http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/com...5E19742,00.html

Daniher has been good.

Melbourne need a coach who is great.

Furthermore, it's not just Daniher's coaching which is a problem. I think it's time for a change. A fresh face. Someone who can take this group of players to the next step because after so many years with no success there's only so much Daniher can do and say to the team.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/com...5E19742,00.html

I think he was spot on when he said our recruiting hasn't been quite right! Alot of it can come down to luck though I suppose!?

Recruiting is good, but we have been unlucky. We have had many draft picks in the top 20 that have been busts overs the past 6-7 years.

If luke molan had become a jonathan brown, and 426 had become a riewoldt, and steven armstrong had been a shane crawford then things would be different down at melbourne. Many of our picks just didnt come to fruition, and we are now paying for that with champion players in thier late 20, and champion players in their teens. We are missing champion players in the 23-24 year old bracket.

Thankfully we have some good kids coming through, another few good draft years and we will be back on track.

As for the coach.......i just want a flag. I thought danners could deliver, now i am not so sure. I am happy to see what cahnges the club brings at seasons end before chopping danners. A club with a no/new coach is not a good prospect when trying to land a judd or riewoldt on the trading table.

Recruiting is good, but we have been unlucky. We have had many draft picks in the top 20 that have been busts overs the past 6-7 years.

If luke molan had become a jonathan brown, and 426 had become a riewoldt, and steven armstrong had been a shane crawford then things would be different down at melbourne. Many of our picks just didnt come to fruition, and we are now paying for that with champion players in thier late 20, and champion players in their teens. We are missing champion players in the 23-24 year old bracket.

A very good point...........there is a bit of luck involved!

Had Molan and Smith come on, who knows where we would be.

You can't blame the recruiting.....it's just one of those things.....some players have it and some don't. (Plus injuries don't help!)

Recruiting is good, but we have been unlucky. We have had many draft picks in the top 20 that have been busts overs the past 6-7 years.

If luke molan had become a jonathan brown, and 426 had become a riewoldt, and steven armstrong had been a shane crawford then things would be different down at melbourne. Many of our picks just didnt come to fruition, and we are now paying for that with champion players in thier late 20, and champion players in their teens. We are missing champion players in the 23-24 year old bracket.

Thankfully we have some good kids coming through, another few good draft years and we will be back on track.

As for the coach.......i just want a flag. I thought danners could deliver, now i am not so sure. I am happy to see what cahnges the club brings at seasons end before chopping danners. A club with a no/new coach is not a good prospect when trying to land a judd or riewoldt on the trading table.

FWIW, its worth its not a matter of luck when you are dealing with players within the first 20 or so picks.

Picks out 40 plus you are beginning to "punt".

We have done poorly with Molan, Smith, Breeze. Only one game out of them in total and injuries are only shallow excuses for poor selection. All were delisted now. None taken by other clubs. There was another player (Rodgers?) we took at 25 in a draft and failed with us and the failed at Sydney.

A further issue was the draft penalties in 1999 and 2000 which robbed us of potential quality players who would now be 7 to 8 years players and in their prime.

The problem we lack are champion players in the senior ranks. Players like White Yze Bruce and TJ have had good days over their careers but none have taken the next step. Its not good enough. TThe younger players still have to justify themselves.

I think the Club will be mature and deal with the Daniher issue with respect and dignity

I'm 100% confident the club won't make the mistake of re-signing Daniher during the year.

If they wait until the end of the season the decision will be obvious.

John Northey has coached the most AFL games without a premiership. Why would the club take his advice?

FWIW, its worth its not a matter of luck when you are dealing with players within the first 20 or so picks.

Picks out 40 plus you are beginning to "punt".

We have done poorly with Molan, Smith, Breeze. Only one game out of them in total and injuries are only shallow excuses for poor selection. All were delisted now. None taken by other clubs. There was another player (Rodgers?) we took at 25 in a draft and failed with us and the failed at Sydney.

Can't agree totally with this.

The only one that in hindsight was average was Molan.....were still a few good players picked up after him at pick 9. (Dal Santo, Matt Maguire, James Kelly) but in the same draft we got a bargain with Miller very late. Rodgers was pick 26, but there are plenty of average selections from the same draft......to name a few:

11 Richard Cole Eastern Rangers Collingwood

14 Ashley Watson Bendigo Pioneers Kangaroos (who????)

15 Barry Brooks Tasmania Mariners Port Adelaide

18 Shane Harvey Northern Knights Essendon

20 Daniel Elstone Bendigo Pioneers Hawthorn

West Coast picked up Ashley Sampi in the same draft at number 6, and let a heap of quality go by as well.

Not that it makes it right.

If I recall correctly, there was a concerted effort back then to draft KPP, in particular key forwards, so at the time, Molan was prob worth the punt. He did have a shocking run with injuries.....of that there can be no question.

Nick Smith at pick 15 in 2002.....take a look at that draft, see who went after him......extremely slim pickings, Rivers is the standout who we got at 26.....so not that bad, and we got Bell at 14!

Breese was pick 62 in the 2000 draft.....can't expect a miracle there.

Really.......like most clubs we have had our success stories and bad luck stories from the draft....we haven't fared significantly worse than any other club, and in many cases we have done considerably better.

FWIW, its worth its not a matter of luck when you are dealing with players within the first 20 or so picks.

Picks out 40 plus you are beginning to "punt".

We have done poorly with Molan, Smith, Breeze. Only one game out of them in total and injuries are only shallow excuses for poor selection. All were delisted now. None taken by other clubs. There was another player (Rodgers?) we took at 25 in a draft and failed with us and the failed at Sydney.

A further issue was the draft penalties in 1999 and 2000 which robbed us of potential quality players who would now be 7 to 8 years players and in their prime.

The problem we lack are champion players in the senior ranks. Players like White Yze Bruce and TJ have had good days over their careers but none have taken the next step. Its not good enough. TThe younger players still have to justify themselves.

I think the Club will be mature and deal with the Daniher issue with respect and dignity

Its not often that I disagree with you Rhino, but I do here. It's not luck as you say, but there are certainly no guarantees, particularly when you are asked to speculate on "kids". I'd love to see the draft age lifted to 21 over the next ten years to reduce even further the "guess work" when clubs are asked to invest their futures in essentially unknown quantities. EG. Would Col be pick 3 in an Under 21 draft?

I'm 100% confident the club won't make the mistake of re-signing Daniher during the year.

If they wait until the end of the season the decision will be obvious.

John Northey has coached the most AFL games without a premiership. Why would the club take his advice?

He probably just wants someone to beat his record so he doesn't have to hold the shame of not winning a premiership

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/com...5E19742,00.html

Northey can go jump, if ND is coach next year expect 15000 members only

I'm 100% confident the club won't make the mistake of re-signing Daniher during the year.

If they wait until the end of the season the decision will be obvious.

John Northey has coached the most AFL games without a premiership. Why would the club take his advice?

if he does get re-signed, I will personally go down to the club and drag Gardiner out by the scruff of his neck and put someone with balls in the job

To sack, or not to sack, that is the question:

When good coaches turn bad: a shark’s tale

Simon Barnes

One of those eternal mysteries. Duncan Fletcher, hailed not much more than 18 months ago as a very good cricket coach indeed, is regarded as a rather poor cricket coach. This seems somewhat inconsistent. Is it possible for a human being to be very good indeed at something and then, as it were overnight, become rather poor at the same thing?

Of course, the other question is: has Daniher ever been, is he, or will he ever be, a very good football coach?

This is a genuine question for those closer to the club and its internal workings than I am, but does anyone actually see it happening?

Does anyone actually believe that after 10 years without the ultimate success, a truly appalling start (injuries aside) to his last contracted year, a team that appears to be fairly unskilled and very unsure of themselves, and with what seems to be a very ineffective and reactive plan, that doesn't seem to suit he list that he built, that Daniher will be given any more time to get it right?

For the record, I completely and totally agree with those that say that he should be afforded the respect that anyone deserves after serving for such a long tenure in a very difficult role, through what has been some bloody awful times for a relatively difficult the club (including board upheaval, financial restriction etc), and for doing a genuinley fantastic job being a spokesman for, and spruiking of, the club.

But can the club really afford to give him any more time?

Now that there is a hell of a lot more stability at the other levels, is it possible that the club can afford to take a chance and make a change (which seems to be the popular choice) within the coaching department? While this probably was not something that they were afforded in previous years.

So back to the initial question, with all these factors in place does anyone think that Neale will have his contract extended again?

And if they do (which is perfectly fine, there is no judgement in this post) why?

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/com...5E19742,00.html

Thanks John for your interest. I'l take your suggestion under advisement !!

( looks for bin )

If ND wants another contract, all he has to do is point to our massive injury list, and the Board will probably fall for it

Northey can go jump, if ND is coach next year expect 15000 members only

a similar number to the crowd total yesturday. <_<

i think he'll go. he hasnt done enough, no worries. but my big question is, is there someone to replace him. i cant see the point in sacking him to bring in someone who hasnt done it and doesnt know what to do when they get there.

It doesn't matter the excuses they make about injuries and unlucky recruiting. The fact is were on the bottom with a the same aging list, the same stale coaching\onfield staff and a fitness advisor that has not only ruined us but also ruined Hawthorn a few years ago. If Gardiner wants to tell the football world that we accept mediocrity then sign Daniher and expect a massive backlash.

We have to get rid of all the fringe experienced players and blood youth. We need a coach with with a fresh approach and new ideas. That goes for our assistant coaches and recruiting staff as well. We only recruited 4 players this year in a super draft we are zero and 4 with no debutants so far simply not good enough. We had a heap of chances to recruit Alweyn Davey last year and we didn't now he's making us pay. Only Williams should avoid the axe due to it only being his first year.

Longmire, O'Donnell and Harvey have been around long enough to deserve a chance at top level and I'm sure other coaches who I have not considered are capable as well. We can't do much worse than what we are doing ATM.