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And public comments like this is the reason he should never, ever be elected to the board our be president.

If as reported that upon Peter Jacksons request Watson has had a chat to Watts about what he went through then it just shows how great a bloke Watson really is. Never heard a bad story about the bloke. And Jackson isn't mucking round either- great to see. And good on Jack too for seeking ways to improve himself.

There is something so good about watching the Melbourne Football Club play on the MCG come Queens Birthday. This week I call on fans. And we are exactly that - Fans of the Melbourne Football Club regardless of who's coach or administering, to get to the G.

Should the Dees do the dirty on Casey again? History: For the past four years, Casey has made the finals on the back of some handy Melbourne-listed players, only to find that come the finals, the Dees heirarchy decides that it wants to send most of its eligible VFL players off for a break so that the AFL-listed players can begin pre-season training in early October. The only exceptions to this policy have been players about to be delisted anyway (eg: Bate last year). Not surprisingly Casey comes up short in September - usually out in straight sets. This year Casey again looks set to make the finals and its Melbourne-listed contingent (which includes young Jesse Hogan) have been firing. Given how bad the Dees have been going, players who have been dropped to the VFL get a chance to play in a winning line-up and get some confidence back and play proactive football, rather than the reactive chasing type they get in the AFL. Casey strength is serving a really good purpose in the current environment and I don't understand why the Dees football administration treats them like s... in September. My view is that young guys like Hogan, Toumpas, Kent, Gawn, Barry and Blease etc would really benefit from being part of a genuine finals campaign with the added pressure that entails. If they were to make the VFL Grand Final it would serve as a positive note for the whole club to end its season on - just like it did for Geelong when they won the VFL flag with guys like Ablett, Stevie J and Lonergan one year before they made a quantum leap. The VFL finals series (and a potential GF at Etihad Stadium) would also give guys like Davis, Spencer, Fitzy, Taggert, Nicho, Tynan, Magner and Couch etc one last chance to show on a biggish stage that they are worthy of being kept on the list. Whilst I get why Misson and his fitness staff want players to be back early in October, I think the benefits of a successful Casey finals campaign would far outweigh the downside of a later start for the 10-12 guys that would do us proud for Casey. Am I missing something? I always thought that success was meant to breed success.

I am sorry but as a Dee's supporter I have never had the desire to watch my team lose at any point. It's a very sad article, written by a passionate ex player who happens also happens to be in the media. All of these factors make me question this article. The other part of this that is really tragic is that when unity is required we have ex-players like Schwartz and Healy taking pot shots and trying to divide the club. People are saying that if we continue to lose games and have MN as coach our club will die off, but article like this from former players create havoc and are like a cancer that will eat away on the inside. I have alway held The Ox with some regard but not after this article. On Sunday we have Gerard Healy saying MN is gonski once the board met on monday. All the media outlets treating it like its gospel, then when it does not happen they all cry foul and say it was a non-decision. Biggest beat up ever and what a waste of resources and time for the journo's who spent waiting all day to get given nothing. The only reason it had credence is because Healy's brother is on the board but journos being the sensationalist they are equated this to a certainty it was going to happen. I lmao by the end of the day and listening to Gerard over in Perth having a sulk because he thought his brother could get it done. Obviously knows his football but he has got no idea of what type of politics goes on with boards. This is the world I reckon Ox is trying drum up support to enter into and he is going to find out that he should stay in radio. Because on the radio if you don't agree with someone you just hang up on them and push your own agenda. In a board there no hanging up you actually have to argue and win your fellow directors over to your side. You can't bully them or cajole them you need to to convince enough of them to carry your agenda forward. This is all done whilst dealing with the agenda's both hidden and open of all your fellow directors. But I digress. For Shame Ox For Shame you may speak for some Dee's fans but you do not speak for me in this matter.

Stuie, who told you that, he came in once to see Don McLardy and made sure everybody knew, never heard he is mentoring forwards and never seen him doing it, he came in once to talk to 1st yr players re the perils of gambling etc, he does that as a job as well Two great players for MFC, Robbie Flower and the Ox, one came in to chat and encourage the volunteers who were ringing around trying to get members to re sign, the other wrote an article hoping the team he supposedly loves gets smashed, which one would you call a Club champion?

Unwelcome! Enough of standing outside the tent and pissing in.

Seems unnecessary from the ox. Just inflames the situation. No doubt McLardy should go but you shouldn't blindly call for his head unless you are running or supporting a run for the board. Especially as a past player. Or calling for Freeman. Same thing goes for sacking Neeld. We can't make that decisions as fans we need to support the club. This article is everything that is wrong with Melbournes culture!!! Silly from ox.

I sent an email to the sports editor of The Guardian online Australia version yesterday, Tom Lutz. I was suggesting he may not be giving Australian Football it's due as the biggest sport in the country by its lack of presence in sports stories. He replied quickly and with detail, even suggesting that since arriving from the UK, he had chosen to support the Dees! For those who think that history counts for nothing, he chose the MFC because it is the oldest club firstly, and secondly because we have been success free for so long. Good on him I reckon.

I'm absolutely all for it. He's quoted as saying he wants to and I reckon it would be fantastic. The current longest serving Sydney President was once the President of West Coast. I don't care who he barracks for now, whether you love him, or loathe him he has a history of success in the face of difficult circumstances. It would be brilliant for this club.

Part of me agrees with the ox. Part of me thinks "sure, lets get pumped so neeld gets sacked". But for what? Another coach to come in with a 5 year plan? To start over again? Mark neeld was never a media charming, charismatic guy hired by the club to woo new supporters and satisfy sponsors. He was bought in to get players who have been lazy, unaccountable and often soft, to play tough, effort driven football. Those that couldn't meet those demands, or those that were a part of the lazy, inept "leadership" group were asked to move on. They were replaced by stop gap, mature players so that the next wave of young, competitive players drafted didn't need to play when they weren't ready, or were eased into senior footy. The simple fact is, this was never going to be fixed overnight. We've taken a step back onfield because we lost significant experience in Moloney, rivers etc. but those players were not going to lead the club out of that culture or improve enough to make us a top 4 proposition. Sure, they may have given us another 8 win season. But then what? We have taken a step backwards, but we have last players without the required desire or effort. Standards off field are have increased, we now have leaders who are diligent and will leave no stone unturned to improve, encourage and unite every player on the list. So like I said part of me wants to throw my hands up in the air and sack everyone. But a greater part of me knows this club has taken steps it needed to,to improve. So ill keep going to games, ill go knowing we probably will get beaten. Ill go knowing that ill get frustrated at moments of poor decision making and skill. But, I will go knowing that we are finally on the right track. Knowing that there is great leadership in Dawes, Clark, grimes, trengove and garland. Ill go knowing that structures are in place to make this club move forward. In going to games, I know that I'm also helping the club. Every person going to games is helping the club. So my message to you ox, if you want to help the club, go to the games. Go and watch Nate jones hit every contest like its his last, go and watch Dawes present time and time again. Watch fraweley and garland absolutely dominate tall forwards week in week out. Go and watch Matt jones and dean terlich grab the chance at afl level. Go and watch Kent, toumpas, viney, trengove, McDonald and soon taggert/hogan knowing how competitive they are as young players and how long they will play together for. If you want to help ox, start being constructive and supportive. It's all too easy to lay the boot in on a team down the bottom. But if you want to help, try some positive reinforcement. Asking for a thrashing helps no one, not now, not ever.

I write this as a lifelong supporter and member of the MFC. My heart beats true, I bleed red and blue etc etc etc I have always believed that our time would come, that every poor season was bringing us closer to the ultimate success and that one day the wheel would turn and it would be us on top. Needless to say, the past few years have been a very bitter pill to swallow, as I’m sure everyone on here knows. What has really ruffled my feathers this morning are the comments from David Schwarz. The Ox is someone I have always admired, I used to go around with 5 on my back. But to claim that he is hoping for us to be walloped on Monday so that the coach gets the sack leaves me speechless. For shame David. So I put this post up here, as someone who loves the Dees and who so desperately wants us to be successful again, but who would really right now just want to see some unity!! Melbourne supporters are tearing each other apart, everyone disagrees with everyone and I have never seen people so angry. While I understand that anger – and I share plenty of it – I would prefer it was directed at other supporters, not my fellow Dees!! This is our club and its bigger and more important than any individual. If you walk away now you may well find that there is nothing to come back to. Our backs are against the wall, we face the longest, hardest slog of our lives to get back anywhere near the place where we have success. Now is the time to show the AFL community that WE ARE THE DEMONS!! Let’s stop bickering (I said bickering not disagreeing) and stand together to back our club. Come hell or high water I will be there on Monday, the same way I am every week and there will be a cold day in hell before I hope that our team is “walloped by Collingwood”. The club is bigger than any individual, and I support the club. Now is the time we need to stand together!!

Did you hear him on Open Mike? Do you listen to his show on SEN? Complete, unbridled, utter rubbish to suggest that the Ox doesn't love this football club.

If you aren't watching, you are missing out and should watch at another date. Absolute class act and after his performance last weekend, he has shown he is worth every penny we payed for him on AND OFF the field. I for one am a big, big fan.

That's a very idealistic way of thinking about it. You're missing a few steps there, such as Moloney not willing to do the required work and simply believing he deserved the captaincy and didn't have to work for it.

You have to love Melbourne supporters. The club is a basket case. It's seen no success for 50 years. It has an opportunity to have an achiever take over and give it a chance to become relevant. But no, it seems some don't like his personality. Some of you lot deserve the crap you witness each week. As for merging ? He's already stated that Melbourne is a strong brand and I believe he retracted those comments years ago. CLEARLY, if he wants to become Chairman it's to have the club become a success in its own right. Even his ego would love that challenge. It's bloody great scenario.

Kennett has just announced the names of two of his running mates, Attila the Hun and Benito Mussolini but i think it's a ploy to make his board look more moderate.

Being a member with constitutional rights to vote on such a proposal would allow you to voice your concerns in a manner that the club could see , "not continuing your membership" shows a derelict approach, by which you advocate the exact reason that you didn't "continue your membership" Absolute negligence of the highest order. I would prefer Jeff outlined his policies, plans and strategy before endorsing any spill. However, I give him credit for highlighting the current board and their failures, as opposed to the well worn cliché of blaming the head coach.

I must be the only one that sees this as a big positive but people carry on here mclardy aint tough enough doesn't sell the club etc. We are.deliousonal if we do not go after him hard. Very out spoken and is like Eddie in how he sells the club. Turned hawks into a powerhouse and is as passionate as they come. Couldnt see it happening though.

Neeld lost me in R1 2013. I know he lost many others a long time before that. And there's still a few true believers. I cut him plenty of rope to make us more fit and harden us up defensively and in the long run there would be pay-off. In year one when I saw horrible results I was willing to accept them as part of a plan I couldn't fully understand because I'm not on the inside. But when the horrible losses continued from R1 this year and they clearly weren't part of any internal or external plan and totally unexpected for Neeld, then he was gone. Since then he's been unable to turn it around at all - our few "good" results are at the bottom end of my, and I'm sure his, expected results, the rest of the are way off the left hand end of the chart: -10 goals to GC at home! He's not the only problem, things are never that simple, but he's a big problem.

You mean the same Liberal party that was responsible for the Great Australian Lockout? Massive increase of our foreign debt? Children Overboard? Tampa Boat Crisis and breach of international law? Privatising Qanatas/Telecom who's service has gone backwards? I could go on further but this is a discussion about football so I wont.

Jeff is an agent of change. Regardless of whether you like his politics or his football presidency, wherever he goes things change.Most of those changes bring improvement. He is brusque, has a passionate, loose tongue and is an autocrat. He steps on toes and honestly couldn't give a stuff for the people he hurts. He causes as many difficulties as he solves, just not in the areas he is responsible for. I have met him on a number of occasions at a professional level, and although he has almost no social conscience he is one of the sharpest, most alert individuals I have spoken with. We need a person exactly like Jeff. Will he bully people? Yes Will he draw in the best personnel? Yes Will he demand success? Yes He will NOT merger Melbourne. If he became president he would be 100% devoted and would do anything to improve the brand. He is selfish in this way. His professional reputation would be at stake and that is one thing he will not compromise. The only question mark is this: he does not barrack for Melbourne. Is it possible to be fully professional when he has a heart for the Hawks? I can't answer this yet.

I think the great case for this is the 2002 VFL premiership in which a core of superstars got there first taste of success. Ablett Bartel Hunt Johnson Kelly Chapman Look where these guys ended up...

Early days. Would like to see the make up of the ticket first. Would need some quality "football" savvy/experienced club people with him in order to bring some common sense/smart football decisions and direction to the club. This board is difficient in that it doesn't speak openly or forthrightly to it's members and prefers to skirt around all the major issues, run and hide in the corners of the Green room and just throw out a few morsels to the members once in a while hoping this will keep the masses quiet. And not just this board. Been that way for decades now. Gardner was a little more out there in terms of representing but IMO never really stood up passionately for the club. Szondy...hmmm. While McLardy might be a nice bloke, he rarely steps up and represents on any issue nor does he defend us (or Neeld) when we/he are being potted pillar to post by every media scribe in the country. I cant recall the last time i heard McLardy front the media outside of a Melbourne presser. McLardy is no leader. There's no other "Melbourne" led ticket in the wings that I'm aware of. After 49 years of under performance I say bring it on. I'm all ears!

Those members who have personal dislikes of Kennetts political views need to put these to one side. Kennett is a rare beast who knows what to do and how to do it. He would bring unimaginable press coverage and interest to our club which would result in a much higher profile club. This in turn would result in higher sponsorship, better attendances, more members, player interest and success. He has a track record of making basket cases into success stories. Love him or hate him, the turn around in this states finances and economy while he was Premier was simply incredible. At the time Victoria around the world was known as "the economic miracle". Likewise he went in as Hawthorn President at a time that Hawthorn was considered a basket case financially with on-field weakness and turned it into a powerhouse. Simply Kennett would be the best possible candidate for President of the MFC. I have lost all hope with the current board. Their failure to fire Neeld, and except the tanking fine sums up their inept ability. The pathway they have put us on has brought us to our knees. There is more to a football club than just "Debt Demolition" which is their ONLY success. If there was to be a competing ticket for the board led by Jeff Kennett I would pin back my ears and campaign free of charge, member to member convincing them to vote for this ticket. It would indeed be a godsend. Go for it Jeff!!!

I have spoken with the Club this morning and there is an open training session on Sunday at Gosch's at 10.00am This is a great time for everyone to be there with as many kids and dogs etc as possible. The Club are putting a tweet out to encourage everyone to come and support the players. Please everyone put your anti CS,DMc/Board,BP,BR feelings aside and come and support the boys. As I have said before they were absolutely flabbergasted to see everyone last time still so before such an important game in the Melbourne psyche being played out on Monday lets get behind them again. To all you Demonlanders go easy on the vino Saturday night, get the kids and dogs up and dressed in Melbourne gear and get yourselves down to Gosch's. It was a great atmosphere last time and we all know how well the boys train so be there. Demon Dog and I don't want to be the only ones there. Not a good look.

"You will be taken from this place and transported to Australia where you will, for the term of your natural life, support Melbourne."

So the only alternative to McLardy is Kennett? I can't believe people are supporting this. Jesus Christ. We really are over a barrel.

There's a subtle but important difference between giving Neeld more time and giving the club more time before it sacks him.

Hoping this is the week he cements his spot as a permanent in the starting 18. Go get em Sammy.

i totally agree with ox! weve played 8 games at the G (let me remind you that its our home) this year, lost 7. 6 of them by over 10 goals! Im sick of hearing 'oh well, we gave it our all, its all you can ask for' after we get whacked by 10 goals. since when is a 10 goal loss acceptable? Neeld has dug himself this mess, and i dont know how people who really count (the board) dont see that he is not the one to get us out of it. Lets be honest, there is a 0.01% chance of Neeld coaching us next year. So why keep the bad smell hanging around the club? Why delay the inevitable? The later you leave it, the less interest the 1) players and 2) the fans have. What harm could be done by sacking Neeld NOW!? By no means did i want GWS to beat us in round 4, but all that did was delay the inevitable too, as do these 1-2 quarters of displayed effort/okay footy a week. We need to hit rock bottom, and i mean ROCK BOTTOM for the board to get rid of Neeld. Fans have already said that enough is enough, have a look around; no one is going to matches. (before anyone asked, yes i do go). A good old walloping may be needed for Mclardy and co. to realise that too, enough is enough. Can me all you want, but im willing to sacrifise a(nother) 150 point loss in order to look forward to the future. Even if we dont have a future coach, we need to get rid of Neeld, before his coaching/culture spreads like cancer, any more.

I see 3 issues as at the heart of our problem. The first I am certain of, the next two I think are possibly correct. 1. We have a pathetic midfield. 2. MN has lost the players. 3. MN can't coach an AFL side. PS. In the last 18 months I have not seen any evidence to refute the 3 propositions.

We need to look at where Daniher left us when his coaching stint ended and the fact that he's been out of the coaching caper for so long. Pass.

I'd say why not. He is a strong minded, strongly spoken public figure and although he is often outspoken, at least he makes himself heard. People keep harping on about what he did to the state of Victoria but this is a football club, and there is a difference. The Hawks won a flag under his tenure and remain one of the strongest, if not the strongest club in the league. He wouldn't settle for anything aside from success and is a much better option than McLardy, who seems to have lost any kind of conviction or voice a long time ago. Definitely worth a go.

It seems to me that we have gone out and got all the required personnel to build a modern football department, we just had nfi about how to structure it or set it up. Evidenced by Jackson's comment that he can't even tell if Neeld can coach or not because of the way we are set up. Jackson should be able to sort this out I hope.

The club pulled the wool over its own supporters eyes - that's how. Proxy Vote in favour of board decison anyone?????????? Biggest deception since Judas sent Jesus to the cross.....

It's not that I disagree with you as I love your passion but this club has relied on us members showing heart and sticking with the club through disastrous times. We did through the debt demolition, j Mac gone, a rebuild, tanking, jurrah, energy watch, 186, bailey sacked Schwabb stayed, another rebuild, B & F winner leaving, scully gone, found guilty of tanking, Schwabb sacked, a disfunctional board and now a hopeless team. When will this club show the heart and spirit we have shown? When will the club give us something like we have given them? Unity works both ways in my eyes. Right now I feel like a fly who is loyal to a carcass. I hope this changes.

Thats rubbish, Hawtorn are one of the most powerful footy clubs in the country, THANKS to Kennet, he's got ten lengths on the fools that are currently running the show at the moment, actually there not even in charge anymore, we could a lot worse, the guy that Kennet handed over the reigns to at the Hawks has received a gift, 60,000 members, powerful sponsors, Tasmania and a great footy side.

He would merge us at the first chance.

This pisses me off. If the Ox wanted whats best for his club he'd be using his profile to sin up members and encouraging supporters to attend Mondays game. Decisions on the coach should be based on an informed assessment of his ability to perform and implement the plan. Peter Jackson will do this. While passionate the Ox is trying to force Peter Jackson/The Board's hand in removing Neeld. Not cool.

The Ox is dead right. Neeld must go and go quickly. The board made a very poor decision giving him a life line this week.

Good on him for pointing out what every other journo has already pointed out. He's in the media. He met with the president over a month ago about what he could do. Haven' t seen any photos or articles about him helping at all. Is it not publicised by the club, or is he not doing anything to help. Either roll up your sleeves and be one of us, or keep writing "articles" about the people who are trying. One visit in a month, you'll need to do a heap more to get my vote. We can still get worse!

Exactly, some of us on here get bagged for looking through rose coloured glasses, a lot of the supporters do that with the Ox, yes he was a great player and yes I still regard him as such, but he is now a media personality and a lot of what he does is driven by this. He is not doing a lot around the Club, get over it, he had one meeting with Don McLardy and one session with the 1st year players, that is it, I asked him to come and do the ring around trying to get new members, nothing, hence my first post with the comparison to the action "another club champion' Robbie Flower took If you support the Club you support the incumbents, if he doesn't like the Board then let's see him get a ticket together and put forward some ideas, let's see what he has got, not just bagging the club, At the moment it is like the minority on this board. sack everybody, without putting forward viable alternatives....yet when it comes to the AGM or letting the club know their feelings, they sit on their hands because it would mean coming out from behind the online keyboards. Where was the Ox five years ago, yes we all now disparage Gary Lyon, but at least he put his hand up And one more, Barassi, if you cut him he would bleed red and blue, yet not one word of criticism, just support If you are going to the footy to hope your team lose, then you really do need help, that is just sad

The fact is supporters will stop going when teams are losing and then will return when they are winning. I used to live in W.A. and the West Coast supporters are notorious for this, packed house when they are winning and half full stadium when they are losing. And that is from a side that has had quite a lot of success recently. No decision should be made on a coach or any person employed by the club based on supporter numbers. It must be made based on the job they are doing. Now I'm not saying that Neeld is the right man but if Jackson and the board take in what Neeld is trying to implement and think it is the right way forward then they must back him. If however they don't think he is on the right track then they should let him know and then possibly sack him. No football decision should be based on the number of supporters at games. And in regards to the Ox, he is obviously very passionate which is great but he should really work on directing it the right way. Putting down the club is not the way to help.

The Ox is spot on about what he said. The proposed changes to the Club can't come soon enough and they will hopefully include McLardy and Neeld.

You've been waiting at the door 24/7 then I presume? What a silly statement. I recall Schwarz saying something along the lines of he'd "sell his house before letting the Dees go under". Does that sound like someone who doesn't love the club? Ask yourself, would you do that? Questioning the Ox's love for the club is a ridiculous thing to try to do and by doing so you discredit the other points you're trying to make.

You should know exactly what you get from David Schwartz by now. As said earlier, it's misdirected passion. He doesn't mean hoping to lose, he means that he's tired of losing games by an 'acceptable' 40-60 points and he wants the losses to make an impact. He's offered to help a number of times. He, unlike Garry Lyon, will do whatever it takes to help this club.

This is wrong on a lot of levels. For one, Blease did not 'kill it' towards the end of last year. You're implying we fought off potential suitors to keep him, which is also completely untrue. He doesn't get a crack because he hasn't displayed defensive qualities which are required at AFL level. We continually berate our players for a lack of effort - Blease has been the typical lack of effort player. He was sent to Casey to get this side of his game right, which he appears to be beginning to do. He needs to continually work on that and make sure it's a regular aspect of his game because the Blease that has played AFL in the past is not going to make it if he won't tackle and chase.

What's Dennis Jones doing these days?

I think many of us have learnt a lot about list management and psychology during the disastrous Neeld appointment. In time, there should be chapters in sports books on Neeld's time at Melbourne so sporting organisations learn what not do. I'm the first to admit that I was in favour of some of Neeld's decisions. I now question the implementation and the merits of many of those decisions. The essence of being a coach is getting the best out of individuals. The best coaches focus on what a player does well, whereas some coaches become fixated by what they do poorly. The best coaches build a player up and stroke sometimes fragile egos. They tell them that they believe in them. They'll also make the hard call, but my suspicion is that Neeld didn't positively engage many players. It beggars belief that he never had a one-on-one with Moloney. It beggars belief that he came into the club from day one and said he had no interest in his players liking him. Contrast that attitude with Ken Hinkley, who said to Kane Cornes, "I'm here to extend your career". Cornes is back to career best form. Players often have plenty of self-doubt, especially at AFL level where they're under the media and community microscope, so it's imperative that they think the coach believes in them. That they're told by the coach that he believes in them. Moloney confirmed the opposite to be true. He knew the coach didn't rate him. The failings that Neeld saw in Gysberts, Morton, Bennell and Petterd were the same I saw. So naturally when they were moved on I wasn't outraged because I knew why. But on closer thought I'd like to know how he engaged with those players. Getting rid of Cook and Bate was a no brainer. Cook showed that he was barely VFL level and Bate was older and easier to assess. But Gysberts, a former pick 11, had won two RS nominations. He was only 20. He had shown he had AFL talent. Yes, he had faults, but in a team with the worst midfield in living memory would a Ken Hinkley come in and have said, "I rate you. I see your talent and what you can do. We have areas to work on, but I reckon we can make you an important part of our midfield moving forward." For the life of me I can't see Neeld establishing that type of rapport. Gysberts hasn't played a game for North, but he's in their top 25 or 26. They've got a good midfield and I can't help feeling we should have persisted with him, especially considering the state of ours. Petterd nearly won a game against Collingwood on QB. He's shown he has AFL talent. Yes, we also know his faults, and he turns it over by foot, but we also know his courage and marking ability. We got nothing for him. The same with Morton. And I know plenty of posters won't agree and Lord knows I can be critical of players, but here's a former pick 4, who is still young, who has shown AFL talent in his first couple of years, and we dump him for pick 88. In essence we dump him for Rodan. We'd got games into him and I can't help feeling that he was worth more than one year under a new coach. Bennell was soft and I supported getting rid of him. But I also recognise we have no decent small forwards yet the game is crying out for them. Bennell does have talent despite his failings. Was he told that we thought we could develop him into the small forward we need and reckon he can become ? I'm not advocating mollycoddling players, I'm advocating believing in them and teaching them to believe in themselves. If it's proven they're not good enough so be it, but we got rid of young players that had definitely shown at stages they've looked comfortable at the highest level. For me it's crystal clear that Neeld isn't a nurturer. It's clear that his hard-nosed approach backfired the moment he walked through the door. He bemoans the age of our list, yet he has virtually single-handedly caused that inexperience and young age by jettisoning so many players. Morton is still young, but he'd played over 70 games. I don't believe that we needed a "rebuild of a rebuild". I believe we needed a coach that could embrace the talents of many of the players at his disposal and improve them. Sure, you have to turn some over, but he rid himself of young players that had shown something at AFL level. And we're poorer for it. In fact, we poorer for him walking through the front door.