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Ok so I've been a bit of a Neeld basher in the past but for some reason I want him to get the chance to see out his contract with a bit of support. I'm not getting sucked into his development talk its just I think he has literally had to start again. The game plan he is trying to implement isn't too different to most other teams - play on, back yourself, high skill level, get back on defence when the opposition has the ball. The big difference is he doesn't have a midfield and the players can't translate training skills to match day. He has brought in 2 very good players in Clark & Dawes and a bunch of stop gaps. I hear people saying rodan, pederson, Byrnes, etc are a waste but who would have taken there place on the list? Bailey recruited athletes, light framed athletes who still to this day struggle to dominate games. At seasons end should he be in charge I have faith that Neeld will get us that big fish midfielder, possibly 2. If we can get the ball into a fit forward line of Clark, Dawes, Hogan, Watts, Howe... Happy days. If players choose to leave at seasons end because he is to hard on them are they really fit to wear the jumper? I think we have suffered this much we don't have anything to loose so show him some support... Just my 2 bobs worth

Just got home from game , Hogan has an unbelievable engine, that kid has got the goods, he chases , tackles and smothers, he's a great pack mark, he's kickings not the best but nor is Franklins, he's the best player on our list by a mile, that kids work rate is first class, he puts non tries like J Watts to shame, we finally going to have absolute A grade champion to go and watch, he's going to bring droves of supporters back to the G.

I have only been a supporter of the Melbourne FC since 1997. I come from Queensland and grew up playing Rugby League and Union as young child. I spent 13 years in the West surrounded by Eagles and Dockers fans before moving back home with my young family. As a supporter of a sporting side I have always thought that I was pretty level headed and could be quite balanced in my approach to providing that support. I loved to watch other teams play and enjoy the spectacle of the game. The last few years I have become increasingly obsessed with football and find my self in the off season getting very impatient with the lack of football in particular not being able to see the Mighty Demons playing. The last few years have also hardened my resolve and passion towards the boys. I can honestly say I am a one eyed supporter who is more ferociously vocal and feral when I watch the Dee's play. I also now hate every other team in the AFL with a passion because I only want success for one team and that is the demons.Whether this is good or bad remains to be seen, but I find it an interesting side effect that our boys are struggling on field and I am becoming more and more resolute in my view that they are the only team for me. It has now become a case of Us against Them and for me that is both disturbing and exhilarating. So bring it on Media Commentators and bring it on opposition supporters because regardless of who the President, Board, CEO or Coach is, I Support Melbourne FC!

Youngster Jarryd Drew, the 23rd player, kicks truly with a free after the siren and the Magpies are beaten by 15 goals! Casey Scorpions 5.3.33 9.7.61 14.11.95 21.15.141 Collingwood 2.1.13 3.3.21 5.6.36 7.9.51 Goals Casey Scorpions Goals Hughes Spencer 3 Best Byrnes Couch Hogan Jetta 2 Drew Gawn Gent Petropoulos Magner Collingwood Broomhead 2 Clarke Hudson Mooney Paine Best Casey Scorpions Couch Magner L Tynan Hogan Davis Spencer Collingwood Mooney Allan Yagmoor Broomhead Riddle Hellier

1. Let PJ restructure the admin including the FD. 2. New President and a few changes on the Board, keeping only those who can really contribute and adding people with expertise in the required portfolios. 3. New coach, with previous AFL experience, including if possible, a flag as a coach. Must be a player's coach and able to generate player buy in and loyalty. 4. Trade in a free agent mid or two who are in our best 22 with the right work ethic and with plenty of their career left. 5. Trade an aging ruckman to GWS, who will lose Brogan, for a mid or 2 or a mid and a pick. 6. Ontrade the pick for another mid. 7. Obtain a Priority Pick or two with the second at the end of round one. 8. Use the PP's and first few picks to draft mids. At least 4-5 could be taken and even more if good players were available. Also if possible get one or two Christensen/Motlop/Garlett small forward types. 9. Delist those who cannot dispose of the football to AFL standard. 10. Unless Gillies completely turns around his game admit failure on MN's older players and delist Byrnes, Rodan and Gillies and pay them out if necessary. Pedersen obviously gets another year as he has two more to go and is at least versatile. Dawes is fine. 11. Get as many games into JV, Blease, Kent, Taggart, Toumpas, Terlich, M. Jones, Fitzy, Gawn and Tynan as possible in the rest of this year. 12. Wrap Mitch in cotton wool for next year and keep him mentoring Jesse at Casey. 13. Re-sign Watts and Sylvia and get them to buy in under new Coach and new side that we will see in 2014. 14. Get as much cash from the AFL as possible to compensate for the dreadful financial fixture we have been given for the last few years (I admit our performances this year haven't helped). 15. Get everyone in the club to start talking up the club instead of spewing doom. 16. Pray for a good run with injuries next year. I know I have forgotten some points but feel free to add to them Demonlanders. I honestly believe with 2-3 reasonable mids from other clubs and the best two in the draft, as GWS will take Boyd, plus more mids and the improvement in the boys we have with another pre season and Mitch and Hogan into the forward line with Dawes and say Howe/Sylvia/Watts we will be a completely different side.

lol @ people criticising Hogans kicking i guess some Demon supporter are never satisfied, even when they have the best 18 year old in the country on the MFC list

Wow! Jesse Hogan just took a sensational mark over a pack of about five players. Goal and Casey now up by 39, make that 40 points.

I would really like to know what the players actually think. For me, the signatures of Sylvia and Watts are the litmus test. Some players have reputedly 'bought in', but I want to see 'buy in' from these two players and Frawley (in the form of a contract extension) - ideally, asap. No use entering another rebuild if we can't even keep the required players who are already on our list. In fact, does anyone have any knowledge as to where the contract discussions are at?

Many of the GC players have been playig together for 40- 50 odd games. They have some serious talent and will be a real force in a coiple of seasons. The media were calling for Guy Mckenna's head only a couple of month back. Good example of how quickly thigs can turn.

You are kidding i hope. How bout those senior players took it on themselves to improve. Against top sides Bruce & Moloney did nothing in their final years. They had peaked at a reasnoable level. Moloney sulked & people still wanted him captain. He was a major cog in the reason the side never progressed past mediocre. Played only on his terms. Not the team

I don't expect Neeld will be there next year, but if we sack him this week, one week after having an opportunity to sack him and discussing his future art a board meeting we are a disgrace. We could not have possibly learnt anything in those 8 days, the decision would be incomprehensible. After the season, perhaps. With a few rounds to go, quite possibly. This week? I doubt it, it doesn't make sense.

Look how hard GC are working!! Bunch of kids. What's the deal Demons?? Where is the effort & passion?

K--b King made a categorical statement this morning on SEN that Sylvia, Frawley and Watts will not be playing at Melbourne next year and that other clubs were already circling to take them.I am now so sick and tired of hearing outlandish and inflammatory statements made by so called "experts" that I believe that the AFL needs to step in and make a statement supporting the steps that the Club/P Jackson are taking. These type of statements not only exacerbate the loser mentality that pervades opposition supporters about our Club but also MFC supporters are also listening to this type of rubbish. I am tired of hearing radio stations having competitions like "the best left field candidate for President of the MFC". This is not a joke. They are talking about a multi million dollar business, of peoples livelihoods and tens of thousands of peoples passion. I was angry that both David Schwarz and Dr. Turf found it humorous. There wasn't even a sense of uneasiness from either. Is this what we have become. The butt of every radio stations jokes. An easy road kill.

It's a start up. Nothing existed 3 years ago. No supporters, no culture, nothing. It takes money to set a company up. Lots of it. What we must take from it is the progress of the team. We are the oldest club in the land, almost the world. Our supporters have the deepest pockets, our home is the mcg. We have no excuses except apethy.

The kid is still only a Zygote- He may or may not be a champ. I think the fact that we cling to the hope of him being a player points to our desperation. I've just had a brilliant idea. I'm calling it DEMONLAB. We start collecting sperm from Robbie Flower(not volunteering personally BTW) and mix it with an egg from say Cathy Freeman. We do ten or twelve of these variations a year to keep the list topped up . Then we build a Breakfast Point type facility at the Viney household where they can be raised properly(on a diet of red leather). Wait twenty years and the perpetual dynasty is begun. Other matches could be Lyon / Pittman , Schwartz /Natalie Jackson etc. With DNA we could breed out the genetic defects like Garrys back, Schwartas knees.etc That little Michelle Pearson would go well as a match with Ricky Jackson.(in and under rover/nice leap in the pocket) This could be the way to a perfect future for Demons everywhere. we will create Demonsraum (living space) as they progress in number and naturally we will kill all the girls at birth. Any thoughts?

In cotton wool for the 2014 draft night.

When I hear that the 'disgruntled' include people dumb enough to think that Jeff Kennett and The Ox could have any impact at all in turning the club around, or that we should bring in Sheedy as a new head coach, I pause. So many chest-beating egos, the 'I'm really red and blue so what I say, you do' attitudes, generation after generation of white-anting or public wailing by anyone at this club who feels like they aren't being given the control they 'deserve'. And in it all, in the absence of any meaningful statement of 'this practice should change', in the absence of real football or administrative insight, it just becomes a personal attack on whoever happens to be the incumbent.

Surely PH you are joking All were past it when they moved on Bruce at Hawthorn still was hospital handpass king Maloney points and yells at fellow teammates at Brisbane Junior was just too old Maybe we should have given him an assistant development role at melbourne He is the only one I miss!

Just reported on AFL.com that Taylor Adams has put off contract talks with GWS. I'd be keen for some vengeance, nicking a player like him. What do you think? Worth a crack surely. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-06-08/taylor+adams+post+geelong

And they did it without two of their senior recruits Bock and Brennan and three of their brightest stars Bennell, Smith and Matera. And they've still got Jack Martin up their sleeve. Scary.

Neil Mitchell would be one

A few of these players were onboard back in 2009 in the TAC cup, and more came onboard when they started in the VFL in 2010 - and all that time with the same coach. Unity, consistency, familiarity.

If he's pale and skinny ill spew

Couldn't believe North were red hot favourites, tipped Gold Coast comfortably.

Dependent on a decent opposing option, I am keen for a change. If that included Kennett, so be it. I am neither passionately opposed or supportive of him.

There's many factors for that which has been done to death on here. I'm just gonna go watch them play with no expectations and watch certain players such as Toumpas, Kent and Evans as they are the future.

Wilson works for the AFL.

He can play, gets the footy and his disposal's good. Make him an offer he can't refuse. If he refuses it, somebody else overpays.

Saddam?

Someone mentioned if there weren't expansion teams we would of only won 1 game out of 33... This is true but we would also have a better crop of youngsters that the GC & GES sucked up. The coach can't give the players confidence, he can't make them get to each contest harder and quicker, there is only so much a coach can do do be it Neeld, Roos, Eade or whoever is in the seat. Today GWS pushed the cats by sticking to a game plan & structure, are our boys so dumb that they can't do the same? Neil Craig would have a lot to do with our game plan / structure, how far off can it be? Not sure about you guys but when I'm at work I do what the boss says to, the way he said to do it... Maybe the MFC should try the same

The only thing we can do to stop this sort of press is to perform on the field. If the team is able to improve and earn respect through playing hard tough footy then this sort of negative press can help to galvanize the team. The media can GAGF!

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.

Thanks for the updates KC. any grade, any time the black and white lose makes me happy

Bailey was everyones mate and Neeld has none. Daniher played favourites . Tough gig coaching. I have the feeling that the list is fundamentally good, young, balanced and fit. Just need a puppetmaster.

There are pros and cons for Kennett, and if asked to vote, my initial thought would be I would vote him in. But after further consideration, the biggest concern I see is not the foot in mouth issues he is famous for, the arrogance, or the self promotion. But more if in 3, 4, or 5 years down the track, if he can't make it work, we then have an outspoken non Melbourne president coming out telling the world there is no other choice, the club must merge. And make no mistake about it, Jeff's only interest is self interest....................if he couldn't make it work, he would send the club to oblivion to protect his reputation. He's too loose, we're too vulnerable, and the risk isn't worth taking.

Blame the people running the club. It is the only way the place will get better. Sympathy won't win us games or retain players. What certain paid employees have done to this club since 2000 makes me F&@in' angry. Why would David King care. I care not for his old club.

How has Sellar been playing? (I was hoping that he might of lined up against Cloke on Monday.)

From the very beginning I've said that Neeld should be given until next year, and I still stick by that.

BB you are a man ahead of your time. I have a role for you in my new admin. You will find me a great President to work under.

Devils advocate question: Players may not sign because they are waiting to see if we sack Neeld. What if they want to play under Neeld and think that the club will be going backwards by saving the FD and start again? If this is the case, the club would be aware of this but the supporters won't.

Why exactly? Cannot we take anything he says at face value? Because, if that's the case, he is exactly the type of person who should not be our next club president.

Tappy is a slow, 180cm, non midfielder, who goes hard, but gets little of the ball and more often than not is injured. Taken after we took Gysberts and overlooked every Demonlander's choice of Daniel Talia or Kane Lucas. BP take another bow

History shows that in tough and desperate times, people make some bad decisions when electing leaders. Some of the worst dictators the world's known were elected or came into power with popular support in the wake of the Great Depression of the last century on the back of replacing supposedly incompetent or failed regimes. Whether or not you think Gutnick was a good or bad leader or what he did was right (he believed it to be good governance to reveal salary cap breaches and minimise the extent of the sanction), the people of this club then went out and elected Szondy. I don't believe that Kennett (a man who, when questioned, didn't know the club song) is a realistic candidate but our greatest fear should be that these latest rumblings might see the emergence of another group of people of the ilk of the Szondy regime which left tax bills unpaid in a cupboard and the club chairman walked out without facing the members at an AGM. That's governance? Can we see worse than what we have now? We've had them. My oath we can.

Hopefully it was a Collingwood player

He speaks well of you! p.s. He did have a real job. He was a founding director of a successful advertising agency! At least he didn't go to Melbourne Grammar like John Brumby and John Thwaites, neither of whom had real jobs!

Thanks for your service, dedication and passion Don but its time to move aside and give the job to someone who can give this club some mojo. The supporters are divided but for mine after 35 years as a member, I want dynamic successful people with proven football experience on the board. This is not personal, you are a good bloke with a big heart. Get it done Don, and don't wait until there is a supporter driven spill.

I think Kernahan summed it up in 1 short sentence on mmm tonight.

If only the MFC players had half as much passion on field as some of the guys in this topic when the MFC would be unstoppable!

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...