maccaz69

Anyone watch the Dees merger match replay on Sunday? Was great watching a competitive demons side! Anyway seeing Neita in full flight kicking I think 4 goals in the 1st qtr and then take a ripper contested mark and goal late in the game over 3 defenders followed by another tough goal in the dying stages reminded me of this thread on Neitz missing a spot in the TOTC........wouldn't it be good to deflect all this negative attention we are currently getting by amending the TOTC to include Neita?????? cant believe we can have 3 emergencies and he doesn't even make that......

"Only 192" Neita was only 194 I don't think 2cm will render him useless.

I think that ox is right in chasing anthony - Hale is so ordinary we may as well have kept brad miller if all we wanted was a big body in the goal square. Virtually we are saying hale is better than miller if we persue Hale and given the fact that Miller has starred in the vfl yet hale was average I think persuing Hale would have been a big mistake. Sure he may be a bit more able to support jamar in the ruck but I don't think that is enough of a reason. Anthony however showed he is a very capable forward and fits into bailey's gameplan of quick flexible players so I think we would be mad not to look at him...even if he is from the dirty pies! There has been a total lack of talk about him though in the media with regard to melbourne so something tells me we are not interested......

Has any1 given thought to jack anthony? He is a capable forward with some pace and can play in defence? While dunn has showed glimpses of form I don't think he'll make it somehow and without someone like didak I don't think we will improve much next yr...

I would think its fair to assume no one knew the ramifications of this problem last year...even after the announcement after the carlton game neita was 99% sure he could play again it was only after the surgeons advice was sought that it became evident how bad the problem was. Neita is the absolute most passionate demon and clubman I have no doubt he would have stood down as captain and player if he thought 08 would turn out like this. I think the expectations of neita this year were set too high by supporters in any event; to say he is at fault for our lack of confidence is rubbish. U talk to any demon player and they will tell you they'd move the moon for neita. He is looked up to and respected by all. No one would have a greater onfield presence than neita and I think that a out of form neita was still a better option as captain than anyone else on our list. And congrats on a stellar career neita i have rarely been to a game in my lifetime without u playing so it will be a sad wkend. You have always taken those pressure marks and kicked those pressure goals-making it look so easy. Can't forget that game against st kilda in 06 was one of the best displays ever. And that pack mark you took in the forward line early on this season (against geelong maybe? can't remember which game now..) showed that even with your injury you still have the courage that made you our best player. Thanks for the memories!

Good 2c the skipper isn't jumping ship afterall it would have been unlike him to leave us at such a crucial stage like this. Neitz has played through greater adversity than this before obviously thats why he's captain and still playing! Keep going neita

I think people r kidding themselves if they think the captain would be dropped. That just will not happen it would be disasterous for a team already struggling like ours and in any event he is indeed setting by example-his work rate. It is not a captains job to be BOG every week or to kick bags of goals. neitz will never shy away from a contest, brings the ball to ground and tries his heart out like always. He leads the team like this and backs up his younger team mates. That is what u want from a captain. Whilst he doesn't have the goals on the board its not his job anymore bails is using him differently. Those who expect bags every week have no idea of the game plan. Danners wanted the ball kicked long and quick to neitz. bails is using neita further out from goal and not simply looking for neitz to kick goals but looking for the team to kick goals. I think people need to stop judging our captain on goals kicked its too simplistic and is something only people who are not football savvy would do. I doubt Robbo will be dropped either although there is merit in contemplating it...

See you don't even have the facts he kicked 8 goals twice in 2006 don't u remember his record breaking game against st kilda? Last year may not have been great but he was still valuable: kicked a 60 m goal from the boundary against adelaide to reverse the momentum and seal the game and was the main reason we nearly snached the north melb game. I think with the record he has he should surely be given some more time to settle into the season than jumping the gun. Robbo should def have been traded he spends more time limping around from trying to take speccies than playing footy and I too am a wheels fan but he has never really made it. Yze should have gone 2 yrs ago.

haha u make me laugh. U are so quick to write off a player based on 3 games only? Not to mention we are talking about an older player who has been eased into the season. I guess you believe any player who plays 3 average games in a row should be sacked. Well I doubt that leaves much of a team left. Oh and why stop with footy I suppose you want Ponting sacked too for playing a few bad games in a row regardless of the fact he is one of the best battsmen and captain? stopping development of the next generation eh? Well we're not going to be contenders in the short term so we may as well do away with junior robbo white yze wheels wheata etc none of them are likely to be part of our next generation. lets write off any champion showing any sign of floundering. lets be totally unforgiving to anyone who drops a mark (oh except robertson who dropped a basic mark...oh and lets forgive all those turnovers out of defence the last 3 weeks they dont matter either. oh and white costing us a goal by not rushing the ball thru. oh and hawkins' easy goals.....)

people like you make me ashamed to be associated with this forum

I don't think he is the solution for a winning team either...and the way people are bagging neitz at the mo I can only imagine how everyone will jump on holland's back after a few bad games. Whilst he has a great attitude he wouldn't get a game at any other club. Yes Holland has had better days than that final but I could real off many many games where neitz has exceeded Holland's best games over the last couple of years yet that doesn't stop all his criticism albeit from morons.

I can't believe this rubbish-holland better at ff than neitz? have u ever watched holland play there when neitz is injured? he has NO hope EVER of outmarking a no. 1 defender. Do you remember that final against the bombers a few yrs ago when neitz had a broken leg and holland played FF? No marks and No goals is my recollection of holland's stats. He is only any good when neitz has the no. 1 defender. Get off the captain he may be not playing too well but if anyone in the team is entitled to its him its his last hurrah and he should't be put under the microscope every game like this

Not that its too prevalent here but i'm sick of so many ppl talking about neita's time being up there are far far worse players in our team at the moment. Whilst he is likely to retire at the end of the year the constant talking about it implies he is part of the problem at melbourne when I suggest he is not. He is one of the few who are actually playing with any heart at all that pack mark he took last week shows how he puts his body on the line for the team. The way the delivery into our F50 is at the moment it would be hard for anyone up there to play well. And I think people seem to have unrealistic expectations of what he will deliver this year. obviously he won't be kicking bags at his age but he is still serviceable and deserves to play out the year without all this unfair criticism.

ok I bothered to look it up it was the 2002 season I was thinking about when he kicked 59 goals in the latter half of the season which from memory is when schwarta retired. he kicked bags of 3,5,7,9,2,6,4,4,7,3,2,2,5 consecutively to finish off the year. now that doesn't appear too ordinary to me. He has also kicked 3 or more goals 103 times which considering he played a fair few games down back and at other times shared the forward line with the likes of lyon, schwartz, farmer etc I rate a great achievement. As do I rate the fact he is the 24th highest EVER goalscorer in VFL/AFL history. And when you take into account the games in defence and the fact he has had some severe injuries like broken chin, broken foot etc thats even better. And if your implying neitz has not won a game for us ur hopelessly lost and disillusioned. Mainstream demons fans will tell you, like me, that you're just wrong but I won't for the crap you write is amusing at best. i'm not sure if you're suffering from tall poppie syndrome, you're a troll or you just have no idea but leave our captain alone you're not a supporter we want. If you want to be a negative supporter go somewhere else.

why don't you find something worthwhile to do with your time instead of criticise the best player on our list. I'm sorry but you say Neita has not dominated his position as much as Lyon, Viney White etc. Are you forgetting the 2000 year when he led us to a grand final, kicked a truckload of goals in the second half of the season - If i remember correctly there was a period of about 3 months where he was regularly kicking between 3-6 goals. Not to mention his fine game against St Kilda last year when he kicked 8 goals - 5 of which came from outside 50. or to mention his coleman. And i'm just touching the surface here. Neitz is totally and unfairly bagged out because he isn't an ablett or locket or dunstall sure those players were better but that doesn't detract from Neitz who should be judged on his own merit. I loved Lyon but he was not consistent and look how he hobbled through injury later in his career. and Stynes well he had some real great moments but geez your bagging out Neita in the twilight of his career-I whitnessed Stynes get booed by demons supporters when he used to interchange with Whitey such was the lack of impact he had in his last years. Jeff white has hardly dominated his position recently and how long did Jakovich last?????!!!!!!!! And lets touch on Neitz 'supposedly' being a liability to the team. Not only did he turn the tide and save us against Adelaide with a 60m goal from the boundary in the dying stages he played a pivotal role in the North Melbourne comeback which we nearly won. And even the first round of the season where we saw the dees play some shocking footy he took some ripper contested marks followed by goals against St Kilda. And you talk about embarrasment watching Neitz try and try again to play through adversity and breaking down for his team you tell me a better way to inspire your team mates. Obviously you do not have a footy brain, have never played footy and know nothing about the game to write what you do. There is no doubt that Neitz has a bigger heart than almost any other player in the AFL and the fact that you simply judge him on his stats for the year is a big mistake by you. Lucky your stupid and dumbfounded opinion means nothing to the rest of us. Stop bagging our club, players etc and howz about you offer something positive and support it. No doubt your not a mfc member.

I am sick of the stupidity of the mfc why would you play a 300 game captain who's been suffering a knee injury in the dying stages of a thrashing??? He shouldn't have been playing anyway let alone so late in the game. I think the coaching staff need to have a major look at themselves. Lets hope they haven't cost the club their captain for next season. And next week...geez the only one who has anything to gain by a win is riley trying to save his doomed position in the shortlist. Bet theres a few other seniors with injuries taking to the field........

Couldn't agree more! its been fantastic over the last 10ish years to have neitz to barrack for! I always remember neita placing CHB on carey and not only shutting him out but kicking 5 of his own goals! And the St Kilda game - 8 goals of which 5 were kicked from outside 50m! Lets hope he can rest up over the offseason and have a good year next year he deserves to go out in style and not go out battling against knee/hamy/finger problems. Keep on punching Neita!

well i dont think its best for our club not to have neitz there. If you look at the first half of the season every game that neitz played (except eagles) we were competitive and nearly won. The games he missed we got done by 10 goals. When danners left everything went to crap...I don't think you can point the finger at any of the forwards in the current team they rely on the midfield which is struggling. And the forward line structure is just not there they need garry lyon back as forward coach. Neitz has kicked at least a goal in every game i can remember and thats commendable considering the injuries he's playing with and the crappy supply of the ball. He looked really fit and rareing to go at the start of the season before all these injuries and can't help think that our 300 game captain deserves another pre season and another chance to lead our team for our 150th year!

geez guys i can't believe the talk on here i've been an avid dees supporter over the last 10 years and throughout that whole time its been a privalege to see someone like neita fly the flag every weekend and constantly put his body on the line. I think that through our lack of success we've relished watching neitz put on a show week after week and that st kilda game last year 8 goals really showed us what he is capable of. Now that he's suffering hamy/knee/finger problems and can't do what he used to I think we find ourselves expecting more of the same 8 goal efforts and we're disappointed when they don't come. I think its our unrealestic expectations of a 32 year old hero that need to be corrected. He can't kick a bag every week anymore - look at fraser gehrig on friday - one mark his only stat yet i'll bet st kilda supporters aren't overreacting about it. Now neitz is injured and older and still performed better than that. and our midfield leaves a fair bit more to be desired meaning neita's supply of the footy is no where near as good. Cut him some slack and support our captain!! We need to be constructive at a time like this.