On 12/05/2012 at 08:26, Jackie said:

And further more while I am on my soap box. What is Todd Viney doing for this club? Another of the old boys club. Last season he was the most unenthusiastic gloomy interim coach I have ever seen. And before that who the he'll knew what his role was? Seems like his only value is the chance to grab his son.

His the 'fill in' guy. Takes the jobs when the MFC are trying to find a replacement. And he sounds like Kurt Russell when he talks which adds to his value!

  On 12/05/2012 at 08:26, Jackie said:

And further more while I am on my soap box. What is Todd Viney doing for this club? Another of the old boys club. Last season he was the most unenthusiastic gloomy interim coach I have ever seen. And before that who the he'll knew what his role was? Seems like his only value is the chance to grab his son.

At successful clubs old players WANT to be involved - Hird coming back to Essendon as an example. At the Dees we had Gary being forced against his will to come in and Todd Viney never missing an opportunity to say he didnt want to coach the club. They go on about being a proud, old great club, yet they arent interested. Its a bad look for mine.

  On 12/05/2012 at 08:30, Norm Smith said:

the only player Ive lauded this season is Mitch Clark.

The comment was directed towards you or anyone else in particular... it was a general observation.

  On 12/05/2012 at 07:19, Real Demon said:

How a player from another Club in Clark can come in show true passion, commitment, and effort compared to his teammates highlights the diabolical mindset of some of our players!

Well, Sellar has also come in from another club, but take your point.

Clarke is a gem, and only goes to show how lacking we are in other areas.

I don't know that the players' mindset is diabolical. It's not entirely their fault(s) that up until now the questions just haven't been asked. No surprise to see them failing now that the heat is (really) on.

Sellar looks asleep at times. I wanted to run out and give him a bloody coffee or something.

  On 12/05/2012 at 08:32, Norm Smith said:

At successful clubs old players WANT to be involved -

Some do. Some don't. Some go fishing. Some go into the media. Some go into coaching. Old players just do what old players do.

Pretty wild generalisation there - though par for the course around here these days.

  On 12/05/2012 at 08:53, bing181 said:

Some do. Some don't. Some go fishing. Some go into the media. Some go into coaching. Old players just do what old players do.

Pretty wild generalisation there - though par for the course around here these days.

I didnt mean all old players obviously. More an example of Essendon and Hawthorn where older stars of the club get involved at some level or support the current coach. On the one hand I remember Dunstall and Dermie defending Clarkson at the start when he lost 5 in a row and then I hear Gary on the radio bagging the dees at every opportunity while offering none of his time other than in coach selections.

I guess the point im getting at is passion. Successful teams have a culture that just seems different from ours.

  On 12/05/2012 at 08:31, H_T said:

He's been interviewing possible future recruits with the AIS boys, and plenty of other ground work. I'd be getting off your soap box quick smart.

I see, another job for the boys in an important role. I hope he is not going to recruit Jack's mates.

  On 12/05/2012 at 08:24, hardtack said:

And on what do yo base your opinion that he was a bad choice? He is 7, yes count it, 7 games into a senior coaching career. He has had to revamp the entire coaching team, he has had to try to introduce the players to a game plan and he has had to deal with all manner of outside issues. Remind me again, how long did it take Bomber to have success with the Cats?

He was employed to do all that you have said and then some - it goes with the job!

Specifically, he has employed an unsuitable game plan for the playing list, and one which has already been proven to be years out of date.

Revamping the entire coaching team is something any prospective coach thinks about before they go to an interview, as is their plan for the future!

  On 12/05/2012 at 09:10, Hardnut said:

He was employed to do all that you have said and then some - it goes with the job!

Specifically, he has employed an unsuitable game plan for the playing list, and one which has already been proven to be years out of date.

Revamping the entire coaching team is something any prospective coach thinks about before they go to an interview, as is their plan for the future!

What i can't understand is why we have the dumbest footballers in the competition. Last year they couldn't understand the Bailey game plan and this year they can't grasp the Neeld plan; just how ....... hard is it to get the message through to these guys?

I don't know what the plan is but they have had the whole of the pre season and the first 7 games and they still seem to be lost, wtf is going on?

  On 12/05/2012 at 07:30, BIG JIM said:

I would like my fellow demonlander's thought's on chris connley and cameron swabb. My mate in W.A thinks as long as we have these guys in our club we will fail. I have been a fan of swabb would love someone to tell me if cameron swabb's blue print is just rubbish and he said on that whiteboard show we were at base camp in 2010. i Think we are well and truely at base camp now that's 2 years ago. Maybe this blue print is just crap. Please tell me your thought's on our CEO cheers.

Base camp?!? more like Kathmandu, we haven't even started acclimatising to high altitude trekking!

Amazed at all the fuss about this. Nothing's changed since last night; it's not as if being temporarily 18th on the ladder has made things any worse. We're no more crud now than we were by siren's end last night, so I'm not sure what all the additional wailing is about.

Might have something to do with the 0-7 start?

  On 12/05/2012 at 07:19, Real Demon said:

Under Bailey we played the football equivalent of run and gun!

Dishonest, forward running, unaccountable bruise free football.

It was never more evident to me than the North Melbourne loss at Etihad last season.................and then 186 was the exclamation point!

Players who have been allowed to free wheel, and pick and choose their effort for 4 years under Bailey are now demanded to work just as hard both ways................and surprise, surprise...........they aren't up to it!

The fools paradise they lived in under Bailey is over.

While they all struggle to come to grips with the effort and professionalism required to be elite AFL players, it's the supporters who have to suffer yet again.

There's no light at the end of the tunnel for this year, it will finish up a bus crash.................but Neeld needs to be fully backed in to get the job done, and tough calls on players are going to have to be made.

How a player from another Club in Clark can come in show true passion, commitment, and effort compared to his teammates highlights the diabolical mindset of some of our players!

My thoughts exactly.

  On 12/05/2012 at 06:17, deejammin said:

Not so sure about that, we got close to the Bulldogs, GWS were flogged, apart from that they have had a far easier draw, yet have not been close to a win in any game, we were close against the Saints as well. we'll wait and see and we may well get beaten, but as I said, until we play them it means nothing.

We did not win the rest is BS

It'll be 0-11 and we're on the bottom.

The only way is up.

The team in the ensuing weeks will look better and better as some real talent starts appearing.

There are some players responding to Clark's effort - look at Howe, Bartram, Frawley, Magner and Jones. Bring in Jurrah, Blease ( who, I believe, has had a wake up call! ) Nicholson ( whose pace can work through a press ) and things can change.

Jack Viney and 2 or 3 other good young kids, lure another free agent....and who knows?

  On 12/05/2012 at 09:22, RobbieF said:

What i can't understand is why we have the dumbest footballers in the competition. Last year they couldn't understand the Bailey game plan and this year they can't grasp the Neeld plan; just how ....... hard is it to get the message through to these guys?

I don't know what the plan is but they have had the whole of the pre season and the first 7 games and they still seem to be lost, wtf is going on?

Robbie I think that it actually has very little to do with the game plan.

Our team is low on quality.

We are now 18th

We do not have the skill level necessary to cut it as an AFL side.

IMO The Team that played last night had six "A" class players

Clark, Frawley, Jamar, Grimes, Jones and Perhaps Howe.

Then Five Battlers

Rivers, Bartram, Magner,Mckenzie and Morton.

Not sure what is going on with Trengove!

Fitzpatrick is in his second game so I will reserve judgement

The rest are either below AFL standard

or has beens who are well past it.

Whatever way I look at it 11 goers out of 22 is not going to get you very far.

In fact it is going to get you 18th.

In my humble opinion it is that simple, we have half a team.

  On 12/05/2012 at 10:39, jumbo returns said:

It'll be 0-11 and we're on the bottom.

The only way is up.

The team in the ensuing weeks will look better and better as some real talent starts appearing.

There are some players responding to Clark's effort - look at Howe, Bartram, Frawley, Magner and Jones. Bring in Jurrah, Blease ( who, I believe, has had a wake up call! ) Nicholson ( whose pace can work through a press ) and things can change.

Jack Viney and 2 or 3 other good young kids, lure another free agent....and who knows?

Jumbo I watched the Casey game today, Jurrah is the only one out of that lot who is up to AFL standard.

Sorry but all I see in Blease is a dasher who looks good in the VFL but one trick ponies do not cut it at AFL level.

Nicholson gets the ball a bit but his kicking is poor, we already have too many in the senior side that cannot hit the side of a barn.

Stop thinking 0 - 11 and start thinking 0-22

  On 12/05/2012 at 10:40, old dee said:

Robbie I think that it actually has very little to do with the game plan.

Our team is low on quality.

We are now 18th

We do not have the skill level necessary to cut it as an AFL side.

IMO The Team that played last night had six "A" class players

Clark, Frawley, Jamar, Grimes, Jones and Perhaps Howe.

Then Five Battlers

Rivers, Bartram, Magner,Mckenzie and Morton.

Not sure what is going on with Trengove!

Fitzpatrick is in his second game so I will reserve judgement

The rest are either below AFL standard

or has beens who are well past it.

Whatever way I look at it 11 goers out of 22 is not going to get you very far.

In fact it is going to get you 18th.

In my humble opinion it is that simple, we have half a team.

Pretty close to my thoughts on this Old Dee, might push Garland up into one of those lists but it depends which Col it is. The confidant one or the not so. I think Howe is a class act and when you think he has played only 20 games in a very average side, would be a star with a Collingwood or Hawthorn.

  On 12/05/2012 at 10:47, old dee said:

Jumbo I watched the Casey game today, Jurrah is the only one out of that lot who is up to AFL standard.

Sorry but all I see in Blease is a dasher who looks good in the VFL but one trick ponies do not cut it at AFL level.

Nicholson gets the ball a bit but his kicking is poor, we already have too many in the senior side that cannot hit the side of a barn.

Stop thinking 0 - 11 and start thinking 0-22

Not so sure of your opinion on Blease, he did get in and lay some good tackles today plus he can hit the side of a barn, both feet. We really need some run in the AFL so lets hope he can bring it, needs to string a few games together at senior level.

Forget the tried and not so true, Dunn and co. but I think Taggert looks promising in only his 2nd or 3rd game. Another kid who can hit the side of a barn, we really need to bring players on who have some skill and can get a ball and kick a ball.

Jurrah of course is a class act, so much time the way he sees the game. We really need him back to state the obvious. At least with him and Howe there will be some entertainment value.

  On 12/05/2012 at 10:47, old dee said:

Jumbo I watched the Casey game today, Jurrah is the only one out of that lot who is up to AFL standard.

Sorry but all I see in Blease is a dasher who looks good in the VFL but one trick ponies do not cut it at AFL level.

Nicholson gets the ball a bit but his kicking is poor, we already have too many in the senior side that cannot hit the side of a barn.

Stop thinking 0 - 11 and start thinking 0-22

Taken on board, but like RJ said, Blease went okay.

I've included Nicholson because he adds energy and verve and hardness. He's a blue collar worker who doesn't have a massive ego like some on our team....

  On 12/05/2012 at 11:12, jumbo returns said:

Taken on board, but like RJ said, Blease went okay.

I've included Nicholson because he adds energy and verve and hardness. He's a blue collar worker who doesn't have a massive ego like some on our team....

Jumbo is "okay" good enough?

I hope you and RJ are correct I just do not see it with Blease.

Another battler IMO

  On 12/05/2012 at 11:19, old dee said:

Jumbo is "okay" good enough?

I hope you and RJ are correct I just do not see it with Blease.

Another battler IMO

od, at the moment, I'll take okay

Put simply we drafted cheetah's and Neelds gameplan and many other teams gamplans require bulls. I have all the faith in Neeld none in our senior list and I don't know what Schwabb has to do with on field performance. As has been pointed out Schwabb has put cash and man power into our pitiful football department so time is needed. But as for now play blease, strauss,tapscott,watts,couch,jurrah,cook(if a sniff of form is shown) tynan,davis,nicholson (who i rate) and any other young blokes. Why not play them all? At least we can really live by the "We are playing kids and it's going to take time" line. I want to go to the footy to see development now because wins our way out of reach. I figured this out when I take more interest in casey games then MFC at the moment.

  On 12/05/2012 at 11:24, jumbo returns said:

od, at the moment, I'll take okay

Probably right Jumbo but it shows how sad our situation is at present

  On 12/05/2012 at 11:56, cowboy_from_hell said:

Put simply we drafted cheetah's and Neelds gameplan and many other teams gamplans require bulls. I have all the faith in Neeld none in our senior list and I don't know what Schwabb has to do with on field performance. As has been pointed out Schwabb has put cash and man power into our pitiful football department so time is needed. But as for now play blease, strauss,tapscott,watts,couch,jurrah,cook(if a sniff of form is shown) tynan,davis,nicholson (who i rate) and any other young blokes. Why not play them all? At least we can really live by the "We are playing kids and it's going to take time" line. I want to go to the footy to see development now because wins our way out of reach. I figured this out when I take more interest in casey games then MFC at the moment.

Not too many cheetah's either; at the moment we would have to be among other things the slowest team in the game.

Let's play the kids and see who stands up, enough of the same old...