Bay Riffin

So whats it all based on, or is it another tenuous rumour without naming anybody or having any evidence ? It appears that thread refers to a fox sports news report but nothing else is given ?

have you got a link to Demonology thread? you need to go to thread on the bet today.

Don't think an assistant coach is going to make any difference now. Isn't he mates with Ball ? but he hasn't chosen St Kilda. What will be interesting is West coast going to be annoyed he is being poached - not for a senior coach but assistant coach which is where he is at in his career. Think West Coast should shun the blues for trying to poach him and not deal with them at all for Judd. Wishful thinking.

This will be the test for Bailey now. He has to choose wisely. I think we have done well getting Connolly in a position where he belongs and now we need to work on getting players right. We really went ballistic after the Freo final to trim down and become an elite running outfit, which may have hurt us. Our early injuries like McLean were impact but when we finally recovered mid season to at least get players on the park, we got a lot of soft tissue non impact injuries. I can't help but think our players have some of the worst techniques and get injured. Bartram last year getting sandwiched, got tangled and stuffed his ankle. did not keep his feet. Wheatley badly dislocated a shoulder going to ground by himself after his opponent marked it. Neitz did his knee just sliding for a mark (maybe unlucky) I hope Bailey doesn't stop now and makes more changes where required. I get the feeling however some of the experienced players may survive now we've had 3 retirements. hope not.

How do I know Bailey is mediocre? Good question - he showed he can be a good assistant coach, so he ticks that box at Port. Was he assistant at Essendon in 2000?, here conflicting views on how big his role actually was, but anyway he seems to tick that box. Is he a better coach than Sheedy ? Let me answer with another question - would you accept a premiership within 7 years right now? Because Sheedy's average suggest he would deliver a premiership. Now on building the club - convince me Bailey will take this club to the next level? Because if he doesn't we will slide further back than the Kangas shortly. This is a key criteria established when they pushed Daniher to spruke more about the club. Sheedy would have been perfect for that. Can't but feel we have outsmarted ourselves with the 100 hour process.

http://footygoss.com/main/club_news/melbou...s_demons_coach/ I feel gutted Gardner and the board went for an uknown coach and just sick of our acceptance of mediocrity. Now before you leap on me for being negative, I ask what the hell will the least known coach in the process offer the Melbourne Football Club to become a powerhouse again. I am F$%king over the slow methodical big company like approach to select someone who I am sure can coach but will not build our brand. If no-one knew him till now, how will he help build Melbourne to the power it deserves. We survive on dole payments from the AFL to show a decent balance sheet and a dwindling membership. Gardner spouts about profits artificially created by handouts. I can see us in severe strife within 5 years. Gardner is the least convincing leader whenever I see him interviewed and I have lost faith in him and the 'processes'. If we don't shake up this list and actually think we can have a tilt at a premiership with this front running list I will screeaaammm. Worse thing is - I can picture us having a good run next year from injuries and make top 6 with a mere top up of the list, only to fall again. My god does anyone see the big picture? and see we as a club are looking down the barrell. How dare they overlook a man in sheedy who has built a powerhouse club, has a record so far better then Bailey its not funny, and the passion to prove he can still do it. I am over it and gutted.

wheres jacka, you are a tool.

I certainly hope you are right. Is this from a reliable source or are you guessing its Sheedy?

I would say Green has been serviceable in the second half of the season. Where was he early on when it counted?. Saw him play a sensational game against Adelaide courageously marking in packs but these are few and far between. Can play strongly on occasions but far far too inconsistent. One of the key reasons we look a million dollars like last year then when things get tougher, he and others go missing. As long as blokes like him are in the leadership team, we will have problems. Would much rather have Mclean, Jones, Robertson, Neitz in leadership roles who put in. I saw Green stand back too many times on Friday night and have seen enough. Why do you think things would change because he has been ok for a month or two. Trade him for 2nd round draft choice I say.

mate you have lost the plot. absolute frontrunner IMO. Look at the games we realy needed him, big games, interstate games etc he is one of the first to go missing. not a naturally tough footballer and we can't have captains who cannot be relied upon.

he was very good last year, one of our most esciting players, but deserves nothing from Melbourne F C.

oh for the day when Melbourne is full of footballers, who fly the flag, shepherd opponents and protect our ball carriers, be prepared to fight the fight.

Yes Pickett owes us PLENTY and Sheedy could help him. Don't know why he would necessairly be better at that considering Dean Rioli never got his weight down in a very successful era for Essendon. Things is, I will be vey p1ssed off if Gardner does not consider Sheedy. We want to be successful and he is one of the best coaches. I personally would be offering the job straight out. no personality tests needed, no outside 'consultants'. I saw a good quote this morning by people that made me think of the Dees. Paraphrasing it went "There are football people in football and there are people in football, and there is a big difference". I believe we have people in football at Melbourne. Bring him in if we wants it.

Great article on Norm Smith and the demons - one of the best I have read. NORM SMITH AND THE CURSE OF THE DEMONS Who can come in and create a team that will be bleed for this club or does it not happen any more?

Totally Agree - he can play 200 games next year if he shows up fair dinkum for our 2008 assault. $300,000 was taken by Pickett and he OWES Melbourne plenty. Even if he retires at years end, it will leave a bitter taste in my mouth for someone who demanded so much and gave us basically 10-15 decent games last year. if he wants to play on, Melbourne are in the box seat to offer him a FAR reduced salary for one year. Get the feeling he just used us and will go home though. Hope i am wrong.

With a good run of injuries, i have no doubt we would have been up top 6 again, but its all hypothetical anyway. i think we don't have the structure to go the next step and need a revamp. We need at least one big key defender and new pace in our backline.

I think you will find Sydneys leadership group decided on Everitt, so it can happen.

I wouls still rather they play Pickett soon before older players such as Holland Bizzell Brown. He is one of the few older ones who can improve - if we choose to play him next year. Otherwise why play him?

1) changed it’s culture of backslapping after a win or two; 2) eradicated an unaccountable front-running style of football; 3) regained the on filed respect of other 15 clubs. good point - I hear where you are coming from Knackers. I don't know why people are so risk averse like we are in some 'premiership window' or something. We need someone to really shake the place up and make the team far more accountable. That has to be the number one priority and I am sick of seeing us go down too easily. I was not gutted by our last quarter against the bombers but the fact we were not in control and aggressive enough in the first quarter. I see North with an ordinary list but wish we playedd with half their honesty, vigour and pride. At present we are a joke, even in our 'up' years we always appear to crumble too easily. I think this club wil take an extraordinary individual or team of people to reverse this backslapping, front running style we have. Voss, despite not coaching has supreme confidence in himself, and is the best chance to lead us out into true professionalism. I also think he will be able to do it. We need someone with balls to make hard calls on our list. i would also be hoping we convince Gardner that we need more than tweaking to get this list right. I hope he is keen as i am as we are not in the habit of recruiting guns by choice.

Its amazing how we bad Byron when the team is down. Of course we must play him for the rest of the year and get himfired up to see if he can go another year. He needs ot convince us. I think he will want to play another year or two and will have to take a pay cut to do it as no-one else will take him. People do not realise there players do not grow on trees and we got him, so lets look to the future and play him. I would be more excite to watch Pickett play alongside Jones and Mclean rather than watching us string wins together, look good then melt under pressure as usual. The Dees handles this perfectly by the way, made him do the penance, see if he is fair dinkum and all reports he is, so lets get him out on the park. And as for playing him 'unfit' early, the problem was we were caught having to give him time with his family in Perth, but his fitness dropped as a result. Believe me he was not fit last year to begin with and was simply sensational until round 17 I think. Leave the bloke alone, if he is doing the right thing, let him play. If we get any sign he is going to quit at years end play him in Sandy seconds for all I care. Bay Riffin.

Totally agree. The comments by Green and those two really do show how they think internally. We get sooooo far ahead of ourselves and yes we look good at the minute but what if say Neitx went down for a monh Even when we were flying this time last year, I think they needed to concentrate on developing a harder style of play to survive finals football even if it meant sacrificing a game or two.

here are mine... Bell - almost very good Carroll - tight and reliable Holland - clearly wins again Ward - bad kicking early Bizzell - reliable all day Johnstone - injury early unlucky Bate - very good early McDonald - engine room again Davey - kicking radar awry Bruce - even worse kicking Sylvia - excellent all class McLean - bordering on elite Neitz - damn injured knee Robertson - best on ground White - honest not dangerous Johnson - very good skills Petterd - mixed game today Frawley - good defensively early Green - two saving marks Jones - bull like game Wheatley - wonderful field kicking Godfrey - right foot goal

Yes Sylvia and Mclean are both top shelf and think Bartram and Nathan Jones will be very good as well. Bate will also be very good. Jury is still out on Dunn. Lovely kick but don't know if he is as robust as say Miller. If he makes it , what position will he play?. Time will tell but may not make it. Johnson I thought looked the goods last year for a while but you need a bit of mongrel and ability to get the ball at this level. He has good pace for his height and would be more than handy but he needs his dads tenacity. wasn't he great for Melbourne. Still hope yet. Petterd looks a real gem early. Appears fearless at times. be wonderful to get 200 games out of Petterd, Jones, Mclean,Bartram, Sylvia and even Moloney who all thrive on the hard stuff. Can we actually get a hard team at Melbourne who can play. Last hard team was late eighties but had no skill. When you look at that list it sounds very exciting.

Yes defintely good game yesterday. long kicking stood out, will be interesting to see how he and Bizzell finish the rest of the year as they may on their last chance. Thing is, Brown and Ward have been preferred as they do go in harder, in fact Brown appears so far harder, you would pick him always for a big game ahead of Wheatley. I fear despite his athleticism, great kicking and good pace, he just does not have the mongrel to get the ball. I tend to think he is very soft at stop plays and not reliable enough. I hope he proves me wrong. My guess is they will delist Bizzell and keep Wheatley as back up, don't know why but gut feel.

big call - trade him for Judd - who wouldn't we trade for the best on baller in the league and premiership captain? next you will be saying you would even trade him for Jonathon Brown. so whats the point of this comment?