OPPORTUNITY LOST

[demonoid 317]

10 months. if you think that you can change what has been a problem for a long, long time in 10 months, then you are crazy. while i am shattered with our performances this year, i understand that what neeld is trying to do will take a lot longer that that. if 17 weeks into next year we have won 2 games, then ill be pointing the finger, but until then, i am 100% behind neeld and what he stands for.

Well said. It's all bad at the moment but we are demons through and through. You either stick fat or bugger off. I will be buying my membership next year and the year after and so on. It's what we do. Go dees

[stuie 7,374]

it is just way too early to be judging him in my opinion

WAY to early to think about sacking him, but not too early to judge what he's done so far and if it's worked.

Neeld needs to have just as much accountability as the players for where we're at, and I'm shocked by the posters here just going along with the "Neeld is awesome, players suck" theme and then having a go at me and suggesting it's too early to judge.

If it's too early to judge, how do you know he's so good?

Edited July 21, 2012 by stuie

[deejammin' 2,096]

We are a terrible team, and that was a terrible team with most of its few good performers out injured, it was never going to be pretty, but it was still awful! We should never have had port going past us at this point, they were bottoming out during GC and GWS compromised drafts and were a terrible team the last couple of years while we should have been on the way up. This was a truly awful night for the MFC.

At the half way point of the season we were told the second half would be a new season, that hasn't eventuated, it has been a repeat of the first half but without Mitch Clark! I am beginning to worry about Neeld, certainly he thought we would be better than we are by now, I don't think that he would have been as upset this week or last if he had expected it. But I think he could turn it around with some good trading and drafting as well as a strong pre-season and some luck with injuries. If we are at the halfway point of next season looking at 1 or 2 wins it may be that we have once again put all our eggs in the wrong basket.

[leehow 285]

Not saying he's solely to blame.

Not saying we should be playing finals this year.

What I AM saying, is he needs to cop some heat for where we are at, just like the players should. This mamby pamby "we'll be better next year" attitude that surrounds MFC is part of the problem and I won't cop it anymore.

WHY did we need to go backwards? That's a falsehood that some seem to cling to. Did the Bombers go backwards under Hird? Crows under Sanderson? It's just another excuse.

We SHOULD be better than what we currently are, that is the simple reality.

no, the bombers didnt go backwards, but they definitely have stagnated. they are incredibly overrated, and that has been shown over the last few weeks. the crows couldnt have gone much further backwards. they struggled last year. while they had incredible talent, craig rated them the most talented list he had coached, they had gotten stale, and a change of coach has refreshed them and they are living up to that talent.

we definitely should be better than we currently are, but you cannot blame neeld for that. blame bailey, or daniher, or a culture that saw us get rid of a guy like james mcdonald because he wasnt in our "age bracket"

[stuie 7,374]

Well said. It's all bad at the moment but we are demons through and through. You either stick fat or bugger off. I will be buying my membership next year and the year after and so on. It's what we do. Go dees

Well said Chap, let's all be happy about where we're at and not bat an eyelid, right you are!

Winning doesn't matter, it's all about getting the sticker for the Land Rover's license plate, good show. Hoorah!

[stuie 7,374]

we definitely should be better than we currently are, but you cannot blame neeld for that. blame bailey, or daniher, or a culture that saw us get rid of a guy like james mcdonald because he wasnt in our "age bracket"

FFS... Blame everyone but the actual coach hey... Jebus.

[angrydee 842]

Neeld did not say that we would be the hardest team to play against in 2012. How could they be when they are the least fit team in the AFL {bar the newbies and the dogs). Moloney and Morton have not done enough at Casey and still don't defend. Did anyone see Moloney not chase Little twice last week - resulting in Little kicking 1.1. Morton took his eyes off the ball twice to avoid contact.

A hard relentless preseason and we'll see what happens next year.

DB was not a coaches bum. I wanted him sacked after year 2

I don't yet know whether Neeld is any good, but the team is a lot harder at the ball. L'll wait another year before passing judgement.

Edited July 21, 2012 by angrydee

[bandicoot 1,395]

Tick tock tick tock... Neeld officially has a dozen more matches to produce improvement otherwise there is no way his contract will get extended.

If by round 10 we have only won 1 or 2 matches then he will be the one to go.

At this rate this will be a distinct possibility... Any new coach suggestions?

[leehow 285]

WAY to early to think about sacking him, but not too early to judge what he's done so far and if it's worked.

Neeld needs to have just as much accountability as the players for where we're at, and I'm shocked by the posters here just going along with the "Neeld is awesome, players suck" theme and then having a go at me and suggesting it's too early to judge.

If it's too early to judge, how do you know he's so good?

i dont know he's going to be good, but you're being ridiculous. the players have been there a long time, and have been average for the majority of that time. neeld has been there for 10 months. he has come in from a successful program, and tried to implement a culture and training program that can replicate what he has been a part of. it is not something that can be changed overnight. we see 2 hours of it every week, and while it has been incredibly disappointing viewing, im sure if you speak to the players, they are all fitter than they've ever been, and feel that neeld's style has more chance of leading them to success than previous coaches. i dont know that he is going to succeed, and im not having a go at you, but i am prepared to give him every chance, because i believe in the style he is trying to implement.

[stuie 7,374]

Neeld did not say that we would be the hardest team to play against in 2012.

I'm sorry, I didn't realize he said we'd be the hardest team to play against some time in the distant future... I figured he meant a team under him would be a hard team to play against.

Someone should have asked him for a specific year I guess, oh well, we'll just have to keep extending his contract til it happens then, after all, he did say it would happen.

[leehow 285]

FFS... Blame everyone but the actual coach hey... Jebus.

so who are you blaming mate?

[stuie 7,374]

i dont know he's going to be good, but you're being ridiculous. the players have been there a long time, and have been average for the majority of that time. neeld has been there for 10 months. he has come in from a successful program, and tried to implement a culture and training program that can replicate what he has been a part of. it is not something that can be changed overnight. we see 2 hours of it every week, and while it has been incredibly disappointing viewing, im sure if you speak to the players, they are all fitter than they've ever been, and feel that neeld's style has more chance of leading them to success than previous coaches. i dont know that he is going to succeed, and im not having a go at you, but i am prepared to give him every chance, because i believe in the style he is trying to implement.

How is it ridiculous to expect the coach to have some accountability?!!! Should he be just left unattended to do whatever, with no expectations?! Amazingly silly comment.

We have majorly sucked this year, and EVERYONE INVOLVED must cop a bit of the blame.

And I'm sure if you asked the players, they would have said the same about Bailey or Daniher, what would you expect?

I didn't expect massive change by now, let alone overnight, but we have gone backwards over the course of the season, and that is NOT RIGHT no matter what.

I'm not saying Neeld is not the man for the job, I generally really like what I hear from him, but it's massively naive to think he's a perfect coach and it's all everybody elses fault.

[demonoid 317]

Well said Chap, let's all be happy about where we're at and not bat an eyelid, right you are!

Winning doesn't matter, it's all about getting the sticker for the Land Rover's license plate, good show. Hoorah!

Hey stuie. Stay behind the club or bugger off. Or if your such a hero you go down and coach the boys. Cheer up clown. If you noticed I was commending another post. I will not be one of the bullies that berates other posts cause I think I have a clue. Yeah I'm talking to you

[stuie 7,374]

so who are you blaming mate?

Everyone. That's my point. Too many are saying "ah well, crap list, crap players", but it's not just the players that cause the result.

I'm really worried by how many are not putting ANY blame at the coaching team. They need to lift their game as much as the players do.

[stuie 7,374]

Hey stuie. Stay behind the club or bugger off. Or if your such a hero you go down and coach the boys. Cheer up clown. If you noticed I was commending another post. I will not be one of the bullies that berates other posts cause I think I have a clue. Yeah I'm talking to you

I could never bugger off from my club, no matter how bad things got, but I will not cheer up and just gleefully accept the rubbish team we are at the moment.

I'm sorry for having a go at you, honestly I am, I'm just hurting about my beloved MFC.

[leehow 285]

How is it ridiculous to expect the coach to have some accountability?!!! Should he be just left unattended to do whatever, with no expectations?! Amazingly silly comment.

We have majorly sucked this year, and EVERYONE INVOLVED must cop a bit of the blame.

And I'm sure if you asked the players, they would have said the same about Bailey or Daniher, what would you expect?

I didn't expect massive change by now, let alone overnight, but we have gone backwards over the course of the season, and that is NOT RIGHT no matter what.

I'm not saying Neeld is not the man for the job, I generally really like what I hear from him, but it's massively naive to think he's a perfect coach and it's all everybody elses fault.

we will have to agree to disagree. if you cant see that we needed to take a step back to move forward then we obviously look at things very differently. i totally agree that neeld needs to take responsibility, but i think it needs to be understood that he had inherited this list, and has not yet had the chance to put his stamp on it. i think you need to give him the off season to make some changes, and then see what happens next year. if things havent changed at this stage next year, then ill be asking the questions you are now.

[Nasher 33,246]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize he said we'd be the hardest team to play against some time in the distant future... I figured he meant a team under him would be a hard team to play against.

Someone should have asked him for a specific year I guess, oh well, we'll just have to keep extending his contract til it happens then, after all, he did say it would happen.

You're being disingenuous stu. He didn't specify a timeline, though I thought it would be fairly obvious that this was a long term goal and not an immediate one. But you're implying that not expecting us to be "hard to play against" immediately means that we're prepared to wait forever; that's not true. You'd hope that some time durng Neeld's tenure we'll be well on the way to achieving whatever he's been appointed to achieve, and if he doesn't achieve that he'll be shown the door.

As always, the truth lies in between the extreme views. Your view that "hard to play against" should happen immediately is an extreme view, and you're assuming anyone who doesn't share your view holds the opposite extreme view (will wait forever for "hard to play against"). That logic doesn't really stick.

[stuie 7,374]

we will have to agree to disagree. if you cant see that we needed to take a step back to move forward then we obviously look at things very differently. i totally agree that neeld needs to take responsibility, but i think it needs to be understood that he had inherited this list, and has not yet had the chance to put his stamp on it. i think you need to give him the off season to make some changes, and then see what happens next year. if things havent changed at this stage next year, then ill be asking the questions you are now.

We actually agree on a lot more than we realize. I did expect a step back to move forward, I just never imagined it would be this far back!

And I'm all for giving Neeld time, I don't want him gone before the end of his contract at the earliest TBH, but I think he has a hell of a lot of improving to do despite what some 'Landers seem to think.

[Demonsterative 2,377]

I dont think its fair to accuse Stuie of not supporting the coach or club. FWIW i agree that Neeld and co need to be assessed just like all other parts of the club. The cold hard fact is that Neeld is not performing to the level i would expect. This does not mean i dont support the club or Neeld, but expect results and im not seeing them.

[stuie 7,374]

You're being disingenuous stu. He didn't specify a timeline, though I thought it would be fairly obvious that this was a long term goal and not an immediate one. But you're implying that not expecting us to be "hard to play against" immediately means that we're prepared to wait forever; that's not true. You'd hope that some time durng Neeld's tenure we'll be well on the way to achieving whatever he's been appointed to achieve, and if he doesn't achieve that he'll be shown the door.

As always, the truth lies in between the extreme views. Your view that "hard to play against" should happen immediately is an extreme view, and you're assuming anyone who doesn't share your view holds the opposite extreme view (will wait forever for "hard to play against"). That logic doesn't really stick.

I get where you're coming from Nash, and just to clarify, I didn't expect us to be the hardest team straight away, but I thought we'd be on the way by now, at least in competitiveness and effort, if not the scoreboard. Just feel like something isn't quite clicking between coach and players, he's seemingly saying and doing the right things, and the players are seemingly buying into it and wanting to do it, but it's not working.

[leehow 285]

We actually agree on a lot more than we realize. I did expect a step back to move forward, I just never imagined it would be this far back!

And I'm all for giving Neeld time, I don't want him gone before the end of his contract at the earliest TBH, but I think he has a hell of a lot of improving to do despite what some 'Landers seem to think.

i would highly doubt that anyone here doesn't think neeld has a lot to improve on. i just think that the majority of people think the players have even more to improve on, and they have had a lot more chances.

[stuie 7,374]

I dont think its fair to accuse Stuie of not supporting the coach or club. FWIW i agree that Neeld and co need to be assessed just like all other parts of the club. The cold hard fact is that Neeld is not performing to the level i would expect. This does not mean i dont support the club or Neeld, but expect results and im not seeing them.

Agreed, except I would say I expect improvement in the areas we have previously lacked rather than results as such.

[stuie 7,374]

i would highly doubt that anyone here doesn't think neeld has a lot to improve on. i just think that the majority of people think the players have even more to improve on, and they have had a lot more chances.

I reckon you'd be surprised! The way some here carry on about Neeld you'd think he could turn the gatorade into champagne! Lol

[Guest Thomo]

Good to see the Nasher spin, just waiting for RPFC and the lastest Nasher endorsed Enforcer alias to back you up. love it - 'when Neeld said the hardest team to play against, he didn't mean now, or in the foreseeable future, it's some time in the future, but I can't tell you when', classic glass 200% full as always, and shout down anyone who is not on board.

[Nasher 33,246]

Good to see the Nasher spin, just waiting for RPFC and the lastest Nasher endorsed Enforcer alias to back you up. love it - 'when Neeld said the hardest team to play against, he didn't mean now, or in the foreseeable future, it's some time in the future, but I can't tell you when', classic glass 200% full as always, and shout down anyone who is not on board.

Did you think "hardest to play against" meant straight away? If so, how did you think Neeld would achieve this given how bloody easy to play against we have been for the last 7 years? If you didn't think so, what's your drop-dead date for his delivery on that promise, since mine's too vague for you?

And you've got a seriously funny view of "shouting down" people if you think that's what I did. Even stuie who is notorious for being a bit touchy, took my post on board and was able to respectfully put his point of view across without bursting in to tears the way you have.