With a new experienced coach (my bet is now Rodney Eade - a very good choice i think), a professional, and highly expert board, and a football department hand-picked by the AFL, we have an opportunity to fix the MFC malaise once and for all.

So where is the on-field improved performance going to come from? Below is my summary:

Name Performance in 2013 Rated Predicted Performance in Difference Ranking Status in 2014

out of 10 2014 Rated out of 10

Nathan Jones 7 9 2 24 Vice Captain

Jack Watts 3 7 4 10

Jimmy Toumpas 1 6 5 6

Chris Dawes 3 7 4 10 Captain

Jack Viney 2 8 6 5

James Frawley 3 8 5 6 Leadership Team (LT)

Jack Trengove 2 7 5 6 LT

Shannon Byrnes 3 Retired

Mitch Clark 0 8 8 1 LT

Colin Sylvia 2 5 3 17

Jordie McKenzie 1 5 4 10

Lynden Dunn 3 6 3 17

David Rodan 5 Retired

Sam Blease 3 7 4 10

James Strauss 2 Traded

Colin Garland 6 8 2 24 LT

Cameron Pedersen 1 De-listed

Josh Tynan 2 5 3 17

Tom McDonald 5 7 2 24

Daniel Nicholson 4 5 1 29

Tom Gillies 1 De-listed

Joel Macdonald 2 Retired

James Sellar 2 De-listed

Jack Grimes 4 8 4 10 LT

Michael Evans 3 6 3 17

Dom Barry 0 3 3 17 Rookie

Dean Kent 3 5 2 24

Luke Tapscott 3 6 3 17

Aaron Davey 5 Retired

Max Gawn 4 8 4 10

Jeremy Howe 3 7 4 10

Neville Jetta 3 Traded

Mark Jamar 2 7 5 6

Troy Davis 1 5 4 10

Jake Spencer 3 Traded

Rory Taggert 0 4 4 10 Rookie

Rohan Bail 2 Traded

Matt Jones 5 7 2 24

Dean Terlich 5 7 2 24

Jack Fitzpatrick 6 Traded for a Carlton

small forward

Jesse Hogan 0 8 8 1

Two gun mids via early draft pick and priority pick

X 0 8 8 1

Y 0 8 8 1

We also need a young ruckman (Hannath?) and an additional small forward

Is this enough to get us in the eight? It might be......

Edited August 27, 201311 yr by Dees2014

Our improvement will come from droppng duds like Sellar, Gilles, Rodan, Nicholson etc. and replacing them with good onfield leaders from the draft.

Once we have a culture/team that is willing to bust their balls at training and gameday then we will start to see improvement across the board.

I think right now our players aren't playing for anything (they know they won't win and know they can't make finals so whats the point).

We need to get 2 good mids (trade) who can come in and have an immediate impact - when we begin to win a few games our tails will begin to wag and they might start putting their bodies on the line.

The biggest improvement could come from the 22-25 year olds (like the improvement in Garland and Jones) - Trengove, Watts etc.

Edited August 27, 201311 yr by Young Dee

Not in a pink fit dees 2014.

I expect a small amount of improvement in 2014.

IMO we have approx 12 AFL standard players if we added 8 good players during the off season we would still not have Game changer.

And still another ten good players short

Now a game changer might appear from the kids we recruit this year but in reality they will take time.

2014 is the first year in another rebuild from a very low base.

If we have a lot of luck we might win 5 -6 games that is a long way from eighth place.

Not in a pink fit dees 2014.

I expect a small amount of improvement in 2014.

IMO we have approx 12 AFL standard players if we added 8 good players during the off season we would still not have Game changer.

And still another ten good players short

Now a game changer might appear from the kids we recruit this year but in reality they will take time.

2014 is the first year in another rebuild from a very low base.

If we have a lot of luck we might win 5 -6 games that is a long way from eighth place.

Port Adelaide were regarded as a basket case this time last year.....

I'd like to divide the list into steady/slightly improved players and big improvers.

Steady players are the ones who form the basis of the team, the structure and reliability. These will be senior players.

The big improvers will mostly be younger players though I'd like to hope that there are one or two middle tier players that lift big. It's the big improvers that I think will lift the team. You're only as good as your worst 6 players.

Steady:

Nathan Jones

Colin Garland

James Frawley

Chris Dawes

Mitch Clark

Jack Trengove

Jack Grimes

Colin Sylvia

Big Improvers:

Jack Viney

Jimmy Toumpas

Dean Kent

Jesse Hogan

Jack Fitzpatrick

Max Gawn

Matt Jones

Mitch Clisby

Tom McDonald

**Jeremy Howe - Howe's development has been retarded a bit the second half of this season. I think he is an interesting case. He may improve a lot or drop off but he isn't one of our steady players I think. Hoping for a big year for him next season.

If I haven't named a player I consider them fringe players or just so/so (or I may have missed them).

Firstly points for trying D2014 but you can't delist Byrnes or Pedersen, they are contracted.

But as for our improvement I think it will come because of a number of factors:

1. An experienced coach will provide a confidence boost in the players, you can see Craig already lifted them a notch

2. Increased talent and fitness across the midfield group - we simply can't get any worse here

3. The inclusion of Hogan, return of Clark, another season of Dawes will result in a lift, I feel it's almost impossible to get such a low return out of these 3 as we did from Clark and Dawes this year.

To expand on our midfield, this year we've lacked depth and available talent. Here are some of the areas on balance of probability where we can improve

- Toumpas having an easy preseason off the back of hip surgery

- Viney missing a chunk in the middle of the year

- Evans missing the second half of the season

- McKenzie and Trengove having injury interruptions late in preseason

- Matt Jones only in his first year/preseason

- Kent not fully fit when he arrived at the club

- Blease doing multiple ankle injuries

- Grimes breaking his collar bone (and a decent break at that)

- The draft/trade period

The overriding factor that good clubs have is depth and pressure for a spot in the team whilst also maintaining a solid line up. Next year I really feel our backline should be looking much better than the start of this year. McDonald has improved as the year went on. Frawley, Garland, Terlich, Clisby showed enough as a group. Pedersen and Dunn as depth. The key forwards have to improve it's a given. The small forward's with midfield ability look much better if Kent improves and we can get Sylvia back to this role. The midfield is the one where it will be hard to be worse. How much better depends on a bit of luck - how well players come on, injuries, top draft picks being ready to play and then some clever trading which I think is imperative.

Firstly points for trying D2014 but you can't delist Byrnes or Pedersen, they are contracted.

But as for our improvement I think it will come because of a number of factors:

1. An experienced coach will provide a confidence boost in the players, you can see Craig already lifted them a notch

2. Increased talent and fitness across the midfield group - we simply can't get any worse here

3. The inclusion of Hogan, return of Clark, another season of Dawes will result in a lift, I feel it's almost impossible to get such a low return out of these 3 as we did from Clark and Dawes this year.

To expand on our midfield, this year we've lacked depth and available talent. Here are some of the areas on balance of probability where we can improve

- Toumpas having an easy preseason off the back of hip surgery

- Viney missing a chunk in the middle of the year

- Evans missing the second half of the season

- McKenzie and Trengove having injury interruptions late in preseason

- Matt Jones only in his first year/preseason

- Kent not fully fit when he arrived at the club

- Blease doing multiple ankle injuries

- Grimes breaking his collar bone (and a decent break at that)

- The draft/trade period

The overriding factor that good clubs have is depth and pressure for a spot in the team whilst also maintaining a solid line up. Next year I really feel our backline should be looking much better than the start of this year. McDonald has improved as the year went on. Frawley, Garland, Terlich, Clisby showed enough as a group. Pedersen and Dunn as depth. The key forwards have to improve it's a given. The small forward's with midfield ability look much better if Kent improves and we can get Sylvia back to this role. The midfield is the one where it will be hard to be worse. How much better depends on a bit of luck - how well players come on, injuries, top draft picks being ready to play and then some clever trading which I think is imperative.

Good post.

One of the reasons I raised this subject is our supporter base understandably has been all gloom and doom. I think one of the first people to put a positive spin on things was, strangely enough, Paul Roos, when he did an evaluation of our list in the Herald-Sun (a paper I can't abide incidentally ). He basically said that the MFC does not have a bad list, and with the right leadership it could be quite successful (a view clearly shared by the AFL).

I tried to put some detail in that. There are clearly serious gaps in the list, but this is what trading should be about and with us likely to have a high draft pick and a priority pick this year, and with competent recruitment staff (something we haven't had for 10 years) we ought to be able to fashion a star midfield out of that.

I would not be so confident of this with the previous regime (the Ollie Wines issue, and Hannath issue still rankles), but with a football department effectively sanctioned by the AFL, we surely will not be saddled with the incompetents of the past.

Edited August 27, 201311 yr by Dees2014

From not having Mark Neeld as Senior Coach and Cameron Schwab as CEO.

The MFC is miles ahead of where it was this time last year.

Bring on 2014 as I can already taste the 5 wins.

From not having Mark Neeld as Senior Coach and Cameron Schwab as CEO.

The MFC is miles ahead of where it was this time last year.

Bring on 2014 as I can already taste the 5 wins.

Five wins!

A big year coming up

Five wins!

A big year coming up

Massive!

I cant hardly wait.

Our fitness. Remember this is only the second year of a three phase ramp up of pre-season fitness regime according to Dave Misson. Is this still a reasonable excuse to say the team still lacks the required fitness to compete for a full game or do we really just have too many dumb, lazy footballers?

It makes me wonder if Misson will be hanging around for next year to see this through or if he's sent packing? Were he a Neeld that close that Misson would consider leaving due to all these changes?

I hope that whatever remains in this 'three phased fitness regime' it focusses on player speed and explosiveness at clearances. This is where I would like to see a vast improvement come from.

Our fitness. Remember this is only the second year of a three phase ramp up of pre-season fitness regime according to Dave Misson. Is this still a reasonable excuse to say the team still lacks the required fitness to compete for a full game or do we really just have too many dumb, lazy footballers?

It makes me wonder if Misson will be hanging around for next year to see this through or if he's sent packing? Were he a Neeld that close that Misson would consider leaving due to all these changes?

I hope that whatever remains in this 'three phased fitness regime' it focusses on player speed and explosiveness at clearances. This is where I would like to see a vast improvement come from.

I don't put a lot of stock in this idea that we are not fit enough.

Most games are over at quarter time not lost in the last 20 minutes.

The more plausible reason IMO is we are simply not skilled enough to beat our opponents.

.

I don't put a lot of stock in this idea that we are not fit enough.

Most games are over at quarter time not lost in the last 20 minutes.

The more plausible reason IMO is we are simply not skilled enough to beat our opponents.

.

But when you're tired ol dee your skills and decision making processes go out the window. I would like to think it's a huge variable.

The rebuild hasn't even begun yet.

2014 is going to be nasty.

But when you're tired ol dee your skills and decision making processes go out the window. I would like to think it's a huge variable.

Surely McQueen they are not tired at the 15 minute mark of the first quarter.

I would like to hang the problem on fitness as well but I think we are both grossly mistaken.

The rebuild hasn't even begun yet.

2014 is going to be nasty.

Unfortunately I think you are 100% CORRECT.

But when you're tired ol dee your skills and decision making processes go out the window. I would like to think it's a huge variable.

Some of the match committee people much be very very tired all the time then

Unfortunately I think you are 100% CORRECT.

actually ..later this year it gets nasty LOL

Next year will be plain horrendous.

if Mitch comes back fit and firing and Hogan is as good as advertised, that will be worth another 2-4 wins alone

Games we would have won this season with Clark and Hogan out there

St Kilda round 13

GWS round 19

Gold Coast round 20

Brisbane round 17

Agreed

Surely McQueen they are not tired at the 15 minute mark of the first quarter.

I would like to hang the problem on fitness as well but I think we are both grossly mistaken.

Maybe it's mental fitness, old dee...

Maybe it's mental fitness, old dee...

That and fit for purpose

Edited August 27, 201311 yr by old dee

if Mitch comes back fit and firing and Hogan is as good as advertised, that will be worth another 2-4 wins alone

Games we would have won this season with Clark and Hogan out there

St Kilda round 13

GWS round 19

Gold Coast round 20

Brisbane round 17

They were games we should have won without them.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.

Jack Fitzpatrick 6 Traded for a Carlton

small forward

This is going to come as a big surprise to Fitz, unless it's written in to the 2-year contract he signed last week.

They were games we should have won without them.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.

And if my aunty had b.... she would be .................!

I don't put a lot of stock in this idea that we are not fit enough.

Most games are over at quarter time not lost in the last 20 minutes.

The more plausible reason IMO is we are simply not skilled enough to beat our opponents.

.

We spend 80 % of game time chasing coz we cannot win and retain the posession of the BALL! ie we are no where near skilled enough