Captain obvious that it is only the NAB cup, but in 4 weeks the MFC have dished up some pretty awful footy. I have seen enough to warrant some concern. Concern about where we are actually at as a football club.

Tonight we were smashed by Port, yes we did have a few out, but so did they. We never responded when challenged and for me there hasnt been many positives in this whole comp apart from the same 5-6 putting their hands up every week.

We seem to be still mentally fragile and look like our players just run out onto the field for their pay and not for the passion and success of what they are there for in the first place.

Same old mistakes and skills are down, perhaps even worse in some cases. Big questions are, have we drafted properly especially compared to other clubs. Our first round picks have been a failure, not mentioning names as you know the list. We have snagged a couple of high picks which is a positive but our first round picks, the picks that are meant to bring our club from the doldrums are soft or have failed.

A lot of people live in hope but I think its time for people, even me, to wake up and smell the roses. We are so far off the mark I wouldnt disregard another rebuild as the crop we have got now will not bring us success.

Discuss amongst yourselves, I have been positive in hope but reality is we are an average football team.

Can we just... wait until a few rounds of the season proper have past at least... please

Can we just... wait until a few rounds of the season proper have past at least... please

We can, but arent you a little concerned??

I agree with you mate but god I just dont know.

Can we just... wait until a few rounds of the season proper have past at least... please

You say that as though we have a choice rhaz.

IMO we are as bad as things look at present.

I have a horrible feeling that the only thing that will change by a few rounds is the degree of our depression.

But hope on there is nothing much else to do

What is it you seek

Affirmation of the negative

Reassurance despite the obvious

Communal flagellation

This sort thing goes nowhere and doesn't serve a purpose.

The eternal optimists argue its NAB cup, its new game plan, it's till round 12 before we can call it.

The MFCSS say it's doomed cycle of perpetual nothingness.

Fact is competition starts in 2 weeks and we really won't know honestly till then.

If I see what happened tonight against Brisbane we're cooked.

I think the good thing from the NAB Cup is that is has given us all a dose of reality. The reality is the team will take time to adjust to Neelds game plan, that is to be expected. From what I understand under Bailey the players were more trained to play a game more on instincts and to react based on what the other team dished up including playing on at every opportunity. Whereas the new game plan is much more regimented and thus requires a higher degree of discipline and 'compliance'. Therefore, it must be expected that some time must elapse before the players adapt to the new approach. However, it is somewhat depressing that the midfielder that has shown the most, aside from Jones, is a rookie listed player who's availability for selection in round one is in doubt.

What is it you seek

Affirmation of the negative

Reassurance despite the obvious

Communal flagellation

This sort thing goes nowhere and doesn't serve a purpose.

The eternal optimists argue its NAB cup, its new game plan, it's till round 12 before we can call it.

The MFCSS say it's doomed cycle of perpetual nothingness.

Fact is competition starts in 2 weeks and we really won't know honestly till then.

If I see what happened tonight against Brisbane we're cooked.

All Im asking is where you think we are at as a team? Not the waffle you just stated. Why dont you sayhow good or bad we are? Im sure you have an opinion so why not say it?

If you think this current crop can bring us success Im stumped, and I agree with you about the Bris game

No where near it at this stage...might finish ahead of GWS, Gold coast and Brisbane...thats probably it.

What happened to "we will be hard to play against"...and "defence all over the ground"

SOFT AS BUTTER!!!

2 classic Demon games in the past 2 weeks.

1. The Smashing - We get the crap belted out of us. We have no leadership and none of the players seem to give a damn that we are getting embarrassed as a club. No one steps up to lead the team, the senior players simply give up. No matter what the coach says, they can't shake out of it.

2. The 1st Quarter loss - We don't turn up switched on. We get smashed in the first quarter and finally kick into gear in the second term, only for it to be all too late as the damage has already been done.

These 2 types of games have been trademark Bailey era games.

It will be interesting to see how Neeld will respond to this crap.

2 classic Demon games in the past 2 weeks.

1. The Smashing - We get the crap belted out of us. We have no leadership and none of the players seem to give a damn that we are getting embarrassed as a club. No one steps up to lead the team, the senior players simply give up. No matter what the coach says, they can't shake out of it.

2. The 1st Quarter loss - We don't turn up switched on. We get smashed in the first quarter and finally kick into gear in the second term, only for it to be all too late as the damage has already been done.

These 2 types of games have been trademark Bailey era games.

It will be interesting to see how Neeld will respond to this crap.

Leopards

We can, but arent you a little concerned??

I agree with you mate but god I just dont know.

Not really.

Probably depends on how unrealistic your expectations were to begin with.

We are a young side that were horrible a lot of the time last year, are bereft of decent senior leadership, and lost to a team by 186 points.

That doesn't swing around in a preseason and a few practice matches.

Change. Will. Take. Time.

On top of that, our players are learning an entirely new system and game style.

These are the early days of learning to implement it.

It should not be surprising that we are not yet doing it well.

And lastly, we had some pretty green players out there.

Yes, Port did too. And it's not an excuse. It's another reason for our performance.

All these reasons add up to us being pretty damn horrible right now, and potentially a lot better in the near-medium term future.

This year WILL NOT be the year we are shaking things up in the AFL (depending on your interpretation of the term).

There are no shortcuts.

I see this as a development year for a lot of our players - even those who are quite old.

They are developing the ability to play tough defensive footy, which no one on the list has done to date, as far as I'm concerned.

Our first round picks have been a failure, not mentioning names as you know the list. We have snagged a couple of high picks which is a positive but our first round picks, the picks that are meant to bring our club from the doldrums are soft or have failed.

Why not name some names? Which first round draft pick, who has had at least 4 or 5 years in the system so we have time to judge, has failed or been soft?

Captain obvious that it is only the NAB cup, but in 4 weeks the MFC have dished up some pretty awful footy. I have seen enough to warrant some concern. Concern about where we are actually at as a football club.

Tonight we were smashed by Port, yes we did have a few out, but so did they. We never responded when challenged and for me there hasnt been many positives in this whole comp apart from the same 5-6 putting their hands up every week.

We seem to be still mentally fragile and look like our players just run out onto the field for their pay and not for the passion and success of what they are there for in the first place.

Same old mistakes and skills are down, perhaps even worse in some cases. Big questions are, have we drafted properly especially compared to other clubs. Our first round picks have been a failure, not mentioning names as you know the list. We have snagged a couple of high picks which is a positive but our first round picks, the picks that are meant to bring our club from the doldrums are soft or have failed.

A lot of people live in hope but I think its time for people, even me, to wake up and smell the roses. We are so far off the mark I wouldnt disregard another rebuild as the crop we have got now will not bring us success.

Discuss amongst yourselves, I have been positive in hope but reality is we are an average football team.

We Are at the similar position to when 'Barass' left the rebuild after all the hard work done for 5 years, and Northey took over in '86. We're at the same point as we were in 1986ish.

We are:

- Pre Round 1.

- With a new coaching group.

- A new, extremely different gameplan.

- And a new forward setup.

- We have only small amounts of data on how the team plays, and even then it's not a best 22 look.

- We have a coaching group trying to get a feel for the side under match conditions.

- We have numerous upcoming draft bonuses, including J. Viney, B. Stretch and 2 compo picks

- We have a long way to go, but we are slowly setting ourselves up to be dominant across the park.

Nights like tonight make me wonder why I support this footy club, but ultimately it is in my blood, and I've burnt too much time already to give up on a season before a real ball has been bounced in anger.

Things will change. We will get better. It may take til 2013. But we will improve.

Bailey wasn't a bad coach. This club is soft.

Neeld has the job in front of him.

I will be at the 'g But nobody can expect anything with this mob.

My filth mate calls us Pea Hearts since the 70's. 95% of the time.

Kills me but how can i retaliate.

We are not tough enough in this club. Top to bottom.

I like Mark Neeld. But he has one hell of a job.

Sylvia. 1 kick. The guy is already on notice.

We are:

- Pre Round 1.

- With a new coaching group.

- A new, extremely different gameplan.

- And a new forward setup.

- We have only small amounts of data on how the team plays, and even then it's not a best 22 look.

- We have a coaching group trying to get a feel for the side under match conditions.

- We have numerous upcoming draft bonuses, including J. Viney, B. Stretch and 2 compo picks

- We have a long way to go, but we are slowly setting ourselves up to be dominant across the park.

Nights like tonight make me wonder why I support this footy club, but ultimately it is in my blood, and I've burnt too much time already to give up on a season before a real ball has been bounced in anger.

Things will change. We will get better. It may take til 2013. But we will improve.

I agree and I am fully aware of your post. However have we drafted the cattle?? And have we got the foot skills to succeed? Is where Im trying to go.

Where are we at as a club? Not as far advanced as we were when Neitz was playing. Somewhat ahead of where we were when we played Geelong last season. We have a new coach who has come in and said immediately that our players are too weak, not fit enough and lack proper gameplans and discipline. In this he is 100% correct and has set about correcting the deficiencies. As we all know, it will take more than a few months for the physical deficiencies in the side to be rectified, which is why we have drafted Magner, Couch and Seller, players who are better developed for the game we want to play.

We have several new players showing serious ability. Howe is probably the pick of the bunch.

We have several players who have never been able to string games together due to injuries and as such are still more or less unknown quantities.

We have several players who have underperformed in the past few seasons and need to show improvement under Neeld if they are to avoid the axe.

We have several solid B and C grade players who go about their business day in day out and will never be more than they currently are.

We have a top line Ruck and a top line Full Back.

I think that's about where we are as a team.

2 classic Demon games in the past 2 weeks.

1. The Smashing - We get the crap belted out of us. We have no leadership and none of the players seem to give a damn that we are getting embarrassed as a club. No one steps up to lead the team, the senior players simply give up. No matter what the coach says, they can't shake out of it.

2. The 1st Quarter loss - We don't turn up switched on. We get smashed in the first quarter and finally kick into gear in the second term, only for it to be all too late as the damage has already been done.

These 2 types of games have been trademark Bailey era games.

It will be interesting to see how Neeld will respond to this crap.

Also will be interesting to see how long it takes the players to respond to Neeld and by what we have seen so far it will be a while.

2 classic Demon games in the past 2 weeks.

1. The Smashing - We get the crap belted out of us. We have no leadership and none of the players seem to give a damn that we are getting embarrassed as a club. No one steps up to lead the team, the senior players simply give up. No matter what the coach says, they can't shake out of it.

2. The 1st Quarter loss - We don't turn up switched on. We get smashed in the first quarter and finally kick into gear in the second term, only for it to be all too late as the damage has already been done.

These 2 types of games have been trademark Bailey era games.

It will be interesting to see how Neeld will respond to this crap.

These things have been happening longer than Bailey, at least back to Balme and possibly also Northey.

We Are at the similar position to when 'Barass' left the rebuild after all the hard work done for 5 years, and Northey took over in '86. We're at the same point as we were in 1986ish.

My, my, a little bit of sense in the midst of the collective wrist wringing.

Neeld said that the players are now at a football university.

For the last 4 years, they've been at a football kindergarten. It's a big jump from kinder to uni. And a number will drop out on the way.

I agree and I am fully aware of your post. However have we drafted the cattle?? And have we got the foot skills to succeed? Is where Im trying to go.

Did you watch the game tonight Hells?

Did you watch the game tonight Hells?

Yes. I hate Port fans more than Collingwood fans. Never experienced anything like it!

Yes. I hate Port fans more than Collingwood fans. Never experienced anything like it!

Where you at the game?

No where near it at this stage...might finish ahead of GWS, Gold coast and Brisbane...thats probably it.

What happened to "we will be hard to play against"...and "defence all over the ground"

SOFT AS BUTTER!!!

I want the MFC to be as hard as butter... When it's in the freezer.

Now we have to wait for 2 weeks to see what happens in Rd 1 and in the mean time have to listen to all the bs in the media about the Dees. Sick and tired of hearing it by the way. Geez its going to be a fun 2 wks. god help us all.