Let's wait and see what's in the article, maybe for a change there will be some constructive critisism and some good ideas put forward. I just hope he doesn't go on and re hash the stuff about winning 8 games last year, or the coach has lost the players. 3 coaches have lost the players over the last year. They didn't play for Bailey, Viney and they don't appear to be playing for Neeld.

No matter what the club says something is wrong, things changed after the 2010 season and Neeld can't be held responsible for 2011. Lets see if Mike can shed some light before we get stuck into him.

Mike Sheahan "Breaking" a story...wow that would be a first!!

The annoying thing is these media people keep saying how the older players don't care and look to be gone but never try to get an interview or comment from the players.

good point PJ, I guess if they did try they probably wouldn't get a candid response though

He's more a free man and semi-retired and he does owe something to melbourne if he really is a fan

He doesn't have to sugar coat anything about mfc just find something else to write about

Is that asking too much Mike or are you just a lazy scribbler taking the easy soft targets?

Ok. He writes an article on Howes great mark.

MFC are fair game for the media and MFC should take its right whack.

I think Mike has to be honest in his opinions whether its about MFC or someone else.

FWIW, he has never ruffled my feathers with his writing. There are likely to better critical commentaries already written.

The annoying thing is these media people keep saying how the older players don't care and look to be gone but never try to get an interview or comment from the players.

The last thing at this point is to hear old trodden cliches from the players. Just (try and) play footy guys and keep the traps shut.

Sheahan's retired now and only moonlights a few articles a week

That now leaves him much more options to write about so he could easily avoid jumping on the negative mfc bandwaggon and write stories that are more investigative and original - he has the time

He's more a free man and semi-retired and he does owe something to melbourne if he really is a fan

He doesn't have to sugar coat anything about mfc just find something else to write about

Is that asking too much Mike or are you just a lazy scribbler taking the easy soft targets?

Exactly DC. Whilst we are fare game and an easy target he could find something else that is a little more challenging...but I guess the ol stager couldn't b stuffed looking for a scoop!

This is ALL about the players , not the coach and ,

If you agree with that statement, then some of what you say is fair enough. If you don't, then the article is fair enough...

The is the AFL. When the media makes you their darling, you love them for it. When it's the other way round, you expect parochial support from a man who has never in his career written from the perspective of a one-eyed supporter of an AFL club. This is why Mike is respected by most. He's NOT one-eyed like Robbo. If only all writers were like this.

The irony of that statement is being missed where it is needed most.

Another article bagging MFC. Yawn. It will be nothing new.

If anyone needs to harden up its those that hyperventilate over critical articles in the media.

MFC deserve the sort of carp they are getting in the Press. It will continue until we start to be at least respectable on the field.

not sure why RR but I never cease to be amazed by MFC supporters who want to constantly shoot the messenger.

I agree with you the media did create our current position we did it all on our own.

This same team won 8 1/2 games last year. This year we've recruited Mitch Clark who is proving to be the power forward we've desperately needed. We should be better this year, but we are a joke.

This same team won 8 1/2 games last year. This year we've recruited Mitch Clark who is proving to be the power forward we've desperately needed. We should be better this year, but we are a joke.

We ?

Rudeboy, you haven't come over from the dark side have you ?

('cos to be honest, you could have picked a better time)

People spruik the 8.5 wins as though it was a year of progress. May I remind you that we went backwards in inconsistency and the magnitude of the losses was very alarming with no apparent game plan. 2011 was a very disappointing year. And whilst we haven't any wins as yet, there's a different focus and set of objectives the players are learning.

I think this is being blown way out of proportion by the media. Yes, we have played poorly, yes we deserve to get a whack for the standard of footy our players and FD are serving up. However, apart from (arguably) Brisbane and Richmond every club we have played has had a vastly superior list and its the nature of any compeitive league that teams lose. I am aware that these have been bad losses, but really, the frantic media circus it is becoming is so far overblown in relation to what is actually going on. I expect journalists to have a go at our players and FD but really, journalists coming out of retirement to give the club a whack? So far over the top!

This same team won 8 1/2 games last year. This year we've recruited Mitch Clark who is proving to be the power forward we've desperately needed. We should be better this year, but we are a joke.

Actually its not the same team, Jurrah has played 3/4 of a game, Steph Martin 1 game, Col Sylvia 4 games, there's no Tom Scully, Petterd has barely played and is badly out of form, Tapscott ditto, Gysberts also...... Also Gawn played in a couple of wins as well.Thats 7 players that figured in most of those wins, and in fact most of those players were in great form whilst this year have barely played... Don't get too excited,

Plus technically two wins were against a first year Gold Coast, which is 6 and a half wins as I don't think Gold Coast counts, one was against Port Adelaide who were barely a team last year (they couldn't beat Gold Coast) in Darwin (which makes the game bizarre every year), another against Brisbane (where we fell over the line), and wins against Adelaide and Freo in Melbourne in which both opposition teams didn't show up. Thats 2 and a half honourable wins, while on the other side of the ledger there was a flogging from West Coast, Carlton, Geelong (186), Hawthorn (sound familiar) and bad losses to Richmond and Port Adelaide (remember the team that was barely a team?). It was a terrible year, we could still do better this year (although it is unlikely). But if we are going to hang our hats on last year as a retrospective success then we are in real trouble.

And, for the record of the teams we beat last year we have faced 2 (one of whom we also lost to last year). Sydney was a draw so we have done far worse there, but really we didn't even win that game. Maybe assess this year once we have played some of the teams we beat?

Oucher why did you start this tread ?

as i have said four other times in the last minute

There are 4 other threads that this subject should be part of

What gives in the last couple of weeks ever person on Demonland wants to start their own thread.

Hey Old Dee, your off topic.

Nobody actually takes journalists seriously do they? They all have an angle they're pushing, either on their own or because it suits the owner's agenda. The days of unbiased journalism are long gone, as are the days of journalists being expected to back up their claims with solid evidence. Now it's all just rumour and innuendo.

The articles and responses from supporters are sadly predictable. We cheer when someone who likes the club writes something supporting us, we get upset when someone bags us, and we say it's unfair when the masses sense blood in the water and jump on the bandwagon. None of it really matters. The "pressure" the club is under is entirely a self-perpetuating artifact of the articles being written. The more articles, the more "pressure." None of it has any real bearing on what the supporters or the club think.

Enjoy reading the articles if you like, or ignore them. It really isn't going to make a lot of difference. When we improve and knock over a mid-level team or two, it will all stop.

Thank christ Sheahan decided to weigh in on this topic.

I was concerned there wasn't enough inane and uninsightful media coverage.

Terrible bloody article too.

No substance and not surprising.

Criticises Neeld for "finally putting Watts into defence, as so many armchair critics begged"... after Watts had already played as spare man in defence numerous times, to lesser effect.

And still, he was only getting cheap possies.

Actually its not the same team .... And, for the record of the teams we beat last year we have faced 2 (one of whom we also lost to last year). Sydney was a draw so we have done far worse there, but really we didn't even win that game. Maybe assess this year once we have played some of the teams we beat?

Ah, music to my ears. This "they won 8 games last year, now look at them" line is just so superficial and lazy. If people took the time to really look at those "wins", there was only really one worth writing home about, Essendon. And even then, we got them in their bad patch.

Not saying we're any better, but we were seriously bad last year - which is why the whole FD has been sacked/changed/moved on.

Sheahan has every right to be subjective as long as he is true to the facts, which he is.

You can't expect him to provide blind faith. His role as a commentator is to scrutinise.

He isn't wrong, based on that preview.

Like saying last week was the first time Watts has been sent to the backline?

I'd say what he has to say has more worth than anyone else considering he's a Dees man.

Tenuous links to him being anything resembling a dees supporter.

The only sources seem to come from this forum, and even if he was, he doesn't seem to pay too much attention to what is going on at the club, judging by the historic lack of depth and understanding in all matters MFC.

I hope i get to see him on sunday

Would love to give him a spray

Just repeated Caro's article with less detail. Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected much more.

Sheahan has every right to be subjective as long as he is true to the facts, which he is.

You can't expect him to provide blind faith. His role as a commentator is to scrutinise.

He isn't wrong, based on that preview.

I'd say what he has to say has more worth than anyone else considering he's a Dees man.

Yawn...do you have another channel or even a mute button. Same old same old, no more blind face, blah blah. Yawn

BTW Faith is usually blind it is trust in something that does not rest on logical evidence. So it seems redundant to label it blind faith.

I hope i get to see him on sunday

Would love to give him a spray

That would be unfair. Like everyone else he's entited to his opinion. Unlike 90% of the people here we know who he is.

are melbourne playing bad?

Sheahan has every right to be subjective as long as he is true to the facts, which he is.

You can't expect him to provide blind faith. His role as a commentator is to scrutinise.

He isn't wrong, based on that preview.

I'd say what he has to say has more worth than anyone else considering he's a Dees man.

2 key points I think.

Whatever mistakes Neeld made initially, he has inherited a fundamentally poor list, which includes some with extremely poor attitude.

The list reflects years of poor recruiting, particularly over the Bailey / Prendergast era where too many lightly framed players (athletes ?) were recruited with high picks.

Way too early to judge Neeld IMO, but hell, we need a win..

Ah, music to my ears. This "they won 8 games last year, now look at them" line is just so superficial and lazy. If people took the time to really look at those "wins", there was only really one worth writing home about, Essendon. And even then, we got them in their bad patch.

Not saying we're any better, but we were seriously bad last year - which is why the whole FD has been sacked/changed/moved on.

Spot on