So no-one here heard Andrew Leoncelli interviewed by the Coodabeens yesterday?

It was pretty interesting in an historic sense. He was asked about the rise from wooden spooners in '97 to prelim finalists in '98 and put it down to the hatred of losing which Neale D brought to the club. Tougher training, harder running (no pushbikes).

For me he confirmed what I have long thought about Neil Balme's coaching.

'Cells had been at Carlton briefly and not broken into their side (he said they were not interested in developing young players at the time) and he was plucked from the amos by Melbourne a couple of years later. He said Melbourne in '96 and '97 was about blokes enjoying themselves but not winning many games. Training was slack and losing was easy.

Remember that Balme inherited a tough as nails mob from John Northey for the '94 season and we ran downhill steadily after that, aided by David Schwarz' dodgy knees for a distraction. The Coodabeens pointedly did not ask 'Cells who was coaching Melbourne when he arrived to discover its slackness, but he was full of praise for Daniher and how he hardened up the joint.

Let's hope a similar conversion is possible now.

If we can drag ourselves into the top 8 next year it'll be something amazing. I thought we could do it this year right up until Port smashed us in round 1 and then reality returned and smacked me in the face.

Roos will change the way we play and think about out team performance. Hopefully that delivers results similar to Daniher's and Northey's a decade before that.

It's not impossible however, it's highly unlikely unless we draft in those missing midfielders.

So no-one here heard Andrew Leoncelli interviewed by the Coodabeens yesterday?

It was pretty interesting in an historic sense. He was asked about the rise from wooden spooners in '97 to prelim finalists in '98 and put it down to the hatred of losing which Neale D brought to the club. Tougher training, harder running (no pushbikes).

For me he confirmed what I have long thought about Neil Balme's coaching.

.....

Remember that Balme inherited a tough as nails mob from John Northey for the '94 season and we ran downhill steadily after that, aided by David Schwarz' dodgy knees for a distraction. The Coodabeens pointedly did not ask 'Cells who was coaching Melbourne when he arrived to discover its slackness, but he was full of praise for Daniher and how he hardened up the joint.

Let's hope a similar conversion is possible now.

Nice revisionism. You got to give credit where credit is due. Balme inherited a "tough as nails" underperforming side that finished 11th in 1992 and Balme took us to PF in 1994. However from 1995 onwards the team's talent was decimated by LT injuries to Schwartz, Lyon, Tingay, G Lovett, Prymke, S Charles in addition to the usual BAU injuries that impair a team. In addtion it would not have been easy ot coach a team with the disruption of the 1996 merger going on either. Not a great coach by any stretch but not deserving of the revisionism applied.

That's my recollection of the Balme era. He had the team playing sensational footy by the end of 1994 and the loss of Jakovich after the Hawthorn game leading up to the finals could even have cost us a flag. Thereafter, we were decimated by injuries for a long period and struggled under the weight of the merger controversy. We were pathetic for much of 1997 during which time Balme was sacked - his game plan was atrocious at the time but limited by a lack of personnel.

Daniher was in the right place at the right time - a new broom when some of the experienced players came back from injury and we recruited well with White, Shanahan, Johnstone, Rigoni and players emerging like Ingerson and Rigoni. It all came together very nicely for Daniher who was fresh and innovative and, as a result, we prospered.

I can't see as rapid a rise in the year ahead under Roos but if the stars align we should see some progress.

That's my recollection of the Balme era. He had the team playing sensational footy by the end of 1994 and the loss of Jakovich after the Hawthorn game leading up to the finals could even have cost us a flag. Thereafter, we were decimated by injuries for a long period and struggled under the weight of the merger controversy. We were pathetic for much of 1997 during which time Balme was sacked - his game plan was atrocious at the time but limited by a lack of personnel.

Daniher was in the right place at the right time - a new broom when some of the experienced players came back from injury and we recruited well with White, Shanahan, Johnstone, Rigoni and players emerging like Ingerson and Rigoni. It all came together very nicely for Daniher who was fresh and innovative and, as a result, we prospered.

I can't see as rapid a rise in the year ahead under Roos but if the stars align we should see some progress.

& so was Leigh Matthews, working in the media then, Went to coach shortly after... was an inquiry made to the premiership coach about his availability ?

Nice revisionism. You got to give credit where credit is due. Balme inherited a "tough as nails" underperforming side that finished 11th in 1992 and Balme took us to PF in 1994. However from 1995 onwards the team's talent was decimated by LT injuries to Schwartz, Lyon, Tingay, G Lovett, Prymke, S Charles in addition to the usual BAU injuries that impair a team. In addtion it would not have been easy ot coach a team with the disruption of the 1996 merger going on either. Not a great coach by any stretch but not deserving of the revisionism applied.

The key is what Leoncelli had to say about the slackness he found when he arrived. No amount of injuries can account for that.

The key is what Leoncelli had to say about the slackness he found when he arrived. No amount of injuries can account for that.

Not sure how link it your overall negative view of Balme's coaching.

That's my recollection of the Balme era. He had the team playing sensational footy by the end of 1994 and the loss of Jakovich after the Hawthorn game leading up to the finals could even have cost us a flag. Thereafter, we were decimated by injuries for a long period and struggled under the weight of the merger controversy. We were pathetic for much of 1997 during which time Balme was sacked - his game plan was atrocious at the time but limited by a lack of personnel.

Jakovich was another who succumbed to injury as well.

Leoncelli may have rally enjoyed Daniher's coaching as many of us did, but I think he is not giving Balme some credit which is his due. The'94 Dees team - with all fit and firing - is still the best Dees team I have seen. I was more devastated about the Prelim loss that year than I was about the GF in 1988. We had a team capable of anything, but injuries simply killed off the talent. You can't get to a Prelim by being unfit and lazy in comparison to the teams around you.

Lyon, Tingay, Ox, Jakovich all injured!!! Oh, what could have been.

Leoncelli may have rally enjoyed Daniher's coaching as many of us did, but I think he is not giving Balme some credit which is his due. The'94 Dees team - with all fit and firing - is still the best Dees team I have seen. I was more devastated about the Prelim loss that year than I was about the GF in 1988. We had a team capable of anything, but injuries simply killed off the talent. You can't get to a Prelim by being unfit and lazy in comparison to the teams around you.

Lyon, Tingay, Ox, Jakovich all injured!!! Oh, what could have been.

That's how I recall Balme's tenure as well. He was cruelled by injury, not just for a few games but for seasons. I still can't quite wipe out the memory of a loss at Port Adelaide where we were so short of manpower that our "tall forwards" were The Wiz & Sean Charles.

I felt the Daniher years were not much different from the Balme years. We were both good and bad then and never had any decent luck. It was a long time ago and my most persistent recollection of the Balme era was our poor defensive game. Can remember we used to concede far to many easy goals against the run of play. I always said Balme invented the Swiss Cheese defence.

That's how I recall Balme's tenure as well. He was cruelled by injury, not just for a few games but for seasons. I still can't quite wipe out the memory of a loss at Port Adelaide where we were so short of manpower that our "tall forwards" were The Wiz & Sean Charles.

Agree. I never thought Balme was a dud coach. I am sure I can remember some weeks when we were so undermanned circa 1996/97 that we had to play both Cockatoo Collins kids because there was no one else on the list fit. We had a list full of X factor players who we could not get on the park together. And if I remember correctly in 1997 we got TJ at number one and picked up Leoncelli as well as two McDonalds and Robbo in the first ever rookie draft. We made a killing that year. Picking up White in 98 would have set us up no matter who was coach.

And then we had Joe Gutnick and the salary cap punishments a year later!

Oh. well.