These quotes from Craig resonate with me. Especially the second line.

“Whoever comes to Melbourne next year needs to be really clear they come to involved in AFL footy ... but more that they come with a passion to make Melbourne good.

“Otherwise your club just becomes a vehicle to be involved in AFL footy and that’s the last thing Melbourne needs at the moment in terms of staff, administrators, board and, in particular, players.

Craig at least understands this as being so crucial in the selection of the new coach.

It's a really good point. The opportunity of those that are to work at this club involves where we are at right now.

Any prospective employees need to realise, and communicate to Jackson, that this is just about being involved in a footy club but rebuilding almost everything that makes a good football club.

Some people would not be comfortable with that responsibility.

Whats Rattens contract status?

Lets just get him - midfield coach with Ling as his assistant please. (don't care how much it costs - put it on the AFL's tab)

If we don't get rid of all responsible for the midfield then this rebuild is pointless (...Royal)

I am not a defender of Royal but you seem to be missing the obvious - right here and now - what midfielders of A grade quality do we have ?

Go through every club and our best midfielder would 2nd or 3rd best choice at their clubs and we dont have anyone else who rates a mention ( Viney is young and hasnt impacted as yet).

You put Royal in charge of the likes of Hawthorns midfield and we would probably be calling him a genius.

We. have. no. cattle. in. the. midfield.

Edit - irrespective - the new coach will bring in his own team anyway - and further to the point about the assistants being a reflection of the head coach - there wont be any assistant appointments before the head coach is selected - it is his call.

Edited August 9, 201312 yr by nutbean

Yeah but Royal has done poorly in every area we have put him.

I am not a defender of Royal but you seem to be missing the obvious - right here and now - what midfielders of A grade quality do we have ?

Go through every club and our best midfielder would 2nd or 3rd best choice at their clubs and we dont have anyone else who rates a mention ( Viney is young and hasnt impacted as yet).

You put Royal in charge of the likes of Hawthorns midfield and we would probably be calling him a genius.

We. have. no. cattle. in. the. midfield.

Edit - irrespective - the new coach will bring in his own team anyway - and further to the point about the assistants being a reflection of the head coach - there wont be any assistant appointments before the head coach is selected - it is his call.

I was not just referring only to the actual coaching of the midfield but also selection and development etc.

I am well aware that our midfield is crap!

Someone has to accept the blame for players like Trengove, Morton, Gysberts and Moloney (you speak as though we havent had any talent come through in the last decade)

Edited August 9, 201312 yr by Young Dee

I think one of the major underlying reasons why PJ is adamant we need an experienced coach is not so much because an experienced coach will turn the ship quicker, but because there is a realization that the ship wont turn quickly and an experienced coach will be able sell a slow rebuild easier than a Neeld or a Bailey.

These quotes from Craig resonate with me. Especially the second line.

“Whoever comes to Melbourne next year needs to be really clear they come to involved in AFL footy ... but more that they come with a passion to make Melbourne good.

“Otherwise your club just becomes a vehicle to be involved in AFL footy and that’s the last thing Melbourne needs at the moment in terms of staff, administrators, board and, in particular, players.

Craig at least understands this as being so crucial in the selection of the new coach.

this is exactly what I believe happened to us during the 2002 - 2007 Era... leading to soft lazy football by the same type of player. & the poor kids that came into the game, & this club, under that attitude & those players... lack of development.

this Is why we had to have a cleanout.... a big cleanout, of the list, & of the administrators... board & office

Edited August 9, 201312 yr by dee-luded

Yeah but Royal has done poorly in every area we have put him.

as opposed to all the other coaches who have been stunningly successful

Someone has to accept the blame for players like Trengove, Morton, Gysberts and Moloney (you speak as though we havent had any talent come through in the last decade)

I believe we have blamed someone for this - Neeld and Bailey. We have picked wrong and we haven't developed talent we have gotten in.

What I keep suggesting is that this fascination with potting assistant coaches is purely guesswork. The head coach sets the agenda, the game plan he wants to implement and the overall communication tone with the players.

An assistants role is to advise the head coach on strategies, tactics and even give input to influence on the game plan. But at the end of the day it is the head coach who decides what should and shouldn't be implemented. Under Bailey ( and Royal was there during his time) we were attacking and high risk, high reward and little emphasis on defence. Under Neeld the plan was to become more defensive and boundary centric. So tell me - was it Royals epiphany that he changed his coaching method from attack to defense under Neeld or was he operating under instruction ? ( rhetorical question)

We have all heard rumblings about players leaving clubs because they don't get on with the head coach. Call me when someone leaves the club because of the incompetence of an assistant.

I believe we have blamed someone for this - Neeld and Bailey. We have picked wrong and we haven't developed talent we have gotten in.

What I keep suggesting is that this fascination with potting assistant coaches is purely guesswork. The head coach sets the agenda, the game plan he wants to implement and the overall communication tone with the players.

An assistants role is to advise the head coach on strategies, tactics and even give input to influence on the game plan. But at the end of the day it is the head coach who decides what should and shouldn't be implemented. Under Bailey ( and Royal was there during his time) we were attacking and high risk, high reward and little emphasis on defence. Under Neeld the plan was to become more defensive and boundary centric. So tell me - was it Royals epiphany that he changed his coaching method from attack to defense under Neeld or was he operating under instruction ? ( rhetorical question)

We have all heard rumblings about players leaving clubs because they don't get on with the head coach. Call me when someone leaves the club because of the incompetence of an assistant.

Good point.

I just really want a fast corridor gameplan but it really does depend on who is coach (lets just hope to god that they don't want to implement a stagnant boundary-line gameplay)

Funny how Neeld was dead set sure that the boundary line was the way to go and Craig comes in and says we want to use the corridor as much as possible.

as opposed to all the other coaches who have been stunningly successful

I never said the others were great either, but Royal has been at the club for a long time and has made a meal of every line he has meant to coach.

I never said the others were great either, but Royal has been at the club for a long time and has made a meal of every line he has meant to coach.

We should rehire that guy who was our midfield coach in the early 00s. What was his name again?

We should rehire that guy who was our midfield coach in the early 00s. What was his name again?

For those too slow or without memory - that was Brian Royal.

Good point.

I just really want a fast corridor gameplan but it really does depend on who is coach (lets just hope to god that they don't want to implement a stagnant boundary-line gameplay)

Funny how Neeld was dead set sure that the boundary line was the way to go and Craig comes in and says we want to use the corridor as much as possible.

to be fair YD I think he intended to start us off with a real defensive mindset, then develop us up from there...

I don't believe for a minute, he's a clone of the malthouse gameplan at the pies. he was just a part of that regime. so we actually haven't come close to witnessing what our game style would have been after 4 Yrs.

& we'll never know now. wrong place, wrong time.... come on board: Clarke, Dawes, Jesse Hogan, Toumpa, Viney, Terlich, MJones, Kent, Barry, Clisby,,,,,

Edited August 9, 201312 yr by dee-luded

We should rehire that guy who was our midfield coach in the early 00s. What was his name again?

Fair enough, but I don't think our miss even then were as good as others.

And it seems he is still using the same play book today.

For those too slow or without memory - that was Brian Royal.

Spot on - and the simple truth is, he has no A grader to work with in there,combined with the lack of input from Mark Jamar.

I am not a defender of Royal but you seem to be missing the obvious - right here and now - what midfielders of A grade quality do we have ?

Go through every club and our best midfielder would 2nd or 3rd best choice at their clubs and we dont have anyone else who rates a mention ( Viney is young and hasnt impacted as yet).

How do you think they become A grade midfielders? Surely the coaching plays a huge part. Royal just seems out of touch now.

Edited August 9, 201312 yr by alias275

Williams/Eade/Ratten/Craig out of touch.

Young, contemporary team that are not long out of the game, with a gun assistant as our new coach.

Think about it.

Who says we need an 'experienced' (washed up) coach? If we get a gun name, big personality, the supporters will be back.

Not a chance, there is little point entertaining this idea anyway as Jackson has expressly said that experience as a senior coach is a requirement.

The club can't take another gamble on an inexperienced coach. People were calling Neeld the 'young gun', new generation of super coach that you are referring to and look what happened there.

Who would that be?

Do you really think that Jackson will gamble on an Adam Simpson?

Do you really think that a Leigh Tudor will excite fans?

Neil Craig is more of a chance to coach this club than an untried coach.

Gavin Brown would.

Cameron Ling would.

Brett Kirk would.

Adam Simpson is a very tactical guy who reminds me of Ross Lyon.

Neil Craig? Nup. Gone. Signed his exit papers after the North game and the meek surrender against GWS.

as opposed to all the other coaches who have been stunningly successful

While we could not claim that any of our coaches are 'setting the world on fire', there is little doubt that it is our midfield that most supporters would say is the core of our on-field woes.

As Brian Royal is the midfield coach it is probably within reason to attribute at least some of the blame on him.

As a matter of interest, who could name really good midfielders that have played for us over the past ten years?

Well, there's .......... and, ah ............................ Not an easy task, is it?

Not a chance, there is little point entertaining this idea anyway as Jackson has expressly said that experience as a senior coach is a requirement.

The club can't take another gamble on an inexperienced coach. People were calling Neeld the 'young gun', new generation of super coach that you are referring to and look what happened there.

Sorry DJ, I'm not placing blind faith in Jackson.

I'm concerned about his hidden agenda.

Sorry DJ, I'm not placing blind faith in Jackson.

I'm concerned about his hidden agenda.

What agenda would that be?

Sorry DJ, I'm not placing blind faith in Jackson.

I'm concerned about his hidden agenda.

Blame the last CEO Jackson has been bought in to salvage the club....Get used to it Jumbo..We do not have a choice.

How do you think they become A grade midfielders? Surely the coaching plays a huge part. Royal just seems out of touch now.

Just on this point, Peter Sumich is an absolute dud as a coach and will remain employed in football because he is a threat to no-one. He was the midfield coach at Meth Coast with their dominant midfield of the mid noughties. I know that was a freak of a midfield combination but a lot to be said for our lack of cattle.

Just for the record I am neither here nor there on Royal

Gavin Brown would.

Cameron Ling would.

Brett Kirk would.

Adam Simpson is a very tactical guy who reminds me of Ross Lyon.

Neil Craig? Nup. Gone. Signed his exit papers after the North game and the meek surrender against GWS.

And you are kidding if you think that Jackson would give the reigns to Brown, Ling or Kirk and that fans would be excited over them.

Fans would be wary of them, anxious even.

And Craig is contracted for next year. And he is a proven head coach.

Sorry DJ, I'm not placing blind faith in Jackson.

I'm concerned about his hidden agenda.

Now you are becoming boorish.

What agenda or you paranoid about? And why do you think a MFC employee - which Jackson is and will remain for the life of his tenure - will do what you are so nervous about?

What agenda would that be?

Blame the last CEO Jackson has been bought in to salvage the club....Get used to it Jumbo..We do not have a choice.

Always a choice.

A CEO appointed by the AFL? Trustworthy? Helloooo relocation.