Really interesting, and probably more candid than I've seen him in print before.

New coach Paul Roos shocked by Demons' scars

Still going to be a long season - albeit with perhaps some glimmers of light up ahead.

"...certainly a massive part of the pre-season was understanding each and every player and talking to them, understanding them and giving them a bit of a cuddle.”

—Paul Roos, Melbourne Coach and sane man

Edited February 7, 201411 yr by Chook

The right man at the right time.

Go Dees.

Let's hope that over the course of the season, Roos can repair the scars inflicted by his predecessor.

I am hoping that Bartlett, Jackson and Roos can move the Club, players and supporters forward.

For the first time in years I am excited about the coming season and the possibilities it will bring.

Let's hope that over the course of the season, Roos can repair the scars inflicted by his predecessor.

I am hoping that Bartlett, Jackson and Roos can move the Club, players and supporters forward.

For the first time in years I am excited about the coming season and the possibilities it will bring.

Surely you mean his predecessors in the plural since the main example he has publicly highlighted was how he was "appalled" by Jack Watts debut? He also makes it clear the midfield deficiencies desperately needed addressing and that many of the poor traits the team developed have been evident for a long time viz bruise free and 186 which preceded the last coach. Our record as a losing team stretches back as far as 2007 and didn't develop overnight and, as you yourself point out, you're excited about the coming season "for the first time in years".

I'm also excited about the coming season but I see the current publicity coming from the club as part of a clever and necessary PR exercise to distance ourselves from our past failures. You read the same every time a new coach takes over in these circumstances (look at what Richardson is saying over at the Saints) and it's too early to get carried away by it.

More Neeld bashing.

Narcissistic, lazy, unaccountable footballers who'd drink their own bath water. No wonder Scully left.

Roos should have conducted himself with more diplomacy in the interview.

Don't expect to see Clark appearing any time soon.

More Neeld bashing.

Narcissistic, lazy, unaccountable footballers who'd drink their own bath water. No wonder Scully left.

Roos should have conducted himself with more diplomacy in the interview.

Don't expect to see Clark appearing any time soon.

How can you say 'More Neeld bashing' when his remarks covered a longer period than Neeld's tenure? He was 'bashing' where the club had got to, which is hardly 'bashing' given our performance

As for diplomacy, I'd prefer him to be straight than spin until I'm dizzy watching.

Re Clark, sounds like you are right. Perhaps it shows Roos is looking at the longer term. It must be tempting to risk him in early rounds just to increase the chance of a respectable stat to the season. That would be unfair to Clark, so good on Roos.

How can you say 'More Neeld bashing' when his remarks covered a longer period than Neeld's tenure? He was 'bashing' where the club had got to, which is hardly 'bashing' given our performance

As for diplomacy, I'd prefer him to be straight than spin until I'm dizzy watching.

Re Clark, sounds like you are right. Perhaps it shows Roos is looking at the longer term. It must be tempting to risk him in early rounds just to increase the chance of a respectable stat to the season. That would be unfair to Clark, so good on Roos.

Sick of rhetoric, sick of finger pointing.

Just do.

His comments (if they were his) lacked some tact and diplomacy.

The whole discourse could have been framed better.

Last chance for the MFC to get it right.

Interesting parallel between Frawley and Roos himself at Fitzroy that I hadn't thought of before this article. If nothing else it's comforting to know that Roos will understand the delicacy of the situation through his own bitter experience.

Having worked at a struggling company before, I too can relate to the "we've heard all this before" in response to promises of a brighter future and the lure of working somewhere you know is solid.

Sick of rhetoric, sick of finger pointing.

His comments (if they were his) lacked some tact and diplomacy.

Not how I read it ; he is communicating with those with sore heads ( wall-banging) and through transparency asking us

to (a) recommit without going feral if it don't all go 100% from round 1 and return to our true love and

(b) realise there is a plan and to have a little faith

Great read. About ten threads could be started (or added to) from that article.

Great read. About ten threads could be started (or added to) from that article.

Really?

I hope it was noted there is no "Plan B". I always laugh at the supporters ringing up Finey about Ratten, Knights etc etc saying we don't have "Plan B".

If you have a good game plan there is no such thing as "Plan B", everything is covered in the plan. If you have "Plan B" you have a mess and players don't know what the hell they are doing.

You cant pin all the blame on Neeldy. After Daniher left it was a disaster. It was bad recruitment, bad list management, shocking administration and recruiting and lazy players and really bad recruiting and not great coaching.

Hopefully fingers crossed Roos, PJ and Bartlett will put us in the right direction. I think Roos knows what he is doing.

I hope it was noted there is no "Plan B". I always laugh at the supporters ringing up Finey about Ratten, Knights etc etc saying we don't have "Plan B".

If you have a good game plan there is no such thing as "Plan B", everything is covered in the plan. If you have "Plan B" you have a mess and players don't know what the hell they are doing.

If things are going to [censored], rjay, then moves must be made.

I would have thought that flexibility is paramount in modern day AFL footy.

Interesting parallel between Frawley and Roos himself at Fitzroy that I hadn't thought of before this article. If nothing else it's comforting to know that Roos will understand the delicacy of the situation through his own bitter experience.

Having worked at a struggling company before, I too can relate to the "we've heard all this before" in response to promises of a brighter future and the lure of working somewhere you know is solid.

Thought that was the most interesting part of the article. Much of the rest of it was broad brush waffle. Actually though it was poorly written, jumps around a lot. But I guess it's not an English class......

Healing wounds is what the club should have done after 186 - as i said at the time. The divisions and problems ran so deep that they simply had to be addressed if the club was to move forward. For me, failing to do so this was the biggest mistake Neeld and the then administration made (you can't blame Neeld alone the club should have ensured it happened). Instead of healing Neeld took the age old aussie male approach of drawing a line in the sand and walling off the past as if it never occurred. He said as much in that first speech that was on Dee TV. He then set about creating new trauma.

The surprising thing to me was that Roos was surprise at depth of the morale problem.

Six wins out of 44 and numerous multiple goal thrashing would suggest to me they would be as low as snakes belly in a wagon rut.

If things are going to [censored], rjay, then moves must be made.

I would have thought that flexibility is paramount in modern day AFL footy.

You need a solid plan, you don't just throw it out when things are going bad. If the plan is good it will have contingencies built in for certain situations. Players are simple really, they need to be drilled with a good plan. It can't be changed mid match. Like all of us they like to know what they are doing and have faith in what they are doing.

The surprising thing to me was that Roos was surprise at depth of the morale problem.

Six wins out of 44 and numerous multiple goal thrashing would suggest to me they would be as low as snakes belly in a wagon rut.

Couldn't help but smile when I read this od - haven't heard it for ages

Excellent article. Like PJ at the AGM straight talking is all we can ask for.

We all know the previous 7 seasons were a complete failure.

It is now being addressed.

The longevity of Clark is my only concern.

I don't think there was any Neeld bashing at all. If there was a perception that there was any, it was probably coming from people who still really believe that things were going to improve under him. Roos spoke about how the group was scarred.There was no mention of who did the scarring but we can probably guess and it wasn't probably just the head coaches.

It's also realistic to point out that we shouldn't get too far ahead of ourselves. I remember last season when we recruited Byrnes, Dawes, Rodan, Pedersen and Gillies and Neeld told us the club was 'feeling bullish and would surprise some people'. The 'Land erupted into a burst of self congratulation which I noted at the time was a bit premature. Well, he looked like a nice goose after that statement. I would say thinking about what you say before you say it is an important part of being a functional adult (something a few on this board could stand to learn).

Edited February 7, 201411 yr by Colin B. Flaubert

I hope it was noted there is no "Plan B". I always laugh at the supporters ringing up Finey about Ratten, Knights etc etc saying we don't have "Plan B".

If you have a good game plan there is no such thing as "Plan B", everything is covered in the plan. If you have "Plan B" you have a mess and players don't know what the hell they are doing.

I guess it may be a bit of hair splitting (or nit picking if you prefer) - if plan A has contingencies and some flexibility, it is in essence what some would refer to as plan B.

You cant pin all the blame on Neeldy. After Daniher left it was a disaster. It was bad recruitment, bad list management, shocking administration and recruiting and lazy players and really bad recruiting and not great coaching.

Hopefully fingers crossed Roos, PJ and Bartlett will put us in the right direction. I think Roos knows what he is doing.

Daniher would've turned the club around quicker than the last 2 losers that replaced him, lets [censored] can the only coach to take us to finals in the last 15 years, what a joke.

Edited February 7, 201411 yr by mjt