old55

Heard Evans on 3AW Sports Today lamenting that the situation "is so complex and complicated" - only when you've got something to hide.

I agree there's speculation Ron but we're not going to get anything definitive on an open fan forum. Some have sources and some sources have more credibility than others. We can observe what happens at training and on fields and extrapolate. But unless you're on the inside it's impossible to really know if Neeld "has lost the players". Which really means important players to the club's future want to leave. This if true would be the key reason to move on Neeld in the short-term. We don't know but those inside the club should know. Edit: I've heard from sources I consider credible and seen on-field performance to make me very concerned.

I think there's two possible reasons for moving on Neeld immediately or soon Immediately: Neeld is permanently damaging the relationship between important players and the club and they'll leave at the end of the year - this, if true, is a reason for moving on him immediately. There's a lot of rumour around this point and some extrapolation but there's not much hard evidence. Only those inside the club really know. Moloney has recently been the poster boy for this but again no-one really knows whether he was redeemable and how hard Neeld tried. It seems Neeld had his moments with Davey, but I reckon Davey has delivered to his maximum capability this year. Rivers is a less convincing example - he left like Goddard did - for much greater opportunities. Martin, Gysberts, Bennell, Morton, Petterd - there's no evidence one way or another whether Neeld made the right call on these players. Watts is the likely example of mismanagement - the sub, drop, emergency, recall saga did not play out well in my opinion but again no-one has provided hard evidence that Watts is terminally disenfranchised, and indeed opinion is quite split on whether this really matters. There's been speculation about other important players wanting out but no evidence. Overall in this area Neeld got Clark to the club and Clark has been nothing but positive - that's a big credit to burn. Soon: Neeld is not the coach to lead us forward in the long run and if you've made this decision then we should move on him soon because important list management decisions are made from this time forward and we can pursue an alternative coach and make them with clear air and not waste a year.

Ask Wade Lees ... Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/casey-scorpians-player-wade-lees-cops-18-month-ban-for-importing-performance-enhancing-drugs/story-e6frf33l-1226541646433#ixzz2SU0bMn3e

Rodan can be having a positive impact on the club with his positive personality, his teaching and his work ethic at training without necessarily being in the senior side every week. He cost pick 88.

I agree with Satyriconhome that a big, big part of our problem is our inexperienced midfield. We've picked a side stacked with runners today - Clark and Dawes out of the "best 22", replaced by runners. Carlton have Gibbs and Carazzo out who are two of their key mids, on paper we should be very competitive and be able to restrict their score. Let's see what happens.

"inexperienced midfield" - that's all you've got? I've been every week and watched Brisbane on TV last week and will be there on Sunday and No, that's not footy.

Yes there's the whingers who think it's about them and post about how the team is affecting their life - get over it. But your complaints about lack of substance in the criticisms of the coach and our results seem hypocritical - you just provide platitudes of support. We're not going anywhere near expections of supporters and far importantly expectations of the club and its officers who are directly responsible for our performance. How about explaining why this is happening?

Neeld has a fairly full list to choose from a defensive point of view - sure we're missing our forward keys Clark and Dawes and that will affect our ability to score and the way we enter forward 50 - both of which have some flow on defensive impact - but the core of our defensive set-up is in place. Jamar is missing but I think he's well covered by Spencer. Defensive forwards - Tapscott, Bail, Byrnes. A full midfield complement. Only Watts and Jetta missing from the backline - but we've got a lot of players competing for spots back there. First choice key backs Frawley, McDonald and Garland are in place. Our midfied is ordinary but I agree with posters here that it's not as terrible as results have suggested. N.Jones, Grimes, McKenzie, Trengove and Viney should be able to provide clearances, defensive structure and running. Then in addition we've got Sylvia, Howe, M.Jones and Evans who can all run hard and play. That 9 decent rotations through the middle. Neeld has all resources at his disposal in team defence that he could reasonably expect to have and has had 5 weeks to refine who he wants where and what they should be doing and eliminate who is a team defence liability. We will struggle to kick a winning score. But if we get sliced open like a fat sausage a hot plate again this week there's really no excuse.

What do people honestly think the line is this week? Centerbet has it at 10 goals - IMO that's generous to us, in my head it's more like 80 points. But what sort of state is that when we're up against a mid-table club and I think that if we lose by 10 goals it's better than expected?

Selwood is a class above Jones as a player but the difference is not reflected in the win-loss difference. If Selwood had come to MFC he would have experienced a similar loss rate and if Jones had gone to Geelong he would have experienced a similar win rate.

I feel for Nathan 36 wins + 3 draws + 101 losses = 140 games http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/N/Nathan_Jones.html Joel Selwood 116 wins + 0 draws + 24 losses = 140 games http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/J/Joel_Selwood.html

AFL coaching is a very tough job, you have deliver against capable opposition on a fixed day - you can't delay the date and you can't really deliver less product. I'm reminded that throughout 2007-8 when I regularly visited a Collingwood board that posters universally hated their coach and referred to him and his game plan as "Mick Madhouse" - eventually the wheel turned. I was definitely willing to cut Neeld plenty of slack. But the problem for me is a disastrous start to the season coupled with "we didn't see that coming". While you can't really deliver less there are ways that you can mitigate the damage. In weeks 1 and 2 Neeld showed absolutely no grasp of what was happening or how to mitigate the damage. Since then we played against ordinary opposition - WC are really struggling and smashed us by 100points, Gold Coast showed where GWS are at and beat them by more than we did away from home and Brisbane played like a basket case until they played us. We need a solid lead time to secure a new coach - September is not the time to start looking. Also important list management decisions are taken in the next few months.

smoked cheese!

I see a toad behind what looks like a giant eraser - reminder to self - stay off the blue cheese after 10pm

If Fitzy is EVER going to get an opportunity it's now.

Maybe because Ian Flack had a long history of experience working with Liam and Mifsud wanted to draw on that experience. Why should Mifsud be restricted to talking only to MFC employees in relation to Jurrah's welfare? Is Ian Flack all you've got in "a few mischief makers who hold grudges"? Throw in Barry Prendergast and Dean Bailey and there's your 3 disgruntled former employees - you didn't break any confidences - they've all been named in the mainstream media anyway. Case closed.

I agree that disgruntled ex-employees talked to the tanking investigators. I even referred to those who have been named in the media ... http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/33594-new-ceo/?p=737608 But Jack claims on the basis inside information which he can't divulge, that this is either not the people involved or not all the people involved ... http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/33594-new-ceo/?p=737614 That's fine if it's confidential, but put or shut up ... Now is this thread he's mischieviously raised the Mifsud/Davey/Neeld matter. Far from shutting the conversation down I requested he provide us all with the benefit of his knowledge. But again he has refused to explain. Really it's reminiscent of Dr.Who's Scully to Richmond rumours. Long on mystery, short on substance.

I am only responsible for my own posting and unlike you I have only ever posted under Fifty-5 (nee old55) - TimD and Rhino Richards are not me and I am not responsible for what they post.

You're very adept at researching and quoting posts when they suit your purpose ... I accept that you don't think there is a "conspiracy" but that there is "a few mischief makers who hold grudges against certain individuals to spread some malicious gossip or misinformation to the right people or, in the case of media interviews, simply point them in the right direction as far as asking questions to the interviewee is concerned" - that doesn't materially change the problem I have with your posting. I never posted "hiding behind "confidentaility"" that is a lie all of your own making. I said it was fine to have confidential information - just don't continually post about it until you are able to back up your innuendo - that is my entire point

Disingenuous: lacking in frankness, candour, or sincerity; Your posting on this alleged conspiracy is lacking in both frankness and candour - two out of three is quite enough to satisfy the OR. I'm coming from the growing school of either "put up or shut up" on the conspiracy theories - it's fine if you've got confidential information - then don't post about it.

Jack disingenuously continues to post innuendo about alleged conspiracies against the club after saying he can't divulge the detail because the information is confidential. It's becoming clear what "Whispering" actually means.

I went to the Tanking thread that Jack himself started on 19 January - is that on tanking, mid-January and by the author enough for you? http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/32570-tanking/ and found no reference to Mifsud, Davey or Wilson when I scanned the first 6 pages. I then did a search on the entire 130 page topic with the keyword "Mifsud" and got no results. How about Jack alleviates the mystery and illuminatis us on the "interesting story" - or maybe you can do it on his behalf hardtack?

How about you just paraphrase the "interesting story" for me.

No I don't have time, my request was a vain hope for substance in place of more mystifying innuendo.