I would actually call them honest facts and good on Jeff White for being blatantly honest. We have had many injuries, the players are clearly not listening, they are clearly handballing way too much, and everyone is generally lacking. How are they excuses and not just plain facts?

As I've already said (but I guess you don't bother to read past the first post), our coach should be able to control all of these factors (injuries aside).

There is obviously nothing that can be done about players going down with injuries, but why do we recycle the same excuses (especially the one about the leadership, which has been floating around for something like 5 seasons), instead of fixing them?

All I ask for is a little bit of originality. Just something to spice up the monotony of mediocrity.

jaded i think you are over simplifying the issue if you say that the coach should be able to control all of these issues. yes i know thats why we have a coach but if the coach could solve these problems every time without a second thought we would never lose a game. the teams in the afl are so close these days that it is all about the sort of factors you mentioned as to which teams finish up and which down. injuries are a massive factor in deciding this. but no coach knows how to control the other factors you mentioned. they do their best to encourage and to motivate, to teach to instill and to scare. they try all their tricks to get a team to respond.

atm the players arent responding to ND. in the last quarter they did, and that was the best they have responded all year. hopefully now they are tuned in to the coach, or vice versa, hopefully now he is tuned in to them...

They are excuses that they are using to justify their mediocre performances with.

Well I dont think so cos we do have injuries and if we had onfield leadership then we wouldnt have lost on Sunday in the last minute. Are u having a go at me with ur signature or are u just trying to be funny??

jaded i think you are over simplifying the issue if you say that the coach should be able to control all of these issues.

As far as I'm concerned, we shouldn't be hearing the same reasons week after week, season after season.

How many years have we had to put up with non-performing leaders?

Why are we still over-possessing and over-handballing at Round 9?

Why did we not learn from our mistakes in Round 6 & 7, and hold onto our lead on Sunday?

What have we been doing at training if we still don't have a decent kick-in strategy?

There are just so many questions that keep coming up every single year, leadership being one of the main ones.

No club can win a premiership without solid leadership. You can win a flag with strong bodies, or with flooding, or with running and carrying, but show me one premiership side without a strong, committed, and disciplined leadership group.

Like I said in the original post, maybe we are not meant to see success until our young brigade take over and change the attitude and mentality of the group.

As I've already said (but I guess you don't bother to read past the first post), our coach should be able to control all of these factors (injuries aside).

There is obviously nothing that can be done about players going down with injuries, but why do we recycle the same excuses (especially the one about the leadership, which has been floating around for something like 5 seasons), instead of fixing them?

All I ask for is a little bit of originality. Just something to spice up the monotony of mediocrity.

I read your post and like deanox said if ND was in control of all this we wouldnt be losing now would we?? I dont know if u watched Sundays game but in the last two minutes we needed the senior leaders to guide the younger players as to how to hold onto posession which they CLEARLY did not. Now I dont call this an excuse I think Jeff White is calling it as most of us see it. As frustrating as it is that is the cold hard truth. How do we fix it exactly? Clear out the senior players? They just need a kick up the ass like they got Sunday and I think they have hopefully learned their lesson

They just need a kick up the ass like they got Sunday and I think they have hopefully learned their lesson

Just like they learnt from their game against the Dogs and Port.

I don't disagree with what Jeff White said, and that is exactly the problem. We lack leadership, and our senior players consistently go missing. They don't lead the team like they should, and yet we see the same type of players in the leadership group every season. Why?

Just like they learnt from their game against the Dogs and Port.

I don't disagree with what Jeff White said, and that is exactly the problem. We lack leadership, and our senior players consistently go missing. They don't lead the team like they should, and yet we see the same type of players in the leadership group every season. Why?

Because they are the only senior players that we have, as the younger guys get some games under their belts they will be moved up. But I do think our senior players make a valuable contribution but the team overall is having a absolutely crap year and if they were playing well and leading well we wouldnt be second last. Last year they were a tight unit and we werent saying any of this crap.

Is it possible we could keep our mugs out the paper for just one week? Or does every club have some sort of media commitments to fulfil in terms of players coming out and giving us the same old lines? Sick of hearing it and sick of my mates giving me stick, and Jeff White, wake up, you are our in our leadership group and in the centre of the flamming ground! Time to lead mate.

Are u having a go at me with ur signature or are u just trying to be funny??

Just having a laugh.

Just having a laugh.

No worries then sometimes its just hard to know how to take people on here. You gave me a laugh anyways just wasnt sure if you were laughing at me though lol

both your sigs have made me laugh........... and ill cry if they become true

both your sigs have made me laugh........... and ill cry if they become true

Nah u wont, someone else has one that says anyone but neale daniher for 2008 and someone has longmire I think. They have all given me a chuckle though

Nah u wont, someone else has one that says anyone but neale daniher for 2008 and someone has longmire I think. They have all given me a chuckle though

You've definatley started something.

JEFF WHITE says lack of SENIOR LEADERSHIP to blame.

LOL

JEFF WHITE says lack of SENIOR LEADERSHIP to blame.

LOL

Truth hurts or in this case makes u laugh

an aspect of White's comment which is truly descriptive of Melbournes woes...is that he must include himslef in that judgement and yet he seemingly casts it out as a generic...or was his tongue firmly in his cheek ?( doubt it )

We have flawed leadership at Melbourne..lets just admit it. we have an absolute champ of a bloke withthe cap..but his onfield ability is limited at FF...and I will say this til th ecows come home. I mean what exactly can anyone do tto rally the troops when you languish in the goal square with no ball coming your way. The rest of the so called leaders seem incapable of pointing the way out of a wet paper bag!!!

So in a way White is dead right, but he must include himself in this message. Whethter as guilty as some is moot as its the job of 'that; group to lead...and they dont, if anything they seem to go awol on an oh to constant basis.

White does hit upon part of the solution of melbournes woes and that is only so much will happen will happen whilst the 'old guard' are at the helm. As heretic as this will sound I mean all the old guard, thats pretty well all the oldest of players and the more entrenched of the coaching panel. Melbourne wont go foward truly til the new breed come through, hungry and determined and judging from some of the frustrations already eminating from some of them a desire to see beyond the pathetic 'week to week' but eyes firmly on a premiership.

it seemed pre-season they did lift their eyes past week-to-week, and now we have paid the price with a, seemingly, poor match day approach.

also while i agree that a FF has a limited impact on the game and inspiring the players, the simple things he has done have become all the more inspirational. lest we forget his hit on scott burns in 2004

then ponder...if a FF can work his ways ( captaining ) to the level of "X" how much more effective would another who covered more ground ?...just an observation...not a critque of the man.

yeah i do agree. constant reminders of the captain's passion for the game are, imo, critical to team morale and overall attitude. love neita, love his work and i'm sure the players do also, but a guy who can constantly throw himself into packs, put his body on the line (as neitz would do if he was a centreman) is i think what our team needs, and has in brock.

co-captains next season perhaps? make the transition to brock a little easier, and give the two best leaders at the club a chance to lead the way in different sections of the ground.

Im truly envious of how say .. (wash my mouth out after..) Buckley can/could muster ( on the move ) his vermin troops .. and they respond. we cant do this !! :-((

robbo needs to step up now he is back. maybe push him forward a bit early to get a few possessions. He thrives on pressure it seems so maybe just maybe a v/captaincy will give him an edge lacking from the side so far. I agree totally also Brocky for next captain . I love Neitz he has been a champion forward for our club and has been a great leader. pity his support from players lacks from time to time.

- "It was the first time we’d had our full leadership group in the team since Round One, and they all made solid contributions."

Interesting Neal has come out and said this after Jeff's quips on lack of leaders..

you just get the impression that not all at the MFC ( fotball dept ) are on the same page !!!

the facts belie the opinions of those involved.

We have flawed leadership at Melbourne..lets just admit it.

This is neither here nor there as a direct response to this thread.

But a speech Brett Kirk made at a Swans function (the jersey presentation, I think) earlier this year was published in The Daily Telegraph in Sydney a little while ago, and to say that it was inspiring is an understatement. We know he has made similar rising speeches at the breaks (particularly at three quarter time) in a game to get his Swans up, and to me he is simply an amazing leader. And I have watched a hell of a lot of Swans games, given it can be all we get up here!!!

And trust me, this makes for a very good read, so if you have the time......

Brett Kirk's enterprise

By Rebecca Wilson

March 31, 2007 12:00

I AM handing over the column this week to a young man who I consider to be one of the finest captains of any sport anywhere in the world.

The Sydney Swans co-captain Brett Kirk made this speech at the club's annual guernsey presentation in Sydney last Monday night.

He was welcoming the new draft picks and rookies to the Swans family.......

Great speech - nice link QueenC.