Whispering_Jack

But does this mean his image won't be among the players on the Demonland header by tomorrow morning?

While I agree that the club might have been more accommodating in helping ensure that more players were eligible for the finals series, I don't think the comments from these Casey officials are right. I understand that the qualification of players had to be completed before the last VFL round so games played in the first week of the finals (i.e last week) didn't count. It didn't matter therefore, who played for Melbourne v Fremantle. The matter of qualification was already determined. It was bad luck that three potentially important players in Spencer, Fitzpatrick and Williams were all injured/required surgery. On the other hand, you have to hand it to Brett Lovett. He has continually brought young unsung players into his team and their performances have improved during the course of the season. Players like Luke Tynan, Riseley, Hill (a promising young ruckman) and Smith (tall, high marking forward) and a few mature players in Matthews, Collins, Panozza and Nicholls have filled the gaps reasonably well. I know Lucas Cook is on the outer but he, like a few of the others in the team, will be playing for his future as an AFL player. It's going to be interesting to see how they perform.

Heavy stuff indeed!

Naah ... I don't reckon Box Hill are even going to make the granny.

I'm fairly certain that David Cloke and his brother Peter who also played at Richmond came from the Oakleigh area. I think Peter actually played in a practice match for Melbourne before it was discovered the family lived on the wrong side of the road and the sons were residentially bound to the Tigers.

Glenn Maxwell 56no in the last ODI v Pakistan is another Demon making it in international cricket for Australia.

VFL Player Review

Congratulations to Junior on a fantastic career (although the last 13 games were forgettable).

Good pick up. Rory Taggert polled two votes in his only full game out of three he played for Casey during the year in between back injuries. He played limited time in the others. Taggert polled the voted in the game against Box Hill and he played a midfield role going forward. His disposal was superb and he kicked a couple of nice goals. I sat on his table at the Foundation Heroes dinner and he came across as a likeable young bloke from the country who has been working hard to overcome a back injury not unlike the one that impeded Jack Grimes' first season at the club. He reckons he should be right for the pre season and here's hoping that, in him, we have a young midfielder of quality to add to the recruits coming through in the forthcoming draft and trade periods.

No. It wasn't like that. Gerard did a runner to Sydney when he got an offer he couldn't refuse. Greg got the captaincy a few years later. However, Melbourne improved dramatically after Gerard left and soon overshadowed Sydney which eventually hit rock bottom in the early 90's. During most of that era Melbourne finished ahead of Sydney. Of course, Gerard did win a Brownlow and buckets of money but missed out on being a one team player in a reasonably successful era, albeit without winning a flag.

Hi Tim and congratulations on the arrival of Benjamin Charles. I hope you and the missus derive a great deal of joy from him and that by the time he’s ready to go to the footy, the Dees are in a position of dominance. I’ve been assured by those who should know that Neeld was interviewed extensively and impressed in those interviews. He came with the strong endorsement of people who worked with him previously including Mick Malthouse. However, I wasn’t involved in the process and don’t know all of the details of who was and wasn't considered and why. I am aware that it wasn’t considered necessary to conduct psych tests but also understand that very few coaches appointed in the past have undergone such testing and I suppose we’re just going to have to differ on the importance of and the emphasis that needs to be placed on psych tests in the process of appointing a coach. I know of one successful AFL coach who is on the way to a premiership this year who would’nt pass a psych test if his life depended on it. I doubt that even Sheeds would do well under such testing but who knows? It will be interesting to see what happens with the Carlton job. They seem to have bypassed any semblance of a process and gone straight for the man they want in Mick. Now’s that really is plain ignorant!

I think it was Rudeboy who said at the time Liam went to Adelaide to be with his family that there were more important things in Liam's life than football and I think we should all respect this and the fact that he couldn't cope with his situation and remain in Melbourne. The logical conclusion to all that is that the football club was left with no option but to thank him for his past services and for both to move on. It's the end of a journey that wasn't contemplated in Rudeboy's book and tragically, it's a reprise of many similar stories in the history of this country and in the history of Liam's people. I believe in Liam's innocence and that he will ultimately be acquitted but more importantly, I hope that his journey gets back on its track and that he can again become a light and an inspiration for young indigenous children. I think that the entire affair and the negativity the story created has also weighed heavily on the Melbourne Football Club in a year when many similar distractions have tested it to the limit. Someone said of Melbourne that we stand for survival and that resonates with me because my family survived far more difficult circumstances than most around here could ever imagine. They not only managed to survive but were able to bring about a regeneration and success in so many aspects of the many lives that form the family. Our football club is also in a way, faced with the challenge of regeneration after a traumatic period in its history. The parting of ways with Liam Jurrah and many others who we've supported and followed in the past is not a thing we should look upon with much more than a tinge of regret. We have a job to do and it's how we do that which will determine what we ultimately stand for. The indication from these partings is that our football people firmly believe they can go past survival and bring about our regeneration.

Yep. And you're the one going around in circles. I think you'll find several posters mentioned Neeld before I did on this thread which, just in case you haven't figured it out yet, is about due diligence in the process that was used to ultimately employ, um, Mark Neeld.

Pardon me but I thought this was about the process and not whether Neeld is or is not the correct choice. If it's about criticising the process adopted, then I expect the critics to tell me that they're fully cognisant of the details of that process and why it's inadequate. IMO only a few people know the precise detail of how Lyon and co went about making their selection and whether what was adopted was flawed. I certainly don't pretend to know and I don't believe any of those who have posted here would know either.

Are you suggesting that you're fully aware of all the steps taken by those given the task of selecting the coach? Is there only one single correct process which, if not followed to the letter, means the selection of Mark Neeld was flawed? And why is this related to the decision not to breach normal protocol and go behind his manager's back? So we shouldn't concern ourselves with developing a culture of honesty and integrity or care about what happens when we next deal with this particular manager or any other in that fraternity? What about the other clubs that didn't select Lyon as their coach and who thought Lyon might be good for one club at a particular part of its cycle but not for theirs? How can we then extend the conclusion you've reached which, to my mind hasn't been satisfactorily thought out, to other decisions made. Ron Baraasi was sought out by North Melbourne and signed his contract on a serviette. It was done in a very short time. A decision arrived at in haste. That too was a decision borne out of a flawed process.

Had Richmond won today they would have had pick 11 instead of pick 9.

Let's cut him a bit of slack in adding that the last few weeks have followed a five week period during which he was out with an injury and might I suggest that he has been nowhere near 100% fit as a result. The effect that has at this particular stage of a season can be massive.

I googled her biography - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuesday_Weld and was amazed at the list of actors she appeared with ranging from Elvis to Gregory Peck, Jack Nicholson and Robert de Niro (not to mention Dwayne Hickman). And she was married to Dudley Moore!

As I understand it, the club wanted Clarkson but he signed on with the Hawks and we moved on. Malthouse was a no go zone and Ross Lyons' manager passed on his client's instructions that he was still in talks with the Saints. Ross however, had already been approached via the back door by the Dockers who made him an offer that couldn't be refused (especially due to his financial circumstances). Leigh Matthews has been out of the game for far too long to be a head coach in today's game. Mark Williams had a contract with GWS. Once you've exhausted that lot, you're into the young up and comers and Neeld came highly recommended, had four impressive years as an understudy and by all reports interviewed well. The Neil Craig connection made the combination all the more impressive. I'm of the view that next year and the year after will be the time to judge them and whether the due diligence in the selection process was up to standard.

They say that it "ain't over until it's over" but I think for most of us, 2012 has been over for a while. Still, it will be good to officially lay the season to rest. Can anybody see any redeeming features coming out of tonight's game?

The Herald Sun is crowing about this story on the front page of today's sports section saying "WE TOLD YOU FIRST" and referring to their on line report of 7pm last night. Given that the story was revealed two days earlier in this Fox Sports story mentioned in the OP Port Adelaide target Melbourne Demons club champion Brent Moloney to add some midfield grunt and also on the 7 News a little after 6pm yesterday, this simply confirms to me that the paper has become an embarrassment in the post Mike Sheahan era. Strangely enough, Fox Sports and the HUN are in the same stable.

Definitely a bad career move to go back West and it was a pity there wasn't much scrutiny about the offer he took to go back to the Dockers. He was certainly our last marquee player and we didn't get enough back in the trade deal when he left. Incidentally, I believe the Wizard already had a young son when he joined the MFC. I wondered if he's turned out to be as talented as his dad?

He's actually saying that he is not encouraging them to lose but simply not trying to win by too much. However, I don't see there is too much of a difference because both concepts would, if proven, bring the game into disrepute. If a respected and successful former coach is promoting this idea then the AFL should have a good look at itself and accept that by sitting back idly over more than a decade and denying there was a problem, they have made it infinitely worse. They should introduce a lottery system for the draft and announce a clear policy on clubs and coaches allowing games to be played on their merit including what can and cannot be done in terms of team selection.

I notice the number of Demons eligible to play for Casey in the finals (after this week when selection is open) is now down to only eight – Eight Demons eligible for VFL finals Jake Spencer is the player taken off the previous list, presumably because he played too many AFL games (?). That’s a blow to the Scorps and might explain why, despite finishing on top, they are fifth in the line of favouritism for the flag according to the Herald Sun.

I've left the decision on the thread to others. As to your questions and your manner of debating, I don't respond to loaded and mischievous questioning and I have no respect for people who question my honesty.