Listened to Titus O'Reily on latest episode of the Junktime AFL podcast. While it may be common knowledge to some, I was shocked when he spoke of rumors of just how bad the culture really was during Bailey/Neeld era. Talks of senior players constantly eating McDonald's, one player getting so drunk in China the night before exhibition game that he couldn't even play the next day. Had to make it 17 v 17.

Also said when Roos got to MFC, he couldn't believe the team were actually AFL players - they were that unfit!!

I knew it was bad, but I just thought that the FD and/or players were just really below par, but those stories of the example setting senior players being slobs just blew my mind.

Anyone else got any other messed up behind the scenes tales of what went on?

Max Gawn spewing up on Tom Scully bed takes the cake for me.

so, he "spoke of rumours"

you do realise he is a satirist

but we all knew things weren't the best, rumours, comedians or not. no need to "be shocked". these things have been discussed and derided on demonland many times before

Also said when Roos got to MFC, he couldn't believe the team were actually AFL players - they were that unfit!!

For a start I don't know why people want to keep living our dreadful past, but when Roos came on board the players had two years under Dave Misson, if he's so good I doubt they would have been all that unfit.

For a start I don't know why people want to keep living our dreadful past, but when Roos came on board the players had two years under Dave Misson, if he's so good I doubt they would have been all that unfit.

Agreed and im pretty sure i heard Roos say before the start of 2014 season that he was surprised how good our training habits were but it ment nothing if we couldn't translate it onto gamedays

As much as people loathed Neeld as a coach, he did recognized those player traits when he took over. He can be blamed for a lot of things but he can't be accused for continuing that culture. He tried to change it and change it quick by moving on Maloney, Morton and co. You can imagine the bitching and sniping that would have gone on during his time. Would have been a horrible place to be in.

Link?

As much as people loathed Neeld as a coach, he did recognized those player traits when he took over. He can be blamed for a lot of things but he can't be accused for continuing that culture. He tried to change it and change it quick by moving on Maloney, Morton and co. You can imagine the bitching and sniping that would have gone on during his time. Would have been a horrible place to be in.

Agreed...but didnt he manage that badly. Plus the game plan he so doggedly stuck with didn't suit the players we had and was already outdated by the time he was implementing! Dont take me back there!! Its like PTSD. Worst coach and people manager in AFL history.

Titus O'Reily has done some hosting on the 3RRR breakfast shift of late. Very funny guy. I liked his headline that the Blues are confident of being player free by 2018!

Would you have a link to that AFL podcast Dee Gee?

Edited October 27, 201510 yr by Moonshadow

so, he "spoke of rumours"

you do realise he is a satirist

but we all knew things weren't the best, rumours, comedians or not. no need to "be shocked". these things have been discussed and derided on demonland many times before

Wasn't satire.

Missed a lot of these stories coz I'm new, only a "Rookie Demon". Senior DLer's like yourself should be filling me in and not doing the digital equivalent of eating McDonald's/getting drunk before game day.

Edited October 27, 201510 yr by Dee Gee

Titus O'Reily has done some hosting on the 3RRR breakfast shift of late. Very funny guy. I liked his headline that the Blues are confident of being player free by 2018!

Would you have a link to that AFL podcast Dee Gee?

Sure, http://junktimeafl.libsyn.com/

Agreed...but didnt he manage that badly. Plus the game plan he so doggedly stuck with didn't suit the players we had and was already outdated by the time he was implementing! Dont take me back there!! Its like PTSD. Worst coach and people manager in AFL history.

Agree. Although his intentions were good re culture, he put players / Admin offside and did not know how to convey the message.

I agree Clint. These threads tend to turn out like the 2 minutes hate from '1984'. We all get together and rant about 'traitors' to the regime. I think this is related to the 'negativity' Roos has talked about. We can't see ourselves as anything but pathetic losers so we choose to live in a past that reconfirms our preconceptions about ourselves.

No point in any more self flagellation. We'll leave that up to Uncle Bitter!

Edited October 27, 201510 yr by Colin B. Flaubert

Agreed and im pretty sure i heard Roos say before the start of 2014 season that he was surprised how good our training habits were but it ment nothing if we couldn't translate it onto gamedays

I heard that too, that's why this was so interesting to hear. The two hosts are comedians and joke all the way through, but there's clear gags made, it's not satire like Titus' writings. They were asking his perspective as a Dees supporter and they got talking about 'the past'.

Agreed...but didnt he manage that badly. Plus the game plan he so doggedly stuck with didn't suit the players we had and was already outdated by the time he was implementing! Dont take me back there!! Its like PTSD. Worst coach and people manager in AFL history.

Sorry to take you back there but... I don't know what game plan would have suited those players?

Titus O'Reilly is about as funny as leprosy.

Just a wannabe Leaping Larry.

Sorry to take you back there but... I don't know what game plan would have suited those players?

Ok Im going back there but Im shaking and seeing foggy images .....and Im having memories of trying to enjoy the trip to the ground knowing that the game itself was likely to be the least enjoyable part . Painfully ....We STILL havent won as many games as Bailey did in his last year. So maybe a game plan that incorporated the best of Baileys fast footy but added a way more physical edge. I dont know..ANYTHING really that didnt involve monotonously kicking up the line to easily read contests and watching us lose by 100 +. Ok thats it...Im off to the shrink

Titus O'Reilly is about as funny as leprosy.

Just a wannabe Leaping Larry.

You have a sick sense of humor.

Titus O'Reilly is about as funny as leprosy.

Just a wannabe Leaping Larry.

Wholeheartedly disagree. Haven't heard his programme but some of his written work is hilarious. Definitely one of the sharper wits in footy.

Titus O'Reilly is about as funny as leprosy.

Just a wannabe Leaping Larry.

I severely and sincerely disagree with you

You have a sick sense of humor.

Half a shekel for an ex leper?

Wholeheartedly disagree. Haven't heard his programme but some of his written work is hilarious. Definitely one of the sharper wits in footy.

It's so banal, so predictable

is he really a demon's supporter?

i read a tweet the other day from him re the carlisle f'up where he indicated he was an aints supporter

so, he "spoke of rumours"

you do realise he is a satirist

but we all knew things weren't the best, rumours, comedians or not. no need to "be shocked". these things have been discussed and derided on demonland many times before

The essence of good satire is that it deals with the substantive truth.

Whatever that truth is, there can be no doubt, that the culture at the MFC during Neeld's and to a much lesser extent, DB's time, was pretty poor. The common denominators, in my view, during both tenures can be sheeted home to a senior executive and a footy department head, who seemed to believe that obtaining top 10 draft picks was all we needed to be successful.

Edited October 27, 201510 yr by iv'a worn smith

is he really a demon's supporter?

i read a tweet the other day from him re the carlisle f'up where he indicated he was an aints supporter

Know the guy. Def 100% Melbourne supporter.