Neil Young composed his ballad "Comes a time" ,its a song about taking shelter from troubles and going out to face them again. There comes a time when you need to stop the talk...and do the walk.

Melbourne (fc ) has and indeed to some degree will always , rebuild its team. It's now got to the point where there is sufficient raw and developing talent that together with established and known entities amongst its list that it ought to now be prepared to change its direction from abject change to focused improvement.

You can go on forever tinkering with the list in some manic obsession to get it "right" , to get it just that ever so sweet that all the players are the best you can have. But we are not dealing with collecting swap cards we are talking about playing footy. The list is never perfect. There are too many constraints to allow that to happen. What you do is get it to the best level of preparedness and go out and play to win. There is always room for improvement and this will still be a part of the football departments instruction but the time for the sheltered approach is over. There can be no more hiding behind the veil of sacrifice for betterment. Now is the time to "do".

Ironically a team called the Demons needs now to go face them. The football world will now be watching with some interest to see how we progress. Many will be waiting fervently for us to fail as that is their way. Others will be hoping we succeed as it will provide a template for their own. But in the main they are now expecting us to do something.

In a way I see a comparison to parenthood. You can make all the preparations you like but it never quite goes to plan. You will have to think on your feet and react without warning to situations that manifest out of thin air. Overall you are not in total control of much of what goes on as external forces have their own timetables and priorities. You just do the best you can with what you have at hand. Yes you endeavour to better your circumstnaces but utimately you have to manage and do.

So too does this team.There ought be no more consideration given to allowing underachievent be over painted with talk of draft rewards. We have reaped wins (benefits) from our plan and now its time to plan to win and benefit from them.

There comes a time and that time is now.

I think everyone realises the team will be judged by more by their win/loss count next season and less by their 'improvement' and 'potential'. Nonetheless, we will still be in the early stages of development and will lose a lot more than they win.

Careful B59, Rhino will want you to articulate a "window' and a "measure". Having said that, I agree with you.

"old man, look at my life, I'm a lot like you were"

I think as demons' supporters the last few seasons we have had to alleviate pain and suffering caused by losing by focusing on the pot of gold at the end of our rainbow, that being draft picks.

The time has come to stop being so feverishly pick-oriented and we can actually lift our gaze and start to realistically expect wins and make moves that build towards something good, not towards starting again in the draft.

Its going to be a hard process for some, there will be some teething problems, but we have to ween ourselves off this 'stockpile draft picks' mentality.

Its evident some of us have been deeply afflicted and even some of the younger ones know no other way.

Once again, its time for PHASE 2.

(bugger it, lets make it a catchphrase after all...)

The football world will now be watching with some interest to see how we progress. Many will be waiting fervently for us to fail as that is their way. Others will be hoping we succeed as it will provide a template for their own. But in the main they are now expecting us to do something.

'Bub, I agree with everything in your OP except for this bit. I don't think we're on anybody's radar at the moment, most commentators and so-called experts don't give us a second thought. They go on about the young players at Freo, WC, Kangas, even Toigs, but they know less than nothing about our young players. If there are any expectations, it's that we'll again finish at or near the bottom, maybe we might be marginally less bad than this year, but nothing more.

So the expectations are all from within the club & supporters, which is probably the way it should be for now.

Neil Young composed his ballad "Comes a time" ,its a song about taking shelter from troubles and going out to face them again. There comes a time when you need to stop the talk...and do the walk.

Melbourne (fc ) has and indeed to some degree will always , rebuild its team. It's now got to the point where there is sufficient raw and developing talent that together with established and known entities amongst its list that it ought to now be prepared to change its direction from abject change to focused improvement.

You can go on forever tinkering with the list in some manic obsession to get it "right" , to get it just that ever so sweet that all the players are the best you can have. But we are not dealing with collecting swap cards we are talking about playing footy. The list is never perfect. There are too many constraints to allow that to happen. What you do is get it to the best level of preparedness and go out and play to win. There is always room for improvement and this will still be a part of the football departments instruction but the time for the sheltered approach is over. There can be no more hiding behind the veil of sacrifice for betterment. Now is the time to "do".

Ironically a team called the Demons needs now to go face them. The football world will now be watching with some interest to see how we progress. Many will be waiting fervently for us to fail as that is their way. Others will be hoping we succeed as it will provide a template for their own. But in the main they are now expecting us to do something.

In a way I see a comparison to parenthood. You can make all the preparations you like but it never quite goes to plan. You will have to think on your feet and react without warning to situations that manifest out of thin air. Overall you are not in total control of much of what goes on as external forces have their own timetables and priorities. You just do the best you can with what you have at hand. Yes you endeavour to better your circumstnaces but utimately you have to manage and do.

So too does this team.There ought be no more consideration given to allowing underachievent be over painted with talk of draft rewards. We have reaped wins (benefits) from our plan and now its time to plan to win and benefit from them.

There comes a time and that time is now.

Yeah well said....this is why the threads on the trading board, "let's give up Mclean and Rivers for pick 5", etc., completely [censored] me off. We're not about collecting draft picks!!!

'Bub, I agree with everything in your OP except for this bit. I don't think we're on anybody's radar at the moment, most commentators and so-called experts don't give us a second thought. They go on about the young players at Freo, WC, Kangas, even Toigs, but they know less than nothing about our young players. If there are any expectations, it's that we'll again finish at or near the bottom, maybe we might be marginally less bad than this year, but nothing more.

So the expectations are all from within the club & supporters, which is probably the way it should be for now.

I hear ya...but I honestly think we are. Players like Jurrah have kept us in the spotlight. the so called 'experimentation/tanking' issue.. the upcoming draft and our snaggingof 1 and 2. Once the finals are behind us the media..wel..footy focused media will want something else to write about and I'll be very surprised if we arent some where near the top of the pile. " Was it all worth it..the pain..the games " etc. Melbournes colection of #1 's. Jimmy's heroes to climb in '10 !!

Were a bit of an enigma rolled into a curiosity. We're extracating ourselves from the shadows and putting ourselves out there. Much is expected from within..I agree... but they will be watching..I'm sure