Brad Green's Retirement - It's Official

[Nasher 33,607]

Fair go bluey...this stuff is out of line. Brad loves this club. He has told me that & i believe his word. He is a man of dignity.

I think the word you're after there is 'integrity', WYL, but I agree.

[Sir Why You Little 36,985]

I think the word you're after there is 'integrity', WYL, but I agree.

I could have used integrity Nash, but Brad can hold his dignity up high. He has it in spades. He will always have close ties to the MFC.

[rpfc 28,263]

I could have used integrity Nash, but Brad can hold his dignity up high. He has it in spades. He will always have close ties to the MFC.

Jurrah was the only one holding his dignity...

[baysidedave 246]

Has there been an announcment?

Hope he plays the year Looked like his old self against the GC kids Was great to see!

he shouldn't be going, Neeld is forcing him out and we lose another experienced player when we need all we can get. l reckon we will struggle again next year and if we only win 2-4 games Neeld can go, willing to give him one more year but if there shyte he's gotta go.

Edited August 8, 2012 by baysidedave

[whatwhat say what 22,700]

has been a terrific servant of the club, and had a couple of terrific seasons.

i wish him best in his retirement...but i must admit i do expect to see him running around for gws next season.

[Lord Travis 10,697]

All the best with retirement Brad. I hope he stays connected with the club beyond his playing days. He's a really good guy, always positive and upbeat. The few times I've met him he has been really friendly and up for a chat. I'll always have fond memories of 2000 and many games he played. He managed to develop really well as his career progressed. Who would've thought that skinny kid would wind up making floating back into packs for marks a trademark! I also think he is the best set shot from Melbourne in modern times.

Will miss him. The whole list is pretty new and young now. Nervous times ahead!

[dee-luded 2,959]

Congratulations Brad on a Valued & a Distinguished AFL Footy career, well played & well represented.

Thanks for being a true Demon.

[Northern Summer 292]

A slightly worrying line in the last paragraph of The Age article today, where it says that Green has not ruled out a James McDonald scenario of going to another club in a similar role - if he even entertains that idea, it would indicate that he was pushed into retirement - although more likely than not it's The Age making something out of something that's not.

I certainly hope Green wasn't pushed, as we are going to be awfully low of leadership experience to begin with in 2013 unless we recruit leaders into the club, with Green going, Moloney an almost certainty to join him, and Sylvia's MFC future unpredictable if the right trade was offered. Aside from Jamar and Rivers, we essentially have a group of very young kids.

Obviously I am repeating what everyone else has already written but regardless of the club's depth, average player age & matches played, etc, it simply cannot afford to have another year where it only beats the new franchises and 1-2 others. It is worth remembering the MFC has only beaten 2 Victorian clubs since 2008! These are the games which generate the most interest among supporters and the AFL community, not when you simply beat interstate sides at home and nothing else (not that we've even been able to do that this year). I would be surprised if uncontracted big names consider the MFC in light of the bad press the club has received, unless the club is prepared to take the punt and pay 'overs' for these players in the prediction they will actually be better players than they already were, such as they did with Mitch Clark. That is why the club really has little choice but to pursue Cloke, or similar standard players if they become available, even if they are not going to rectify the dominant weakness of the team.

[Range Rover 1,935]

A slightly worrying line in the last paragraph of The Age article today, where it says that Green has not ruled out a James McDonald scenario of going to another club in a similar role

You shouldn't be "worried" about this. The AFL landscape with these new franchise sides demands that they'll snap up the odd veteran to serve in that type of role. Good luck to Brad if he can get a gig doing that.

We should be more "worried" about assembling a forward line that can do the business against the Hawthorns, West Coasts and Geelongs of the footy world.

[old dee 23,781]

You shouldn't be "worried" about this. The AFL landscape with these new franchise sides demands that they'll snap up the odd veteran to serve in that type of role. Good luck to Brad if he can get a gig doing that.

We should be more "worried" about assembling a forward line that can do the business against the Hawthorns, West Coasts and Geelongs of the footy world.

Don't agree RR

There is an error in above it should read

"We should be more "worried" about assembling a forward line that can do the business against the 15 teams above us"

[Sir Why You Little 36,985]

Denham gotstuck in today....

[old dee 23,781]

Denham gotstuck in today....

Whats new wyl.

I don't listen to SEN when he is on.

Waste of my valuable heart beats

[H_T 3,043]

he shouldn't be going, Neeld is forcing him out and we lose another experienced player when we need all we can get. l reckon we will struggle again next year and if we only win 2-4 games Neeld can go, willing to give him one more year but if there shyte he's gotta go.

The writing was on the wall for Brad. And he's man enough to recognise when to finish rather than hang on and let a very good career finish with less sizzle. He's probably also in the know of the club's intentions in manouervering post season. He's put the club first. A club that's allowed to let him play and represent melbfc 255 times and be one of the greats for the club.That's a sign of man who has his head screwed on right. Hopefully the club has a role for him in some regard to remain with the club.

Oh, btw Green has stated in his press conference after talking to his family and peers, that it was "the right time"...but I don't expect people like Bluey, or even Greg Denham to absorb this fact.

[DemonWA 3,931]

Reflecting on Green's career, it was pretty remarkable how many 1st and 2nd year players came into our side and were valuable contributors from the get go back in~2000.

Whats changed? I guess the style of game these days requires much higher levels of fitness and strength which take a few preseasons to obtain?

[Robbie57 2,020]

A true leader at the Club, carried himself with Dignity this year and lived to his ethos of giving all to the club.

Thank you Brad for the many years of loyal service, i hope the club can help realise your post playing dreams but if its to be elsewhere you have deserved it.

A champion on and off the field.

[Range Rover 1,935]

Don't agree RR

There is an error in above it should read

"We should be more "worried" about assembling a forward line that can do the business against the 15 teams above us"

Very true OD.

[Hannibal 5,814]

I say Malthouse was making a general comment on what he thinks is good coaching practice. I applied it to Neeld because he is a coach, and it seems to me that his practice appears to be very different to what Malthouse has referred to as good practice. In particular, I had in mind the idea expressed by quite a lot of Melbourne supporters that Neeld perhaps is focused on implementing his own style ("conformity" being his early catchword) at the expense of the players' own instincts (or as Malthouse says, their strengths). Plenty of examples of concern about that, on Demonland. (I can't help thinking about this; and why did Brad Green go on so much in his presser about the need for all the players to buy in?...)

As I've mentioned in another thread, Malthouse at the end of his first season as coach traded, retired, or delisted 13 players. These players included former captain Gavin Brown (retired), stalwart Gavin Crosisca (retired), Shane Watson (retired), Paul Williams (traded) Mal Michael (traded), and Sav Rocca (traded). Do you have your answer ?

Malcolm Blight walked into Adelaide and ruthlessly delisted Tony McGuiness, Andrew Jarman, Greg Anderson and Chris McDermott, two of whom were former captains, including the incumbent. He went on to coach them to two flags, but having read a post of yours on another thread it seems the flags wouldn't have given you much comfort.

Right now Melbourne is a soft target and the media will take any opportunity to rub our noses in it. When Blight prematurely sacked players it was considered brilliant and visionary, when we do it we're kicked in the head as being disloyal, or ill-considered. Hogan in today's The Age couldn't even get Junior's age right. He was a couple of months off 34, not a couple of months beyond 32.

Ultimately this is a results driven business. We'll keep getting our heads kicked until we start putting wins on the board. My advice to supporters is to give Neeld his turn at developing the list and club he wants. In due course you'll get your chance to see whether it has paid dividends, or not. Second guessing his every move at this early stage is fruitless and pointless.

And stop listening to every negative comment in the media. They're usually without foundation.

[Range Rover 1,935]

My advice to supporters is to give Neeld his turn at developing the list and club he wants. In due course you'll get your chance to see whether it has paid dividends, or not. Second guessing his every move at this early stage is fruitless and pointless.

Yet they keep doing it.

Why?

I'd suggest it is because - deep down - they don't want him to succeed.

[robbiefrom13 887]

As I've mentioned in another thread, Malthouse at the end of his first season as coach traded, retired, or delisted 13 players. These players included former captain Gavin Brown (retired), stalwart Gavin Crosisca (retired), Shane Watson (retired), Paul Williams (traded) Mal Michael (traded), and Sav Rocca (traded). Do you have your answer ?

Malcolm Blight walked into Adelaide and ruthlessly delisted Tony McGuiness, Andrew Jarman, Greg Anderson and Chris McDermott, two of whom were former captains, including the incumbent. He went on to coach them to two flags, but having read a post of yours on another thread it seems the flags wouldn't have given you much comfort.

Right now Melbourne is a soft target and the media will take any opportunity to rub our noses in it. When Blight prematurely sacked players it was considered brilliant and visionary, when we do it we're kicked in the head as being disloyal, or ill-considered. Hogan in today's The Age couldn't even get Junior's age right. He was a couple of months off 34, not a couple of months beyond 32.

Ultimately this is a results driven business. We'll keep getting our heads kicked until we start putting wins on the board. My advice to supporters is to give Neeld his turn at developing the list and club he wants. In due course you'll get your chance to see whether it has paid dividends, or not. Second guessing his every move at this early stage is fruitless and pointless.

And stop listening to every negative comment in the media. They're usually without foundation.

yes - true for you, Malthouse cleaned out his list, lots do. Maybe that is the unspoken context for the comment of his I quoted, but on the surface of it, what Malthouse said was that he coaches to the strengths of the players, and he endorses another bloke as a coach because he too approaches coaching that way. Whether or not Malthouse would advocate as a policy cleaning out your list is not stated here; and whether or not he would see the cleaning out of the list at Melbourne as a good thing is obviously nothing to do with what he was commenting on, and not what he said. I was interested in what he did say.

I think I agree with you - Neeld should get his fair chance at doing the job. He has a contract for 3 years and I do not suggest he be discarded any more than I would suggest wholesale discarding of players. Work with what you have, within reason, is my starting point, and as far as possible try to make it better. Obviously, add more talent as you can, but I'd put the focus more on additions rather than deletions, and sometimes it seems to me that there are supporters whose first thought is their long and vengeful list of who to get rid of...

In my post, I was just thinking about how it's all been going, and suggesting that a comment that Malthouse did make might have some relevance. Your response to my post misses the point that I made, and disregards the comment that Malthouse did make. You may be entirely right in your conclusions; like you I will be waiting with interest to find out.

Compiling a manual on those things that make coaching successful would be a good thing, I think, of wide interest, and any contemporary such manual would presumably include the thoughts of Malthouse on the subject - wouldn't you agree? I concede that the quote that caught my eye may not make the cut, if his views were sampled more widely...

Thankyou. I'll try to avoid those TV shows others watch. Newspapers, too? And negative thoughts expressed on Demonland?...

(Was your reply to my post a negative comment?)

Edited August 9, 2012 by robbiefrom13

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,693]

There is generally a choice of two statements when players retire. When they retire earlier than expected, people say "Why did he retire?". When they play on for one year too many, people say "Why didn't he retire?"

Brad Green has taken the first option and was a wise man for doing so.

[robbiefrom13 887]

Yet they keep doing it.

Why?

I'd suggest it is because - deep down - they don't want him to succeed.

you have some interesting theories! You are of course unqualified to say, in the way I imagine you'd consider me qualified, me probably being one of those you refer to? I'm here to tell you that, no, you have not get the understanding of this... Not even deep down.

names-calling, ranger...

[rpfc 28,263]

He already surprised me when he kept the list from last year largely intact; only Warnock, Wonna, and Maric were moved on from the Primary List.

The list has had their chance and Neeld has seen enough. The list changes will be dictated by how well we do in FA and Trade Week.

[Range Rover 1,935]

you have some interesting theories! You are of course unqualified to say, in the way I imagine you'd consider me qualified, me probably being one of those you refer to? I'm here to tell you that, no, you have not get the understanding of this... Not even deep down.

names-calling, ranger...

The fact that you immediately know I'd be referring to you says it all, really.

Yes, I think that's the unspoken context for the drivel you write.

Anyway ... troll on.

[robbiefrom13 887]

The fact that you immediately know I'd be referring to you says it all, really.

Yes, I think that's the unspoken context for the drivel you write.

Anyway ... troll on.

troll, you say?

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

I'd suggest it is because - deep down - they don't want him to succeed.

I don't think it's that.

There are some who are so addicted to whining that they don't pass up a single opportunity to throw a chilly blanket of negativity over anything in reach.

They can turn any topic -- even the robot spaceship on Mars -- into something negative about MFC. ("Imagine if our footy department was in charge of it ... it would have landed on Venus!")

They enjoy it.

A shocking, destructive habit, but there it is.