This may be a bit early but I want to thank the Melbourne Football club for showing that Aggression is still part of our Club

I have been a supporter for a long long time now and I cannot remember a time in recent history where I have been impressed by the way the MFC has approached a trade period such as this with a obvious plan and the aggression and determination to go after what they want the way they have this time around .in this draft period

Its my belief that we may actually be beggining to make some progress. At least I now I feel I have something to look forward to again and I believe our time frame has been reduced as a result of this recruitment as to us becoming a real contender .

It will still take some time but as a supporter at least for now I can say I am happy to see the way we are heading and my faith in Neeld and the whole MFC team has been reinvigorated.

Yes we still have to perform on the field but now I believe we have the players to form the structure needed to do just that and the trade period still isnt over .

Maybe too early to say happy days are here again but the clouds are certainly clearing

Well said..!! i dont remmeber us being so aggressive during the daniher and bailey years!

It is nice that they backed it all up after spruiking the old, "we plan on being very active" ect and they out did anyones expectations and smashed that of the average punter. Thats the great thing.

Agree wholeheartedly and to add if the core group of players were trained mercilessly this year to build fitness and tanks and this increases their effectiveness x% then we really can be quietly confident that the MFC is building a head of steam. Toot Toot.

They have been relatively active - whether it is successful or not remains to be seen.

This may be a bit early but I want to thank the Melbourne Football club for showing that Aggression is still part of our Club

I have been a supporter for a long long time now and I cannot remember a time in recent history where I have been impressed by the way the MFC has approached a trade period such as this with a obvious plan and the aggression and determination to go after what they want the way they have this time around .in this draft period

Its my belief that we may actually be beggining to make some progress. At least I now I feel I have something to look forward to again and I believe our time frame has been reduced as a result of this recruitment as to us becoming a real contender .

It will still take some time but as a supporter at least for now I can say I am happy to see the way we are heading and my faith in Neeld and the whole MFC team has been reinvigorated.

Yes we still have to perform on the field but now I believe we have the players to form the structure needed to do just that and the trade period still isnt over .

Maybe too early to say happy days are here again but the clouds are certainly clearing

hear hear!

They have been relatively active - whether it is successful or not remains to be seen.

You need to wait to see if anything is successful this might be a bit more instant if anything

Might have to crack a bottle of Red tonight.

The MFC has serious intentions again.

We are building our list the way it should have been under Bailey/Daniher etc but never was. If you look at Gold Coast and GWS they have fallen for the same trap as we did and have recruited mainly kids who, whilst being good players, don't have the maturity to get you in to and win finals.

I'm happy that we didn't just go out and pick another 6 or so 18yo kids who would probably turn out to be ok but not great because they wouldn't have any one to lead them. I've never been a fan of Joel Mac but I'll give him one thing, when he came to Melbourne he was probably the hardest "at the ball player" we had and he was just an ordinary player at Brisbane. It just showed me that our team was made up of kids and some soft Senior players, we were going nowhere but hopefully now we will.

Neeld is righting the ship, adding experience and toughness in to a side that has lacked it for years.

Edited October 17, 201212 yr by RobbieF

We are building our list the way it should have been under Bailey/Daniher etc but never was. If you look at Gold Coast and GWS they have fallen for the same trap as we did and have recruited mainly kids who, whilst being good players, don't have the maturity to get you in to and win finals.

I'm happy that we didn't just go out and pick another 6 or so 18yo kids who would probably turn out to be ok but not great because they wouldn't have any one to lead them. I've never been a fan of Joel Mac but I'll give him one thing, when he came to Melbourne he was probably the hardest "at the ball player" we had and he was just an ordinary player at Brisbane. It just showed me that our team was made up of kids and some soft Senior players, we were going nowhere but hopefully now we will.

Neeld is righting the ship, adding experience and toughness in to a side that has lacked it for years.

This.

Best post I've read on Demonland.

I remember people said something similar after the Cook draft.

I agree, I am happy with the aggressive way the club has gone about it, but let's review in a few years.

What has changed is our attitude, whereas before if players didn't show much initial enthusiasm for the club than we seemed to stop pursuing them. But Neeld and Co don't seem to give up without a fight, and they also have a plan B in play well before plan A is finished (good or not).

We have built our list in foundations with young players and now we're filling it up with ready players who have come to do a role at the club. Aside from Byrnes we have got players that will (hopefully) also be here for the long term. What I'm really hoping is that there are certain players that will see them as a threat and try to lift their game, I've said it a lot but we haven't had competition for spots for a LONG time. This will create it. If there's a younger player that see the likes of Byrnes as a threat to his position, I say fantastic and I hope they take up the challenge.

Like much of what Neeld did last year, 2012 was him giving the current list a chance to impress him and see who embraced his ideas, and now he's bringing in players who are ready for his style for 2013. Should make for a very interesting year.

Might have to crack a bottle of Red tonight.

The MFC has serious intentions again.

Team of the century Shiraz perhaps?!

I don't agree with all of our decisions to date, but would much rather see us try something and fail rather than sit on our hands and do nothing. So, credit where credit is due.

Having said that, additions to the list are only one side of the equation. Now we have to see what happens on the subtractions side. If we do not have a serious purge of our Z-graders (Bennell, Bate, etc), then I would consider this off season a bare pass at best.

We are no longer the hunted.....WE ARE THE HUNTER!!! I am 28 years old and have been a Dees supporter since the tender age of 8. I can NEVER remember a time in that period we have been so agressive at the trade table.

We have secured our twin towers for the next 5-10 years with Clark, Dawes and Hogan

Picked up a premiership forward pocket in Shannon Byrnes

AND....I get to see another Viney run around in a headband ;-)

Now if you will excuse me...I need to go clean myself up!

You know what is great about Mark Neeld. He just sees a player who he wants and he doesnt sit back he just goes and gets them, Last year he wanted Clark and flew over to speak to him while staying in a dingy hotel then this year he targets chris dawes and gets him. Same with Byrnes. He knows we need experience and isnt afraid to get it.

He has got more experinced players in his time with us than Dean did in his whole time.

Also he is right today when he said when Grimes, Jones or Trengove get the footy when they look up in the foward line they will see 2 talls. Rather than some shorter players like the 2nd half of the season when it was Rivers and Garland. Just cant wait until round 1. Good job neeldy.

He has got more experinced players in his time with us than Dean did in his whole time.

i wouldnt bring Bailey into the discussion here. I think Schwab was running the FD back then!

Neeld as a whole has been good like that!

with Mitch Clark last year!

this new attitude where we get what we want!

Team of the century Shiraz perhaps?!

nah. That's still a few years off yet!

Neeld has promised changes and he has delivered on his word.

I don't think that any other coach has had such a difficult introduction to their career as this bloke.

He has insisted on standards and made sure that those who didn't deliver, were playing at Casey.

2013 is looking very, very bright.

What I am really looking forward to is the likelihood that our players will no be pushed around and bullied by the more physical teams any longer. With Clarke, Dawes, probably Pederson, Hogan to come, an aggressive Spencer and Gawn added to couple of existing big bodies the schoolyard bullies will have to tread more carefully. Melbourne has lacked real muscle for years.

Better still. Maybe we will become the schoolyard bullies!

Edited October 17, 201212 yr by Bitter but optimistic

What I am really looking forward to is the likelihood that our players will no be pushed around and bullied by the more physical teams any longer. With Clarke, Dawes, probably Pederson, Hogan to come, an aggressive Spencer and Gawn added to couple of existing big bodies the schoolyard bullies will have to tread more carefully. Melbourne has lacked real muscle for years.

Better still. Maybe we will become the schoolyard bullies!

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I dream of the day Bbo

I want to be hated full stop

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I dream of the day Bbo

I want to be hated full stop

Yes it's been a long time since anyone was frightened of us.

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I dream of the day Bbo

I want to be hated full stop

Well, if it makes you feel better perhaps we could get a whole bunch of Demonlanders to ignore or block you!

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I dream of the day Bbo

I want to be hated full stop

right on OD. i want people to avoid speaking to me. Leaving a chair so i can sit down whilst i wear the Demon Scarf.