We are Essendon last year

[ICU2 Jerry Jerry 257]

It's an amazing feeling for me at the moment.

It is possibly the lowest I have ever been as a Melbourne supporter. 08, 09, 10 there was still optimism about the list we were putting together and the Jury was still out on the coach, but we were all grateful of the "list management" approach taken.

Fast forward to 2011

We moved on 2 ageing past stars of our club who still had some footy left to offer. (sound familiar?)

We are leaving a gutsy quality player out of our side (Petterd) that all the supporters and media can't figure out why. (Houli)

We are playing a 1 way game-style that lacks any defensive pressure from our forwards and mids. (almost identical to the Knights plan)

We will look great in patches when we capitalize on opposition clangers and then "cheat" by running forward of the ball on the rebound, We already have done this once this season in the 4th against the Suns. It's called frontrunning and it's the one thing that made Hird sick watching the Bombers last year to the point he felt obliged to step in and fix it.

Before this season began I believed that it was our turn to be the "bolter" having paid our dues as the "disappointment" many times before. How deflating to find that we are the 2010 Bombers. We have seen first hand the effect a quality coaching panel can have on a mediocre list in such a small amount of time at Bomberland. Imagine what effect it could have on a quality list.

My hope is that we don't drag it on like they did for too long last year now that we have identified the issue. Like a band-aid it should be straight off. Do it this week. Use Connolly and Viney in the interim and and source some part-time assistants for the rest of the year. We simply must stand down the entire coaching panel immediately before any more damage is done to the way the very impressionable youth we have on the list are "learning" to play.

I was shouted down last year after calling for Baileys' head very early on, but let me just say I have seen this brewing and right now it doesn't seem like it was such an outrageous call after all.

I was praying I was wrong and hoping he had the goods but he and his panel are simply 3rd rate.

[Yokozuna 1,004]

I cannot agree more with you.

Unfortunately I hat Essendon with a passion, so it pains me to say that right now I dont like the Football Department at MFC.

The players (in general) and coaching staff (in general) are giving me so many reasons to give up.

Our tactics are like the bombers last year and if it took them 3 months to change their tactics, and their list is not too different to ours, why cant we!

[Deetective Sgt. Taggert 382]

You beat me to it! WAs planning on starting a similar thread myself

[ICU2 Jerry Jerry 257]

You beat me to it! WAs planning on starting a similar thread myself

Yep, it just seems uncanny. Even the media rumblings about the game-plan are so similar to last year with Knights. It's all around spooky!

The James Hird part of the equation would seem to be Gary Lyon but I put to you . . . . .

Favourite Son MFC saviour . . . Todd Viney?

Still has a familiar feel doesn't it!

[Trengove 0]

man i wish we could get Sean Wellman back

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Yeah Ive always been thinking Lyon....but Viney! Yes it does have a familiar ring...I think you just hit the nail on the head.

[jadeez 0]

you've taken the words right out of my mouth!!! how can we supporters make this happen??

[Kento80 83]

I'm not saying he isn't but merely asking the question. Is Viney good enough?? I don't know, which is why I ask. We need the BEST coach around, hell I don't even care if they are available, find a way to make it happen. I would be stoked if it is Viney, but can someone explain to me why it should be other than 'he was a hard as nails player' or just the fact that he is a favourite son?

[Arthur Dent 2]

It's an amazing feeling for me at the moment.

It is possibly the lowest I have ever been as a Melbourne supporter. 08, 09, 10 there was still optimism about the list we were putting together and the Jury was still out on the coach, but we were all grateful of the "list management" approach taken.

Fast forward to 2011

We moved on 2 ageing past stars of our club who still had some footy left to offer. (sound familiar?)

We are leaving a gutsy quality player out of our side (Petterd) that all the supporters and media can't figure out why. (Houli)

We are playing a 1 way game-style that lacks any defensive pressure from our forwards and mids. (almost identical to the Knights plan)

We will look great in patches when we capitalize on opposition clangers and then "cheat" by running forward of the ball on the rebound, We already have done this once this season in the 4th against the Suns. It's called frontrunning and it's the one thing that made Hird sick watching the Bombers last year to the point he felt obliged to step in and fix it.

Before this season began I believed that it was our turn to be the "bolter" having paid our dues as the "disappointment" many times before. How deflating to find that we are the 2010 Bombers. We have seen first hand the effect a quality coaching panel can have on a mediocre list in such a small amount of time at Bomberland. Imagine what effect it could have on a quality list.

My hope is that we don't drag it on like they did for too long last year now that we have identified the issue. Like a band-aid it should be straight off. Do it this week. Use Connolly and Viney in the interim and and source some part-time assistants for the rest of the year. We simply must stand down the entire coaching panel immediately before any more damage is done to the way the very impressionable youth we have on the list are "learning" to play.

I was shouted down last year after calling for Baileys' head very early on, but let me just say I have seen this brewing and right now it doesn't seem like it was such an outrageous call after all.

I was praying I was wrong and hoping he had the goods but he and his panel are simply 3rd rate.

Agree with everything you've said. I have been saying this since the start of the year. Essendon's situation hasd given me clarity. Have been behind Bailey until this year. I just cannot see any future with him in charge. My optimism has been building, but I am shattered after the last few weeks.

Frankly, I thought we looked sh*thouse against GC too and only won by the margin we did because of 20 minutes of them falling away badly.

Only question I have is, can we afford in $$ terms to sack him right now, and does it actually benefit us to sack him now. Better to scheme away in the background like Essendon did I think

[ICU2 Jerry Jerry 257]

Agree with everything you've said. I have been saying this since the start of the year. Essendon's situation hasd given me clarity. Have been behind Bailey until this year. I just cannot see any future with him in charge. My optimism has been building, but I am shattered after the last few weeks.

Frankly, I thought we looked sh*thouse against GC too and only won by the margin we did because of 20 minutes of them falling away badly.

Only question I have is, can we afford in $$ terms to sack him right now, and does it actually benefit us to sack him now. Better to scheme away in the background like Essendon did I think

I think the question should be "can we afford not to sack him right now?"

We have been running a 40,000 members campaign and we have stalled at around 35,000.

There is absolutely no chance that mark will be close to being reached if we are delivering the [censored] football we are right now. Also considering the issue has been discovered so early in the season and identified on so many fronts, We could be in the rare position of sacking a coaching panel at 2 - 2 - 1 with a season still left to salvage. You got to ask yourself if it could possibly be any worse with Viney and Connolly caretaking the list till seasons end? I know that Melbourne supporters would view the change as militant, ruthless and fair which is what we all would like to stand for as a club (like the big 4 do).

The opportunity has presented itself to us to take action and send as message to the rest of the league, but I fear that (like we have historically done) we will let this cancer fester until the season is well beyond repair (again). We will let the media beat-up on us and the strong clubs continue to mock us (again).I'm just so sick of us not making enough noise, not demanding a higher standard and most of all not tearing the club a new one when they genuinely need it!

Time to grow a set.

Time to be taken seriously.

[640MD 3,319]

I hear (thats read) what you are all saying,

Very disappointed with Thursdays game not quite the debacle of the Hawthorn game but bloody close !

All this clearly means is that Bailey MUST get the lads up enough to draw a line in the MCG sand next week,

starts Monday he says in the paper, wot about starting tmorra,

The season starts next week or finishes for the Coach and some of the players

I will be there next week as usual at a home match and a member for about 40 out of the last 45 years

I have seen some poor times (obviously) in the past, but these couple of games, Hawks n Eagles, I did feel sick to the pits

and to think we are up against Crows this week, how the Hell did we get close to the Magpies last year !

All that effort and potential seems So Far Away.

There is so much missing from last year, intensity, ability, strength, gut running, aggression at the ball and opposition,

a game plan ? wot kick out to the wing to their tall bloke every bloody time. And the inside 50's seem so unplanned there is no game plan

Just hope that some one gets it in a good spot, and then kick a point and allow it to come out So easily,

God help us if the only player to make a physical statement of strength on the opposition behind play or just after

gets a week off ! And he is a first year senior player, who else amongst the playing group has the same size nuts ?

If it wasn't for watching Trengove, Tappy and Watts, cant wait for Scully n McKenzie to come back. We would have nothing,

and The missus would not come with me to the footy

and then I would lose my voice and get into an argument with the opposing supporters, Sad all round really

and I also know my standard of football was so far below these guys that I am lucky to Cheer for the Red n Blue let alone whinge like this !

GO DEES, GIVE 'EM HELL !!

[Sir Why You Little 36,587]

I'm not saying he isn't but merely asking the question. Is Viney good enough?? I don't know, which is why I ask. We need the BEST coach around, hell I don't even care if they are available, find a way to make it happen. I would be stoked if it is Viney, but can someone explain to me why it should be other than 'he was a hard as nails player' or just the fact that he is a favourite son?

Viney is untried at this stage. Right now we need a Top Line outside coach to come in and say "Right we do this my way or not at all" Let Todd be his right hand man to take over in about 4 years.

At this moment we do not need a MFC favorite son to coach us. We need Hardened outside influences to straighten us up.

Our list is pretty good if coached correctly...The need to be hardened up, at the same time as getting game time.

[Jerry Lundergard 420]

It's funny that now Richmond are the new Melbourne, playing exciting football, taking risks, playing on, etc...

[Hip & Shoulder 64]

I'm not saying he isn't but merely asking the question. Is Viney good enough?? I don't know, which is why I ask. We need the BEST coach around, hell I don't even care if they are available, find a way to make it happen. I would be stoked if it is Viney, but can someone explain to me why it should be other than 'he was a hard as nails player' or just the fact that he is a favourite son?

[Hip & Shoulder 64]

Don't forget the way Todd played the game. He was a tough, hard and committed player which is a far cry from the way our team plays these days. Don't forget he has extensive coaching experience... importantly he was assistant to Clarko when the Hawks won the flag. I'd be very happy to see Todd as Senior Coach. Maybe then we'd start playing to WIN the game instead of just trying to stop the other team winning!

[kallioota 0]

well lets see this week we should beat the crows due to all there reports coming out of the saints game.

then some dicks will call all of us over the top dopes but then we will get killed again this year and we will all back on the get the coach out of here again.

lets face it Dean has been a good rebuild coach and should be given a nice sent off.

but the time has come to get a new voice in there as a member l will not be going to any more games this year as my vote againts Dean.

BUT l will NOT cut up or threw out my membership as this is a vote againts the Melbourne football club which l love.

TIME FOR CHANGE

ROOS

Mick

start contact now

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,282]

Viney is untried at this stage. Right now we need a Top Line outside coach to come in and say "Right we do this my way or not at all" Let Todd be his right hand man to take over in about 4 years.

At this moment we do not need a MFC favorite son to coach us. We need Hardened outside influences to straighten us up.

Our list is pretty good if coached correctly...The need to be hardened up, at the same time as getting game time.

James Hird had zero experience and he seems to be doing just fine. The players want win for him and I believe Viney would have the same effect on our boys. I've never been a Bailey basher, I don't mind him at all as a person, but he has lost the players and the Club need to make a stand right now in my opinion. Bring Viney in now, he's been in the system quite a while now, but most of all, he will instill some mongrel into our players which probably our biggest deficiency!!

[Sir Why You Little 36,587]

James Hird had zero experience and he seems to be doing just fine. The players want win for him and I believe Viney would have the same effect on our boys. I've never been a Bailey basher, I don't mind him at all as a person, but he has lost the players and the Club need to make a stand right now in my opinion. Bring Viney in now, he's been in the system quite a while now, but most of all, he will instill some mongrel into our players which probably our biggest deficiency!!

Hird is doing a great job, but do not forget Thompson is there with him as a full time mentor. The timing for Hird is perfect. Is it the same for Todd, i am not so sure.

we certainly need someone that the players have a strong relationship with, not so much as a mate. But a full understanding of the job that must be done.

[Jaded No More 67,612]

It's funny that now Richmond are the new Melbourne, playing exciting football, taking risks, playing on, etc...

They beat Brisbane (so did we) and St Kilda (who won one game against Brisbane).

They will still get smashed against better opponents.

Essendon have been rebuilding for longer than us, as have Carlton, and therefore are 2/3 seasons ahead. They also have much better senior players than we do (Fletcher, Judd etc).

We are playing like poo, but on paper we have a better balanced more talented list than Richmond, Essendon and Carlton (ask any Carlton fan and they'll tell you their backline is suspect and their forwards non-existent). The problem is we have average senior players with no leadership skills, and we are currently all at sea with our game plan.

[Ned 156]

Yeah Ive always been thinking Lyon....but Viney! Yes it does have a familiar ring...I think you just hit the nail on the head.

Todd Viney isn't James Hird. With all due respect to Viney, Hird is an extremely intelligent individual off the field as well as being a star on it. Again, I mean no disrespect to Todd who was/is an incredible athlete with extraordinary ability at any sport he turned his attention to (I knew their family a bit many years ago).

If you want that combination of brains, skill, courage and passion for the Melbourne Football Club then I think Lyon more closely fits the bill. I would be a big supporter of him taking over.

[Ned 156]

They beat Brisbane (so did we) and St Kilda (who won one game against Brisbane).

They will still get smashed against better opponents.

Essendon have been rebuilding for longer than us, as have Carlton, and therefore are 2/3 seasons ahead. They also have much better senior players than we do (Fletcher, Judd etc).

We are playing like poo, but on paper we have a better balanced more talented list than Richmond, Essendon and Carlton (ask any Carlton fan and they'll tell you their backline is suspect and their forwards non-existent). The problem is we have average senior players with no leadership skills, and we are currently all at sea with our game plan.

I disagree. Richmond are Melbourne last year. They play with great verve and passion. It upsets me to watch them as it just reminds me of how exciting we looked in parts of 2010 and how badly we've fallen down.

I can't escape pointing the finger at Col Sylvia, even a few days after the match. His efforts are appalling for one so talented. Compare him with Daisy Thomas (of all people), who goes like a maniac at the football these days and is now a complete player. That should be where Col's at.

[Striker475 696]

I'd take Garry. Pity he never would.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,012]

If you want a Melbourne champion to come in and coach as Hird has done, why not Junior? Give him some good assistants and see what happens.

[Felix 92]

Richmond

RD 1 - 20 point loss to carlton after Riewoldt picked way 2 many easy goals

RD 2 - Draw with a hopeless St Kilda

RD 3 - 63 point loss to Hawthorn

RD 4 - 71 point loss to Collingwood

RD 5 - 9 point win over ill performed North Melbourne (tough game for MFC in 2 weeks, starting to kick goals now)

RD 6 - 26 point win over Brisbane

Essendon

RD 1 - 55 point win over the doggies, currently 2/3

RD 2 - 5 point loss to Sydney

RD 3 - 52 point win to a sad side in St Kilda

RD 4 - Draw with Carlton

RD 5 - 30 point loss to Collingwood

RD 6 - Gold Coast, everyone will beat them besides Port Adelaide & Brisbane

Not really something one would brag about... I guess you can find something out of nothing.