Jump to content

NOTHING CAN CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME - A POSTSCRIPT

Featured Replies

Posted

At this point in time, I think it's worth reviving an article written by Whispering Jack following Neale Daniher's last game as coach of the Melbourne Football Club in June 2007.

NOTHING CAN CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME - A POSTSCRIPT by Whispering Jack

"There are changes

Lyin' ahead in every road

And there are new thoughts

Ready and waiting to explode

When tomorrow is today

The bells may toll for some

But nothing can change the shape of things to come"

by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil - "Shape of Things to Come" most famously performed by Max Frost and the Troopers for the 1968 movie "Wild in the Streets".

The theme for the revival of the Melbourne Football Club may well have been written forty years ago when the cult movie Wild in the Streets was conceived. The "anti-hero" of the film is Christopher Jones starring as the revolutionary Max Frost who gets elected as President of the United States and enacts a law that makes thirty the mandatory retirement age.

"If you're thirty, your through!"

Before you jump to the wrong conclusion that I'm suggesting Melbourne should cull anyone on its list who has celebrated or is about to celebrate his thirtieth birthday, let me explain the basic premise of the movie. This was a film that looked at the contemporary issues of the time - Vietnam, civil rights, political assassinations, the population explosion, the emergence of the baby boomer generation and rioting and unrest in urban America - by using the device of "reductio ad absurdum", i.e. to reduce something to absurdity by taking it to extremes.

It would fanciful and far too extreme to suggest that any given footballer is finished as soon as he reaches the magical age of thirty. One only has to look at the best players on the ground in last night's game at the Dome. James Hird is 34 years of age, Scott Lucas turns 30 before year's end while James McDonald will be 31 in October. Demon skipper David Neitz, who went into the game below full fitness, still managed to inspire the team with two goals in the second term and he could have won the game off his own boot had he kicked with some accuracy in the final quarter.

So I'm not suggesting that all of the thirty somethings at the club should go at once. However, there are far too many at the club who have seen their best days and who will never perform the sort of magic we saw last night from James Hird. To retain upwards of nine of them - the most in the competition - would be unsustainable if the Demons were to progress in the future.

The inevitable result of the coaching upheaval at the club must be translated into a new policy of bringing in the youngsters. The final nine weeks of the season will be a time of innovation and experimentation as we wait for the decision as to who will hold the coaching reins in his hands in 2008 and beyond. The trading period and the drafts in November and December will also bring regeneration and youth to the club.

Nothing can change the shape of things to come.

 

From now until 13 March 2011 there are no 30 year olds on the MFC's playing lists.

Brilliant / timely revival of an oldie that was penned 6 months before I discovered the joys of Demonland!

 

From now until 13 March 2011 there are no 30 year olds on the MFC's playing lists.

... unless we do what at least one club is going to do very soon and that is, draft a 31 year old who wasn't sure he would get a regular run for his old team.

... unless we do what at least one club is going to do very soon and that is, draft a 31 year old who wasn't sure he would get a regular run for his old team.

Zing.


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Featured Content

  • REPORT: Port Adelaide

    Of course, it’s not the backline, you might argue and you would probably be right. It’s the boot studder (do they still have them?), the midfield, the recruiting staff, the forward line, the kicking coach, the Board, the interchange bench, the supporters, the folk at Casey, the head coach and the club psychologist  It’s all of them and all of us for having expectations that were sufficiently high to have believed three weeks ago that a restoration of the Melbourne team to a position where we might still be in contention for a finals berth when the time for the midseason bye arrived. Now let’s look at what happened over the period of time since Melbourne overwhelmed the Sydney Swans at the MCG in late May when it kicked 8.2 to 5.3 in the final quarter (and that was after scoring 3.8 to two straight goals in the second term). 

    • 2 replies
  • CASEY: Essendon

    Casey’s unbeaten run was extended for at least another fortnight after the Demons overran a persistent Essendon line up by 29 points at ETU Stadium in Port Melbourne last night. After conceding the first goal of the evening, Casey went on a scoring spree from about ten minutes in, with five unanswered majors with its fleet of midsized runners headed by the much improved Paddy Cross who kicked two in quick succession and livewire Ricky Mentha who also kicked an early goal. Leading the charge was recruit of the year, Riley Bonner while Bailey Laurie continued his impressive vein of form. With Tom Campbell missing from the lineup, Will Verrall stepped up to the plate demonstrating his improvement under the veteran ruckman’s tutelage. The Demons were looking comfortable for much of the second quarter and held a 25-point lead until the Bombers struck back with two goals in the shadows of half time. On the other side of the main break their revival continued with first three goals of the half. Harry Sharp, who had been quiet scrambled in the Demons’ first score of the third term to bring the margin back to a single point at the 17 minute mark and the game became an arm-wrestle for the remainder of the quarter and into the final moments of the last.

    • 0 replies
  • PREGAME: Gold Coast

    The Demons have the Bye next week but then are on the road once again when they come up against the Gold Coast Suns on the Gold Coast in what could be a last ditch effort to salvage their season. Who comes in and who comes out?

      • Haha
    • 96 replies
  • PODCAST: Port Adelaide

    The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 16th June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to the Power.
    Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
    Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

      • Sad
      • Thanks
    • 31 replies
  • POSTGAME: Port Adelaide

    The Demons simply did not take their opportunities when they presented themselves and ultimately when down by 25 points effectively ending their finals chances. Goal kicking practice during the Bye?

      • Sad
      • Clap
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 252 replies
  • VOTES: Port Adelaide

    Max Gawn has an insurmountable lead in the Demonland Player of the Year ahead of Jake Bowey, Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Kozzy Pickett. Your votes please; 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

      • Sad
    • 32 replies