Mazer Rackham

Sheedy ... Malthouse ... Mark Williams ... yes, give me one of those weird premiership-winning coaches.

Inexpensive role models.

The AFL's strong stance on fairness, corruption, integrity, and so on, is a mirage. They are completely arbitrary, and completely sanctimonious about it. One tiny example: they go after Paul Roos after some throw-away comments during a NAB Cup game, and then ridicule Libber when he accuses Carlton of tanking. It's a pain, but best not to lose too much sleep over it.

Agree. I would have preferred not to get him, but he's here now, so ..... go Dawesy!

Langdon's opinion can be safely disregarded. He struggles with understanding how to open his letterbox, let alone what goes on at footy clubs that are not WCE.

Why Rodan? Why Gysberts? Neeld sent a message in each case. Rodan: as a mentor. Make the most of what you've got. Gysberts: give 100% or go home. In light of that you can understand all of the trading decisions. The numbers (pick 11, pick 88, etc) don't mean anything.

He doesn't even need to do that. Just lure a defender away from Clark and get the ball to some crumbers.

Yes, then he complimented Geelong on picking up two 27-year olds. Wise recruiting, that. It's now more funny than annoying listening to the old fool.

Collingwood now "have" to get rid of Dawes, otherwise they are paying a bloke to play in the VFL next year. Buckley doesn't rate him, it seems. And Cloke and Lynch are ahead of him in terms of getting a game. (Otherwise, why did they bother getting Lynch?) We can play hardball too.

With reason. (But I still hold out hope!)

I can't see JW as a key forward. To me, he's a bigger James Hird, or a smaller Adam Goodes. Mobile, and dangerous any time he's near the footy.

Funny. Is that strong sense of deja vu I'm feeling? Didn't those sorts of things get said about Scully, Trengove and Jack Watts? There is no saviour, messiah or whatever. Don't pressure the boy.

So, is your disappointment that: a) MFC have let themselves down with their treatment of BM? or B) you can't get as much for him now?

Dear Brent Moloney's Manager, Brent has diminished his own value by not knuckling down and showing what value he could be to a prospective new employer. As it is, all he can say now is, "I'm tough, hard at it, can run all day, and am not prepared to do everything asked of me." signed, Everyone else in the MFC community

Dawes is a big lump whose main attribute is that he requires a big defender to be played on him. Therefore less chance to double team a good forward, ie Clark. He'll have his odd day out. So did Ben Holland. Surely there are other big lumps available, who won't require pick 20.

Problem for Riv is, although he reads the play very well and is a good negator, he's not big enough to handle gorillas and not agile enough to handle Milnes and Stevie Js .... so there's limited space for him in our back 6. In 3 years, there might be no place in AFL for a player of his size/type.

Just remember,when all their stars are flying they still have to fit them into the salary cap. Inevitably they will have to offload some of them.

It's all right. It's slowly sinking in to their collective tiny minds that Port are the new basket case/disaster area/whipping boys. Soon it will be as if they've never heard of MFC, they'll be so busy sinking the slipper into Port.

If these or any other group of players cannot "buy in" to a winning mindset and all that goes with it, then there is no hope for them. Do they think they'll have it easier at another club? Shepparton East thirds, perhaps. Show up if you feel like it and a sausage sizzle every Thursday. If the club is not on the right track, it's not far off it. And a hell of a lot closer than we were before. You and I have no choice but to back Neeld, otherwise we too are undermining him and the club. Go Demons!

Someone called "Tom Swift" should be leaving football to invent a robot doctor.

The Oz is a well-known ethics-free zone.

I'm wondering whether I'll see a leprechaun.

He's 28. A 28yo player with limited talent and questionable work ethic can command a 4 year contract? Brisbane have the whip hand and could get him for a song. If it's true, BM's manager is a genius ....

The incredible thing for me is, what is there to gain in not buying in to Neeld's way? The players only have to look at this year's top 4 to see what's required. How can they fail to see that if they don't put in, the team will not be top 4 or anywhere near it? (Or on a personal level, they don't get a game?) The sting in the tail for guys like Beamer is that other clubs are now casting their jaundiced eye over a player who seemingly doesn't want to put in. "Hi guys, I'm looking for a contract. But don't expect me to do the requisite work." Didn't that occur to him or his manager?

Royal seems to suffer from ancient scuttlebutt. When he was an assistant at the Dogs after his playing days ended, word was that the players hated him. But that was years and years ago. Who's to say that is still the case? It seems it is not. Then he was the perennial bridesmaid when applying for senior coaching jobs. Somehow, this encouraged people to sink the boot in. People seem to love to jump on him without much cause. Actions speak louder than words. If Neeld keeps him, that's good enough for me.