Rock Bottom

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

From what I know Bailey didn't give a glowing appraisal of our list. Hence the culling that occurred and the corresponding tanking.

But I do remember feeling uncomfortable when we started this process. Something about waving the white flag and bringing kids into a culture of losing worries me...

But my personal opinion is coaches ingrain their football philosophy on their players. Roos, Malthouse, and Lyon seem to get the most out of their lists. There’s even early signs Hardwick is holding players accountable.

We have a young list and I never expected finals this year, but I did expect us to be in games for longer. What does Bailey and the players who play for him stand for? I’m not saying nothing, I just don’t know what yet.

Removing Trav isn't exactly a culling. Only call of any note he made when he took control.

Compare that with what Hardwick did at Tigerland.

Bailey planned to do well in his first year, neither he or his list were good enough

[Nasher 33,617]

In opposite world?

Yeah. In my recollection it was the reverse from what RGRS has described.

[45HG 1,559]

Ba ha

[Deeflated 0]

Removing Trav isn't exactly a culling. Only call of any note he made when he took control.

Compare that with what Hardwick did at Tigerland.

Bailey planned to do well in his first year, neither he or his list were good enough

Short memory RGRS. Just browsing the Cruiser Cup (round 22 in 2007), its a VERY different team. Of that team the following players are no longer playing at the Dees:

- Travis Johnstone

- Brock McLean

- Nathan Brown

- James McDonald

- Cameron Bruce

- Ryan Ferguson

- Christopher Johnson

- Byron Pickett

- Daniel Ward

- Russell Robertson

- Clint Bizzell

- Brad Miller

- Jace Bode

- Paul Johnson

- Jeff White

- Nathan Carroll

Most of these players wouldn't have gone past 2008. That's a culling my friend.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

Well Nasher, your recollection is wrong.

The culling occurred after year 1, only after Bailey realised how wrong he was in regards to the state of our list.

[Swampfox 190]

Honestly I think we are at Rock bottom right now.

We are no better than when Bailey took over, even if we were tanking and building.

The truth is we can not even beat teams with little or no wins.

We are softer than ever, we look disinterested most of the time.

I cant see how they can turn it around without a major shake up and replacing personal.

Can't agree with any of your points and do put it down to being disappointed in the loss more than being practical

I do think one of the most disappointing things this season so far is the injuries which are not allowing Bailey the opportunity to play the team he wants together

Filling holes isn't an ideal situation to have

I have no doubt we will cause some real headaches to some flag aspiring teams before the seasons end

[Deeflated 0]

Well Nasher, your recollection is wrong.

The culling occurred after year 1, only after Bailey realised how wrong he was in regards to the state of our list.

You can't cull a list in 1 year, surely you know that? Going by your list management we'd have a total roster of 26 players in 2008?? Everyone on this board surely knows we started tanking in 2008. Maybe you're the only one who doesn't?

[Dee Fan 3,247]

I'm surprised he didn't sack half the list before he saw them play that would have been the sensible thing wouldn't it? All he had to do was go on to ology or land and get the expert opinion of posters on those sites to see what was what.

Perhaps not.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

You can't cull a list in 1 year, surely you know that? Going by your list management we'd have a total roster of 26 players in 2008?? Everyone on this board surely knows we started tanking in 2008. Maybe you're the only one who doesn't?

Hardwick did and now we have so many here praising him.

Cracks me up too when Brock and Bruce are held up as examples of him moving people on when they walked out on the club and him.

Meanwhile we miss rookie drafts to keep spots for Newton and Meeson. Reckon if I took a dump and told you all it was chocolate enough times, you'd start to eat it.

[Deeflated 0]

Can't agree with any of your points and do put it down to being disappointed in the loss more than being practical

I do think one of the most disappointing things this season so far is the injuries which are not allowing Bailey the opportunity to play the team he wants together

Filling holes isn't an ideal situation to have

I have no doubt we will cause some real headaches to some flag aspiring teams before the seasons end

Not sure I entirely agree. We only started suffering major injuries 2 rounds ago, before that we were ordinary.

Real heaches before the seasons end? Too little too late for Bails.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

I'm surprised he didn't sack half the list before he saw them play that would have been the sensible thing wouldn't it? All he had to do was go on to ology or land and get the expert opinion of posters on those sites to see what was what.

Perhaps not.

So he hadn't seen them play?

What was he doing before he came to us, going to the netball? Stick to telling me how great a kick and committed a clubman Bruce is.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

So he hadn't seen them play?

What was he doing before he came to us, going to the netball? Stick to telling me how great a kick and committed a clubman Bruce is.

Yeah you're right he wouldn't want to coach them for a year to get a first hand knowledge,would he now?

Stick to Demonology where they think you know what you're talking about.

[Deeflated 0]

Hardwick did and now we have so many here praising him.

Cracks me up too when Brock and Bruce are held up as examples of him moving people on when they walked out on the club and him.

Meanwhile we miss rookie drafts to keep spots for Newton and Meeson. Reckon if I took a dump and told you all it was chocolate enough times, you'd start to eat it.

Mate I feel your pain, we're a club that doesn't seem to stand for much at the moment. However I don't think list management is our issue, other than J MAc. What worries me is Bailey's inability to toughen up the list. We still seem flaky and surrender in games FAR too easily. Injuries aside, what do we stand for?

And if you could convince people you have chocolate shyte you'd be a rich man.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Serious?

Hardwick was critical of our list, shown the door. Bailey was talking them up and things went pearshaped.

Rubbish. Bailey got the job because he was brutal and honest about the list and what had to be done. He did not talk it up at all in the I/Vs.

If Bailey had been honest to the press, he would have been howled down. When Bailey started pre season training for 2008, he had less than 1/2 the list fit to do full training.

He knew TJ had to go and White, Robbo, Neitz and Yze had to be pensioned off. He worked out McLean was molasses.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Well Nasher, your recollection is wrong.

The culling occurred after year 1, only after Bailey realised how wrong he was in regards to the state of our list.

No your wrong.

The culling started from day 1. To state that Bailey had no idea about the list in late 2007 given he was assistant coach at Port is so stunningly naive. Its laughable.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Cracks me up too when Brock and Bruce are held up as examples of him moving people on when they walked out on the club and him.

Both were offered short contracts on far less money than when Bailey arrived. And boy havent each of them proved Bailey wrong.

Meanwhile we miss rookie drafts to keep spots for Newton and Meeson.

Wrong again. Both players were contracted and move to the rookie list to allow us to take up two players from the draft.

[rpfc 28,778]

"Some hyper-charged nonsense"

What rubbish you have given in this poor excuse for a thread...

And the story you are mis-recollecting is at Essendon when Hardwick told them that they need to rebuild and Knights said they could have another shot with Lloyd, Lucas, et al.

Bailey apparently said what he has done - taken a mallet to an awful, ageing list, now the leftovers are the embarrassment.

If the senior players don't improve, the team will continue to falter, and Bailey will go... but I will remember his 4 years fondly because he would have set us up for what the next decade will bring.

[therealist 0]

... but I will remember his 4 years fondly because he would have set us up for what the next decade will bring.

long time listener, first time caller

You are suffering from a delusional malaise, commonly known as "I'm so accepting of the pathetic Melbourne Football Club medoiocrity that it has made me believe that for the last 47 years, we are always 1 year away from success".

You, my friend, and so many other long suffering supporters like yourself, need to face up to some harsh truths - and right about now would be a great time to start. We are in fact bordering on becoming a basket case; we are threatening the definition of total rubbish, we have absolutely no rudder from the top down, and we do in fact need to sit down as a club and a supporter base and define exactly what our brand is AND WHERE IN FACT WE NEED TO GO TO BECOME COMPETITIVE - BECAUSE THE WALLET WILL ONLY BE OPEN FOR SO LONG BEFORE MORE PRESSING AND REWARDING CAUSES CALL FROM THE TIERS.

I'm over this rubbish, sick of 'waiting' and sick of seeing the likes of Richmond show something - ready for the "acceptors" out there, bring it on - like it or not, we have been (for 38 years of my loyal support) and still remain, nowhere.

[P-man 13,366]

You could sense the white flag being raised in that last quarter. Half the players just seemed to toss it in. Whether that's match fitness or attitude who knows, but the game was decided with more than 10 minutes to go even though the scoreboard suggested we still had a chance. This is what I take issue with. Our team is seriously depleted (a little worrying in itself..just bad luck to have this many go down?), but as a supporter I expect 100% effort for four quarters and currently that isn't happening. In fact it's probably only happened in a couple of game thus far.

It is however laughable to say we're at rock bottom. Does your memory extend to 2 years ago?

[Ryan Dee 140]

You could sense the white flag being raised in that last quarter. Half the players just seemed to toss it in. Whether that's match fitness or attitude who knows, but the game was decided with more than 10 minutes to go even though the scoreboard suggested we still had a chance. This is what I take issue with. Our team is seriously depleted (a little worrying in itself..just bad luck to have this many go down?), but as a supporter I expect 100% effort for four quarters and currently that isn't happening. In fact it's probably only happened in a couple of game thus far.

It is however laughable to say we're at rock bottom. Does your memory extend to 2 years ago?

The saints were great defensively in the last half of the 4th Q. We had guys trying to run into space but the stopped it and pinned us back. We tried all day today and there is no excise except we were just NOT GOOD ENOUGH, simple.

[Adzman 2,154]

Rock bottom 1.......2........3!!! "IF YAAAAA SMELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL, WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN!"

[DemonOX 8,800]

OUT

Bailey

IN

Anyone else pleeeeeaaaaaaasssssseeeeeee.

Its simple Bailey just can not get consistency out of this group. You can use injuries as an excuse but we all know this was a BIG problem before that. FFS get rid of him NOW.

[DemonOX 8,800]

long time listener, first time caller

You are suffering from a delusional malaise, commonly known as "I'm so accepting of the pathetic Melbourne Football Club medoiocrity that it has made me believe that for the last 47 years, we are always 1 year away from success".

You, my friend, and so many other long suffering supporters like yourself, need to face up to some harsh truths - and right about now would be a great time to start. We are in fact bordering on becoming a basket case; we are threatening the definition of total rubbish, we have absolutely no rudder from the top down, and we do in fact need to sit down as a club and a supporter base and define exactly what our brand is AND WHERE IN FACT WE NEED TO GO TO BECOME COMPETITIVE - BECAUSE THE WALLET WILL ONLY BE OPEN FOR SO LONG BEFORE MORE PRESSING AND REWARDING CAUSES CALL FROM THE TIERS.

I'm over this rubbish, sick of 'waiting' and sick of seeing the likes of Richmond show something - ready for the "acceptors" out there, bring it on - like it or not, we have been (for 38 years of my loyal support) and still remain, nowhere.

Nice one and welcome to the nut house. Feel better now that you have that off your chest?

[stuie 7,374]

We won't get anywhere until we have a more fire and brimstone head coach...

We have a very comfortably indifferent culture, and are unique amongst AFL teams in that we seem to still NEED the old fashioned pre-match rev up from someone the players actually fear and respect.

I like Bailey, I feel like he could be successful at another club that has a different culture, but we seem to need a weekly heart transplant.

Stynes has come back to lift us, when will Lyon put his mouth where his money is? (I know, I know, he said he won't)

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

No your wrong.

The culling started from day 1. To state that Bailey had no idea about the list in late 2007 given he was assistant coach at Port is so stunningly naive. Its laughable.

I'm not saying he had no idea, I'm saying he was wrong, but not sure why I'm bothering as comrehension obviously isn't your strong point.

He knew what the list was and believed they could make the finals.

If he was brutally honest and believed we were as bad as you make out, why was Trav the only one moved on. Actions speak louder than words. His actions said he thought he could do something with our list.