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As much as I hate this,umpiring is the hardest job in the AFL. I umpired a junior match some years ago and thought I did a good job,I thought I was fair, consistant, implemented the rules correctly, I was nearly killed walking off the ground by members of the losing team's supporters and vowed never to put myself in that situation again. It was an under 14's game. AFL umpires have my respect and whilst I do not always agree with their decisions,it is the hardest job in the AFL

I honestly think that squad looks slow. For every thoroughbred there are 2 clydesdales.

Mark my words. If Melbourne doesn't become one of the most successful teams in the competition during Mark Neeld's tenure, it will mean there is something seriously wrong with the basic fabric of the club - something that no coach can fix. I have the ultimate faith in Neeld, and have done for a long time. I was absolutely pumped when I heard we'd picked him up.

what a ridiculous thread, we've had 1 set of games where you couldn't tell anything, a good win and an embarrassing loss. settle down and let the season unfold

Every year just before that season starts they do a membership drive to pull in the ones that have lapsed. Quite some members deliberately wait until the drive, where as stated many players and staff do the ring around. I wish people on here would quit with the sky is falling attitudes. The club is finally in a financially strong position, albeit less one major sponsor, said sponsor may or may not be in the bag, but in the overall scheme of things is really quite minor compared to say 10 years ago. I've already said it it about 5 pages ago - the FOJ sponsor at the absolute maximum would make up 5% of the total turnover, much more likely to be about 2 to 3 %. The only real setbacks are us supporters who can't get this years up to date jumper yet, and the ribbing we may cop from [censored] opposition supporters who think that not having a FOJ sponsor all of a sudden means 30 to 40 odd million dollars of turnover has disappeared in an instant. Calm down people it'll happen when it happens, if that is prior to season start fantastic, if not the sun will still rise tomorrow and the Dee's will still be playing at the MCG thanks to all the hard work of Jimmy, Don, Cam et al. Oh and the 1 billion dollar tv rights deal....

I would probably say "you're Alan Funt, now where's the camera?"

Perhaps it is because you have little to go on and the alternative is to start the next three years with severe depression. Not a good start so MN is the Man

Totally agree with your post/tweet to the club Hardtack. I have long held the view that the club doesn't treat its members with the amount of respect i would expect of a club aspiring to become 'elite'. If there is any news about the MFC, melbournefc.com.au is just about the last source to inform people, abhorrent. On top of this, injury updates continually seem to be wildly inaccurate. We are not a big club, and we are getting smaller it seems (with our membership numbers seriously staggering), yet the club seems to want to test the loyalty of many of its supporters. I understand the club wants to keep sponsorship dealings hush hush until they are signed off on, but given that we have been given the same response from the club for near on 7 months about our next joint-major sponsor, members are well in their rights to ask questions of the club. I don't give a stuff if the Chinese take longer to come to terms, what i care about is the financial security of our club, and those who are in charge of it. It is now 2 consecutive vacant sponsorship times that within 2 weeks of the season start, we still haven't sorted out our sponsorship dealings. Only one word can describe this, amateurish. I don't care if Schwab comes out tomorrow announcing a $2m+ per year sponsor, because the questions will still remain over our ability to land sponsors. It was in a recent post where i read that lapsed members from last year had not even received a renewal notice for the upcoming season. True supporters don't need a reminder to sign up, but that is irrelevant. The question must be asked, how competent is our membership department? It was reported by the club that we still had roughly 10-15,000 members yet to renew from last year, and yet renewal notices hadn't been sent to some, if not many of these people. Pathetic. This club seems to want to achieve 'elite' status. Might i suggest that the MFC start treating its most valuable commodity in a manner that is befitting of an 'elite' organisation.

With regard to Liam moving to Collingwood I think we are all overlooking one point here. Despite being shy and quiet when he meets new people, Liam is very close to Aaron and the other boys and genuinely is thankful that MFC gave him another opportunity after Collingwood put him in the too hard basket. We should not believe that he is some puppet of BHM who is conniving to have him back at Collingwood (albeit he maybe with some little prodding form Eddie). Liam is a strong person with definite views on his life. Don't underestimate his own intelligence. I dont believe we should be so condescending. Now that Cameron has confirmed that the Club did not know about the interview almost as it went to air, I think the fireworks will now really start. For Eddie to be virtually called a liar we will now see Eddie come out swinging. Let's see what other outrageous statements he will make. How long will it be before AFL reins him in. Fat chance.

Personally I want to see this all year. I don't think winning a certain amount of games is important this year. The main thing is stopping the constant beltings we have had for many years. I just want to see an honest team out there, something we haven't seen for a very long time.

I can actually see the advantages in this being introduced, and think the AFL are looking at the short term view rather than too far in to the future. As most agree, a new draftee comes to the Club, generally at the end of Year 12, which means they are around that 17/18 year old mark. Within a matter of moments from when their name gets called out on draft night, they immediately become a full time footballer. From teh second they leave school, thy are thrown in to the "rigours" of being a full time employee - something that a lot of ex-students in their situation can find difficult to adjust to. In the first 12 months of their "employment" at an AFL club, they are taught a lot of employability skills that probably aren't taught at univeristy and school for that matter. Things like time management, understanding and respecting the chain of command, punctuality, these sort of things in the workforce have so much more importnace, and in turn consequence, if they are not adhered to. At uni, if you're late for a lecture or a tutorial, your boss (aka lecturer) couldn't give a toss. To have a fresh, 18 year old enter the full time workforce for the first time in their lives and expect that they will be able to juggle both a full time job, which let's face it, is probably as rigourous as most trades, as well as participate in part time study in that timeframe, is putting extra pressure on them. For what it's worth, I am a strong believer that after their "gap year", that ALL players should be invovled in some tertiary or univeristy studies. A standard part time Uni degree takes around 8 years to complete, and the average football career doesn't last anywhere near that long. Having programs in place to make sure that players leave the game in a better situation than what they entered it should be a prioirty for all clubs of all professional and semi-professional sporting codes.

The next few months are the most important in the life of one Melbourne player - this was a PR effort from people who have no idea what they are doing. Did it contravene any law? I don't know. Did it complicate matters? Probably. This is no time for innocuous molehills, he has to fight this charge and win.

Neeld and Craig hardly strike me as people who would oppose tertiary education. After all, Neeld is a former school teacher. That article seems only to put the case against their proposal. I would like to know the methodology underlying the proposal - I'm sure it's not as irresponsible as The Age/AFL characterised it as in that article/their response to it.

I understand where they are coming from but a 19 year old doing uni part time is hardly going to compromise the mission here. Have a chat to the boys and their parents and tell them your thoughts but don't mandate a gap year, because in no way would it be a gap year.

Disappointed in Bruce Hearn McKinnon and Rupert Betheras. The MFC should not have found out that Jurrah was going to do the interview from tweets. However it is hard to fault either when it comes to their role in Liam Jurrah making the almost miraculous journey from Yuendumu to the AFL and the ongoing support they provide. Eddie is just his usual well dressed bully bovver boy self. Nothing surprising there. I say we move on and focus on the fundamental issues facing indigenous Australians from remote communities.

Hey Jack. The centre of Australia is a troubled space, now more so than ever in my time here. I dont want the broader issues and incidents I discuss in the following post to reflect on Liam and the incident that he has alleged to have been a part of. Nor do I wish to suppose to have any specific knowledge on the Yuendumu situation. But perhaps some of the following can provide some context for understanding the reported events on Wednesday night and the commentary that has flowed since. The incident earlier this week, allegedly involving possibly this countrys most famous indigenous person, seems to have (momentarily) thrust some attention upon the difficult lives of Aboriginal people in Central Australia. The popular media has suggested that this incident was cultural. It also seems to have been suggested that our inability to properly comprehend this incident stems from our disinterest and our collective failure to understand Aboriginal people and their culture. A part of this I agree with, I see something a little different however in how the incident itself has been reported and interpreted. This incident, as we know, was part of an ongoing feud. It has been suggested that those involved were part of a legitimate attempt at ritual retribution. I think it is important when interpreting the events of the week to have some historical understanding of payback and how it has evolved into what it is today. Historically payback in the Western Desert occasionally involved groups of males (ritual avengers) who sought out specific individuals deemed to have caused wrong to a family member of theirs. They were not random acts of violence. When the guilty party was located a confrontation, either by ambush or in special circumstances, a mutually organised event took place. In some instances during post-contact times payback evolved into a highly organised, strictly governed sequence of events (more like a performance or ceremony) that was minutely controlled by a group of senior men. The physical act, of the spearing in most instances, was always performed by the appropriate avenging family member who was either experienced in such acts or was closely instructed by the afore mentioned senior men. This was often to ensure the wound was not fatal and to satisfy those seeking retribution by way of the temporary affliction of pain and crippling upon the wrong-doer. I have witnessed a recent (8 years ago) version of such events. It was attended by the entire community, it occurred in the middle of the day and in a neutral part of the community. It all transpired under the close surveillance of an experienced team of members from the Northern Territory Police force. Medical staff from the local clinic were also on hand to tend to the resultant wounds after the procedure was complete. At no stage did this event stray from its intent. It saw a partial end to the ill feeling between the two families involved and the same process settled a number of other ongoing disputes. This is not to say however that the original act of violence or sorcery was forgotten or forgiven. Often the ramifications of such incidents last and manifest themselves in other ways. Such carefully organised events are unfortunately rare. Current acts of payback in the town camps of Alice Springs happens on an almost weekly basis. The disturbing, almost guaranteed ingredient these days however is of course alcohol. There has been a strong tendency, over a number of decades, to attempt to excuse pure drunken violence as cultural payback. It is problematic then when Wednesday nights incident, which it must be said, was typical of the norm in Central Australia, is reported, interpreted and then understood as some sort of traditional or culturally sanctioned right of passage. There is a vast irreconcilable difference between the strictly governed form of retribution described previously and the alcohol fueled free-for-all that is currently commonplace. Whilst I believe there needs to be an acknowledgement of Aboriginal law within Whitefella law, which I extend to include controlled retribution, I do not accept the oft presented and disturbingly popular consideration that the violence as it occurs almost nightly in Alice Springs is cultural. There must come a time when racial politics must step aside and yield to reason. Make no mistake, I believe Liam was/is highly obliged to play his role as a well regarded member of a family involved in a complex dispute. The words in the previous sentence may sound pithy, but the heavy expectation upon family in Central Australian indigenous culture is impossible to fathom from the outside, where I consider myself to sit. Liam is expected and obliged to express his feelings about the death of his kin. Violence, it is said, is an expression of feeling (this comes from an excellent book on a neighboring cultural group the Pintupi). Liam is obviously attempting not to shirk his responsibilities in two worlds with two differing peer groups. Because when its all over and he returns to the Western Desert with a premiership medallion around his neck, he must face his family and stand as the true Warlpiri man I expect he is. I try to remind myself that every football career is a relatively short one and that football is just a part of his life. This is a bitter pill to swallow if you are footy mad and not understanding of Liams extreme circumstance. None of this explains why he was at Little Sisters and he put himself in the circumstance he did. None of this excuses his actions. It is devastating and together we feel it. The one thing I take solace in though is Liam himself. Some thought Rudeboys fantastic biography on Liam was premature and a few never bought into Brett Badgers assertion that for Liam the journey to game number 1 was greater than the journey to game 200. Ive met Liam a few times, but dont know him from a bar of soap. What I do know though is where he has come from, my wife grew up on a neighboring community Even if you saw it with you own eyes, you like me, would still fail to fathom it. The Liam Jurrah effect in Central Australia is palpable. Kids want to be him and wear our colours because he does. These kids have had a magnificent role model, which for me is what makes this week so difficult to swallow. Cars parade around the desert emblazoned in windscreen-wide Demons stickers. A relative of his I know well, whose name is spelt slightly differently due to a bureaucratic misspelling, desperately wants to change his name by deedpoll, so proud he is of his nephew Liam and his relationship to him. I suppose my motivation for writing this post is multi-pronged. I hope the complexity of Liams situation is a little more exposed and that understanding may come from it. I also want to respond to the concern some posters share about the circumstance of people in Central Australia. Because this is the guts of the pain and confusion we have felt this week. Liam has made a series of bad decisions to be in the position he is. But I encourage you all to stand by him and our proud club on our collective learning curve. When he returns to play the game he loves consider for a moment not just the journey Liam continues to travel upon, but the journey we, as his supporters, do as well. ---- Indigenous disadvantage in this country is a real thing. I cannot begin to discuss this issue here as it just doesnt feel right. But remember this; Liam comes from a chronically underfunded community where there is almost zero opportunities for long-term meaningful employment. His family have probably never had the opportunity to own their own home. The Fedral Governments Intervention saw all Aboriginal men throughout the Territory cast with the suspicion of being drunken pornographic obsessed pedophiles. Just look at the big signs as you enter any and ever Aboriginal community here. His families income is managed by the government who tell them where they can and cannot spend their money. Some non-indigenous people who live on Aboriginal communities and receive government assistance are exempt. Why? Because their not indigenous. How? The Howard government suspended the Racial Discrimination Act in this country. Rudd and Gillard have upheld this since. Imagine how you would feel. -------- Earlier this year a 9 year old girl hanged herself in her home community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia. 9 years old. Also in Central Australia, a coroner earlier this week described the body of a domestic violence victim as having injuries consistent with what one would expect if the body had fallen from an aircraft in flight. On Tuesday in Alice Springs a woman from a community 380kms west of Alice Springs had her throat slit. Her husband is being sought for questioning as the prime suspect in the case. But perhaps what has motivated me to share my thoughts with you today is what I woke to this morning. Just last night a dear old friend of mine was violently stabbed to death in a camp not far from Little Sisters. He too was from a remote community and was the victim of a family dispute fueled by drugs and alcohol. His own brother is wanted for questioning. His mother inconsolable, a family devastated. My concern, which I cannot answer, is why is this happening and why dont you as Australians know and hear about it like I do? --- For me Jack, Demonland (& Demonologys) proudest moment was when we bought his debut guernsey and gifted it to the community of Yuendumu. I am assured it does stand as the beacon we wanted it to be and always will. I know Liams Grandmothers acceptance of our gift was a proud moment for those present. It showed that people understood, even way back then, what a special person was in our midst. There have been questions asked during this last week of what one can do to understand, to help or assist. I might suggest some websites below of organisations that rely on the support of good people. Mt Theo http://www.mttheo.org/home/ Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation http://wdnwpt.org.au/ The Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programs Unit http://www.caaapu.org.au/ The Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council http://www.npywc.org.au/index.html Drug and Alcohol Services http://www.dasa.org.au/

Looking forwards to hearing what the Port Adelaide rookies' preferred breakfast cereals are, while Jeff White taps the sherrin down to Russell Robinson who kicks another one for the D's. Daniher will be happy with his team today after last week!

Now thats what I'm talkin a'bout - great article. I get a clearer picture of this bloke every day. He had me at "Hello"

I differ with opening comment. Personally I think the leadership issue was a debacle. I'm concerned his coaching will turn out to be a one system fits all. Bailey came from a premiership team and thought its pattern was a formula for a priemiership, hand ball, games into players etc. Neeld has come from a premiership team and seems to believe that the system is the thing. Already I fear he may similarly be a one approach coach. If so that's bad. I certainly like much of what we have seen over the summer, some great stuff. High performance. But fancy setting a time for the three k time trial that all players must achieve to play and our 40 goal forward of 11 will probably never get. Good on paper but you could end up shooting yourself in the foot. I certainly love seeing him on TV. Coaching structure is sensational. But the ultimate product will have to develop/ mature as a coach way beyond what we see so far. Having said all that I'm hopeful he'll prove just what we want. I'll disagree on many things over time as I hope our assitant coaches do, but I'll follow him all the way over the next few years as he grows into the role. Let's hop he is our Red Fox Mark 2.

Like that article very much. Will be very interesting to see Friday night goes. It is a practise game, but should be treated as the Full Dress Rehearsal.

2. Nathan Jones, 3. Clint Bartram, 6. Matthew Bate, 7. Jamie Bennell, 8. James Frawley, 9. Jack Trengove, 11. Mitch Clark, 12. Colin Sylvia, 13. Jordie McKenzie, 14. Lynden Dunn, 15. Ricky Petterd, 17. Sam Blease, 18. Brad Green, 20. Colin Garland, 22. Brent Moloney, 25. Tom McDonald, 27. Jared Rivers, 28. Joel MacDonald, 30. James Sellar, 34. Stefan Martin, 36. Aaron Davey, 38. Jeremy Howe, 40. Mark Jamar, 46. Josh Tynan, 47. Tom Couch Watts dropped no Gysberts Grimes or Tappy.

Those Blazers remind me of my short stint at Brighton Grammar. Not a memory i want. Oh dear.

I think we should bring the stitching back into our jersey while we're at it.

I don't mind the blazers. We all get ribbing from fans of other clubs for our blue blood history, but it is our history - we can't change it. We may as well embrace it. Otherwise we are letting other people define who we are and who we were. That may be quite a bit to read into blazers...

I'll probably get howled down for this, but I don't like the blazer. They look like English private school boys. I would have preferred no red trim.

Agree with the post, retched at the title.

"Watts rested, not dropped" http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/130707/default.aspx Woken up?

His Presser aftter last saturdays rubbish was excellent. It's too early to be sold yet, but i am glad he got the job. Round 2 will be a great learner for Mark. The first hostile one of many.

Goddamn I can't wait til this Mickey Mouse garbage is over. Let's see how things play out Round 1, hey? Hell, I'm prepared to give this team until Rnd17 at least - I'll be delighted being around 8-8 at Rnd17, pleased with a 7-9 and okay at 6-10 as that's where I put us, with our terrible first half draw and the vagaries of football. That said, beating Vic teams wearing something other than a sash is a must. This year isn't the lost year. If anything, last year (2011) is the one I will never fondly remember - after all the promise of 2010 we came out and played like crap. Now we have to resurrect from 186, from the beltings and from being a joke, mediocre football side. The only way is up.

Billy i love the MFC, but it seems that the club and a fair wack of supporters over the years have happily accepted mediocrity...I am not saying the club has not worked hard..but clearly whatever it has done has consitently been below the mark..for decades..Now i hope the Stynes/McLardy Board can break the mould...and if that means a few people resign in tears, so be it. As supporters we are too soft in general....The idea that a season of 2 wins 20 losses can be seen as acceptable is a sad sad reflection of what has happened to Norm Smith's Melbourne. Coaches. Players, Board Members, Club employees, Recruiters, Supporters...we are all to blame for the mess this club is in...it has improved, but unless the players improve we are all wasting our time.. The Media has been very friendly to us, maybe too nice. As i said positions 6-13 are available on the ladder this year...so we should be aiming for 6. Anything less we then work out why it wasn't acheived...and act.

After the GF you were off him? A PF and a GF in his first 3 years after being on the bottom was all we could ask for. 4 finals appearance in 7 years while not great wasn't bad either. I don't know why he's copped more flak over the years than 2 of argubly of the worst coaches of the modern era in Balme and Bailey? On Neeld, if we can hold on to Bailey for 4 years when he should have been sacked after 2 games, the least we should do is give Neeld 3 years before worrying about if he is the right man for the job or not.

I remember walking away from the B&F night when Bailey was first appointed thinking this guy will be great has the hard edge and if I was a player he was going to get the best out of me. 4 years on Mark Neeld is making the right noises but our playing group needs to respond to him.

Between positions 6-13 are all open this year IMODepends how hungry each club is...We have no more years to hide...done that...It is now time to get dirty & win respect.

It's billy. I don't go around saying d!ckhead disco do I? Wha tI don't understand is your patting on the back that we picked up a player, with pick 11, that is better than Brock McLean. Yes, I understand that we got pick 11 for Brock, which is where we chose JG, but I would like to think that we got the better end of that deal. Put it this way, if Carlton offered us the last pick in the rookie draft and picked me, I think the MFC would still be in front.

At the end of the day, I couldn't give a toss who coaches, I just hope the players do the right thing and listen and act. We could have Malthouse, Thompson or even the Red Fox, it wouldn't matter a stuff who it was, if the players decide to put in an effort that was seen during 186, the coach would have no chance. I'm in Harcourt's boat - I'm definitely not sold, but I'm not unsold.

Definitiely NOT sold but not unsold either.

Really nice, solid squad , its taller and more mature than recent year. I really like it. Yet it looks to have good upside with some "potential" sitting in the wings that have to prove themselves to get a game - both physically & mentally. Makes me feel very positive that we are now heading in the right direction. I really like it. PS Cant wait to get Viney & spend those Scully picks

Probably very low... But we are MFC supporters so the chances are high. Definite chance.

Brock faded away after injuries unfortunately. In his earlier years, and especially 2006 he was a very valuable part of our midfield. For some reason people are claiming that 'sky is the limit for Gysberts. Claiming that he has the potential to be elite. I can't see anything elite about him apart from his ability to win the ball in close. How many players do we have on our list that also have the ability to win the ball in close? I'm not writing him off. But I think people have ridiculous expectations of this kid just because he managed to get high possession numbers in his first couple of games. It's absurd. He has so many weaknesses. We could have made a better choice at number 11.

Started with injury and has had a bout of flu or some like a few weeks ago. The injury didn't allow him to get in the gym time needed to build him up so he is behind in development, the illness may explain some of the indifferent performance. Even the ball magnet he is was not getting any ball and that's a concern but I would like to see a full season from him, a very tall inside mid, ball magnet who seems to make good decisions. A wait and see for me.

So am I. What's your point?

he is better than brock mclean

Dennis has been over-doing the funnies during the last few seasons. Bruce just says what he thinks, and most times people are laughing at him rather than with him. 2 great quotes of Bruce's during that Sydney game; "OOOOOOOOH, Aussie Boy..." "They're going to be something the Dees, the DEES ARE GOING TO BE SOMETHING" And another one (not sure which game) where he thought that when the F50 only had Jurrah and Aussie (and their direct opponents), that LJ & Aussie were like a couple of naughty school kids just running around, such was the awareness of each other and the understanding of each otehrs ability. Gee I'm going to miss those 2 playing together.

Gerard Whately, by a country mile. I believe this guy cut his teeth on horse racing, and it shows. His description of the action is precise and first class. He gets a heap of description into a few, well chosen words. Heard him recently on radio broadcasting the cricket. He actually described what was happening. These days, so many of the comentators are so full of themselves that they just prattle on with whatever's on their mind, and totally ignore the action on the field.

Watch/listen to the replay of the Sydney game from 2010. If Bruce and Dennis didn't do anything for you downstairs, I don't know if there's much hope for you! On the otherhand, Chewbacca and Nanny Fine could've commentated that game and it still would've been like listening to angels.

Tynan being selected ahead of Gysberts this week could be an indication of things to come. Especially since Tynan has had much more NAB game time with alot less pre-season training then Gysberts so far.

Dustin Martin was a big miss!!! He will be the No. 1 player in the comp in another 2 years. Absolute gun! Better than both our Picks 1 & 2 combined. And will be better than Chris Judd!!!

I'm going to add to this that Carlton have lost every game (including a thrashing from Brisbane), Geelong got thrashed by Richmond, Collingwood got killed by Adelaide, and almost beaten by GWS. NAB cup doesn't mean much and if anything it's good we took a big loss now rather than in the home/away season. Think of it as a reality check.

This is a post I put on another thread in answer to Malthouse saying we are not that bad but that we need a good game plan. "If you get down to the basics, that first line says a lot. If you leave aside Buddy and Rioli we probably have players as good as many of the Hawks. Why then do they thrash us? Because they play ultra disciplined football to a strong game plan. Every one knows the plan and knows what is needed. Is Bruce a superstar or Cheney? No but they were contributors and played well because they played to the game plan. Do you have to be a champion to know to run and make position for the next kick when your team has the ball? Do you have to be a champion to know to make each possession of the other side a hard won contest? Break down the game and see where we lost. They contested hard at the stoppages, which either gave them possession or caused us to fumble. Once they had possession they ran to create position and short kicks to a clear man enabled the set up for a goal. What did we do? When we got the ball we either fumbled from the pressure or just bombed it forward to Clark etc who was usually up against 2 or 3 Hawks. Why is that? Because their game plan dictates when they don't have the ball some drop back and others attack the ball carrier. All the while Birchall is left all on his own to sweep up. The first thing I would do when playing them is man up Birchall. They are not unbeatable, but to beat them you must be disciplined and play to a strong plan. Hopefully Neeld will instill such a plan and discipline in our side. Those not willing to adhere and give their all can play at Casey. " What I was trying to get across is that except for a few players, we are not too different to Hawthorn. I don't believe that they are an 80 point better side than us, but that they play an 80 point better game than us. There is a difference. I believe they are very well coached and that all players are totally disciplined to play to the game plan at all times. If I was out there and ran to position and we had the ball I would probably get a kick. I am 60 and hopeless. The point is they can deliver the ball to exactly where there man is. We have had trouble with this for years. There are two aspects to this, first a a strong game plan and disclplined work ethic and second, decent disposal. I have harped on about our poor disposal for years and I recall hearing we would be drafting skilled players. I don't see the good disposal yet. Maybe it will come in time.How many times do we see a Demon make position and the ball is kicked at his ankles or over his head or 20 metres away from him. That sort of disposal will never allow you to be a good side. The other aspect is the plan and players discipline. When we tackle hard and put pressure on we look better.Unfortunately we only do it for periods in a game. That is not good enough. Did the Hawks let up on us. No and it was only a bloody NAB cup game. I hope that when we come to grips with Neeld's plan and work out who is prepared to play to it and give their all to it we will see better results.