Whispering_Jack

Nothing against Mark Neeld but the effect of his sacking is already evident in the confidence of my younger grandson in the under 8's basketball. He had a breakout game today and scored a basket. Of course, his older brother, in true Demon form, missed through injury. All in all though, I'm getting more and more confident as the morning wears on.

... and after 14 pages ... 43 pages ... 77 pages ... 104 pages ... 125 pages ... 146 pages ... 169 pages ... 185 pages ...

It's game day and it certainly feels different. For starters, it's a Saturday although the game is buried in that twilight zone time slot I refer to elsewhere in this week's match preview. Then there's the matter of the new coach (although I'm sure that we've gotten used to the idea of a caretaker coach by now. After all, our last four have all been sacked without seeing out their contracts). It's not as if I have great expectations today, only that, in the words of the great John Kennedy (the coach, I mean), I just want them to "do something"!

The AFL PROSPECTUS always has a great section on the potential draftees and its 2013 list is no exception. I will do a rundown on the top 25 over the coming weeks. The first looks and sounds like a real beauty. James Aish (Norwood SA), midfielder, 183cm plays like Bryce Gibbs If Aish is a jet, then Jack Billings (and surely Melbourne couldn't resist the thought of a player with that given name?) is of close, if not equal stature.Jack Billings ​(Oakleigh U18) midfielder, 179cm plays like Nick Dal Santo And this kid's related to a current day greatMarcus Bontempelli​ Northern U18 midfielder, 188cm plays like Scott Pendlebury TO BE CONTINUED

What about putting her on the Demonland banner - at least on the day they play.

I'm usually a strong believer of the democratic process but I'll take the alternative at a time when the vultures are circling and there's been so much misinformation and speculation and the past, the present and the future. In those circumstances, an administration of the type that we have with Jackson running the show under the imprimatur of the AFL and our board sitting in the background rubber stamping the decisions that are being made. At least we know that we'll survive and we won't have to put up with challenges from main chancers like Kennett and his crew who are probably more interested in their egos than anything else. At least this way, I'm more confident of us getting the best possible coach, retaining who we want and recruiting the best possible players at the end of the year. In any event, it's been 11 years since we voted anybody in and look at where we are today?

Since we're into shameless self-promotion, there's a piece I wrote about Wills in the Indigene series on Demonland a few years ago. Read more: INDIGENE - PART THREE

I'm against it.

And how dare the Federal President of one of our major political parties give priority to the interests of that party over and above those of the Melbourne Football Club? It's unAustralian!

I haven't often agreed with you dee-luded but you can go straight to the top of the class on this one. It's been floating around for a couple of weeks now and it's exactly the sort of underhanded political gamesmanship that isn't needed at our club right now. I'm sick and tired of these divisive political types who work together chipping away undermining others, then conveniently make their play for power when the time is right for them.

I suppose this is based on Sheedy's awesome coaching record in 2012/3 with a win/loss ratio of 6% which makes Mark Neeld's 15% appear to be Vince Lombardi-like in comparison. We'd be mad not to grab him.

Mitch Clisby follows in the footsteps of another West Broken Hill footballer George Lakes who had a much different pathway to the Demons. He was a schoolboy champion sought by a number of clubs in Victoria and South Australia and was declared "the best footballer of his age in the country" by Jim Cardwell who signed him as a 17 year old centre man in 1967. His clearance was held up for some time but he made his debut in mid 1968. However, he couldn't cement his place in the Melbourne senior team due to a combination of injury and form and was restricted to 49 games before he was cleared to South Melbourne. It was said that he simply didn't have the hunger to succeed at the elite level of the game. Perhaps he had too easy a road to the top. As notademon's article states, Clisby, on the other hand has had to work hard to get where he will be at the weekend. Good luck Mitch.

Like our footy team, there are a few players gone missing on our banner. Let's fill it up with hard workers and see if it has an effect on our on field performances ... otherwise, next time we'll have to put the ruins of the Colliseum in the background instead of the G.

Further to my post above from after the game: Is the AFL under threat?

Inside Football's Brett Anderson is tweeting that "Mitch Clisby will debut this Saturday for Melbourne against the Saints. Exciting running defender." Although not named in the best players, his last game against Collingwood VFL was more than solid. Playing in a team that won by 15 goals he had 19 touches and beat his opponent hands down. That's what you want from a defender; now let's see if be can do it in a higher grade.

... er, I'd check the list of B&Fs if I were you.But Robbie should have won more and he was a champion in every sense of the word including being a champion person. Can anyone really say that about Beamer after his displays of petulance over the past couple of years?

"This club needs unity going forward, not divisiveness." Where did he get that idea from?

It's not just the team she has set out there (even if one assumes we'll keep them all). It's what can be done with three years' development (assuming we get that right going forward) and three years' recruiting starting off with the potential boost we get from our early draft pick and the concessions Jackson and McLardy extracted at Friday's meeting (assuming we get them right going forward).

Strangely enough, Melbourne has the greatest average winning margin in the AFL this year. I love statistics.

Emma Quayle who has never played AFL shows up some of the so-called pundits with this piece:- Dees' cupboard is not completely bare Here's her Demon team for the future (2016) -

Innocent until proven guilty. We didn't disqualify Liam Jurrah when he faced serious charges. I understand there was to be a meeting of St. Kilda's board tonight. Anyone know the result?

Truly interesting Franky. I hadn't heard that story and when I finally got around to watching FC on the IQ I was surprised when Adelaide was mentioned. Hutchy sounded pretty convincing from his questioning when he raised it that he believed Neeld had the Crows job at the time. I wonder if the real story will ever come out?

Great result for the country but I wonder if the fact that we're going to Rio will have an impact on the continued existence of the AFL's western Sydney team. GWS is barely attracting an average of 10,000 and hasn't won a game this year and inevitably that must draw comparison with the Wanderers who have tasted great success and draw crowds well in excess of that figure. The Giants are like us - an embarrassment for the competition but quite correctly as a development club have drawn much less flak. With the build up to Brazil the difference between the two codes is likely to be accentuated. Another poor season in 2014 could cause some deep thought at AFL headquarters.

There's only one priority pick in that lot - Sylvia in 2003 but you're absolutely right. Our recruiting and player development during that period left us in a terrible state to start rebuilding after the demise of Neale Daniher and that's where, as you say, it's hurt us.

If he takes the job he'll be our 56th messiah in the past 15 years. Good luck.