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Melbourne must be mad to get rid of all these players who have brought us oodles of premiership success.

Signed up myself, my 5 year old, my 2 year old and my 2 day old last week. Am expecting a call from DHS.

The psyche testing went well, I believe!

Take my money, break my heart, then sh*t on my head. Re-signed.

We all tear our hair out at how bad the culture and standards have been at the MFC now for 10 years. We have been constantly told this year that we are only now becoming an 'elite' club and 'training with match-like intensity'. Rivers has been there during this entire period, and just like Moloney, Green, Jamar and Davey, is supposed to have been a leader and driven the standards. When Neeld demoted all those guys it was a clear statement he expects for that to now happen from Grimes, Trengove, Jones, Clark etc. I think the writing was on the wall for Rivers when Neeld threw him forward, as Sellar is better at playing on the dinosaurs and can ruck, and Frawley and McDonald are 10 year defenders. Throw Watts and Garland into the mix as well as '3rd tall' defenders. I'd wish Jared all the best as I think he can be easily replaced back there.

Tim Watson played in the all powerful Essendon side. Paul Roo's played in mostly poor sides (the Swannies were just ok) Jezza was one of the greatest players ever who good at the Blues and horrible at StKilda Walls at the Bears ? Knights at the bears ? On this basis you wouldnt hire Neeld or Sanderson as coaches - both ordinary footballers. There is a vast difference between playing and coaching.There is a vast difference between being a great communicator as a Captain like Jonno Brown is and a captain who is not a great communicator but leads by example -Chris Judd (by all reports) and there is a huge difference between a great follower of plans and having the ability to formulate and implement them. We would have zero idea if Ling is a coach or not.

Interesting how we all suddenly become experts on Ling and knowing he can coach.

Had a cushy job at a successful club. Could have stayed there for a few more years. Could have chosen an easier option like Adelaide or St Kilda but no he came to the basket case that was/is the MFC and has staked his entire fledgling coaching career on turning around the Titanic. He's been prepared to put self-satisfied noses out of joint, sack ineffectual leaders, drop soft no. 1 draft picks and most importantly completely dismantle a useless game plan that would have seen us fold under the first sign of trouble in a final. And he's prepared to get flogged week-in week-out, enduring the inevitable calls for his sacking by supporters fearful of change, in order to get the job done. Hard as f..!k this bloke and I for one stand up and applaud him for having the cojones to put his own future in the game on the line in order to turn this joint into what for most of the past 47 years it has only ever been masquerading as ... and that's a football club. I'm backing him in come hell or high water.

This thread is insane. Person X, involved with football, does not become Melbourne coach, but instead chooses to do something else. Reaction from Demonland: did we go after him? Did we offer him a contract? Why didn't he accept? Why aren't we being proactive enough. It's ridiculous. Not everyone associated with football wants to coach. Not everyone who wants to coach will be any good as a coach. This club's job is not to ask anyone and everyone who might be a possible fit.

and the due diligence

yea, it's a toss-up with the regular season

Ross Lyon's stocks are through the roof at the moment. He demands a hard, disciplined, professional culture. And fitness in particular is a key component to all Ross Lyon teams. Apparently, as soon as he got to Freo, Lyon singled out Pavlich and told him he was too fat and needed to get fit. Pavlich did so, and is now in absolutely red hot form. And who did he desperately want to take with him to Freo? Yep, Dave Misson - someone he rates extremely highly and someone with whom he has worked very closely. With Buttifant, Misson is apparently regarded as the best in the business. IMO Neeld has a similar focus to Lyon. And that's why he also wanted Misson. The fact that we now have him has to inspire confidence. Many posters here are understandably frustrated with the results this year. But the performance this year is the culmination of a soft, unfit list that was built prior to this year. Neeld and Misson are now trying to fix it, but this will take time. In short, Neeld and Misson are the solution, not the problem. Freo's rise this year under Lyon (in my opinion at least) demonstrates this. It's about nailing the fundamentals - and, over time, the results should then follow. Neeld didn't inherent a list as good as Freo's, but I'm convinced he knows how to build one. Fitness and discipline are key components to that. There can be no argument that Neeld and Misson do not know what elite level AFL lists look like in terms of fitness. Rather, the knowledge gap on this point seems to sit with some MFC supporters and (soon to be exited) players. In two years from now, under Misson's guidance, this list will be a lot stronger and fitter than the one we witnessed take the field 22 times this year. In the meantime, it would be good if some of the Neeld critics here would just properly consider these facts.

Soccer fans will see that this time of year is fast becoming like the European transfer window. It works like this: The Sun/Daily Mail/other tabloid says 'Club A need a striker', then 'Player X is a striker', therefore 'Club A is interested in Player X'. Once the idea is published, it becomes a rumour. Once the rumour is repeated, it is now a fact. You can't prove that the Club A were not 'interested' in Player X, therefore the paper cannot be accused of anything. Of course, player managers get in the ear of journos who need stories in order ot inflate value of their players...

How many articles have the HS written that have turned out to be wrong about the trading/drafting period?? Neeld has denied Gys and Cook are unwanted. Denied that we wanted Cloke. The HS has 500 footy writers that have to justify a job. Don't believe this shiite

I don't really care if Neeld or the players are warming to each other, so long as the players respect him, and buy in to the game plan. I don't think that many players would have 'warmed' to Northy, Allan Jeans, Pagan etc. but I am positive that their players respected them, trusted the game plan and they got results. After this trade period I am pretty certain that there will be no doubt with who is left, ... and the phrase 'Buy In' will be not required any more.

Pretty poor post.

whilst I appreciate your thinkings any judgement towards Neeld is really beneath you.Not your finest

Is that you, Roosy?

Re-signed. My level of buy-in cannot be questioned.

You know nothing about football.

We've made our "fair share" of mistakes in some previous drafts but this won't be one of them. We will select him, he will play for us and he will be an absolute star of the competition. If we get him as a second round pick we should take out a tattslotto ticket as well.

Why on earth would Chapman want to spend the last year or two of his career at the worst team in Victoria. A player that has won 3 flags, a player that lives to play finals, yet he'll go to a bottom 4 team to see his career out ? This isn't like Luke Power, or junior who are on the scrap heap and have been thrown a lifeline. This is a player that wants to win another flag. For God sake man. Start using your brain.

Is it time now to speak his name again? It's only been ten years. Shane Woewodin. A midfielder ahead of his time in training effort, known for intelligently targeting relevant and practical strength, who excelled beyond his 'natural talent'. Then coached very successfully at the state level with East Fremantle, and has for a few years now as midfield coach at Brisbane overseen the progress of guys like Redden, Rockliff and so forth, a few of whom were later picks partly on account of fitness and commitment questions. I'd love to have him back at the club, for all the right professional reasons, with the 'prodigal return' a bonus.

HTF do you know ? Where would you now rate Fyfe, Shuey, Redden, Beams, Sloane, Rockliff in their respective drafts ? Who's worth what won't be known for years. But I do know that he's what we need. I do know that he's dominated every competition he's been in since the age of 9. I do know that he was put up age groups because he was hurting kids. I do know that he played in a first 18 premiership team when he was in year 9. I do know that he captained SA at under 16 level and is considered a leader. I do know that he's been considered a likely top 10 pick for a couple of years. He's an inside mid with pace, a good sidestep and considered by many junior watches the hardest inside mid they've ever seen. Wallace says he's the best inside mid he's seen in the last 5 years he's been studying junior footy. And another avid junior footy watcher who rates him the third best talent in the draft says, "He is one of those types where you want him on your team and his competitiveness and hardness rates up there and in my view exceeds that of Joel Selwood and Luke Hodge." And I have no doubt he'll be a Dee and we're lucky to have him. Dominant inside mids are the most valuable mids in the game. No-one wants to give up pick 3 for him, but we will if we have to. Yet some of you who no doubt want to play "hard ball" argue over whether to keep Cook, Gysberts, Petterd, etc. Some of the stupidity on this site is nothing short of mindbogglingly breathtaking.

No Cook and no Gysberts makes Tex something something.

Wow! I heard about 6 months ago that Ling's business interests meant that the cushy job of 6 hours on a weekend sitting on the boundary at the footy was sufficient for his fix for involvement in footy. In light of that, I'm absolutely stunned that he's turned down a 60 hour a week job. I'd like to know what offer is going to be too good to refuse when the guy's already making quite a tidy living with a fraction of the stress of being a top level assistant coach.

You need a pretty slogan to make you want to renew?

They will definitely have all the variables listed and weighted to come up with a consistent approach to FA compensation exactly like the MRP has done when it comes to penalties.... (medic !!!! I shot myself in the foot)

This is like swapping footy cards with your friends.

We were interested in him, but the carrier pigeon hasn't arrived yet. Better call it off.

hes cleverer than us...he p!ssed off !!!

Still wish he was coaching Melbourne.

The tagline for next years membership drive shouldn't have been first and forever. It should have been: BUY IN!

Just because Neeld denies things dosn't mean they arn't true. At the current rate according to Neeld we arn't keen on anyone... I have a feeling that all reported are in the radar, this is just Neeld little way at getting back at the media for all the crap they've given him and the MFC this year.

I have heard Mark Neeld speak a couple of times, one thing the players will get from him is pure honesty and unfortunately over the past 4 years our early picks and senior players have been told how good they are and they believed our club was in the ideal position. To be told after 4 years that you are miles off and you have no idea of what is required to be a good team upset a number of players, some have responsed like Blease and full credit to him and some haven't, those that haven't will not be at our club in 2013.

I have heard that it is Rivers that is weighing up his options - not us 'getting rid of all his experience rah rah rah.' Too many people jumping to conclusions.

Disagree. I think the trade period is coming into a new dimension and we will see much more activity with free agency now in play.

I'd much rather Kennedy or Garlett.Caddy hasn't shown that X-factor that these kids seem to have. We've all had a good look at Caddy and he hasn't impacted games as you would expect. He is nowhere near the class of Harley Bennell. These other kids have a bit of Bennell in them. Don't do it MFC. Clark was pick 12, Caddy is overrated and should not command a high draft pick.

Howe's biggest risk is if his votes get split between option 1 and 2 seems posters prefer opt 1 therefore best if everyone sticks to opt 1 even if unsure between 1 & 2

I tell u what if we spoon next yearMy 11 year of membership will end because i will not go to a nother game, dont give me support through thick an thin because i cant stand it any longer.. we got what we deserve i never agreed with tankimg this is what u get when u try to cheat the draft

Both Riv and Gysberts would be perfect for Geelong. But Riv would be a massive loss for us, we need his experience down back. He is underrated and at 27, still probably has at least 4-5 years left in him. We need Riv and I'd be surprised if many supporters would be happy if we lost such reliable player. Gysberts I'm not as fussed about losing as we'll get a decent trade for him - otherwise he doesn't go anywhere.

What's the worst that an happen here? We swap pick 13 for him and he turns out to be a dud in a few years time. Situation normal.

If I was Caddy the last club I'd choose would be Melbourne. Also, he's had a bloody average year, which was confirmed by his 17th placing in their B&F, despite being one of only three players to play every game. At this time of year every opposition player seems to be a "star" for success starved Melbourne supporters.

Toumpas is a different type of player to Jack, more an outside mid, half forward type. Really good player but Viney is Sam Mitchell like with more leg speed and the mongrel and love of the contest that Joel Selwood has. We're not going to pass on Jack.

I say we go for Victorian kids at interstate clubs, ex-top 20 draft picks, all with 2 years in the system ready to go. Lets try names like Caddy, Stevens & Jacobs - nice mid field that would give us. We would easily outline an opportunity for each and all would be near walk up starts to get a game. We have plenty salary cap room and could offer 3-4 year deals for each.

Why stop there? He might have more. Davey to Davey to Davey to the Veteran Viney to Davey..... Goal.!!!!!

I am saddened at the thought of ever seeing Jurrah play in a demons jumper again. He was a sight to behold. BUT- Jurrah not being on the list actually removes the dangerous temptation to make allowances for a player based on special circumstances. And the even more dangerous temptation to potentially ignore his deficiencies and non-compliance to certain team benchmarks due to his significant match-winning talents. I think that in this early stage of forging a strong uncompromising culture it is important to set standards across the board and steadfastly demand that all players meet them. It's a difficult situation I'm glad the club no longer has to navigate around.

Good post. At the Club Lunch on Friday, MN commented that on taking over, and following Misson's appointment, each player on the list was given a personalised sheet of pre-training. On the players' return to the training track he queried Misson on where it went wrong. Misson alleged that 50% - yep 50% - of the list had not complied. MN mused that he hadn't seen "optional" written anywhere. Which led onto some serious comments on buy-in, leadership and the dreaded "culture". I warrant we won't be having this discussion in 2013.

I don't care either way, as long as it ends in tears.