Stynes Steps In

[Hannabal 4]

Anyone who has ever had anything to do with Stynes, who is a very hands on person, would bet that this is more a Stynes initiative than a Board initiative. No doubt it's been ratified by the Board, but equally I have no doubt that Stynes has CLEAR concerns about the coach and FD, otherwise he wouldn't take this approach.

He obviously is more concerned than the well-meaning Bailey apologists that post here. Thank God for Jimmy.

[TonyMelb 7]

Why has the Board been so slow to have replaced Andrew Leoncelli who had resigned from this critical role presumably prior to his announcement at the AGM? This announcment while welcome is a knee jerk reaction by Board that has seemingly been asleep at the wheel.

Whilst Andrew Leonchelli was appointed to the MFC Board because of his playing background he was not "the football Director" in any formal sense like Dunstall is at the Dorks for instance. My understanding is that has always been the case. Other examples are Gary Hardeman and Stephen Smith. Perhaps that is one of aspects the consultant has reviewed or made recommendations about. AL not seeking re-elaction to the Board not related to anything re the Football Department.

Jimmy "filling in" for the short term will hopefully help DB and the players. As long as the focus is no playing footy a hell of a lot better!

May also reduce the involvement of CS in the footy department and as noted there is a big question re the apparently 'reluctant to talk' CC???

[IWAP 170]

A president's role is non-operational, and that's for very good reasons. Don't get me wrong, because it's Jimmy, I have every faith that he will succeed in whatever he is trying to do, but it is a massive slap in the face of the footy department, and maybe even the MFC management generally. I think CC would have to be on his way out.

There must be some punches in the consultant's report about the structure and personnel of our FD.

I really think the past 6 months there have been some really worrying off-field signs.

Agree with this post. Jimmy has done a wonderful job with this club to date, but this just smells of trouble. If its just having a football person from the board keep in touch with the football operations, why is McLardy Jim’s replacement. What does he know about the on-field side of things?

Whether intended or not, he has just placed a whole heap of more pressure on Dean Bailey, and really contradicts what he said the other day.

[Guest Artie Bucco]

I'm not sure it's a reflection on Bailey at all.

I imagine this move had been made after recommendation from the external review, and that the recommendation was to

Since Leoncelli left, it would appear CC and CS have attempted to fill the void and it is not working effectively.

In my eyes, it is with those 2 where the shortfall is presumed to be.

Who knows? It's all guesswork without the official inside word.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Whilst Andrew Leonchelli was appointed to the MFC Board because of his playing background he was not "the football Director" in any formal sense like Dunstall is at the Dorks for instance. My understanding is that has always been the case. Other examples are Gary Hardeman and Stephen Smith. Perhaps that is one of aspects the consultant has reviewed or made recommendations about. AL not seeking re-elaction to the Board not related to anything re the Football Department.

Jimmy "filling in" for the short term will hopefully help DB and the players. As long as the focus is no playing footy a hell of a lot better!

May also reduce the involvement of CS in the footy department and as noted there is a big question re the apparently 'reluctant to talk' CC???

This was the quote from Caro " Melbourne has not had a football director since Andrew Leoncelli stepped down as a director at the club's 2010 annual general meeting."

The appointment and involvement of Stynes is intriguing not only for Bailey but for people like Connolly, Schwab etc.

[diesel 420]

curious...anyone esle notice the one name missing from all that ??

Good onya Jim...shame its got to take this... keep well mate

I don't think we need to go down this track with using words like "shame".

The Ray Andrews report stated that the club needs to step up its investment in the FD and it is therefore important that the Board knows where and how to invest. That may ultimately lead to a new coach but you can gaurantee right now that Jims focus will be on helping Bails get the job done.

Since Andrew Leoncelli stepped down from the board late last year there needed to be this re-connection between the FD and Board and more so because of the Ray Andrews report. Jim is the best board candidate for this role as an ex-footballer. I reckon it is of greater concern that the role would fall to Don McLardly if Jim becomes ill again (God forbid). Don's a good operator but the club really needs a football person in this role.

[beelzebub 23,392]

Anyone who has ever had anything to do with Stynes, who is a very hands on person, would bet that this is more a Stynes initiative than a Board initiative. No doubt it's been ratified by the Board, but equally I have no doubt that Stynes has CLEAR concerns about the coach and FD, otherwise he wouldn't take this approach.

He obviously is more concerned than the well-meaning Bailey apologists that post here. Thank God for Jimmy.

oh definitely... hes a No Nonsense bloke. In his words ' he wont ignore the elephant in the room' ...and he hasnt.

[Kento80 83]

Anyone who has ever had anything to do with Stynes, who is a very hands on person, would bet that this is more a Stynes initiative than a Board initiative. No doubt it's been ratified by the Board, but equally I have no doubt that Stynes has CLEAR concerns about the coach and FD, otherwise he wouldn't take this approach.

He obviously is more concerned than the well-meaning Bailey apologists that post here. Thank God for Jimmy.

Reckon you hit the nail on the head there Hannabal. My reading of the situation is very much that it is a manoevure to try to stop the rot in the coaching department. Maybe even to try and save Bailey by adding a little to what he already brings to the table. Will be very interesting to see how this plays out over the coming weeks and months. I only hope that it comes along with a couple of wins.

[Range Rover 1,935]

Onya Jimmy. Definitely restores some faith with the rank and file.

The club physio's going to have a bit of extra work this week though putting some noses back in their joints.

[Kento80 83]

This was the quote from Caro " Melbourne has not had a football director since Andrew Leoncelli stepped down as a director at the club's 2010 annual general meeting."

The appointment and involvement of Stynes is intriguing not only for Bailey but for people like Connolly, Schwab etc.

Agree with the last line RR, but would question the inclusion of Schwab. I may be wrong, but I would think he is on very solid ground.

[beelzebub 23,392]

im impressed and heartened that teh club has seen to do something NOW and not wait as would often be the way of footy clubs til the end of season. JIm , i can only imagine with his exoeriences of urgency and such involving his own problems has a very clear idea that you deal in the today. Leaving things til the tomorrows only robs you of opportunities .

In the past we might have heard about murmurings and disquiet at Board Level etc but it would have taken a 'committee" and a handful of wasteful reviews resulting at seasons end some sort of intervention or change.

Here we have a club who despite the results on the field is yearns for has stil had the where withall to implement a very uncharacteristically time review of all its operations and having seen a problemunfold before it is willing to act now...not typical 'later'

Im not enchanted by whats transpired tobring it all to this but very glad something is being done to address it.

This can only be good for the MFC

a faith has been restored

[Nasher 33,642]

Presumptuous and conspiratorial waffle.

Thanks for your contribution to this thread. I really feel as if I've been put straight, thanks!

This just sounds a lot like "if I want the job done properly I need to do it myself". I could be wrong, that's just how it looks to me at a glance.

[Real Demon 232]

The great thing about the way the club is run now as opposed to previously, is that decisive decisions and actions are much quicker to happen.

Previously, the bus would have been allowed to hurtle out of control for 3 quarters of the season before anyone batted an eyelid.

Now, seeing some early worrying signs, it's all hands on deck to understand what is happening.

This can't end up being anything other than positive, and if the end result means change is needed to improve the situation, then so be it.

It's great to see the club being proactive!

This adds no more pressure to Bailey than he was already under.

[Guest Artie Bucco]

Really, I think this move just addresses a disconnect between the football department and the board, since Leoncelli's departure.

The board may not like what they are seeing and are looking for answers, and, as many supporters do, find it easy to just blame the coach.

With one of their own being heavily involved in the football dept, they can maintain a better understanding of what is happening, why and who may be to blame when things don't go right.

Without that, I can imagine there has been growing instability.

Instability that has a snowball effect.

I think Jim will address that.

[H_T 3,049]

The Ray Andrews report stated that the club needs to step up its investment in the FD and it is therefore important that the Board knows where and how to invest. That may ultimately lead to a new coach but you can gaurantee right now that Jims focus will be on helping Bails get the job done.

Since Andrew Leoncelli stepped down from the board late last year there needed to be this re-connection between the FD and Board and more so because of the Ray Andrews report. Jim is the best board candidate for this role as an ex-footballer. I reckon it is of greater concern that the role would fall to Don McLardly if Jim becomes ill again (God forbid). Don's a good operator but the club really needs a football person in this role.

Agree. Although I'm a little perplexed that it's taken so long to fill the void since Leoncelli stepped down. They may have thought they could save in the meantime by job sharing with CS and CC.

Also agree re: McLardy and the role if it falls to him.

Nevertheless, the media are circling. Thankfully it's Jimmy to the rescue. But the sooner they find the right person, the better it is for Jimmy as President.

Bailey and the players for that matter are on notice. Important time at the club. We need cool heads to prevail and the right decisions need to be considered, both on and off the field.

[Sir Why You Little 37,416]

Jimma was the one who started the ball rolling for saving this club, without him God Knows where we would be in 2011.

He also played in the jumper, he knows football departments. I see this as a positive step, because i doubt anyone would not be inspired to work closely with the big man.

If there are problems you can be sure they will all be talked about and worked out.

If anyone inside the football dept (including players) is not inspired to have jimma working first hand with them, well then do they really want to be there.

This i hope is a very important phase in our club development, and one i hope we can look back on and say "That was the time this club really turned the corner and stood up"

Anyone who has read Jimma's book from the early '90's would know. If Jim Stynes wants to do something, or get something done...he will do it.

Go for it Jim.

[Hannabal 4]

There have been comments made on radio and in the papers that all may not be well with the relationship between Bailey and Connolly. Connolly's silence is noticeable, which is significant to me.

Garry Lyon is very close to Connolly, Stynes and Cameron Schwab. Anyone that has followed Melbourne through the 80's onwards knows this. Connolly and Lyon were teammates and Lyon has publicly stated on many an occasion how much Connolly loved talking footy. They used to spend hours discussing the game and Connolly's appetite for such discussions was legendary from Lyon's point of view. But such a terrific talker who is often the face of the club, who delights in analysing the game for hours on end is suddenly being scrutinised over his silence ?

Lyon clearly wouldn't endorse Bailey on his footy show and said that Bailey is in a terrific position to ensure his future with performances over the next 16 rounds. He then stated that the next 6 weeks were really important. Does anyone think that Lyon doesn't have significant influence at the club ? Does anyone think that Lyon hasn't had significant discussions with Stynes, Connolly and Schwab regarding on-field performances ? Does anyone think that Lyon would say things that he knew the club didn't want him to say ? Did he think that when he said we had a high risk/high reward gameplan as opposed to West Coast's organised and well structured gameplan that it wouldn't be noticed ?

Stynes now wants to be more hands on in the FD. Does anyone think that this isn't a significant development ? Does anyone think that the club doesn't realise how this actually looks to the outside world ? Clubs are so great at managing spin these days you'd be a fool to think they don't know how this is being perceived. It was unusually noticeable when Schwab even felt the need to prompt Brett Moloney into discussing his binge drinking at Moloney's presser. He almost had to intervene by prodding Moloney and saying half way through "what else Brett ?", "oh yeah" says Brett, "I also have a drinking problem". Schwabby could be seen nodding in the background. That's when I knew that Moloney was being hung out to dry, but that's another story.

We are now told that there's going to be a sub-committee to review the coach's performance and to determine whether he should have his contract renewed. Eighteen months ago the coach had his contract extended because the club wanted to "avoid media speculation". Does anyone see them rushing out to avoid such speculation now ? Or have they only heightened speculation by this announcement which coincides with one of our worst performances under Bailey ? Hmm

Yes, yes, the ones on here that see nothing out of the ordinary and simply a prudent Board being diligent in the light of a couple of ordinary performances are surely correct. Aren't they ?

Yeah, right.

[Guest Artie Bucco]

You have a vivid imagination Hannabal.

I think it's fair to say the club would have made adjustments based on the recommendations of the 3rd party review.

Do you have any more evidence, behind the perceived silence of CC?

I'd rather deal in facts.

Btw, it's BRENT Moloney.

[H_T 3,049]

It's pretty obvious, as stated in the article:

''I come from a different perspective at times in these things,'' said Stynes. ''There's no time for an elephant in the room when everyone can see that something is happening.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/stynes-steps-in-20110504-1e8hm.html#ixzz1LR8hrPTZ

[Sir Why You Little 37,416]

Lot of interesting points there Hannabal, but no answers..Why do you think it is being done? To me i think it is just Jim wanting to get his hands dirty at the coal face. Footy.

[Range Rover 1,935]

Lyon is the kingmaker at the MFC.

[Guest watts04]

its embarrasin that Jim has to step in....

Bailey has had 4 years to get it right

I reckon changes r in the wind......

[beelzebub 23,392]

Stynes has taken the old " We're fully behind the coach and support him in his endeavors" to new highs... He's even going to help him !!!

Im sure Bailey's no idiot.. Writing >>> Wall>>>>>>>

[Sir Why You Little 37,416]

Stynes has taken the old " We're fully behind the coach and support him in his endeavors" to new highs... He's even going to help him !!!

Im sure Bailey's no idiot.. Writing >>> Wall>>>>>>>

He's got 6-8 weeks to prove himself, coming from G Lyon. i want to see dean come out swinging, i think he is a good man, he just needs to believe.

He has been able to coach behind a curtain till now, time to step unto the stage Dean.

[Guest Artie Bucco]

its embarrasin that Jim has to step in....

Bailey has had 4 years to get it right

I reckon changes r in the wind......

You do understand this is more Connolly's role than Baileys?

Keep up the blind criticism of the coach though, it just makes it more obvious which posts to ignore.