rpfc

More the merrier to rally people behind the scenes and even get in the ear of the players. Again, for those worried that 'we need non-Melbourne people' - they are not offering to become CEO. The CEO and the FD can be filled with non-MFC people, but the Board, select admin areas (underpaid PR and marketing people), and player mentors (by-and-large) are going be Demons.

The President is invariably going to be apart of the 'Old Boys Club' because ALL board members should be Demons and the President is usually a former player as they appeal to the most number of stakeholders that need to be engaged. I understand the criticism of the Connolly/Lyon/Schwab/Stynes group that many were uncomfortable with but don't let that colour your opinion of Todd Viney and his work before he came to us (I mention him because Caro has started questioning his conflict in a couple of pieces) or Schwarz or any former player for that matter. We shouldn't shy away from the former involvement of Demons on the Board. As CEO on the other hand... We need someone who really isn't interested in what is going on in the coaches box on game day. Let Craig and the Footy Director (Healy) worry about that.

Maybe he is staying out? I don't have the animosity some do toward Lyon, although I understand why he is seen as someone who has an enormous influence without the responsibility. I saw him as a cheap and loyal consultant on important matters and that the decisions he helped make are the responsibility of those that called him in to help them make those decisions. Which is why I would love to get a CEO that the board is unfamilar with and a President confident enough to have enough football people on the board to help make these decisions in conjunction with the CEO.

That is a cop-out on both ends. The players are largely to blame, but Neeld has not been able to get them to be inspired enough to play half-decent footy or learn his gameplan. Assistant Coaches are an easy scapegoat when things go poorly and inflated in importance when things go poorly. If the players respond to his call to play one-on-one footy and take the game on they will do so over the next few months. Otherwise, the harsh business will take care of itself.

How is his health?

It's Schwab's last day today. He tweeted as such this morning.

Literally Hitler.

Dank is in Sydney isn't he? If the players get off, the NRL will lose their sh!t if Cronulla gets what everyone thinks will come.

#demonunity

Any visible cringing?

If we 'deserve' one we will get one. Other clubs can get effed. With that said, the AFL has laughingly got a secret formula for it so who knows whether we will 'qulaify' for one. But if we have another 4 games won or less year with % in the tank (no pun intended) and we do not get some extra help - it will set a dangerous precedent.

Nothing is black and white. RF's support of the club is vexed, people's criticism of his vexed opinion is unfair, and RF's dismay at his unfair treatment is, at times, misguided. The world is red and blue.

Yeah, or he did his ankle four weeks from the season and needed to play some good footy at Casey before he was thrown back into the AFL. Neeld may go, and he may go before the year is out but he is not the evil all of root cause.

It's similar to things I have heard with the notable exceptions of things like "Neeld tells Lyon he's in the final 2 for the Adelaide gig and needs to make a decision (he's bluffing)." I take people seriously when they note concerns but don't leap to nefarious conclusions of fact that are anything but fact.

We are rubbish, no doubt, but throwing Kent out there in this environment will not help him or us. And he is not in our top 15 players. We keep waiting for the next batch of kids to save us - we are waiting for Superman - it will not happen like that. We need all these men that we have to pull their collective finger out and make us half-decent so that the kids we have can play their role in a good atmosphere.

Any replacement is coming at the end of the year. Neeld has the rest of the season to salvage something. And, yes, I realise that he may go before that. That would mean he didn't salvage anything. Having a caretaker for more than half the season is simply pointless. Either they get the job or you have wasted half a year.

You'll be right. If you recall, we have had our disagreements and we all move on as we are all Demons. I say, deal with it. Try to be as pleasant as possible and someday, I assure you, we will have football to talk about.

I think you are getting ahead of yourself.

You are supposing a clataclysm occurs against GWS. I am expecting changes to the mindset of the players against WCE and solid improvement leading into the GWS game. I don't expect a loss.

How is getting $500k for playing Brisbane in Darwin cause for despair? Or trying to develop a base of support in Casey? Where are our new supporters going to come from? Winning solves a great number of problems. Making money from interstate games to the tune of half a million is not one of them - nor is having a region where we can build a relationship with. Imagine having a winning team to show off in Casey - that kids in the area get to see regularly through clinics, training, and school visits. I want to win too, but I am not so naive to think that that will solve the issues with our diminishing supporter base, or fiduciary issues.

He has a few months to get something going.

I cannot believe we are getting sh!t for trying to get into Casey, or for the efforts in that area. We have no base of support - just inherited allegiances that are being shaken of late. And were shook disastruously in the 70s and 80s. We need to be in Casey and the Heartland initiative is a good one, as is the movement into schools, and the regular clinics. I don't care about players whinging about travel. They should be living south east of the city and its a nothing trip out to Casey from there.

Are you asking a question?

rpfc endorses this initiative. Get down to training.