Jump to content

Brad Green's Retirement - It's Official


Range Rover

Recommended Posts

I can't believe people still trot out this bogus line of reasoning.

McDonald and Bruce staying would have meant we'd have finished 14th instead of 16th. That's it. They've both proven that with their showings this year (Bruce for the past two).

These guys should consider every season they are allowed to pull on the boots for Melbourne a blessing, not a birthright.

At least you got it right that the new regime are setting things right in this area.

You still don't get it.

It's got nothing to do with tails wagging dogs. It's got nothing to do with on-field results being slightly better or worse.

It's about standards, culture, leadership and trust. James McDonald was performing well enough to keep playing. If the club didn't want someone who was performing well enough to play to keep playing, you would think that they could have communicated with him and that it would not have come as a total shock. Much more so when he is your only great leader and your captain. Even the club admits that it handled it badly.

James McDonald never felt it was his right to wear the jumper. Neither does Brad Green.

If you can't treat your leaders like that. It has a ripple effect.

Ultimately, the decision on Green needs to be the club's, but in our circumstances right at the minute, if Green is adamant about going on (knowing that he may well play out his career at Casey), I would far prefer he be given the opportunity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It doesn't matter. He's the boss. And these older players have got to learn that the tail will never again wag the dog at this club. That era is over.

We will finish 16th and Green, who is 31, has had two sub-par seasons now. It's just not good enough. Most opposition sides will salivate at seeing his name on a Melbourne team sheet.

There's an opportunity there for him now to bow out gracefully, stating his desire to see our young talls given more senior experience because that would be in the best interests of the club.

Don't take the "look at moi" fist pump path, Brad. Here's a chance for you to prove you are the leader others have doubted you to be.

We have an extremely bad record in recent years of treating our older players with disrespect and contempt when comes to them closing out their careers.

Junior was the worst of them because it wasn't a gentle nudge but a hard shove out the door. He wanted to go around again, he'd earnt the right to end on his terms, he was after all still playing good football.

That caused Bruce to think about how he'll be treated in 1-2 years time by us and left for less money to be a reserves player at the Hawks. I wonder how he feels towards the club now?

Our aggressive youth policy has put former players off the club, Brad is one I want to stay with us after he hangs up the boots.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think whether or not they consider it a blessing to play for Melbourne has anything to do with it, RR.

The issue is whether they should have been tossed. Not whether those players have a sense of entitlement, which to my knowledge has never been seriously suggested by anybody.

The football department considered that issue and decided that yes, their time was over.

Any noses that get point out of joint owing to such decisions, particularly when blokes have had 10+ seasons living off the fat of the land, is poor form in my view.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have an extremely bad record in recent years of treating our older players with disrespect and contempt when comes to them closing out their careers.

Junior was the worst of them because it wasn't a gentle nudge but a hard shove out the door. He wanted to go around again, he'd earnt the right to end on his terms, he was after all still playing good football.

That caused Bruce to think about how he'll be treated in 1-2 years time by us and left for less money to be a reserves player at the Hawks. I wonder how he feels towards the club now?

Our aggressive youth policy has put former players off the club, Brad is one I want to stay with us after he hangs up the boots.

I would counter that we have an extremely poor record of allowing underperforming veterans carte blanche to stay beyond their used by date.

How does Bruce feel about the club? I would like to think quite fondly given we gave him a start and paid him top dollar over a lengthy period of time, even in the latter years when he was doing bugger all.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, he wouldn't. He'd be lucky to get a kick with our pox midfield.

He'd be a midfielder on our list

He's an absolute gun - that 2010 season for Swan Dristricts was unreal

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Isnt there not a "list" anymore? just that each player over 30 can take 100K off the cap? and you can have as many veterans as you wish?

Then just pay him 100k or less. Its not like he ll get more coin elsewhere.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The football department considered that issue and decided that yes, their time was over.

Any noses that get point out of joint owing to such decisions, particularly when blokes have had 10+ seasons living off the fat of the land, is poor form in my view.

"poor form" - a certain lofty disrespect in this I think. The "land" is football - which ultimately is done by players, not management. If management decisions create out-of-jointedness among the players, then more fool the ignorant and arrogant management - they [censored] on their own parade if what they do undermines the performance of the players as a group. And treating them as mere cattle, discardable at the management's call, is not going to bring out the best in them or heightened levels of commitment any more than it would in any of us. Supporters should rightly protest at such stupidity.

Human Relations 101 tells you that the psychological well-being of your staff is critical to ongoing organisational success; giving employees respect and a role in decision-making increases output and profitability enormously. Read up Ricardo Semmler, for an example.

I am not saying that there aren't tough decisions to make at times, and clearly the balance between player egos and workload has been pretty wrong at MFC for a while. Really, I'm only trying to put up a balance to RR who I think is over-stating his position - so here is the polar opposite; all I mean to say is that the answer is actually somewhere a fair way this side of RR's position. Of course everyone needs to be stepping up to higher standards, no worries. But to tell an experienced and hard-working player that his efforts no longer count, is insensitive to how he and his mates will feel. They know the bar is being raised, but if one of them is making a worthwhile contribution, and progressing, it is not going to seem fair when he is told to pack it in, management doesn't care whether or not he can meet the targets of improvement. Casting off blokes that the rest of the team have grown up with and known far longer than they've known the current management, without giving those blokes the chance to earn their place week-to-week is just unfair - it smacks of management pursuing their own theories without particular interest in the players. For those doing the real work, such arrogance at management level is alienating and dispiriting. Absolutely destructive.

(Actually, in the last quarter on Sunday, I saw Green just to the south of full forward, and one of our players had taken a mark just forward of the wing on the members' side; in front of Green was a big gap around centre-half-forward. Had Green led into the space, to 25 metres out dead in front, he couldn't have been stopped. He made no attempt to lead, presumably because team rules are that the play was to come down the boundary, and leading into the corridor wasn't on. I wondered about this. His instinct must have been to seize the opportunity, but he didn't. On fire, really, but suppressing what he is naturally good at. If this was a team rules thing inhibiting his play, I dislike it. A few minutes later, from a similar position on the members' side, Green passed the ball to Howe, in the spot he might have led to himself, and Howe gave Green what was for that game at least the absolute last word on this team rule (if it is the team rule)...

If we cut Green, and he goes elsewhere, I predict he will play superbly and embarrass a lot of people - more than were embarrassed over Junior.)

The master-servant Act is a long way out of date. It's common knowledge that Chapman got the Cats together to stop the rot, and that in 1987, six or eight weeks out and with it all going down the pan again, the senior players at MFC got together and determined what they were going to do, adding their input to that of the coach - and look what happened in both those cases. You can't disregard the importance of the players. Denying them respect, agency, ownership is just dumb. It is undermining, out-of-date, counter-productive, right-wing management-focused management. Please, don't make us have to go through such crap....

Edited by robbiefrom13
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"poor form" - a certain lofty disrespect in this I think. The "land" is football - which ultimately is done by players, not management. If management decisions create out-of-jointedness among the players, then more fool the ignorant and arrogant management - they [censored] on their own parade if what they do undermines the performance of the players as a group. And treating them as mere cattle, discardable at the management's call, is not going to bring out the best in them or heightened levels of commitment any more than it would in any of us. Supporters should rightly protest at such stupidity.

Human Relations 101 tells you that the psychological well-being of your staff is critical to ongoing organisational success; giving employees respect and a role in decision-making increases output and profitability enormously. Read up Ricardo Semmler, for an example.

I am not saying that there aren't tough decisions to make at times, and clearly the balance between player egos and workload has been pretty wrong at MFC for a while. Really, I'm only trying to put up a balance to RR who I think is over-stating his position - so here is the polar opposite; all I mean to say is that the answer is actually somewhere a fair way this side of RR's position. Of course everyone needs to be stepping up to higher standards, no worries. But to tell an experienced and hard-working player that his efforts no longer count, is insensitive to how he and his mates will feel. They know the bar is being raised, but if one of them is making a worthwhile contribution, and progressing, it is not going to seem fair when he is told to pack it in, management doesn't care whether or not he can meet the targets of improvement. Casting off blokes that the rest of the team have grown up with and known far longer than they've known the current management, without giving those blokes the chance to earn their place week-to-week is just unfair - it smacks of management pursuing their own theories without particular interest in the players. For those doing the real work, such arrogance at management level is alienating and dispiriting. Absolutely destructive.

(Actually, in the last quarter on Sunday, I saw Green just to the south of full forward, and one of our players had taken a mark just forward of the wing on the members' side; in front of Green was a big gap around centre-half-forward. Had Green led into the space, to 25 metres out dead in front, he couldn't have been stopped. He made no attempt to lead, presumably because team rules are that the play was to come down the boundary, and leading into the corridor wasn't on. I wondered about this. His instinct must have been to seize the opportunity, but he didn't. On fire, really, but suppressing what he is naturally good at. If this was a team rules thing inhibiting his play, I dislike it. A few minutes later, from a similar position, he passed the ball to Howe, in the spot he might have led to himself, and Howe possibly gave Green the absolute last word on this team rule...

If we cut Green, and he goes elsewhere, I predict he will play superbly and embarrass a lot of people - more than were embarrassed over Junior.)

The master-servant Act is a long way out of date. It's common knowledge that Chapman got the Cats together to stop the rot, and that in 1987, six or eight weeks out and with it all going down the pan again, the senior players at MFC got together and determined what they were going to do, adding their input to that of the coach - and look what happened in both those cases. You can't disregard the importance of the players. Denying them respect, agency, ownership is just dumb. It is undermining, out-of-date, counter-productive, right-wing management-focused management. Please, don't make us have to go through such crap....

You write passionately but the fact remains there is a chain of command and the players sit below the generals on it. The rest is hoopla.

Thankfully we now have a coach in charge who will make these hard decisions and is not overly concerned about his own popularity in doing so.

I'm glad Brad looks set to be doing the right thing here, putting the club before himself. Kudos to him.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems as though much of the debate on this topic is moot. Congratulations to Greeny on a magnificent career. 251 games & 346 goals is a fantastic return. Will never forget the QF in 2000 where he helped turn over Carlton.

He could've left the club for individual success with another club but stuck fat. I respect his efforts.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


We have an extremely bad record in recent years of treating our older players with disrespect and contempt when comes to them closing out their careers.

Junior was the worst of them because it wasn't a gentle nudge but a hard shove out the door. He wanted to go around again, he'd earnt the right to end on his terms, he was after all still playing good football.

That caused Bruce to think about how he'll be treated in 1-2 years time by us and left for less money to be a reserves player at the Hawks. I wonder how he feels towards the club now?

Our aggressive youth policy has put former players off the club, Brad is one I want to stay with us after he hangs up the boots.

You lost me when you said "Bruce"- held us to ransom at every contract negotiation- thats his right like all players have the right - then the club made the decision on his last contract not to budge and he left. Players demand big money to play - and the club decides yes or no. The club not the player should decide when time is up- hopefully the player and club are in unison but unfortunately in Juniors case this was not so.It happens. So be it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

He will change his mind and nominate for this years draft.

You heard it here first.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great servant to this club and would like to say thanks for his efforts, good luck in retirement Greeny, sorry I have another commitment and wont get to farewell you against Freo but hope to take my kids to your final training run to say goodbye

Edited by Pennant St Dee
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You write passionately but the fact remains there is a chain of command and the players sit below the generals on it. The rest is hoopla.

Thankfully we now have a coach in charge who will make these hard decisions and is not overly concerned about his own popularity in doing so.

I'm glad Brad looks set to be doing the right thing here, putting the club before himself. Kudos to him.

ok. But I noticed Malthouse quoted in today's Age, concerning Wallace as a good prospect for Port Adelaide:

"I know he has a hold on the game, he thinks about it very much in terms I probably would, playing to players' strengths..."

I would love to hear that Malthouse assessed Neeld in similar terms - but do you think he would?

From the way he refers to it, Malthouse appears to consider this "playing to players' strengths" pretty important. You can be sure he has watched Neeld's progress with great interest, and presumably with some serious reflection on why it's been so disappointing.

Perhaps Malthouse has refined his notion of what really counts. I wonder what he would say about the opportunity for some other club to pick up a player with the strengths of Brad Green.

Edited by robbiefrom13
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for many great memories Brad. You should feel extremely proud of your career at Melbourne.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok. But I noticed Malthouse quoted in today's Age, concerning Wallace as a good prospect for Port Adelaide:

"I know he has a hold on the game, he thinks about it very much in terms I probably would, playing to players' strengths..."

I would love to hear that Malthouse assessed Neeld in similar terms - but do you think he would?

From the way he refers to it, Malthouse appears to consider this "playing to players' strengths" pretty important. You can be sure he has watched Neeld's progress with great interest, and presumably with some serious reflection on why it's been so disappointing.

And, putting injuries to key players aside, he'd probably come to the same conclusion that most rational analysts would - we have the worst midfield group in the competition, too many NQR's and a playing list that needs to be further disciplined into playing tough, defensive minded football over four quarters.

Roll on the draft and the pre-season.

Edited by Range Rover
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Demonland Forums  

  • Match Previews, Reports & Articles  

    DELUGE by KC from Casey

    The Casey Demons overcame their inaccuracy and the wet inhospitable conditions to overrun the lowly Northern Bullants at Genis Steel Oval in Cramer Street, Preston on Saturday. It was an eerie feeling entering the ground that in the past hosted many VFA/VFL greats of the past including the legendary Roy Cazaly. The cold and drizzly rain and the sparse crowd were enough to make one want to escape to the nearby Preston Market and hang out there for the afternoon. In the event, the fans

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Casey Articles

    INSANITY by Whispering Jack

    Somehow, the Melbourne Football Club managed it twice in the course of a week. Coach Simon Goodwin admitted it in his press conference after the loss against the Brisbane Lions in a game where his team held a four goal lead in the third term:   "In reality we went a bit safe. Big occasion, a lot of young players playing. We probably just went into our shell a bit. "There's a bit to unpack in that last quarter … whether we go into our shells a bit late in the game."   Well

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 7

    PREGAME: Rd 17 vs West Coast

    The Demons return to Melbourne in Round 17 to take on the Eagles on Sunday as they look to bounce back from a devastating and heartbreaking last minute loss to the Lions at the Gabba. Who comes in and who goes out?

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 74

    PODCAST: Rd 16 vs Brisbane

    The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 1st July @ 8:30pm. Join George, Binman & I as we analyse the Demons loss at the Gabba against the Lions in the Round 16. You questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human. Listen & Chat LIV

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 20

    VOTES: Rd 16 vs Brisbane

    Captain Max Gawn has a considerable lead over the injured reigning champion Christian Petracca in the Demonland Player of the Year Award. Steven May, Alex Neal-Bullen & Jack Viney make up the Top 5. Your votes for the loss against the Lions. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 30

    POSTGAME: Rd 16 vs Brisbane

    The Demons once again went goalless in the last quarter and were run down by the Lions at the Gabba in the final minutes of the match ultimately losing the game by 5 points as their percentage dips below 100 for the first time since 2020. 

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 429

    GAMEDAY: Rd 16 vs Brisbane

    It's Game Day and the Dees are deep in the heart of enemy territory as they take on the Lions in Brisbane under the Friday Night Lights at the Gabba. Will the Demon finally be awakened and the season get back on track or will they meekly be sacrificed like lambs to the slaughter?

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 920

    UNBACKABLE by The Oracle

    They’re billing the Brisbane Lions as a sleeping giant — the best team outside the top eight —and based on their form this month they’re a definite contender for September AFL action. Which is not exactly the best of news if you happen to be Melbourne, the visiting team this week up at the Gabba.  Even though they are placed ahead of their opponent on the AFL table, and they managed to stave off defeat in their last round victory over North Melbourne, this week’s visitors to the Sunshi

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Match Previews

    WILDCARDS by KC from Casey

    Casey’s season continued to drift into helplessness on Sunday when they lost another home game by a narrow margin, this time six points, in their Round 13 clash with North Melbourne’s VFL combination. The game was in stunning contrast to their last meeting at the same venue when Casey won the VFL Wildcard Match by 101 points. Back then, their standout players were Brodie Grundy and James Jordon who are starring in the AFL with ladder leaders, the Sydney Swans (it turned out to be their last

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Casey Articles
  • Tell a friend

    Love Demonland? Tell a friend!

×
×
  • Create New...