Rhino Richards

He has had valid and relatively unreconstrained 5 years to build a list after inheriting the dregs of 1997, dealt with in baord fights and salary cap penalties. He has to deliver improvement on the past 3 years where we have made the finals but disappeared in the first two weeks. He has started badly and the flow of injuries to key players does not help. I would credit this Board under Gardiner as being responsible and sensible enough to have outlined their expectations for 2007. To achieve less than we did last year will see him go. Yes this Board is most "unMelbourne" aren't they. If we do win ND is in no win position on this forum because the great unwashed will say he should have played these depth players sooner.

Being associated and knowing people are not the same thing. You can know people in the MFC Footy Dept and the Board without having an association with either group. And before you ask......Its No to both categories.

Too many people jumping to inappropriate conclusions without the facts. Its common around here.

I was not putting a case for. I was enquiring why a person should be ruled out based purely on the number of games played. What does the poster know about Newton other than number of games?

You dont read or cant comprehend.

What does qualify as an AFL ruck coach and how would you know? Anything to do with the fact of the lack of funds at MFC. Its pure crap we dont play our youth. They would be a critical part of our push this year. The following players with approx 60 games or 3 years are in or would be in our team if it were not for injury. Bartram McLean Sylvia CJ Bate Bell Jones Dunn Certainly Pettard and Frawley would have been in the mix if not injured. Thats 10 players out of 22.

Sam Newman was only doing mentoring. He was not in an official position as ruck coach. Different obligations and time commitments.

No. He did a knee. Why could he not be an AFL ruck coach?

Against a crippled and poorly performed Richmond. Even their coach says will not challenge til 2011. That another issue in itself Collingwood have gone into this season with a dubious finals chance. They traded Tarrant. Their best on their list are old and injury prone and falling off the pace. Their recruiting in the past five years has been ordinary. What other choice do they have? Aside the goal to one of their debutants they did little

How could he go into survival mode? If he does not get Top 4 he's gone. He is seeking to win games by using the available depth. Its a big ask to get young players in development mode to come out and ont only compete but win. Both a risks. I think there is a lesser risk by doing what is done. Tactically we need to close down the game and make it a scrap on our terms. Nullify the Cats. I believe experience would be valuable in this process. How did you work out PJ was replacing CJ? Same surname? If we win its more of short term fix but a fair dollop of credit. The next 8 weeks is critical to our season to get our best players back. Its amazing we are 0 and 2 and some supporters are calling for tactics that wave the white flag and say the seasons over. What a cop out.

While they had injuries to Darcy, Minson and Murphy the Bulldogs had a solid core of Johnson, Cooney, West , Griffen etc who played every game. How would they have gone without those players? I think MFC's injury worries at the moment are worse than the Bulldogs. Good point about Sylvia. Just because he is injured seems to be no impediment for some ignoramuses to abuse the MFC Footy dept for not picking him.

I said I was not associated with the Football Department when you asked. If I was on the Board I would be responsible for the ultimate apppointment and conduct of the football department. So how could I be on MFC Board if I am not associated with the MFC Football Dept? Marvellous. You dont read the posts after you ask the question. You must have seen it you replied to it! http://demonland.nozzs.org/forum/index.php...c=4981&st=0 Post 20. Before you ask I am not involved in any other dept of MFC.

Correct Brocky.

Common Sense is a rare commodity in this neck of the woods TPGS. Well done. Careful they might pair Bev at CHF with Saunter at FF.

He took time to develop because he just a boy playing a man's game. He did the ready development at Sandy and was debuted with success last year. It validates the success of his development. When he first started at Sandy he struggled. So how ws he going to cut it at AFL level. The days of playing 15yo Timmy Watsons in the top league are gone. Some people think that you can just take a young bloke say hey presto and just add water and you have an immediate AFL footballer. Its the rare, highly talented player that can bridge that enormous gap between U17s and AFL. Many of the cream struggle. Bate was taken 12 months younger than the typical top recruit. And that's bulltish about Scott Thomson who had a chequered fitness career at MFC and finshed his final year injured after being the No 1 midfielder we had. Armas is still a fringe player in a better team. Who is competing with on WCE list for the crumber role? I am sure you will say he's got a membership medallion to prove it. Good on him. Shannon Motlop has one too. I dont rate him. Have a look at the teams we fielded last year and count the number of 3 year or less players we had in the team. Look at how MFC young players have featured in rising star award. Lack of courage.....Bollocks. But keep pushing the myth.

You are slow. You have asked me that before and I have answered it. I have also stated that elsewhere on this Forum what my association is. Once more it is No. Read No. Geez, you miss so much for someone who makes categorical assessments of public figures.

I actually think where in with a chance depending on the discipline of our selected players and the mood of Geelong. If we win I will enjoy watching those that have thrown in the towel after Rd 2 wipe egg of their face. They know who they are and some of them are in this thread.

I dont think so. his body language and actions are different in 07 than he was in 2005 and 2006.

Steve f, The players you focus on are periphery of our playing list. Few, if any are tradeable and FWIW I actually thought it was thsoe fringe players that stood up and made us half respectable against the Hawks. Get rid of players like PJ, Ferguson Warnock! Who cares? They are not regular senior players on perfomance and therefore not responsible They are there for list depth pending injury to more preferred and skilled players. And remember We can only realistic get rid of 5 to six players each year. As a consequence you can only draft 5 to 6 players. A clean out takes a couple of seasons depending upon the roll out of contract expiries. Are the six up backman you want to slice out of contract? And if so what do you replace them with 18 yo saplings or 25 yo rejects from other Clubs What is critical is what is happening to your critical players who are vital to your success and are the backbone of your side... I think these 10 players are critical to our success over the season: Neitz.......Injured gone for six weeks McLean....Injured gone for six weeks Pickett........Injured, Overweight White....Deteriorating form Rivers...Injured...Dodgy hamstring TJ.....Not interested.Maybe be injured but his attitude stinks. Bruce...Good second week but disposal a problem Whelan- Injured first week. Poor form the second week Bate- A developing midfielder sadly out of touch. Bartram- Injured Add to that Robbo injured, Yze gone, Davey disappeared..... That's where your focus should be. They are the players that win and lose you games. Not the fringe players FWIW, Pickett's contract is expiring this year. From what I have seen of a 32yo overweight player that cant get on the track it is his last. At least Godders and Brown are getting on the track and contributing. Before you have a ping at the Board do you actually understand their strategy and the decisions they have put in place? It appears not. But dont let that stop yo citing Motlop's gut being a reason for failing. When was he critical last year? Pickett for his lack of fitness last year was actually important to us in 2006. But you are complaining about the Board and Pickett's gut and you want to give him another year? Thanks

Bravo Finks and Nasher. At least some common sense still around.

Completely agree.Well said. Some of the comments on this thread do little but highlight the limitations of the posters not their targets.

So given he's hardly likely to let anything out of the bag and he was there mainly in the context of the coaches association why wasn't it effective?

Agree Nasher. We still get the great myth that the midfield has not been the same since Ratten left.

Completely agree with what you have said. Yze Magic, I'd stick with making rank connections between the injury list and the new trainer.

Its a celebration of circumstance rather than achievement. From our list I would have had Yze, Davey ahead of Armas. He is neither he nor there. He's fringe.