please take Noah Anderson and do not trade it away for anybody

I won't repeat what other posters have listed as there are some obvious ideas. History is against us because in the last 9 years only Richmond rebounded after 1 year. Incidentally they won a flag on the rebound. Most teams have taken a couple of years to rebound and often they don't. Missing this year is a Garlett type forward who kicks goals. Look at Brisbane with Cameron, W.C. with Ryan, Rioli, Cripps and Cameron, Hawthorn always had Rioli and Bruest. Richmond won a flag with a small forward line in which everybody contributed goals. A huge gap in our forward line setup that needs to be addressed Midfielders who kick goals. Gus, Viney, Clarry and Harmes don't kick goals. The top teams have mids who love to stream down the ground and kicks goals our guys would rather handball, usually to someone in a worse position,

I listened to Richo being interviewed and he has no desire to be a senior coach again. He sees himself as a development coach and that is his area of strength. As luck would have it we have a vacancy for a development coach with McCartney's departure. Rich is much more of a people person than the hard edge of Macca. Already the club has recruited in a lot of youth with Sparrow, Jordan, Bedford, Dunkley and Chandler. If we don't trade of our high draft picks we will have 3 maybe 4 more kids come in.Fertile ground for a development coach to manufacture the next tier of players under Viney, Gus, Clarry and Harmes