sylvias dukes

those two players are terrible. We are a joke cause of our midfielders. If they happen to win the ball its just a hack forward, when they lose it though its a clear break. Sewell ran out of the centre first clearance of the day (what a joke). Unless we can get someone to support nath jones we will continue to suck big time. Trengove is a lot worse then Watts

Garlands has had a good start and his last couple of weeks have been especially good. The stats stating his kicking prowess are rubbish though. Although Kennedy beat him, bad match up by our laughable coach, he has shown great intensity in the back line. It shows how meaningless stats are sometimes as his defensive work has been good whilst his generally kicking appears okay. He merely just hits up targets I expect him to hit. Hasn't created outrageous options yet he's the third best kick according to the stats in the league. Stats lie occasionally but he has been very good this year

Tom Mcdonald just had 5 kicked on him by Darling. He is a horrendous kick and decision maker, however I can't help feel that there is some upside in his game as he does have a crack.

Are Melbourne still sponsored by the Age? I know we were recently. It's actually quite a shrewd investment. Sponsor a club that appears so conflicted it will sell plenty of newspapers. Sure beats sponsoring the Hawks or Cats. Nothing to reveal about their off-field internal rumblings

I meant by established teams everyone bar GWS and GC. If we beat Port and Bulldogs and maybe Essendon again then that's three wins. Remember we got beaten by the dogs and the power last year so its not a definite. It will be interesting to see if we improve for one, and whether Mark Neeld will continue to play such a negative predictable hug the boundary line style. It didn't seem to work at all. Sides aren't pressing as much with sides like Sydney excellent at breaking through the press. I want to see more attacking football and to see players express themselves and show their ability

Haha no it wasn't. It was actually the players brother, hence why it is reliable

when you look at that the outs compared to to the ins it is hard to see us improve drastically on last year and beat more then three established sides. All the older recruits have massive question marks. Dawes is slow and has come of a dreadful season. Pederson couldn't get a game ahead of Robbie Tarrant....... Shannon Byrnes is getting on and will be interesting to see how he goes in a team without stars. And David Rodan got delisted from Port Adelaide. To expect anything drastic from first year players is unlikely. I honestly can't see the so called "clear sky ahead." Hopefully the club improves but gee whiz Neeld isn't mucking around. Am I the only one slightly worried about the future of our club? The list hasn't improved one bit, in fact gotten worse. I started this post trying not to be too negative (stuff it). Schwab is a cancer of the club (off topic but the rant will go on). For him to have a relationship with a senior coach that was so diabolical that they couldn't be in the same room together is unforgivable. There is something majorly wrong at Melbourne. I heard from a reliable source that a GWS player who is being chased by a few Victorian clubs received an offer from Melbourne in which his manager laughed at saying "it's the worst running sporting club in Australia." It makes sense. When you agree to sack the CEO, then in the same week give him an extension, the word professional should be immediately removed. It's amateur hour at the MFC and this trade week has done nothing to change my opinion. Did we not get screwed over in one trade?

As said before sounds like Trengove is going to poll well at our b n f which is odd. Also our leadership selection appeared to be a wishy washy attempt. Every player was rated on certain values out of 7. Maturity and experience was not a trait. Leigh Matthews was not the most popular player or coach but an outstanding leader. Leadership cannot be summed up by cliche traits. Not a knock on the Jacks but I would have preferred a different approach to our leadership group so that the laconic Garland and the bunsen burner Bartram weren't included.

Gysberts was injured. He had some kind of arm injury and first game back broke his jaw. Missed quite a bit of football and came back and played well for Casey and received only one game in the afl before being dropped. Needs to get fitter and stronger but shouldn't be delisted.

Big rant and calling Petterd a superstar or close to is a bit extreme, however I get your jist. Neeld had me worried after his ridiculous round 1 press conference. The media didn't know how to react with his over the top calls and stupid expressions. Looked a man out of his depth and the only response was "he'll learn." To be fair he did, as he was a lot calmer in press conferences, but the thing that concerned me most was that he distanced himself from the playing group by lumping the whole result on the players. Does he realize that his job is to get the players to perform? He also said he doesn't want to put 'blind faith' in players. Wait he makes Trengove and Grimes captain neither having played much AFL footy, and although Grimes was okay this season, both failed to deliver to expectations. Claims that it was a decision made by the players, administration (wtf are they doing involved) and coaches. Funnily enough when it was coaches and players who elected the leadership group in 2011 Rivers and Moloney were both in it. Having finished top 2 in the b n f in 2011 surely they wouldn't be cut. Neeld needs to show that he can develop players and make them reach their potential. Make Gysberts follow Jones all pre season cause he can be a player. Instead Neeld is preoccupied with playing Sellar, not up to AFL, and Bate, why didnt we trade him to the dogs? His treatment of Stefan Martin is bewildering also. Dermott Brereton believes that he would have good trade value. Wouldn't surprise me if we traded him and kept Sellar. We better bloody improve!!!!!!!!

They still go to Boutique. Mate took an interesting photo of our captain. But who cares if they go to a nightclub when they have a 7 or 8 day break

Ratten is a good senior coach whereas Neeld isn't. Logical enough?

Saying that the title is dumb fair enough (it is). Saying the thread is dumb and not providing any reasoning, however is not fair enough. It may in your mind be stupid but the way I see it Melbourne needs to be cunning and dear I say it, without giggling, professional. Sorry Melbourne and professional aren't exactly compatible. Ratten is a proven senior coach who in my opinion is superior to that of Neeld. If available Melbourne should get him. You may act like Neeld is great and is trying to change the culture yada yada, funnily enough the same thing people said about Bailey, well believe all you want. I'm sick of believing in an untried and at this stage catastrophically deplorable coach. Everyone was unanimous in that Melbourne needed a senior proven coach not some rookie last year. After a season in which this untried rookie has led a season from hell and a proven senior coach comes on the market, fresh from the game I might add, surely it is not the worst opinion of all time. Pick holes in the theory all you like The Master did (or at least tried) cause hopefully I'm wrong and Neeld leds us to a flag

Stating Ratten is a better coach then Neeld somehow makes me ALP's chief strategist? Didn't know they had one to be honest. Appears to be rudderless ship (no pun intended) much like Melbourne

Ratten in Neeld out. Robert Walls wrote a great article in the Age http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/malthouse-a-big-risk-as-blues-err-in-axing-ratten-20120829-2514j.html I urge people to read it and before some idiot comes in and claims Robert Walls knows nothing just look at his CV. Bloke seriously knows his football. The article got me thinking and I have rated Ratten as a coach and the way he handled himself this year has been fantastic. He actually possesses leadership and is made of the right stuff. Has a win loss record of 53% and the only reason he is being booted is purely Carlton arrogance. Mick Malthouse is a great coach who unfortunately wouldn't even consider Melbourne but wants to coach Carlton, bad luck Ratten. This year has been a disaster of enormous magnitude. If prior to the season I'd said we'd beaten one non expansion side you'd all have had a chuckle. We haven't even gotten close to other sides,. This isn't all Neelds fault but he doesn't inspire any confidence. Deplorable in the media and that uninspiring cliche sprinkled pre game talk doesn't feel me with confidence. End of the day it comes down to who is a better senior coach though and you'd have to be one hell of a believer to choose Neeld over Ratten