Fremantle made a huge mistake by not taking Mitch Clark

[whelan=legend]

It's evident that Fremantle are missing a big forward target this year. With Pavlich pushing up into the midfield, they are left with Anthony, Z Clark or Kepler. Their leading goal kicker is Mayne with 7 goals, after 5 rounds.

Mitch Clark wanted to go to Fremantle, Fremantle wanted Clark but also wanted to screw over Brisbane on the trade table and pay less than he was worth. Mitch has kicked 14 goals in 5 games.

With Clark in their current forward line they would be a top 4 team, and they made by far the biggest mistake of the off season.

 

[Matching Mole]

This will probably go as well as the Watts thread.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Lots of Clark's goals come from the ground so meh

 

[Spitta09]

There is no way Mitch Clarke would elevate them into the top 4 im sorry.
Sure hes had a few good games but way too early to make those calls

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

It's evident that Fremantle are missing a big forward target this year. With Pavlich pushing up into the midfield, they are left with Anthony, Z Clark or Kepler. Their leading goal kicker is Mayne with 7 goals, after 5 rounds.

Mitch Clark wanted to go to Fremantle, Fremantle wanted Clark but also wanted to screw over Brisbane on the trade table and pay less than he was worth. Mitch has kicked 14 goals in 5 games.

Nailed it with these points mate.

Far too early to speculate about top 4 etc. But they'd kill to have Clark in their lineup at this point. I doubt anyone's seriously going to try to deny this now.

 

[Black Diamond]

Mitch Clarke is the ruck/forward equivalent of Colin Sylvia.

 

[whelan=legend]

Lots of Clark's goals come from the ground so meh

That's a reflection of Melbournes poor delivery into the forward 50. His roving is immense for a 200cm key forward, and his contested marking is also huge. Haven't found the stats for today but he would have had 4-5 contested marks.

He is exactly what Fremantle needs, and I can't work out for the life of me how they let him slip through their hands.

 

[Furuncle]

Freo didn't make a mistake. Melbourne trumped Fremantle by bidding more than anyone else wished to pay Clark. Melbourne made the mistake.

Imagine paying A-grade dollars to a B-grade forward. No wonder their club is always so shit. It's run by dumbarses who make dumb decisions out of desperation

 

[demon21]

Lots of Clark's goals come from the ground so meh

When u play in the melb forward line thats what u need to do. plus it dosent matter how u kick them as long as u kick them.

 

[half_back_flank]

Yes OP, Melbourne player Mitch Clark played well today and is a good player.

That's what you are obviously after OP, obviously scraping the barrel to see a positive when you're 0-6.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

at least they managed to snare Dawson...

 

[CarltonKid07]

Freo didn't make a mistake. Melbourne trumped Fremantle by bidding more than anyone else wished to pay Clark. Melbourne made the mistake.

Imagine paying A-grade dollars to a B-grade forward. No wonder their club is always so shit. It's run by dumbarses who make dumb decisions out of desperation

Excatly

 

[MisterMarcus]

Lots of Clark's goals come from the ground so meh

Pretty hard to goal from marks when Melbourne's midfielders kick it to every possible point of the ground except on his chest.....

 

[Righteo]

Melbourne beat our offer, pretty simple. He's no good as a stay at home power forward which is what we're lacking, and I'd take our Clarke any day of the week as a ruckman/resting forward. Thanks for the concern though Meltank fans

 

[Heater39]

That's a reflection of Melbournes poor delivery into the forward 50. His roving is immense for a 200cm key forward, and his contested marking is also huge. Haven't found the stats for today but he would have had 4-5 contested marks.

He is exactly what Fremantle needs, and I can't work out for the life of me how they let him slip through their hands.

Maybe they didn't want to pay him $900k a year or whatever ludicrous amount you guys are paying him?

Which is entirely fair enough given what he has done so far in his career.

 

[thejester]

Freo didn't make a mistake. Melbourne trumped Fremantle by bidding more than anyone else wished to pay Clark. Melbourne made the mistake.

Imagine paying A-grade dollars to a B-grade forward. No wonder their club is always so shit. It's run by dumbarses who make dumb decisions out of desperation

Lol no.

Clark was their best player today. Easily. Worked hard, rucked, took marks all over the ground and kicked goals. Wages are relative - Melbourne could afford to pay Clark the amount he wanted, they couldn't afford to draft another skinny 18yr old who is years away from having an impact on games.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Time will tell if Freo will come to regret not getting the deal done with Brisbane for Clark.

Regardless, those disparaging his efforts in a poor Melbourne team are off the mark; he has been pretty good, has kept his head high and been one of Melbourne's better onfield leaders imo.

 

[whelan=legend]

Freo didn't make a mistake. Melbourne trumped Fremantle by bidding more than anyone else wished to pay Clark. Melbourne made the mistake.

Imagine paying A-grade dollars to a B-grade forward. No wonder their club is always so shit. It's run by dumbarses who make dumb decisions out of desperation

You clearly didn't follow the trade closely. Melbourne ONLY had an opportunity to offer Clark a contract because talks had broken down between Fremantle and Brisbane. Fremantle thought Clark only would want to go there so offered a second round pick (when he is clearly worth a first) with the view that if Brisbane didn't like it, Clark would walk to Fremantle for free. It backfired immensely. If Fremantle offered a fair deal Clark would have been a Docker on the first day of trade week.

Clark has been an A grade forward so far this season, no doubts about it.

 

[CarltonKid07]

Lol no.

Clark was their best player today. Easily. Worked hard, rucked, took marks all over the ground and kicked goals. Wages are relative - Melbourne could afford to pay Clark the amount he wanted, they couldn't afford to draft another skinny 18yr old who is years away from having an impact on games.

Just cause hes there best player doesnt mean hes an A grade. Melbournes just terrible

 

[The Speaker]

I'm sure Fremantle will be happy with Sherdian, Crozier, and an extra $800000 or whatever it was to throw around.

 

[SirJimi05]

Pretty sure Freo have a lot of good players that will demand pretty good money. Who do Melbourne have? He is being paid over the odds at Melbourne and I reckon Freo were wise to let him go.

 

[Eth]

Freo didn't make a mistake. Melbourne trumped Fremantle by bidding more than anyone else wished to pay Clark. Melbourne made the mistake.

Imagine paying A-grade dollars to a B-grade forward. No wonder their club is always so shit. It's run by dumbarses who make dumb decisions out of desperation

I can agree with two things that you've just said.

We bid more than Fremantle, and Clark's surname is spelled correctly.

Nearly three goals a game is a fair effort considering our delivery (or lack thereof) this season so far. If he finishes top five or six in the Coleman and we finish 16th (and at this rate the likelihood of that is increasing) then that's even better.

If someone who's kicking just a fraction under three goals a game isn't an A-grade forward then as of right now there are two A-grade forwards in the game on that basis. Adding to that he can ruck and play up the ground and he's good at ground level.

Whether we're paying him $600k or $700k or whatever, at this stage he has been worth it.

 

[Spitta09]

Just cause hes there best player doesnt mean hes an A grade. Melbournes just terrible

Pretty much. With all due respect to melbourne it isnt too hard to stand out in their side at the moment. If he goes to Freo he probably just becomes a solid B grader we will never know and it is still too early to tell what he is going to be.
Taking nothing away from clarke who has been a shining light at melb this year.

 

[Scotland]

Melbourne traded pick 12 for Clark. And offered big dollars.

Fremantle had pick 16. Should they have given up 16 and 20 to pay 'fair value' compared to 12?

I thought Clark played well today but in reality he's kicked a few nice but ultimately meaningless goals in 5 Melbourne losses. Melbourne's forward structure is still awful, and Melbourne are still playing awful football.

Fremantle are (rightly) looking at available key forwards to address the major deficiency in their side. Clark's a good ruckman/forward but he's not a CHF to build a side around - something Melbourne specialise at paying top dollar for.

 

[justbetter]

Freo were saved by Melbourne IMO. He wasn't worth whatever it was freo were offering at the time, 500k?? let alone whatever Melbourne outbid with. And if Freo had to trade off someone like Zac Clarke to get the deal done it would have been a monumental mistake. Zac Clarke looks to be worth 2 Mitches in a years time