The Recipe (Part One of our rebirth)

February 20, 201015 yr

So here we sit, after 3 successful drafts we have all the key ingredients in terms of talented players, we're on the cusp of enjoying league standard facilities, our supporter base is stirring and membership is growing steadily, our coaches are focused and confident and our leaders are proud, passionate and driven to succeed. Now all we need is that elusive, ever changing recipe for Premiership success. The reason that it is so hard to come by is that it's always changing, the new recipe supersedes the old in a continuous evolution of our great game. The recipe is not something found externally, we can't open a book and read out the directions. No the recipe must be drawn together from several points. Some will be from the last few premiership teams, some from the minds of our coaches, some will come from the players strengths, some from their weaknesses. Some may even come from way in the past when football was profoundly different. Some may even come with Liam Jurrah and his people's ability to take our game somewhere else, somewhere almost mthyical. Somewhere where the God's play a roll, where the earth, sky, sun, oceans and moon draw together to show us something new, or old, very very old. This recipe must be drawn together by our coaches and Dean Bailey is the main man here. I knew nothing much about Dean when he arrived at this "to be proud again" club. In the 2 years he has been here I have defended him against constant comments from my less informed friends. Each and every time I tell them to listen to him, or even better go to training and watch and listen to him. This is a man that is unlikely to be replaced as we begin our march up the ladder. In fact when I hear Dean speak I am filled with confidence, confidence that he has what it takes to gather together the requisite pieces of the next Premiership recipe. He's a driven, calm, assured and intelligent bloke who has the respect of not only the players but the administration and I suspect also the vast majority of informed members and supporters. I also sense he has an extremely strong will to take this club all the way to the top. It's been along time since this club was truly rebuilt with a view to the future. Past coaches and administrations have appeared in a hurry, wanting success before the team was ready. The Daniher era felt very much as though it was 2 steps forward and 1 back and although he and his team got close never were we the feared hungry outfit that we all want to see. Things at last feel different. Our past is being intertwined with our future. Our heritage is being respected and all areas of our club appear to be drawing together for a greater good. No longer do we hang our hats on past heroics, no longer do we feel safe just because we are Melbourne. Now we are defining a new Melbourne, one that draws all elements together and has one eye firmly fixed on a future containing success and Silverware. The names Watts, Grimes, Scully, Trengove, Jurrah, and Morton are all new to our club. They are young men and something that sets them apart from other draftees is not only their abilities as players but also their abilities as leaders. All great teams need leaders and whilst I take my hat off to James NcDonald his time is drawing to a close and someone is going to have to pick up the mantle and help drag this club back to the top. Jack Grimes brings a sense of the worker to the field. Someone who those around can depend on. He came to us in a swap for Travis Johnstone. At time's Travis had us in awe of his abilities, he was sublimely gifted and could help turn a match. He did this with a sense of ease, almost disinterest that some found hard to swallow. With Jack it's slightly different. Maybe not as purely talented but with an upbringing that has instilled dependability, honesty, integrity, intelligence and a workrate and will to succeed that is matched only by the games greats. That's what captains are made of and I'm throwing Jack's hat in the ring for our next captain. I think it would be an inspired choice. Tom Scully and Jack Trengove are now almost seen as one. Both Captains of their respective State teams, both beautifully gifted, hard at it and driven young men. One with the hands of a master craftsmen and make no mistake that's what Tom's hands are. Here we have a player who can extract his own ball and in less than a blink of an eye can dish it off to a player who has the space to damage the opposition. That player might be Jack Trengove or any number of runners that we now have, say Jamie Bennell who has been compared to Andrew Mcleod (and for good reason). Or maybe Aaron Davey will be running by, or Neville Jetta, who's played alongside Jamie Bennell since the Under 6's. Now that's familiarity. He may even dish it off to Liam Jurrah who's decided to roam the centre looking for his own ball. He might take it and dance out of trouble before landing the ball between 3 defenders into the arms of Jack "who is Nick Natanui anyway" Watts. Jack will quite possibly just take the ball and swing around onto either foot and slot a team lifting goal from 60 metres or maybe he'll just walk back and line up and achieve the same result. He may even decide to dish the ball of to a running Jack Trengove who will just run towards to top of the 50 metre ark before stepping inside Gary Ablett and slotting one through from 40 metres. Anyway you look at Tom's going to being setting up goals for the next 10 - 12 years for this club. Jack Trengove will be found mainly where the ball is but looking at him I'd say we'll also see him drifting back for match saving marks of even forward to kick match winning goals. Either way you have it we have them both and God help the opposition if both of them cut loose on the same day.

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