I like this below:

"We'll do our best to sign those guys up," Neeld told reporters on Thursday morning.

"They're certainly required players here and we'll do what we can to keep them here, absolutely.

SO DOES THAT MEAN NEELD WILL RESIGN???????

Lets face it we hung Watts out to dry when we made him a poster boy of the club, put him out here as a skinny 18 year old kid still doing year 12 on out biggest game of the year when collingwood were doing well and they just belted him around. Look at essendon and how they have handled Daniher this year. They havent thrown him out there.

I know the talent is in there somewhere. Its up to him to get it out. I will be disappointed if we lost him even worse the club he goes to turn into something special.

  On 23/05/2013 at 04:35, jnrmac said:

He could start by trying?? His efforts this year have been deplorable.

  On 23/05/2013 at 04:47, DeeZee said:

Why do you have to show character to stay somewhere where you are not happy?

If im not happy at my job, i would start looking elsewhere, life's too short to stay somewhere thats destroying your confidence just to build character.

That's if you are making a decent contribution in the workplace , isn't it ??? If you don't SHOW character , then what do you expect in return ??

  On 23/05/2013 at 04:29, Grand New Flag said:

The damage that Neeld has and is still doing is untold. It is a unprecedented disaster.

It is hard to imagine anyone doing a worse job. At this stage anyone would be better than Neeld.

Absolute crap.......You don't like him, big deal......I can see a lot of things in our defence that have improved.....I think you are just blinded by hate and any improvement the team has will not be acknowledged by you.......

  On 23/05/2013 at 01:35, Older demon said:

Everyone talks of culture. Well forget about the personalities involved and whether or not you like Jack, a good culture DOES NOT GIVE AWAY ITS CORE PLAYERS and a good culture DOES NOT LOSE PLAYERS to other teams. Jack's confidence is shot and he is too scared to do anything because of the way he is treated (I cannot name my source as it will compromise their position in the club) so what sort of culture denigrates its players. What culture belittles a leadership group when you have been in an organisation for a week. Ask the board member who let it be known that the coach has had a blue with every member of his staff. Good culture don't leak like a sieve.

PJ needs to send a message that we don't give up on our players, we don't treat them like dirt and we value their contribution and efforts and we want them to stay and improve. Fix the FD first and do it yesterday. I want Chip, Sylvia, Watts, Davey and Gawn all to stay because we will miss them when they are gone.

That's the post for me

I don't care about any of the following issues:

Should we have taken NikNat?

Should we have debuted him on QB?

Has his confidence been shattered?

Has Bailey and/or Neeld been guilty of playing him out of position?

He he shown much so far?

What player might he become?

What compensation are we likely to receive?

All of that is peripheral stuff, and mostly relating to the past, which makes it irrelevant.

The real issue is that we need to keep this player because he is required, and because a line needs to be drawn on our status in the competition

Edited May 23, 201311 yr by Curry & Beer

  On 23/05/2013 at 05:43, Bossdog said:

Absolute crap.......You don't like him, big deal......I can see a lot of things in our defence that have improved.....I think you are just blinded by hate and any improvement the team has will not be acknowledged by you.......

Did you just say improvement?????????

Are you kidding, we are at least a 10 goal worse team than when he took over. We are a worse team then even last year. We have won just one game (not including expansion teams) since Neeld took over.

Mate, hate to break it to you, but we are going backwards, we are being compared with the worst teams in the history of the competition!!!!!! Statistically we worse than Fitzroy in all but Fitzroys last season. What is worse is that we have a young team of 1st and 2nd round draft picks, we should be improving.

Can I remind you we won 8.5 games in 2010 and 2011, including some big wins against top 8 teams.

The only thing I am blinded by is how pathetic we have become on-field since Neeld took over.

Incredible comment.

Edited May 23, 201311 yr by Grand New Flag

  On 22/05/2013 at 23:50, Grand New Flag said:

By now most here should know my opinion. After round 5 last year I started writing posts outlining the terrible choice we made in making Neeld Coach. I said that he had divided the players, he had lost the players before he even coached his first game, I said Neeld did not have the personal skills or management skills to be head coach, I said after round 6 Moloney and Rivers would walk, midseason I spoke of a major falling out (fight) between Neeld and Martin and that he would never play for Melbourne again. I spoke of a falling out between Jurrah and Pettard with Neeld......... but few listened.

I told all that would listen that Neeld was the greatest mistake since firing Norm Smith and that if we did not remove him quickly he would drive us into extinction. I said we were in a slow motion train crash.

I was and still am called an alarmist, a nutter, other people asked for me to be banned from this sight, however, everything I have said on this subject has turned out to be true.

This season, I have said that as things currently stand, Frawley, Sylvia and Watts would leave season end. Again as recently as yesterday I have been smashed.

My information has never been made up, it has come from within the playing group and player managers.

I love this club and l will do anything I can to help ensure its long term viability and survival. I have made significant donations to this club via debt demolition. I only want to see my club survive.

It is time for those who still have their head in the sand to wake up. We are deep in survival mode. We should no longer be looking at Premierships, we must put all effort into survival. Make no mistake, we have 2 to 3 years to turn this club around or we will be relocated or merged in time for the next broadcast contract. If we lose more senior players that task will be close to impossible. Its time to look at the big picture, everything must be done to hold all our top 25.

I will make things very clear to all who will listen.

Mark Neeld may not be the person who started the rot, however, he is not the person for our club. He has divided our playing group, he has lost our players, he does not have the motivational or personal skills required. He is a cancer, he is part of the problem rather than the solution. He was a terrible choice in head coach.

The ONLY chance we have is to fire Neeld immediately, replace him with a motivational coach that can unit the players and do whatever we can to land Roos or then next best experienced coach. Only then may our players stay. Only then may we survive.

This is the train wreck I told you all was coming. I am devastated.

We must move quickly while there is still time. I again call on the board to fire Neeld immediately.

This guy is the most reliable source on this site, has been for some time.

I agree we are now fighting for survival, as David Schwartz has said.

  On 23/05/2013 at 05:54, ThreeOneSix said:

This guy is the most reliable source on this site, has been for some time.

I agree we are now fighting for survival, as David Schwartz has said.

Agree

BTW there aint no "T" in Schwarz

  On 23/05/2013 at 05:43, Bossdog said:

Absolute crap.......You don't like him, big deal......I can see a lot of things in our defence that have improved.....I think you are just blinded by hate and any improvement the team has will not be acknowledged by you.......

This galah keeps posting the same incoherent jazz day in day out mate. Yesterday it was neelds fault that Stef Martin left for that reason. you remember stef martin, the dominating bigman on our list for several years? Tomorrow I'm thinking David Schwarz's knee injuries will also be neelds fault.

  On 23/05/2013 at 05:36, dees189227 said:

Lets face it we hung Watts out to dry when we made him a poster boy of the club, put him out here as a skinny 18 year old kid still doing year 12 on out biggest game of the year when collingwood were doing well and they just belted him around. Look at essendon and how they have handled Daniher this year. They havent thrown him out there.

I know the talent is in there somewhere. Its up to him to get it out. I will be disappointed if we lost him even worse the club he goes to turn into something special.

  On 23/05/2013 at 05:54, ThreeOneSix said:

This guy is the most reliable source on this site, has been for some time.

I agree we are now fighting for survival, as David Schwartz has said.

Come on mate. Most reliable? You dropped yesterday you vaguely remember the posting from last year. Most intelligent football experts picked moloney and rivers leaving, and no disrespect to them, they didn't provide the leadership required of experienced footballers.

We need some of the new boys enthusiasm rubbing off on him. Look at Terlich, Matt Jones and even Chris Dawes. Even Toumpas is rapt to be playing AFL. But Terlich and Jones have gone in put the effort in every week and get the numbers.

  On 23/05/2013 at 05:45, Curry & Beer said:

That's the post for me

I don't care about any of the following issues:

The real issue is that we need to keep this player because he is required, and because a line needs to be drawn on our status in the competition

Top post as was the one you quoted. Clubs with strong, healthy cultures do not lose players . Full stop.

I would be gutted if Watts was to leave, but you know what i would not be down on him. I totally agree with GNF's post about his treatment during and post round 2. Shameful - and it came after Neeld publicly slagged Watts only months into his tenure as a coach. Since when is public humiliation effective motivational tool? For that matter since when is public humiliation an acceptable management approach.

Hasn't Neeld heard the management mantra - public praise, private criticism.

Leaving aside the fact we can not afford to lose any quality player, or that Watts is closing in on that 60-80 game mark that Neeld has been at pains to point out is a crucial milestone in a players development if Watts (or Frawley, or Gawnwas ) was to go it will tear at the fabric of mateship and connection that is crucial at a footy club. Watts is clearly a popular team member and no doubt brings a really positive energy to the club. He is a heart soul bloke and every clubs needs them. His team mates will be shattered if he goes and like me i doubt if he does few will blame him.

Edited May 23, 201311 yr by binman

  On 23/05/2013 at 05:58, Generation dee said:

This galah keeps posting the same incoherent jazz day in day out mate. Yesterday it was neelds fault that Stef Martin left for that reason. you remember stef martin, the dominating bigman on our list for several years? Tomorrow I'm thinking David Schwarz's knee injuries will also be neelds fault.

Neeld wasn't around when Schwarz had his knee problems.... Otherwise it May have been Neeld's fault... Just saying !! Lighten up ...

  On 23/05/2013 at 06:09, soxy@live.com.au said:

Neeld wasn't around when Schwarz had his knee problems.... Otherwise it May have been Neeld's fault... Just saying !! Lighten up ...

Haha that's my point!

  On 22/05/2013 at 23:50, Grand New Flag said:

By now most here should know my opinion. After round 5 last year I started writing posts outlining the terrible choice we made in making Neeld Coach. I said that he had divided the players, he had lost the players before he even coached his first game, I said Neeld did not have the personal skills or management skills to be head coach, I said after round 6 Moloney and Rivers would walk, midseason I spoke of a major falling out (fight) between Neeld and Martin and that he would never play for Melbourne again. I spoke of a falling out between Jurrah and Pettard with Neeld......... but few listened.

I told all that would listen that Neeld was the greatest mistake since firing Norm Smith and that if we did not remove him quickly he would drive us into extinction. I said we were in a slow motion train crash.

I was and still am called an alarmist, a nutter, other people asked for me to be banned from this sight, however, everything I have said on this subject has turned out to be true.

This season, I have said that as things currently stand, Frawley, Sylvia and Watts would leave season end. Again as recently as yesterday I have been smashed.

My information has never been made up, it has come from within the playing group and player managers.

I love this club and l will do anything I can to help ensure its long term viability and survival. I have made significant donations to this club via debt demolition. I only want to see my club survive.

It is time for those who still have their head in the sand to wake up. We are deep in survival mode. We should no longer be looking at Premierships, we must put all effort into survival. Make no mistake, we have 2 to 3 years to turn this club around or we will be relocated or merged in time for the next broadcast contract. If we lose more senior players that task will be close to impossible. Its time to look at the big picture, everything must be done to hold all our top 25.

I will make things very clear to all who will listen.

Mark Neeld may not be the person who started the rot, however, he is not the person for our club. He has divided our playing group, he has lost our players, he does not have the motivational or personal skills required. He is a cancer, he is part of the problem rather than the solution. He was a terrible choice in head coach.

The ONLY chance we have is to fire Neeld immediately, replace him with a motivational coach that can unit the players and do whatever we can to land Roos or then next best experienced coach. Only then may our players stay. Only then may we survive.

This is the train wreck I told you all was coming. I am devastated.

We must move quickly while there is still time. I again call on the board to fire Neeld immediately.

Bloody hell.

If this is true, I am absolutely in the camp of retaining Frawley, Watts and Sylvia over Neeld.

These signatures are a litmus test for Neeld IMO.

Personally if a player does not want to be at the Melbourne Football Club then we are better of with out them.

And they should be able to be allowed to trade but with one stipulation and that is they must tell us all, as supporters

Honestly prior to their departure, why they are Unhappy and what makes them want to leave!!!!

Any player at least owes the supporters that much !!

Maybe just then we will get to the bottom of what is actually wrong at the MFC and not the spin we are always given!

  On 23/05/2013 at 06:16, Demon Stalwart said:

Personally if a player does not want to be at the Melbourne Football Club then we are better of with out them.

And they should be able to be allowed to trade but with one stipulation and that is they must tell us all, as supporters

Honestly prior to their departure, why they are Unhappy and what makes them want to leave!!!!

Any player at least owes the supporters that much !!

Maybe just then we will get to the bottom of what is actually wrong at the MFC and not the spin we are always given!

i think most would just say they are sick of losing unfortunately, playing for us would be abit like standing against a wall and letting everyone throw eggs at them for a moment.

let's trade Watts for Natanui!

Even if everything that GNF has said is true, and I'm not saying whether I believe it is, or it isn't, but a lot can change in a season of footy. Once we get our best 22 on the ground, what's to say we won't start winning games and the feeling amongst the player group won't become more and more positive and optimistic.

At the start fo the year, it might have been quite possible Frawley, Sylvia and Watts would be leaving, but I'm hoping that by seasons end the team will have shown enough improvement to keep them around.

  On 23/05/2013 at 06:07, binman said:

Top post as was the one you quoted. Clubs with strong, healthy cultures do not lose players . Full stop.

I would be gutted if Watts was to leave, but you know what i would not be down on him. I totally agree with GNF's post about his treatment during and post round 2. Shameful - and it came after Neeld publicly slagged Watts only months into his tenure as a coach. Since when is public humiliation effective motivational tool? For that matter since when is public humiliation an acceptable management approach.

Hasn't Neeld heard the management mantra - public praise, private criticism.

Leaving aside the fact we can not afford to lose any quality player, or that Watts is closing in on that 60-80 game mark that Neeld has been at pains to point out is a crucial milestone in a players development if Watts (or Frawley, or Gawnwas ) was to go it will tear at the fabric of mateship and connection that is crucial at a footy club. Watts is clearly a popular team member and no doubt brings a really positive energy to the club. He is a heart soul bloke and every clubs needs them. His team mates will be shattered if he goes and like me i doubt if he does few will blame him.

Shyte !! You wouldn't want to ask MFC Members to take a poll on the question "would you care if Watts left the club" would you ???? You say : "clubs with good healthy cultures do not lose players" Listing names to prove what a crap statement that is would take up a couple of pages on this topic... Ablett, .. just starting at the beginning of the alphabet.!! West Coast culture seems ok to me , but we could skip a few and go further down the alphabet to Judd !!.. if you need a few more names they can be provided.. You are right in one respect.. "we can not afford to lose any quality player" but sadly we do not have an abundance and WATTS is NOT a quality player !! (when he has proven it I will apologise)...I am NOT meaning to have a go at you personally, but I felt I needed to respond .

  On 23/05/2013 at 06:21, Bailin Out said:

let's trade Watts for Natanui!

WE MISSED that train !!!

  On 23/05/2013 at 06:07, binman said:

Top post as was the one you quoted. Clubs with strong, healthy cultures do not lose players . Full stop.

I would be gutted if Watts was to leave, but you know what i would not be down on him. I totally agree with GNF's post about his treatment during and post round 2. Shameful - and it came after Neeld publicly slagged Watts only months into his tenure as a coach. Since when is public humiliation effective motivational tool? For that matter since when is public humiliation an acceptable management approach.

Hasn't Neeld heard the management mantra - public praise, private criticism.

Leaving aside the fact we can not afford to lose any quality player, or that Watts is closing in on that 60-80 game mark that Neeld has been at pains to point out is a crucial milestone in a players development if Watts (or Frawley, or Gawnwas ) was to go it will tear at the fabric of mateship and connection that is crucial at a footy club. Watts is clearly a popular team member and no doubt brings a really positive energy to the club. He is a heart soul bloke and every clubs needs them. His team mates will be shattered if he goes and like me i doubt if he does few will blame him.

Callum Ward?

Chris Judd?

Gary Ablett?

David Hale?

Josh Gibson?

Ivan Maric?

Chris Knights?

Mitch Clark?

Chris Dawes?

Brendon Goddard?

Ben McGlynn?

Shane Mumford?

Ted Richards?

And so on and so on, and so on.

  On 23/05/2013 at 06:24, soxy@live.com.au said:

Shyte !! You wouldn't want to ask MFC Members to take a poll on the question "would you care if Watts left the club" would you ???? You say : "clubs with good healthy cultures do not lose players" Listing names to prove what a crap statement that is would take up a couple of pages on this topic... Ablett, .. just starting at the beginning of the alphabet.!! West Coast culture seems ok to me , but we could skip a few and go further down the alphabet to Judd !!.. if you need a few more names they can be provided.. You are right in one respect.. "we can not afford to lose any quality player" but sadly we do not have an abundance and WATTS is NOT a quality player !! (when he has proven it I will apologise)...I am NOT meaning to have a go at you personally, but I felt I needed to respond .

I didn't say MFC members wouldn't care if Watts left. I said i would be gutted.

As for my comment that clubs with healthy cultures don't lose players perhaps i needed to be more literal. Clubs with good cultures rarely lose player because they are not happy or leave because they have been treated poorly. Clubs with good cultures rarely lose multiple players who are in the best 22. Clubs with good cultures rarely lose their young guns (potential a graders with 40-60 games). Clubs with good cultures keep their best players. Think Sydney. Think Hawthorn. Think the Cats. Even Port were able to keep their young guns.

Give me some examples of a club noted for its culture who has had a genuine young gun choose to leave?

And the examples you gave? Judd returned to Victoria but before he did helped win a flag for West Coast (and played what 150 games for them?). Ablett was lured north for a then unprecedented amount of money (interestingly rumors were a factor in his decision was he was not getting on with an increasingly erratic coach - a coach who left in acrimonious circumstances soon after. Also interesting that the talk is Ablett may return to the cats) . But not before playing 150 odd games and winning a flag. Both clubs were solid and remained solid after their star player departed.

  On 23/05/2013 at 06:55, jumbo returns said:

Callum Ward?

Chris Judd?

Gary Ablett?

David Hale?

Josh Gibson?

Ivan Maric?

Chris Knights?

Mitch Clark?

Chris Dawes?

Brendon Goddard?

Ben McGlynn?

Shane Mumford?

Ted Richards?

And so on and so on, and so on.

Almost all of these players left because they were not best 22 and wanted to play more senior footy (with some obvious exceptions, two of which are covered in my post above). Of course as say above players leave but if Watts goes we will have had 3 of our best 22 choose to leave the club in 2 years.