Delisted #29: Joel 'Scarface' Smith – banned for four years and delisted

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Don't have any inside info but you'd imagine given what's starting to come out Melbourne FC has been pretty heavy handed with journos shutting down stories over the last 2 years. There will be plenty more that journos know about but haven't (yet) published so it's probably time for the club to start being absolutely factual, in a measured way, rather than boasting about strong culture, trying to leak and manage stories, and hiding behind euphemisms and excuses for various incidents.
 
Probably an unpopular opinion here, but I think we should sack Joel Smith. Having packets the week before finals says everything you need to know.
 

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richskee said:
Probably an unpopular opinion here, but I think we should sack Joel Smith. Having packets the week before finals says everything you need to know.
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To be fair when my partner was about to push out baby toump I was on the gear every chance I got, you have to.

(Little dude was a few days early too, which was funny, was struggling with the bright lights at the hospital, pretty high actually but that's another story).

Anyway sleep deprivation is incredibly challenging with a newborn, I think it's very responsible of Joel to practice staying up all night before having his first child.
 
According to these reports Smith has declined to have his B sample tested and is looking at claiming a substance abuse problem defence. That being the case you'd have to think if we are retaining him he'll have to be on some kind of modified program well into the pre-season.

The whole situation pisses me off.
 
LarryDavidNeitz said:
According to these reports Smith has declined to have his B sample tested and is looking at claiming a substance abuse problem defence. That being the case you'd have to think if we are retaining him he'll have to be on some kind of modified program well into the pre-season.

The whole situation pisses me off.
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only reason he isn't out the door is because it would be double standards re:Oliver and a terrible look given Pert just said we hold every player to the same standards.
 
A11dAtP0w3R said:
only reason he isn't out the door is because it would be double standards re:Oliver and a terrible look.
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Yeah I think that's what pisses me off, that we can't make a decision on the merits of whether he deserves to be there or not.

Him claiming a substance abuse problem also probably makes it harder to cut him in this day and age. Which also annoys me because whatever your stance is on AFL players dabbling, the fact is if it becomes a problem for a player then they've got nobody else to blame but themselves.
 
They have to let ASADA do their thing first. Once that’s done the club may impose some further measures.

I reckon ASADA will give him a month or 2 and the club might banish him to the VFL for the first 5 rounds or something like that.
 
Demon 16 said:
They have to let ASADA do their thing first. Once that’s done the club may impose some further measures.

I reckon ASADA will give him a month or 2 and the club might banish him to the VFL for the first 5 rounds or something like that.
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Given the way Goody was speaking about it on Radio I could see him not getting a game at all next year unless he's smashing the door down.
 

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Crusty Demon said:
It was just cocaine yeah? Why is everyone melting about cocaine?
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Coz it was in his system on match day on the eve of finals and not the offseason?
 
Bluelegs said:
Given the way Goody was speaking about it on Radio I could see him not getting a game at all next year unless he's smashing the door down.
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For doing what every young fella is doing? Give him a whack for doing it so close to game day, but he's not doing anything a lot of other players aren't. Hopefully a nice little reminder to the group to be more careful. Keep it away so close to game days. I'm sure some blokes don't touch it at the club, but we'd be naive to think a lot aren't doing it. Some will be more offseason or weekends, others more often. Joel doesn't sound like the brightest spark, but hardly deserves more than a month. Seeing that we're the flavour of the week for being bashed in the media, the club could give him a bigger whack than he deserves, but I reckon 3-4 weeks sounds about right. Goody not talking to him because he's too upset is just beyond f*d.
 
Crusty Demon said:
For doing what every young fella is doing? Give him a whack for doing it so close to game day, but he's not doing anything a lot of other players aren't. Hopefully a nice little reminder to the group to be more careful. Keep it away so close to game days. I'm sure some blokes don't touch it at the club, but we'd be naive to think a lot aren't doing it. Some will be more offseason or weekends, others more often. Joel doesn't sound like the brightest spark, but hardly deserves more than a month. Seeing that we're the flavour of the week for being bashed in the media, the club could give him a bigger whack than he deserves, but I reckon 3-4 weeks sounds about right. Goody not talking to him because he's too upset is just beyond f*d.
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Mate I play country footy with some of the roughest blokes going around and even they don't snort coke in the middle of the week.

So no, there aren't young fellas up here sorting coke on a Wednesday night then getting up at 6am to hit the tools the next day. Offensive to lump Smith in the same bracket as these guys who sre slaving 10-12 days just to make ends meet.

Unlike Smith, these young fellas actually take pride in their job.
 
Crusty Demon said:
For doing what every young fella is doing? Give him a whack for doing it so close to game day, but he's not doing anything a lot of other players aren't. Hopefully a nice little reminder to the group to be more careful. Keep it away so close to game days. I'm sure some blokes don't touch it at the club, but we'd be naive to think a lot aren't doing it. Some will be more offseason or weekends, others more often. Joel doesn't sound like the brightest spark, but hardly deserves more than a month. Seeing that we're the flavour of the week for being bashed in the media, the club could give him a bigger whack than he deserves, but I reckon 3-4 weeks sounds about right. Goody not talking to him because he's too upset is just beyond f*d.
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As I said, based on what Goodwin was saying on the radio it appears both he and a number of senior players are very upset with Smith. He will have a significant road in front of him to earn back that trust.
 
Bluelegs said:
As I said, based on what Goodwin was saying on the radio it appears both he and a number of senior players are very upset with Smith. He will have a significant road in front of him to earn back that trust.
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P*d he's doing drugs or p*d he got caught? What do you honestly feel SHOULD happen to him from a club pov? Because of the scrutiny we're under right now, I reckon the club will impose a ban, I'm just not sure it deserves to be that big of a ban considering the governing body isn't even going to ban him for any games.
 
Crusty Demon said:
P*d he's doing drugs or p*d he got caught? What do you honestly feel SHOULD happen to him from a club pov? Because of the scrutiny we're under right now, I reckon the club will impose a ban, I'm just not sure it deserves to be that big of a ban considering the governing body isn't even going to ban him for any games.
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I feel like you're conflating my judgement with what the club has publicly put on the record. This is what we heard only a couple of days ago:
“When I first heard, I was incredibly angry and frustrated

“To think that potentially we’ve got a player in Round 23, on the eve of a finals series, not doing everything possible to help the success of our footy team.

“I can only imagine that same feeling would be permeating through our supporter base.

“I haven’t spoken to Joel, I’m going to let the process play out. Because I’ve got a level of anger and frustration towards it.

“There are the right people that are talking to Joel from a welfare perspective, and working really closely with him around that.

“Where I sit right now I’ve got a little bit of frustration because of everything we’ve just been speaking about - the behaviours and the culture of our footy club, what we were embarking on into this season - to potentially being in this situation.

“I’ve got a bit of anger towards it.”

Goodwin says the playing group, particularly the club’s leaders, felt the same way.
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If you're asking me, personally I'd say give him a 4 game club imposed suspension then let him work his way back into the side from there.

I expect the official punishment will be something like that too. My point was more that regardless of whatever official punishment he receives there will be a fair amount of work for him to earn the trust back from within the team.
 
Bluelegs said:
I feel like you're conflating my judgement with what the club has publicly put on the record. This is what we heard only a couple of days ago:


If you're asking me, personally I'd say give him a 4 game club imposed suspension then let him work his way back into the side from there.

I expect the official punishment will be something like that too. My point was more that regardless of whatever official punishment he receives there will be a fair amount of work for him to earn the trust back from within the team.
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This is a decent punishment by the club, and if this was a another player with another club then I would find that fair as well.

For me, it is disappointing as I thought with ALL the issues he has had over several years with injuries it would transform him into a focused and ruthless athlete but at this point he comes across more as a coaster using his talent to get on by.
 
DemonZombie_001 said:
This is a decent punishment by the club, and if this was a another player with another club then I would find that fair as well.

For me, it is disappointing as I thought with ALL the issues he has had over several years with injuries it would transform him into a focused and ruthless athlete but at this point he comes across more as a coaster using his talent to get on by.
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That's the stupidest thing about this whole scenario. He finally cracks back into the side, is consistently getting games after being on the outer for ages, and then drops a hand grenade on his own career.

I'm sure whatever consequences he faces will be fair and he's only got himself to blame.
 
Daemon said:
That's the stupidest thing about this whole scenario. He finally cracks back into the side, is consistently getting games after being on the outer for ages, and then drops a hand grenade on his own career.

I'm sure whatever consequences he faces will be fair and he's only got himself to blame.
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Going to be honest if he’s doing coke in round 23 when he finally makes the team his injury history is probably partly due to his own lack of professionalism.
 

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Delisted #29: Joel 'Scarface' Smith – banned for four years and delisted

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