demoniac

Post Leoncelli's resignation as Footy Director Stynes stepped in but due to his illness was unable to really fulfill the role. The Board comprised of talented business people but without any footy experience was going to offer Bailey a contract extension. Schwab and Connolly stepped up to the plate and did what they had to do. Fitness is just one issue. Neeld, Misson and Craig arrived from Collingwood, St Kilda and Adelaide and were stunned by our players fitness levels. It was so bad that Misson who has an outstanding record at the Swans and the Saints had to put into place a 3 pre season plan to get us up to a competitive elite fitness level. The loss to Port was unacceptable. But it is Round 1. Our players fitness levels are now close to the elite levels of other clubs. They have no excuse not to run hard both ways for four quarters. No excuse not to work hard every minute of every quarter. Checker Hughes' words should be ringing in their ears: "You are playing like a lot of flowers. Lift your heads and play like demons". Redemption must start next week. We may not win every week but the effort has to be there every week. Week in. Week out. Lift their heads and play like demons every week.

Appointing an experienced assistant coach at a Premiership team is a 'strange appointment'? No. What is the 'weird game style'?

I have been to most of the AGMs since 1988 and they have always taken questions from the floor and there have never been any restrictions on the content of the questions.

or that Rodan is cooked and Gillies is VFL key defender. Byrnes and Pederson showed glimpses and may yet prosper.

and yet every year at the AGM only about 5 people ask questions...

Neeld's fate will be decided by season 2014. He knows that.

Frawley and Tom McDonald the 2 key defenders for mine with Pederson to cover when required. Dunn plays as the third tall edging out Garland due to his superior kicking. Watts stays and is joined by Terlich and both are encouraged to run and carry when they can. Nicholson stays as small running defender. And thats it. 2 Key Defenders, 1 Third Tall 3 and 3 running defenders. The game today is pretty much 1 Ruck, 1 'Leigh Brown Position', 4 Key Position Players and everyone else has to be able to run and carry. We were a couple of runners short today.

and if there is no one making a well timed run to receive the tough inside mid has no one to distribute to.

Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar'n Dees.

We take care of our own.

Good to have a Rodda back in the Demons Jumper!

27,987. Its the starting the season so I am feeling all Reverse Old Dee.

With Stynes seriously ill we effectively had a Board with no football experience following the resignation of Andrew Leoncelli. The Board was seriously considering extending Dean Bailey's contract. Schwab and Connolly did what they had to do to prevent that unwarranted contract extension. Everything I have read since about the fundamental cultural changes demanded of the players by Neeld, Misson and Craig justifies the actions of Schwab and Connolly. Go Dees. My name is Tom Potter and I endorse this message.

Last 3 years.2010 - 20 games 2011 - 18 games 2012 - 23 games Love to be heading out to Casey but off to the Zoo for a wedding.

A great of the game and the MFC.

they look like Melbourne Demons footballers to me....

Love the blazers. A nod to our rich heritage and will be greatly valued by players particularly in retirement. Who cares that other Clubs don't do it.

Read what Garland said yesterday about the home truths delivered to the players at the start of the 2012 pre season by Neeld arriving from Collingwood, Misson from St Kilda and Craig from Adelaide: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-03-20/dees-were-unfit-last-year-garland "When Neeldy came on board with Craigy (Neil Craig) and David Misson from St Kilda, we got to see their running results compared to ours straight away and to be honest it was quite embarrassing. "From that aspect we had a lot of catching up to do from day dot. "The first pre-season we did under Mark was probably the toughest I’ve ever done, just the change in training standards." They've now had 2 pre seasons under Misson and Craig who both have deserved reputations for conditioning players to play tough hard footy from the first bounce till the final siren.Given footy players are part athlete part footballer the fact that our players will be significantly fitter than they were last year is a optimistic sign for our performance this year. Another pre season under Neeld and Craig should see their footy smarts and their understanding of Neeld's pragmatic game plan also improve. Does your average footy scribe comprehend this? No.Just look at the previews that have been written. The Champion Data Prospectus is my personal fav and their strange Zenga analogy. Have no idea what Zenga is but the Champion Data hack must really like it. Takes the time to mention the Zenga thingamajiggyly but not David Misson so possibly better suited to sticking to what he or she knows which does seem to start with Z and end in A.

Signed up niece and her husband and 4 kids today for the Family Membership. The 3 older kids were members last year but the family package means it costs them nothing to go to Dees home games and inculcate the kids! Thay have 2 cousins who are Dees fans but they do have an Uncle who is a Hawks fan thus the urgency with the memberships!

Its always a great weekend!

The story that was missed by footy journos last year. Its not as if the club hid the fact that the Melbourne players were told by Neeld, Misson and Craig that their key fitness indicators and professionalism were way off the levels at Collingwood, St Kilda and Adelaide. Misson even stated that we were doing more running mid week in 2012 season than he had the Saints doing in 2011 because we were still building to the elite fitness levels that the Saints just had to maintain.

Ashen Faced. Can't believe he has not mastered the game in the few months that he has been playing the game. I mean I know he is athletic and has good ball skills but seriously if he has not mastered the game by now what hope is there for him!

The Blues recruited Malthouse but Buttifant did not come with him. Can the Carlton Fitness Boss deliver Mick the athletes in the shape that Buttifant did. Does he have the quality of Assistant Coaches that he had in the 2011 Premiership year? 3 of the 2011 Maggies Assistants are now Senior Coaches. The Blues fans are up and about but with a tough draw to start the year that could change pretty damn quickly and rest assured they will jump off the bandwagon again if the year goes pearshaped and the reality dawns that the Judd era will deliver the Blues exactly the same number of Premierships that the Buckley era delivered Collingwood. Do you understand what the club has achieved in recent years? We've moved our training base from the dilapidated slums of the Junction Oval to the modern elite facility at AAMI Park. We've payed off our $5 million dollar debt and we've taken full ownership of the Bentleigh Club which is valued at around $8 million. We used our improved commercial position to put together a football department led by impressive people like Neeld, Craig, Viney and Misson and now Jason Taylor. We went out and got Mitch Clark. How Freo must wish they had poneyed up for him. You talk about winning important games. If you read what Colin Garland said today about the home truths delivered to the players in the 2011 pre season about their fitness levels and professionalism you will understand the cultural changes ushered in by the new footy department. Just looking at Misson and Craig, is their a better sports science due in the AFL. Both have years of experience in conditioning AFL players to play tough hard footy from first bounce to final siren. The kind of tough hard footy that wins those important games you talk about. Neeld and Craig have also introduced a much tougher brand of footy, with a great emphasis on being able to play a hard nosed defensive game style. I like Neeld. He talks directly and simply. And he backs up what he says with his selections. For the first time since the Northey era if you want to pull on a Dees jumper you've gotta be able to play tough hard footy no matter how talented you are. And Misson and Craig will ensure you have the elite fitness required to do it.

if we play our Darwin games well inside the dry season what are 'those conditions' you are talking about?

Ever been to Darwin in the Dry Season? Games in the Dry Season months like July are played in much more less draining conditions than you might think. So you'd rather us play in Ballarat or Bendigo? Neither city has AFL standard stadiums and won't have any time soon. The AFL takes great pride in the fact that games are played in every State and Territory and the role the game plays in employing and engaging with indigenous Australians. By playing the games in the NT and by having our pre season camp there the MFC is in part vitally assisting the AFL in both aspects. We do need to work with the AFL to ensure that this is recognised and that the NT games mean less games at Etihad.