INTO DARKNESS: THE BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS

[Adam The God 30,220]

Viney, M Jones, Gawn and Howe. That's all. N Jones gets no support and it it really starting to show.

Howe was lazy. He always is when he plays forward. His kicking has returned to its old ways. Horrible.

Viney, Matt Jones and Garland should get games next week. There are a number I wouldn't bother with in an ideal world.

[DemonFan 12]

He might be a great assistant coach, but we are in a hole, we need the best coach we can possibly get.

I agree, if Neeld lasts the week I will be very surprised. It’s time to take responsibility ...

The players are not responding.

The players are not developing.

Time to go.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I dare say that many of those 10-12 would've been recruited under Neeld's watch. Surely you must acknowledge that.

Agreed - but terrible recruiting before his time is also costing us now.

[Adam The God 30,220]

Oh and I was there for 186 and I was there 146. That first quarter today was hands down the worst quarter of football I have ever witnessed. It didn't get any better either.

[Moonshadow 17,676]

It's the coach.

Sure, the list is not necessarily a top 8 list, but the reason we are THIS BAD is Mark Neeld.

All there is to it.

Come on Stuie, this goes far far deeper than just Neeld. Blaming one person is too easy. We are all well aware of your constant anti-Neeld ranting. He had not been a great choice, but our downfall is not all his fault. There's many Melbourne people who will be madly ducking for cover this week, and Neeld will probably fall, but to say that's all there is to it, that it is his fault is just plain simplistic.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

A list of the basic errors Melbourne players make over and over again:

• Not watching the hips when tackling
• Not turning around quickly enough to face forward after taking a mark
• Not working back quickly enough to kick over the mark
• Not shepherding
• Not marking their opponent
• Kicking and handpassing to a stationary teammate
• Kicking and handpassing to a teammate under pressure
• Calling for the ball when stationary
• Calling for the ball when under pressure
• Kicking to where a teammate is, not where he will be
• Not talking to one and other
• Not being front-and-centre when ball kicked to a contested situation
• General poor kicking skills
• General poor handpassing skills
• General poor marking skills
• Not sprinting over first two to three metres with and without ball

Feel free to add your own.

17.taking on tacklers unnecessarily/over-ambitiously (under 10s stuff)

18.having their kicks smothered ten times more often than the opposition

19.doing the little fakey direction-change move to avoid being tackled, but doing it way too early so the guy chasing them has plenty of time to read and respond to it

20.CONSTANTLY allowing the opposition to have a loose man, then someone leaves their man to man up on him, and guess what? now there is a new loose man who receives the ball on the overlap.. this happened ALL DAY

21.missing simple goals: Kent, Davey, Howe wtf is this (under 10s stuff)

22.CONSTANTLY bombing to nobody inside 50 (sylvia, everyone), CONSTANTLY having whoever the supposed big target is NOT take the mark (Gawn, Dawes), CONSTANTLY not having a small at the fall of the ball (Byrnes, Davey etc) CONSTANTLY having nobody pressuring the ball from bouncing straight out again and becoming a setup for an opposing forward entry (under 10s stuff)

23.having kick-ins actually go to a teammate and set something up about 10% of the time

24.generally failing to keep their feet at all times

25.way too much clumsiness/fumbling with gathering the ball in the air and on the ground

26.stupid free kicks

27.opposition players waltzing through tackles, bumping us off the ball

28.when you have 2 or 3 blokes at a marking contest, don't all go up in the air for it (under 10s stuff)

Edited May 12, 2013 by Curry & Beer

[DemonOX 8,791]

But I won't burn my membership as I want a vote when the board are sacked.

Don't have a microwave MrMuSIC!

[Deano74 156]

Fair enough, I understand you're angry and hurting - so am I.

But we have potentially 10 - 12 players who are not up to AFL standard.

You need to acknowledge that, surely?

Talent is one thing we are lacking. However even the worst player can have a crack and give 100% Effort.

Why is young Viney in his 5th game or what ever it is leading the way.

As the great Barassi once said to Brownlow medalist, Gerard Healy, "Give me possessions and I'll Shut up"

[MrMuSiC 4]

Don't have a microwave MrMuSIC!

What, to stick my head in?

[DemonFan 12]

"Neeld" wrong place wrong time?

We have a shite list because the GC and GWS have taken all of the top junior players from the past 4 years.

Clubs that have been unfortunate to be sitting close to the bottom during that period have missed out on those picks.

Thanks to the AFL clubs like Melbourne and the Bulldogs will have to suffer longer now and wait until the draft restores to normal.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Talent is one thing we are lacking. However even the worst player can have a crack and give 100% Effort.

Why is young Viney in his 5th game or what ever it is leading the way.

As the great Barassi once said to Brownlow medalist, Gerard Healy, "Give me possessions and I'll Shut up"

But, Deano74, they're not good enough to have a crack - that's the point.

We have players on the park that are not up to AFL standard. It's a brutal game and they just don't cut the mustard.

[Adam The God 30,220]

Yep, we lost by 10 goals to a team who has never won at the MCG, and we've NEVER lost to.

That's a fair dissection I think.

We were also uncompetitive in every important stat. It's not just that was lost by as good as ten goals, it's how we lost.

[CBDees 3,167]

Howe was better than last week when he was non-existent.

Jones [x2], Viney and Garland worked hard all day but the AFL App has Viney has one of our worst.

Don't beleive statistics!

Howe was lazy. He always is when he plays forward. His kicking has returned to its old ways. Horrible.

Viney, Matt Jones and Garland should get games next week. There are a number I wouldn't bother with in an ideal world.

[Deano74 156]

No coach with passion and surprise no players with passion.

This is a mans game forget the nicestys and give them a bloody bake.

[The Hallowed Turf 95]

I was retrenched 8 weeks ago. I am also a demon for life, where the club direct debits from my account monthly. Suffice to say my wife & I are looking at cutting costs where possible. Why the hell should I keep forking out money I can't really afford towards this "club" anymore? They even sent me a letter a couple of weeks ago asking me to become a member. I bloody am! Have been for over 10 years. No idea.

[rolly 149]

i really don't see sacking neeld and replacing him with an interim caretaker as the answer

if we had a third party coach ready and willing and who would be there next year and the years to come then i would say bring him in

having said that, at this stage i can't see a reason to keep him next year

[Deano74 156]

But, Deano74, they're not good enough to have a crack - that's the point.

We have players on the park that are not up to AFL standard. It's a brutal game and they just don't cut the mustard.

We have seen examples of them having a crack this season. Sadly there was nothing there tonight.

[Roger Mellie 4,012]

Et tu, Oedipus?

It is Mother's day!

[dees189227 12,388]

I went today and just sat there. I just didnt really care. I go to games now hoping not to get beaten by 100 points. This is what a member of this club is turned into. Its not hoping for a win its hoping you dont get thrashed.

It was weird looking around after the game. I think supporters were in shock or just dont really care.

I will keep going but I just accept losses now. I was more devastated to see the storm get beaten.

Its taking a kid called Viney to lead the way in getting the hard ball. Gawn was double teamed but he still ran his guts out and Dawes had the footy kicked on top of his head. It was horrible ball delivery to him.

[jnrmac 20,058]

17.taking on tacklers unnecessarily/over-ambitiously (under 10s stuff)

18.having their kicks smothered ten times more often than the opposition

19.doing the little fakey direction-change move to avoid being tackled, but doing it way too early so the guy chasing them has plenty of time to read and respond to it

20.CONSTANTLY allowing the opposition to have a loose man, then someone leaves their man to man up on him, and guess what? now there is a new loose man who receives the ball on the overlap.. this happened ALL DAY

21.missing simple goals: Kent, Davey, Howe wtf is this (under 10s stuff)

22.CONSTANTLY bombing to nobody inside 50 (sylvia, everyone), CONSTANTLY having whoever the supposed big target is NOT take the mark (Gawn, Dawes), CONSTANTLY not having a small at the fall of the ball (Byrnes, Davey etc) CONSTANTLY having nobody pressuring the ball from bouncing straight out again and becoming a setup for an opposing forward entry (under 10s stuff)

23.having kick-ins actually go to a teammate and set something up about 10% of the time

24.generally failing to keep their feet at all times

25.way too much clumsiness/fumbling with gathering the ball in the air and on the ground

26.stupid free kicks

27.opposition players waltzing through tackles, bumping us off the ball

28.when you have 2 or 3 blokes at a marking contest, don't all go up in the air for it (under 10s stuff)

You sound surprised? We have been doing it for a year and a half six years now.

Neeld is a dead man walking.

Edited May 12, 2013 by jnrmac

[TONKA 64]

What hurts so much is that Gold Coast won the game in the first goddamn quarter!!!! We never got a sniff after that! Absolutely [censored] humiliating .... my dog has puked better performances after eating his own [censored]

[Sir Why You Little 37,033]

I went today and just sat there. I just didnt really care. I go to games now hoping not to get beaten by 100 points. This is what a member of this club is turned into. Its not hoping for a win its hoping you dont get thrashed.

It was weird looking around after the game. I think supporters were in shock or just dont really care.

I will keep going but I just accept losses now. I was more devastated to see the storm get beaten.

Its taking a kid called Viney to lead the way in getting the hard ball. Gawn was double teamed but he still ran his guts out and Dawes had the footy kicked on top of his head. It was horrible ball delivery to him.

DO NOT ACCEPT IT....That is the point...Fight Mate.

[MrMuSiC 4]

It's only a game, right?

So why did I feel physically sick when the game ended?

[Ted Lasso 19,507]

DO NOT ACCEPT IT....That is the point...Fight Mate.

Absolutely, we should have not only won this game, but won it by at least 5 goals, todays result is nothing short of disgusting! if Neeld makes it to Wednesday i'll be shocked.

[bluey 1,102]

17.taking on tacklers unnecessarily/over-ambitiously (under 10s stuff)

18.having their kicks smothered ten times more often than the opposition

19.doing the little fakey direction-change move to avoid being tackled, but doing it way too early so the guy chasing them has plenty of time to read and respond to it

20.CONSTANTLY allowing the opposition to have a loose man, then someone leaves their man to man up on him, and guess what? now there is a new loose man who receives the ball on the overlap.. this happened ALL DAY

21.missing simple goals: Kent, Davey, Howe wtf is this (under 10s stuff)

22.CONSTANTLY bombing to nobody inside 50 (sylvia, everyone), CONSTANTLY having whoever the supposed big target is NOT take the mark (Gawn, Dawes), CONSTANTLY not having a small at the fall of the ball (Byrnes, Davey etc) CONSTANTLY having nobody pressuring the ball from bouncing straight out again and becoming a setup for an opposing forward entry (under 10s stuff)

23.having kick-ins actually go to a teammate and set something up about 10% of the time

24.generally failing to keep their feet at all times

25.way too much clumsiness/fumbling with gathering the ball in the air and on the ground

26.stupid free kicks

27.opposition players waltzing through tackles, bumping us off the ball

28.when you have 2 or 3 blokes at a marking contest, don't all go up in the air for it (under 10s stuff)

24, Falling over after a marking attempt, just lay on the ground, effort over, this was apparent all day, early Robbo at his best.

26. Yep, tackling around the neck, do we have a tackling coach.

28,Howe owns the ball, whether he is best positioned or not, plays like a ten year old, and kicks like a five year old, and the crowd loves it.