felixdacat

Jimmy We Will Miss You.

I think Jamie Bennell is progressing as a player steadily he is slowly improving his game last year his disposal were down compared to '10 but I think he should flourish under the new coaching team.

Last year he played 19 games and kicked 25 goals for the season this year he should be kicking a minimum of 2 goals a game if he can do this I would be happy.

Jack "Killa" Watts is like a cheese and wine they get better with age. To the the media, commentators and experts well I reckon its all a [insert Storm in a Tea Cup Pic Here]

I like The Gys he is a talented youngster and with the new coach and fitness team he will only improve. With his size and frame I think he is more likely to be a Pendlebury/Thomas type rather then the more solidly built mid fielders.

This thread started out congratulating and commending a job well done to Garry Lyon and has turned into a scathing attack and load of accusations about his motives and why won't he commit to the club. Then some of you decide to put the boot into Jimmy and suggest that he should step down or forced off because he is not able to do the job. One poster even suggested that empathy for someone should not come at the price of your values. Apparently you would be lying to yourself and them, but to me that statement only means your lying about the fact you have empathy at all. To me its like premising everything with "No offence but..." Either you feel empathy for some one or you don't. Don't hide your lack of empathy behind misplaced values and what you perceive is best for the club. Furthermore the Chairperson and the role of the chairperson is a figurehead in most ways, The running of the club administratively is run by the CEO and the Football department is now being run by Neil Craig with both area's reporting to the Board as a whole. Jimmy is not a dictator the Chairperson's power and influences stem from the boards support and the rule set out by the Club. Jimmy unwell is still able to assist the club , as Jimmy also has his persona, integrity and the networks he has built and forged in Melbourne both inside and outside of football. These are what he has used in the improvement of the club off field. Kick him out and see what happens to the people Jimmy has influenced in his life. Finally, what value do people think would be displayed by this club if it asked Jimmy to step down? If Jimmy said tomorrow he would step down then so be it, but to suggest we should ask him to step down, that would be a deplorable and cut throat act.

In: Felix Da Dee

It's good to hear that the team is improving their times in the 3km, which you would hope occurs and I personally would not like to be the one of the two people who did not improve. I can see more track work for them. I still do not see the obsession some people have with Cale Morton on this site. I am sure he fully understands what he needs to do to improve to get into the starting line up as it was made quite clear by Neeld. From a Herald Sun Article: Another in the gun is the talented Cale Morton, who was taken at No.4 in the 2007 draft, but is yet to fulfil his potential. "It was a similar message to Jack. Get to know the conditioning staff and the strength staff really well. You've got four months to put yourself in the picture to play senior footy," Neeld said. "Good luck, have a go at it, see how you go. "I have had a chat with Cale and asked him where he thought he could play . . . and I think he told me any position except for the ruck, so that's a positive." So the ball is now definitely in Cale's court and we should all just let him get on with it instead of constantly stating the bleeding obvious from the outer. All this thread needs now is to post about the captaincy or new coach and another conspiracy theory and we would have the Demonland Off Season Trifecta. God I love this Forum!

Could not disagree with you more Moloney has an issue with Binge drinking, as he himself has stated. Leaders need to be first and foremost a role model for the team, Moloney could have all the accolades of Chris Judd on the field but until he leads off the field and models his behaviour as a leader he will always be just in the leadership group. Leaders don't just have to have seniority or seasons under their belt, the cornerstone of leadership has always been Credibility, Without Credibility a person can not lead because as they say "if you don't believe in the messenger you won't believe the message" When your found drinking to early hours of Monday morning any credibility you have as a leader has just been [censored] up a wall. Good Footballer passionate but if you don't model the way to success as a leader you can not lead people to it. Anyone with the slightest clue about how football clubs operate in this day and age would know that leaders are more than about how well they play and what awards they have one. They need to have the respect of everyone on the team and for a Vice Captain to break team rules three months into last season makes a mockery of the rules and the club. Has he done enough to regain the trust who knows but to say he should be a walk-in for the Captaincy - FCS your dreamin. In regards to Jack Trengove yes he may be the Melbourne Captain one day but I reckon not next year, I believe it will be between Jamar, Green and Grimes(on Credibility Alone). A real long shot (and I would lmao if it happened) for me is Clint Bartram, has shown some leadership qualities in previous seasons and has enough experience (95 games). Not that this would matter at all but interestingly he is a former Ocean Grove player also. Frawley is viewed by other players as the joker in the team so I can't see him stepping up just yet. Nathan Jones I just can't see him as captain he seems like he would be too laissez-faire about the whole thing and it would definitely clash with his surfing and tweeting. If I was betting man I would have Jamar/Grimes Quinella.

I agree with other's in that I just want them to win...how they win to me is for the coaching team to work out.

I could tell you but then I would have to kill you then I would have to kill myself as well to ensure that the secret ends there, in fact WJ you may have to be disposed of also for even intimating that it may or may not be a secret.

In no particular order Lawrence, Clark, Bate, Davey, Gyberts and Watts

Thats an interesting comment and I was wondering if you could elaborate on what exactly you mean by his media performance leaving you flat. In what way does it leave you flat?

Those point were more from a AFL (governing body Vlad and Co) as whole. But I would agree there are some clubs that those point would not be applicable.

He's not the Messiah! He's just a very naughty boy! (Life of Brian) Shut Up! Just Shut Up! You had me at Hello (Night at the Roxbury not Jerry Macguire) "They misunderestimated me." (George W Bush) "My safe word will be whiskey." (Hot Rod - As he prepares to street luge down a very steep hill)

BTW That's a great pic.

The culture in AFL is about one thing $urvival. To do this it needs to: 1. Ensure that it does not become bankrupt 2. Ensure nothing ruins or tarnishes it image 3. Ensure that it maintains and grows its business across all states in Australia 4. Ensures that its current clubs are sustainable and viable It will do all within its power to ensure the above. This means as Lutz has said it's all swings and roundabouts and for any club that means at some point your up and at another point your down. The AFL don't like the term tanking because its ruins their image. Vlad will continue to tow this line because of this. The draft will continue to ensure that teams who are down can claw their way back. In regards to whether there is a conspiracy theory in this whole saga, I reckon we may be giving to much credit to the AFL's intelligence in being able to manipulate events over a long period of time. Very rarely does any business or organisation the size of the AFL have much control over events as their is alot of external forces that need to be controlled. The Sydney and Kieren jack issue can be swept under the carpet but they still have no control over Tim Lane and what he writes. (as is evident) All the AFL can do (like most big business) is react to the issues as they enfold, be seen to be doing things when bad things occur and celebrate the good things. Everything else is just like the penguin called "Skipper" from Madagascar say "Just smile and wave boys, just smile and wave" MFC involvement in my opinion was to keep trying to get the Administration and Football Department sorted out which they have done and get some good news about these changes out into the public to offset the whole HWFUA (i hope thats right) issue. Their lack of noise about the obsurdity of what occured with the issue to me was perfect time to employ Skipper's Advice because in the end it was just a single player.

DEFINETLEY SHOULD STIFFEN THE BOYS UP IN THE MIDDLE (IF TRUE)

A little more info and pics etc from China can be found http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/526/chinas_highaltitude_training_centers

The Planets have aligned lol

That's because the article is from Last Pre season and this is in no way the current choices for captain (or for that fact the only 4 choices MFC have) I would think that Neeld would have the whole team's names in his list as he is only starting to get to know them and he will whittle them down as you get closer to March.

My Guess is.... Richie Rich

Eddie is having a whine and you want our club to emulate him, sorry I don't see what there is to like about it personally. MFC had no control over the farce that unfolded this year, T$ signed or (made the decision to go) late last year but due to a gag order put in place (by the rules) he or GWS could not tell anyone let alone the MFC. MFC were taking T$ word for it all year and when he left it happened so quickly. How do you stand up for yourself in this situation? If you demanded answers in that situation you would look like a bunch of slow learners, because the answer is: he was uncontracted and he signed with GWS simple. would you prefer the club to puff out its chest and beat it and carry on like a pork chop and cry unfair what exactly does it achieve. What exactly is Eddie's rant going to do? Do you think it will stop other clubs from approaching Pendlebury next year if he is not under a contract? If Pendlebury wants to go and someone makes him an offer he likes what's stopping him? If I was GWS I would approach him on principle and do all in my power to get him and then watch Eddie implode. I would also make sure I had nailed down all my required and developing players and leave the fringe players and non required players as bait and see if Eddie falls for it. Hopefully he waste a lot of money trying to poach them all. (I doubt Eddie would fall for it) But that's just me lol.. I just hope Neeld does turn us into the Hardest team to play because to me that's where it matters on the field. The successful clubs let their football do the talking all the rest is just the supporting act. So I say Cry me a River Eddie, Cry me a friggin River..

Yes I agree that we all hate Sheedy and he stole one of our players and often he talks rubbish. But the idea has some merit. As the one of the first team to host a match in China this can have it advantages. China has a lot of 2 things people and money either one of those MFC could utilise. Currently AFL has little or no exposure as others have stated but that's not a reason by itself to not try and gain some ground in China. The country at its last census has 1.3 Billion people even if you got 1% interested in or talking about or discussing AFL and in particular MFC that is a potential market of 13 million people. Look yes 1% is probably a high target but 0.2% interest in a country that size still means 2.6 Million people. So if all people lnow about AFL for the first few years is MFC and potentially its merchandise then how can that be bad for the financial coffers of our club. A five year investment may have some value. Just Saying...

I'll have a go and I would like to throw the following up. Forwards Fitzgerald, Martin, Martin I thinks needs direction when he is up forward and would benefit with a little more understanding about leading to space. Fitzgerald because his height and if he adds more muscle will be a good focal point up forward. Midfield Bail, Bate, Grimes, Tapscott, Dunn, Strauss, I think all of these players will also benefit by running with the midfield as they may give options or alternate if they run as pinch hitters to borrow a term.e.g Bate in particular should be given the task of protecting some of the smaller frames of our midfield. Coach gives him a task and see if he can execute, I see Tapscott doing a similar role. Dunn, Bail, Grimes, Strauss will give the extra cattle in the midfield to share the load. Backs Davey, Jetta, Morton, Green, Sylvia, Maric, These players bar Morton and Bennell all need to work on the defensive side of their games as they are attacking players and need to be able to switch to the defensive game a lot quicker. I will say this though if I was the coach this set up would not be for all through summer. It would be to get these players to add another facet to their game and also if needed you could try different things in your line up. I am the first to say that I probably know stuff all bout this topic but I just thought I would add my opinion and have a stab. P.S I would also run Jurrah and Aussie into the ground (so to speak) to get there fitness up and put Jurrah in the defence group so he learns what a press is and how to execute it.