On 14/03/2012 at 05:22, Rhino Richards said:

The fact is that are not showing that at all consistently on the ground where it counts. They look good against the bottom half and melt against the top half. Just like MFC. In fact they also lost to Collingwood by nearly 20 goals in one game. Its eeriely like MFC.

http://stats.rleague...s/allgames.html

I disagree we should be better than North. They have a better stable of senioor players in Harvey, Petrie, Wells, Firrito and Rawlings than we do. Better leadership. They were on average about 1 year older in their playing list and had about 500 games more experience week to week.So we are a younger more inexperienced team which was also dealing a number of off field issues including leadership crises.

Its a case of your impatience overriding better judgment based on the facts.

I would expect more of our players would be in North's best 18, than North players being in ours. List-wise, I'm happier to be in the blue and red, rather than the blue and white.

  On 14/03/2012 at 05:30, why you little said:

i wouldn't call winning nothing in 48 years being impatient...The Facts are this organization has not run properly for a very long time, which is how our list became so negected by 2007...

That Being said...What is your honest opinion of how many more years grace we can give this list?

At some stage the babies have to leave the nest and fend for themselves.

I have already shown them the door...this year they must swim

But you obviously have a different slant

I am not sure why you keep evoking the past 48 years when we have a new coach, new FD, new president and a young list excluding under performing senior players. Your persistent reference to this is unnecessary and does little to deal with the here and now.

There are many passionate supporters who have followed the MFC for longer than you but dont have to carry on like a trucculent school child.

FWIW, if it was not obvious to you, our younger inexperienced players were exposed to the harsh realities of AFL football last year when our leaders either played up off the field or did not play when on it.

Its clear Neeld wont stand for less than certain standards from the players. At best the bottom uncontracted six will be jettisoned in respect of a strong draft coming up with our PPs.

Given the age and lack of experience of the Top 20 draft picks they have hardly been hidden or nurtured by MFC. There is nowhere to hide. Neeld has an opportunity to work out who he will keep and who he will dispense with.

And i thought you had shown them the door last year. Remember no more excuses, rah rah rah and all that jazz you normally rant.

  On 14/03/2012 at 05:33, billy2803 said:

I would expect more of our players would be in North's best 18, than North players being in ours. List-wise, I'm happier to be in the blue and red, rather than the blue and white.

Billy that is wishful thinking.

The results of the last 2 years show North has performed much better than the Dees.

The only assumption you can make draw is their players are better than ours.

To start with they win easily everytime we play them.

Like it or not on average at the very least they are our equal,

take off your red and blue glasses

  On 14/03/2012 at 05:33, billy2803 said:

I would expect more of our players would be in North's best 18, than North players being in ours. List-wise, I'm happier to be in the blue and red, rather than the blue and white.

I think it would be at best evenly split. Dont underestimate some of Norths younger players. There are some good ones there. However I think future upside over the next 2 to 3 years is better at MFC than North. They will struggle to replace the likes of Harvey, Rawlings when they retire. I dont think we have a coverage issues for any of our senior players (ex Jamar) when they go based on 2011 form.

  On 14/03/2012 at 05:46, old dee said:

Billy that is wishful thinking.

The results of the last 2 years show North has performed much better than the Dees.

The only assumption you can make draw is their players are better than ours.

To start with they win easily everytime we play them.

Like it or not on average at the very least they are our equal,

take off your red and blue glasses

As WYL said, we should be better than North. I would like to think our younger players are better than theirs, if they aren't, we're screwed. Of their older players, Harvey is a stand-out, with Petrie, Rawlings (hasn't he retired yet???) and Wells are up there too. I don't rate the Banana Fritter. I would imagine our senior players like Green, Moloney, Sylvia, Jamar, and that middle bracket of Garland, Frawley and Jones would easily slot in to their best line up.

The issue lies in your comment "The results of the last 2 years show North has performed much better than the Dees". This says more about how we have under-performed, especially in 2011. I would expect that if we could perform at the standard that we should, and if North were to do the same, that we would be a better team than them.

That's not being biased, that's being brutually honest about both lists, but if we have another year of 2011 football, it makes my arguement look stupid!

  On 14/03/2012 at 05:44, Rhino Richards said:

I am not sure why you keep evoking the past 48 years when we have a new coach, new FD, new president and a young list excluding under performing senior players. Your persistent reference to this is unnecessary and does little to deal with the here and now.

There are many passionate supporters who have followed the MFC for longer than you but dont have to carry on like a trucculent school child.

FWIW, if it was not obvious to you, our younger inexperienced players were exposed to the harsh realities of AFL football last year when our leaders either played up off the field or did not play when on it.

Its clear Neeld wont stand for less than certain standards from the players. At best the bottom uncontracted six will be jettisoned in respect of a strong draft coming up with our PPs.

Given the age and lack of experience of the Top 20 draft picks they have hardly been hidden or nurtured by MFC. There is nowhere to hide. Neeld has an opportunity to work out who he will keep and who he will dispense with.

And i thought you had shown them the door last year. Remember no more excuses, rah rah rah and all that jazz you normally rant.

My point exactly....your opening lines...You are inferring an excuse on behalf of the club....it is my fault for being impatient over the last 48 years.

where in that time i have seen 9 Hawthorn flags & 4 Nought Melbourne flags as 2 examples...But yes we MFC supporters just need suck it up and let everyone else enjoy our MCG...

Mark Neeld has my full support to go feral on this mob...someone has to do it.

There were no exuses last year by the way....& thankfully changes were made swiftly

i don't like being average at best in anything i do....nor should the MFC.

  On 14/03/2012 at 06:01, billy2803 said:

As WYL said, we should be better than North. I would like to think our younger players are better than theirs, if they aren't, we're screwed. Of their older players, Harvey is a stand-out, with Petrie, Rawlings (hasn't he retired yet???) and Wells are up there too. I don't rate the Banana Fritter. I would imagine our senior players like Green, Moloney, Sylvia, Jamar, and that middle bracket of Garland, Frawley and Jones would easily slot in to their best line up.

The issue lies in your comment "The results of the last 2 years show North has performed much better than the Dees". This says more about how we have under-performed, especially in 2011. I would expect that if we could perform at the standard that we should, and if North were to do the same, that we would be a better team than them.

That's not being biased, that's being brutually honest about both lists, but if we have another year of 2011 football, it makes my arguement look stupid!

You may be right that our list has more potential

But IMO the only judgement that is relevent is performance on the ground. So far our experienced players have not played as well as theirs and our kids have shown little to prove they are better than North's.

As Dees supporters we constantly over rate our players.

Results prove most of them are not that good

RR and wyl

Now now boys lets quit the squabling.

It is unbecoming of you both.

A bex and a good lie down for both of you

  On 14/03/2012 at 05:20, why you little said:

You disagree? Be interested to hear your take on the last 5 decades...i have seen most of it.

Me too, and yes, I disagree with what you say, and the way you say it.

Tiresome. And irrelevant.

  On 14/03/2012 at 06:09, billy2803 said:

Here here.

But brace yourself WYL - RR doesn't like it if we don't allow excuses...

I know....sad thing is though...He is not alone.

Many a MFC supporter has been ridiculed and bashed around by all & sundry since 1965, they have lost the edge to fight.

Still very passionate every week...but that real hard edge has gone.

I notice it in the crowd....In 2010 we made a bit of noise....but once again almost is not good enough.

  On 14/03/2012 at 06:14, bing181 said:

Me too, and yes, I disagree with what you say, and the way you say it.

Tiresome. And irrelevant.

So what's your version?

Let's do a comparison..& i bet we won't end up to different.

You have to be very honest though...

Goddamn I can't wait til this Mickey Mouse garbage is over.

Let's see how things play out Round 1, hey? Hell, I'm prepared to give this team until Rnd17 at least - I'll be delighted being around 8-8 at Rnd17, pleased with a 7-9 and okay at 6-10 as that's where I put us, with our terrible first half draw and the vagaries of football.

That said, beating Vic teams wearing something other than a sash is a must.

This year isn't the lost year. If anything, last year (2011) is the one I will never fondly remember - after all the promise of 2010 we came out and played like crap. Now we have to resurrect from 186, from the beltings and from being a joke, mediocre football side. The only way is up.

  On 13/03/2012 at 02:14, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I found the weekends game to be a kick in the guts and reckoned there was a whiff of 186 in it.

Neeld's mission from day 1 was to make us the hardest team to play against in the AFL. I along with many others bought into that. However all I saw on Saturday was a bunch of witches hats dressed in red and blue.

Yes it's early days and we may eventually get there under the new coaching panel, but I'm now resigned to the fact we'll only win 4 or 5 games this year, and most of them at the G v's interstate sides.

Cheer up 4 or 5 games what a joke we won 8 under bailey who is a coach who had no game plan sorry but what a silly comment we will win more then 8 mark my words. Bailey is no were near mark neeld in my eyes and he has had 3 games as coach talk about over the top 4 games for the year wouls see us under gold coast it will not happen.

  On 14/03/2012 at 02:40, satyricon said:

Watts has played all pre season games, not many others have without a break, Neeld probably thinks this will be the freshen up he needs, repeat Neeld will not be swayed.....watch his press conference again.....you can tell who he served under for a couple of years...got the 'death stare' going a couple of times

This is a footy team of 22 individuals who one individual is trying to mould into a Prem winning team, I don't care who we drafted, picked, dropped, traded etc, you can do this till the cows come home.....if this is the group (including the coaches) that is going to win a Prem then it will....no amount of analysis, hand wringing, comparing etc is going to change that.......just buckle up for the ride.....I have missed 3 games in 5 seasons with the seatbelt tightly strapped....expect the same this season....but god it's fun...that is why I turn up each week....

Watts has hamstring soreness, nothing to do with being dropped

  On 14/03/2012 at 11:50, Harrisonrules said:

Watts has hamstring soreness, nothing to do with being dropped

Of course he does!!

  On 14/03/2012 at 20:18, old dee said:

Of course he does!!

Didn't train on Wednesday, left the track early. Let's see what happens at Casey this weekend.

  On 13/03/2012 at 02:19, McQueen said:

There is heaps of upside to be had at the MFC this year. It's far too early to try and quantify it but it's there to be had with the inclusion of a new coaching group, some new tough players and the seeds being sewn for the growth of a culture of continuous improvement.

For some people, it's easier to focus on the negatives because they have passed and are reality (not directed at you old dee) rather than the potential of the changes being implemented at the Club.

Last year was only a lost if we don't take any learnings from it. I for one am pretty certain that this will not be the case.

The foundations are being laid, again, but with more purpose.

Ed: Spelling

I like your attitude and agree. The people in place at the club now, from the top down, are there to see it become a successful power again. This is not easy and culture won't change overnight.