Rhino Richards

How could it have been done better post 2007? Can you give individual examples? I can give you examples where we treated each of the past champs very fairly indeed better than they would have got elsewhere. As for pre 2007, I recall the Ox bleated louder than 2007 boys put together when his body and performances gave way. Could we have handled that better by putting a sock in it at the time? Football is harsh game where opportunities are finite and time you start and the date your last game is played is not in the control of the individual. When Bailey took over the football list at MFC was a trainwreck of sparse talent. Our best over the previous five years were either broken down or had become fringe players bouncing back and forth from VFL to AFL. He also took over a culture swamp where too many of our alleged "leaders" were overly selfish me too players who had a false of expectation notwithstanding others could see them wilting in the AFL. Bailey also got rid of dweebs like TJ and Carroll immediately. Bailey gets criticised for alot of things but I believe he should be recognised for the respectful and sensible way he turned the list over in his first 3 years and was prepare to blood younger players and see past greats off limping into the sunset. He had a "poor" year and kicked 37 goals while he clearly struggled with the captaincy. Yes lets get rid of him

Bailey's game plan was very much about hard running starting with the ball in defence then using a chain of handballs/ passes to create space for the next player to open options through the corridor. Its great to see when they get it right. What lets us down so so so many times was our poor decision making and inability to hit targets. So when we did miss a target we had players running forward that got out on the rebound. There is probably an element of fitness there as a group and specific individual, definitely some examples of laziness at times, inexperience. FWIW, laziness is an attitude and attitudes can be changed and changed quickly both at the indvidual and group level. I seen it happen in a game. My best example to mind was the wizard in 2000 when he was rotten and ill disciplined in the first half then benched, came on after half time and kicked 9 goals. Fitness must be developed over time. Some key positions, the building of the match fitness can take years. I do accept some players attitudes can take longer to address (Did I say Fev?)

Which is the classy way is that? Offer them another contract when their careers were past it? Junior could have been done better. But hell Neitz, White Yze and Robbo were finished as footballers well before they left MFC. After years of just ruling the roost, all of those mentioned bar Neitz have whinged like cut cats over their false sense of entitlement. MFC use to be a great superannuation plan for many LT players. We used to give one too many 2-3 year contract at the end of their careers

I know he may not have been 23 at the time but was Barry Hall the last plug in and go KPF to be traded.

Its sound good but its obvious that at the start of October after 4 weeks off season, players fitness levels would be at their low point. I wonder if he meant 50% fitter their current position or from last season? It would be interest to gauges Misson's view on where they should be starting this season to where they were last season. Any improvements in players fitness and conditions is greatly accepted.

Any chance Bruce and his manager summised that he had only 1 possibly 2 years (if lucky) in the AFL. He was offered a 1 yr deal at MFC - Younger list, struggling coach, risk of another tough bottom quartile finish, another tough year ahead He was offered a 1 yr deal at HFC - List ready to challenge again with the possibility of winning a flag. What do you do? He took HFC as the one chance to possibly feature in a flag. Ok did not pay off with his injuries What he missed at MFC in 2011? 1.Instability off field in FD and Board 2, Terrible injury/suspension list 3. an opportunity to participate in 186 4. Sacking of the Coach. 5. Certain delisting after season's end Cant say I blame him for having a shot at glory.

I hear Newton maybe overseas and they are doing the right thing until he returns. He wont get another rookie spot, Striker I am not sure why they need to have 2 weeks to check him out. He has been in the system for 7 years and done nothing. What is there still to be known??

Newton is on the rookie list and is not fighting for a similar position. Warnock only covered Rivers barely, He is no insurance for Frawley Garland and others. We need hard bodies that can play football to an acceptable standard.

Its up to Bruce whether he takes the advice Honestly how complex was the decision Bruce had to make???? Not very. It was in Bruce's court and he know exactly what he was doing.

that's why they will keep Newton on the list for a few years.

HIs leadership could not have been missed too much if the Club stuck firm with Junior already gone. Hmmm. Bruce was a side issue to 2011 mess. His presence would have blocked the opportunity to bring on Tapscott, Strauss and Blease. His on field impact would have been negligible. There was never any risk of being overpaid in his final contract offer. Diablo thats rubbish about his manager. Bruce has been in the system 12 years. The issue was do I take 1 yr at MFC or 1 yr at HFC. The decision was Bruce's and his alone.

That sounds like a more plausible explanation than your previous one.

I think Petterd will struggle for a spot up forward. He may be played back. They could use Tom McD and Garland to cover along the HBL. I am not sure what gap JoelMac appropriately as a fringe player. I understand from a sage posterr that with Maric gone, we need to get rid of one more? Wonna or JoelMac? Whoever survives the next cut will depend on whether we have a target in the PSD.

There were a few cameos at AFL and some performances at Sandy where Newton had the ability marking (not just contested) but also was a very effective kick for goal. But the problem was above the shoulders? If we gave contract based on a big body then we would still have Paul Johnson here probably on a 5 year contract. Hmmmm!!!

Agree about Strauss but I cant see how the addition of a fringe player for another preferred player provides any mitigation of your concerns about defence. Its against good sides that your weakest or fringe players get exposed/found out.

aka Chris Johnson Are you being sarcastic? That reason is a furphy. Maric was not good enough....period. Newton had more skills at AFL level than Maric. Newton just did not have the mindset and maturity to capitalise on it.

We have to make cuts and that is the challenge. You have to punt on Strauss and Grimes back for at least some part of 2012. I think they are both better for MFC than playing a fringe player. Interesting one.

I reckon Bruce realised that he only had one year possibly two years of football left in him. He summised that at MFC he had only 1 year at most. He was right. After he had an injury riddled year with 9 games, Tapscott and Strauss were coming up and would have been preferred. There was no chance given where MFC's list is that he would have gotten another run in 2012. And putting the Club before yourself in this modern game is not leadership but self sacrifice. Bruce may have been self mercenary but for guy who was pick 64 in 1999, he did well to play 233 games in 12 years with 1 Bluey and a couple of close calls on it. Wouldnt mind if we got a few picks like that at pick 60+.

When he took over the Saints they had crashed out of elimination final against MFC in 2006 in poor style. Hardly in their prime.The side as whole lacked speed and lack discipline. All the key Saints players have played their best football under Lyon. StKilda had Hayes who I would rate as better than Ball. And having both these players wth a couple of thers did little for their pace. St Kilda offered him a lower contract in that regard. The Pies had a shortage there and put the feelers out for him. The Pies put the Saints and other Clubs over the barrel when they would only offer pick 26. It did not finish well for the Saints. He wears some of the egg on Lovett but he took Michael Gardiner who became a very good ruck for them. Every Club whines about Etihad. Its a shocking lifeless stadium. Crowds of all Clubs dont turn up as they would at the G. Hell, Lyon had them winning more than 65% of games under him including one season where they won 20-2 for the home and away season. Gee that must have really upset Saints fans winning each week. Nice try at the melodrama and history revision though.

What can you say about the rest of top 25 in the 2003 draft? I should have excluded Cooney but after Walker, Sylvia and Ray have been perfunctionary in their performances, the rest of the field has been ordinary. Across the Board the 2003 draft has been poor.

What??? He took them within a kick of a flag. If anything he got them there. The Club and the players should be ashamed. The recruiting of Lovett, the pre season lunacy with the schoolgirl and the incredible use of Ricky Nixon as a "negotiator" for the Club. I can fully understand Lyon's fury at having his final year absolutely derailed by these circus antics.

Who does JoelMac adequately cover when a player? He does not adequately cover Frawley, Rivers or Garland and cant play the small defender. We still have Davis and TomMcD to bring in as well as playing Tapscott, Grimes and Strauss. I dont think we can retain him just for "depth". So who else would you cut?

Its irrelevant, They are all not good enough and each one has to go. If you want to keep him, whose contract do you pay out? Given what that would cost MFC, JoelMac is not worth it.

MFC need to offload 3 players this year in total from its list. JoelMac, Wonna and Maric are gone. Best hope is a rookie spot - Not sure he will make it though.

Absolutely not, Selfish lazy talented cat who is a considerable off field burden. We wasted time with one Motlop before. Not another.