Now the fun begins!

[RalphiusMaximus 6,088]

Am I the only one who is only now getting excited about what Neeld might do? I've been saying all along that he planned on using this year to get a feel for the list and had pretty much written off the season in terms of competing on the ladder. I don't think he had planned on it being quite as bad as it turned out, but nobody can doubt that he now has the measure of the playing group. Obviously there are a few people thinking along similar lines given the threads showing up regarding who will be cut.

I am really looking forward to the nest three months. This is the time when we're finally going to see what kind of stamp Neeld will put on the club. I expect us to see a serious cull on our playing list, at least an attempt to be very active in trade week, and the draft this year promises to be fascinating. In three months time our list will be almost unrecognisable. It may have been a shocking season to be a Melbourne supporter, but we are going to end with something to talk about if nothing else.

[beelzebub 23,383]

No RM....you're not alone. Quite frankly this season was just an interruption of things in order to arrive at this point. Where something will ( hopefully should ) happen, big time.

I dont think many quite understood what this year was actually about. For mine it was a rolling exam. All were under the microscope, form the coaches, and support through the actual playing list. To see what /whom worked, and what /whom didnt.

Only fronm a standpoint of knowledge can you make informed judgements and then act upon those findings. This year will have given Neeld all he needed to know. Prior to this season there would have been suspicions, nows theres knowledge.

The deadwood and bad fruit will be cut away. Cant wait

[dazzledavey36 55,360]

i too am excited and cannot wait

[GolfBoyPro 43]

^{Im with you DazzleDavey36, Im looking forward to next yr. I reckon Neelds da man and we are going to slowly creep up the ladder over next couple of yrs. Should have some pretty handy players coming onto our list for next yr.... GO DEES!!!}

[jnrmac 20,188]

i too am excited and cannot wait

I wouldn't get too excited for your man Aaron...

[Dee_Flower 53]

It really says it all that if you're a Melbourne supporter the off-season is much more enjoyable than the actual football season. We have six months now of cutting out the dead wood, trading, drafting and pre-season reports about how the boys are flying and it's the best pre-season ever. It's such a shame that reality will set in, again, by half time in R1 2013. But never mind. A joyous summer awaits.

[drdrake 3,187]

We must be the greatest off season team ever. If we dig hard enough we will find this same topic post after the last game for the last 6 years. We cling to the hoped that the next 6 months will firstly add high quality players through drafting and trading, secondly the players have the hardest pre-season ever and thirdly we come out the other side a much better team. You would want to hope that in 2013 we come out a better side if we get any worse or even stay the same another spoon will be headingh our way.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

This is really sad. But I agree.

[Dee*ceiving 1,690]

It really says it all that if you're a Melbourne supporter the off-season is much more enjoyable than the actual football season. We have six months now of cutting out the dead wood, trading, drafting and pre-season reports about how the boys are flying and it's the best pre-season ever. It's such a shame that reality will set in, again, by half time in R1 2013. But never mind. A joyous summer awaits.

Sad but true Dee-flower & ddrdrake. But without hope, what else is there.

My positive reflection on season that has passed is the activation of the 2 Scully compo picks for this year means the coach and the FD fully believed this would be our worst year in the 2012 - 2014 block. It would have been easy for Neeld to sit on them for another year and then keep them up his sleeve for rescue operation the final year of his contract

[GolfBoyPro 43]

Dees will definately start climbing the ladder next yr!!! We are due for some luck with injury and then we are on. Not saying we will set the world on fire, but there will be plenty of improvement............

[drdrake 3,187]

Dees will definately start climbing the ladder next yr!!! We are due for some luck with injury and then we are on. Not saying we will set the world on fire, but there will be plenty of improvement............

We are due with some luck in adding a young star to our list.

[old dee 23,872]

We are due with some luck in adding a young star to our list.

How many years have we been saying that drd ?