Just now, leucopogon said:

Bull, our players and coaches are the ones that perpetuate the reality (it ain't no myth) of our mental frailties. 

And you

15 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

funny that he has a whack at a club most commentators regard as "insignificant" when so many "significant" clubs are having a disastrous start to the year like freo, richmond, collingwood and carlton. would have thought there were more relevant articles to write about those clubs if he had the guts, but it is just so much easier to whack melbourne.

of course, what he writes is pretty accurate but absolutely nothing new to the reading public, so what interest does he hope to garner with a fluff piece?

Have those clubs won 2 in a row at any time in the last 5 years?

Have those clubs lost in the manner that Melbourne consistently has against a hopeless team that had most pundits suggesting they wouldn't win a game this year?

Melbourne have a long history of losing those type of games. I remember a sad day at the G when we lost to the Swans that had lost 25 games in a row. One of many useless efforts I have seen.

2 minutes ago, stuie said:

Disagree with this. Have heard and read him many times giving us credit when we deserved it.

Hated him as a player, but he's one of the few I think has an opinion worth listening to in footy media.

 

Whenever I hear him on the radio I always feel like he's itching for us to make a mistake or lose a game or contest.

There are worse of course (Dwayne Russell, David King, Gerard Healy, Dermott).

That said, when he talks football I generally like his views. Usually reasoned and considered.

Edit: this was meant for Diamond, sorry forgot to use quote
 

What's that supposed to mean? I pay my membership each year I've somehow managed to convert my Hawthorn following young son into a passionate Dees fan who is also a member. I don't know what more I can do as a supporter.

3 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

Never said he wasn't.

I bet you loved it though.  A bit of extra negativity to kick off your morning big fella.  Glad you enjoyed it.

No i don't enjoy it

but i don't deny or hide from it either. The Club deserved every bit of what it got this week. 

I hope you can agree with that, coz if you don't we shall never improve...

Just now, stuie said:

We don't deserve it?

 

Never said that Stuie.  Just said he doesn't mind getting stuck in when the opportunity arises.

Nothing further from the truth!

Whilst I'm not a real fan of him the truth is the truth.. This is were our footy club needs to be at & yes the list has changed & lets hope the younger players coming thru will develop into the mental hardness required to be competitive & succesful. 

 

Further to Flaubert. Are we still a clean up in motion, like the last few years. Don'.t have any idea on the statistics but there is probably more cleaning out  to come.

Lloyd's article is mind joggling at the best, repetitive palaver at the worst.

14 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

funny that he has a whack at a club most commentators regard as "insignificant" when so many "significant" clubs are having a disastrous start to the year like freo, richmond, collingwood and carlton. would have thought there were more relevant articles to write about those clubs if he had the guts, but it is just so much easier to whack melbourne.

of course, what he writes is pretty accurate but absolutely nothing new to the reading public, so what interest does he hope to garner with a fluff piece?

All of those clubs you mentioned have at the very least been competitive in the last decade. They have their down moments (some very low), but at least improve and challenge for, if not make finals. The pendulum swings both ways.

We havent been close for 10 years. Marginal improvements like we've had can be okay, if the space between players heads also change. That hasnt happened. Not even close. How many times have us tragic supporters felt a glimmer of hope after a win, only for it to be ripped out and stomped on the next. 2 wins in a row seems insurmountable for this club.

Never been a fan of the velvet, but he isnt wrong by any stretch. We dont have a heart and stand for very little.

 

 

Just now, Wiseblood said:

Never said that Stuie.  Just said he doesn't mind getting stuck in when the opportunity arises.

Neither do most of us, mainly because the Dees give us SO much opportunity...

 

3 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Whenever I hear him on the radio I always feel like he's itching for us to make a mistake or lose a game or contest.

There are worse of course (Dwayne Russell, David King, Gerard Healy, Dermott).

That said, when he talks football I generally like his views. Usually reasoned and considered.

And Mark Maclure. What a whingy whiner.

3 minutes ago, leucopogon said:

What's that supposed to mean? I pay my membership each year I've somehow managed to convert my Hawthorn following young son into a passionate Dees fan who is also a member. I don't know what more I can do as a supporter.

What you just said. That it's a reality not a myth. How can a club have mental frailty for 51 years? The public perception is created by people who perpetuate the myth like Lloyd, Brereton and you.

40 minutes ago, big_red_fire_engine said:

I don't like Lloyd but he is spot on. Those that whine about these articles and say they don't say anything new. Maybe they will when or if we actually did anything new.

We deserve every sensationalised whack we get until we actually stop being the soft bellied laughing stock that we are.  

All the talk needs to stop, we are well overdue for consistent application of actions and it needs to start now. 

Totally agree brfe.  Lloyd is just repeating what most around here know in their red and blue hearts to be the absolute honest truth.  If they don't they are in denial, and that's just being crazy.

Just now, Ron Burgundy said:

Article is okay - but it's stating the bleeding obvious and everyone knows the issue including Roos and Goodwin. The stats speak for themselves.

Iin fact, the very point of the article is the very reason Roos is now at the club.

 

Actually Roos is in his 3rd year and it's still the same problem...

 

Article is okay - but it's stating the bleeding obvious and everyone knows the issue including Roos and Goodwin. The stats speak for themselves.

In fact, the very point of the article is the very reason Roos is now at the club.

Lloyd has actually had big wraps on us through the pre-season and has emphasised on several occasions how much potential he sees in the playing list.  I'd opine the article was firmly focused at the playing group and reflects his view that with some consistency of endeavour, the confidence that comes with self-belief and a scalp or two, things could really take off.  Healy is of a not dissimilar view on the potential and was all but barracking ahead of the GWS game to the point that he was visibly checking himself to be seen to remain measured and objective.      

The clubs a joke, you look at the other clubs who have 60 k plus members and think wow but all they have done is grow with the population of Australia who loses to a club 15 times in a row that's crap why would you go.

 

17 hours ago, stuie said:

So you're saying he's wrong?.... What about it do you disagree with?

 

No, I agree with him 100%, and never said I didn't. He does seem happy to run down anything to do with Paul Roos. Perhaps is jealous of Roos? I don't know what his issue is, but he is a [censored] and I see right through his BS.

4 minutes ago, KingDingAling said:

No, I agree with him 100%, and never said I didn't. He does seem happy to run down anything to do with Paul Roos. Perhaps is jealous of Roos? I don't know what his issue is, but he is a [censored] and I see right through his BS.

But what BS? You're saying you agree with him 100% but then saying it's BS?

Why is Roos beyond reproach?

 

2 hours ago, KingDingAling said:

No, I agree with him 100%, and never said I didn't. He does seem happy to run down anything to do with Paul Roos. Perhaps is jealous of Roos? I don't know what his issue is, but he is a [censored] and I see right through his BS.

Well, Brereton and Lloyd aren't losers, they're premiership players, and have every right to point that fact that we are losers.

Sheedy would have told the Essendon squad last week that we have a soft-underbelly, put on a bit of pressure and we would fold faster than Superman on laundry day like we always do...

Today? I'd be staggered if we won. North, playing away from the MCG, windy conditions...sounds all a bit too hard for me...

 

 

1 hour ago, bush demon said:

We have had a total change of personnel - to replace previous personnel who were previously replaced -  so it ain't something in the players' heads, it never was. I would go further and say if Luke Beveridge was at Melbourne or Alistair Clarkson was at Melbourne the team would be in absolutely no better position. The 'groupthink' on Melbourne in Victorian football is that we are a failed club. You can't buy the jumpers in kmart, kids don't support them in primary school and snide comments abound in the workplace. pLayers that make a difference won't come to Melbourne, and players who could make a difference and are at Melbourne say, 'they will get back to you' when it comes to signing on for long-term contracts. it's a bit galling to see footscray come out of nowhere and zoom right to the top of the ladder while we trudge through Yarra park after another never-ending loss, or listening on the tranny to yet another interstate thrashing, knowing that next year and the year after will be no different. we are subject to forces greater than us, the comp. can't really hold this many vic. clubs so our holding position is in the lower reaches of the table. 

This  ^  ^  ^  is spot on,  but these are the symptoms that show,  because of the Chronic Illness that has left this club bereft of diverse patrons & ideas. 

Its  'inbred minded'  club culture among its patrons.   Mostly,  those left are well off & over the other side of the ground Nth,  & have a denigrating view off all that happens around the place.  A superior holier than thou attitude.   =  choir boys, who end up wanting everything easy.  =   reflection of the things valued by the support group in contact with players after games, IMO.

 

this club is dying because its grass roots support base has been gradually slowly squeezed out over the past 5 decades.  that same 5 decades where money & investments have become  'KING of all DEEsires'...   amongst Dees players.. more important than winning & the Pride that comes from winning Premierships...

No these guys are winning all the time win lose or draw,,,  with the pride they receive/feel after games

 

And people wonder why our players play soft for big money.  And then laugh after losses !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Why care when you are on easy street & you get your mental  'back & shoulders'  rubbed after games by all & sundry....   top career guaranteed to follow.

 

.this is a big part of why this club has lost its HUNGER & fearsome tenacity to win,  & grind opponents down.    Why we are only  'Front Runners'  when we are talented,  & under produce,  in the  AFL.'

 

This lack of regular success also happened at our Club,  shown in the numbers,  before  'Checker'  arrived at our club & changed it,  & since 'Norm Smith' was gotten Rid of...  by those  'Politically Correct'  quietly spoken types,  that have taken over the North.

 

.

51 minutes ago, willmoy said:

Further to Flaubert. Are we still a clean up in motion, like the last few years. Don'.t have any idea on the statistics but there is probably more cleaning out  to come.

Lloyd's article is mind joggling at the best, repetitive palaver at the worst.

I will be disappointed to see another 10 out the door at the end of this year. This year should be minimal turnover if the rebuild is complete as PJ suggests.
While this issue has floated around the club for about 8 years (we win one and we celebrate like we have done something of actual significance), how we got here should not be considered when tackling this problem.
The issue is that we are here and that is enough. Now how do we solve this problem? It might be a case of dropping a few players, a heavy session here or there or something else from left field that should let the players know that a repeat performance of the dross dished up last weekend is unacceptable. 
While what happened on Saturday was unacceptable, we should also note that the journey from A to B is nary a straight line. There will be ups and downs. If the downs consistently outweigh the ups then it's time to change tack. If they are bumps in the road but we can get back on track, then panicking will just make things worse (see 186). 
Today will be a good indicator of how we intend on fixing the problem of our players being easily satisfied/complacent.

Last time Lloyd wrote a negative piece about Melbourne it was the morning of the Geelong game last year. I think he thought we were sure things to get flogged so he thought he would be pretty safe having a crack at us. I'd suggest the same thing has occurred here so hopefully we get the same result!

That said, his article is 100% correct.

1 hour ago, KingDingAling said:

Yeah, it is exactly that. Brereton does it more of a bullying style, just like he does to young forwards - basically shaming them in the guise of offering advice. The bloke is a loser. Lloyd is just less of a loser, but still a loser all the same. He just started offering his opinion early in the piece (about everything), and he clearly came across as the [censored] he is, so now he has slightly toned it down, but I am glad you see through the bullsh*t.

1 hour ago, titan_uranus said:

There are many journalists and commentators out there who dislike Melbourne and appear to enjoy having a go at us when we're down (which, for the last 10 years, has been the majority of the time).

Lloyd is one of those people.

Nonetheless, his column today is accurate, pretty much in every way. He didn't mention what we're doing on the field but what he focuses on he gets right.

 

They don't dislike the Melbourne Footy Club,  they dislike the  'holier than thou attitude',   that has taken this once great club hostage.

The smugness & attitudes found in the stands.

 

these are what hurts us all.