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With all due respect to the lead up to the Ess game, this excellent write up by WJ of the 'non-crisis' meeting should be its own thread.

If the Hawks fall in a heap this year, I think we should target Sam Mitchell, as the Hawks may need to frshen their list. He turns 30 later this year and should have 2-3 years left in him, and would provide valuable leadership in the short term, as well as doing something nobody else on our team can do, extract the ball cleanly from stoppages.

I love how people outside the club think they know how to fix it. Reality is, anyone on the outside has no idea what internal systems are in place to mend the issues. Cameron Schwab - How does the media know he deserves to be replaced? The only criteria we, as outsiders, could possibly judge him on has been his reaction to the energy watch scandal. He managed to secure us 2 major sponsors in a relatively short period of time. Thats is a tick for me. Appoint the best recruiter - Wasn't it mentioned here that we were chasing Collingwood's number 2? Looks like we've got that covered, thanks for the input Mike. Beef up the coaching panel with more successful people - let's have a look: Mark Neeld: Premiership assistant coach Neil Craig: Forged Adelaide into a consistently competitive team with regular finals appearances. Very highly regarded in the industry. Dave Misson: Head of fitness and conditioning at both a premiership winning sydney team and grand final appearing st. kilda team Leigh Brown: Premiership winning player, and played in a granny last year! (Should not be overlooked how invaluable experience is from a player who retired so recently) I'm not sure how you could beef that coaching panel up with any more success. Lastly, big changes to the list at seasons end - blind freddy could have seen that one coming! Geez Mike, how do you get such valuable insight for your articles? The point I'm trying to make is that our football club is full of professionals who know what they are doing. Media types need to keep their 2 cents for a rainy day. Have some faith and patience, we will get there.

Tynan is playing. That is the highlight of the week so far.

Not sure who is a part of the Casey Demons Supporter group. but for those of you who are not. This is an email we received from them today. I for one was extremely happy with the lip service. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Last night I had the great privilege of attending a meeting with Don McLardy and the coaches of the Melbourne Football Club. There were roughly 50 people in attendance at AAMI Park and we were treated to two hours of valuable information and question time. Don McLardy chaired the meeting in his normal welcoming and enthusiastic manner and we heard from Cameron Schwab, Neil Craig and Mark Neeld. The greatest thing I got from the meeting was a renewed enthusiasm and a great confidence in the Melbourne Football Club, its administration, board and coaches. Mark’s greatest demand for the players is that they give 100% each and every quarter and each and every week. There are certain key elements which demonstrate this ferociousness and determination and things like chasing and tackling are awarded a point. Every player must achieve 6 points each quarter to satisfy the coach and to remain in the team. Mark is completely confident that his coaching methods will succeed and so am I. Our team cannot be rebuilt overnight and Mark asks for us to understand this even if it’s painful in the short term. Having said that, Mark goes into every match with the belief that we can win and hopefully the players will be able to reward his belief in them very soon. Neil Craig was full of praise for the Melbourne Football Club and mentioned that he would not have uprooted his family and moved from Adelaide on a whim. He praised the club’s handling of the Liam Jurrah incident, the fiasco with our sponsor and the dignified manner in which Jim’s life was celebrated and his death mourned. He praised the board and Cameron Schwab, our CEO, who has been treated atrociously by the media. Cameron’s leadership was praised and we were assured that the club has the utmost respect for him and complete faith in how he is performing his role. I came away from the meeting feeling excited because I know that the foundations are being laid for us to become a Premiership team.

It is interesting how people view a football club. Stone broke but doing well on the field, to many that is great. Getting strong financially, securing the future of the club, but struggling on the field, many see that as a total failure. I see it as follows, we have gone from a basket case off the field to a strong club, with assets, a new state of the art training base, a satellite training ground in a growing community, debt free, revamped football and coaching department and stable board. On the ground under a new Coach we are struggling with an overrated list that is being asked to play and train a new way. The light at the end of the tunnel is a strong drafting position at years end, ability to chase a player, certainty of one good new player JV, ability to do some trading and overall revamp the list and another hard pre season to get the list fitter. Players who are not good enough will be gone, that appears certain. Ok off the ground and poor on it with the chance to completely turn it around. Not a fantastic position but could be far worse and still room for optimism for the future. I won't be slashing my wrists for a while yet. I will give Neeld and Craig time to turn it around.

No, just a sizable number who don't buy into the conspiracy theories and groundless criticism. Since 186, the club has undertaken the most comprehensive change of personnel of any club - that I've ever known of anyway. Additionally, there have been comprehensive changes in how those personnel have been configured within the structure - which has also completely changed. This covers most of the FD, including the entire fitness staff, pretty well the entire coaching staff, and a number of other positions in the FD - people like BP and Ian Flack have gone, Mahoney and Connolly to different (and new) positions etc. etc. Let's not even forget that Bailey didn't have anyone as "overseer" - whereas we now have an experienced and respected football person in that role in Neil Craig - nor that the assistants didn't have their own assistants, not to mention their own IT people. etc. etc. If we'd just sat on our hands, or tinkered round the edges after 186 I could perhaps accept some of what you, Hardtack etc. etc. say. But all I see off-field is a proactive CEO and board, prepared to do whatever it takes to move the club forward and to take big steps to address our off-field shortcomings, especially in the FD. Football is a sport, but at an elite level, it's technical, sophisticated, complicated even. Tiny advantages in, for example, recovery can make a huge (and I mean huge) difference on-field. And they do, and they will, and that's what we're seeing now. The rebuild of players started a few years back. But the rebuild of the FD and all that goes with it, has only just started. We could never have been successful with the FD we had, it's as simple as that.

no, seriously wtf is wrong with some people? I dont mean to have a go but come on, why would you want him back? look to the future not to the past

The disrespect shown for the Board and for Cameron Schwab by many on this website is disgusting. Off the field we are stronger than we have ever been. People forget that in 2008 we almost closed our doors. Undoubtedly Jimmy drove this transformation, but the Board and the CEO were his key appointments and were vitally important in everything we have achieved. For the media to overlook these achievements is one thing, but for supporters to do the same is utterly scandalous. Yes, we all wish the team was doing better. But how the team is going is a secondary concern for the Board and CEO. The financial viability of the club is their first job. And you can't argue with their performance in that respect. The team will get better. I'm thankful that I have a team to watch at all and one day I'll take my kids and grandkids to watch them play as well. I will always be thankful for Jimmy, the Board and Cameron Schwab for saving my club.

2016 Dawes, Grimes, Watts, Michie, Vince, Tyson 2015 Clark, Trengove, Jamar (UFA), Garland (RFA), McKenzie, Howe, Jones (RFA), Evans, Gawn, Fitzpatrick, Viney, Toumpas, Pedersen, Hogan 2014 Frawley (RFA), Tapscott, McDonald, Blease, Strauss, Spencer, Bail, Dunn, Byrnes, Barry, Kent, Jones, Terlich, Cross, Clisby, Riley 2013 Sylvia (UFA), Davey (RFA), Taggert, Tynan, Nicholson, MacDonald, Sellar, Jetta, Davis, Couch ®, Magner ®, Rodan, Gillies, Stark ® 2014 Primary List Spots Created: 9 2014 Additions: Hogan, Tyson, ND9, Vince, ND40, Michie, Cross, Riley, Clisby, ND58, PSD2, FA Eligibilty (8+ years from being drafted/recruited) 2014 Frawley RFA 2015 Jamar UFA Garland UFA* Jones UFA Spencer UFA* 2016 Grimes RFA Watts RFA/UFA* Blease RFA/UFA* Strauss UFA* Jetta UFA* Bail UFA* McKenzie UFA* 2017 Trengove RFA Tapscott RFA/UFA* Gawn UFA* Fitzpatrick UFA* 2018 Howe RFA McDonald RFA Nicholson UFA* Evans UFA* 2019 Clark RFA 2020 Toumpas RFA Viney RFA Kent RFA M.Jones UFA* Terlich UFA* Clisby UFA* Dawes RFA * Likely outside of top 10 of earners at club.

ENDING THE DAYS OF PAIN by Whispering Jack The media is reporting that one of the Melbourne Football Club's responses to recent intense media criticism in the wake of the team's poor winless record after nine rounds has been to institute a series of meetings for selected supporters where they can question the club chairman Don McLardy, CEO Cam Schwab, Coach Mark Neeld and his assistant Neil Craig on matters relating to all aspects of its performance. I was fortunate enough to be invited to the first of these sessions on Tuesday night and can vouch for the fact that the evening could in no way be described as a "crisis" meeting although that is precisely the impression that many have of the club at present - a club in crisis. It was however, all about the way the club is moving to end the long days of pain it has been experiencing for more than half a decade. From my point of view as a concerned supporter, the one and a half hours were in fact as positive, constructive as they could be in the club's circumstances. The three speakers, McLardy, Neeld and Craig outlined their plans and strategies and made a good fist of reassuring a group of fairly hardnosed supporters that the club is on the right path despite the fact that it sits winless at the foot of the AFL table in a season in which two very young franchises are currently ahead of them (albeit narrowly). I know there are many sceptics but I have to say I was impressed by what the three had to say. McLardy outlined where the club is off the field and this has been well documented. We a positive net asset position despite the loss of a major sponsor. McLardy defended Cameron Schwab and pointed to the red and blueprint which Schwab put together and which has earned praise from the AFL administration. Neeld put together a very impressive presentation. He presented statistics of various indicators to show how his game plan is developing. It's a game plan that's based heavily on defence - not just from back line players but from every position on the field. He pointed out that statistics indicate that only one premiership team in the past three decades hadn't finished in the top four in defensive statistics (Brisbane Lions in 2003 were sixth but in the second half of that season were first). Neeld cited Dean Cox who said the difference between WCE of 2010 and 2011 was that the players adopted and embraced a strongly defensive approach. Needless to say the coach is convinced the tide will turn but it might still take time. Both he and Craig said they were staggered that players were saying they went through their toughest pre season after the new guard took over. They said that in their view, training loads were kept fairly conservatively (to avoid major injuries) and the intensity will be ramped up more during the next pre season. Neeld's view is that many players are brought up with attacking mindsets. The most talented players coming into the TAC Cup system are usually midfielders or forwards. They often remain good attacking players but don't measure up defensively. He found this with many players at Melbourne. He is convinced that the indicators show that his methods are working. Against Carlton, Neeld was happy with the figures both from a defensive and an attacking viewpoint. We were good in a number of areas but during the last quarter when the players were tired, Carlton was able to ramp up the pressure and many of our players reverted to old habits and didn't work hard enough defensively. The easy way to coach would probably have been to follow the same path as Neeld's predecessors, a path that might have brought better results in the short term but would never have given the club a chance to challenge the big boys in much the same way as it struggled against them last year. We all well remember the meaning of "bruise free" and "186" from 2011 even if there were some big moments against the competition's lesser lights. It goes without saying that we can expect changes in the makeup of the team and clearly, the midfield will be the area that gets a fair bit of attention. Craig defended Neeld and his other assistants and pointed to the unbelievable initiation he's had into coaching ranks including the Jurrah situation, the Davey/Mifsud racism furore, the death of Jimmy, the injuries and poor form. Craig also defended Schwab noting that he hadn't seen any sign of interference from the CEO into football department matters (nor McLardy for that matter). Craig was full of praise for the entire leadership group. For all that, Melbourne remains on the bottom of the AFL ladder, and faces Essendon and Collingwood in its next two matches. The days of pain may not be over yet. THE GAME Essendon v Melbourne at the MCG Saturday, 2 June 2012 at 7.40pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Essendon 126 wins Melbourne 79 wins 2 draws At the MCG Essendon 63 wins Melbourne 43 wins 1 draw Since 2000: Essendon 10 wins Melbourne 6 wins The Coaches Hird 0 wins Neeld 0 wins MEDIA TV Channel 7 Fox Footy Channel live at 7.30pm RADIO 3AW Triple M THE BETTING Essendon $1.05 to win Melbourne $10.00 to win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 15.11.101 defeated Essendon 10.8. 68 at the MCG It was a great night for the Demons as the unexpectedly bested the Bombers in all parts of the ground. It was a big night for Melbourne's young midfielders with Gysberts, Trengove and McKenzie in outstanding form and Scully doing well on return. The problem from Melbourne's point of view is that its goal kickers that night were:- Green 4 Jurrah 3 Jetta Moloney 2 Howe Scully Sylvia Watts How many of these players will be in action on Saturday night? THE TEAMS ESSENDON Backs Cale Hooker Dustin Fletcher Courtenay Dempsey Half backs Ricky Dyson Kyle Hardingham Jake Carlisle Centreline David Zaharakis Jobe Watson Brent Stanton Half forwards Angus Monfries Stewart Crameri Patrick Ryder Forwards Leroy Jetta Michael Hurley Alwyn Davey Followers Tom Bellchambers Ben Howlett Heath Hocking Interchange Travis Colyer Sam Lonergan Nathan Lovett-Murray Melksham Emergencies David Hille Tayte Pears Henry Slattery In Dustin Fletcher Kyle Hardingham Leroy Jetta Out Mark McVeigh Tayte Pears Henry Slattery MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Jared Rivers Tom McDonald Half backs Jack Trengove Jack Watts Colin Garland Centreline Jack Grimes James Magner Nathan Jones Half forwards Rohan Bail Mitch Clark Joel Macdonald Forwards Jeremy Howe Brad Green Luke Tapscott Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Jordie McKenzie Interchange Sam Blease Lynden Dunn Daniel Nicholson Colin Sylvia Emergencies Matthew Bate Jamie Bennell James Sellar In Joel Macdonald Colin Sylvia Out Jamie Bennell James Sellar THE TROUBLES by Whispering Jack It's hard to fathom that twelve months down the track from their last meeting that the two combatants in this game would be at almost polar opposites to each other and that Essendon would be starting as such an odds on favourite to win. The Bombers are sitting in equal top position on the ladder with just one loss for the season (by a single point to Collingwood on Anzac Day) while the Demons have lost their first nine matches of the season. That's enough to make it a lay down misere that an Essendon brimming with confidence will win and win easily and that's how I'm predicting the game to pan out. Part of the question why is already explained above in some shape or form. The type of game that is being instilled into the Melbourne team is radically different to that which applied in past years and the team is not yet ready in terms of make up and fitness to conquer top eight teams in full flight. In last year's encounter, we caught a glimpse of a better Melbourne midfield. It was headed by Brent Moloney who won the club's best and fairest and polled 19 Brownlow votes. Beamer's form has been well down on that and he would be very lucky to have polled a vote at all to this stage of the season. But the better midfielders that night included Jordan Gysberts, Jack Trengove, Jordie McKenzie and Tom Scully, who all racked up good numbers on their possession counts. Two of those players haven't played this year. Gysberts is injured and Scully jumped ship. The so called "compensation" for the latter won't kick in for a while. Other potential young midfielders on the list also languish with injuries and loss of form. So the club's all important midfield has taken a hit just at the time when it's most needed and much development time is being lost. But if the midfield has taken a hit then there's also the matter of the attack. Even with the changes that Neeld's defensive approach entails, the end game is always to score ... at least more than the opposition in any given game. So here is something that the club's harshest critics seem to have missed. Last year, Melbourne's top three goalkickers were:- • Liam Jurrah 40 goals • Brad Green 37 goals • Colin Sylvia 25 goals That's 102 goals between the club's three most attacking playmakers. These players alone directly contributed almost five goals per game between them and I dare say would have been responsible for setting up a few more goals to others on a weekly basis. It's not unreasonable that we should have expected this trio, Mitch Clark and perhaps Ricky Petterd as well, to do most of the team's scoring. Alas, after nine matches we have had very little from the players we might have otherwise expected to contribute to the scoreboard. Instead, we have this:- • Liam Jurrah 0 goals • Brad Green 2 goals • Colin Sylvia 1 goal Now, if you take the three top goalkicking forwards as completely out of the equation as the above figures indicate, it's not likely that a young team with a completely new style of play to learn is going to show very much, particularly if the midfield is also performing at well below its best. Sure, you might say it's the coach's role to get the best out of his players and that will certainly be the case in the medium to long term but after nine games in these circumstances, there's is no reason to do anything other than to cut him some slack. The troubles are by no means over but there needs to be a much greater understanding of Neeld and his team's plight. When it all starts to click the results will be quite dramatic; the club will be in a much better place and the days of pain will be over. But, I don't think we can expect that to happen this week. Essendon by 34 points.

I have actually restrained myself from posting in any of the topics from the last couple of days, some of which I find very hard to believe, and I don't want to be banned Saturday, in Mountain View pub, surrounded by supporters of both Essendon and Richmond, myself and my partner left at half time, our choice, but will be back at the G this Sunday to support our team, we always will If you have had enough of supporting Melbourne, THEN DON'T, it is that simple, it is a game of footy, nobody dies, some of the posters really do need to take a look at themselves and at what they have posted, some of the personal attacks have been rude, obnoxious, libelous, defammatory etc etc But of course you can hide behind a 'nickname', safe in the knowledge that you will not be confronted by a highly embaressed, [censored] off, angry player who is looking for somebody to hit to take out the frustration they feel, if I was one Jack Watts this is what I would be looking to do I have no idea what is wrong with the team at the moment, but we have a Board, Administration and Footy Dept who will give it their best shot to get it right, everything changes. It may be the players, coaching staff etc, only those involved have any real idea, I have an opinion but I will not thrust it down everybody's throats as the truth which is what happens on this board I love this 'impeccable source', if you are a player/administrator etc of MFC, come out from behind your nickname and say so, if you don't it is rumour, innuendo or hearsay......the only impeccable source we have on this board is Cam Schwab when he comes on here to kill off some other ridiculour rumour, check the posts you will find them I actually support Everton in the EPL, every year we have an horrendous start, but eventually get it together, we have not actually won anything major for a while, but you can see that is changing....and we will .and the Club has had the balls to stand by Manager David Moyes through everything coz they can see the future, but they have done it with integrity and not sold out Stick with MFC, we will get there

maybe the op meant Bring Back Boak (to melbourne) otherwise doesn't make sense

He might teach THEM something... And they may learn something by being dropped for a hungrier better performed player Isn't that the idea of having these guys? Competition for spots breeds strength in a list.

He will be ready alongside J Viney. Why let him be taught by senior players who are not up to it.

since when did you start believing thursday team placings?

Keep Couch in a winning side until 2013. Make winning second nature.

I don't understand this scenario: -MFC elevate Couch from rookie list -Couch tears up VFL -MFC midfield struggling badly, especially for clearances -Couch can't get a game WTF?!

old dee will be most disapointed!

This the official team GTG? If so I can only add the first thing that comes to mind every Thursday... WHERE THE F#@K IS COUCH?!!

While I agree totally with the sentiments expressed about Essendon, and I am a passionate hater of Collingwood, I have to make the point that no-one should have an issue with Collingwood's clash jumper. While their traditional jumper is primarily black, their clash jumper is primarily white, and definitely conforms with the requirements of reducing clashes. But, Essendon are a case on their own. They should be forced to come up with an ACCEPTABLE clash jumper for those occasions when needed, and stripped of 4 premiership points every time they don't!

The approach you have outlined is get rid of all the underperformers and expose those players that are not yet in a position to contribute. Jamar is the main one....if we move him do you really want to rely on Martin full-time in ruck with Gawn still getting over a knee reco, spencer just not up to scratch and Fitzpatrick to light to play the role. Who would you replace him with??? Strauss is young as is Jetta yet you've said to get rid of both of them. Why? You've stated you would keep other young unproven players. Green sounds like he's considering retiring so we may not need to worry about him. My concerns with your approach is that it appears to give little consideration to team needs. You're suggesting we get rid of guys that have skills we need (Jetta's tackling pressure, Strauss's kicking, Petterd's versatility) with no consideration of who might be available. There's going to be a lot of players moving, but after accounting for the drafts (maybe 5-6 players) do you really think we'll be bringing possibly another 10 new players into the club. The free agency just won't create that much movement. In other systems where it is in place, rarely do you see such major changes in player personnel from one year to the next. I can't see it happening here. I understand you were just stating the players you thought weren't going to be part of the premiership, but you don't just do a clean-out of all of them in one free agency period.

I like to see us go after some proven senior players-> black, bolton, hayes, mitchell, waters etc. The benefit to our young players and even our senior group would be invaluable. Trade/pay overs for these players

Not sure if it has been mentioned previously in other threads, but did anyone see the twet from Emma Quayle the other week about this draft not having the great depth as originally thought, but the top handful were of the highest quality? Regardless of who is boss of recruiting, our ladder position will be the most important factor going in to this year's draft. If we can get away with not needing to use our first pick on Jack Viney, we will be in a better position, especially if The Queen of the Draft © is accurate about the depth not being as great as first thought.

Moloney will be gone Stefan Martin will be gone Aaron Davey will be gone Brad Green will be gone Colin Sylvia will be gone

Interestingly tonight Misson said that while the MFC list is below par in terms of fitness now, he believes it has the capacity to eventually be a greater team physically than either of the successful Sydney or St Kilda teams he trained. But it will take a couple more preseasons. The players are experiencing heavy loads now, so that when the 2013 preseason begins, they have a good base and will be able to hit the ground running (pardon the pun). He said he's very excited looking forward to that preseason, and the work he'll be able to do with the players. The heavier loads now are in preparation for that.

I wouldn't say he's exactly what we need, but he's not far off. He's a mid who can win his own ball and kick goals. I'll take him! But I think it'll be Port or Geelong. Plus they'll want the world for him - deservedly so, as he's their best player by a long way.

You're right. Ostrichism is believing yet another sacking will change the fortunes of the club, when it will just throw the club back into crisis after the groundwork for improvement has been done. Ostrichism is believing we need to go back to the insipid football we have played for the last four years, when every team that has won a premiership this century is in the top 4 for defensive stats that matter. Ostrichism is believing we can develop and mould an adequate game plan around our soft players, when the style of play required to win a premiership is hard, tough and non-negotiable. Ostrichism is believing players ought to somehow just be able to 'enjoy' their football, when in reality winning requires fitness, effort and sacrifice for the team.

We may benefit from the father son rule here

I have never suggested that anyone should be sacked now rpfc. But if at the end of 2012 we are 0 -22 or similar What would your next move be? IMO If we are 0 -22 or similar with an average losing margin of 10 goals that is a drastic situation it would probably be our worst yearly performance ever. There is not another club in the competition that would not be calling for blood in that scenario. IMO one of the reasons we have spent 48 years between drinks is because MFC members are too accepting. When is it time to rock the boat?

If we got Sylvia and Moloney off our list we would have plenty of coin for Boak.

Melbourne Storm say hi

Does anyone else find this picture a little disturbing?

Some of the posters on this form absolutely baffles me. One minute we will have a huge thread about Scully, expressing our hatred towards the player who we picked up as a number #1 draft pick but has now left us due to a lucrative offer. On the other hand, we have Brock Mclean who we picked up in the top 5 draft picks - and left us due to the fact that he did not want to play for the MFC anymore and wanting to find success else where. The suggesstion of opening our doors to the club for Mclean after he walked out on us is absolutely disgusting and weak despite whether he would be an asset. I wouldn't be surpised if half of the guys here who are thinking this would be a good idea are weak minded individuals who would get dumped by a girl thinking she could get better, then half a year later when she comes crawling back you'd most probably think hey... I'm struggling at the moment, why not? It could be a good idea, I could do worse. This is the Melbourne Football Club. Not a cushion lounge where a player can leave and then decide whether he wants to come back or not. Get a grip you blokes show some bloody spirit.

You're living in the past, man, you're hung up on some clown from the SIXTIES, man!

I can not understand how people are saying we haven't given Couch a game because our midfield is already too slow but Brock is actually being taken seriously as an option by some people.... Wowee

please mean Hodge!

Stuie it comes down to accountablity. That is part of being a CEO. Many things CS has done have been great, but we are in the current position. The club should never have gone down this far on field, i don't care what the explanations are. Certain things went wrong in a big way. So the CEO should be accountable. His speech at last years AGM was devoid of any serious club matters, which some on here made mention to the next day. To much silence and terrible on field results for my liking...

Just like there were clearly issues with Richmond's players and Harwick when they were 0-9 only a few years ago. Sometimes it's just a case of new coach, new regime, new game plan and players who aren't quite good or experienced enough to implement it after less then a year when they've previosuly been playing unaccountable, downhill running footy....

Nobody has the right to bag McLean or suggest he wouldn't be good enough at MFC. He would be hands down our number 1 midfielder at the moment. He tore shreds on our 3rd world midfield. Apologies to N Jones. We could do worse than a McLean at the moment.

I see a future for the MFC In the past few years most of the Vic clubs have had major debt....Carlton still have a 5 mill debt...Coll nearly shut their doors and handed back the keys 8 years ago despite have the largest membership in the AFL.....Even last year the Pt Adel footy club were just about stuffed......The bulldogs and Nth Melb are still just hanging on...Still attempting to reduce their million dollar debt We, at the moment, have cleared our debt, put a large amount of cash into the football dept(for the first time in God knows how long) We have revamped our football dept This is a result of the board and the admin(People who run the club) The playing side of things will turn, despite all the prophets of doom,despite all the people who demand instant sucess After living through the late 60's 70's early 80's.....This is the first time that I have confidence for the club as a whole....

Here's an idea - tell Eddie to GAGF.

It's perfectly understandable that the Pies don't want Taylor crossing to MFC ahead of this draft. This is an area where current intellectual property is key - Taylor will already have access to all Collingwood's IP on this year's draft - and would bring that with him to Melbourne. That's way more valuable even than assistant coaches bringing gameplan knowledge. Over Eddie's dead body will he be with us before draft day.

I hate being this negative about it but its about as pessimistic as I've ever been about the club. The 2008 rebuild was necessary. What we are going through now is just a joke. The last 4 years are a blueprint of how not to rebuild a footy club.

Hmmm.

The team definitely looks better with Nico and Bleazy in it. I'd be dropping Maloney for Sylvia.

It's not so much as love for Martin, it's hate for Sellar!

I don't have faith in him because as you say he ahs no experience as a recruiter and has been given another "job for the boys". If you reckon he can do the job that's your prerogative but I would rather see someone who has made a career out of it instead of someone who has been thrown in there as a stop-gap.

Sellar should stay until Martin is ready. I want to see Clark play 100% up forward, and will cry like a girl if he does a knee or similar playing second ruck. Regarding Moloney, when watching the game, I though he and Jamar were trying hard, even though it hasn't been gelling for them this season. I think we need these two working their magic again, if we are going to be competitive in the middle. I'm willing to persist a little longer. I read this quote on MelbourneFC later, and if is to be believed, it looks like Neeld agrees. Neeld is not 100 per cent sure how to kick-start Moloney but he defended the midfielder's work rate. "He's working really hard and eventually those things turn," Neeld said. "It's not work rate, effort or a lack of trying. He's doing all those things. He's just not in great nick." That said, if he went out for Couch, you wouldn't hear me complain.