Redleg

Probably too early in the season to grumble and cry over spilt milk, but I am concerned that Alwyn Davey was not considered good enough to even Rookie, after he did a pre-season with us. We must have had so many football experts ( coaches, recruiting staff, football department etc ) look at him during the pre-season, yet he was not considered good enough try as a Rookie. We went instead for Gianfagna and some others whose names I forget, none of whom I think are still with us. Essendon picked him up and we know the rest. When his brother was picked up by us WJ and myself were screaming on this board to take Flash and we were lucky to get him as a Rookie. I remember years ago telling people at the club that a delisted player of the Dockers could play and we should look closely at him. He was taken by North after we were not interested, he is Peter Bell. The point of this post is that I am not a recruiter yet feel that I have a fair understanding of AFL football and what seems fairly obvious to me ( that a kid can play ) is not seen that way by professionals. I have many other examples but won't go on about it. Suffice to say I am disappointed that we seem to have had first crack at a speedy talented player, with a brother at the club and for some reason he is at Essendon.

Hope someone is available to provide details (goals, best players etc ) as the media don't.

Brown will not miss over that incident.

Just on the Vote issue, I don't accept that Vote as having any relevance at all. I like many others was at the meeting and not only were many denied the opportunity to vote, but the vote was severely tainted in my opinion, by the use of dummy membership votes with proxies held in the names of at least one former board member. In my opinion if you are voting to possibly merge your club only actual supporting members of the entity should be allowed to vote. If that is not the case any wealthy person or company can buy memberships and vote the club out of existence. I believe the club has since taken steps to remedy this situation.

Amen. Tiger Ridley has few peers in the history of the Melbourne Football Club, having done it all, much of it voluntarily.

Well done. Hope we have a great year.

To Rollo and all of the others involved well done, it was a great day, far better than the day before. To the team, congratulations, you played as a team and thoroughly deserved your huge win. Together with WJ I enjoyed coaching you. Forgive me if this sounds a little patronising, but I thought you were a great bunch of guys, who played a very good game of football in very hot conditions. It was at one stage 36 degrees as it stated on the Nylex tower across the road. No late start or amended conditions needed, you ran the game out without complaint and you should be proud of your achievement. Lets hope the Dees can replicate your endeavour.

I thought Green's disposal was absolutely pathetic today. I counted at least 6 clangers. How did you see it?

Add Davey,Whelan, Bartram,Wheatley,Petterd,Dunn,Carroll and maybe even C.Johnson. As well, our top two draft picks in Morton and Grimes were injured. That is 18 out on my count, many of whom would be in our best 22.

No I am expecting the recorder to stuff up.

Done, both live and the replay on Sunday morning.

Predicted temperature at the time of the change was 32 celsius. It is now predicted to be 29 c. Hopefully it will drop another degree or two and the later start will make it cooler for the players and spectators. I will be there with Whispering Jack and Mrs. Redleg. Sorry I have given Melbourne temperatures above. The current prediction for Geelong is 26 on Saturday.

Robbo could have strained vocal chords.

Gone !!!!!!!!

Agree that Caroline Wilson's report is disgraceful. To label a club in turmoil because the CEO is leaving is a disgrace. Clearly he is no longer the preferred person for the job. Doesn't a club have the right to review its personell from time to time. Was Essendon in turmoil when Sheedy was not re-appointed? Was Hawthorn in turmoil when its CEO was replaced a while ago? Was St.Kilda in turmoil when its whole Board resigned last year? Is Collingwood in turmoil becaues Arocca left, he was the number two man? We are not insolvent. We have a good list of players. We are in the process of getting new facilities. We have record membership. Our debt is reducing. We are not in turmoil, we are in the hunt for a new CEO. Lastly if it was the CEO of the Tigers going would they be in turmoil?

What is also disturbing and may go hand in hand with this situation, is that I read somewhere that the Board only meets 8 times a year. In days gone by it always met monthly, except for January.

I would imagine we need a pretty special sort of person for the CEO position. Experience in a similar position, requisite educational qualifications, financial skills, corporate skills, interpersonal human relation skills, marketing skills or experience, contacts at the upper end of town, media skill and a passion for the job are just some of the qualities that could be or should be required of the successful candidate. Therefore posts such as ' appoint Joe Blow he is a nice bloke" are a waste of the effort in typing them. That said, it is disappointing to have so many CEO appointments at this club terminated. We need to get it bloody right for once. The Cats and Bulldogs as examples seem to have got it right, why can't we?

I can think of a Korean who has been a great AFL footballer- Peter Bell.

I have no issue at all if training is secret as long as they win games. They can all stand on their heads and eat ice cream if it helps them win games.

Think you are being a bit hard on him. In my opinion he is still capable of kicking a couple of goals a game from a forward pocket. He is a great kick for goal including snaps and would only need a couple of possessions to do some damage to the opposition. He could be interchanged with Flash, Robbo, Green, Newton etc to change the forward line dynamic and make it more difficult for the opposition to have the correct defender. He can take a nice mark and can read the play well. As you said he is not small at 187cms. I agree that he doesn't show the desperation of a Doggy and looks very laconic on the field, but he is not past it in my opinion. 2 goals a game or 44 for the season would be a great return. Brad Johnson kicked less and got in the All Australian side in the forward pocket as the best thing since sliced bread. Now I am not saying he is as good as Johnson but in the same season Yze kicked more goals and was thought to have had a poor year. I wouldn't give up on him quite yet.

Thought the same thing myself. Can't see the current fence remaining during the footy season, as we will have more people on the footpath than inside the ground.

Pity the poor coaches trying to do rotations to give everyone a run. Might get Whispering Jack to bring his laptop and calculator to help with the exercise.

Neitz is the Captain as advised by the club today in an email on the red and blue army.

I am happy to coach again with Whispering jack if you want us. I enjoyed the last game. I will start work on the new game plan.

Correct. He is on a list, even if only as a Rookie. I hope for his sake he might be another feel good story. If his determination and mental attitude are strong who knows. Yes he may not be the next Judd, but who expected him to be. He is our last pick of 2007 and while he is at the club he has a chance to impress. Good luck at the Dees Shane. PS. I can think of some pretty ordinary footballers who played a fair bit of league football, if he gets a game he will always be an AFL footballer.