Supporters have already endured 6 years of bottom four finishes with very little return on development of high draft picks. Now Neeld tells us another 3 years before we are competitive.

I for one Mr Neeld do not buy your message, I have decided not to go and watch Melbourne games at the moment because it is rubbish football. I expect To go and watch my team at the highest level play competitive football.

I pay a premium membership and will decide on renewal depending on what the club decides with the coaching appointments next year.

As an assessment of where our list is - 3-5 years is probably quite accurate... but was he talking finals? We will no doubt progress but probably similar too other clubs - richmond, carlton essendon... neither are premiership contenders yet but have been building over the past 5 years.

Supporters have already endured 6 years of bottom four finishes with very little return on development of high draft picks. Now Neeld tells us another 3 years before we are competitive.

I for one Mr Neeld do not buy your message, I have decided not to go and watch Melbourne games at the moment because it is rubbish football. I expect To go and watch my team at the highest level play competitive football.

I pay a premium membership and will decide on renewal depending on what the club decides with the coaching appointments next year.

Nowhere in the article aside from the headline states we will take 3-5 years to be competitive. He is talking 3-5 years before we can seriously match it with the premium teams consistently. Am I happy to sit through 3 more years of what we have seen. No. Am I happy to wear this now if this gets us in the end to being a serious chance and not just making up the numbers. Sure if thats whats required. The issue is its impossible to know if we are truly on the right path.

I don't care how bad a state Baily apparently left this club in, it should not be taking 5 years to be competitive.

I guess the only thing is what he defines as competitive. Is that competing with the best and being up there with the best? Because right now I'll take just being bloody competitive with teams that are meant to be at our level!

was that five years in total to be competitive, win finals or to pay off. Sounds like the term of a car loan he may have taken out.

am i just cynical mmm, little bit!

Supporters have already endured 6 years of bottom four finishes with very little return on development of high draft picks. Now Neeld tells us another 3 years before we are competitive.

I for one Mr Neeld do not buy your message, I have decided not to go and watch Melbourne games at the moment because it is rubbish football. I expect To go and watch my team at the highest level play competitive football.

I pay a premium membership and will decide on renewal depending on what the club decides with the coaching appointments next year.

How long do you think it will take?

How long do you think it will take?

It really depends on how you define "competitive" and what the time frame is based on. But I for one expect the team to be competitive in every single match they play.

I'll cop being premiership contenders in five years, but surely winning games regularly, and giving us the hope of finals footy needs to come on quickly. I get he has a big job, our patience is exhausted and too much was expected of them too quickly but surely we can set our goals a fraction higher.

Anyone threatening to cancel membership on the back of club business decisions needs to take their toys and go home.

Seriously, We are Melbourne. The members, the players, everyone. The board are just members volunteering to run our club. Your membership gives you the right to question, review and vote. It gives you the right to stand for election if you think you're a better option.

But if you are no longer a member, particular in protest, you're a no one. You've resigned as a part of the club. Suck it up and support you club, vote for people to run the club and support people who are in the know to make the correct decisions.

This is [censored] folks and we shouldnt buy it. Look at port Adelaide last year and this year.....suddenly their terrible list looks a whole lot better doesnt it.

Neeld just hasnt built a team that plays for each other and his game style suits a group of players he doesnt actually have = bad coach. If we stay on this route all the good players will leave before that 5 yr timeframe and leave us further up the creek than we already are.....IF thats even possible. Of course he wants a 5 year window...ALL coaches want that. But he's done absolutely NOTHING that says he should get that in my opinion.

Change coaches...and get someone experienced, who's got in him to build morale and uses a game plan that vaguely resembles AFL. If I have to put up with 5 YEARS of this Im seriously going to lose whatever flickering interest thats left in me!

Richmond and North currently can compete with the good sides on their day but not consistently. I would say he is stating we are 3 years from where they are at and 5 years from being a true contender. Based on the age of our list particularly our best 18 this sits statistically with what is proven to be a contender. Am I happy that we have wasted our first attempt at this with some poor selections and development no but to coin one of the most annoying terms "it is what it is". Lets just make sure we do it right this time.

This is [censored] folks and we shouldnt buy it. Look at port Adelaide last year and this year.....suddenly their terrible list looks a whole lot better doesnt it.

Lets judge Port at end of year not after their first month filled with the enthusiasm of a pre-season and new coach and other motivating factors. If anything their first month shows how sometimes things aren't as dire as they seem.

Edited May 19, 201312 yr by big_red_fire_engine

Port Adelaide did not take 5 years - just a preseason and they were below us.

Yes let's try a coach who can inspire our players!

Let's change our captain too as we know who has the grunt in them.

This is [censored] folks and we shouldnt buy it. Look at port Adelaide last year and this year.....suddenly their terrible list looks a whole lot better doesnt it.

Neeld just hasnt built a team that plays for each other and his game style suits a group of players he doesnt actually have = bad coach. If we stay on this route all the good players will leave before that 5 yr timeframe and leave us further up the creek than we already are.....IF thats even possible. Of course he wants a 5 year window...ALL coaches want that. But he's done absolutely NOTHING that says he should get that in my opinion.

Change coaches...and get someone experienced, who's got in him to build morale and uses a game plan that vaguely resembles AFL. If I have to put up with 5 YEARS of this Im seriously going to lose whatever flickering interest thats left in me!

Fair enough but it's what happens when you have poor decisions being made over many years. I agree with him on his timeframe but am unsure if he's the man for the job

Took Port 1 pre season. Mitch Clark will be close to retirement in 5 years.

Lets judge Port at end of year not after their first month filled with the enthusiasm of a pre-season and new coach and other motivating factors. If anything their first month shows how sometimes things aren't as dire as they seem.

Well, remember our pre season was filled with the same big red. Sad as it to look back at it now. Even if port doesnt win another game for the season ( which wont happen) they're report card is going to look a WHOLE lot better than ours. Whens the last time we won 3 games in a row? let alone 5.

Fans have to remain patient apparently. Honestly he is clueless when it comes to communicating messages.

Took Port 1 pre season. Mitch Clark will be close to retirement in 5 years.

Who have Port beaten? Us, GWS, GC, an undermanned West Coast?? Yeah they're travelling better than us but I wouldn't be pencilling them in for finals just yet.

Why is he even saying this? Bailey must have left notes in his desk which read: "It's fine to be rubbish so long as you tell everyone before hand."

Why is he even saying this? Bailey must have left notes in his desk which read: "It's fine to be rubbish so long as you tell everyone before hand."

Why would Frawley stick around if the coach is telling him he'll be close to retirement before we're even competitive??? It's a joke.

Why would Frawley stick around if the coach is telling him he'll be close to retirement before we're even competitive??? It's a joke.

Exactly. If he and other more senior players want to leave then five years quickly becomes, six, seven or never.

This is just Bailey all over again!

I agree with Neeld, would like to believe we are better but look at who we have beaten in the past five years. I want a team that can win finals and flags not just win every now and then. Going to take a long long time.

As Neeld once said we need to got onboard the reality bus, the reality is he is right, whether he can coach or not is another question, but we are 3 to 5 years away from finals footy. Wee will compete longer each year just not long enough to be a finals contender.

I agree with Neeld, would like to believe we are better but look at who we have beaten in the past five years. I want a team that can win finals and flags not just win every now and then. Going to take a long long time.

That's fine, but don't tell the supporters, members, sponsors and players. Such a defeatist attitude.

Supporters have already endured 6 years of bottom four finishes with very little return on development of high draft picks. Now Neeld tells us another 3 years before we are competitive.

I for one Mr Neeld do not buy your message, I have decided not to go and watch Melbourne games at the moment because it is rubbish football. I expect To go and watch my team at the highest level play competitive football.

I pay a premium membership and will decide on renewal depending on what the club decides with the coaching appointments next year.

We've endured years of bad development because no one seems to be allowed to complete a rebuild. Neeld should be allowed to finish building the list he has in mind and yes, another 3 years is probably quite an accurate assessment of the time it will take to become genuinely competitive with the top teams.

If we sack Neeld now and take on another coach, just how long to you give them to get us to a point where we are truly competitive? It is very possible that a new coach will again dismantle everything and begin yet another rebuild, putting us even further behind.

Sorry MD, but you are showing about as much mongrel as a Toorak miniature poodle.