An even keel - strong stuff

[Yossarian 1,820]

I don't think the idea is just swapping out the underperformers, it's cutting out the guys with no heart or a mad desire to be the best AFL player they can be. So you cut away Blease, Davey, whoever else lacks that heart, and bring in people like Couch, McDonald and maybe Dunn, not because they'll perform better and maybe they won't, but because they'll give their all and so they deserve to be there.

No, 'guys with heart' won't win us games in the short-term, but it's where we need to start considering our previous player development strategy apparently consisted of singalongs around a campfire and pats on the back for getting on an AFL list. And I think this has been glossed over a lot when demonlanders have criticised Neeld. He's said in interviews that he's barely even gone into the details of his game-plan yet because the coaching staff have had to start with trying to instill individual players with that desire to work their arse off and push past their limits that so many of them seem to be missing. That whatever it is that makes a player want to push themselves to go from B/C grader to an elite player.

This won't happen overnight and unfortunately for some of them, it never will.

More words, whatever, that's all this is. Anyway, I think our coaching staff is on the right track. See what happens.

[rpfc 28,779]

Er, that article is from Peter Ryan - AFL.com's MFC guy with Holmesby.

The MFC didn't write that so don't read too much into from a 'this is PR' or 'isn't it good for the club to be so strong' perspective.

[Sir Why You Little 37,133]

That article is great. Honesty is what we members want. Then we can accurately judge the club on its merits.

No more rubbish please. Harsh reality is better.

[old dee 23,872]

I really hope people on here get a bit of a wake up call and realise that we have a really average list and have has an average FD over the past few years.

Neeld knows it. So do the rest of the coaches. If Neeld and Misson pretty much imply that we are light years away from becoming a strong and difficult team to play against, what do you think it says about Bailey and co?

If Neeld and Misson said our fitness levels weren't up to standard when they arrived, and that our training and attitude wasn't at an elite AFL level, what does that say about Bailey and co?

Does it mean that they simply had no idea about how a professional AFL football club should be run?

Does it mean that players, and especially our 25 yo + players have developed bad habits at training which leads to on-field performance?

Neeld has come from arguably the most professional and elite sporting club within the AFL. Misson has come from Sydney and St Kilda and has helped take both to Grand Finals.

Both would know. Both would know how far behind our players are. Both would know exactly where they need to get to. Wouldn't they?

I can't help but smell yet another clean out over the next two years with the possible recruitment of a few more recycled/mature age players along with some quality draft picks.

A top class recruiter with an outstanding history is what we need next.

Sorry demonlanders. We are in for a few more years of pain I reckon.

No arguement from me

[Knuckles 73]

You will get no argument from me that we are coming from a long way back and some massive changes need to be made. But wasn't that supposed to be happening over the past four years. I think supporters have every right to be frustrated and angry, when it looks like the club has wasted so much time. Especially when throughout that period we have been told everything was going perfectly with the rebuilding process and that supporters just need to be patient.

[old dee 23,872]

You will get no argument from me that we are coming from a long way back and some massive changes need to be made. But wasn't that supposed to be happening over the past four years. I think supporters have every right to be frustrated and angry, when it looks like the club has wasted so much time. Especially when throughout that period we have been told everything was going perfectly with the rebuilding process and that supporters just need to be patient.

4 years and IMO we are in exactly the same spot we were in at the end of 2007.

Be it less $5miilion in debt.