James Magner

[Bitter but optimistic 22,241]

Okay, let's give Magner a fair go. He tried his guts out - we can agree on this. He is hurt and disappointed - not unreasonable. He is obviously not media savy because he has only been a fringe player without much media experience and therefore has come over badly - give hin a break on this. Probably not good enough but would have to be considered stiff not have had another game after his upgrade last year.

Good luck for the future!

[Swampfox 190]

Magner gave his all to make the grade at Melbourne

Some make the grade and MOST don't

I don't believe James Magner is consistently good enough to make the team better for the entire 2014 Season

I thank him for his determination and applaud him for his efforts

[rumpole 515]

I was never a fan but if what he says is true he has every reason to be confused and disappointed. If the club could not explain to him why he was not getting a game and why he was delisted it is shocking player management.

If he was told and is bitching then he's a dope. I find it easy to believe that Neeld failed to communicate but I'm surprised that Neil Craig and Roos could not articulate the position fully and accurately.

My reading of it is that Neeld was the one who did communicate with Magner. He told him exactly why he was dropped. We need to know more about the context of Royal's comments to determine if there was a problem here. In any event, he was a slow midfielder in a team that was thrashed by 15 goals and he was one of the main offenders in allowing the Freo midfield run all over the place all day. How disgraceful was it that the coach dropped him based on his performance that day?

But the real failure to communicate and the inconsistency was from Craig who uplifted Magner as a rookie but didn't play him even after he got 50 possessions at Casey against a substandard VFL team. I can't imagine what scuttlebutt we would be getting from the usual suspects if Schwab was still CEO and McLardy the President. Sheesh!

[Whispering_Jack 30,173]

I know the author of an article is not usually responsible for the headline but when this story about Jimmy Magner spoke of "Demons in disarray", I was a trifle bemused.

Anyway, I can't wait to see how the HUN sub editors describe the situation at St. Kilda tomorrow morning.

[Coup Cooper 610]

Crap article.

I have little respect for a plodder who kicks the club when he doesn't get his own way.

Accept it, Magner: you're just not good enough.

Absolute crap. Was good enough.. Didn't get a look in, just like Fitzpatrick didn't.. If Neeld wasn't a complete muppet he would of had him in there from round 1.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,602]

Everything Jon Ralph has printed about the mfc under the neeld regime has been confirmed to me personally by a club source.

I think James has got emotional here and Ralph has taken advantage, but I think its unfair to call Ralph a hack.

we should move on but most of the players found neeld's communication skills to be onfusing and poor. That us half the reason no one knew what their role was on game day.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,602]

And although I agree magnet was slow it still blows me away that we allowed certain players continued game time in our midfield in 2013 despite utterly woeful performances. Magnet was never a superstar buthe was never utterly terrible and I can think of about five players that at various times in 2013 were.

[bing181 9,240]

Absolute crap. Was good enough.

If he was good enough, other clubs will come calling.

Let's see shall we?

Not forgetting that both Craig and Roos also chose not to play him.

[Undeeterred 3,124]

It's really simple. Yes, we had a bad midfield. But Magner wasn't in the long term planning, when those younger guys were. Why would we give him gave time when they would have planned to cut him a long way out?

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Absolute crap. Was good enough.. Didn't get a look in, just like Fitzpatrick didn't.. If Neeld wasn't a complete muppet he would of had him in there from round 1.

No pace.

Can't kick 30m.

Poor skills.

Clogger on any AFL list.....even the worst one in the league.

[Biffen 12,943]

Okay, let's give Magner a fair go. He tried his guts out - we can agree on this. He is hurt and disappointed - not unreasonable. He is obviously not media savy because he has only been a fringe player without much media experience and therefore has come over badly - give hin a break on this. Probably not good enough but would have to be considered stiff not have had another game after his upgrade last year.

Good luck for the future!

Nah-he is an Irish git and can go take a (slow) (short ) jump at a rolling donut.

You have become weak and merciful in my absence.

Harden up sweetie, this is not a creche for slow Irish roadworkers.

Anyway-the East west tunnel beckons for him.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,241]

Nah-he is an Irish git and can go take a (slow) (short ) jump at a rolling donut.

You have become weak and merciful in my absence.

Harden up sweetie, this is not a creche for slow Irish roadworkers.

Anyway-the East west tunnel beckons for him.

Just off to the local bistro to break my fast. As usual Biff you cut to point, however, your new avator reeks of dishonesty. One could not look like that after a lifetime of self abuse and pimping. Nor could one gain admission to the Gat looking like that.

[Biffen 12,943]

Just off to the local bistro to break my fast. As usual Biff you cut to point, however, your new avator reeks of dishonesty. One could not look like that after a lifetime of self abuse and pimping. Nor could one gain admission to the Gat looking like that.

Sounds like you need a good strong cup of concrete for breakfast.

I can see this joint has turned into a knitting circle in my absence.

Ben Hur needs to give you a good belt around the head for your insipid displays of humanity.

I will ask the Lord to take you to the vestry for some life lessons.

Or you can come to the Gat with me for a weekend.

Softy.

[TheVoice 33]

Feel his frustration completely. Highly capable clearance, in and under player forced to play the 'nothing role' of a defensive forward whilst his team is crying out for a midfielders. When his impact is diminished in this role he is dropped to the VFL where no amount of 30 possession games or listings in the best will earn him a recall.

No communication was offered to him to explain his situation despite his proactive approach to seeking feedback from coaches on how to improve.

Can not understand how Magner could not hold a position in our midfield over the last 2 years considering our situation. Players such as him and Valenti are stamped too slow/small and shown the door much too easily when what remains is laughable. These types are not often found in the midfield of a premiership side but when you can't even win games I would choose these guys first to get the job done in the trenches.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Not good enough. And I am not surprised he has not made the team and has been jettisoned. Overrated on this thread big time.

But the failure to communicate with Magner is symptomatic of the rubbish environment under Neeld.

At least Roos had laid things on the line to him.

[GIRO 63]

The guy simply wasn't good enough let richmond take him

[Guest]

Just off to the local bistro to break my fast. As usual Biff you cut to point, however, your new avator reeks of dishonesty. One could not look like that after a lifetime of self abuse and pimping. Nor could one gain admission to the Gat looking like that.

Here here. He looks way too chipper to lead the life of adrinkin', afightin' and asmokin'. I lobby Biff to change back his avatar or to find one where Ray Biffin looks even more seedy.

[CHAMP 347]

No pace.

Can't kick 30m.

Poor skills.

Clogger on any AFL list.....even the worst one in the league.

Sounds like Godders

[Machsy 2,858]

Absolute crap. Was good enough.. Didn't get a look in, just like Fitzpatrick didn't.. If Neeld wasn't a complete muppet he would of had him in there from round 1.

Are you mad?

CLEARLY not good enough.

Magner is a rubbish footballer.

Knows how to put his head over it, which is admirable, but that is it.

Poor runner, very average disposal, lack of pace, poor defensively...

You simply need more to be a success at AFL level.

He may have been good enough to wrest a spot in the 22 from another plodder, but he was never going to take us anywhere we wanted to go.

Not to mention we had much better candidates for his desired inside mid role: Viney, Jones, Trengove, even McKenzie.

It's not like he was competing for a spot with Blease or Bail, because they play very differently.

Sorry James, just not good enough.

No shame in that.

[DemonFrog 1,354]

Okay, let's give Magner a fair go. He tried his guts out - we can agree on this. He is hurt and disappointed - not unreasonable. He is obviously not media savy because he has only been a fringe player without much media experience and therefore has come over badly - give hin a break on this. Probably not good enough but would have to be considered stiff not have had another game after his upgrade last year.

Good luck for the future!

I sorry James

[rumpole 515]

In his very own words Magner stated that Mark Neeld told him why he was dropped after round 9 yet people still claim that Neeld did not communicate properly with his player. Those who have a knowledge and a working experience of football clubs where you can only fit 22 into the main team from a list of in excess of 40 will know that these things are commonplace. It happens at successful clubs but the atmosphere is different because the team is winning.

Fair dinkum. They need to put a bubble over this picture with the caption "I told him I wasn't happy with the defensive side of his game".

Magner was under a temporary rookie uplift at the time and he was due to return to that status within a few weeks. He didn't have priority over the team interests but sadly at this club, we developed a soft[censored] attitude over the years that will continue to haunt us unless we get over some of the stupidity expressed in some quarters over this story.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Yes many tend to see these things in black and white, with the benefit of hindsight Neeld is now portrayed as a bumbling [censored] who had no idea and is now not fit to coach the local U12s.

The tendency is for many to jump to prejudicial conclusions on uncorroborated information.

He failed in some key areas, but he succeeded in others, as did Bailey.

Neither had the all round skills and management ability to be a senior coach at AFL level.

Likewise James Magner is a gutsy strongly built, slow, ball winner with average disposal. Simply not AFL standard and little upside.

Edited November 2, 2013 by jabberwocky

[Tony Tea 2,809]

Everything Jon Ralph has printed about the mfc under the neeld regime has been confirmed to me personally by a club source.

I think James has got emotional here and Ralph has taken advantage, but I think its unfair to call Ralph a hack.

we should move on but most of the players found neeld's communication skills to be onfusing and poor. That us half the reason no one knew what their role was on game day.

We all know the MFC was a basket case (since passed to StKilda) under Neeld - that is old news. Ralphy took a comment from Manger which, via a non sequitur, he turned into a free kick at Melbourne. Then the subby applied the garnish with an OTT headline.

Click. Bait.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

In his very own words Magner stated that Mark Neeld told him why he was dropped after round 9 yet people still claim that Neeld did not communicate properly with his player. Those who have a knowledge and a working experience of football clubs where you can only fit 22 into the main team from a list of in excess of 40 will know that these things are commonplace. It happens at successful clubs but the atmosphere is different because the team is winning.

Fair dinkum. They need to put a bubble over this picture with the caption "I told him I wasn't happy with the defensive side of his game".

Magner was under a temporary rookie uplift at the time and he was due to return to that status within a few weeks. He didn't have priority over the team interests but sadly at this club, we developed a soft[censored] attitude over the years that will continue to haunt us unless we get over some of the stupidity expressed in some quarters over this story.

Selective at best...

Quotes from the Sun....

"(Neeld) said he wasn't too happy with the defensive side of my game and I had just had a meeting with the midfield coach prior to meeting who said to me they were extremely happy with defensive side of my game.

"There were a few things that were confusing at Melbourne, but I was a lot more confused that day."

and

"He says he never had words or disagreements with senior coach Neeld, but clearly "the relationship deteriorated" from Neeld's end."

Its inexcusable in a winning or losing side. And Magners issues were not isolated. This has been typical across the playing group.

[DemonWA 3,934]

Jesus, no more photos of Mark Neeld. I just had a relapse