Don't Blame Neeld

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Very much so. This is no great opposition we faced today and we failed as soon as they turned up the wick a little. And one bizarre decision for me is Neeld & the selection committee's decision to have Dunn on the bench as sub. To have any chance of winning, or to at least stem the damage in a loss, you need multiple avenues to goal and at this point Dunn is one of those few avenues/options (like him or not) that we didn't have (early enough) today. Mitch Clarke doing a solo act, no matter how courageous, isn't gonna win us many a footy match other than against GWS and GC....maybe. Morton should have been the sub. HUUUUGE error IMO. Basic stuff guys. Lift your game. Fast becoming one of the worst teams i've ever seen open a season for the MFC and crap decisions like this aren't helping.

What rubbish. We needed to do more in the midfield. Morton had his chance and failed. Dunn has spent nearly 8 years on the list doing that.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I'd like to bring it to critics of Neeld's attention that this occurred just just 7 AFL matches ago ...

Well he is well on the way to emulating that.

We could easily have been smashed in the first half of the game, they were all over us like a cheap suit, and it was only a matter of time before we ran out of desperation which was all that we had keeping us in the game; it certainly wasn't skill or talent (or our game plan?)

Agree. They should have slaughtered us the first half. If Richmond took their chances we should have had an 100point plus loss.

[Allen Jakovich 516]

Tell you what, Neeld's press conference was the best I've ever seen from a coach.

In obviously difficult circumstances, he towed the line, gave hope to the supporters, highlighted the positives, and said everything right in my opinion.

We just don't have any midfielders unfortunately...

[Tricky 341]

Do those who question Neeld at this early stage really think that anyone in football could have turned this rabble into a winning side over the pre-season?

Would they rather have had Dean Bailey behind the wheel?

It may be that we have gone backwards, but perhaps that is completely neccessary in order to move forward. We can't fix everything at once and we are a mere three rounds in.

Behind the scenes they are working on a list of problems - and there are plenty of them.

We have heard the new coach talking about trying to work on being more defensive for example - that doesn't happen overnight and no amount game day tweaking is going to instate this any quicker.

I heard Leigh Brown on Grandstand before the game today. He was talking about our ball movement being the next focus and that they would working on some aspects of that today. Again, this will be no mean feat to implement and those of us able to look past the humiliation of today's defeat should have seen some beginnings of this change starting to happen.

They over-corrected at times and overused of the ball but again this should be expected.

In addition to the seemingly long list of on-field problems Neeld and his team have inherited, he has had the off field distractions and a major meltdown across the board from our senior players to contend with.

Add to this some serious holes in our list and I think common sense should tell all of us what we are seeing is no surprise.

We are long suffering but we should be rational given our current set of circumstances.

These are not excuses and of course Neeld will ultimately be accountable, but lets pay some respect to the magnitude of the mess he has taken on.

[Maldonboy38 6,390]

A coach has to take some of the heat when 16 out of 22 players are all out of form and playing without confirence at the same time.

This is not about talent.

This is not abut endeavour.

This is not about game-plan.

This is not about size of bodies or experience.

Blah blah blah...

It's about coaching. Why? Because its is about confidence across the playering group. And this IS the coaches job - to lift them, inspire them, encourage them, teach them.

I have said it before and I will say it again. I will not "buy in" to a new coach until 11 rounds are played. But Mark Neeld has to coach these players out of their slump. That is a major part of his job and I expect him to attend to it.

[P-man 13,366]

Just for an extra bit of context, the Lions lost to Fremantle and broke the all time record for lowest number of inside 50s. This is a team that made us look second rate on our home ground.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

What rubbish. We needed to do more in the midfield. Morton had his chance and failed. Dunn has spent nearly 8 years on the list doing that.

Don't get your knickers in a knot Rhino. Of course the mid field was crunched. Even blind freddy (and you) could have seen that.

What i'm talking about is a decision to play Morton in the starting 21. Hasn't played all year. Was the obvious sub IMO.

Without a quality mid field of course the forwards don't get the feed they need and nor do our mids contribute to the score board as often as they should and as often as you would expect from a quality mid field (if we had one)

I didn't choose the players on the list, i didnt choose the team today and nor am i saying Dunn's a gun or something. Just saying, with what we served up on the park today, Dunn should've been in the starting 21, not as sub.

I'm not the only one to question how we've managed the sub this year either.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Rusty Nails

[Deers 202]

I won't blame Neeld for most things. As the OP says, he inherited a terrible list and hasn't had long to work with them.

And with that list, he has given them a radically new game plan, fitness programme and club vision (by banishing the former leadership group, replaced by youth).

For a team too slow, too weak, too soft and playing from an archaic, schoolboy guidebook taught to them by Bailey.

From pretty Amateurs to proper AFL footballers in one summer.

Just think about that for a moment.

Neeld is doing what no man has been brave enough to do for years. I'm pretty sure Harris / Fagan would have shown him the door in 2007.

He might be asking too much of us, though. The adverse effects so far are astronomical. The losses sit just beneath 186; and we head back there in 3 weeks.

I will back him to the end.

[dees189227 12,361]

Im not fully blaming mark neeld. The other new coaches at least have inherited some some experienced players and a superstar at there clubs. Lets face it we dont have a superstar player yet and has mark said in his presser a new coach has come in for a reason and you get 3 yeasr to show how you have developed the younger players. This is his only 3rd game. If nothing has improved next year then questions can be asked. he has to get this game plan through to the players. he has inherited a club that has not developed . the last 3 years. When we sacked Dean I wanted neeld as coach because I knew he would be hard on them and he has come from a superstar club that won a flag and also worked under Mick.

My thing is I wish he would play Howe as a foward more and give Mitch a hand who just gets double teamed. And after today when he said the team moral is fine its the supporters he is worried about I thought dont worry about us, that's not your job, focus on getting the boys up and winning. I have faith in him and im not going to judge him after 3 games.

This wouldnt be a picnic for him either.

[Adam The God 30,064]

Disagree.

I think some blame has to go to Neeld. We didn't get 12 goals worse in the space of one off season. We dominated this team, and the bombers... and now we look worse than a VFL team. SOME of the blame has to go to Neeld. His plan may work, but right now, I don't see how humiliation that hurts your club is actually HELPING.

Spot on, DD.

[beelzebub 23,312]

I just want to see him get seriously mad..and scare the bejeezus out of this bunch of nuff-nuffs.

Im curious as to what spin will eminate at the weekly media love-in.

I write this as I watch the Suns play decent footy....god we're in trouble

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

I just want to see him get seriously mad..and scare the bejeezus out of this bunch of nuff-nuffs.

Im curious as to what spin will eminate at the weekly media love-in.

I write this as I watch the Suns play decent footy....god we're in trouble

And just hit the front!!!

It's called inspiration. they're playing hard running, risk taking, play on at all costs, contested footy. And that's all you can ask at such a young age from most of the GC boys with such inexperience. McKenna's had more time than Neeldy i realise. But unless Neeldy wakes up in the next 6 to 8 weeks, realises our limitations (as we now stand list wise and keeps persisting with his plan to fit a square peg ie., our playing list, into his round hole).....then the future with this current list (until/unless he can radically change it to bring in the personnel he needs to fit into the square peg)....looks pretty f*%n grim.

P.S.....GC....led by an absolute super star. The cake...and the mid field icing all in one! What a fricken star.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Rusty Nails

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Don't get your knickers in a knot Rhino. Of course the mid field was crunched. Even blind freddy (and you) could have seen that.

What i'm talking about is a decision to play Morton in the starting 21. Hasn't played all year. Was the obvious sub IMO.

Without a quality mid field of course the forwards don't get the feed they need and nor do our mids contribute to the score board as often as they should and as often as you would expect from a quality mid field (if we had one)

I didn't choose the players on the list, i didnt choose the team today and nor am i saying Dunn's a gun or something. Just saying, with what we served up on the park today, Dunn should've been in the starting 21, not as sub.

I'm not the only one to question how we've managed the sub this year either.

So you take a potential midfielder out and put in a forward. Good thinking.

You are really splitting hairs between Morton and Dunn. But to be fair Dunn did more up forward in 1 qtr in junk time than Morton did for the game.

If the sub was the problem to our performance I would be rapt. Its about issue 40 that we have to deal in the list of priorities.

[Guest José Mourinho]

Fair enough, but where's the pick of Jordan McMahon celebrating after kicking a goal after the siren to beat us while in the background our forwards are in the backline and our backmen are in the forward line?

There's a difference between the 2 pics - RR's photo of the scoreboard actually had some relevance.

Webjet.

[demoniac 1,330]

Neeld and Misson know the fitness levels of the Pies and Saints in 2011. They quickly learned when they arrived at the Dees that our players were not in the same ballpark. We have to learn and implement the forward/defensive press and the spread because they are the foundations of a durable game plan in 2012 and beyond. To do this for a whole game requires a much higher level of fitness than Bailey's superceded flood era game plan of 2011 required. Its an inditement on our 2011 Footy Department that our players fitness was so far off the pace that Dave Misson was not able to bridge the fitness gap in one pre season.

Its also relevant when looking at 2012 v 2011 that our 3 leading goalkickers in 2011 were Jurrah with 40 goals, Green with 37 and Sylvia with 25. Jurrah and Sylvia are yet to play a game and Green has been dropped due to poor form.

Neeld and Misson have my full support. They have to drag us from 2007 into 2012 tactically and fitness wise. They have to turn Bailey's boys into men. They have to teach us the press and the spread and get us fit enough to sustain it for 4 quarters. They have to teach many of the players the basics of playing the percentages, of being hardened smart professional AFL players. Thats what the game in 2012 demands for success and so thats what Neeld and Misson must demand of the players and I think they are demanding that.

[Guest José Mourinho]

We didn't even talk to Martin.

It took 10 minutes of being around Scully to notice he is a self centered [censored].

And yet he was still consensus number 1 pick.

Btw, ever spent any time around Dustin Martin..?

Webjet.

[dees189227 12,361]

Mark Neeld is a tough person who will stick to his guns. This is a guy who delayed having life saving brain surgery so he could coach in the 2010 grand final replay. He is a very strong person and he will work through this. In 2 years we will be singing his praises. Well I hope so anyway.

[Guest José Mourinho]

A coach has to take some of the heat when 16 out of 22 players are all out of form and playing without confirence at the same time.

This is not about talent.

This is not abut endeavour.

This is not about game-plan.

This is not about size of bodies or experience.

Blah blah blah...

It's about coaching. Why? Because its is about confidence across the playering group. And this IS the coaches job - to lift them, inspire them, encourage them, teach them.

I have said it before and I will say it again. I will not "buy in" to a new coach until 11 rounds are played. But Mark Neeld has to coach these players out of their slump. That is a major part of his job and I expect him to attend to it.

Right........

It's all about the coach, nothing else.

Funny, we had a different coach recently.

In fact, we've had 2 other coaches recently.

And they got similar results.

But it's the coach... All the coach...........

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

So you take a potential midfielder out and put in a forward. Good thinking.

You are really splitting hairs between Morton and Dunn. But to be fair Dunn did more up forward in 1 qtr in junk time than Morton did for the game.

If the sub was the problem to our performance I would be rapt. Its about issue 40 that we have to deal in the list of priorities.

Yep. You got the 40th issue right. But to be the best, even when fielding a sub par team like we did today, you still gotta leave no stone unturned....in any area...in any aspect of the game!

As to that first part about Morton being a "potential midfielder". I didn't put Morton in to start with and nor would i under any circumstances ....ever....unless half the list came down with a case of chicken pox or somethin. And if we had a few decent options, i would pick them above Dunn also. But I reckon Dunn would probably do a better (albeit still crappy and only marginally better) job if he was in the middle if asked in a head to head with Morton (Lucifer forbid!!).

And one more thing....i'm going to forgive you. It's Saturday night so like me, you must be on the [censored]. You'd have to be to consider Morton as a "potential" anything, let alone a potential mid fielder....

Bottoms up Rhino!

Edited April 14, 2012 by Rusty Nails

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I let you work through the vagaries of crud vs spud Rusty. Never the let the real issues cloud your focus on the periphery.

[Adam The God 30,064]

The coaches have alot to answer. Garland, Frawley, Jamar, Grimes, Trengove, Moloney, Martin, McKenzie, Green, Davey, Petterd are out of form and are not influencing 5 minutes of a game. Very concerning!!

Thought Frawley killed Riewoldt today (as usual). My worry with Chip is that he used to thump the ground whenever his opponent touched it. Now he looks like he couldn't give a damn.

[Guest gidon]

Yeah Chip was better today, but still has alot of improvement in him. He's still out of form

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

I let you work through the vagaries of crud vs spud Rusty. Never the let the real issues cloud your focus on the periphery.

Well when you've got about 1/3rd of the team that consists of that level of player.....i guess it/they will come under discussion once in a while. But thanks. Happy to cover all aspects of sub par performances when it raises it's ugly head around here...which unfortunately is quite a bit of the time lately.

P.S. Looks like you're enjoying some brain numbing Jim Beam (or wateva ur poison) as much as i am atm!

[beelzebub 23,312]

Ive taken a few moments to ponder and consider my thoughts.

Heres my thinking.

Memo; Mark Neeld

Upon taking up the reigns at our fair club you issued no ambiguous warning that all that al lthat went before meant nil. All ajudications and consideration will be based upon what you saw from here on in. Names, reputations, and so all meant nought . He wasnt interested in what any one said, only what they did.

Well right back at ya Mark. Im not interested one iota in a single word you wil lutter nhenceforth of commincate to print in post match conferences or your weekly diatribes.I will measure you as you would have al those under you considered, by effort and results. I fully appreciate Rome wasnt built in a day but you never had doubt what the Romans were about nor that they meant business, I sense none of this from the Demons outings to date.

Quite frankly the on fiied performances of the MFC are distinctly on the nose. Ive yet to meet or talk with anyone who can see the slightest glimmer of anythiing resembling a coherent style let alone adherence to structure.

So far ive seen a whole lot of nothing.

Now I realise you arent out there and it might take more than a year to build a competive and demonstrably effective team, but in the mean time please dont expect me to swallow anything other than the observance of efffort, all out efforts by you and your charges .

As per your dictate words mean nothing. Words have never kicked a goal , nor tackled an opposition. Words though occasionally inspirational are of themselves worthless when push comes to shove. You know that, I know that..

Time to stop talking the talk Mark.. Its walking time.

Im not listening...Ill just be watching... like you do.

[Maldonboy38 6,390]

Right........

It's all about the coach, nothing else.

Funny, we had a different coach recently.

In fact, we've had 2 other coaches recently.

And they got similar results.

But it's the coach... All the coach...........

You misunderstand me.

When I say "it is not about..." I mean that Mark Neeld is responsible for inspiring and leading us out of all these things. If we lack skill or endeavour, no player or group of players change this of their own accord - they are coached out of it and I expect Neeld to do the same. I am not blaming him for all that is transpiring but I unashamedly lay at his feet the task of change. It is an expected part of his role.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Maldonboy38