1 year extension i beleive.. announcement could be as early as tomorrow, just a nice but of stability for the next 2 years i reckon!

Originally I didn't see the harm in waiting until next year but if this is true I'm all for it. Has this club become a professional organisation in the space of 2 years?

Agreed, next year's results may be inconclusive and we'll need to offer more than 1 year extension.

So if Bailey wins his 3rd wooden spoon in a row it doesn't matter does it?

People who expect ridiculous improvements in 2010 needs to realise that the natural improvement we're hoping to see because of the likes of Watts, Blease, Strauss, Scully, Trengove (?) etc... is not going to happen overnight. These kids will all be first year players (Watts' 2009 doesn't count as far as I'm concerned), and rarely do first year players dominate.

After Reading Sheeds article on his '93 List i believe we should try & aim for Position 8 next year.

AFL is a young mans game even more now, so if our list is not injured next year, i expect our young list to play hard against other young lists,

& to hopefully out run a few of the older lists.

Footy is a Tough game & it is no good keeping our list in cotton wool for too long.

Those "Baby Demons" may suprise us all next year-I sure hope so anyway.

Extension is on the cards i beleive.. to be announced very shortly.

Wouldn't they normally extend a coaches contract midway through their last year?

Wouldn't they normally extend a coaches contract midway through their last year?

I would think of renewing Bailey's contract after QB next year. After 12 Games the season is either alive or dead.

With incentives for the whole FD to make September action.

Next year is the Last before the new teams, so we must start winning.

Even if I didn't support the coach, anyone in his position deserves another two years before being judged, takes a bit of patience but it's the right thing to do. Otherwise you end up like Richmond, who change coaches way too often, usually when the heat is on and you end up with a mess because nobody is fully given the chance to turn things around. As it turns out I am a big-time supporter of Bailey, he's a funny guy, extremely intelligent and a great ambassador of the club. I think next year we will start seeing exactly what he is capable of and two years from now we will know for certain why he was worth keeping around.

1 year extension i beleive.. announcement could be as early as tomorrow, just a nice but of stability for the next 2 years i reckon!

After the way Dean has used the players in the latter part of the season and put the club ahead of himself and his coaching record I believe he deserves an extra year now. He could have gone all out to win as many games as possible without challenging players in different positions and furthering their educations. But he has decided on short term pain for long term gain (hopefully) for the MFC. A decent run with injuries and further improvement from our players will see us rise up the ladder next year, not to mention the new players coming onboard.

I would think of renewing Bailey's contract after QB next year. After 12 Games the season is either alive or dead.

With incentives for the whole FD to make September action.

Next year is the Last before the new teams, so we must start winning.

That's the way I would do it.

After the way Dean has used the players in the latter part of the season and put the club ahead of himself and his coaching record I believe he deserves an extra year now. He could have gone all out to win as many games as possible without challenging players in different positions and furthering their educations. But he has decided on short term pain for long term gain (hopefully) for the MFC. A decent run with injuries and further improvement from our players will see us rise up the ladder next year, not to mention the new players coming onboard.

That's a good call, and appears that's how the club is viewing things by apparently giving him the extension.

I have high hopes for DB because he seems to be the first coach who has ever been on the same page as our more intelligent fans.

This is an interesting point, Geddy Lee. I agree, completely. The number of times he and the FD have done exactly what people have been calling for, selection wise, this season has been astounding. You'd always hope for certain things during the Daniher era, but when you do in the Bailey era, they come true!

If this 1 year contract extension turns out to be true, it's perfect. Well done, MFC. Let him get down to work next year, not having to worry about whether or not he's keeping his job. It's all very well to rebuild a list, but you also have to get games into the young kids, before judging the coach. Next year, 6 to 8 or even 9 wins is achievable, when you think we could have easily won 6 or 7 this season.

I would think of renewing Bailey's contract after QB next year. After 12 Games the season is either alive or dead.

With incentives for the whole FD to make September action.

Next year is the Last before the new teams, so we must start winning.

And what if our draw has us playing the top 8 teams in those first 12 rounds? We played Colingwood twice in the first 12 rounds this year. He'll be moved on because of a win/loss record that isn't indicative of where he has taken this list.

Bailey could have shown 'improvement' and attempted to beat Sydney, NM, and Richmond in meaningless wins but it would have meant 6 wins in the last 9 rounds and certainly enough of an 'improvement' to warrant a year extension.

But he did the right thing for the club, and for 2010 also by getting players ready early.

And BTW, it is only 1 year. If Bailey is not the man but gets another contract halfway through next year because we have a soft draw at the start of 2010. He will get another 3 years.

Simpletons will think that an extra year right now looks like we are rewarding failure.

I am glad the MFC don't listen to simpletons, or care what the 'greater football public' thinks.

Give him an extra year.

I think DB has us on the right track with what he had to taker over.However,we are still the worst tackling side after 2 years.We should be tackling more than most clubs because we've had the ball the least.You don't have to be a great player to be a great tackler.The game after Jimmy revealed he was sick,we had the most tackles for the year but then we went back to our lazy ways,it's a mental thing,we can play with that hunger but we don't.

DB will get another year which brings it to 2 more years,Garry Lyon has just signed with channel 9 for 2 more years!!!

Hmmmm!

Okey dokey. To start with I am one of the anti tankers but the MFC is bigger and more important than my feelings. So I think that they owe Bailey for asking him to put his integrity and coaching record on the line to do what they wanted.

Aside from that I think he is making positive steps. We might be on the bottom but sides do not take us lightly. Despite our youth and inexperience we can go with the top sides for a while in a game. We have players that have made big steps in their careers under Bailey. We have a game plan that might only happen every now and again but until we have the cattle/experience it will be hard to see it often. But we will see it. Most of all we have a coach who is not scared to wield the axe when it is needed.

So what if he coaches until 2010? The kids won't be ready for a tilt until the next year anyway.

So what if he coaches until 2010? The kids won't be ready for a tilt until the next year anyway.

Bailey is coaching in 2010.

Did some more investigating last night, and it will happen, but they may wait now to take the heat out of the season. I think its great, he deserves 2 years with the list he has shaped to see if he can do great things with them!

And what if our draw has us playing the top 8 teams in those first 12 rounds? We played Colingwood twice in the first 12 rounds this year. He'll be moved on because of a win/loss record that isn't indicative of where he has taken this list.

Bailey could have shown 'improvement' and attempted to beat Sydney, NM, and Richmond in meaningless wins but it would have meant 6 wins in the last 9 rounds and certainly enough of an 'improvement' to warrant a year extension.

But he did the right thing for the club, and for 2010 also by getting players ready early.

And BTW, it is only 1 year. If Bailey is not the man but gets another contract halfway through next year because we have a soft draw at the start of 2010. He will get another 3 years.

Simpletons will think that an extra year right now looks like we are rewarding failure.

I am glad the MFC don't listen to simpletons, or care what the 'greater football public' thinks.

Give him an extra year.

I didn't say sack him after the QB round, but that is when i would make an assesment of his work.

If our Draw is extra Tough, then that is taken into account

But all our FD need to be on incentive based situations so that maximum effort is given, players & coaches.

I want Bailey-but i want him to excel.

as Bullet for my Valentine put it.."Waking the Demon!!!"

as Bullet for my Valentine put it.."Waking the Demon!!!"

Nice one mate, good song

I too would of thought that mid season next year would of been the best time to do extension. If he wins some games and we are off the bottom of the ladder than an extension is warranted for sure.

See the thing that SLIGHTLY worries me is yes - he has changed the culture and atmosphere at our club, yes- he has developed players really well but the most important part of being assessed as a coach in my mind is wins, 6 from 44 games will be his record at seasons end! Now yes we might of had to do this to become better but i would like to see a glimpse of the results before rewarding...

7 from 44. (15.9%)

An extension now sounds like the best way to go about it. I think most keen observers have seen enough to know the future is bright even through the cloud of experimentation and list management. The fact that we have used so much of our list this year, and very few (if any) looked completely out of their depth tells me they are being developed and coached well. I actually think our improvement next year will be considerable and won't come from our yet to be seen 2008 and 2009 draftees (Watts, Blease, Strauss, Scully etc). It will come from the guys that have shown us glimpses this year even though ravaged by injuries. One more pre-season for guys like Grimes, Martin, Morton, Jetta, Bennell and Jarrah will make a world of difference. If all goes well and we avoid such an extensive injury run, I expect about 10 wins next year.

IMO an extension now is premature.

Bailey has (by the circumstances presented to him) shown nothing yet as a coach - neither good nor bad. All he has done is inherit a rubbish list, cull the dead wood and make sure we play crap footy to ensure we get the PP.

Next season should be all about winning - we should play our best available team on all occasions and play them with every intention of claiming the 4 points. There will be injuries and the promising young kids will all get their turn.

Bailey needs to show us how he's going to get these guys to play the game and how he's going to get us moving up the ladder. Then make an assessment at mid-season or maybe a touch later and give it a call of Yes, Maybe or No. Yes he gets a 2 year extension, Maybe they wait until the end of the season, No they sack him and appoint someone else.

Ok, then.

Here is the scenario I am having problems with - we are 4 and 7 at the midway point with some decent wins and Bailey gets another 3 years as an extension.

We come out and finish with 7 and 15 in 2010 and 7 and 15 in 2011.

No improvement discernable, but Bailey has two years left because we waited until half way through 2010 to give an extension.

A year extension right now is the smart, prudent step.

Another year is prudent and clever.It provides him with breathing space and us ( MFC ) with some accountability .............win/win

I would think of renewing Bailey's contract after QB next year. After 12 Games the season is either alive or dead.

With incentives for the whole FD to make September action.

Next year is the Last before the new teams, so we must start winning.

At 1 and 11, the season is stil alive and mathematically the finals are still possible. Even more so at 2-10, 3-9, 4-8.

So what if you're not going to renew his contract at the end of Rd 12 and the season is still alive? Do you sack him and derail the year completely?

Fact is you cant keep your head in the sand until then. The call will have to made earlier on the extension. If you are still tossing up at QBW whether to extend his contract then you should sack him because a Coach should have the complete support of the Board.

rpfc's post is on the money here.

if bailey wins 7 games next season hes gone, thats not exceptable, wants 8 to 10 wins, if cant pull that out the hat, bring on todd viney.