The Return of Martin Flanagan

[The Yarra 83]

A club's sad score: Dee minus

Martin gives modern day journalism a glimmer of hope. Comparing this to the rubbish that Ralph, Connolly and the like dish up - it's worlds apart.

[beelzebub 23,355]

A club's sad score: Dee minus

Martin gives modern day journalism a glimmer of hope. Comparing this to the rubbish that Ralph, Connolly and the like dish up - it's worlds apart.

I wouldn't so much describe this as entertaining reading as much as a necessary reading. His many illustrations are poignant and without the taint of derision so often detected in others' writings.

We're a bit like a train wreck . All happening in slow motion , slow enough to see the twisted and agonised faces in the windows of the carriages as they pass , already derailed and bound for a hurting end.

Trains can however be re-railed , repaired and put back into gainful service.

All aboard the Melbourne Express.

One day I do hope he writes a book, by then there ought to be glimmers of a happier ending.

[45HG 1,539]

I already loved Flanagan.

Then he quoted Matthew Whelan.

Now..it is greater than love.

[Allen Jakovich 516]

great article.

[Deeoldfart 8,023]

Very hard to disagree with anything Martin Flanagan has said in this article, and like him, I give us a sneaky sort of chance today.

However, win, lose or draw, nothing will be changed by todays results ... our Club has been appallingly managed for more than a decade. We are just about as low as you can go right now, and its a long, long way back to becoming consistently competitive, let alone competing in September.

[Whispering_Jack 30,050]

The title to the thread is somewhat of a misnomer in that Flanagan never really went away. This is therefore not a return in that sense but more a return in the form of a better understanding and insight into what's happened both at and to our club.

Our failures are due not to one single factor or faction or group within the membership, the playing group or those who run it; many are to blame but the blameworthy are those who always look only back and fail to see what's needed in going forward.

Martin Flanagan has nailed it again. He's done so because, unlike the others whose task is to write simply about events, he seeks to understand them.

[rjay 24,919]

I hope Craig has learnt from his time at Adelaide and here with Neeld. Statistics and science are only part of the story, as Martin tells it and I believe there is a lot more to football.

I fear that we may have traded one scientific coach for another even if it is only temporary, lets hope not. Time will tell.

[Pirlo 813]

A club's sad score: Dee minus

Martin gives modern day journalism a glimmer of hope. Comparing this to the rubbish that Ralph, Connolly and the like dish up - it's worlds apart.

The rubbish that Connolly dishes up? WTF. One of the best journos in football.

[Carrot Top 947]

Jeff Kennett, rather in the manner of a Roman general volunteering to quell a disorderly province, declared his availability to sort Melbourne out...

The word play and imagery there is wonderful.

Maybe it's because I'm a history buff or maybe it's because a couple of crucifixions wouldn't go astray right now, but I'm glad I read the article, if for no other reason than to see that line.

[Weedster 174]

The title to the thread is somewhat of a misnomer in that Flanagan never really went away. This is therefore not a return in that sense but more a return in the form of a better understanding and insight into what's happened both at and to our club.

Our failures are due not to one single factor or faction or group within the membership, the playing group or those who run it; many are to blame but the blameworthy are those who always look only back and fail to see what's needed in going forward.

Martin Flanagan has nailed it again. He's done so because, unlike the others whose task is to write simply about events, he seeks to understand them.

A great article which speaks volumes on a number of fronts.

[The heart beats true 18,123]

"At the end of the day, coaches are like cooks. They are given a list of human ingredients of all different types, and their task is to whip up something from them."

Exactly Martin. Neeld could have learnt a lot from that.

[stueyspencer no12 73]

great article.

I agree. Found it very interesting.

Note what he says about the Melbourne board. FWIW I've been questioning of the criticism of the board and even, to some extent, Schwab who did play a major part in the debt reduction. I remain of the view that the whole bloody disaster has been due to the Neeld appointment. Interesting that in the same Age there was a piece by Gary Lyon in which he accepted responsibility for the appointment, and of course Schwab was involved in that decision.

I again suggest there was no crisis at MFC at the end of 2010. Promising list, gaps which needed to be filled but that was to be expected,debt wiped out, club apparently well run.

[stueyspencer no12 73]

Very hard to disagree with anything Martin Flanagan has said in this article, and like him, I give us a sneaky sort of chance today.

However, win, lose or draw, nothing will be changed by todays results ... our Club has been appallingly managed for more than a decade. We are just about as low as you can go right now, and its a long, long way back to becoming consistently competitive, let alone competing in September.

I wish you'd stop saying this! It's nonsense! We have always been underfunded for reasons well known. The club made finals 13 years out of 20 from 1987, despite the reduced resources. In that time, 3 good coaches, Northey,Balme, .Daniher. Membership was hugely improved.

Couple of bad decisions (sacking of Daniher and Bailey) have damaged us badly. Sure, the relevant Boards must take responsibility for those

[RalphiusMaximus 6,048]

What is Whelan doing these days? Does he want to coach?

[Webber 10,465]

Flanners is not only the best football writer in Australia, but one of our best writers on any subject. He combines the knowledge of a historian, the passion of a fan, the romance of a poet, and the intellectual consideration of a true pragmatist. All at once. His brother's not half bad either.

[praha 11,240]

A club's sad score: Dee minus

Martin gives modern day journalism a glimmer of hope. Comparing this to the rubbish that Ralph, Connolly and the like dish up - it's worlds apart.

It's a different market.

Ralph and the like are writing for a low-brow, casual news reader. Martin is writing for a more refined audience.

And Connolly is OK.

[Ouch! 2,262]

in my opinion, this guy is reaffirming why he is considered one of the best journalists in football.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/coach-out-to-break-male-dominance-20130628-2p2ub.html

Listening to Michelle Cowan, you can't help but be impressed. If we were to land a coach such as Roos or even Williams, I think it would be a bold move to maybe consider someone like her or Peta Searle as a development coach.

[CHAMP 347]

in my opinion, this guy is reaffirming why he is considered one of the best journalists in football.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/coach-out-to-break-male-dominance-20130628-2p2ub.html

Listening to Michelle Cowan, you can't help but be impressed. If we were to land a coach such as Roos or even Williams, I think it would be a bold move to maybe consider someone like her or Peta Searle as a development coach.

Out: Royal

In: Cowan