Whispering_Jack

The funny thing is that I think Chris Connolly handled himslef very well on the Footy Show tonight and he projected a completely different image of himself than when he was coach at the Dockers. I think that when he had the job he was trying too hard to behave like Kevin Sheedy of the West but the real person came out tonight in the interview and he was pretty good IMO. That said, I agree with the others who say he has a role at the club in management etc. but not as the head coach and I say that not for any reasons related to his own personality or ability or even his record as coach of Fremantle. I think the MFC needs a total outsider who can come into the club and take some very tough decisions about changes not only in the playing group but (and I hate using this word) also to the "culture" of the club. That's no slight on anyone who is at the club now or has been there before but I think that we need a major overhaul to turn things around and Connolly isn't going to provide that.

NORM SMITH AN AFL LEGEND One of the highest individual honours the game can bestow has gone to one of the MFC's true greats - the late Norm Smith.

Murphy looks OK but Campbell is a real unknown quantity. Would only entertain this on a swap of players or low draft picks. The biggest problem with this is that it arose on a thread on bigfooty so it has to be taken with a grain of salt.

News from today is that Jeff Farmer has been a naughty boy again. This is from Marjorie on DOCKERLAND FARMER UPDATE Thursday, July 19th, 2007 at 1:09 pmBY BRAD KLIBANSKY FREMANTLE forward Jeff Farmer is being questioned by Western Australian police after being involved in an altercation outside Perth’s Burswood Casino. It is alleged 33- year- old Farmer had an altercation with bar staff and was escorted out of the casino by security guards where he proceeded to damage a vehicle parked outside at around midnight Perth time. This is not the first time Farmer has found himself in trouble with the law. Earlier this year he was investigated by police and suspended by the Dockers for a drunken attack on a patron and a security guard outside a Perth nightclub. It seems to me that Jeff's in a bit of trouble over there and he might want to return to where it all started and the place where he was a far more relaxed individual before he was lured across by Cameron Schwab. Based on the Akermanis deal, I don't think it would cost us that much (and I don't believe he's 33 years old either). I reckon Jeff's behaviour would improve in this environment. Perhaps it could be a straight out swap with the Byronator going west and the Wizard coming east. They could even change jumpers though I suspect Pickett might have some problems fitting into the one that Jeff would be leaving behind.

I'd like to challenge that proposition or at least qualify it. A club's list comprises 44 players (including rookies). Let's say you have 11 players who you believe are simply not going to figure in your team's next premiership assault. Why not for example, seek to trade the best two of those players away on player/player trades, upgrade two rookies, draft six players in the National Draft and introduce three new rookies. That would constitute a turnover of 1/4 of your list and allow you to release players who you think aren't up to it. After all, why keep a player on the list if you don't have faith in his ability? By releasing him, you eliminate the possibility of a repeat of previous failures. This is what I would expect from a new coach who has made a thorough study of our list and who, from the minute he steps through the club's doors, is not prepared to put up with mediocrity. I purposely haven't named any names here because I expect the person appointed to the new job to be well versed about the weak links in our list. If he isn't then we've chosen the wrong person to coach the club. To those who would argue that it's better to keep an older player on the list rather than to draft deep into the draft pool, I'll cite the example of Port Adelaide which drafted Gray in the 50's and Westhoff in the 70's.

I think he's gorn now.

Quite clearly the MFC property steward doesn't read Demonland.

It could also mean that Melbourne will take an extra player to Brisbane which would leave four on the bench for the Sandy seniors (on the other hand they could fly the emergency back on Saturday night as they did last year with CJ and Warnock).

And how would you define "troublemakers" Redleg? Does Michael Voss qualify in view of the recent charges laid against him?

I think the lid is slowly lifting.

There's a bit of irony there. I remember coming home from work one day in the early to mid 1980's to read about how Melbourne was interested in two up and coming young South Australian brothers. We drafted Darren Jarman but he never came to the club while Andrew Jarman insisted he wouldn't leave SA. Darren Jarman eventually played for Hawthorn and later joined Andrew at Adelaide. Both were champion footballers and we missed out big time.

In law there is a doctrine called the De Minimus rule which means that the law does not concern itself with little things. Perhaps that's why you can't find it.

I'm only guessing but it's possible that Riley might have decided he didn't want some of those players to travel to Bendigo to play in a VFL seconds game. Ferguson played with them last week and needed the match fitness and Pickett needs as much time on the ground as he can get. Moloney could have played half a game in the midfield but Dunn and Miller really don't need a game in the bush IMO. Hopefully Barry's carrier pigeon will come back with another message soon.

Mick, It may be that some or all of the players you named didn't end up playing. As for Fergs kicking 6 that doesn't mean much other than that he should get a game at AFL level within the next 12 months. A year ago I saw a bloke called Newton kick 9 at VFL reserves level against the Bombers including 6 in a quarter. Look how long it took him to make it!

Thanks Pantaloons. Somebody's pointed out to me via PM that Essendon wasn't at full strength because David Hille was out suspended. I accept that and I wasn't making excuses anyway but I also should point out that in his absence Laycock aquitted himself reasonably well and I doubt whether Hille's absence would have made much difference to the final result. On the other hand, Melbourne's list of players out injured was significant, not to mention the fact that a few who played weren't 100% fit. At his best, the skipper would have slotted through at least one of those 3 shots from inside 50 that he missed in the last quarter and I therefore calculate that this would have made a difference.

A small piece of evidence that backs up what I'm saying and also explains why it was in the best interests of all that ND and the club parted company early once the decision was made that he wouldn't continue. As a career coach Neale's prospects might have been badly harmed had he coached a team that went poorly in the final half of the season under this sort of a policy which is, in reality, the best way forward for the club. I believe that we will still go through a roller coaster ride over the next two months but that this period could also be the making of our club. The regrets are that the process was nicely manipulated by the media (who were only doing their job) and that communications with the skipper and senior players wasn't all that flash. Neita might not have been very diplomatic when he spoke out yesterday but at least he was being honest which is refreshing when you look at some of the things that go on at other clubs. TOUGH LIFE OF RILEY "MELBOURNE caretaker coach Mark Riley will demand a tough approach from his team in the final nine games of the season. ... "The Demons look like being without David Neitz, Travis Johnstone, Brad Green and Daniel Bell - and will make a decision on whether two or three other players may be sent off for season-ending surgery this week. It points to a youth-filled line up for Sunday's game against Carlton at the MCG. Out-of-favour key position player Brad Miller is one player likely to return, along with youngsters Lynden Dunn and Colin Garland. Rising Star winner Jared Rivers may return in the next fortnight, but Clint Bartram's season is over."

We were the pioneers with the Irish experiment but it seems that we've taken our eyes off the ball in this regard. Collingwood, Carlton, Brisbane and Sydney have drafted Irish players in recent years. We seem to be uninterested. Likewise with the Sydney experiment. The Pies have picked up a good player, I'm not sure we're taking it all that seriously. Probably, has to do with the funding required and the fact that we don't have the resources to spend in that area compared with other clubs.

I just wanted to say thank you to The Reverend. It's been a bumpy ride over the past ten years. I should also add for the record that it's been my belief for some time that his departure from the club at the end of the year was inevitable - that it was for his good and for the good of the club that there be change but that is not to detract from his ability as a coach or the great things he has done for Melbourne. I look forward to being present when the club awards him the life membership he so richly deserves and wish Neale and his family all the very best for the future.

In a few weeks time Neita is going to become the first MFC player to hit 300 games. It's one of the tragedies of the game that Neale won't be involved with the club on that day. A real shame. I look forward to being part of the group that gives ND a standing ovation at this year's AGM (and please let's have one of those Members' Information Nights as well where we can pay tribute to the bloke for his 10 years of outstanding effort for the club.

At the risk of removing the dignity from the occasion of the night I wonder what others think of what looked to be a blatant leg pull on Cameron Bruce late in the game which went unnoticed by the umpires. Had Bruce been rewarded with the free, the Bombers would almost certainly not have kicked their 18th goal and therefore they would probably have run out of time for victory. Was that a free kick or what?

I don't think there's any reason for Lynden Dunn to be worried by Juice. They will both play many games together for the MFC and we can expect to see more youth in the red and blue. A few of the older names will soon fade into obscurity and the last two months or so will definitely see a different MFC to the one that played tonight. It was a great game tonight because the teams played football the way the crowds love it. No flooding, no tempo shmempo and none of the fancy tactics and strategies that teams usually have to play week in, week out. The four points really didn't matter in the end as far as I'm concerned. Melbourne got itself off the floor and played good football on half the necessary cylinders and probably should have won. In that respect it was a fitting tribute to Neale Daniher because that was the style of game he promoted for most of his time at the club. In order to stay with the leading clubs, he has modified the game plan lately and this year attempted the introduction of the run and carry style. Although his team was starting to get better at it, the weight of injuries ensured that his grand design for 2007 wouldn't be achieved. Despite all that, I believe that Melbourne has the basis there for the future and success may not be all that far away given that our record this year stands at 2/11. We are much better than that and one day we will be thankful to Neale Daniher for what he did for the club. That's my tribute for him tonight.

I actually like Chris Connolly and I think he would do a fair job as a coach but I'm looking for someone who can lift the club to another level. Don't know who that is but I somehow think that Connolly isn't in that category. We need a new approach, fresh ideas and one hellova tough bastard to overturn our brittleness when the pressure's turned on. I lean towards a Michael Voss but, while I know he was a terrific footballer, I don't know whether he has the capacity to coach well at the highest level.

I suggest your mate Brent buys this week's Inside Football. Phil Cleary's otherwise excellent column mentions Brent Newton who he says is "making a serious claim for AFL selection".

This is what he said about Michael Newton in 2004 when he was drafted:- NEWTON, Michael (43) [Mel] Athletic marking KPP. Inconsistent and I'm not sure if he is a team player but attractive package and upside. Bargain.

Maurie, I believe that ABC2 will be showing a very delayed telecast of the next Sandringham game which will be against Tasmania over there. On at some ridiculous time as well. Not certain of the details but will post them when I find out. If he was playing on a forward flank as reported, he wasn't even a "key" forward in the traditional sense. I'm hoping that ND throws caution to the wind now that he's sorted out his future and brings both he and Lynden Dunn into the side to play on a wing and half forward flank respectively. Possibly, Simon Buckley on the back flank. Could be very interesting.