David Neitz has been a great Melbourne player and captain but I think it's time for him to retire. He's had a great career - leading MFC games player, only MFC player to 300 games, leading MFC games captain, leading MFC goal kicker, Coleman medallist, All-Australian, best and fairest winner. There's nothing left for him to prove or achieve except a flag and we're not going to win the 2008 flag. 2008 would almost certainly be his last year anyway and with a refreshed footy department, the trade of Travis Johnstone and the retention of Russell Robertson we'll make faster progress minus the great man in 2008.

Forward structure: David's a power forward who dictates the structure of our forward line. We need to move on from this and find a new post-Neitz structure. With the retention of Robbo we still have experienced goal-kicking capability. the absence of Neita will enable us to experiment much more with personnel and structure.

Leadership: With TJ moving on we're signalling at least a partial rebuild. David has been a great leader bur it's time for others to step up. Personally I'd be happy to make Brad Green captain - I really think he'd rise to the occasion. But if we're uncertain about this and would like a year or two for someone to truly emerge then James McDonald would be a fine choice in 2008 a la Todd Viney when Garry Lyon retired.

Neita's retirement would be all of a sudden and he wouldn't get a "farewell" but neither did Nathan Buckley ...

well Old...you'll certainly strike a few nerves here ..lol.. but am sure you'l expect that.

I cant totally disagree with al lof that. But it now comes to a timing issue. it might have made sense to announce it beofr ethe last game this season and so reap the deserved accolades.

I coulndt agree more that we have at times become far to Neeta-centric in going forward. The predictability made defending tad easier for the opposition i feel. when he was out the forward thrusts were more varied , just for the moment very unploished and unpracticed it loked. these inprove with time and mid week efforts of course.

Im going to suggest there may be actually one last thing for him to do and thats the role of a true leader: TRANSITION !!

I have no doubt this is his swansong year. As the boys all look up to its now to him that the job of handing over will fall....to whomever is annointed. Maybe he just sets the scene without any one person in particular but lays the road etc.

I would hope he would still play most of the coming season. History suggests he wont; he's but one more serious injury from calling it a day.

I agree a new look and style is needed and he ought to retire but i'm ok if he has a crack next year. He may find that the preseason actually does either of two things.. does wonders..or cements his course in cement.

Keep in mind we often dont do things logically at Melbourne

Old, you're a hard man.

Let's make a few assumptions here. Let's assume Bode is promoted and Ferg is delisted.

We have picks 4,14,21, 53, 69 and then pick 3 in the PSD.

So in effect you want to delist a player who holds the record games, record games as captain, record goals and our only power forward for pick 85 in the ND.

Sorry Old, but the answer is no.

Unlike many I don't believe we are as bad as many think. We won 5 games this year and lost about the same number by a kick or less. We did this with an injury list as serious as any I can remember any team suffering. We had made the finals for the previous 3 years and just about everyone thought our list would be better this year. I don't think we are a cot case. I think at our best we are a 5 or 6 position team.

Now I understand this fits with your "we won't win a flag in 2008" but I think footy is a bit more complicated than that. It's important that teams don't get beaten badly and regularly as we did this year. It's important to have good experienced players over the ground teaching and helping younger players and providing an environment in which they can learn and grow. It's important to have big strong bodies available on field otherwise other teams will take advantage of you. And it's very important to have leadership. And I want to see an environment where Michael Newton (and others) can grow into a KPF role as the second or third tall. He can't with Neitz gone.

All of these things can be provided by retaining David Neitz.

I know many will disagree but I think there is a place for loyalty in footy to your great players. David Neitz has committed so much to this club. If he wants another year I'll not deny him that for pick 85 in the ND.

David Neitz has been a great Melbourne player and captain but I think it's time for him to retire.

I think he should go on for at least another year. But if he didnt, there is the question of who would be our next captain.

Brock seems to be a favourite, but doesnt get on the park enough. Brad Miller was touted as a future leader a few years ago, but doesnt produce anything on the field. Then there's guys like Robbo, Cam Bruce and Brad Green and maybe Jeff White, but none of them are really long term options.

Whats the word on the new guys around the club like Jones, Bartram, Pettard, Newton, Bate etc regarding there leadership potential? Obviously they are not candidates, but does anyone know how highly they are regarded in the leadership area?

Lots of things are changing down at the Club, with the new Coach, new ideas and saying goodbye to 7 or so players. The players will need their Captain there for one last year just to steady the ship. If you watch the games when he plays, the players (especially the young ones) play a head taller, knowing the great man is watching over them from FF. He needs to be there for one more year. Neitz will get his body right, (maybe not his knee 100%, but enough to play) and he will contribute all through 2008. The club needs him for one more year, thats why he is not retiring.

Forward structure: David's a power forward who dictates the structure of our forward line. We need to move on from this and find a new post-Neitz structure. With the retention of Robbo we still have experienced goal-kicking capability. the absence of Neita will enable us to experiment much more with personnel and structure.

I can see where ur going with this but personally i prefer Neitz to go on for another year to ease the load on Newton.

What i would like to happen is for our midfield to look for Newton and Robbo first and have Neitz back in the square for the get out option. (Alastair Lynch role.)

Still see Bate playing a role up forward. He is after all the Red Pav.

I understand where you are coming from Old, but Neita deserves to go out on his own terms.

Even for a team that is focused on growing and building, Neita is a huge asset. Who better to have around the club as a leader and a benchmark for the kids?

Besides, he can still play a bit. Newton and Bate are not ready to be the main forwards just yet.

There is starting fresh and building a new culture, and there is ripping the heart and soul out of the club.

Neita should play next season and celebrate our 150th season, just don't expect him to be kicking bags of goals each week.

.........

Besides, he can still play a bit. Newton and Bate are not ready to be the main forwards just yet.

There is starting fresh and building a new culture, and there is ripping the heart and soul out of the club.

Neita should play next season and celebrate our 150th season, just don't expect him to be kicking bags of goals each week.

yeaahhhhh...what she said !!! lol

In al honesty its not going to make a lot of differenc ewhether David's on the pitch or not form a scoreboard point of view. His halycon days are definitely behind him. But he can provide I must admit enormous motivational and mentorship like qualities.

If its to be a neither here nor there sort of year we may as well extract all that he can give before he choofs off

As long as he learns to mark a football with his hands, sick of seeing him drop chest mark after chest mark, give him one more year

As long as he learns to mark a football with his hands, sick of seeing him drop chest mark after chest mark, give him one more year

He has been dropping marks for as long as I can remember. How many times I have been excited, Neitz on the lead, ball heading straight for his chest, I rise in unison with an ecstatic crowd... who sit with a groan as Neita drops an easy mark and an opportunity at an easy goal.

However, he lifts the team with his hardness at the ball. He is not afraid to put his body on the line and he kicks some amazing goals.

David Neitz bleeds red and blue and as long as he wants to be at Melbourne he needs to be allowed to stay.

i actually am surprised there hasnt been an announcement. they way they seemed to carry him to the 300 game made me think he was gonna pull the pin. but imo its too late now. if he was going to retire, he would've retired. perhaps he was considering it, especially with the sacking of ND, maybe he had a good hard think.

however, at this stage i believe he will go around next year. i think next year will be his last, however, if he avoids those collision injuries he could play 22 games and kick 50 goals next year. if he did that, would anyone deny him 2009?

old, you make some good points, but i think an announcement would have already been made.

As long as he learns to mark a football with his hands, sick of seeing him drop chest mark after chest mark, give him one more year

have to admit it frustrates me.. ( to say nothing of what Neeta must think ..lol )

its the first thing you learn after kicking... how to mark a ball on the chest...and hell...his is big enough !! lol

Its awesome when he does actually get the dukes out and takes the big strong grabs......

and he also is a good footstool for Newton and Robbo to take their marks... haha

In al honesty its not going to make a lot of differenc ewhether David's on the pitch or not form a scoreboard point of view. His halycon days are definitely behind him. But he can provide I must admit enormous motivational and mentorship like qualities.

If his contribution on the field is indeed expected to be negligible then it would be in MFC's and Neitz's interest to determine a termination point in his career rather then ending like a shag on a rock. He deserves better than that.

While he might have something to instil into young players and be positive for memberships and sponsors, he will do no one any benefit if he cant get a possession on the ground and cant impact the scoreboard. Even worse if he is Captain.

I hope Neitz is fit enough to be a positive contributor this year. I have no doubt this year will be his last and MFC must be realistic as to how many games they will get out of him. I have no further doubt that he will be played predominantly from the goal square as suggestions that he be played up the ground or CHB are ludicrious at his age and given the speed of modern football.

I would prefer he passes the Captaincy to another player and just focus on getting through the season and providing direction to younger player. My choice is Brad Green.

I wouldnt say negligible. ...just not what it was.

Id prefer someone EARN the captaincy...not just have it because Neeta's getting on.

let him put it to his minions.. "who amongst you doth covet the mantel, who amongst you shall rise to meet the honour, expectations and delivery ? " it will sort itself out.

I can see no point double fisting this position. Let Neeta be it and hand it over to the annointed..who wil carve out his own history.

Termination date ? end of season 2008... simple as that.

Only Neita knows his own body and if he thinks he can contribute to the team next year by playing on then that's good enough for me.

Even when he is having "one of those days" he still demands the oppositions best backman and this immediately lessens the pressure from Newton, Robbo, Bate etc.

no player deserves to play on because of what they have done in the past

. every round the best possible team should be put onto the park dictated by form. if nietz has a shirty/injury reduced pre-season then someone elses form should/would warrant the full-forward spot.

IMO Nietz will be there round 1 fit and firing. He will win the Coleman with 75+ goals and lead the Dees thru a glorius final campaign culminating in a Grand Final win

David Neitz has been a great Melbourne player and captain but I think it's time for him to retire. He's had a great career - leading MFC games player, only MFC player to 300 games, leading MFC games captain, leading MFC goal kicker, Coleman medallist, All-Australian, best and fairest winner. There's nothing left for him to prove or achieve except a flag and we're not going to win the 2008 flag. 2008 would almost certainly be his last year anyway and with a refreshed footy department, the trade of Travis Johnstone and the retention of Russell Robertson we'll make faster progress minus the great man in 2008.

Forward structure: David's a power forward who dictates the structure of our forward line. We need to move on from this and find a new post-Neitz structure. With the retention of Robbo we still have experienced goal-kicking capability. the absence of Neita will enable us to experiment much more with personnel and structure.

Leadership: With TJ moving on we're signalling at least a partial rebuild. David has been a great leader bur it's time for others to step up. Personally I'd be happy to make Brad Green captain - I really think he'd rise to the occasion. But if we're uncertain about this and would like a year or two for someone to truly emerge then James McDonald would be a fine choice in 2008 a la Todd Viney when Garry Lyon retired.

Neita's retirement would be all of a sudden and he wouldn't get a "farewell" but neither did Nathan Buckley ...

I am not a neitz fan and i have made that public on here many times. But i disagree with your statement. We are going for a youth policy yes but losing a valuable player who has leadership and experience is stupid. A team that doesent have many players with experience left on the field will struggle and i believe it will delay the team of a few years of playing finals. There is the aspect of experience and leadership but also the fact that he can take number 1 or 2 defender for the oposition. We saw it in 2006 when we played geelong without neitz and robbo was completly outnumbered due to the lack of talant there. Newton is also still developing and i dont think he can play his best on the number 1 defender. We need these kids to gain confidance and this will only occur with other leaders with experience around the club.

David Neitz is a gun. He is past his best (ofcourse) but he still plays a roll.

This year is our 150th who better to take on the media interviews then him? Hes done it most of his life and hasnt been distracted. we couldnt bring in a new captain with all that pressure and also on game day.

He is still a vital part of our foward, we need to give it to him one on one and he'll win 8 times out of 10. he also takes the no1 back men if he went robbo would and Newton the 2nd best.

and remember he can kick it 60m

His only got a year or so left let him play!!

This year is our 150th who better to take on the media interviews then him?

Neitz isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and I've seen him stumble through a few basic interviews in my time.

Neitz isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and I've seen him stumble through a few basic interviews in my time.

Indeedy. He says all the right things, but he has difficulty expressing them fluently.

For this reason (being not-so-bright) I think he will have to be pushed, rather than leave of his own accord, unless he suffers some horrible injury. I'll be sad to see him go, but I'd also hate for him to cling on too long just because football is probably his calling.

nup leave him there...give the young guns time to develop with neitz taking the number 1 defender

Neitz isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and I've seen him stumble through a few basic interviews in my time.

im not saying he is, but who else could do it???? and we dont have any stand out leaders yet

In all honesty no one is really going to care what he says...its just the constant imagery of the MFc we want in 2008

Neitz has one last year in 2008.

That gives Newton another year to learn FF, and gives any number of players a year to impress to be the next Captain.

Works perfectly.