Is anyone else concerned?

[deanoDA 36]

By the amount of Footy experts saying we will improve but still come last or below GC and GWS. I haven't heard one 'expert' say Melbourne will be big improvers and push up into 8 or 9 wins. This morning I heard on the radio 3 out of 4 experts say Melbourne will come last.

Personally with all the reports and lack of beltings throughout the NAB cup I thought we were on track for a decent season and would be well and truly ahead of GC and GWS. I believe we will be not bad this year (not finals but compared to what we are used too).

Does anyone think that maybe just maybe we have been fed the club line "massive improvement" and "boys are firing" but are still going to be uncompetitive.

[stuie 7,374]

With the amount of change to the list, the style, the coaching, the leadership, and the fitness during this offseason I don't think ANYONE no matter how much of an expert they claim to be has any idea how we will go this year. Anything could happen with that much change, we could take the spoon or we could make the eight, it's impossible to give even an educated guess. Add to that the way Neeld used the NAB cup in a similar way to top teams do (ie- practice rather than all out going for wins) no one knows what will happen.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,833]

It's fair to say our NAB cup form has been a concern.

An 8 goal to 1 second qtr against the saints and a poor loss to Gold Coast is not an endorcement for the year ahead.

But, ill give them the benefit of the doubt. We were missing quite a few in each game, including our two key forwards.

I struggle to see us winning more than 4 games because we have the worst midfield in the AFL.

[P-man 13,366]

Sportsbet has us finishing 15th above the Dogs, GC and GWS. This seems in line with most views I've come across regarding Melbourne's chances this year.

Stu's right though, it's anyone's guess consinering the complete transformation of the list. Save your concern for fulltime against Port. If we get rolled, we're in for another rough ride.

[stuie 7,374]

Sportsbet has us finishing 15th above the Dogs, GC and GWS. This seems in line with most views I've come across regarding Melbourne's chances this year.

Stu's right though, it's anyone's guess consinering the complete transformation of the list. Save your concern for fulltime against Port. If we get rolled, we're in for another rough ride.

Yeah the Port game seems to be gaining momentum as a make or break, but given the changes etc I would think it's probably going to take half the season before things click (assuming they do!).

[The Reverend 1,736]

By the amount of Footy experts saying we will improve but still come last or below GC and GWS. I haven't heard one 'expert' say Melbourne will be big improvers and push up into 8 or 9 wins. This morning I heard on the radio 3 out of 4 experts say Melbourne will come last.

Personally with all the reports and lack of beltings throughout the NAB cup I thought we were on track for a decent season and would be well and truly ahead of GC and GWS. I believe we will be not bad this year (not finals but compared to what we are used too).

Does anyone think that maybe just maybe we have been fed the club line "massive improvement" and "boys are firing" but are still going to be uncompetitive.

At this stage I have nothing but high expectations.

We will be better than last year because:

Mitch Clarke will be back

We won't have to play guys who don't give a toss about being in the team or playing for the jumper

We will be fitter

We have more options up forward

Jack Watts has found his position

We have Toumpas, Viney, Dawes, Byrne, Rodan, Pederson, Terlich, M. Jones, etc who all want to play for the club and show us what they've got

We will be better because we are!

GO DEES!

[Jens Lehmann 75]

The experts ALWAYS get it right.

[rjay 24,928]

You know what, at the end of the day it is only an opinion and in most cases no more informed than your or mine. The only thing that counts is the game itself and we haven't played one yet.

We have flown under the radar this preseason and that's got to be a good thing.

[Sir Why You Little 37,038]

Greg Denham has already awarded us the Wooden Spoon.

Who would have thunk that???

[Satyriconhome 10,878]

At this stage I have nothing but high expectations.

We will be better than last year because:

Mitch Clarke will be back

We won't have to play guys who don't give a toss about being in the team or playing for the jumper

We will be fitter

We have more options up forward

Jack Watts has found his position

We have Toumpas, Viney, Dawes, Byrne, Rodan, Pederson, Terlich, M. Jones, etc who all want to play for the club and show us what they've got

We will be better because we are!

GO DEES!

Apart from this bit

"We won't have to play guys who don't give a toss about being in the team or playing for the jumper", which is disrespectful to a lot of players and nearly spoils the rest

You make good points

I hate to do it but experts had Carlton beating Brisbane in NAB Cup

I have no idea what we are going to be like this season, but excited about watching what unfolds

[Flemo56 396]

Seems a fair call by all on what we've produced so far in 2013, I was disappointed with what i saw on Sunday, but as always i'm optimistic about how we will perform. I really do like the changes I'm seeing to address all of our past failings as a competitive team and club.

Shove it up em, DEMONS, all of em!

[waikikkamukau 62]

Greg Denham has already awarded us the Wooden Spoon.

Who would have thunk that???

He pots us at every turn! Quite frankly who gives a F#%K what he thinks!

[markc 975]

really I cant see us winning much more than half a dozen games but would think we are only ahead of WB , GC, PA and GWS , after round one things will change

if we can win that then a few of these so called experts will re think us for the spoon . I would amazed if we finished last . but then again I am no expert so what do i know !

our aim should be to improve on last year .... and lest be honest with a third of our team new , they will take time to click , no team has won with more than 4 changes and round one we could have upto 8 new players playing for us !

[old dee 23,791]

The bookies seldom get it wrong.

Most have us in the bottom three level of betting again.

I think second last with probably GWS on the bottom.

[bing181 9,238]

We will be better because we are!

Yes. Problem is, that's true of the other clubs as well. GWS and GC will both have another year and another pre-season into their young(er) groups, Port has a new coach and off-field team, Dogs have brought in some useful players, have had a year under a new coach, and once again, have some younger players stepping up (or ready to) etc. etc.

I'm not too fussed about ladder position, but if we can just be in more games more often, and there are fewer one-sided quarters or washouts, and we just start to look a bit more like a cohesive unit across all areas of the park, I'd take that as a good result for the year given where we've come from. Plus, a bit more stability and no dramas off-field (Jim's passing, Mifsud/Davey/Neeld, Jurrah, Energy Watch, tanking etc.), and the blessings of the injury gods, especially in the case of Clark and Dawes.

[Little Goffy 14,546]

I reckon we'll pull ahead of the Doggies and hopefully Port, and keep a step ahead of West Sydney and Gold Coast, although Gold Coast's midfield might just work this year.

After that, you have to look for clubs that will slide a bit, because there's a great big pile on 9-11 wins that to me seem to be ready to keep hovering.

The hope would be that we can join that cluster, even if we are still 13th-ish on the ladder.

At this point, all I care about it wins, not ladder position, and I feel like this season will be one fo the least evenly distributed ever and one or two wins could mean six ladder positions.

But I'm not concerned, I think we'll get those wins and restore some credibility.

[ThreeOneSix 954]

I think we will surprise a few.. We should finished above GWS, GC, Port, Bullies and hopefully a couple other sides.

Can't see why we can't finish above North either.

[DeeSpencer 25,711]

Last year on average we started to improve the longer the season went even with losing Clark and throwing Rivers and Garland forward to try and find a structure.

This year Neeld has assembled players he wants in the positions he wants. Now ideally we'd magically come back in 3 years time and have Trengove, Viney and Toumpas all fulfil their potential whilst keeping a really good spine and having the players having many years of proper conditioning and playing a standard game plan.

Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. We've picked up pieces in Free Agency/Trade to help get the structures right and moved players down back (Watts and Dunn +/- Jetta, Terlich) and got forwards that Neeld likes (Dawes, Byrnes, Pedersen). However we really couldn't do anything to fix the midfield and we are going to have to hope for once we've picked the right guys and can develop them. Brisbane might just be setting a good example with the 3 R's and Zorko and co.

Now back on topic as I said we improved towards the middle and end of last year and I think that will happen again. It's going to take time for the new blokes to pick up the game plan and for others to settle. If we beat Port we can get on to the scoreboard and some momentum and finish with 8 or so wins. If we start poorly I think we will be around 5 wins. It's just too much to ask of our midfield to win the contested ball and out work their opponents before the backline or forward line are fully functioning in the system as well. We might have to win ugly like the Essendon game last year where they were the better side but we dragged them down to our level through desperation and got over the line. If we are to win this year it won't be pretty like the Bailey days.

[DeeSpencer 25,711]

I think we will surprise a few.. We should finished above GWS, GC, Port, Bullies and hopefully a couple other sides.

Can't see why we can't finish above North either.

Settled back 6 with Thompson, Grima, Firrito, McMahon, Atley and co, midfield with a good leader in Swallow and X factor in Wells and some good foot soldiers who play the right way and then the Petrie, Tarrant and the other big spud. Throw in Harvey once he's back from suspension. North are much more experienced individually and as a team than we are which makes them a hard side to beat if you don't get on top of them. Good sides can trounce North because their talls down back can be thrashed, their forwards can be taken care off if you have individual good defenders and their midfield lose confidence as kids do if they are getting beaten physically like Hawthorn and West Coast have done to them. But they are structurally sound and have consistent players so we don't have a hope beating them until we become an even team.

[Striker475 696]

I have us winning 7-9 and finishing 12th-14th.

GWS will still be a cakewalk.

Doggies will struggle (my tip for the spoon - even if the Cooney reports are true)

GC will be strong @ Metricon but may struggle to travel

St Kilda have very little depth IMO

Richmond bottom six still crap

Essendon distracted

Port are raving about Wines but the same holes are still there

Bottom half is as open as the top IMO, wouldn't surprise me to see a new side or two in the bottom 5.

[whatwhat say what 22,757]

I have us finishing third from bottom, ahead of Footscray and GWS.

Our structure might be better but we've tipped up with a bunch of promising kids and NQRs who look - like Magner - to be good VFL players who might start with a bang before tiring.

Our midfield is very thin and lacking in depth, which is where games are ultimately won and lost.

I expect us to be able to stay in games longer but still struggle to eek out wins.

[faultydet 7,594]

I think a 5 goal loss to an improved Port will have our shoulders hunched like they have been for the last 5 yrs or so.

Cant expect a win, even against unfancied opposition, with so many new faces. It will take time.

And who is giving odds abouit Wines getting the rising star nod against us in round 1? We had a disgusting habit last year, of having rising star nominations against us.

Edit: god i hate ipads......

Edited March 21, 2013 by faultydet

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

Is it really possible that this years team could be as bad as last years was for the first 9 rounds? surely there will be some decent improvement and with such and easy draw i can't see us not winning 5 or 6 at least

[old dee 23,791]

Is it really possible that this years team could be as bad as last years was for the first 9 rounds? surely there will be some decent improvement and with such and easy draw i can't see us not winning 5 or 6 at least

Nab cup in 2012 1 win 4 losses

Nab cup in 2013 1 win 4 losses ( including GCS )

Does not look like much change to me.

[demoniac 1,333]

Read what Garland said yesterday about the home truths delivered to the players at the start of the 2012 pre season by Neeld arriving from Collingwood, Misson from St Kilda and Craig from Adelaide:

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-03-20/dees-were-unfit-last-year-garland

"When Neeldy came on board with Craigy (Neil Craig) and David Misson from St Kilda, we got to see their running results compared to ours straight away and to
be honest it was quite embarrassing.

"From that aspect we had a lot of catching up to do from day dot.

"The first pre-season we did under Mark was probably the toughest I’ve ever done, just the change in training standards."

They've now had 2 pre seasons under Misson and Craig who both have deserved reputations for conditioning players to play tough hard footy from the first bounce till the final siren.Given footy players are part athlete part footballer the fact that our players will be significantly fitter than they were last year is a optimistic sign for our performance this year. Another pre season under Neeld and Craig should see their footy smarts and their understanding of Neeld's pragmatic game plan also improve.

Does your average footy scribe comprehend this? No.Just look at the previews that have been written. The Champion Data Prospectus is my personal fav and their strange Zenga analogy. Have no idea what Zenga is but the Champion Data hack must really like it. Takes the time to mention the Zenga thingamajiggyly but not David Misson so possibly better suited to sticking to what he or she knows which does seem to start with Z and end in A.