a letter to the melbourne football club

[red and blue forever 1,001]

Is there something wrong at Melbourne???

- No, I am not going to say anything about Brent Maloney.

This is something deeper, and I am not sure exactly what it is, but something is not sitting right. But whatever it is, it’s affecting our performances on the field.

Is it lack of respect maybe, Or perhaps it is a fundamental problem with the inner sanctum.

Three years ago whilst in the middle of our debt demolition process we were asking everyone, including players to help get us back on track financially. There was one obvious stand out, Brock Mclean, he gave more than was expected to and spoke with passion about the team he loved and why he was so willing to give his hard earned back to Melbourne.

Come the 2009 draft and Brock told us he was deeply unhappy with the club and he jumped ship.

Last year another stalwart of out club, Cameron Bruce also left, it what must be described as a baffling turn of events.

There is something drastic that makes two of the clubs best players, and most respected leaders leave towards the end of their careers, which they have spent at one club. And I am now wondering weather it is this same problem that is presenting itself in the listless half-hearted efforts we have seen on the field over the last 3 weeks.

I am unsure where the problem lies, I have huge respect for Jim Stynes and I doubt very much it has anything to do with him.

Cameron Schwab also appears to be doing a fine job.

The coaching staff are a highly talented group, and Dean Bailey in particular appears to be a very good coach.buton the last game against westcoast I am not as sure.

The players whilst young are a great bunch, talented and potentially world-beaters.

So why am I uneasy, for whilst I can not see where the problem lies it is there for all to see. And I am sure Dean Bailey is asking the same question.

So is it a culture?? One of those intangible things which no-one can quite explain but sticks like glue to a club for generations. A self defeatism? – no not that, well at least I bloody well hope not.

Colin Garland was quoted on the Melbourne website “we just didn’t turn up with the right mindset,"

Well why the hell not??? And on who’s head does that fall. Surely the coach is responsible for inspiring passion in the players???

Perhaps Mclean and Bruce could see what I cant, which is we are further off from being a great team – a premiership threat even than I imagined. Perhaps we don’t have the cattle, or the coaches required to take us to that next step.

But we all know that is not true. Our list is one of the most exciting up and coming lists in the league. The potential is endless.

Youth, whilst in abundance in our team is not an excuse, and I feel inexperience is being bandied about as another convenient excuse as well.

Guts, Determination, Passion, all those big footy words are thrown around so much that they start to loose meaning. So we forget the reason they are thrown around so much is they are the heart of the game, they are the reasons we watch, play and love the game.

Without Guts, Determination, Passion you will go nowhere, no matter how much talent you have.

Four quarter efforts, hard running and tackling, second and third efforts at the ball, teamwork, self belief, never giving up. All of these combined will win you games and they all boil down to, Guts, Determination and Passion.

So lets see it Melbourne show us, and as important, show the rest of the footy would what we are capable of, no more excuses just Guts, Determination and Passion.

Cheers and Carn the Dees