No premiership since...

[bush demon 2,202]

A number of clubs are now well and truly out of the premiership loop. Each year the habit of non-success grows worse. It's not just Melbourne, Footscray and StKilda. Richmond started the habit in the early 80's, and unimaginably teams like Carlton and Essendon have won one premiership between them since the mid-1990's. If Melbourne gets back into the habit of winning games I believe it will be a miracle. The competition is rapidly morphing into a super competition and we are being edged out of it. Like Carlton, the summer off-season and the draft are looming as our last and best chance to fight our way back into a respected position, let alone think of premierships.

[old dee 24,028]

A number of clubs are now well and truly out of the premiership loop. Each year the habit of non-success grows worse. It's not just Melbourne, Footscray and StKilda. Richmond started the habit in the early 80's, and unimaginably teams like Carlton and Essendon have won one premiership between them since the mid-1990's. If Melbourne gets back into the habit of winning games I believe it will be a miracle. The competition is rapidly morphing into a super competition and we are being edged out of it. Like Carlton, the summer off-season and the draft are looming as our last and best chance to fight our way back into a respected position, let alone think of premierships.

At last someone gets it Congratulations Bush demon you are right on the money.

Respectability is the best we can hope for over the next 5 years IMO.

[beelzebub 23,390]

respectability is the best ??

rubbish

We like any team with the right combination we can play finals

To suggest or accept otherwise is quite frankly soft.

Some decent draftin and games into players can see us back up there in 14.

5 years of waffle ..........dont accept it

[old dee 24,028]

respectability is the best ??

rubbish

We like any team with the right combination we can play finals

To suggest or accept otherwise is quite frankly soft.

Some decent draftin and games into players can see us back up there in 14.

5 years of waffle ..........dont accept it

Sorry to disagree BB but with this list we are at the bottom just take a look at the score board and the ladder.

The test of a list is how many on it would be required by the top four teams?

I come up with 5 -6 so we are about 20 players short.

Where we start from in a weeks time suggests that

Playing and winning GF's is a decade away IMO

Respectability is the best we can hope for in the next few years.

[bush demon 2,202]

I admire what Neeld and his group are trying to do, and Neeld's forthright manner and approach. I am probably in a minority on this site in that I have seen many many re-builds or so called re-builds and the hype, to quote led zeppelin, remains the same. hell, even norm smith had a re-build at the start of 1966 which ushered in the likes of dowsing, rowland, stone, jungwirth someone else whose history is better can fill in the details or corrections. i got my reminder and thanks for being a long distance member yesterday, timely, because our membership will drop to 32,500 next year and i am not a glass half full person otherwise i wouldn't have done the journey this far. i am just stating facts. given that gws and gcfc are dosed up on steroids and afl mega dollars, their position below us is just an accident of history. we are in fact by far the worst team in the competition and unless some as yet unexplained phenomena takes place over summer next year is going to be pretty hard to take.

edit: just remembered another 're-build' player from 1966: Syd Catlin.

In summary: mid 60's rebuild: dowsing, rowland, stone, jungwirth, catlin, vearing. George Lakes

1970's rebuild: Ditterich/ Tilbrook/ Molloy

1980 rebuild: Moore, Templeton

mid 80's rebuild: Jarrot, Icke, Wilson.

late 80' s rebuild: (some success) Johnson, Stretch, spalding, Wight, Lovett, Lyon.

[Wells 11 5,476]

Its a gloomy prediction and one I dont think is accurate

North has less members and less money but I think there after more than respectability this year.... and in the next few years.

[Chook 15,023]

The only way to break the cycle is to recruit people in all areas who have experienced success (nothing short of a Premiership counts as success). Neeld (a product of success at Collingwood) knows this and will be actively trying to pick up mature age players from successful environments this year.

[Soidee 1,496]

Screw this notion of just getting respect. For decades Melbourne supporters have been rightly tagged with been satisfied on mediocre performances by the MFC.

The MFC culture stinks and we all know it. Don't sack anymore coaches, give this guy 5 years to get it right but we must show incremental improvement in win loss ratio.

Unless supporters demand this from the board, then close the doors. 100% or nothing. No more been satisfied with the status quo.

[DemonWA 3,940]

Premierships are a pipe dream at the moment. I'll be happy if we just win as many games as we loose in a season!

[Sir Why You Little 37,342]

Still believe we can get to the top.

If Nought Melbourne can win 4 in my lifetime. We can rise.

Get the right people doing the right jobs.