'Buy In' & 'Experience'

[DemonWA 3,424]

I’m trying to come to terms with what the loss of Moloney & Jurrah and the retirement of Green means for our list and our chances of an improved season in 2013. Between these 3 players we have 2 B&F winners, and the majority of our goals from the 2010 - 2011.

Over the last handful of weeks, Neeld has spoken about a number of stats in various interviews and press conferences. The one spoken about more than all has been “average number of games per player in the selected team” or “total number of games per side”. Each time he points out that we are a young side - only in 3 games this season did we have more games of experience than our opposition on the park (against GWS and GCS). Often I’d ask myself, if experience is the answer then why is he refusing to play Bate, Morton or Moloney? - Obviously he isn’t sold on them, the effort they put in and the style of football they play, and rates getting games into other guys as more of a priority. Fair enough I guess.

We have also heard guys like Green, Howe and other players talk about the need for players to ‘buy in’ to Neelds game plan and style. We still haven’t really seen a game plan to date, but as a starting point I guess Neeld requires that his players push themselves to their limits on game day and at training in order to get the most out of themselves. This is fair enough, but is a terrible indictment on previous FD’s and coaching groups if this isn’t part and parcel of playing professional sport.

So what to make of all this? IMO we end up with only a few players who fit into Neeld’s ideal category – experience at AFL level, and being prepared to work hard and do ‘whatever it takes’ to get the best out of themselves. I guess this is why he is culling off some of the playing group!

I’ve never really heard Skill come into the discussion. I’m assuming Neeld is content enough with the general skill level of the playing list. It also seems to me that the most highly skilled players on our list are amongst those with the poorest attitudes - those that think that they can sit on their hands and become good afl players.

My worry is that Neeld is reluctant to ‘manage’ the players he has on the list to become the type that he wants. Either these guys are so set in their ways that they cant be managed or Neeld has no time for developing players. In my line of work I value being able to adjust my communication style in order to effectively communicate and foster relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds and personality types. It staggers me that Neeld could not, or chose not to manage a guy like Moloney, who is approaching 150 games of AFL football and was our B&F in 2010 in a way that would help both the team, the club and through win loss record, Neeld himself. Neeld is burning the list to the ground and building from scratch as he has a 3 year contract -he has time. But is the culture of our list really so bad that there was no other way to approach this?

I hope that we won’t be discussing Green or Moloney leaving in the same way that we do Jnr.

I hope that we won’t be speaking about Neeld as a coach in the same way that we do Bailey.

But most of all I hope that we are able to replace the experienced players that we are losing in Green & Moloney with other seasoned players, because if we don’t, we really are back to square one - It may as well be Dean Bailey in 08 holding the press conferences in 2013, talking about being competitive and how our young players have what it takes to become AFL stars.

[Chook 14,388]

Neeld tried to get Moloney to change his body shape and his playing style. Moloney couldn't do it, so he decided to go somewhere where he wouldn't have to change.

[Pipefitter 2,008]

I'm worried about Neeld. With Bailey i always thought we were on the right track, especially 2010 which is why last year was such a shock. This is not to suggest Bailey was the right coach, he obviously wasn't, but I'm yet to see any evidence that we are on the right track with Neeld. If you take away wins against the gimmie expansion teams we have technically won one game this year. ONE GAME. He's had a handful of players who have bought in, a huge number who haven't, some of our better players walking out the door in the space of a few days.

I'm willing to support Neeld but my gut feel is he has been a huge mistake.

[Akum 2,660]

Neeld will tear this list apart. That's always been the plan.

The point is whether he's also capable of rebuilding it. Maybe, maybe not. The jury will be out until at least midseason 2013. But it's a high-risk strategy, and if it doesn't come off, there won't be much left.

Many if not all of us will have to get used to one or two of our three favourite players leaving the club, and maybe even tearing it up somewhere else. Or have to change our favourite players.

[Pipefitter 2,008]

I do like that he has pretty much gave the entire list another chances this year. He didn't swing the axe last year without having a good look. There will be a lot of players gone this year.

[olisik 4,060]

Honestly who cares who gets the flick, we are basically the worst team with the worst list.

It cant get any worse then it was this year, if 25 players go, I am quite confident that the 25 who replace them will give us more of a chance to win games then we currently have been.

Why hold onto players who put us 16th on the ladder. Flush them out

[The Reverend 1,704]

I'm worried about Neeld. With Bailey i always thought we were on the right track, especially 2010 which is why last year was such a shock. This is not to suggest Bailey was the right coach, he obviously wasn't, but I'm yet to see any evidence that we are on the right track with Neeld. If you take away wins against the gimmie expansion teams we have technically won one game this year. ONE GAME. He's had a handful of players who have bought in, a huge number who haven't, some of our better players walking out the door in the space of a few days.

I'm willing to support Neeld but my gut feel is he has been a huge mistake.

Change is not easy. Nothing has been done over recent years to make the required changes - until now. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. It would be insane for Neeld to come in and continue down the path established by Bailey and Daniher. Can't you see that this is the start of significant change? Give the man time before casting doubts. He's been here five minutes.

[Wilbur 447]

3 down and quite a few more to go

[dee-tox 4,769]

The fact is at the moment we only have perhaps six players that are up to it. These are Clark, Jones, Howe, Sylvia, Grimes and Howe. None of them will be in newspaper top 50s at the end of the season. Another two or three guys (Blease, Trengove possibly Watts might make it). So that means we need to find at least 13 AFL standard players. There is a long way to go!

[Pipefitter 2,008]

Change is not easy. Nothing has been done over recent years to make the required changes - until now. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. It would be insane for Neeld to come in and continue down the path established by Bailey and Daniher. Can't you see that this is the start of significant change? Give the man time before casting doubts. He's been here five minutes.

You are right. He's been here for 5 minutes. Thats why I don't get why people would defend Neeld over a player like Moloney who up until this season was a heart and soul player. How did it all go so wrong with Moloney? Why did Jurrah find it such an easy decision to leave the club?

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

Honestly who cares who gets the flick, we are basically the worst team with the worst list.

It cant get any worse then it was this year, if 25 players go, I am quite confident that the 25 who replace them will give us more of a chance to win games then we currently have been.

Why hold onto players who put us 16th on the ladder. Flush them out

Amen!

We are the worst non-new team in the AFL. Clean out time!

[Moonshadow 16,099]

The fact is at the moment we only have perhaps six players that are up to it. These are Clark, Jones, Howe, Sylvia, Grimes and Howe. None of them will be in newspaper top 50s at the end of the season. Another two or three guys (Blease, Trengove possibly Watts might make it). So that means we need to find at least 13 AFL standard players. There is a long way to go!

James Frawley says hi.

[dee-tox 4,769]

James Frawley says hi.

Frawley has been a massive disappointment this year as has Jamar. They look anything but all Australian players this season.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

We either keep on the way we were, winning a few games and occasionally getting in to the finals with never a real chance of winning, or we turn the club on its head and start again. That's what we've done, turned it on its head.

The players we get now will not be tainted with the old MFC curse and will have no connection with the lazy couldn't care attitude of the past players; personally I'm sick of hearing stories about players deciding how they play and if they did or didn't "turn up to play" on any particular day.

The old regime are gone now and a new one will take its place, whether they are good enough only time will tell, but one thing, the coach will not tolerate any player that doesn't turn up to play and the coach will expect nothing but a 100% effort every week. We can't ask for more than that.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,078]

We are on teh bottom of the ladder. We lost a game by 186 points. Anything less than a clean out would be a huge surprise. We hae no choice but to return to the first year of another rebuild.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,131]

The three players who have departed played 28 games between them in 2012 and I would say only 25% had any positive impact on the contest. Losing these three will not set us back from this year.

[jumbo returns 6,484]

Okay, I'm going to use all my newly learnt acronyms to express my feelings....FFS, GFY, FMD,

FOR YEARS, posters on this board and over at 'ology, have screamed for ruthlessness in relation to the list.

Now, it's finally happening and we're all ducking for cover.

Let's see where this goes.

BTW, Brent, I'll miss your finger pointing.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,078]

Well said. This is the cull we wanted deep down. its time to start year one of a three-five year rebuild. No one likes it but its true.

[Guest bluey]

I think the trouble is, we have seen and heard all the rebuild bs before, and too make it worse the rebuild of the last rebuild hasn't

Started! I think Neeld and Crag were just having a look this year.

[daisycutter 28,431]

Okay, I'm going to use all my newly learnt acronyms to express my feelings....FFS, GFY, FMD,

FOR YEARS, posters on this board and over at 'ology, have screamed for ruthlessness in relation to the list.

Now, it's finally happening and we're all ducking for cover.

Let's see where this goes.

BTW, Brent, I'll miss your finger pointing.

not as much as i miss cam's trakky daks though

[jumbo returns 6,484]

not as much as i miss cam's trakky daks though

I've got a gut feeling that Cam will be back - one of the few professionals, both on and off the track.

[jnrmac 18,913]

I'm worried about Neeld. With Bailey i always thought we were on the right track, especially 2010 which is why last year was such a shock. This is not to suggest Bailey was the right coach, he obviously wasn't, but I'm yet to see any evidence that we are on the right track with Neeld. If you take away wins against the gimmie expansion teams we have technically won one game this year. ONE GAME. He's had a handful of players who have bought in, a huge number who haven't, some of our better players walking out the door in the space of a few days.

I'm willing to support Neeld but my gut feel is he has been a huge mistake.

One of the problems with Bailey is that he gave a lot of games to players that didn't deserve them. His mantra strangely enough is similar to Neelds re average games played. Under Bailey it always came across as 'we have to get 100 games into these young players and then we can compete'. Like somehow it was automatic that they would be good footy players if they played 100 games. Miller would demonstrate the fact that it simply isn't true.

It always infuriated me because players like Morton, Sylvia and Watts were never under pressure to compete hard for the footy and could swan around knowing that they would be given games. Its part of the malaise that Neeld is trying to eradicate.

I want players who bust a gut to play. Not players who are inconsistent and refuse to buy in to a game plan. The dog wags the tail. Soon players will realise (like Moloney has) that if you aren't part of the solution you are art of the problem.

[jnrmac 18,913]

Okay, I'm going to use all my newly learnt acronyms to express my feelings....FFS, GFY, FMD,

FOR YEARS, posters on this board and over at 'ology, have screamed for ruthlessness in relation to the list.

Now, it's finally happening and we're all ducking for cover.

Let's see where this goes.

BTW, Brent, I'll miss your finger pointing.

Not me Bring it on.

[Philthy 284]

[censored] YES!! I am 28 years old and a 20 yr dees fan. This is the first time in my 20 years I can actually see the club being ruthless!! I cant wait to see who else Neeldy gives the ass but more importantly who we recruit to the club!

[NorwoodDemon 20]

we won't know if this rebuild is successful until the end of neelds contract. Thats how long im giving him and thats how long it should take. It took Malthouse 3 yrs to get Collingwood in the top 8 and 10 years to win 1 Premiership. Collingwood finished 15th then 9th in Mick Malthouses first 2 years then 4th in his 3rd. So im hoping for something similar with Mark Neeld.

I don't know what Malthouse did in his first two years to turn it around in his 3rd, i'd assume some culling and good drafting. But everyone should just relax and see how it works out at the end of 2014.