Leaderboard

I would happily watch her on sunday for a couple of hours rather than our football team.

Watts not playing will have zero effect on the result.

Ah Rose, you divine creature. You make everything seem okay.

You are right. It is just you.

Binman - cop a tip, perhaps try to stop looking at things objectively. It doesn't appeal to the religious fanatics here - it simply inflames the zealots and results in pages of carp then being posted. In this respect, many within the "anti Neeld/football department/MFC board/administration/Watts/Sylvia/Toumpas/Trengove/Dunn/rest of player group" squad here seem to have evolved into a quasi fanatical religious movement. It appears to be led by Pastor Stuie, who seems to adhere to the stimulating formula that quantity kills off quality. In some respects, the formula works, because good threads quickly become un-followable and quality posts and debate are now being lost amidst the child-like "[censored] for tat" diatribe. For me anyway, it's starting to kill the site. I have a job, a new born and a wife who's struggling with the new born - unfortunately I can't therefore log on 24 hours a day, and because of the volume of repetitive, tedious posts within each thread, it literally has become impossible to follow certain threads (ie, find the interesting posts within those threads), because all interesting topics are now moving faster than Cyclone Tracy due to the religious zeal element. Re: the question of improvement. I have seen some good signs in recent weeks. I'm pretty confident the football department knows where the problem areas lie, ie, the midfield - in particular, clearances and the defensive structures and application. Our ball movement looks quite good/efficient. Gawn and Jamar are working much better, than Jamar alone in the first three weeks (which was a disaster). Evans, Terlich and Bail (but for some decision making) have been really good inclusions. Matt Jones appears to be a quality pick up. Last weekend, I found it encouraging that, despite the inside 50 and scoring shot stats against us, we were still genuinely in the game in the fourth quarter. Sylvia's poster and Bail's poor decision making under pressure cruelled the momentum somewhat. With 10 mins to go, we should've been 13 points behind. At the Gabba. Can't remember the last time we were in that position up there. Re: Neeld. I'm concerned that he lacks emotional intelligence. I think he understands (and has identified) what the problems with the list, the structures, the culture, the leadership group were/are - although I'm not sure he engenders empathy amongst the players in the way some of the great coaches can. His treatment of some of the senior players and his appointment of such a young Captain in JT has always concerned me. The dynamics of the sheds are subtle and must be respected. Perhaps he's just not a natural people leader - but I definitely think he gets it all in a technical sense. Jury's out, but replacing him prematurely will kill the club. Might appease some of the religious fanatics here in the short term, but it could ultimately turn out to be a very stupid, knee jerk reaction to replace him so early. The blue print the football department has introduced is sound and, without doubt, should be followed at the moment. Re: the next couple of months. I would've thought the message should be: be patient. Keep calm. Our list is in the bottom quartile in virtually every respect at the moment - it takes time, patience and adherence to a sensible plan to turn these things around. Simply landing Mark Williams or Rodney Eade and an experienced midfielder won't suddenly turn it around. But seemingly that's too objective for some. I'd very much like the club to announce a new contract for Sylvia and a contract extension for Frawley asap. Now, that would make me much happier. It would ease me as to the concerns I have about what's going on in the sheds at the moment.

Further destabilize the club? Hell, this club at the moment is effectively in AFL administration and the we are so uncompetitive on the field we dread every game we go to and would settle for a 60 point loss to any reasonable opposition. Five goal losses against cellar dwellers is now a positive. Help me here? Keeping Neeld is destabilizing the club - getting rid of him removes a clear hindrance. Neeld tried and failed, very sad but it's reality.

So who the f...is Ronan O'Connel and why should we read his gibberish?

Seen Spencer live 3 times already this season, if you haven't you will see the improvement, he hasn't played well, he has dominated, which he should,love the posters who pot him that haven't. Last week even saw one of his chase downs of a smaller player, nearly broke him in half....asked Jade Rawling about him on the chat...first words "Jake is very competitive", isn't that what some posters are crying out for..support the team

If one stands back and looks at what is happening, then I fully understand this post and probably agree with it. I am all for giving a guy a fair go, but that would depend totally on whether he still has the support of the players. I fear he hasn't. I don't care what they say publicly, I just wish I knew what they say and think privately. The way we are playing you could mount a strong case to say he has lost them. I have supported the Coach until now but I am getting fearful of what might come next. You don't need talent to do the 1%'s, you need effort. We are not giving any. To me it looks like some players have had enough of the coach and they are just going through the motions. What would we give to see the effort of Puopolo chasing down 3 players in one sustained effort like he did last week. Won't happen with us. He is deperate and we are not. He is selfless and we are not. He would run through a brick wall for his coach and team mates, how many of our players would get close to that mindset. Lucky for me this won't be my decision, but I think our new CEO will have to act soon, or I fear we will be in tatters, with our our few good players wanting to leave. They are certainly playing like that. I would love to be proved wrong but I don't think it will happen. PS. Look at how the Port players are responding to Hinkley. Many of them were there under the previous Coach. What is different, the Coach.

What ? We're in the bottom couple for tackles, contested footy, and uncontested footy. Tackles = we're not trying nearly hard enough, because the opposition nearly always has the ball. We have the least disposals in the league. They can at least show effort and that is gauged by your tackle count. Contested footy = not having a crack nearly often enough. Uncontested footy = means they're lazy, not making themselves options and they're not gut running. There's no courage to run. If you think that they're playing to their ability you're delusional. The whackjob has drained every ounce of effort from their beings. They may not be great, but you can sheet their lack of effort firmly back to the coach. This is one dispirited lot. A coach is their to maximise a groups talents. Mark Neeld is having the complete opposite effect.

One of the things that stood out for me last year, particularly in the first half of the year was the lack of disposals our team accumulated, it got better later in the year but this year it's back down to worrying levels. It's not like we are getting 20 possessions a game less it's more like 100; last year it was something like 160 in each of the first two games. You can't convince me that our side is that bad that we are a 100 possession side worse than most other clubs, I know our list isn't great but that's just ridiculous, remembering that this is Neeld's list his selections and his responsibility. There is something wrong at the club and I'm not sure what it is but we have either the worst list ever (which is Neeld's responsibility, he said it was his list) or he just can't coach. Either way he has to wear the blame; he can't pick the players, initiate the game plan, get his arse kicked and put the blame elsewhere. I have never seen a worse year and 5 games in all my years of watching the MFC and believe me I've seen some [censored] sides wear the red and blue. This sort of thing shouldn't happen in the modern game there should only be a bit between the bottom eight and a bit between the top eight but we are just so far away it's laughable. We gave Neeld everything he wanted, his own hand picked team of assistants, (alarm bells should have sounded when he picked some from almost suburban leagues) in his words the best facilities in the AFL and the right to do what he wanted to do with the list. Well here we are and there is only one person who has to accept responsibility for the performance, Mark Neeld. There are probably issues at the club that need fixing like a new board and president but the on field issues are the FD's problem.

I was not sad to see any of those three dropped and think that the ins have more potential. Spencer for Jamar (win - everyone has been caling for Jamar's head and Spencer is dominating VFL) Dunn for Watts (win - effort and desire) Kent for Rodan (win - in every aspect) Hope the interchange is as follows: I/C (from): James Strauss, Michael Evans, Luke Tapscott, SUB: Davey or Blease If thats the final bench I will be very happy. Sad to not have Clark or Dawes but happy Dawes was not rushed. Really want Strauss to have a good game - I do think he will be a good player! I get so sick of hearing that we are a young/inexperienced side but we do look it on paper.

I confess to not having read a lot of this thread so apologies if this observation has been made before. Neeld must go and he must go now and that was clearly demonstrated on Sunday when Moloney ripped us to shreds. Yes, Moloney is a B grade mid but he would be our best mid if he currently played for us with a coach able to utilize his skill sets. Voss has demonstrated this. Further Moloney clearly demonstrated why it is now impossible to judge our playing list. He showed that Neeld can't utilize mature players skill sets and we already know Neeld cannot develop youngsters. Few if any of our players has shown significant improvement under Neeld and a whole host haven't come on or gone backwards under his guidance. Accordingly we can't judge our list and any new coach coming in would not be able to make LM decisions. If Neeld were to be replaced now and an interim coach installed then there is a chance that we could see what some of the players could do. If that happens we are in an infinitely better position and if it doesn't then the new coach is in the same position as if Neeld coaches through to the end of the season. Also if Neeld is replaced now there is a reasonable expectation that the damage he is doing to this group of players will cease. That would be a very good thing. Of course there is a chance that Neeld will inspire this lot to great heights during the remainder of the season but given that after 27 coaching games he has one win against a non development club that would be wishful thinking. Even more ideally is that we are looking for a new coach now and he takes over directly from Neeld. That would show some good fortune and excellent administration.

Last time we tried something like that, they fined us $500,000.

Here's what I'd take from it Guys coming back from injury too good for VFL - Dawes, Dunn Gun youngster ineligble for AFL - Hogan Very promising young players developing their games - Kent, Taggert, Toumpas Mid level player trying to prove himself - Strauss Dominant at VFL but probably not AFL level - Spencer Young talls establishing themselves - Fitzy, Davis Dominant at VFL but ineligible for AFL midfielder - Couch, Magner Plus the actual Casey guys are better than average VFL players. But mainly we've got talent on all the lines, very good structural players in Hogan/Fitzpatrick/Dawes but more than anything a dominant midfield formed by Spencer/Magner/Couch and supplemented with others. Moral of the story is we've got something to come through and guys who are learning to be successful and play a good style of footy. Here's the flip side though. Spencer, Magner and Couch form the bones of this team and I'm not convinced they are good AFL players. So our youngsters are supported by playing in a side which will get first hands to the ball and win the midfield battle. I'd be over the moon if the Casey midfield was Gawn/Fitzpatrick with Toumpas, Taggert and Kent. However we've got Gawn/Viney/Trengove in the AFL learning already to be parts of our midfield comibination. So we just need these peripheral guys to learn how to play Neeld's brand of footy and an AFL brand of footy.

I've just posted the first part of JVM's match preview for this week and it's titled "NO FIRE IN THE BELLY". If anyone should have fire in the belly then it would have to be James Magner. Clark's injury is a 6 to 8 weeker and inevitably with Melbourne those injuries turn out to take longer. If he can't come back due to being on the LTI then so be it - it gives him more time to heal. Magner should play this week.

I am going to be harsher than I usually am on this: Don't read opinion peices of no value and throw them on here and expect kind things and a nice 'conversation.' This is heart/sleeve stuff here and this is a nobody at a nothing site saying things backed up by his own arse. I have said this before and I will say it again: I KNOW THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PR FOR THE TASSIE BID!! They think it is dead in the water, and has been since Hawthorn re-signed their deal with the Tassie Govt. There is your relocated team, mouth breathers! They already play 5 games there and have TASMANIA on the f___ing jumper! So, no, I am not worried, and nor do I want to read the arrogant BS of a half-eloquent, self embued expert from the internets. rpfc out.

This is one of the things that is really bugging me... under Bailey everyone was complaining about how he was too nice and wanted to be friends with the players and that he wasn't hard enough on them, and then when Neeld arrived everyone was rapt in the fact that he was not going to tolerate any player that wasn't prepared to put in and work hard and when he cleaned out the list at the end of last year, everyone cheered... now people are saying Neeld is too hard on the players, too distant in his relationship with the players, too intolerant etc etc Essentially, the things that people now see as his failings are the very things people were praising him for. Go figure!

His first two days looked something like this i believe:

Don't like hearing that old dee, i hear what you're saying, I've probably only been supporting the Dees 1/3 of the time you and it's been quite dressing the past few years but that's not the Australian spirit. Stick together, support your mates and never give up under any circumstances, We've just had ANZAC day recently and their values ring true for me right now!! Fire up old fella! Jump on the underdog!!

Nicholson is the bane of my MFC supporting existence.

Probably nauseous from Vlad fawning all over him

Van Demons............

The only thing I feel for Nate Jones is an absolute truckload of admiration.

That's the spirit. Way to support a player of ours who just turned 22. Don't any of you DARE ever talk about "culture". Weak.

I wouldn't get so excited about whether I am using a possessive adjective or a pronoun - I am just stipulating that the glee with which wyl talks about Neeld's Thrashings are occuring at wyl's club, and my club, and your club, and our club. Understand? And don't call me a sniper.

If anyone's interested, my column this week looks at Neeld and Hinkley. I think Neeld is on borrowed time. http://backpagelead.com.au/afl/9305-no-limits-port-a-model-lesson-for-dees Cheers

In my opinion, Martin was never going to make it with us. He is not good enough to play first ruckmen, which i think put him behind Jamar, Gawn and even Spencer. Could possibly play as a backup ruckman/forward, but i just don't think he is dangerous enough as a forward, which is were he would have played 80% of the game. I think Neeld would have hopes of playing Clark in that role next year when Hogan and Dawes are both in the forward line. I cannot see Gysberts getting a game at North, and am happy we got rid of him to be honest. Doesn't really have any weapons. Gets a bit of the ball, but isn't effective when he does. Is not quick, has no tank. Yea, we could have kept him for another year and tried to improve his tank and put on a bit of size, but i think Neeld and the other coaches made the right decision. I'll be very surprised if we see him play another AFL game. Moloney definitely would have helped this year, but i think his form at Brisbane is partly because of having a better midfield around him. We know he can get the ball, it's what he does with it when he gets it that's the problem. And what he does when he doesn't have the ball. I had no issue with Neeld trying him in different roles last season, because he needed to be more versatile. It's disappointing that his time at the club ended the way it did, but i think he has to take as much of the blame as Neeld does.

Well bb I am sad to see you go but I understand 100% my own thoughts are very close to yours. The MFC is on its knees. Not sure I have the fight left in me any longer either. I will continue to pay my membership because I don't want it on my conscience that I had any small part in its demise. Just like you bb I have almost lost the will to fight on.

Football is a long-term strategy game. Every club goes through cycles. We are at the bottom. This will take a while and there is no quick fix or quick results. With Bailey we had an aging list, not alot of tallent coming through and I was struggling to see any type of strategy. At least with Neeld he has got rid of the dead weight, getting some young tallent through, new leadership team, new captains and drafted some experienced, premership winning players What isnt sustainable is going through coaches ever second year. Long-term results > short-term results

WE could become the Hobart Van Demons, keep our playing strip but adjust the red to a map of Tassie, get draft concessions, cash, maybe even a couple of decent midfielders. 12 games at the MCG, 12 in Tasmania. I say go for it. I mean does anyone seriously think that the current incarnation of the club is ever going to win a Premiership. If you do you're seriously dreaming.

Cannot believe this thread is still covering the same ground after 55 pages. IMO we have a very ordinary list that is playing up to its ability and is worse than 2012 so far. A large part of this team has been chosen by this Coach. Due to the poor nature of our list I don't see how it is possible for us in the outer to judge if Neeld is good or not. Only those close to the coal face would be able to make that judgement. However the loss ratio cannot continue past the end of 2013. Unless there is a dramatic change the Coach is gone be it in the next few weeks or at the end of August. Simply with a continuation of the current form it will be impossible to sell Mark Neeld to the Members / Sponsors past 2013. There will need to be hope for 2014 and beyond. For what it is worth ( probably not a lot ) that is my feeling

Must be dark in that sad world you inhabit.

I would rather see the MFC die than become part of Tasmania. We are Melbourne, which last time i looked was the capitol city of the state of Victoria. The End.

Yes! Finally getting into my first demonland argument! I feel my life is validated! I don't have the solution, nor should I. I pay my membership and rock up every week. That's my job and I do it well. I expect the same from my club. I have a gut feel that Neeld can't coach. Am in the inner sanctum? No. All I see is on the field. And if this dispirited rabble is playing for the coach than I must be completely blind. Port is an example of a good coach turning things around. Neeld is an example of a coach destroying anything that was left.

Agree with you stuie... great way to support your club & player there. Kid gets injured and you celebrate, p*ss poor form

My light at the end of this long tunnel, would have to be Gawn, Evans, Terlich and M.Jones - they have played little to no games over the last two years and are already having an impact, imagine how confident they'll be once they've clocked up 50+.

Rubbish, our losing margin just went down.

That's That's funny!! A team called Melbourne playing out of Tasmania. I think Melbourne will continue playing out of Melbourne. Just a thought mind you.

Garland was more successful as a forward last year than Chip. Oh dear, it's Groundhog Day.

It's potentially A grade, but they're certainly responding to Hinkley, whereas they won only 5 games last year. Let's say it again: Port's players are playing for their coach. This morning on SEN James Kelly said that out of all his former assistant coaches he'd choose Hinkley as the man to win one important game. And he did so, because he thought he was best at knowing the players individually and getting the most out of them on game day. Hmm. What a novel idea. Have the players busting a gut for their coach.

...and the players, and your club.

Fair enough, I respect your opinion, just differs a bit to mine. I would expect improvement once we pick up some top mids of varied ages, but I just can't see Neeld taking it all to the next level. I want him to coach til near the end of the season though, just to see what happens, I'm not calling for his immediate sacking like some, but if we still suck this bad by about round 18 then he needs to go so we can get a head start on a coach for next year.

It's funny, I don't get that feeling at all. I get the feeling that because we are so badly beaten in the midfield that our players are throwing in the towel too early. That was particularly evident in the first two games and then again in the second half of the West Coast game. The last two games started to show something and even in the Brisbane game they could have been in it but for a couple of very dumb mistakes; and yes, I know they were against weak teams, but there were glimpses of what could be coming. Rather than the coach working against them, I get the feeling that Neeld may be just as frustrated as the players, as it must be nigh on impossible to coach a team that has virtually no midfield. The defence hasn't been too bad and we have one of the best conversion rates when it gets inside the 50... this is why I'm prepared to cut him some slack and wait until next year when we have a complete and balanced side. Who knows, we may get a glimpse of what could be coming if Magner gets a run in Clark's absence (remember, he was on fore for the first few rounds last year, so he might inject some much needed hardness and ball clearance.

You have an interesting definition of excellent. Moloney has been the usual Moloney. A few clearances but a lot of pointing and not much standing up when they are losing. His greatest help in staying is that he wouldn't have torched us in Brisbane, otherwise I wouldn't worry. Morton is shot, he didn't pick up athletically in the fact he doesn't have elite running or pace that he was projected to bring. After that happened with his up and down skills even if he was tough he was hardly worth it. I would've loved to keep Petterd but I get the feeling he was jettisoned to send a message to the boxing day rat pack even before boxing day happened. I can't say Martin isn't better than Sellar or Pedo. I can't say Martin isn't more talented. But I'm still confident Martin was a perfect bloke to trade away. Sellar and Pedersen might never kick the goals he kicked but Martin wasn't ever going to make it as a ruck and could never do the one percenters in terms of contesting and bringing team mates into the game. He was a one man occassional highlight but very often screw up. He was dropped for Sellar at one stage last year because even with Sellar's shakiness he was a more hearty performer. Martin was high maintenance. The one game we didn't get torched this year Pedersen kicked a couple. Lets see how he goes. And if they ever decide to give Sellar a proper shot as a defender I think he'll be good depth.

If I was him I'd start tanking.

I thought you were just really trying to drive home your point. I thought you were just really trying to drive home your point. I thought you were just really trying to drive home your point. I thought you were just really trying to drive home your point. I thought you were just really trying to drive home your point. I thought you were just really trying to drive home your point.

A couple of things Unleash Hell. Firstly, the situation is far worse than just (12 & 8). I would name all the players I have been told, but its second hand, may have some errors, would destroy confidence with my source and destroy my friendship since I promised I would not (unliuke last year). I agree with you that you never want the players to dictate terms. They are not, they are not making demands, they are simply preparing to leave. I have another friend who is a player manager who looks after a number of Melbourne players who said that this is so well known, not only are Melbourne players enquiring about options, other clubs have already starting making inquiries. This is a very serious situation. I have said this before and I will say it again. It is the coaches primary responsibility to get the most out of his players. This coach has divided the playing group, and destroyed their confidence and self belief. Our performances since his arrival have been beyond appaulling and we are going backwards. The buck must stop with the coach. He must be fired quickly.

Win some games. Stop being a basket case off and on the field. That's how you get them to go away. That's the only way you get them to go away. *sigh*