NEITA'S INJURY - DISASTER OR BLESSING IN DISGUISE?

[Demonland 73,140]

by Whispering Jack

I hope nobody misinterprets what I am about to say but my first thought when I heard about David Neitz and his hip injury was that it could not have come at a worse time for the club and it's long serving skipper. However, the second thought was that the injury could be a blessing in disguise for the club after a disappointing opening month to season 2006.

Now, before you start heaping abuse upon me, let me say that I'm never pleased when a player suffers an injury, let alone when the player is the captain who is about to break some long standing club records. The injury is compounded by the fact that it is one of a spate of injuries the club is presently experiencing and which have contributed to the disruption of the early part of this season.

Further, Neita's injury would have to be particularly painful for a bloke who sat in the stands and watched helplessly as his club failed dismally in both of its recent finals campaigns, frustrated by such tragic ends to years that promised so much but left us all unfulfilled.

Apparently, the hip flexor injury is not as bad as it looked at half time yesterday and the news is that the skipper will be back within a couple of weeks. Hopefully, by then he'll be moving on freely in the direction of some well earned club records and personal milestones and to the well deserved accolades he will most certainly will receive at some stage down the track this season.

In the meantime, there's no use crying over spilt milk. You simply can't afford to do that when you're sitting on 1-3 after the first month of the season. There's no option but to get on with it and to accentuate the positive after the team's first win for 2006.

The likely absence, even for two weeks, of the club's captain and full forward does raise a few issues and I'll look at two of them here.

1. LEADERSHIP

The debate has been raging around the Melbourne Football Club for a few years. Who will take over the leadership reins when the record breaking Neitz era comes to an end? There was a time when Adem Yze and Jeff White were the next likely leaders but a new leadership group emerged over the off season with Russell Robertson leading the running just ahead of a couple of maturing players in Cameron Bruce and Brad Green. Then there is an even younger still candidate in Brad Miller.

Until yesterday, all of the talk was academic but if Neitz is to miss the next two or three weeks through injury, there will be opportunities for the remaining members of the leadership group to test their mettle. My personal preference is for Cameron Bruce to be given the opportunity to lead the side in the skipper's absence and for Robbo, whose output has been reduced by his own niggling worries this year, to concentrate on returning to his very best on the Demon forward line.

The main advantages in having Bruce as an on field leader is firstly, that he is in top form and would be leading the club’s best and fairest award with daylight second at this stage and secondly, he plays in the midfield.

The latter consideration should not be underestimated in today's football. The problem with having a full forward as your on field leader is that when the team's in trouble, it's difficult for the skipper to inspire if he's anchored in the forward line when he's really needed much further afield.

2. THE FORWARD LINE

From the opening bounce of the 2006 season, Melbourne's forward line has failed to live up to expectations. With Neita and Robbo down on form, the team has struggled to kick winning totals and, after four rounds has yet to top the 100 point mark. The skipper's four goal haul at Carrara has been the most goals scored by a Demon in any one game. Most of the club's scores seem to have been scrounged around in individual efforts and, whilst it’s good to spread the goal scoring around, there’s definitely been a problem with the team’s forward half – it just hasn't been playing with the confidence and purpose of the first half of 2005 when Robbo and Yze were dangerous, Ben Holland, Miller and Neitz provided great tall man presence and Aaron Davey was causing havoc at their feet.

The loss of the skipper now forces the coaching panel to recast the forward line. Ben Holland is likely to return this week after showing some good form at Sandringham but the selectors may also bring some younger talent into the mix as well.

A different approach to both the leadership and forward line set up and some fresh new faces might be the very thing the club needs to build up the inspiration of its thrilling Anzac Round victory and to shrug off its indifferent start to the new football season.