Okay - be patient, but will the list stay together?

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I don't know the contractual arrangements of every player but I'm concerned that these elusive 'glory days' may never happen. By the time the youngsters are ready, the oldies are nearly finished. Who will make the biggest play for our talented youngsters once contracts are up? Miller and Jamar signed for a year, (Gold Coast bound perhaps) and Miller especially is playing like he can't wait to get out of the joint. By the way, everyone says he's not a forward, so what is he? Casey fodder?

I'm concerned about our 3-4 year out players - no presence. No urgency. I was watching Osborne yesterday and he was a ferral pit bull. 5 foot nothing but every time he went for the ball, our players shat themselves.

One last anecdote - I was coaching a school footy team one year and we had Scotty Burns down to take the session. After a couple of drills where everyone looked fantastic, he called the group in and asked them 'What makes a great footballer?' and the usual responses, 'good kick' 'no fumbling' 'team things' which he replied, no, no, no - through clenched teeth and rabies in his eyers he said..........'You got to wanna COMPETE' Now, Burns was no great shakes, but if you watched his game, he never, ever backed out of a contest.

The coaching staff need to show highlights of Osborne.

[Ron Burgundy 8,587]

I don't understand why Jamar was offered only a one year contract.

IMO he's the player we can least afford to lose at the moment.

[Bring-Back-Powell 15,251]

GC won't be able to get Scully, Trengove, Morton, Gysberts, Tapscott and Jurrah so I guess that's a positive.

Interesting to see if they start sniffing around for Watts who I'm sure will come out of contract this year.

I guess the general vibe around here is that one of Petterd, Miller or Jamar is off to the Gold Coast. Please let it be Miller...they can give us a ham sandwich for compensation for all I care.

Brad Miller would be a good 'rent a forward' for 1 or 2 years for them.

The good thing about Trengove and Tapscott signing for 3 yrs is that West Sydney cannot touch them.

[Guest hangon007]

I don't know the contractual arrangements of every player but I'm concerned that these elusive 'glory days' may never happen. By the time the youngsters are ready, the oldies are nearly finished. Who will make the biggest play for our talented youngsters once contracts are up? Miller and Jamar signed for a year, (Gold Coast bound perhaps) and Miller especially is playing like he can't wait to get out of the joint. By the way, everyone says he's not a forward, so what is he? Casey fodder?

I'm concerned about our 3-4 year out players - no presence. No urgency. I was watching Osborne yesterday and he was a ferral pit bull. 5 foot nothing but every time he went for the ball, our players shat themselves.

One last anecdote - I was coaching a school footy team one year and we had Scotty Burns down to take the session. After a couple of drills where everyone looked fantastic, he called the group in and asked them 'What makes a great footballer?' and the usual responses, 'good kick' 'no fumbling' 'team things' which he replied, no, no, no - through clenched teeth and rabies in his eyers he said..........'You got to wanna COMPETE' Now, Burns was no great shakes, but if you watched his game, he never, ever backed out of a contest.

The coaching staff need to show highlights of Osborne.

Very interesting post. However, you lost 99% of the kids at "contractual"

Most around here just dont understand contracts. If they did they wouldn't be screaming for the coaches head after game 1.

[praha 11,253]

I think we definitely risk being another Richmond. If we aren't successful with this core group soon, they will never get that winning feeling, and we'll be rebuilding every 3-4 years, just like the Tigers. We are really risking implementing a losing culture (if we don't already have one). You could get away with that 20-30 years ago, but nowadays, you need success (obviously).

Also, if Pettard goes to the GC, we lose probably our best forward option.

[Jarka 767]

Why would GC want Miller or Petterd?

Let's be realistic for one second, Miller would struggle to get onto another list and almost zero chance of playing regular footy with another team. Petterd is probably a bit better but only because of his age. GC is going to go after established talented players, not struggling ones.

[P-man 13,366]

I think we definitely risk being another Richmond. If we aren't successful with this core group soon, they will never get that winning feeling, and we'll be rebuilding every 3-4 years, just like the Tigers. We are really risking implementing a losing culture (if we don't already have one). You could get away with that 20-30 years ago, but nowadays, you need success (obviously).

Precisely. I've often thought about this. The implications of free agency are far greater for a club such as Melbourne if we can't extinguish the losing culture that continues to fester. I recall reading that Scully was already showing signs of being less than happy with his current residence, and with Watts coming out of contract, it's something we need to be thinking about now not later.

Very interesting post. However, you lost 99% of the kids at "contractual"

Most around here just dont understand contracts. If they did they wouldn't be screaming for the coaches head after game 1.

And the prize for most condescending post of the year goes to..

[Pipefitter 2,213]

Why would any team in the world other than Melbourne want Miller? God we should have traded him when Sydney wanted. Im so over being continually frustrated on a weekly basis by Miller.

[Reality Bus 17]

Scully, less than happy with his current residence? I hope you're talking about him still living at home, because he's hardly been around the club five minutes.

[demons27 1]

Miller will not make it, neither will Jamar....they generally fail to make correct decisions under pressure, or miss the important shot for goal.

We should have held onto Robertson for another year to support the younger players.

The sense I have at the moment is that the club is lacking a passionate coach who people can look towards for real leadership.

when things are tough. Hypothetically, would we be in a better position now under Michael Voss, Rodney Eade, or even Mick Malthouse or Kevin Sheedy? I think so, purely on having a coach with some standing in the game and the respect of the playing group. A decent game plan the group understands would also help.