This I think is the dilemma. The difference between looking good and crap can be but metres or milliseconds. As skills and abilities are honed the execution becomes tighter, results flow, confidence grows..execution becomes better.... etc etc etc..its self feeding ...or self destroying..often a fine line

I kind of agree... I haven't re-watched or analyzed the game last Friday against bombers, but i remember saying to my mate that the ball just wasn't bouncing our way. Put that with decisions from umpires, and it could be a recipe for disaster in terms of confidence.

This is something the team really needs to work on, confidence. One alarming stat is that Collingwood and Hawthorn actually have younger lists than us. But overall their players have more game time. Would like a few of the senior boys to step down at the end of the year and let the young kids step in.

While i think bailey is responsible for a lot of what goes on during the matches, some things can't be helped. He needs some serious time and 1 and a half years is not enough.

Also I feel the AFL tends to dictate who's bottom and who's not to some degree with their AFL fixturing (the AFL loves carlton and look at their fixture, and there were high expectations for Richmond and they have a fantastic run home). If we draw a favorable start to the 2010 season, and Melbourne win at least 4 of their first 10 matches, Bailey will probably be signed on for another couple years. It also depends on the average age of the list though. He needs retirements Ala Nietz and DE-listings Ala Yze etc to show he's moving forward rather than backward.

And what if we get an artificially tough draw like we have from Rd 6 on (and this is what I was refering to BB59): Geel, WC (Subi), WB, Haw, St K, Coll, Ess (Etihad) and BL (Gabba)?

I've given my opinion.

I've given my opinion.

Fair enough.

But I wouldn't be surprised if (hopefully only) 3 good wins in the final 9 games earns a year extension.

Call it intuition, but I can see it happening.