http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/demons-the-pick-to-bring-flag-home/story-e6frg7mx-1111113249672?from=public_rss

Pretty much the same as what happened to the Crows this year.

We had a lot of fading stars and limited young talent on the rise. And we lost probably our best player at the time (yep Brock McLean believe it or not) for most of the year.

2007 was a shocker.

We sucked!!

Over-rated that write up was.

In 2006 we lost to Carlton, twice! Just like the West Coast game this year, we have to get those shocking games out of our make up.

Wow Greg Denham & Lace got that so wrong didn't he!!

The Reverend must have been spruuking well that week!!

Greg wasn't the only one to miss calculate our fortunes, but that was a shocker!! B)

We were massively over-rated and it was obvious.

We had a demographic hole in our list and our better players were on the decline.

(...and no, I'm not just a Monday expert - I created a thread to that effect after the 2006 season ended).

Runs and curry.

Neale Daniher.

I'll never forget that first game against St. Kilda. We looked like a team just going through the same paces over and over again with no plan B. Saints looked like they were on a mission. That game defined Daniher as a coach; was never willing to take the risk needed to go that extra step.

I'll never forget that first game against St. Kilda. We looked like a team just going through the same paces over and over again with no plan B. Saints looked like they were on a mission. That game defined Daniher as a coach; was never willing to take the risk needed to go that extra step.

Could not be more wrong. ND indeed changed his game plan in late 2006 when he realised what we were doing was not going to get us the wins against stronger oppoeition as a middle rung side. We were in fact playing a "plan B style" with little preparation to do it(you dont learn a game plan in a pre season) and the wrong calibre of players to execute. Injuries and poor form only steepened the drop

It was ND's last year as Coach and he took a big risk because he know if what he had been doing was not going to work. St Kilda were playing a game about where the game was going. MFC were playing like a side from a bygone era.

We were over-rated, no doubt, but we had lots of injuries that year, and we had a multitude of close games. IIRC we had 4 or 5 games lost by one or two kicks.

I remember one against the Bulldogs, where Cross and Boyd developed what is now known as 'sprawling' (falling forward in a tackle to milk a free). I threw the TV remote at the wall that afternoon.

Could not be more wrong. ND indeed changed his game plan in late 2006 when he realised what we were doing was not going to get us the wins against stronger oppoeition as a middle rung side. We were in fact playing a "plan B style" with little preparation to do it(you dont learn a game plan in a pre season) and the wrong calibre of players to execute. Injuries and poor form only steepened the drop

It was ND's last year as Coach and he took a big risk because he know if what he had been doing was not going to work. St Kilda were playing a game about where the game was going. MFC were playing like a side from a bygone era.

Agree with this.

I felt that ND even as far back as after the 2000 GF tried to recruit more physical players. He always seemed to be a step behind how the game was developing and got caught out.

Agree with this.

I felt that ND even as far back as after the 2000 GF tried to recruit more physical players. He always seemed to be a step behind how the game was developing and got caught out.

Pickett, Moorcroft, Read, Vardy come to mind.