There are a few threads like this from the end of 2007, just as we hired Bailey.

With inexperience, you just cannot go in expecting much. Talk is cheap. Melbourne helps define that saying. I won't be satisfied without a flag. I don't care how good a coach this guy is or can be.

It's always the start of a new era. Because the era that precedes it is always rubbish. You wouldn't want a good era to end, would you? So obviously, such frequent "new eras" means a lot of rubbish.

Edited September 19, 201113 yr by Cudi_420

the End of mick Malt is the end of an era for the magpies.. i wouldnt say its the end of a rubbish era..

As the pendulm swings from optimism to pessimism and back to optimism, hope to despondency and back to hope, belief to cynicism and back to belief, the secret to sanity is to just duck and get out of the way.

As the pendulm swings from optimism to pessimism and back to optimism, hope to despondency and back to hope, belief to cynicism and back to belief, the secret to sanity is to just duck and get out of the way.

This is hope-filled cynicism.

This is hope-filled cynicism.

If you're going to ride the swing, you may as well go all out with hopeful, optimistic belief.

Dare I suggest it was the misfire ( of sorts ) at the installing of Bails that gives me hope. Bails a good man and a good Dee but not the one to take us further. There wasnt a lot of good solid foundation back then. More akin to a stalling train wreck really. Now is different. The air is different. Now we have someone who is saying what WILL happen not what might or hopes to happen.

The lads are in for a ride.... and so are we . Buckle up

As the pendulm swings from optimism to pessimism and back to optimism, hope to despondency and back to hope, belief to cynicism and back to belief, the secret to sanity is to just duck and get out of the way.

I like that - "duck"

Another aspect of the talk of Neeld that I like (apart from the 'role based 22' that he has discussed) are the demands he has made - promises made to him over the FD personnel, and funding.

I don't mind the fact that a person has said to us - "if you want me - do this", rather than the opposite.

Schwab is right - the coach should be judged on his leadership, not on the sweet nothings he whispers about our list.

Edited September 19, 201113 yr by rpfc

Dare I suggest it was the misfire ( of sorts ) at the installing of Bails that gives me hope. Bails a good man and a good Dee but not the one to take us further. There wasnt a lot of good solid foundation back then. More akin to a stalling train wreck really. Now is different. The air is different. Now we have someone who is saying what WILL happen not what might or hopes to happen.

The lads are in for a ride.... and so are we . Buckle up

Hi B59. Not sure why I replied to your post to add my piece, actually, I did it becuase I know how much you love it when I do. So here goes;

I'm not as excited about most on here regarding the appointment of Neeld. That's not to say that I think he will fail, I am just going to reserve my judgement until I have seen how the players respond to his ways.

My initial reaction was of disappointment, due to the fact that we didn't achieve what we originally set out to, that being able to get an experineced coach. We tried, but we missed out. I can't help but feel we have had to go to our "2nd best scenario".

In reply to the OP, can this be the start of a new era for the MFC? Well, time will tell I guess. The Club still firmly believe that we can become the Team of the Decade, and even though they offered Neeld an initial 3 years, Schwab menioned that this appointment may in fact be a 7 to 10 year appointment. Obviously Neeld interviewed well.

I'll leave your post B59 with this little link;

http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=208&newsId=50195

This confirms why my judgement is reserved for the time being.

Edited September 19, 201113 yr by billy2803

how do they get new posters on ology robbie? there is no ability to create new accounts.

What I meant was posters that dont post for a couple of years then all of a sudden come on line with good news that seems to come from the inner sanctum.

Hi B59. Not sure why I replied to your post to add my piece, actually, I did it becuase I know how much you love it when I do. So here goes;

I'm not as excited about most on here regarding the appointment of Neeld. That's not to say that I think he will fail, I am just going to reserve my judgement until I have seen how the players respond to his ways.

My initial reaction was of disappointment, due to the fact that we didn't achieve what we originally set out to, that being able to get an experineced coach. We tried, but we missed out. I can't help but feel we have had to go to our "2nd best scenario".

In reply to the OP, can this be the start of a new era for the MFC? Well, time will tell I guess. The Club still firmly believe that we can become the Team of the Decade, and even though they offered Neeld an initial 3 years, Schwab menioned that this appointment may in fact be a 7 to 10 year appointment. Obviously Neeld interviewed well.

I'll leave your post B59 with this little link;

http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=208&newsId=50195

This confirms why my judgement is reserved for the time being.

On face value it may look like a second option, but after looking at his resume that includes apprenticeships under the likes of Blight and Malthouse, listening to numerous interviews he has done, and just his general demeanour and attitude to football and the club's future, I'd be greatly surprised if you weren't at least a little swayed towards this guy being the right man for the job. Possibly even the next best choice after Malthouse and Clarkson.

Time will tell, but I think it's unfair and overly pessimistic to just dismiss it as a last resort.

On face value it may look like a second option, but after looking at his resume that includes apprenticeships under the likes of Blight and Malthouse, listening to numerous interviews he has done, and just his general demeanour and attitude to football and the club's future, I'd be greatly surprised if you weren't at least a little swayed towards this guy being the right man for the job. Possibly even the next best choice after Malthouse and Clarkson.

Time will tell, but I think it's unfair and overly pessimistic to just dismiss it as a last resort.

I'm not suggesting it is a last resort, but I don't think it was our first preference. I'm quite sure if Clarkson had've expressed interest that he would've been ahead of Neeld. But, as we both agree, time will tell, and it's something that I'm used to as a Melbourne supporter!

To be honest, the ABC interview did raise my hope levels slightly. Especially when he mentioned about the holes that we need to fill. I'm intrigued as to how we will go about filling them. However, I think Bailey said before he coached a game that he has a list that could play finals footy...

Billy Id fully understand any reservations held by anyone given its Melbourne. The track records a bit bumpy isnt it. Cant expect trains to run too well when the tracks in poor nick and a few bridges are out !!

Im preferring to allow myself a littel look see at optimism and pack away the pessimisn for a while. At least the off season.. lol .

I actually see the appointments ( Bails and Neeld ) as two vastly different animals. We hardly knew who Bailey was let alone his abilities when he came on board. All we knew was he had some involvement with Port at a time in got a flag. Beyond that it all got a bit sketchy. Im not trying to knock the guy just who was he?. In some ways we still dont know.

Move to Neeld. His whole "apprenticeship" is an open book. We know what hes done, actually done and done in his own right.

Look at where Melbourne was back in 2007 and compare it to now. Not only have our physical environs changed but our club structure and viability has morphed, thank god.

There is nothinig at all wrong with a healthy dose of scepticism. It balances things.

I'll leave your post B59 with this little link;

http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=208&newsId=50195

This confirms why my judgement is reserved for the time being.

Spot on Billy!

I'm really positive about what I've heard and seen to date, but actions and results are going to determine this as either a good or bad appointment.

We should be excited..........let's be honest, we're all hoping he can unlock the potential in the list, and come up with a game plan the players can embrace, get confidence from, and win with.

I'm just weary of going off in the holster!

Billy Id fully understand any reservations held by anyone given its Melbourne. The track records a bit bumpy isnt it. Cant expect trains to run too well when the tracks in poor nick and a few bridges are out !!

Im preferring to allow myself a littel look see at optimism and pack away the pessimisn for a while. At least the off season.. lol .

I actually see the appointments ( Bails and Neeld ) as two vastly different animals. We hardly knew who Bailey was let alone his abilities when he came on board. All we knew was he had some involvement with Port at a time in got a flag. Beyond that it all got a bit sketchy. Im not trying to knock the guy just who was he?. In some ways we still dont know.

Move to Neeld. His whole "apprenticeship" is an open book. We know what hes done, actually done and done in his own right.

Look at where Melbourne was back in 2007 and compare it to now. Not only have our physical environs changed but our club structure and viability has morphed, thank god.

There is nothinig at all wrong with a healthy dose of scepticism. It balances things.

To be fair, I wasn't on this site when Bails was first appointed, so I have no idea what the general opinions were on his selection. I have no doubt that there was as much optimism as there is for Neeld.

I will question you though (of course I will!!!) regarding your comments about the 2 appointments being vastly different. We all knew that Bailey was a respected assistant coach, who was invovled in a dominant team, of which they were a premiership team, and he was well regarded as one of the best development (assistant) coaches going around. This year is the first I've heard of Neeld, and most of it was after Malthouse has pumped him up as much as he did. He hasn't really been considered a true senior coaching prospect until this season, so basically, I know as much about Neeld as I did Bailey at the same time as their appointments.

The presser when we announced Bailey compared to when we announced Neeld is frighteningly similar, and that's why I can't understand why people think that it seems like we have got it right this time, hence why I posted that link;

* Coach has support from existing Club, who are disappointed to see him leave

* New coach was impressed with the professionalism of those that hired him

* New coach loves how passionate we are and how proud a Club we seem to be

* Those that hired him had to move quickly as he was receiving other offers

* New coach is going to get us playing vigorous/competitive/hard footy

* New coach is greatful for what outgoing coach has done in terms of laying the foundation, now they will add their own spin to it

The one main point that I saw different between the two was how Neeld demanded what sort of assistants he wants in the box, and that he is well on the way in getting what he wanted. But, I guess Bails brought his own personnel in too. Neeld does have the advantage of a lot of the hard work already done, and also the luxury of his first office being at AAMI Park as opposed to the Junction Oval.

As you said in one of your earlier posts though, in the MFC I trust. I always do, and always will. They could've appointed Josef Fritzl as our coach and I would've supported him. I supported Bailey up until he was sacked, I will support Neeld for as long as he is the man in charge, but for the above reasons I'm keeping my optimism as low as possible (without crossing the pessimism line!).

Good job on not using the emoticons - makes your posts so much more readible!

Billy, there was some kerfufffle and much "who the ..." when Bailey was appointed. He was very much an enigma. Much of what was printed at teh time was the typical vanilla rubbish that any dime-a -dozen journo would scribble.

As a difference ...when we were looking for a coach back then I cant remember anyone suggesting Bailey. This time round there were some ( very wel linformed so it seems ) pundits who offered up Mark for serious consideration. As opposed to Dean Bailey Mark Neeld is not an unknown quantity.

This is in no way meant as a slight or otherwise on Dean but when he joined there was not a lot being said about style or such in terms of what he saw as the future Melbourne. Hell when he was appointed teh Club couldnt have told you what the 'present; Melbourne was let alone the future one and he in reality just trotted out what was expected. No boat rocking then.

Thats not to say the boat is particularly rocking nnow but you sense there is a definite image in Neeld mind as to how this new Demons will lookand play. No conveyance of this happened last time, short of the evolution of being "competitive"

Just looking at where the repsectives came from. Port though it had won a Premiership is a semi dysfunctional outfit who existence is a bit iffy. Collingwood , like them or not, are a very slick professional outfit. Yes in both instances we've grabbed anAssistant but dare I say from very different qualities of businesses.

Im not aware of any other club that was after Dean, happy to be corrected, Im simply unaware. Neeld was courted by a few..

Back to the Op...it asks CAN this be the start, not WILL it be ! It of course Can be and without doubt we all HOPE it wil be .

I think back then ( Baileys appt) we were in teh main just grasping at straws as supporters that somethiing better woudl start happening. I think at this juncture we are starting to expecct it.

When Bailey came on board I , for one , certainly had no feeling that there was to be an almighty shakeup and a changing of the ways for some. This time I think theres no doubting there wilkl be considerable change only the margin is in question.

Last time a coach came on baord, no one suggested teh team was soft. He did this this time and how refreshing is that

What I meant was posters that dont post for a couple of years then all of a sudden come on line with good news that seems to come from the inner sanctum.

Yeah I figured that was what you really meant Robbie, no probs

Hi B59. Not sure why I replied to your post to add my piece, actually, I did it becuase I know how much you love it when I do. So here goes;

I'm not as excited about most on here regarding the appointment of Neeld. That's not to say that I think he will fail, I am just going to reserve my judgement until I have seen how the players respond to his ways.

My initial reaction was of disappointment, due to the fact that we didn't achieve what we originally set out to, that being able to get an experineced coach. We tried, but we missed out. I can't help but feel we have had to go to our "2nd best scenario".

In reply to the OP, can this be the start of a new era for the MFC? Well, time will tell I guess. The Club still firmly believe that we can become the Team of the Decade, and even though they offered Neeld an initial 3 years, Schwab menioned that this appointment may in fact be a 7 to 10 year appointment. Obviously Neeld interviewed well.

I'll leave your post B59 with this little link;

http://www.afl.com.a...08&newsId=50195

This confirms why my judgement is reserved for the time being.

Bailey, in this article bangs on about his 'Blue Sky' whereas Neeld's interviews are more about attitudes and behaviours.

Apples and Oranges these two in interviews. I'm pretty confident playing styles and results will be just as much of a contrast.

With the appointment of an elite performance manager in David Misson and more to follow its going to be an exciting era at Melbourne , the landscape is changing at all levels of the club in order to bring ongoing success .

looking forward to the contrast in 2012

GO DEES

By the time they finsih will we recognise the place ??

By the time they finsih will we recognise the place ??

No...Norm Smith might, but us young 'uns are in for a mighty ride.