beelzebub

Not the silliest thing ive seen Fan...very left field as you suggest but sometimes its easier focusing when youre up the sharp end.. The target, or direction is far more obvious. Down back theres an anfinitum of possibilities. I sense youve hit a anil when you profer the idea that some players might get a gig in positions many of us will be unfamiliar with. I didtinctly get the impression Neeld will recast this mob in HIS idea of a team lienup. No guarantees this is a monty but he'll re assess the attributes of all and reallocate them. Im with you that as a notion we must turn the tables.. become the hunter. Acknowledging , or rather conceding youre the hunted has given the game to your opponents from the outset.

boy that was quick....lol

A salient poit that might be missed by some.. Neeld wil have his idea of how he wants us to play. The assistants are there to assist in this, not invent their own manifesto.

Andy... you used to have a provision to sign up to get rid of the ads, become a life member or something similar. What happened to that ? cheers

two things.. My thrust was that when some , or possibly the many come to wonder where the gaps are , they may not be harsh enough in evaluations. There is that tendency to too forgiving, or accomodating. Somany excuses ( in place of reasons ) will be throw up as to why so and so ought to be up on the board but ..ec etc. Im simply pleading the case to be 'real' in evaluating , to be a bit more uncomporising. Different folk will have different players on the list and players missing. Now as to your conundrum ( of sorts) , is it the system or talent ? Do they have to be mutually exclusive ? What was the system ? Is it how players are developed and mentored,? How they are trained ? how they are coached ? Could be any and all. . The talent : is it both the identifying of the need to be filled or the ability to truly indentify to the calibre of talent of the draftees etc. The problem is its really all of the above to varying degrees. There is every chance that for some it will be that they dont get to play in positions best suited to their natural abilities. Sometimes its done to expand the players experience ,sometimes its done because the slection has him out of place. About the only thing I can get a good grasp on in terms of the 'what" is that whatever it was, its about to become something a bit different. Its this difference and a fresh set of eyes that will re ajudicate our list according to role Its often been suggested different coaches/selection have particular biases come some players. The Rev did, I'm sure Bails did. This may go to which player is chosen, or where theyre put on the paddock . Still...all that goes to the why of whether certain players are less equiped or advanced as they might. Where Neeld is, and indeed the club is to first address who is where..firstly in terms of appropriate selection for various positions and then who is where in terms of development.

nupp.. JT..my point is many of the players some think are OK... ...they arent really, and thats the thing. Say compare the players you think are ok as compared say the ones youd equate to at as you ve mentioned it Collingowood. At Melb by way of analogy you might only need a 6/10 to be Ok..at the Filth its 7/10 etc and on and up Im making an observation. You dont like it. So be it

you nearly got the point...but Ive not even suggested many of our are even A grade. What im saying is whatever grade someone might think a player is...be a tad more demanding. One of the biggest problems with any list are the players that always appear adequate, but deep down we know they have varous shortcomings which in the main , because they are 'our' team we suddenly gloss over. An example say would be Sylvia.. He has all the hallmarks of a very talented and solid player with above average ability. So youd think hed be a very very good player. But hes not, or at least doesnt play to it. So how might a dispassionate new fella view Colin...like a fanatical Melbourne supporter ? I hope not. Bartram. Has many things going for him as a defender and many would automatically put him in our top 22 . But he cant kick for sh!t and who , if theyre honest doesnt shake when he has the ball ? Is this really where we would have the standard of our backmen ? Again, fans often smooth over the cracks. We need eyes that see all the cracks, see all the potential that can be changed, if indeed it can, or ...or move them on. Id be surprised if half that board wasnt vacant when Neeld put up his team.

Heres food for thought. There is a very understandable tendency when supporters review their players to categorise many in the "pretty good" or "ok" pile. If were are to be really serious as a team looking to compete at its highest level then you need better than OK or Pretty Good So the point here is many here need to stop looking at our list though their slightly rosey optics and consider how our new on-board coach might view them. He'll be quite cold and clinical in his evaluations.. See how you go now. Not trying to be cute here.. just offer some insight as to the how and why its all about to change at Melboourne. Different standards and expectations are now to be made of this team

Old....quite possiblythe case. Was , I admit basing this notion on the various bits and pieces alluding to this in the media. Craig part of a twoofer deal with Burns, how much weight this ever carried ?? You may well be absolutley on the ball here Old e.g http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/connolly-out-of-football-department-as-dees-change-tack-20110920-1kjlc.html?skin=text-only

My inital thoughts went to the notin that both Mission and Craig would be overcooking that area but obviously , or possibly , the club see them as complementary. Craig can also I presume act as a sounding board and 'informed' opinion regading Neeld. More a help than an overseer I think ( or guessing lol )

well... wasnt particularly expecting that but hey if thats what Neeld wants then thats fine with me ( atm..lol ) Clever to apprentice Greaves. Possible natural ascension ?? Im happy to wait to see what happens. Its all brave new world edit: keep in mind Neeld will set the agenda..not Royal Chokos job will be to interpret and empower the players according to the Coachs directives.

and Coopers....yummm !!! ESS AY can be a funny place at times, a lot of fun at others. They do have a particular flavour of parochialism though Found most quite level headed though...as they incvariably have a chip on both shoulders !! Those there that barrack for Melbourne are the exception of course The water ought to be described as something else for sure

I tend to agree ..heat ought to reflect the rate of interest in a thread not any old number over any old time. Still..I imagine theres manythings to attend to beffore we worry too much about this. Keep up the great work. Cheers (smiley face lol )

we are a little different form the sheep arent we Old !!! lol

In the beginning the Sporting Gods created Football and it was with form. The form of an oval and and oval upon which to perform. But the Oval was void and without life and so they created teams. In the first there was Melbourne and then all others were created in its likeness. As by day the oval basked in sun but at evening it was darkness lay across those that came to see the teams. The Sporting Gods moved across the water , the Yarra, and said "let there be light" and upon this the lights of the MCG came on; so much light !! But these Gods had forsaken their own and the team Melbourne languished in purgatory. The Fuschias wilted without sun. Melbourne was not to be without destiny though and from the forgotten barren lands of the Junction Oval the team would rise again to take its righful place before the people. A plan was hatched and men set out upon a Mission and the Mission was got. The Mission now setout a plan for men and they will rise in the image of Demons. These Demons will know no equal and they will lay asunder all those that dare test their might. So sayeth the word...and the word was Melbourne

The trick with all this me thinks is to draft clever, not necessarily draft obvious. Im sure Neeld and Harrington have been getting to know each other a bit over the last few days

These people so keen to string Cuddles up... Youve met him and spoken to him ?? or just plain ignorant and needlessly judgmental ?

I think youre getting very close to the gist of the reality here. I have the notion that having tested some waters the Club senses there is much out there to be had that might benefot thi sclub but for the want of a gifted orator and salesman. Cue. Chris Connolly. Here's a bloke who I half suspect has a Dees Doona and wear red and blue p-j's . He makes the word passionate seem inept and insufffiicient. Call him what you like but he is Melbourne through and through and his love and belief in our club is bountiful and beyond reproach. Good luck Cuddles

What the Freddie ClutterbUCK are you on about ?

Yes, its very different Cats all around isnt it. The nature of the pool, its content and structure as well as the climate it exists in are all a bit different. Enter the MFC itself a different beast and becoming more so. I sense nothing about this years trade and draft will be same ol same ol for our beloved club. Different eyes, different tastes and different outlook all herald a shift in the design and build of the Demons. Some may see it as tweaking but often subtleties affect great change. I have a feeling that the current sweep through at the Boot end of the Club will provide a less timid approach to our future. Reward often comes from bravery and sometimes the only bravery is to beleive in yourself and your journey. Time to take tomorrow by the scruff of it neck Melbourne. A new era dawns.

Do I make the smartarse comment and ask...If Dawes wasnt any good, or of use, why are we (MFC) going after him ?

sorry...this just made too much sense... Please resist the temptation in future.

Sorry...just in the middle of a conference call with some Martians and Seagulls.... I'll get back to you on this

Time to move on. Those trapped in teh past are condemened to relive it over and over again. Sorry W J ..the rest of the Club are making the efffor tot move on... maybe we all do

Its possibly just a well founded bias but it seems as though we really are looking to develop the new model. It what sense ? Well if we were a car company you get the sense that in 0'12 there wil be a new model. yeah, some wheels will look the same, wheelbase similar, same number of doors etc ; but it will look different and go differently. The engine will be souped up and thebodywork refined with more spoliers and trim. The brakes will be beefed and the stopping power dramatically increased. It will still be the Demons.. but the 2012 model !! The same red and Blue Heritage but with a lot of new go better, go faster bits. So afar of the teams looking to re-birth themselves I must confess we really look the goods. Ah got to love the pre season...even better when the old one hasnt even finished. Thats just how far ahead of the competition we are !!!!!