footywidow

TBH, I think he's been pretty fair. Melbourne lied to him about their involvement with Dank. They were probably giving their players substances which haven't been approved for humans use. I think that is bringing the game into disrepute.

The issue isn't the legality of the 'supplements'. I'd guess at both Essendon and Melbourne, they were all cleared as 'legal' by ASADA or whoever it is. The issue is that is unethical to be basically experimenting on players. All they would've thought about is if they are 'legal', which they would've been assured that they are. But 'legal', and 'safe and effective' are not the same thing. The clubs all have an ethical code that they must follow. The issue is that all this stuff, especially at Essendon, where they signed waivers and confidentiality clauses, breaches that code. If it were my son playing at either of these clubs, I would be livid. At Essendon he would've been almost forced to sign those forms, then be injected with god-knows-what. At Melbourne, he's playing for a club who seem to be putting the players' best interests last all the time, half of their careers have been ruined by the culture there, and now we find out they too have been given substances that are still in the testing stage, and possibly on the 'to-be-banned' list. Then Melbourne lie about their involvement with this idiot, at least Essendon were smart enough to get it checked out so it at least looks like they are co-operating! How the hell can the players run out there and play with integrity when their club has none!? I think Andrew Demetriou is concerned with the ethical boundaries that are being crossed, and the fact Melbourne lied. And yes, it was a lie.

What if its the truth though? None of us play for Melbourne, so we don't know really. All I see is that a few years ago they cleaned out all the experienced senior players, then gave the captaincy and leadership roles to a few 20 years old who had been at the club for five seconds (nothing against those players but they are inexperienced). But people like Brad Green still copped it every week for 'not leading' when he wasn't even deemed good enough by the club to be in the leadership group! Not like the old days where you had the older, experienced, respected players who had proven themselves as captain and 'leaders'. People like Adem Yze and David Neitz, Jeff White etc. I dunno, he's the one working there, not us. Maybe hes not trying to deflect responsibility, but maybe saying what he thinks is going wrong at the club?

Okay, I agree they are in a very lucky position, they are living many Australian men's dreams. And I often shake my head at how many footy players take it for granted. I have no doubt the majority of them have no idea how lucky they are and how hard it is in the 'real world', where you come home equally as tired, with much less money, and much less adulation. However you also come home with much less (or no) public criticism. You can go surfing and post a pic of it on instagram and no-one knows you are the one that f*%$#d up a big account the day before. You can go and have a drink without people talking $hit to you about how crap you and your team are, and without being criticised that you are, god forbid, taking a few hours of time for yourself! This idea that they are 'not accountable' and not trying is ridiculous. Like I said before, the losses hurt them more than ANYBODY! I cannot fathom how seemingly intelligent people could possibly think they feel it more than the players. I am telling you, without doubt, they are trying their hardest. Maybe they are all really crap footy players, I don't know. But they have trained their ar$es off all preseason, and they all went into that game really positive, just as they did at the beginning of last season. I don't know WTH went wrong, neither do they, but all this rubbish about how much it is hurting you as a supporter, and how they should refrain from posting a pic of them surfing until the 'sting from the loss' is gone is just so silly! They are allowed to have a life! Seriously what sort of players do you think they would be if they all sat at the club 24/7 thinking and talking about footy? You know the saying- "all work and no play....". And don't get me started on the 'role model' thing! Yes thousands of little kids look up to them, and even if they don't want to be role models, really, it comes with the job and I believe they do need to suck it up and act good for the sake of all the kids out there who don't need to think all footy players drink/take drugs etc. However, for myself, I'll be using the times footy players stuff up as teaching moments for my kids. Yes they may be a great footy players, but underneath it all, they are still just a person, like you and me, and people make mistakes. Look at how much trouble you can get into for drinking/gambling/taking drugs too much etc. I guess its a bit hard when the parents are wetting themselves when a footy players is anywhere nearby though isn't it? Anyway, vent over, but I think people should remember basic psychology (and parenting) states that if you tell someone enough that they are hopeless, they will be. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy. Something to think about....

Genuine question... What exactly do people want the players to be doing after they have lost? They are being criticised for having a surf, of all things! Should they be at home crying, drinking, drowning their sorrows? Should they back at the club training more, risking overdoing it and injuring themselves? Going over and over and over the game footage? Really, you can only do that so many times! I said it before, but however much you are 'hurting' as a supporter, I can guarantee the players are hurting a lot more. As someone else said, they can't escape it, EVERYONE wants to ask them whats going wrong, is it the coach, is it this, is it that? Plus, obviously they hate losing. Its a $hit feeling, moreso when you are playing than when you are watching. Imagine being booed off the field like they were. I'm not saying anyone needs to be happy about them losing all the time, just that its unfair to have potshots at players about what they do with their free time, and then expect the player to be okay with that.

Well done with yet again proving you have nothing constructive to add to the conversation

I had to sign up especially to reply to this topic. I always vowed I would never stoop to this level but anyway.... It was probably not the wisest thing for James Magner to do- to have a shot at someone on social media. However, people need to realise that him, and his team mates are actually PEOPLE. Yes they are fairly compensated for having to modify their behaviour to suit the masses, and yes, they choose to play footy as a job. But this does not mean that you, as a supporter has ANY ownership over these men and their actions. YOU do not pay their salary, the club does. If you are not happy about the way your membership dollars are being spent, DON'T SPEND THEM! Or contact the club about it! I don't understand why anyone would think they have the right to dictate how a football player chooses to spend his time based on his, or his team mates' form on the footy field. As a MFC supporter I completely understand the frustration of seeing them lose every weekend. My kids are shattered every weekend. The other kids tease them at school coz their team are so $hit! lol! But seriously, as if the players aren't trying! I know it may look like that, but if YOU were out there playing, would YOU try? Would YOU like to lose every week, to go home and read on these forums how crap everyone thinks you are, and how you should be 'handing in your pay that week'? Do you really think that they LIKE losing and just don't give a rats about winning?! They have so much more riding on this game than any supporter does, or ever will- its their job, and their passion! No-one feels the losses more than the players (and coaching staff I would guess) themselves, and it is so completely ludicrous to suggest that you as a supporter feel it more! They come off the ground absolutely shattered, wondering WTH went wrong, vowing to do better the next week, only to experience the same again and again. I don't whats wrong with the team, I don't know if its the coaching, the 'game plan', the players' lack of skill and ability, the 'culture' at the club, the admin... I don't know. But I do know that the players are trying their hardest, and they are absolutely gutted that they can't seem to get it right. Put simply, they don't need keyboard warriors going on their social media (which they are entitled to have just like every other man their age) and making comments that they do not deserve to have a life because of how them losing a friggin football game makes YOU feel. Kind of like when they did the Harlem Shake, one of the only 'fun' things they have done as a group in a long time, and it took a very short amount of time, yet so-called 'supporters' still felt they had the right to criticise them for it, I mean WTF!? Leave them alone, you don't own them and you have no right telling them what they should and shouldn't be doing. *** I say 'you' as a collective 'you' for all the no-lifers commenting that they have a right to tell poor old James Magner and any other footballer/public figure how they can/can't spend their free time.