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Essendon paid Matthew Knights not to coach in 2011 and 2012 (sacked with 2 years contract left). Paid Hird not to coach in 2014 while suspended. Will pay Hird not to coach in 2016. Probably $2-3 million spent on coaches who didn't coach!

Hird & his acolytes. AFL followers. Demonland posters.

Its everyone's fault

He should sue them. It's a disgrace!

Below is an e-mail I sent a St Kilda supporting colleague of mine who's been having a go at me for several weeks now about Melbourne's lack of improvement under Roos. This is my response to those claims and anyothers out there: Alright so you've been stirring the pot for the best part of the second half of this season now Nixon, Every time there's a bad loss, which admittedly, there's been more then I'd like, all I hear is how big a fraud Paul Roos is and the lack of improvement or slow progress of that has been shown since he came in at the end of the 2013 season. So it got me thinking to myself if there has been enough improvement when taking into account what he took over and how far back the team is coming from compared to any other team we've seen in the competition. So I decided to do some research last night to get an idea on how the team is tracking compared to other teams. First I haven't included Gold Coast or GWS for obvious reasons, and comparing them to Fitzroy also isn't a proper indication, given what went on in their final years. So my first task outside those three teams was to find the last team to have a 2-20 or worse season with a percentage of 54.07% or worse. Last team to go 2-20 in a year was Fremantle in 2001, however they had a much more respectable and competitive percentage of 72.02%, so they weren't coming back from as far as the rabble that was Melbourne 2013. I then noticed that a team I'm not taking into consideration, Fitzroy had a more competitive 2nd last season (1995) then Melbourne did in 2013. The Lions went 2-20 with a percentage of 58.17%, so again this helps get an idea of where the Demons were at. But finally my search came to an end when I came to the 1993 season that saw the Sydney Swans (mind you only a 20 game season) go 1-19. They had a more healthy percentage still of 63.32%, but given they had less wins, I decided this was the best team to compare Melbourne of 2013 to. Now the man who was responsible for the Swans rebuild was the great Ron Barassi, arguably one of the 5 greatest coaches the game has ever known, so there were some interesting comparisons to make. SYDNEY 1993, Barassi's 1st year go 1-19 @ 63.32% 1994, Barassi's 2nd year go 4-18 @ 78.07 (Percentage jump of about 15) 1995, Barssi's 3rd & final year go 8-14 @ 100.65% (Arrival of Plugger, percentage jump of about 22, doubled wins) MELBOURNE 2013 Year before Roos comes in go 2-20 @ 54.07% 2014 Roos 1st year go 4-18 @ 68.37% (Percentage jump of about 14) 2015 Roos 2nd year currently 6-13 @ 76.40% - Games v Carlton & GWS in Melbourne to come. (Arrival of Hogan, current percentage jump of about 8, potential double wins.) Now I'm not saying that Roos will have Melbourne playing in a Grand Final next year to mirror Sydney of 1996, but the fact is no coach has tried to bring a team back from as far behind as Roos is with Melbourne for 20 years. And when you compare how Melbourne is tracking with Sydney of 20 years ago, they're going along reasonably well. The percentage jumps haven't been as high, but Melbourne's percentage was further back then Sydney's to begin with. The main point being that to say another coach would be doing just as well as Roos is flawed, given the last coach to do something similar was Barassi. Sure it would be nice to be at a stage where we could coast along and underachieve like some other clubs have over the last 10 years when they should have been winning Grand Finals, but we're still getting back to a position to where we can even underachieve. The administration during the Bailey era and then the appointment of Neeld has cost this club a good 5 years +. We're only just getting back to where we were positioned probably about the end of the 2009, 2010 season. While the win column keeps ticking up and the percentage keeps ticking up I'm satisfied with the improvement, despite the odd horror performance post the Darwin game as happens every year. But with a young midfield (Viney, Brayshaw, Petracca, Salem, Tyson, Neal-Bullen, Stretch) and spine (Hogan, Gawn, McDonald) at our disposal, I'm as optimistic as I've been since about 2004 that the future's looking alright . Just need some outside run! Anyway that's where it's at for me. Everyone entitled to their opinion. But while the wins and percentage tick upwards, then the improvement's there. The goal for 2016 should be for finals. 10 wins as a minimum.

The only thing that will make this funnier is if EFC appoint Neeld as the interim coach

He could always take up a trade to make ends meet. Maybe painting?

Says the bloke who will not take any further interest in the MFC until trade and draft periods.

"Get me the good stuff We're playing Carlton this week..." Hird Text message to Dank Round 4 2012. Never Forget....

The best though; THE WAY JAMES HIRD HAS BEEN TREATED THROUGH ALL OF THIS IS **** DISGRACEFUL AND INHUMANE THE CLUB THAT HE LOVES AND BLEEDS HAS TREATED HIM LIKE A PIECE OF ****. HE AS ENDURED MORE THAN ANYONE HAS HAD TO GO THROUGH,BUT STAYED TRUE BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE OF THE CLUB AND THE PLAYERS. AND HE GETS TREATED LIKE THIS. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. THE ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

I'm a little bit proud to say I was Tayla's first senior coach a few years back. She missed four games and still won the League's B & F as a 15 year old. The kid is a star. Bit surreal to see images of her popping up on my favourite football forum. A national league now seems a formality. 220,000 viewers watched a game of women's footy on free to air footy. Exciting times and no less than girls like Tayla deserve.

Ok so that's Hird, Go get Abbott

One of the funniest things ever is happening on Twitter right now The hashtag #putyourpeptidesout is gaining momentum with some hilarious pics being posted

bomberblitz poster imploring fellow posters not to burn their memberships cards before an egm so they can vote out the board first - lol

The Tird gets another year off while being payed $750k - some punishment.

He could become a political adviser to Tony Abbott

bomberblitz will be great reading off to get the popcorn first

What has that got to do with anything?

I have to agree I don't think the lists are that much different but the game plans are. It takes time and acceptance of failure but the frenetic attack on the ball to keep it moving at all costs, the forward press that we saw from the Dogs this week makes sense. It doesn't give players time to think and second guess themselves too often. But it does require everyone to chase, tackle but just as importantly it demands that players run into space to create an option forward of the ball. And we are pathetic at that. It drives me nuts how our guys forward of the ball fail to present. The top sides always have options when challenged. All out attack when you have the ball, man up when you don't. Is it that hard?

When you guys realise that our pathetic club lost to that rabble this year...

Now I like a good bludge as much as the next bloke. But this is stupid

So are worksafe. Essendon are in a worse position than they've ever been. In all likelihood, we aren't even midway through this. Essendon still have to answer to WADA, still have to answer to worksafe, and still could have to answer to further penalties from the AFL - if the WADA case finds them guilty. I actually think draftees should be vocal about the prospect of landing at Essendon, it is a mental health issue now.

Anybody ask him at the press conference if he was gonna leave his computer behind....

This is just too funny: — Ben Smith (@BenSmith94) August 18, 2015 Hird was a class act to the end. Always put players ahead of himself. Eventually he will be remembered as a Mandela type figure #standbyhird

Hird’s comments when he took over – ‘the club can’t get much worse than this ….’. Bwah ha hahhahaahhahahah !

The writing is on the wall, time to go. The EFC board hiding their disappointment AFL house.

I'm honestly surprised no one being a player or father of a player hasn't knocked him out yet.

What did I do wrong?

Interesting. There's a difference between "chose to resign" and "agreed to resign" though.

The dogs and saints were never at anywhere near the depth we were at. It has taken Roos two years to get us back to just above their deepest point, and we have dramatically improved to get to that point! You are missing any real perspective on where we are at and where we were at, and the realities of what is needed for the club to go forward, and the inevitable pains along the way.

Yes, an easier draw would suggest more wins against bottom 6 teams, and yet four of the six wins have come against Geelong, Collingwood, Richmond and the Dogs. All top 8 sides either this year or last year. If we had taken the Essendon win that was on a platter and snatched the first St Kilda win, we'd be on eight wins and looking down the barrel of nine. Most here thought 7-8 wins was the benchmark for this season. You can't then change the goalposts and dismiss the extra few wins as resulting from the addition of Hogan. Expectation will go up for 2016 and so it should, but it's a very long way back when you sink to Fitzroy levels. Are we playing better footy than last season? I would have liked to have seen a more attacking and attractive brand this year but I'm impatient like most supporters. Certainly our best performances this year far exceeded our best from last year. Adelaide was probably the best win last season and that was a dogfight. Geelong was the best win this year in which they gave us an opening and we ran over them. Geelong in Geelong. Fanciful stuff two years ago. We no longer inevitably crumble when challenged and have been able to arrest momentum in games where previously we inevitably would have folded - see Geelong and Collngwood in particular. Starts and finishes are clearly still an issue, as is our kicking which to a large degree can only be addressed with a change in personnel. You simply can't be a top four side in the AFL if you can't consistently hit targets and that is where so much of our play is falling apart. The list requires another shake up or two, but the core is being assembled. I don't think Vince is the only one to have a good year. Gawn has had a breakout season. Viney has improved and moved ahead of Cross in the pecking order of our midfield, McDonald still gives me chest pains with ball in hand but has been solid, Jetta has cemented his form from last year, and so many others have been hit with injury that it's difficult to make a fair assessment. I would also add that I truly believe the team has not been 100% fit and healthy the past couple of weeks. We're used to seeing drop offs but rarely do we see drop offs like what happened on the weekend. So I'm not letting that cloud my judgement too much. If you let the weekend's performance be the reflection of where we are at, then naturally there would be massive alarm bells. I don't think it's a true reflection. If none of that sways you, simply be happy that we have McCartney in our ranks. He's the one who laid the foundations of the side that creamed us on Sunday.

You are either having a laugh with that Petracca one or you seriously have NFI about football. The same with JKH.

I think he was seeing if anyone actually reads his post, because other than that is is just purely looking for a reaction.

Now 'Django', you are taking the p....here surely.

It's not unusual for youngish sides to cop beltings near the end of the season when they're reaching for the finish line and finals are beyond them. Conversely it wouldn't surprise me if they perform well this week against Carlton. It's the consistency of effort that will allude them. But what annoys me is Roos saying in his post match presser, "I've only been here 18 months". No, it's nearly 2 years and stop distancing yourself from the football club. Stop the constant referencing of the past; whether it's by inference or design.

Yeah but we need to field a side, Redleg

One midfielder is supposed to prevent an entire red hot team running all over the top of his team? A bit of help would've been nice. This argument is pointless and goes round in circles with middle to poor clubs. When Richmond are struggling Cotchin is the worst captain in the league, when they're winning he's suddenly a great leader. Why wasn't this brought up when Jones destroyed Richmond? Or whenever he kicks a clutch goal (rarely misses, unlike Cotchin)? We beat Geelong and Carey is comparing him to Selwood, we lose to the Bulldogs and now his captaincy is questioned. What a joke.

Michie doesn't deserve to be dropped. Had a dip yesterday.

How many players in the league can play on talls, small forwards and resting mids??

Not fazed if Jessie wins the rising star. Just very happy with his performances over the year and looking forward to watching him next year.

I think this year's trading and drafting period will see the delisting of most of the players, who Demonlanders feel are not up to it. We will hopefully snare a FA mid who will add to our side and draft well. We will then have have changed 75% of the list that we had when Roos was appointed. It would be impossible to argue then IMO, that we don't have a better list than when he arrived. While we will still have some players who may not be the best in the AFL, we will have some serious talent on the list. The next step is to keep developing the younger players and teach the list a game plan that they can understand and implement. A game plan that can help us win games. IMO our players don't understand what they are to do when they get the ball, or where they are supposed to be when they haven't got it. I also think that the Coaches have had quite a few games where they have not been at their best.

The deal that will sink all the Swans hard won respect. Never again. Jesus aint coming back. Think of it this way.... Your name is Joe Blo and you are playing great footy for the Swans ,and are off the Rookie list. You attend all the meetings,sessions,physio etc just like Buddy and Kurt(even a few more ) Contract time comes around and although you have played the same amount of games,are in the 10 top in the B and F,theses guys are guaranteed their 1 mill but you have to argue the point for your $250,000 ,beg to get a massage because 3 guys are doing Buddys legs before a match ,sit up the back of the plane etc. Meanwhile other clubs are noticing your talents and are building something from the ground up and have offered you $320k How does that work for the other 39 guys on the list? The Swans are back to oblivion for the foreseeable.

I've just gone through some of his highlights this year. 39 goals (with three games to go) from a key forward in his first year is an incredible feat. I love that after he kicks a goal in most cases, he acknowledges the player who delivered it to him.

Poor choice of avatar, fella. Seriously.

I liked Hogan at the centre bounce. No one picked him up as no-one would be big enough, and if the ball comes his way he busts through and gets it forward. Now we just need another Hogan to be on the other end to mark it....

Agreed.Dogs lost major experience and key parts of their Prelim runs. They have spent 3 years down the bottom, never bottomed out, and now look like Hawthorn did in 2007 and 2008. Last year we should have won 10 games considering the position we were in over 10 matches. Losing the final 10 games wouldn't have been as damning had we won 8 games prior to that (Port, Bulldogs, Saints, Suns, who we all led at one point in the last). Throw in Port again, Lions, Dogs again. That's 7 games we were in very winnable positions in. That hasn't been the case this year. Of 12 loses, we have only been in it 4 times: Adelaide, Collingwood, St Kilda and Essendon. The other 8 games, we were never a chance, and the loses against the Saints and Bombers were disappointing in the way that they should have been wins. We went from competing in 2014, to disappointing in 2015. 6 wins is merely normalisation. We added Hogan, Garlett, Lumumba, Brayshaw, VB, a good balance of experience, big bodies and young talent. To suggest we are only a 2-win better side than last year is comical. 8 wins is still the pass mark. Carlton is a must win. And it must be a strong win. Compete against Freo. And [censored] those runts from GWS. Otherwise yet another season is lost after a handful of bad loses to end the year. You can't undervalue the importance of closing the year strong if you aren't in the finals. Great clubs play to win. We're beyond merely passing off loses and matches as being worthless. Roos will earn his pay the next three weeks. It's integral for the team's development, sponsorship, memberships, free agency that we play a brand of football that showcases how far the club has come. If they can't do that, 2016 will just be another year. You can't get away with just passing off loses. It plays on the mind and opposing teams will take advantage. I'm surprised that after a decade, some here still undervalue a win, even wins against teams like Carlton.

Who ever is calling it next year we need to change our game plan. Defensive skills are great, holding possession is great but when that makes you static against the newer frenetic offensive forward press game plan of the Dogs and other top sides, you need to change your style. The Dogs were frenetic, manic and aggressive, we were shell shocked, static and reactive, they ran forward in numbers, won possession, then spread in all directions, giving numerous options. What do we do? Take a mark, prop, look for an option, turn it over! It is a lot to do with the game plan.

No wonder you call yourself Bimbo. Last year we led in the last quarter in around 12 games. We apparently didn't know how to finish and it was something to do with fitness. This year we expected that we would be more consistent but still have occasional lapses. We are anything but consistent. We have won 2 more games than last year but this was absolutely expected and frankly we should give it away if we can't improve on 4 wins.. Bulldogs have improved. West Coast have improved. St Kilda have improved,. Richmond have improved. Have we improved? Marginally, at best. We are a psychotic team that has a game plan that is clearly too hard for these simpletons. The coach has to take some heat for these pathetic performances. How can you go and get blown away in the first quarter this week and last. Where is the preparation? WTF do they do during the week? The best game they played the players themselves prepared during the week so what does that say about the coaches???? How can you leave Oxley on his own to take 14 marks in defence, 8 intercepts. How is it we leave a spare opp'n player in defence and get whipped. I am not seeing any improvement in coaching. I am seeing some individuals improve. But I am not seeing an improvement in effort and running and skills and decision making. Its laughable.

Melbourne has made enquiry into Adam Tomlinson and the possibility of him crossing over and potentionaly taking Howes spot if Howe looks to move on talks went well with management,2nd rounder on the table Heard it here first