Players love winning games of football. They are kids who grow up dreaming about footy more than any of us. None of them want to lose. There was a player exodus after last year because they hate the administration and Neeld is a blockhead of a coach.

Players were definitely trying last night, until they got completely lost and demoralised. We just have no effective game plan, defensive structures or enough quality left in the playing group after the exodus.

What part of a gameplan do you need to understand in order to lay some [censored] tackles? Mentally deranged lunatics one and all.

I don't know which way is up and which way is down anymore.

Some days, I think the players love the club. Some days, I think they just want to get the hell out of there.

For instance, is it true that Frawley wanted to go to the Saints last year? Because, if it is, I have major concerns.

I don't know which way is up and which way is down anymore.

Some days, I think the players love the club. Some days, I think they just want to get the hell out of there.

For instance, is it true that Frawley wanted to go to the Saints last year? Because, if it is, I have major concerns.

Whilst he did a bit last night you cannot help but get the impression that he is marking time.

I dont understand...if the players are not united & hate the coach....they looked shell shocked after the game & looked like they were hurting!

I think that a major problem is that our players are not being coached to win.

They are being told that the team is undergoing a rebuild (i.e: the current team is no good) and that the club doesn't expect them to win many games. I hear this whenever I hear our coach speak and it is clearly the strategy of the board as well. IMO, with this attitude by the club, it is no wonder that many players have no spark and appear to be just going through the motions.

Surely we can continue to develop the team at the same time as having a winning culture.

And I don't understand...if you were against the coach, why wouldn't you still want to perform? This the player's profession -if they get the big A there is a fair chance they are unemployed. If they wanted out, wouldn't they want to perform highly?

I think much of this game is played above the shoulders. At the moment, our players have zero confidence.

An ex player told me that 5 senior players think neeld is a goose.

He wouldn't tell me which specific players coz he knows I'd probably spill my guts.

After 25 games of going backwards, I still can't believe we still have neeld at our helm

Who do you think would be a better judge?

5 players who haven't come close to winning anything in their careers?

Or a bloke who won a handful of premierships at different clubs at local level, then went on to be a line coach in an AFL premiership?

Someone who coached numerous players to be All Australian in his line, mind you.

Neeld has said himself, the Melbourne way is not for some people.

That's fine. You can go and you will be replaced with people who will play and succeed in his system.

That takes time though.

And are you really surprised by our results if players are choosing not to buy in?

I'm not.

I think that a major problem is that our players are not being coached to win.

They are being told that the team is undergoing a rebuild (i.e: the current team is no good) and that the club doesn't expect them to win many games. I hear this whenever I hear our coach speak and it is clearly the strategy of the board as well. IMO, with this attitude by the club, it is no wonder that many players have no spark and appear to be just going through the motions.

Surely we can continue to develop the team at the same time as having a winning culture.

I agree we are now getting told its a rebuild & the players need to be competitive etc etc. The same thing happened under Bailey, no one at the club wants to talk directly about winning games of football. Neeld is even saying its going to be a long road. What sort of a message does that send? How will the players believe if he really doesn't believe in them? I think the club does have a core group of players capable of taking the club forward & winning games. We have some talented forwards & defenders. Even the midfield on paper doesn't look that bad. A winning at all costs mentality needs to be implemented regardless of how our list is placed in terms of experience & talent.

Roos is the glue

In rebuilding phases like the one we are experiencing, for players not performing, self preservation kicks in.

If they do not fit the Neeld mould for whatever reason (not enough endurance, speed, lack of defensive intensity, etc) they are bound to rebel in an effort to prolong their own careers. It's whether they choose to bite the bullet and work to conform, or try to maintain the status quo in a naive attempt to last.

It's them or the coach, in many ways.

Unfortunately all out senior types are NQRs for whatever reason.

We've know this for some time.

Sometimes I wonder why we are so surprised.

Roos is the glue

Can he make those older players faster, run for longer, better defensively?

Can he make those older players faster, run for longer, better defensively?

Yes!!!

The truth is that we don't know what the players think of Neeld. I think we can take a guess about what they think of the game plan though.

I know there were many reasons for the loss but I also wonder whether the players have done so much endurance work that its come at the expense of any real dash. I've never seen Blease look so slow for instance.

No, but they did watch a DVD of 'Dude, Where's My Car?"

Weekend at Bernie's

Funny in the movie there was one dead guy, I think there was about 16 dead guys out on the ground.

..... no one at the club wants to talk directly about winning games of football.

Don't believe that's true. When asked, Neeld specifically said that he wasn't prepared to forfeit the game against WC (I'm paraphrasing ... it's in his Presser)

In any case, no coach of any team is going to come out with "we're going to win this", whatever the circumstances. We get the usual "the boys up for this" the "we're definitely in with a chance", the "we're taking them seriously, they looked good against xxx" and various permutations thereof. What goes on behind closed doors is perhaps another matter.

I think that a major problem is that our players are not being coached to win.

They are being told that the team is undergoing a rebuild (i.e: the current team is no good) and that the club doesn't expect them to win many games. I hear this whenever I hear our coach speak and it is clearly the strategy of the board as well. IMO, with this attitude by the club, it is no wonder that many players have no spark and appear to be just going through the motions.

Surely we can continue to develop the team at the same time as having a winning culture.

Yep - was going to post a topic in this very thing. We are continually told publicly the players aren't at "AFL standard" let alone good enough to win games. FFS do these guys have any clue or even think before speaking rubbish out of their mouths? Telling someone they are not at AFL standard fitness and then being clueless as to why they don't replicate what they put on the training track on game day. An old coach once said footy is played 90% above the shoulders and regardless of all the sports scientists and professionalism in the world it still rings true.

Edited April 7, 201312 yr by Dr. Gonzo

How do you have a winning culture without winning?

Surely it'd be worse lying through your teeth to the players about your expectations.

It'd breed inherent distrust.

And when I hear the coach speak, be talks about practising and developing elite habits that will win a premiership.

They're not silly enough to act as if they expect that to happen this year.

Those 5 senior players would be Frawley, Jamar, Sylvia, Davey and Moloney.

As far as I'm concerned they can kiss my butt.

1 down, 4 to go.

Frawley will net us a first round pick which with some luck we won't waste on a spud.

Dunn can fark off as well.

You don't know that for a fact or have any evidence. you have just pulled that out of your ass out of nowhere! bad post!

When you tell a player "Your not good enough" over and over the player will start to believe it and not strive to do better.

When you tell a team "Your not good enough to win this game" over and over the team will believe it and not strive to play any better.
I believe this is the feeling at the Melbourne Football Club when they are continuously told by coaches that they are inexperienced and part of a "rebuild".

But the coaches continually tell the players they believe they ARE good enough.

The players went into Round 1 bubbling with optimism due to their belief they had gained from the preseason.

If anything, they were overconfident.

Frawley's gone as soon as his contract is up & I don't blame him, we've been rubbish the entire time he's been at the club.

Heard a rumour last year that Frawley regretted signing that 4 year deal back in 2010. He thought by this time around we would be pushing for finals and we would have built a talented list. Apparently last year just did it for him.. the fact that we are way off finals has been a major frustration for him. Expect him to walk soon as his contract is up.

You don't get it chook, neeld is not an afl coach. He dosnt have it. He has shown nothing. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it.

The players arnt stupid, they can smell that things arnt right.

Anyhow, after 148, someone of power and influence MUST accept responsibility.

I can tell you that Dawes came to Melbourne because of Neeld. So do not presume to be so smart as to speak for them all.

Don't agree. Maybe certain players couldn't handle the truth.