I'm seeing players working harder. I'm seeing more discipline. I'm seeing more scrapping.

I'm seeing some fight.

Not from everyone, no. The usual suspects can't or won't put in. But there's enough spirit and commitment to the cause there to suggest that Neeld is getting through to a critical mass of the players.

He's getting 'buy in'.

Get Clark and a Cloke type down there, add a sprinkling of class in the middle and some dog-hungry Moneyballers to the side ... and we will claim some real scalps next year.

Don't doubt it. This club will climb up off the canvas.

A new Melbourne is going to emerge that we can all be proud of.

I agree and I've had that feeling for a little while now. I can see a core group emerging, something we were missing in the Bailey era.

I thought they looked disinterested for the larger part. But I accept that that tends to happen to young horrible teams near season's end.

  On 11/08/2012 at 11:07, Range Rover said:

I'm seeing players working harder. I'm seeing more discipline. I'm seeing more scrapping.

I'm seeing some fight.

Not from everyone, no. The usual suspects can't or won't put in. But there's enough spirit and commitment to the cause there to suggest that Neeld is getting through to a critical mass of the players.

He's getting 'buy in'.

Get Clark and a Cloke type down there, add a sprinkling of class in the middle and some dog-hungry Moneyballers to the side ... and we will claim some real scalps next year.

Don't doubt it. This club will climb up off the canvas.

A new Melbourne is going to emerge that we can all be proud of.

I'm seeing 'a bit of a laugh' or 'delusion' - what a joke - credibility zero, just like the 'statistical analysis' of your polls!

  On 11/08/2012 at 11:07, Range Rover said:

I'm seeing players working harder. I'm seeing more discipline. I'm seeing more scrapping.

I'm seeing some fight.

Not from everyone, no. The usual suspects can't or won't put in. But there's enough spirit and commitment to the cause there to suggest that Neeld is getting through to a critical mass of the players.

He's getting 'buy in'.

Get Clark and a Cloke type down there, add a sprinkling of class in the middle and some dog-hungry Moneyballers to the side ... and we will claim some real scalps next year.

Don't doubt it. This club will climb up off the canvas.

A new Melbourne is going to emerge that we can all be proud of.

I'm seeing & hearing the New Growth peeping Thru the Due covered grass of a fresh Spring season.

  On 11/08/2012 at 11:29, Hardnut said:

I'm seeing 'a bit of a laugh' or 'delusion' - what a joke - credibility zero, just like the 'statistical analysis' of your polls!

If we're so bad, then please feel free to go and follow another team. RR made some valid observations, but you nay say purely because these observations were made by RR.

  On 11/08/2012 at 11:29, Hardnut said:

I'm seeing 'a bit of a laugh' or 'delusion' - what a joke - credibility zero, just like the 'statistical analysis' of your polls!

So you can't see the emergence of a game plan and the players working harder on the ground?

We had a b grade team in today, we had several players out there that won't be at the club next year and some quality missing but we still got within 25 points of a side that are in contention for the finals. We also kicked 8 goals against them in the last quarter, when was the last time we did that?

  On 11/08/2012 at 11:34, hardtack said:

If we're so bad, then please feel free to go and follow another team. RR made some valid observations, but you nay say purely because these observations were made by RR.

No, my comments are made because I'm not seeing 'buying in' - I'm not seeing improvement over previous years (including long before DB) - I'm not seeing players knowing what they are doing or meant to do etc. I don't automatically disagree with anyone - see my post in 'Contract discussions' where I agree with rpfc and offer a further discussion point.

We are playing more direct. Neeld seems to be adjusting his game plan a tad.

I still think we have a very promising list.

Moloney still looks lost, neeld must freshen him up by maybe playing him in the back pocket like johnson of collingwood or even use him as a tagger in the mold of ling. He is too good a player not to utilize.

Sylvia is a potent half forward and I would leave him there. 8 tackles shows his endeavor is not waning.

But todays game style seemed a bit more fluent. More instinctive and less second guessing.

We still lost, but at least I can finally see something.

  On 11/08/2012 at 11:47, RobbieF said:

So you can't see the emergence of a game plan and the players working harder on the ground?

We had a b grade team in today, we had several players out there that won't be at the club next year and some quality missing but we still got within 25 points of a side that are in contention for the finals. We also kicked 8 goals against them in the last quarter, when was the last time we did that?

I have argued before that the players are not the problem - I don't believe any serious AFL player doesn't work hard - I didn't see any massive game plan change, but I'm also not sure what so-called game plan we're talking about anymore.

It seems like the penny may have dropped, I am definitely looking forward to 2013, and we must be ready to win from round 1.

I want to follow footy again, not hope and dream.

  On 11/08/2012 at 11:33, dee-luded said:

I'm seeing & hearing the New Growth peeping Thru the Due covered grass of a fresh Spring season.

I hear you bro.

In case you watched a different game than me today, Melbourne got smashed by a team that will not play finals.

This thead is an example of why this site has become so poor.

Melbourne get smashed and you say it is a great sign?

  On 11/08/2012 at 12:13, Thomo said:

In case you watched a different game than me today, Melbourne got smashed by a team that will not play finals.

This thead is an example of why this site has become so poor.

Melbourne get smashed and you say it is a great sign?

There are plenty of other threads where you can go and bash our first year coach, Thomo.

This one's for the true believers. The fans who understand what he's trying to do, the hard road he's taking us down, and can see the first rays of a new dawn glimmering on the horizon.

This time next year we will be beating St KIlda.

  On 11/08/2012 at 12:13, Thomo said:

In case you watched a different game than me today, Melbourne got smashed by a team that will not play finals.

This thead is an example of why this site has become so poor.

Melbourne get smashed and you say it is a great sign?

They may not play finals but they do have some very good players.

We can sit here and hang sh!t on all and sundry if you want to, but, hell, we have been doing that for the last two months.

And this site is fine, except for when people get on here and say that you can't take anything positive in a loss.

As a captain of a team that just got pantsed I will say that is absolute BS, and not helpful at all.

So you can go start a blog and write about how crap we are but guess what - we know that.

But life isn't black and white and if we can pick out something worthwhile in the grey then that's great.

Love it RPFC how you always roll out the line that if a poster does not agree with you they should start a blog. Maybe you should take your own advice.

  On 11/08/2012 at 12:20, Range Rover said:

There are plenty of other threads where you can go and bash our first year coach, Thomo.

This one's for the true believers. The fans who understand what he's trying to do, the hard road he's taking us down, and can see the first rays of a new dawn glimmering on the horizon.

This time next year we will be beating St KIlda.

I would hope all threads are open to discussion - not just for those with a particular barrow to push.

  On 11/08/2012 at 12:31, Thomo said:

Love it RPFC how you always roll out the line that if a poster does not agree with you they should start a blog. Maybe you should take your own advice.

Do you deliberately misrepresent people's views, or do you just not understand what people are saying most of the time?

  On 11/08/2012 at 11:07, Range Rover said:

I'm seeing players working harder. I'm seeing more discipline. I'm seeing more scrapping.

I'm seeing some fight.

Not from everyone, no. The usual suspects can't or won't put in. But there's enough spirit and commitment to the cause there to suggest that Neeld is getting through to a critical mass of the players.

He's getting 'buy in'.

Get Clark and a Cloke type down there, add a sprinkling of class in the middle and some dog-hungry Moneyballers to the side ... and we will claim some real scalps next year.

Don't doubt it. This club will climb up off the canvas.

A new Melbourne is going to emerge that we can all be proud of.

The penny has finally dropped. Some of us never gave up, never gave up hope. We never hung crap on anyone at our great club, past or present. Positive moves at every opportunity, moves designed for both long and short term goals. Sure we where forced to face many curve balls - but if they dont kill you they will make you stronger. Our day in the sun is coming. Oh it will be so sweet.

Add a fit Clark, Frawley, Watts, Jurrah and Davey to this side next year and look out.

A lot of Improvement from Trenners, Tappy, Blease, Strauss and Gysberts.

Add a few drafts picks and a gun recruit or 2.

Another pre-season under Neeld and Craig, more improvement in conditioning, skills, fitness and game plan.

And the most important one of all, Improvement in changing our mentality, easy our biggest weakness.

Not 100% sold on the 'buy in' part. Not sure our current playing group have enough football currency to buy much.

What I will say is that I think the players have been told not to worry as much about turnovers and mistakes and just work on possession. I know supporters don't like it when we switch back and forth but our inexperienced or down on confidence players get a lift from having the ball in their hands more often. The switching was really missing in the early bomb it down the line weeks and I think that was when we looked out worst.

Neeld is stead fast in his unwillingness to move players when things are going against us. While its frustrating I think he's not giving them a way out and instead seeing who stands up. I know he looked furious at 3/4 time. I don't think he's showing much tactically because it's all about learning about the players first.

  On 11/08/2012 at 12:33, Hardnut said:

I would hope all threads are open to discussion - not just for those with a particular barrow to push.

Do what you like. Everyone's a bit over your banal and miserable postings. Even your stable mate Tonatopia is coming in from the cold.

  On 11/08/2012 at 12:36, Nasher said:

Do you deliberately misrepresent people's views, or do you just not understand what people are saying most of the time?

That makes no sense. I know Nasher you try and defend the club no matter what, but in this case you must have not read the thread properly and got involved anyway.RPFC can look after himself without you trying to jump in, and if you do feel the need to, please read the thread.

  On 11/08/2012 at 12:52, Range Rover said:

Do what you like. Everyone's a bit over your banal and miserable postings. Even your stable mate Tonatopia is coming in from the cold.

Looked in a mirror lately?

  On 11/08/2012 at 12:58, Hardnut said:

Looked in a mirror lately?

Yawn. Even your comebacks are lame.