I will take a stab from left field...

I loved this mixed metaphor.

All good, met him a few times through his mates and it was always the impression he gave off.

Could just be reading too much into it.

Can of worms closed

He gave off the 'impression' he didn't want to be at the club and having bad body language?

This reminds me of the poster that was convinced Hogan will leave - his evidence: the fact that the kid rarely smiles in photos of him that he sees.

therefore does that mean they are not happy about dawes' fitness?

Nope but it does say something about Clark given comments on here recently stating his foot was knackered.

He gave off the 'impression' he didn't want to be at the club and having bad body language?

This reminds me of the poster that was convinced Hogan will leave - his evidence: the fact that the kid rarely smiles in photos of him that he sees.

Cans closed brah.

Frawley, Trengove, Garland, Clark round out leadership group

Very happy that Chip is in the group, as that may help us keep him when contract talks start. Nothing like feeling popular and wanted.

therefore does that mean they are not happy about dawes' fitness?

No, don't forget the players voted, so assume he didn't get many voted.

Dawes can be an on field leader, but off field believe he is more of a grumpoid, so perhaps not a player favourite, so they didn't vote for him

Waste of time having a leader in the leadership group who is not 'liked" (meant in it's broadest sense)

This is going to open up a can of worms, but Dawes isn't stoked about being at Melbourne. Probably shows in his body language, hence the leadership snob.

Is it?

I heard from an impeccable source that Georgiou is now considering leaving because he was overlooked for the Captaincy.

No, don't forget the players voted, so assume he didn't get many voted.

Dawes can be an on field leader, but off field believe he is more of a grumpoid, so perhaps not a player favourite, so they didn't vote for him

Waste of time having a leader in the leadership group who is not 'liked" (meant in it's broadest sense)

Being 'liked' and 'respected' are parallel lines of influence. And you can be one and not the other. And they can both be aspects of leaders.

Cans closed brah.

Yeah, I am critiquing the mess around the can.

Well glad-wrapped though...

Speaking of opening up a can of worms this quote from the Age to me sums up a key difference in approach from Roos and Neeld:

Roos made it clear the coaching staff had the final say on the choice of captain, once the players had gone through the Leading Teams process to select the wider leadership group.

‘‘It was a little bit more transparent than it has been in other years, the players have been able to have a big say in who they want as their leaders," Roos said.

"But it’s a bit of a myth that the players pick the captain, the players pick the leadership group," he said.

"I think it’s really important that the captain is picked from that group by the coaching staff and the board, etc."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/jack-grimes-and-nathan-jones-to-cocaptain-melbourne-20140129-31me8.html#ixzz2rlADvM5y

When queried about the the the risks of selecting two young skippers Neeld frequently put it back on the players saying that the decision was based on a survey about leadership qualities players had to complete and Trenners and Grimes were by far the top scorers and therefore had to be captain. Poor decision and one he never took any responsibility for.

Speaking of opening up a can of worms this quote from the Age to me sums up a key difference in approach from Roos and Neeld:

Roos made it clear the coaching staff had the final say on the choice of captain, once the players had gone through the Leading Teams process to select the wider leadership group.

‘‘It was a little bit more transparent than it has been in other years, the players have been able to have a big say in who they want as their leaders," Roos said.

"But it’s a bit of a myth that the players pick the captain, the players pick the leadership group," he said.

"I think it’s really important that the captain is picked from that group by the coaching staff and the board, etc."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/jack-grimes-and-nathan-jones-to-cocaptain-melbourne-20140129-31me8.html#ixzz2rlADvM5y

When queried about the the the risks of selecting two young skippers Neeld frequently put it back on the players saying that the decision was based on a survey about leadership qualities players had to complete and Trenners and Grimes were by far the top scorers and therefore had to be captain. Poor decision and one he never took any responsibility for.

Of all the things Neeld did, that was one I was particularly critical of. If the coach can't take responsibility for picking the damn captain, something's amiss. His responses when questioned on it were farcical.

Anyhow, don't want to tread over old ground. The club isn't putting a foot wrong of late and today is no exception.

When queried about the the the risks of selecting two young skippers Neeld frequently put it back on the players saying that the decision was based on a survey about leadership qualities players had to complete and Trenners and Grimes were by far the top scorers and therefore had to be captain. Poor decision and one he never took any responsibility for.

That's an excellent point. Ownership of decisions is important, a head coach deflecting ownership of that decision is an insight into his capabilities.

good choices and a top result.

Fair decision with Jones now right beside Trenners at the coalface. Jones absolutely deserves to be a skipper. The LG is pretty good and will give more stability to our onfield efforts in 2014.

If there was a snub at all then it was Dawes I guess. But the 6 man leadership group is reasonable. Right now I don't think anyone else can be too upset. Viney should work on his game before stepping up to leadership. Same for Tommy McDonald I think. And Vince and Cross are expected to be leaders with our without a title.

Surely you understand the concept Redleg

You have been living it for the last two years!

OD the MFC has even finish lower then second each week.

So you could say that the MFC is the second best team in any match it plays!

That's an excellent point. Ownership of decisions is important, a head coach deflecting ownership of that decision is an insight into his capabilities.

You can disagree with the process that Neeld put in place but he shouldn't take ownership for something he clearly articulated that he didn't own. He said that the whole system was vote driven. I took Neeld at face value that it was equal voting amongst the players and all coaching staff that selected the captains. Just didn't agree with that process. I prefer the Roos approach as discussed above.

Good choices for co-captains. Both well respected and well liked, and I think Grimes has a real opportunity to take his game to a new level with Roos as coach.

LG is about right as well, as discussed Dawes is perhaps the only other inclusion I'd have in there but all are deserving although I though trenners might step back altogether. I'm also glad that Roos has said that while the group was player driven the captaincy decision came from him, the other coaches and the board. IMO it's the way it should be.

You can disagree with the process that Neeld put in place but he shouldn't take ownership for something he clearly articulated that he didn't own. He said that the whole system was vote driven. I took Neeld at face value that it was equal voting amongst the players and all coaching staff that selected the captains. Just didn't agree with that process. I prefer the Roos approach as discussed above.

But then again, he made the decision to make the captaincy completely vote driven by the players.

And I also recall quotes from Neeld agonising of the decision to go with the 2 young captains, and therefore the votes.

Something about the coaches conference with Buckley? Buckley saying he was unsure if Pendlebury was ready to take over from Maxwell, and Neeld replying that he was sweating bullets over whether he should be going ahead and installing 2 young kids as captain, but had no other real options.

But in the end, as Neeld used to say, credit to the players because they "behaved themselves in or out of" the role.

But again, he made the decision to set the system up that way.

And as for those who say Jones should have been made captain then...

He may be ready now, but he was less ready than Trengove or Grimes back then.

Is it?

I heard from an impeccable source that Georgiou is now considering leaving because he was overlooked for the Captaincy.

Wrong.

You've confused Alexis with his brother Steven who has predictably joined the Cats.

Wrong.

You've confused Alexis with his brother Steven who has predictably joined the Cats.

Under the Father and Son rule I expect.

I love that this photo is taken on the 'G. Is a good statement.

Other clubs may use the MCG as their home ground, but it is our home ground.

Fair decision with Jones now right beside Trenners at the coalface. Jones absolutely deserves to be a skipper. The LG is pretty good and will give more stability to our onfield efforts in 2014.

Jones beside Trengove at the coalface, lol...

Nathan Jones is at the coalface, week in - week out, would be good if Trengove could give him a chop out.

That is a hell of a leadership group, we'll make finals if those lads all have a good year.