blues are experiencing the axe-drop on a tall poppy syndrome. 7 weeks ago they were flag favourites now its doomsday. theyll have a good win soon and it will be backflip city blah blah passion redemption etc

just garbage media and short-attention-span culture fuelled rubbish. the second things go wrong its pin the tail on the donkey who's getting sacked? pathetic society we live in

blues are experiencing the axe-drop on a tall poppy syndrome. 7 weeks ago they were flag favourites now its doomsday. theyll have a good win soon and it will be backflip city blah blah passion redemption etc

just garbage media and short-attention-span culture fuelled rubbish. the second things go wrong its pin the tail on the donkey who's getting sacked? pathetic society we live in

You could very well be correct. Probably, in fact.

But....... there is also a reasonable chance he could be available next year.

Is Royal worth keeping or would Ratten be a better option next year, esp if we load up with midfielders in the draft.

I think yes.

Ratten has been his own worst enemy.

Was guilty of reading and believing their own propaganda.

If he could just shut his mouth without continually making fool statements that the media can grab onto.

Like stating anything below top 4 is failure.

How they should be welcoming the pressure that comes with premiership favourtism.

Engaging in his stupid little mind games before matches etc.

He'd have alot less heat on him.

IF... The Blues finish outside the 8, is there a chance he might get the flick? Club going backwards and all of that. They have a history of cutting what they perceive as their losses.

KB on SEN this morning has them finishing 9 or 10, for what his opinion is worth. Not the easiest run home to the finals.

Should we have a go at getting him back as midfield coach (and p!ss off Brian Royal) if he's available?

I liked very much what he did for us previously.

Comments?

IF he gets the 'Flick', collinwood will be all over him like a Flea on Dog.

LING!

I still think they will just make the 8, but that is coupled with my belief that NM and StK are not going to do much...

So we will see.

I think the goalposts should change for him - at the start of the season it was top 4 but that was before Waite and Carrazo were injured and Gibbs and Kreuzer decided to just completely question their worthiness as top choices in the draft.

It would be the funniest thing in the world to me if the gave Ratten the ass. And I would be very dissapointed if we didn't get him back as our midfield coach.

If the blues have any stones they'll hold on to him.

If he is available I would certainly look at him for the midfield again.

If he is available I would certainly look at him for the midfield again.

But would Neeld... I still dont understand what or why Mark would want or need this bloke.

having been a senior coach he might be a bit too expensive?

Neeld, Craig and Ratten?

Too many cooks

Answer.......Lingy

Ling is one guy I would throw the kitchen sink at to try and secure. Fantastic work ethic, very good defensively, understood how to play a role and a captain of a premiership team.

Think I heard on SEN (Might have been Cam Mooney) about the most likely recent geelong player to coach, and he mentioned Ling, but also mentioned he has a lot of other 'work interests' on the go too.

Not against Ratten if he was available,

Ling is one guy I would throw the kitchen sink at to try and secure. Fantastic work ethic, very good defensively, understood how to play a role and a captain of a premiership team.

Think I heard on SEN (Might have been Cam Mooney) about the most likely recent geelong player to coach, and he mentioned Ling, but also mentioned he has a lot of other 'work interests' on the go too.

Not against Ratten if he was available,

thats all very well...but can he COACH !!

its about getting someone who can instill the value and ideas of teh main coach into the mids. Its about coaching. A great player no argument.. but is he a coach ?

What evidence did we have that Leigh Brown could coach before picking him up last year??

This was the reason I put the comment in about Cam Mooney claiming Ling was the most likely of the Geelong players (or was it Scarlett on Footy Classified...) .... whichever one it was that mentioned it, claimed that they felt Ling was the most suited to coach... thats all I was saying.

We're not talking about replacing Neeld here.... it's an assistant role after all.

I would suggest Neeld had intimate knowledge of Browns abilities etc. What do you or anyone know of Lings?

Just asking. Anyone can propose a name ..but what of the value to our club.

I dont think Rats is the solution to our mids. Nor can i see that Choco is either. But in fairness is that simply more indicative of a dearth of talent and ability more than direction ? or both ?

having been a senior coach he might be a bit too expensive?

How many senior coaches move on, or backwards, to being assistant coaches? I accept Mark Williams is doing that now at GWS but in my mind that's a special set of circumstances which may already include an agreement that he steps into the main role in a year or two. Dean Laidley had a part-time coaching role with Port Adelaide, but it was very part time with him allegedly coaching via Skype because PA couldn't afford to fly him to Adelaide. To me that seems more like a mentoring role.

There may be others...but I can't think of any. Most ex-coaches move to different roles (media, football manager, etc). If I were Ratten's adviser, I would be telling him not to take an assistant's role and definitely not at Melbourne. (That's free advice for everyone...never go back to an old job).

But that's not what the question was which was asked. Would I want him back? No. And it's got nothing to do with his abilities. It would be disruptive to our Senior Coach with continuing murmuring whenever we lose a few games that Neeld could be replaced with Ratten who would be seen as a potential coach in waiting. By the way, our Prime Minister made this same mistake having K Rudd in Cabinet for a while. And look how that worked out.

I would suggest Neeld had intimate knowledge of Browns abilities etc. What do you or anyone know of Lings?

Just asking. Anyone can propose a name ..but what of the value to our club.

Fair enough... but you would imagine that players like Scarlett or Mooney would know of what Cam Ling is capable of.... otherwise why mention it in the media ?

I dont think Rats is the solution to our mids. Nor can i see that Choco is either. But in fairness is that simply more indicative of a dearth of talent and ability more than direction ? or both ?

i'd say both but what would i know

Fair enough... but you wouldi imagine that players like Scarlett or Mooney would know of what Cam Ling is capable of.... otherwise why mention it in the media ?

equally fair enough

I'd like both Ling and Mooney as assistants.

How many senior coaches move on, or backwards, to being assistant coaches? I accept Mark Williams is doing that now at GWS but in my mind that's a special set of circumstances which may already include an agreement that he steps into the main role in a year or two.

There's no way that Mark Williams isn't really the senior coach of that team.

Sheeds is just the media face.

How many senior coaches move on, or backwards, to being assistant coaches? I accept Mark Williams is doing that now at GWS but in my mind that's a special set of circumstances which may already include an agreement that he steps into the main role in a year or two. Dean Laidley had a part-time coaching role with Port Adelaide, but it was very part time with him allegedly coaching via Skype because PA couldn't afford to fly him to Adelaide. To me that seems more like a mentoring role.

There may be others...but I can't think of any. Most ex-coaches move to different roles (media, football manager, etc). If I were Ratten's adviser, I would be telling him not to take an assistant's role and definitely not at Melbourne. (That's free advice for everyone...never go back to an old job).

But that's not what the question was which was asked. Would I want him back? No. And it's got nothing to do with his abilities. It would be disruptive to our Senior Coach with continuing murmuring whenever we lose a few games that Neeld could be replaced with Ratten who would be seen as a potential coach in waiting. By the way, our Prime Minister made this same mistake having K Rudd in Cabinet for a while. And look how that worked out.

Dean Bailey says "Hi"...

Our midfield has been pox at inside footy since either Scott Thompson left, or Brett Ratten left, or both left, since Scotty & Ratts both left in 2004.

Welcomed back with open arms i say.