On 25/03/2014 at 19:14, Gorgoroth said:

Pike was a nutter we could not control.

well the other teams did apparently, Including a 3 peat @ the Lions under Matthews, whom we could have had coach us back in the latte 90's.

  On 25/03/2014 at 17:44, Chook said:

"Yet another"? Do you mind listing them?

Also, 16 possessions in a complete smashing of another side is nothing to write home about.

Others have named them for me. Quite a few I reckon.

  On 25/03/2014 at 21:54, It said:

Travis Johnson never went on to become a better player under Leigh Matthews. Sylvia can't even crack the team he went to. Turned up so out of condition they put him in the rehab group for most of the pre season to get to the required fitness and he wasn't even injured.

Any others?

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

no post from od yet - strange

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).

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.

  On 25/03/2014 at 22:14, pantaloons said:

I don't say this to be offensive, but I can't remember one good game Bennell played for us. Good luck to him if he ends up becoming half decent.

He flashed in and out, but that game where we flogged Sydney by 73 points was a good performance for him.

  On 25/03/2014 at 23:24, dee-luded said:

well the other teams did apparently, Including a 3 peat @ the Lions under Matthews, whom we could have had coach us back in the latte 90's.

Maybe the wakeup call of getting sent packing from one club was what it took to make him for the line satisfactorily?

It's amazing how much they improve and how well they play when the team with many stars romps in by ten goals or more....

I wish Bennell well at his new club.

If he was still on our list Misson would have list listed as 4 2 6

  On 25/03/2014 at 14:30, Pennant St Dee said:

Downhill skier who will be okay on the wide spaces of Subiaco when Meth Coast are flat track bullying average to mediocre sides.

Showed little in WAFL last year for Swans although he was coming back from knee reconstruction.

I believe he will be found wanting by good sides and should he be fortunate enough to play in a final, will be caught like a rabbit in the headlights

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Right on target.

That said, indeed, all the best to Bennell. If he's lucky and works hard he could be the next Steven Armstrong - fill a role, do it adequately, get a premiership medal.

Stranger things have happened.

  On 26/03/2014 at 06:01, Grand New Flag said:

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.

Oh, of course...the players had nothing to do with it.

Here's some stars for you: Morton, Cook, Gysberts, Martin, Pettard, Maric.

What a line up!

Emotive bs.

He has raw talent, but his output didn't justify keeping him. I had no issues with us letting him go and my view won't change on that.

As much as I hate West Coast, I hope he does well there.

Soft as a cotton ball.

  On 26/03/2014 at 06:51, jumbo returns said:

Oh, of course...the players had nothing to do with it.

Here's some stars for you: Morton, Cook, Gysberts, Martin, Pettard, Maric.

What a line up!

Emotive bs.

I don't see what was ever wrong with Petterd, Richmond have him in their 22, and I never minded Martin.

  On 26/03/2014 at 07:43, thedeeman said:

I don't see what was ever wrong with Petterd, Richmond have him in their 22, and I never minded Martin.

Okay.

Didn't Kyle Cheney fill in at CHB for the Hawks on the weekend. How did he go?

It's a shame we weren't able to lock in Simpson as Successor when we had the chance.

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/wafl-east-perth-thrashed-peel-thunder-20140324-hvm9q.html

I thought that Bennell and even Gysberts and Petterd could have played a role under the right coach with the right players around them. From memory Bennell came from a cricket background so he was a few years behind the pack anyway. Petterd was capable of kicking a few goals on his day (though I never forgave him for dropping a sitter against the Pies once and pretty much costing us the match) and Gysberts was a ball magnet when his confidence was up (see: his first three games). I have a mate who played with Gys for Vic Metro and from what I hear he was just one of the many that simply saw Neeld for who he really was and therefore just could not buy into his "mantra". I honestly don't know what happened to him at North. Maybe playing under Neeld actually robbed him of his passion?

The playing group at that time had just lost a coach who they, from all accounts, absolutely loved and loved playing under. So to go from Dean Bailey's fatherly, nurturing style of coaching to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlDVXl7-kyQ, would have probably got on my nerves too.

Kyle Cheney.

I would've kept Bennell. He had class, and looked like a decent kid.

That said, I would've preferred to have used the pick we ultimately used on Bennell on our intended target for that pick, Rory Sloan.

  On 26/03/2014 at 08:21, Vince Vega said:

I thought that Bennell and even Gysberts and Petterd could have played a role under the right coach with the right players around them. From memory Bennell came from a cricket background so he was a few years behind the pack anyway. Petterd was capable of kicking a few goals on his day (though I never forgave him for dropping a sitter against the Pies once and pretty much costing us the match) and Gysberts was a ball magnet when his confidence was up (see: his first three games). I have a mate who played with Gys for Vic Metro and from what I hear he was just one of the many that simply saw Neeld for who he really was and therefore just could not buy into his "mantra". I honestly don't know what happened to him at North. Maybe playing under Neeld actually robbed him of his passion?

The playing group at that time had just lost a coach who they, from all accounts, absolutely loved and loved playing under. So to go from Dean Bailey's fatherly, nurturing style of coaching to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlDVXl7-kyQ, would have probably got on my nerves too.

I think Gysberts just didn't have AFL in him. That he has gone back to local footy instead of sticking it out in the VFL for another shot tells me he really didn't want it bad enough. Those who didn't like Neeld could still train hard and produce something even if it's in defiance to Neeld.

Petterd is another limited footballer but still better than some of the slop on our list. He would be pretty handy this week as a running player capable of kicking a couple of goals. Much like MItch Morton becoming the grand final hero at the Swans I think Petterd would've been handy under Roos. If Roos can sort out Dunn (and it's early days) he can sort out Petterd who was capable of similar strange decisions in games.

  On 26/03/2014 at 10:41, the master said:

I think Gysberts just didn't have AFL in him. That he has gone back to local footy instead of sticking it out in the VFL for another shot tells me he really didn't want it bad enough. Those who didn't like Neeld could still train hard and produce something even if it's in defiance to Neeld.

Petterd is another limited footballer but still better than some of the slop on our list. He would be pretty handy this week as a running player capable of kicking a couple of goals. Much like MItch Morton becoming the grand final hero at the Swans I think Petterd would've been handy under Roos. If Roos can sort out Dunn (and it's early days) he can sort out Petterd who was capable of similar strange decisions in games.

Dunn was playing well before Roos arrived.

Stop making out that he's the messiah.

Roos is under no illusions about the amount of NQRs on the list - he will systematically weed them out and recruit those that can go.