Jamie Bennell

[Its Time for Another 4,218]

A bit early to make a call on Sylvia isn't it? Let's look at him mid season and then make a judgement.

Point of the thread is good players we have traded who have been transformed by going to new Clubs. So far he has done what he has always done. No transformation. Even worse. As for the rest of the season who knows. Im not commenting on it, it hasn't happened. As you say lets see. But not a great start.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,053]

Bennell would always do the flashy things, but never the basics. He would rather try to pick-pocket the ball from under the pack than dive in and get it, avoided tackles and couldn't get enough of it to justify a place as an outside running mid. He has pace and occasionally looks good, but more often winds up looking foolish as someone who genuinely wants the ball smashes in and take it while he is dancing around trying to do something clever. As others have said, 16 disposals playing for WCE in an absolute thrashing is nothing to write home about.

[hardtack 10,537]

Bennell would always do the flashy things, but never the basics. He would rather try to pick-pocket the ball from under the pack than dive in and get it, avoided tackles and couldn't get enough of it to justify a place as an outside running mid. He has pace and occasionally looks good, but more often winds up looking foolish as someone who genuinely wants the ball smashes in and take it while he is dancing around trying to do something clever. As others have said, 16 disposals playing for WCE in an absolute thrashing is nothing to write home about.

11th best out of the 22 players... hardly a shabby performance

[RalphiusMaximus 6,053]

The AFL website has him 20th ranked of the eagles based on their fantasy points system. Again, not that great a game.

[Slartibartfast 17,288]

It always makes me laugh when people here pick at players we've dismissed who are getting regular games at other clubs. Reading this thread it seems Bennell would be lucky to play for the school thirds but guess what? He's playing for West Coast in a team that I'd confidently predict will make the finals. He might just sneak into our team. Petterd another playing in a team that played finals last year. Of course Moloney is not good and Rivers is holding down a position with those pitiful [censored]. Then there's Brock and Col, but they're not good enough for us, in fact we're lucky they are playing elsewhere.

That's only 6 players or about 30% of the team. But we are so rich as to be glad we don't have them.

Like most I don't think many would make a significant difference but they are good enough. Here's a message. If they can get a game at another club they could probably get a game with us.

Well done Jamie, I always liked your skill and the excitement you brought to us. Those picking at your MFC carcass are making themselves look silly.

Edit: Heaven help me, "pussssies" is censored. Well FMD.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Baghdad Bob

[tonatopia 278]

Very True.

Mark Neeld got rid of the players that I really liked, the ones that you have mentioned especially.

Imagine if Neeld could have worked with the players you mentioned and even tried a little empathy with Jurrah and Wona.

We would be in a very promising position right now.

But ofcourse that is a contradiction, because any club with Neeld as its coach would never be in a promising position.

[timD 994]

Neeld was a disgrace. Neeld did more to destroy our club than any other in our history. Neeld never backed his players............ especially those with skill. Bennell was always a highly skilled player, but simply had trouble getting his hands on the pill. Any AFL level coach should have been able to develop him, but instead Neeld failed to back him, destroyed his self confidence, made football unenjoyable and then at the end delisted him on the back of an AC injury. What message does this send to the group? Neeld still makes me feel sick.

Neeld had appalling bias to the unskilled battler, he could never relate or develop the underperforming, highly skilled, early draft [censored]. His game plan was an out-dated, copied, embarrassment, developed for a team with completely different strength and weakness to out own. I can't believe it took until round 12 last year to fire Neeld. He sent the club back at least 5 years and may yet be the catalyst to our extinction.

I am sure Bennell will smash us this weekend, and although it will hurt, it will be justified to the appalling development, lack of faith and unjust dismissal he endured.

Good luck to Jamie. I hope he plays in a premiership for WC. He sure as hell was not going to get that opportunity at the Dees.

I agree with everything here.

My fear is that we won't escape the black hole that Neeld + CEO+ Board created. Not much has to go wrong now. We;ve always had very little wiggle room. We have none now.

The membership's muted response to Roos is a nice indication of how bad things are and how much faith the MFC as a club has genuinely broken with its members. What do you do?

The other issue raised here which absolutely paramount is development. It is the thing that I'd say most fans are genuinely awful (me included) at predicting accurately. Bob started a thread on this issue recently. Just shows that if you can predict how kids will develop and then specific the program/s they need to build strengths and address weaknesses, then you are so far ahead of the curve it is not funny.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I agree with everything here.

My fear is that we won't escape the black hole that Neeld + CEO+ Board created. Not much has to go wrong now. We;ve always had very little wiggle room. We have none now.

The membership's muted response to Roos is a nice indication of how bad things are and how much faith the MFC as a club has genuinely broken with its members. What do you do?

The other issue raised here which absolutely paramount is development. It is the thing that I'd say most fans are genuinely awful (me included) at predicting accurately. Bob started a thread on this issue recently. Just shows that if you can predict how kids will develop and then specific the program/s they need to build strengths and address weaknesses, then you are so far ahead of the curve it is not funny.

Of course you do.

Simple concepts attract simple minds.

Let's keep the Neeld bashing going....

[nutbean 8,838]

Imagine if Neeld could have worked with the players you mentioned and even tried a little empathy with Jurrah and Wona.

Yes - why not blame Neeld for these two as well.

Seriously - the stuff that Neeld did do was bad enough without having to saddle him with this extraneous nonsense as well.

[Sir Why You Little 37,039]

I was always disappointed JB didn't become a reguliar wingman. His speed and the size of the 'G should have been better utilized as i saw it, but good luck to Jamie after this weekend.

[CHAMP 347]

The AFL website has him 20th ranked of the eagles based on their fantasy points system. Again, not that great a game.

Same with Final Siren. About his usual possie really.

http://finalsiren.com/MatchDetails.asp?GameID=6652&Code=2c0599468650a4e485cd3bc510dd6c35

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Yes - why not blame Neeld for these two as well.

Seriously - the stuff that Neeld did do was bad enough without having to saddle him with this extraneous nonsense as well.

Honestly, the injuries to our players are making so many posters think irrationally.

Get a grip.

[Grapeviney 9,721]

even tried a little empathy with Jurrah and Wona.

LOL

The club was more than empathetic with Jurrah, even long after it became apparent that he wasn't ever going to pull on a red + blue guernsey ever again.

[old dee 23,791]

Cannot help myself.

Had a blinder I notice!

[nutbean 8,838]

Cannot help myself.

Had a blinder I notice!

did you notice that 75% of our score was kicked on him ?

[old dee 23,791]

did you notice that 75% of our score was kicked on him ?

No nutbean but my day just got better

[Generation dee 1,336]

Cannot help myself.

Had a blinder I notice!

You did well to hold out to Tuesday OD

[old dee 23,791]

You did well to hold out to Tuesday OD

Yes but I guess he has the last laugh he was on the giving not receiving end

And it was the only positive thing I could think of after Sunday

Edited April 1, 2014 by old dee

[GM11 776]

Petterd couldn't get a senior game until Sandringham started playing him off half back.

Then we tried to make him a forward.

Now he's best 22 at Richmond - mainly off half back.

[John Crow Batty 8,863]

I'd say Jamie is enjoying his footy at the moment.

[ManDee 7,149]

There are always going to be a few mistakes but the vast majority of guys shown the exit door have been proven to be correct based on their lack of game time at other clubs.

A few off the top of my head are:

Good decisions to discard: Travis (we got a first rounder for a guy who was past his prime), Cam Bruce, Jordan Gysberts, Stefan Martin, Morton, Brent Grgic (admittedly we didn't even get a set of steak knives back for him), Chris Johnson, Matthew Warnock (only plays when they have injuries), Chris Heffernan, Bryan Wilson (except for games against us, did nothing at Saints), Sean Charles, Les Bamblett,

Bad decisons: Jolly, Scott Thompson (club argues they had no choice at time and a first round pick in exchange was only option, Nathan Bassett (by far our worst in terms of what we got back in return), James McDonald (proved he was still handy two years after his omission), Ross Brewer (played in a few losing GF sides), Pikey (agree he was trouble at Dees), Trent Ormond-Allen (I think he almost ended up playing in a Crows flag?), Rivers (another lost because of Neeld), Jeff Farmer, Stan Alves, Greg Wells, Earl Spaulding, Crackers Keenan (these last four all played in flags).

Neutral: Moloney (this was a personality thing with Neeld - everyone knew he could play and we did get a second round pick from memory as part of our UP offer), Brock McLean (his form last season picked up, although he's hardly been a world beater at Blues and we did get a latish first-rounder).

Scott Thompson was repeatedly played by Daniher injured. Scotts dad had words with Daniher indicating he would never play for the Dees again. He didn't. Our loss.

[dee-luded 2,959]

It always makes me laugh when people here pick at players we've dismissed who are getting regular games at other clubs. Reading this thread it seems Bennell would be lucky to play for the school thirds but guess what? He's playing for West Coast in a team that I'd confidently predict will make the finals. He might just sneak into our team. Petterd another playing in a team that played finals last year. Of course Moloney is not good and Rivers is holding down a position with those pitiful [censored]. Then there's Brock and Col, but they're not good enough for us, in fact we're lucky they are playing elsewhere.

That's only 6 players or about 30% of the team. But we are so rich as to be glad we don't have them.

Like most I don't think many would make a significant difference but they are good enough. Here's a message. If they can get a game at another club they could probably get a game with us.

Well done Jamie, I always liked your skill and the excitement you brought to us. Those picking at your MFC carcass are making themselves look silly.

Edit: Heaven help me, "pussssies" is censored. Well FMD.

WoW,,, Michael Young was a premiership player for the Blues before he came to us. [censored] on a bull

Chris Heffernan another who was a regular finals player, but not much chop.

well Bennell, talented but never learnt to get his games the hard way, & stayed soft because of it. some talent but not for the contested game of AFL. a role player at the most.

he's not the bread & butter player we needed to build our list with, he's the 100's & 1000's that go ontop.

[IvanBartul13 2,564]

Whether Bennell is soft or not is irrelevant. The fact is he is a talented player, he is quick and he can damage by foot. On that basis it is absolute madness that he was let go and that some of the one-batting dribblers that kick over the heads of teammates were retained. Petterd another limited player with some good attributes was also let go and was the second best on ground last round playing as a combative half-back. Its just poor decision maling by the club.

Edited April 1, 2014 by goodoil

[Machsy 2,858]

Petterd and Bennell are practically polar opposites.

I don't think either is good enough, unless they are within a great side where their deficiencies can be hidden, or at least minimised by others.

[Whispering_Jack 30,159]

On the subject of former Demons, there's one highly paid one who I saw play for GWS against St. Kilda. It was probably one of his highest possession games since crossing over from Melbourne. Pity about the game low 39% efficiency but many here would blame Neeld's coaching for that so it's understandable.