We are easy targets, one because we seem to wilt under pressure, two because we did pursue headlines over the summer.

The laughing wouldn't bother me so much if he played like a mongrel on the field, but he doesn't. He is passive and plays like itks all a bit of fun for him. Starting to seriously tish me, and those of you who it does not bother are possibly those uncompetetive types as well. It goes to the heart of why we are a walkover to the other clubs.

true, too many passive, retiring types in the Dees for too long. Far too little mongrel. And you cant just bring in and manufacture mongrel - we tried that with Phil Read and Byron Pickett. Its more about the mindset. If tyou have hard, uncomprimising leaders it sets the standard for the younger players.

I laughed at my Dad's funeral - multiple times, and occasionally quite hard. Why? Cos funny stories were told and funny things happened. I also happened to be more sad than I've ever been in my life. I know, I know, what a dreadful, awful, horrible person I am. I should've sat in stony faced silence the whole time.

Gee, there are bigger things to focus at the moment instead of pooling energy into responding to Luke Darcy and worrying about what he has to say. A couple of things come to mind like on field performance. What concerns me more are the players that suggest that they 'bleed for the club' and in the next breath talk about free agency and wanting out. We are the whipping boys at the moment so we are always under the microscope and criticised for our actions or lack of. Slow news day?

Did anyone just hear the Saints forwards all getting into Joseph after that dropped mark and goal by Milne? Alot of "you f#*king weak c***!!" Comments being sprayed his way. That is the kind of mongrel we want. Mitch Clark would give us some of that, but that's about it sadly.

Did anyone just hear the Saints forwards all getting into Joseph after that dropped mark and goal by Milne? Alot of "you f#*king weak c***!!" Comments being sprayed his way. That is the kind of mongrel we want. Mitch Clark would give us some of that, but that's about it sadly.

Absolutely no point in talking trash if you're not winning games. Chippa was mouthing off to Buddy after he gave away a free kick on Friday night. Franklin just pointed to the scoreboard and it was over.

How often do you see players like Ablett, Hayes, Black, Judd - modern greats of the game - talking trash? Almost never.

It's the whole mindset of the team though. The saints have come to play tonight, you can see it in their actions and body language. I want us to pkay with some of that attituse and mongrel as a team, not just 1 or 2 individuals.

I laughed at games during the 08-09 years.

Had to.

It was either that or cry...

The players laughing while watching the game or staying on the field after the game doesn't tell they don't care.

Their awful, indifferent, and faithless performances do.

I have no real reaction to the 'Watts laughing crisis' (seriouly people) myself, but there is no doubting that some of the players feel like they don't have to do 100% of the things it means to be a top level footballer.

Having a few of those around undermines the will of others to give their share of 100%, in turn. People leave, or just go into the comfortable space.

It is fairly clear that what is going on with Neeld and the new panel is a demand for elite commitment, and that there is a psychological battle going on that, embarassingly, resembles a bunch of kids being told they have to clean their room or ea their vegetables, and going into a sulk about it. Pushing the greens around the plate. Which looks (and is) even less effective than the imperfect effort being put in beforehand.

Basicallly, Neeld is some kind of super-nanny character brought in to stare down the sooky problem children that are making the whole family miserable. We can only hope he delivers on that role.

Meanwhile, I think a lot of people aren't really convinced of the tactical plans being brought in. This is a separate issue but also a problematic one and th two interconnect. Any 'failure' by Neeld and the coaching panel gives the recalcitrant players a bit of space to say 'well, why should I do what he says'.

I do think we will see a few 'senior sooks' dumped at end of year. Hopefully for good trades under the mantra of 'they need a fresh start and a kick up the bum'. Which has the added benefit of being a true statement. Let's say we gain an extra second round and two extra third round picks in the process - we could be looking at as many as eight new kids coming in through the first three rounds of the draft. Never mind specific top picks, that 'charm' has worn off a bit for me.

And if we can grab a few 'high character + high performance' types in trade as well, it can really shift the club. Out with the sooks! (That might just be my new football mantra)

Out with the sooks !! like it big time and if you here it shouted out at a game in the next three weeks when we are down it may well be me!!

I laughed at games during the 08-09 years.

Had to.

It was either that or cry...

The players laughing while watching the game or staying on the field after the game doesn't tell they don't care.

Their awful, indifferent, and faithless performances do.

True, but at least pretend to care by shaking hands and walking off the ground instead of standing around chatting about which club they'll be meeting up at later.

maybe jack heard this joke;

Three old WAGs are in the toilet at the brownlow discussing their relationships.

Michael Voss' wife pipes up , “Let me tell you our sex life is great! It's like one premiership after another.”

Mark Bickleys wife replied, “Mine is absolutely fantastic too... It's like the back-to-back victories of '97 and ’98.”

They then look at their friend, who hasn’t yet said a thing and she starts crying...

"Whats wrong" they ask?

“Well,” she says, “my husband is Luke Darcy and all he does is sit on the end of the bed and tell me how good it will be next year.”

I agree with Darcy.

It's the lingering pats'n'hugs and chatty-chat-chats with the opposition on the ground that sh1ts the supporters the most.

It's a bad look when you've just had your arze handed to you on a platter.

Spot on RR when I watched the replay I was spitting chips watching them. They did not give a stuff that had just been soundly beaten again not by 2 points but 11 goals.

Despite being the oldest club in the AFL, we seem to have the least amount of "old fashioned" football qualities, ie: emotional investment in our efforts and results.

I'll take any article we can get from Darcy, Walls, Lyon, anyone who wants to line up and pot us to try and fire us up, it's the only chance we have to at least be competitive while still "learning the new gameplan".

So the shots of the players laughing etc, is that shots that were taken hours earlier and are used for that moment, like a lot of the coaches going off their heads, Rocket and Bomber said on 360 that a lot of the time that is a shot of earlier and they play it after a mistake.

Can't trust the media.

Besides Darcy's opinion is worth less than skiddies on undies, the guy is a [censored].

It is not the media who just lost by 11 goals, it is not the media that has lost 9 games in a row,

it is not the media that is last on the ladder, it is not the media that has a average loosing margin of 8 goals this season, it is not the media captain who cannot make the distance from 30 meters out from Goal.

It is the MFC that gives them tonnes of material.

We lead with our chins and then wonder why someones punches us on the chin.

Stop blaming the media when the problem lies directly at the feet of the players of the MFC.

Start winning and it all stops.

I I should've sat in stony faced silence the whole time.

Make sure you check out where the cameras are before you decide to laugh

Make sure you check out where the cameras are before you decide to laugh

At the end of the day the laugh is on us, the members we give decades of support and money.

We pay them multi thousands of dollars and they reward us with pitiful performances and laughter.

Seems it is not the players that are the fools it is us the MFC members

How often do you see players like Ablett, Hayes, Black, Judd - modern greats of the game - talking trash? Almost never.

They don't have to, their teammates do it for them. Footy is a team sport.

Agree with your first point though.

They did not give a stuff that had just been soundly beaten again ...

Any evidence for that?

Looking at the hushed and downbeat after-match interviews with Howe, Grimes etc. would indicate the opposite.

I was sitting in the members and i was angry and looking around at all the members in my area and the looks on everyones face was so hard for me to take because it read something like this: Here we go again 2007 all over again yet another 5 year rebuild what the F%C% The players have no idea what they do to me everytime they walk around joking while im feeling like crap after such a pea hearted no skill's performance. Show some respect to the memebers who fill your pocket's boys. I want players to feel like me and love the red and blue and do what ever it take's to walk of that ground were they feel like they have done something special for the legend and true leader of the MFC Jim stynes and make him and all us die hard fans proud. Thats all i want from my players. FIRE UP DEES

The players are obviously idiots with no pride.

They get humiliated on prime time national TV and they wanna have a casual chin wag and cuddle with those who just humiliated them.

I know I wouldn't hang around with blokes that just spent the previous 2hrs making me look stupid.

Doesn't seem to bother our boys much tho' eh.

Luke Darcy: unoriginal lightweight.

+1

It is not the media who just lost by 11 goals, it is not the media that has lost 9 games in a row,

it is not the media that is last on the ladder, it is not the media that has a average loosing margin of 8 goals this season, it is not the media captain who cannot make the distance from 30 meters out from Goal.

It is the MFC that gives them tonnes of material.

We lead with our chins and then wonder why someones punches us on the chin.

Stop blaming the media when the problem lies directly at the feet of the players of the MFC.

Start winning and it all stops.

Can you tell me 100% that the vision of the players laughing were of that very moment in the game and not some vision from half time, or pre game?

As I said, Eade and Thompson said they show coaches angry and slot it into parts where they may not even be angry at that time but got the footage from earlier.

I'm not saying that the media are to blame for our terrible form etc, that's taking what I said completely out of context.

All I'm saying is it's to me a non issue, all teams do it, it only matters to us cos we are getting flogged every week.

http://www.afl.com.a...22/default.aspx

I was flogged by some after the Geelong game for having a go at Watts for laughing in hysterics when his team was down by 10 goals. This isn't the first time its happened. Has happened quite a few times over the years.

A complete non-issue. They were not playing. Ridiculous

Players in the stand have a life they are not playing on the field they should be able to feel and act the way they want. Footballers need a life outside of of Football. Do you think sitting their depressed and spitting chips is going to do anything to help their team mates on the field. So the camera caught the boys sharing a joke so what, Luke Darcy is a Moron.

IMO.When the siren begins the game to when the final siren sounds at the end that is when the players body language and friendliness with the opposition should be looked at. When you look at the players collectively as they walk off the field in a group are they all happy and joking, when you see them in the rooms after the game are they laughing after a loss. when they are being interviewed after the game do you think they are taking the loss to heart.

I have seen disappointment, anger, frustration and grief in the players this year after losses a lot more time then I have seen laughter and joking behaviours. A couple of events where people are being human does not concern me.