Confirmed: Mitch Clark to Melbourne

[Tzatziki_Man]

Love the Freo fans talking about Schwab and Connolly.

Both of those people have no influence in list management.


This is Neeld all over baby. Neeld from the moment he was hired said that there were holes in our list and he was going to try and fill them through trading/ drafting.

He's already started. Lets hope this new found Demons aggression will come out on the field as well. I like it.

You got one player, Neeld's been in charge one month, calm down

 

[BadSeed]

The even bigger question is.... Does this mean the Tippet to Lions trade will happen? I mean Pick 8 and 12 would be a pretty good offer for Tippet. Should adelaide fans be worried?

 

[Jeebs]

Think about the opportunity cost for Melbourne. I think they are paying about $200K overs for him, that amount of salary cap space could mean losing a promising young player or three over the next four years.

Tell me, how much did Melbourne put on the table for Scully again?

 

[Swampfox]

Pretty happy with the outcome to be honest. Clark isn't a $500k a year player, let alone an $800k a year player, and I was getting nervous that we'd blow both our top 20 picks on him.
Would have been a good trade on our terms, but clearly Melbourne see something in him that I don't. Or it's just the Schwabolly connection doing what it does.

Dollarwise your guessing just like everyone else on this board

Freo might be saving face mentioning they could not match Melbourne's offer

It is obvious someone like Clark is required by Melbourne as a NEED

Giving up pick 12 might get an excellent kid who might bloom in 3 - 4 years

We have plenty of kids already

Clark is not a kid

I am happy that my club got their man

Time will tell if we paid too much but at least we did something

Look's like our best recruit is Neeld

 

[jonoman89]

The even bigger question is.... Does this mean the Tippet to Lions trade will happen? I mean Pick 8 and 12 would be a pretty good offer for Tippet. Should adelaide fans be worried?

If both 8 and 12 are offered for Tippet Adelaide should take it and run all the way to the bank.

 

[Lach72]

If both 8 and 12 are offered for Tippet Adelaide should take it and run all the way to the bank.

Pretty much

 

[Bollox]

pretty embarrassing for fremantle

How ? Why ?
Never embarassing NOT overpaying a bloke who is injury prone, played only a few good games as a standout, done virtually nothing and proven virtually nothing.
This wont work out well for the Dees...the tea leaves arnt aligning with the moon on this one.
PLUS...anyone with a massive tat on his back "Clark" has gotta be a w***er.
Take 200Kpa off the guesswork..still sounds rich to me.

$$Ching Ching$$ for Clark...certainly made his mind up fast when the $$ came out. Is this what the Dees were thinking is a big fish ? big name ? For christsake its Mitch bloody Clark..the bloke aint exactly reliable nor even close to a big name.

 

[Righteo]

Have to say this comes as a relief. Was so bored with the over-drawn saga, all the speculation and twists. Was never fussed whether he came here or not, but at least now we get to keep two first round picks; so that's definitely a positive.

Melbourne paid massive overs for an average foward/competetent ruckman, good on them if they see this as some massive victory or coup but I feel grateful and sorry for them in equal measures.

 

[Bartram_Class]

Think about the opportunity cost for Melbourne. I think they are paying about $200K overs for him, that amount of salary cap space could mean losing a promising young player or three over the next four years.

Quite possibly, but I'm willing to bet you that player we lose won't be a 200cm, 100kg+ KPP.

It's much easier for us to find another decent mid/flanker than it will be to find another decent KPP. Don't forget we still have two first-round compos and Jack Viney next year.

 

[RedLegs#5]

Quite possibly, but I'm willing to bet you that player we lose won't be a 200cm, 100kg+ KPP.

It's much easier for us to find another decent mid/flanker than it will be to find another decent KPP. Don't forget we still have two first-round compos and Jack Viney next year.

Yes....yes we do.

 

[LeverPuller]

Just on the 'oh he's a crap fwd' bandwagoners - Clark kicked 27 goals in 17 games while rotating through the ruck and thus not playing anywhere near full game time forward for Brisbane this year. That return would have put him third on the MFC goalkicker table in 2011. The extra five games would have had him challenge Green for 2nd.

Park him forward and let him do his thing while Watts, LJ and Howe run around him and see what happens. That's what they're planning.

 

[Bollox]

Just on the 'oh he's a crap fwd' bandwagoners - Clark kicked 27 goals in 17 games while rotating through the ruck and thus not playing anywhere near full game time forward for Brisbane this year. That return would have put him third on the MFC goalkicker table in 2011. The extra five games would have had him challenge Green for 2nd.

Park him forward and let him do his thing while Watts, LJ and Howe run around him and see what happens. That's what they're planning.

You're easily impressed and reaching...i guess you have no choice now but to see big positives and argue for them, coz he's yours.

Absolutely no idea even why this guy generated so much trade week attention...could it be an almost total lack of any half interesting or big name players being mooted at the trade table this yr ? Goddard was just a speculative joke that anyone could afford him whilst in contract, who else has there been ? Brad Ebert ? Tippett ?

Media musta been pretty desperate for trade news to concentrate on this bloke's future.

Gotta keep him on the paddock now...there's ya first problem.

 

[wadeallday]

27 goals as a forward, I think freo dodged a bullet personally. They could probably get more out of someone like Chad Jones at 1/20th the cost.

Sooo now he's a forward? I thought people were saying he's a ruckman too? 50/50. thats ~54 goals as a full time forward. Oh and he played 17 games.

 

[Spitz]

Good ordinary player.


Rofl at the 700k a year........... the guy is a powderpuff, looks like tarzan plays like jane.

If they are paying clark that much, surely they could of offered scully 1m a year?

I guess scully just wanted to get out of there....

 

[DOCKERZ]

Sooo now he's a forward? I thought people were saying he's a ruckman too? 50/50. thats ~54 goals as a full time forward. Oh and he played 17 games.

He was a forward pretty much exclusively this season.
Averaged 4.8 hitouts per game..

As a comparison Kepler played 15 games, 25 goals ave'd 3.06 hitouts, anyone offering him 600k? Or pick 12?

Clark is over rated as a forward, glad we walked away at that price.

 

[stickman11]

He was a forward pretty much exclusively this season.
Averaged 4.8 hitouts per game..

As a comparison Kepler played 15 games, 25 goals ave'd 3.06 hitouts, anyone offering him 600k? Or pick 12?

Clark is over rated as a forward, glad we walked away at that price.

needs breeds money. Will be the bash and crash player we need - hopefully free uf Jurrah to roam arround and take some speckies, and Howe too and a couple from Watts. Should bring some of our small forwards into the game like Jetta and Bennell.

Hard to tell yet because we really don't know how Neeld is going to shake it all up. But you can imagine the Bailey empty forwardline tactic will be gonsky

 

[vjknight]

You're not going to be able to play Clark, Watts and Jurrah in the same forward line. And in any case, Clark isn't good enough to immediately warrant the best defender anyway.

yes you are.

He'll be earning more than Chris Judd next year

LOL - no he wont


well done dees. yes he might be overpaid, yes theyve already got 2 very competent rucks, but its their time to get moving and become a challenger. sitting back wasnt going to achieve it.

a gamble worth taking.

 

[Selective Retention]

Clark isn't a $500k a year player, let alone an $800k a year player, and I was getting nervous that we'd blow both our top 20 picks on him.

500k would have been ok, he'd have been a big get for Freo and helped them push toward a flag before Pav and Sandilands are finished.

People still overrate draft picks. I know it's Richmond and they don't draft all that well but we gave up two first rounders for Ottens and Ottens has outlasted both. Clark was a high pick himself, if you are picking a tall forward in the draft with that pick 12 that Melbourne gave up then I think what Clark has developed too, even if people are canning him, is a hell of a lot better than average for a key forward not taken in the top 5 picks or F/S.

In saying that if they are giving him 800k, name me a premiership team with a pay structure that lopsided.

 

[stellation]

So, just to confirm- Demons fans are onboard with;

• It's 2011, a young player states something in the media
• That young player gets offered a large contract by another club, seemingly well over their value
• That young player takes that large contract, even though it appears to go against what they've stated in the media
• The club the young player is exiting, who feels they've invested in that young player, receive a draft pick to start all over again
• The club the young player is going to believe they can afford the large contract (and most likely front load it) due to the structure of their salary cap, and are willing to pay overs as the player is worth more to them than the player's market value

 

[lemon chicken]

Dont now why people keep talking about the $$$ on offer, looks from whats been reported Freo didnt have the picks to get the trade done. From Clark's point of view hes most likely looking at staying in Brisbane or going to the Dee's.

 

[PHX]

Massive U-Turn. $$$ speaks all languages but after the whole family comes first media release via Freo you have to wonder what his motivations were from the start to fold like this and head to the Dees.

 

[rose jam]

Goes to show the return home thing is a crock, it's all about "I hate this place and my manager says I can get a stinking load of cash somewhere else"

 

[Trav 20]

He isn't even worth half that. Massive overs.

Oh diddums. I'm sure Ivan Maric will be a good player.


I love North and Tiges fans.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Look's like our best recruit is Neeld

Before he's even taken a training session? Wow.

To me, it looks like Freo initially thought they could get Clark for unders, but they were never that desperate to get him. If they had been, they would have been more proactive in sending Griffin somewhere. Considering the picks given for Renouf (#33) and Maric (#37), Freo should have been able to get a pick in the 20s for Griffin (Port Adelaide's priority pick was #28). So they could have got an additional pick to either offset the loss of two first rounders, or to allow them to keep one of their first rounders, while also removing the logjam of trying to play Sandilands, Griffin, Z. Clarke and M. Clark in the same team. Why didn't they do this? My guess is because they were never that desperate for Clark in the first place.

 

[Suma Magic]

I'd be stoked if I was the Dees.

Something like this in a couple of years?

Watts Clark ?
? Cook Jurrah

I think that Freo are now less likely to get a flag in the next 2/3 years whilst Pav/Sandi are around. Maybe better off long-term though.