It's not just about "line" coaches - as they are now called (yuk!.

Wellman taught the back"line" very well.

But, it's not him playing.

In the end it is up to players to perform - they are not robots.

Remember the days of "playing coaches" - Barrassi?

There were no "line coaches" back then.

It was a much slower and less "scientific" game, I admit.

The players had to use their brains - they still have to use their brains.

Have faith in the players.

After all, it is them on the field.

They are the ones who have the ultimate responsibility - to bring home the flag...for Melbourne.

That Victorian clubs have been starved and had to fight a system the AFL created, to build up interstate clubs should be an incentive to show them, that despite the odds (and this AFL support for the Suns and GWS is yet another example)we are better than anyone else.

Thinking about that, isn't that exactly what Jimmy and the boys have done already ?

The AFL tried to push us in all sorts of ways, to relocate, to merge, to close down etc..

It didn't happen.

But, it won't have been worthwhile, until those guys on the field are running around the MCG at 5pm on either, the last Saturday of September, and/or the first Saturday of October, embracing the Red & Blue brigade and holding that glorious trophy up high for all all to see!

Then, of course, there's the year after and the many years after that!!

Now, tell me, what player wouldn't want to be part of that??

Totally agree, the mantle is being moved to the Playing group from the Board (Jimmy & Co) from next season. for the last 3 years the playing group ha been a little shielded in this grand plan. Which is all good, but from 2011 it all ramps up for the players-I hope they are waiting for this ready to fire.

That Stynesy documentary should be a great start for us all, because we are united. But we gotta put the scores on the board now.

Go Demons.

i am well aware of where the list is, but i stand by the fact that i will not accept mediocrity-you can call it boring, but as far as i am concerned this entire club has dodged bullets for years and years. With new training facilities this summer the fitness of the boys should improve.

I am hoping training above the shoulders improves in the same direction.

I know if it was me out there next year, playing for Jimmy would give me an extra ounce. Who knows how far that could carry the team??

Its not a fact....its an opinion pumped by rhetoric without basis. For someone who will not accept mediocrity and that the entire club dodged bullets for years and years please explain which club players or officials have accepted mediocrity in the past?

Just a tip while you huff and puff about standards...20 game footballers dont become experienced 100 game footballers overnight. Swan, Pendlebury and others all went through a learning curve. The new training facilities will not quicken that development.

Totally agree, the mantle is being moved to the Playing group from the Board (Jimmy & Co) from next season. for the last 3 years the playing group ha been a little shielded in this grand plan.

That's a great load of crap if ever its been written. The players have been right in the front line of the transformation. During the tougher results Bailey and the players have been put through the mill by the media. None have been shielded whatsover. How have the players been hidden?

Geelong and St Kilda are two very good examples for us as supporters to look at. Varying degrees of patience required.

Both, for different reasons had access to some great talent early in the decade. Remember the night grand final they played (where sour Thomas and Hayes stood on the podium?) and that they were going to be rivals for the next so many years?

Geelong, after almost letting it all slip away around 2005-2006, re-focused and as a group dedicated themselves to putting all efforts in to achieve the ultimate success, which they did. They were playing deep finals without the ultimate.

St Kilda - did they suffer because of Thomas? I would argue that the teams under Thomas were more exciting to watch and had more going for them, maybe they needed a bit more of the mental fortitude that Lyon has bought to them. Unfortunately for Lyon that mental fortitude has not been backed up by the cattle he has in his current group.

Players like Hamill, Gherig, Harvey, Jones etc are better than Eddy, Dempster, Macqualter, etc.

Maybe Thomas was unlucky that the mix was out, ie - if Hayes, Riewoldt etc were another year or two advanced, similar to Pendlebury, Thomas, Swan and the youngsters at Collingwood?

I believe some credit goes to Lyon for where he has dragged the saints, I think they really missed the boat earlier in the decade. It is amazing to say that considering that with an ounce of luck they might have won the flag in 09 and won the drawn game last week!