Dame Gaga

Sounds like a cunning plan. The Melbourne Reds! Whole new ball game!

Following on the ABC Live blog. Quite entertaining. We just had nominations of best sports movie, best cricket movie and best movie with cricket either in it or referenced in it. Good fun. (And keeps you up to date on the weather over there as well).

I can't believe the arrogance of this man. It is none of his business what any player does with his career or his life. What did Jack Watts tell Roos? we just want to be treated like human beings. This young man is not a commodity to be pressured into a decision he does not want to make, all because someone whose power has gone to their head tells them it is the 'right' thing to do. Keep your biased opinions to yourself, Gil. Notice you kept silent when the Hogan saga dragged on every year. (Will he go, will he stay?) This was very disruptive to the team and now you are sticking your bib in the Giants business, causing headlines. What a disgrace.

OSCAR KICKED A GOAL!!!!! ?No, not tanking. ( Although maybe he didn't get the memo?)

Can't understand what Garry says half the time. He has always been a mumbler.

Harmes was laughing at the most ridiculous trophy he has ever seen. For goodness sake who designed that ugly piece of....

Lever is 23 years old. 24 next March. Patience. Also, was Toumpas a loss? ?

August, 2014. Paul Roos media conference after Melbourne lost to Brisbane. They led by 14 points early in the final term, before conceding the last six goals for a 23 point loss. "There's clearly some who might not be able to get over what's happened in the past... You've got to go back to the mindset and we're waiting to be beaten, generally what happens is that you get beaten." 'Roos agreed the task of instilling mental belief into his players' minds was much harder than he envisaged. "The winning component, definitely. There's a willingness to improve and there's a willingness to comply, but I think that lack of belief that we can win, or we're capable of winning, is far, far greater than what I'd imagined it could possibly be." ' "I haven't seen anything like that before in my time. The mistakes were extraordinary. Extraordinary." "Inside 50s today were clearly a result of deplorable skills." Five years on and the team seems to be facing the same problems. How the hell has this happened? Even Roos found the problem bigger than he could ever imagine. The players were mentally scarred, he believed, by the years of losing and the losing culture. Where does the club go from here? It is going to be a Herculean effort by everyone in MFC. I hope someone has the answers and the will to make it happen.

'Roos reflected his first task when he started with Melbourne was to work with the playing group to change mindsets and build confidence, to "Just embrace them and treat them all as human beings...as equals." ' "Coaching is all about psychology. You've got to have an understanding of your staff and your players." "...a great leader has to make his staff invested and valued." "Great football clubs now have strong leaders but one of their greatest traits is empathy. They understand each and every one of their staff and the only way you can do that is by building strong relationships. My first message to all the football staff at the Melbourne Football Club was 'get to know the players' by spending as much time with them in order to understand them we had to know them as people first and footballers second." "What are the benefits of having strong relationships and communicating openly and honestly? 1. I find a player genuinely feels you care about them when you need to have a difficult conversation they don't take it personally, they understand you are simply trying to make them and the team better. 2. If their performance is suffering from something outside the football club they are more likely to open up about it and you are more capable of finding a solution. 3. Being honest and open and talking directly with them avoids the water cooler talk, rumour, and innuendo. They may not always like what you have to say but they respect you because you have told them face to face. 4. If everyone feels valued and invested they share in both the triumphs and disappointments and both will drive your staff to greater performance." "Feedback - how to give it and how it should be received - is important. Understand people's personalities. How do they best like to receive feedback? You must invest in relationships to fully understand your staff, and take time to get to know people in your organisation." "Make sure you give positive feedback as much as possible. People will feel good about themselves and others will look at that positive behaviour and want to reproduce it. Everyone wants to feel valued and positive feedback will drive positive behaviour." Maybe someone should give Roos a call for a pep talk and discuss life. On Setting up a Winning Culture "At the Melbourne football club just as we did in Sydney, we collectively agreed on a set of behaviours. We endlessly discussed those behaviours and clearly articulated what was expected. On a weekly basis we looked at the behaviours both on and off the field. The vision of the matches was shown to match up to the behaviours both positive and negative instances in the game. The players need to be 100% clear what each and every behaviour means and get shown and told over and over again. One of the keys to success is the habits you have formed. A habit is something that occurs instinctively as it has been practiced/reinforced continually over a long period of time. In a great football club if you have a clear set of behaviours that have been embraced and have become habitual you will have success. Watching a great football team live is in effect a magnificent visual of what culture looks like. 1. What do you see from that team every week that they play? 2. Do their behaviours on-field appear consistently, naturally and seemingly without consciously thinking about them? 3. Do you see players constantly talking to each other, either congratulating a teammate on good behaviour or counselling when someone makes a mistake." At the end of the season maybe the players need to attend all finals matches and observe closely the successful teams. This should be their homework. This may outweigh the benefits of a camp. Then they can all go on the Kokoda Track together. ?

"Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." - Vince Lombardi, American football player 1913-1970. Winning is the better habit, and better mind set for a team to have belief in themselves, and each other.

Wow. Who would have thought we can say Melbourne put on a good show by comparison. What terrible games to watch. Standards seemed to have slipped this year. Simple good watchable football has fallen by the wayside.

"Oscar's Gone Wild!" (direct quote from commentator on Foxtel)

Good on her. This happens too often. I heard today Collingwood supporters plonked themselves in the Melbourne reserved seats without being questioned by staff. Did they sit there quietly? No. They sit there on purpose to stir trouble and show everyone their lack of brain cells by being loud and obnoxious. Finally get told to get out. Still have to mouth off the usual s#*t when they leave and in the food queues. Arrogant twerps. Go West Coast, Go West Coast. ?

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind anyone? We will all live ten, twenty years longer without the stress.

Endeavour was promising in the first quarter, although the goal kicking was the same rubbish. Then it went back to handpasses to no one, gifting the opposition easy marks, not holding tackles. Varcoe did nothing until that ball fell in his hands courtesy of a bad Melbourne kick. Poor umpiring as per usual. Grrrrrrrrr.....?

Have to make hay while the sun shines then. GOALS!

I am so sick of Melbourne supporters being criticized for not turning up to games. There is nothing much more to look forward to this year. Every week another player/s out injured. No final eight to fight for. The game was on free to air TV. Leave us alone in our disappointment. How dare people like Caroline Wilson single us out. We have gone through more heartache with our club than she will ever know. I have attended games countless times with no hope of ever seeing a win, in the darkest of times. What about the Richmond supporters. Their team is vying for a top four spot at the end of the year. They are always banging on about their precious Dusty, and how good he is. Why didn't they go along on a Saturday night to see their stars play in an 'easy' win? Stingy? There is supposed to be 100,000 of them. Not so dedicated as we are, I reckon.

No thanks.

Will be interesting to see the headlines in the English papers after that debacle. Fortress Edgbaston. Hah! Well done Aussies.

I thought it was a bit rich having a go at the small crowd turn up to Saturday night's game. Melbourne supporters had good reason not to be up and about for this game. What about the Richmond supporters? Haven't they got a huge membership? They didn't bother either.

I've been listening to some Collingwood supporters complaining about injuries to their precious team. I just want to laugh in their faces, but I'm too polite. Sooks.

Good to see the lobotomy is helping you get through this year. ☺️

Smith is an absolute champion. He must eat pressure for breakfast, and enjoys the meal thoroughly! Hope he gets the 100 and stays in as well. Great to watch.

Aaaaaaarrrrggghhh!!!!!! (Primal scream). Goodnight and good luck.

Following the cricket now. ?