Viney12

The recruitment of Clark was amazing for a number of reasons.

But what gives me the most confidence about it, is that clearly Neeld and co. can spot talent.

Many scoffed when we chased him, many things were said. But he has turned out exactly as Neeld and co. wanted

I just don't think we have the players to get there next year. However depending on how active we are in the FA/Trade period I may change my view. But I think/hope we could be pushing up around 10th if a few things go our way...

This is where I'm basing my prediction.

Improvement of existing players and bringing in some young guns and complimentary mature players (and possibly a FA or 2)

You are sure about that?

Yes

The only decent game he played this year was against Essendon. The club he tried to get to last year.

Says it all. He doesn't want to be here.

He didn't try to get to Essendon last year, was total BS

He was sounded out by them, he told them [censored] off

The thrust of the interview is we've been off the pace all year and being absolutely dominated by a top 4 team reminds them of that

No problem with it

I doubt we'd get a compensation pick. Would we?

Yes we would, however, that would be negated if we bought in a free agent

Lose a player to free agency, you gain a pick. Bring one in, that's seen as compensation enough

I'd like Beamer to stay personally

I think he has good football left in him despite a poor year and there will be enough changes to the list and lost experience as is

Count me in, I reckon we'll play finals

Defence is paramount

this has to be taught 1st before attack can even come in to the equation

And we are so far behind the 8 ball with attack it's clearly been the sole focus of the season.

A team like North are an example of this. Spent the last 2 years defending, and now they are successfully implementing attack into their game

To continue on the Bailey path, we would've won 8 odd games a year, and never been a premiership threat

Actually, the Demons ripped them apart in the second quarter. Then we got polaxed.

Still, we had enough good players to rip them apart for one quarter at least.

But still, we ripped gold coast and GWS apart for a quarter each this year. Wohoooo.

Seriously, you people have rocks in your head, either that or the pied piper is still playing his tunes.

I would hardly call it ripping them apart. We kicked straighter. And once they probably copped an absolute spray for being behind melbourne at half time, they flicked the switch and smashed us. And badly.

That 3rd quarter was one of the worst quarters of football I have ever seen. It was dumb football of the highest order.

They kept kicking points, we kept kicking out to Jamar just outside 50 near the boundary, they triple teamed him, went inside 50 for another point, only for it to be repeated.

You are the one with rocks in your head if you think that last year was "good football" matching it with the best

We were 1 way runners, who were smashed by half decent teams, beat up on weak teams and still only then scrapped home against some of them

If you can't see massive changes were needed, you need your head read

Well done mate.

Boy you have a short memory.

Dosnt a couple of ripper games against the pies ring any bells?

In 2009 we got up for the games against Collingwood, but still came up short

2010 was proof that Bailey was not going to succeed.

Collingwood destroyed us that day. It was embarrassing how clinically they tore us apart.

2009 means nothing.

Who of note did we beat in 2011 that made us match it with the best? Seriously?

Every half decent team absolutely trounced us

this is an interesting post, because it highlights the fact that the players are not sure about Neelds ideaology.

It raises the question about troops in war, if only our troops had not agreed to British orders to invade the Turkish coast in Gallipoli, we would have avoided the slaughter. Troops gave 100% but still got massacared.

I wonder if the players are doubting Neelds game plan because even they can see that it is not effective, and they don't believe in him.

Interesting times ahead.

As for people who say that the players have not performed over the last 4 years, I think that up until rd15 last year, we definetly saw some good signs from our players. I thought our good footy was as good as anyone in the league. We looked daring and exciting and entertaining.

This year, we have only had the occasional mark from Howe to keep us going.

FMD now I've read it all.

We downhill skiied against weak teams and got absolutely pole axed by good opposition.

Carlton smashed us - we then had one of their players start the bruise free tag that's followed us since

We got systematically dismantled by Collingwood, it was embarrassing

1, 8 and 6 ring any bells?

Had Hawthorn have kicked straight in Round 2 (remember the 10 odd straight points / inside 50's in the 3rd quarter) it would've been more of a massacre than it already was

We scrapped in against a very average Brisbane

WC absolutely flogged us

We were a laughing stock with zero respect in the AFL community

And Neeld is trying to change that.

He's had 1 pre season and most of 1 season to tip it on it's head, work out who's worth keeping, who's not worth keeping, who he can bring into the club etc.

The majority of our key signings are done, so clearly the players know he's on the right track....yet you want the guy hung drawn and quartered

Doesn't make sense

As Kevin Sheedy said, 'Too much analysis leads to paralysis', and to recall my football days, I usually played best when I was simply hungry for the footy.

Maybe, just maybe, it is not the players that are at fault, it is the coach that is derailing their hunger with an over-emphasised priority on structure, which is preventing the players to simply be hungry for the footy. in time, maybe the structures will become second nature and the players can focus on the footy again, but then again, maybe Neeld is a dud.

Do we really want to get rid of a 1/4 of our list.

Players like Petterd, Bennell, Gysberts and Blease will go to Sydney and absolutely dominate. You watch.

Players lke Moloney, Rivers and Bartram will end up at Geelong or Essendon or Carlton and be fixed members of their team.

I hope Neeld knows what he is doing, because like Prendergast, they can just leave and we get stuck with the mess.

We must hold them accountable and consistently check their decisions. They are employed by us, the members.

Yeah....because this playing group achieved so much and showed such hunger pre-Neeld

umm and with a hand and wrist injury you pull and push on weights how ?

( have I walked head first into sarcasm?)

I think Jose meant it's the first he'd heard the Gys was injured and not doing weights pre season

It's more of a concept team and a direction Melbourne have to take rather than an actual starting line up.

Ben Hur is the only guy to actually put up a blue print of Melbourne's future while carefully articulating why this is so. The Magners, Sellars, Couches are gap fillers, all try bloody hard but were Blunders by the Neeld Admin. BH has a balance of youth, speed, bigs and smalls and sure it's a young team but that's good? right?

Silly polls advocating MASS CULLS and" I believe in Neeld" without any reason to believe and Pro Neeld Polls don't tell us much. Would rather read a well articulated piece as to the direction Melbourne should go and congrats to BH!

Continually bagging out on players we are meant to support is not only malicious but also disrespectful. Sure I'm not happy Melbourne rushed to appoint Neeld but crap happens and will move on. The guys no Moron and maybe he can warm into the job. Hasn't shown anything yet but hey...it's coming.

Tonatopia makes some excellent points in reference to our current crop of players...browse back and see what he has to say.....

Clark

Watts

Jones

Grimes

McKenzie

Sylvia

Moloney

Davey

Green

Rivers

Jamar

Jurrah

Frawley

Trengove

Howe

Garland

Bartram

Tapscott

Viney

Brad Green

IMO all these guys should stay on next year and I hope they do! Get Maxxy Gawn back to team up with Russian and away we go with BH's re-structured mids (would be sad to lose Sylvia/Moloney though BH)...ok.....bla bbl a......hand it over to you guys to rip the shreds off me!!!!! hehe

But bagging the coach is ok, hey?

Collingwood & West Coast.

Yep

Wash your mouth out RP, surely by now you know that this is a Gys-safe zone on here. Any hint of potential negativity toward the Gys is disregarded immediatey...

Or perhaps people are just willing to give a young kid who put in some pretty good performances against pretty good opposition, who's struggled with injury, a go?

Cannot wait for Viney.

And I want to think Gysberts is apart of the future, but his last Pre-Season left me pretty flat and I just can't see it right now...

Fitness can be built

This appears to be Gys' main issue right now

One of the few on our list that can consistently find the ball

A nice read after this year (particularly the last few days)

I've been on the Cloke bandwagon from day one, would be a great get.

We've got the cash, we've got the cap space, we've got the gaping hole for another moster forward.

I once thought Brock was the messiah.

Just sayin'

I honestly don't know why you bother supporting the club or posting here

If you said anything semi complimentary towards the club, I'd drop dead of a heart attack I reckon

Danners would love this.

And if you are right and he meant 07 - he also take CC out of any tanking conspiracy - he was in Perth.

What a git.

Amazingly, they've editted the article!

it stated previously that he told cameron he was leaving and why, then left

unbelivable

Note at the bottom of the article - things are not adding up for me. It CLEARLY stated that he told Craig Cameron he was leaving because they were tanking - how would a journo create that. Agenda's all round

An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Paul Gardner spoke to former Melbourne recruiting manager Craig Cameron about the issue. AFL.com.au accepts that Mr Cameron was not involved in any conversation, and apologises for the error, which was made by a reporter.

Stynes message was often the same tho'.

Stynes still climbed out of his sick bed (often against doctors orders) to attend games and functions

Gardner missed a season opener one year cause he was going hiking or something.......Stynes was 100% committed to the club

It was a status and past time for Gardner

He was still president in early 08. I assume that is what he means, otherwise the Reverend will be implicated...

No, he contradicts himself on this

He left a game....in '07, whilst Craig Cameron was still at the club (who left in '07)

Agenda

lol

I can't wait to find out what we have 'done' next.

According to an ex-President we were 'tanking' in early 08...

lol

We lost our first two games by 100 points each.

Usually tanking involves manipulating games you have 'a chance' to win.

Emphasis on 'a chance'...

According to out ex-President we were actually tanking in '07

.......not looking forward to the end of the season after round 5

Stuie This is my theory.

MFC is so far in debt to the AFL that they have to kow tow

AFL rings MFC this morning.

Guys you have been caught with your arm in the cookie jar.

You say you were just reaching over it when you slipped and your hand fell in.

We will then say we understand it is not the way it looks.

Ok

Oh you do remember who keeps your club afloat right?

The members are keeping the club afloat....you do remember the Debt Demolition....right?