Stuck in Sydney is this online anywhere?

And +1 with redleg.

Not sure. It was also interesting when they quizzed Gazza about sitting in the coaches box and he said it was interesting with a wry smile....While Im not suggesting he is going to coach us I did think it was funny how someone who has continually denied he will coach suddenly finds himself sitting in the coaches box.

And arguably, Eade had a more talented list to work with

Disagree, Eade fell short because his list didnt have the talent, Lyon did have it and fell just short of winning 2 premierships

I dont know what would have happened if Eade had one of the top 2 teams... Lyon did and lost to the best team in the league twice and drew once in 3 grandfinals

Not sure. It was also interesting when they quizzed Gazza about sitting in the coaches box and he said it was interesting with a wry smile....While Im not suggesting he is going to coach us I did think it was funny how someone who has continually denied he will coach suddenly finds himself sitting in the coaches box.

Don't get too worked up there WWS, Lyon always said that he would sit in the coaches box at times during his tenure, and, true to his word, he did this on Sunday.

I'd be more inclined to think that he would've been monitoring the Assistant Coahces, in particular the information and views they were providing the head coach.

People whingeing about a defensive but winning game style such as Ross Lyon might bring either have short memories or are too young to remember Northey's Demon teams that ground out wins week after week. We'd "cruise" home by 14 points.

And it brought back the fans because we were winners - no-one had their nose in the air at the style of play.

Besides, I hold with those who say Ross Lyon would need to modify his style for the MCG, plus that list he has worked with at St Kilda is top heavy with class but bottom poor. With the head start the last two years has given the Melbourne list he could quickly fill the gaps and have a genuine quality team of goers.

My coaching preference is Clarkson, but I'd be happier with Lyon than with S---house for whom we'd just be topping up his retirement fund. Lyon and Clarko are still flag-hungry.

I am over 5 years of losing, Big Losses, small losses, record losses

Losses to the likes of Richmond.losses to Bloody Collingwood

Losses at ES, losses in Perth, Losses in Adelaide.

I am over Losses!

I do not care who the coach is or how we play.

I just want to WIN.

End of story

5 years? We have played flake footy since Northey. Please give me hard nosed defence, man-on-man coverage, pressure, tackling & aggression.

Bump:

The Demons have several problems. A couple, which you mention, are the transition and the youth/experience. The Dees' footy department have taken a major gamble by letting Bruce & McDonald go. They are banking on the young blokes coming through with an eye to next year (not 2011), but if Melbourne struggle to get their hands on the footy this season this will be held up as a root cause and the natives will get mighty restless. With that in mind it has been interseting to see Bailey & Schwab quietly massage Melbourne fans' expectations downwards. Another issue, which Gerard Healy & Mark Stevens mentioned, is the ability of good sides to pick apart the Demon defence. The way Essendon did it is similar to what Geelong (both with Thompson in the coaches box; and now three weeks ago with Sean Wellman providing inside oil) used to do: that is, spot up short targets in space just inside the 50, which is similar to a basketball team opening up the keyway by hitting threes. Draw opponents up the ground and you open spaces in behind.

My personal concern is size & aggression. Ever since John Northey left Melbourne have played "pretty" footy when they are on, but have not looked like winning when they are off. Why are they off? Because opposition coaches man up on Melbourne and force them into mistakes. Melbourne have barely won a match in the last 19 seasons where the other side has also played well. This is because Melbourne have lacked grunt under Bailey, Daniher, Balme & the two stand-in coaches. Until Melbourne realise that footy is about big blokes knocking over big blokes they will continue to struggle in big matches, simply because the opposition will knock them off the footy, block their running lines, scrag them into places where the footy doesn't go. This is why there will be games this year where Melbourne cannot get their hands on the footy at clearances because they will get muscled off the ball. Melbourne, despite Jones and Moloney's undoubted strength (McKenzie is important but might have OP and Gyzberts has not played enough footy) will sometimes get belted in close.

Malthouse, Sheedy, Roos & Matthews all understand that footy is a contact sport and that the biggest baddest sides usually win big matches. Go back through the years and you will almost universally find that the teams that win premierships do so on the back of big players, a solid defence and fierce man on man aggression. Northey knew that, Balme and Daniher never really embraced it, now it is up to Curley Bailey to instill in his players big game winning grunt.

Well said Tony Tea.

For years I have been saying we constantly recruit Choir boys.

Last year we picked Cook instead of Darling.

Now time may show that Cook is the better player.

But right now the MFC need tough large bodies.

And we have precious little of them.

I think we should use our draft picks this year to get these types that have 3 - 6 seasons into their careers.

I admit it is easier said than done.

But we have got to try.

Well said Tony Tea.

For years I have been saying we constantly recruit Choir boys.

Last year we picked Cook instead of Darling.

Now time may show that Cook is the better player.

But right now the MFC need tough large bodies.

And we have precious little of them.

I think we should use our draft picks this year to get these types that have 3 - 6 seasons into their careers.

I admit it is easier said than done.

But we have got to try.

I've said it before Old Dee, we've got nice players a nice coach, nice supporters, we are in fact a nice club. We'll never win anything with this attitude but we'll always be nice about losing.

You mention Cook but look back we've taken skinny kids as our first draft selection in 3 of the last 4 drafts and whilst other clubs are topping up on grunt we're topping up on anorexics.

Watts was a great selection and at the time it appeared that Morton was the best player available at that pick, but you would have to ask yourself at the time; is his frame capable of putting on the weight required, surely we would have had a dietician look at him and we must have seen that his kicking action had a major flaw. I won't even go there with Cook.

For what it is worth (work was a bit slow today!)

Since 1906 -

There have been 47 different premiership coaches for the 105 premierships

23 different coaches have won 1 premiership

7 coaches have won 2 premierships at 1 club

2 coaches have won 2 premierships at 2 clubs

2 coaches have won 3 premierships at 1 club

2 coaches have won 3 premierships at 2 clubs

3 coaches have won 4 premierships at 1 club

4 coaches have won 4 premierships at 2 clubs

2 coaches have won 5 premierships at 2 clubs

1 coach has won 6 premierships at 1 club (Norm Smith)

1 coach has won 8 premierships at 1 club

and of the premiership coaches (hence all of the following have been premierships coaches)

25 coaches have coached at 2 or more teams

12 coaches have coached at 3 or more teams

4 coaches have coached at 4 teams

1 coach coached at 5 teams

No coach has won premierships at more than 2 teams, but it could happen.

Source

List of Australian Football League premiership captains and coaches

NB

I have only used details for coaches as head coaches in the AFL/VFL and used wikipedia for details of coaches coaching history.

I counted the 2 coaches at South in 1918 as 1.

Well said Tony Tea.

For years I have been saying we constantly recruit Choir boys.

Last year we picked Cook instead of Darling.

Now time may show that Cook is the better player.

But right now the MFC need tough large bodies.

And we have precious little of them.

I think we should use our draft picks this year to get these types that have 3 - 6 seasons into their careers.

I admit it is easier said than done.

But we have got to try.

We need them, but you don't go into the draft thinking "we need big bodies" - that path leads to Luke Molans.

We need to be expansive at the trade table to find these bodies, not attempt to do it with 18 years in the draft.

We need them, but you don't go into the draft thinking "we need big bodies" - that path leads to Luke Molans.

We need to be expansive at the trade table to find these bodies, not attempt to do it with 18 years in the draft.

Midfielders rpfc, we need midfielders; no point in having Buddy Franklin in the forward line if we can't get the ball there, no point in having leading forwards if our midfielders hand pass it 80% of the time, or kick it blindly. We need big skilled midfielders that can get the ball and kick it accurately to the forwards.

How do our i50's compare with other clubs, you love the stats?

For what it is worth (work was a bit slow today!)

So if the following coaches came to MFC and coached a flag ...

Malthouse would be:

1 coach has won 5 premierships at 3 clubs (assuming Collingwood win this year)

1 of 5 coaches have coached at 4 teams

Clarkson would be:

1 of 3 coaches have won 2 premierships at 2 clubs

1 of 26 coaches have coached at 2 or more teams

Lyon:

1 of 24 different coaches have won 1 premiership

1 of 26 coaches have coached at 2 or more teams

Eade:

1 of 24 different coaches have won 1 premiership

1 of 13 coaches have coached at 3 or more teams

If Humphrey and Fat Cat could deliver us a premiership...id be good with that !!

Humphrey may have a few issues getting his point across..... !!!

I will enjoy winning as much as anybody and agree will take a premiership any way it comes. However I have noted that over the last 10 years the 2 teams I have least enjoyed watching as a general footy fan are Sydney and particularly StKilda in the Lyon era. Maybe my view in that brand may change when it is embedded to a club I am emotionally invested in but from an outsider watching it is not a style I enjoy.

I will enjoy winning as much as anybody and agree will take a premiership any way it comes. However I have noted that over the last 10 years the 2 teams I have least enjoyed watching as a general footy fan are Sydney and particularly StKilda in the Lyon era. Maybe my view in that brand may change when it is embedded to a club I am emotionally invested in but from an outsider watching it is not a style I enjoy.

Winning Games in front of 75,000 people at the 'G is always exciting...I advise you to watch the 1990 Elimination Final between Melbourne & Hawthorn.

Tell me that wasn't exciting.

For what it is worth (work was a bit slow today!)

Since 1906 -

There have been 47 different premiership coaches for the 105 premierships

25 coaches have coached at 2 or more teams

12 coaches have coached at 3 or more teams

4 coaches have coached at 4 teams

1 coach coached at 5 teams

No coach has won premierships at more than 2 teams, but it could happen.

Nice work.

So, only 5 have been premiership coaches coaching at one club - bodes ill for bringing a newbie on board. Also, as mentioned above, Mick will be breaking new ground if he gets his 5th at his new club. On balance, happier to roll the dice on that one rather than a newbie choice.

I will enjoy winning as much as anybody and agree will take a premiership any way it comes. However I have noted that over the last 10 years the 2 teams I have least enjoyed watching as a general footy fan are Sydney and particularly StKilda in the Lyon era. Maybe my view in that brand may change when it is embedded to a club I am emotionally invested in but from an outsider watching it is not a style I enjoy.

I have a number of very passionate and happy Swans fans as friends who I can assure you don't give a stuff what other club's fans think when they are winning

Believe me a winning feeling (not to mention a flag) easily overcomes any other emotion known to humankind. You would be no exception.

What ever it takes

Not sure if much should be read into this, but with Ross Lyon now being managed by the Craig Kelly-led ESP, he joins the same stable of clients as one G.Lyon. Garry remains Kelly's star client, so I'm sure he (Kelly) would be working behind the scenes to help him land a big fish given his rescue role with the MFC is so public and his reputation is on the line. Would be interesting to be a fly on the wall in those offices. Watch this space...

Dont read TOO much into it. ..... just maybe a little

If this club wants to not only just survive but flourish in the future it cannot afford to have Ross Lyon as coach .

This club needs to be exciting to attract new supporters , members and sponsors and Ross lyons brand of footy will NOT do that .

He will have supporters switching off our games in droves , much like I probably will .

There is no way I could handle watching the Bloods code/Aints footy played by our club , a mind numbing style which has been a blight on the game .

Your post is incorrect

Midfielders rpfc, we need midfielders; no point in having Buddy Franklin in the forward line if we can't get the ball there, no point in having leading forwards if our midfielders hand pass it 80% of the time, or kick it blindly. We need big skilled midfielders that can get the ball and kick it accurately to the forwards.

How do our i50's compare with other clubs, you love the stats?

I don't know where you are coming from.

We are talking about drafting kids that are too slight, are we not?

I am saying that you don't draft 18 year olds on their mass at 18, but at what they will be at 24.

That is why we need to trade for midfielders in the 23-26 age range who are solidly built.

I am saying don't blame the drafting, blame the lack of adventurousness in October...

I don't know where you are coming from.

We are talking about drafting kids that are too slight, are we not?

I am saying that you don't draft 18 year olds on their mass at 18, but at what they will be at 24.

That is why we need to trade for midfielders in the 23-26 age range who are solidly built.

I am saying don't blame the drafting, blame the lack of adventurousness in October...

One quality mature player each Trade season is what we need. For the next 3 trade periods.

I think there's a pretty obvious difference between continually loosing prelims and getting close in GFs. Common sense really. Wouldn't touch Eade with a ten foot pole.

Performance wise? I don't think so... At the pointy end the gap is significantly smaller - that's pretty obvious

Regardless, I respect your opinion.

Either coach would add true value to this current rabble.

Lyon doesn't appeal to me; massive price-tag with an unattractive brand of footy. The club wont get value for money, games will become less enjoyable to watch and he is still as much of a premiership gamble as anybody else being considered.

And on top of that, his bizarre disdain for Luke Ball appears to have cost the Saints 2 premierships.

No thanks. If we played Saints Footy I doubt I would go most weeks. Winning is important but his style is a blight on the spectacle that is the game.

Yeah saints dont play an attractive style, but winning like that is better than losing.

so easily overlooked isnt it ...amazing...

If Humphrey and Fat Cat could deliver us a premiership...id be good with that !!

LOL your spot on.