timD

On the fricking money there Rhino!

A finale at least. It will be good to see him gone. Just another sign of weakness for the MFC - recruit a hard man who is anything but...just hard enough to wing players at the corners of the action and send a text message backing out of work. I'm ashamed that we needed to recruit him and I'm ashamed that we're playing him now. Better message would be that if you do poorly by us - the club, the players - then get used to the bench, or the discard pile.

Here is the content of a post from 'jikajika', from demonology. Ominous I know. I'm copying this from demonology cause I just love it...it made me laugh and smack my desk hard enough for admin to come in and see if I was o.k. "I confidently declare that MFC is the greatest football club ever, and nobody except a madman would want to barrack for any other team and indeed the fact that there are a couple of people cruising round the city deliberately NOT barracking for MFC is all the indication we need that there is a conspiracy against the forces of Good and all non-MFC supporters should be locked up IMMEDIATELY and have their visas revoked, or else give em visas then revoke em, and sure we've got a tendency to leap around the ladder like a fireman on meth but it's all a RUSE to sucker other dumbo teams into a false sense of insecurity, not knowing if MFC will FLY or (tank) in 2008 when in fact all MFC supporters and smart people (same/same) KNOW FOR A FACT that in 2008 MFC will FLY to the top of the ladder and win premiership after premiership after premiership, cos we have great players like Travis Johnstone who will stop being a bit of a girlysook and reveal himself in all his glory as a silky-skilled toughboy and Cameron Bruce will stop being a sookyblunderkick and will reveal himself in all his glory as a silky-skilled toughboy and Brad Green will stop his Invisible Man impressions from 2:10PM til 5:00PM on gameday and instead will reveal himself in all his glory as a silky-skilled toughboy who is not Invisible at all but in fact STANDS UP and is a LEADER and they will be great, and Neita will kick on and bag 100 and so will Robbo, and Chooka and the Kid will finally get themselves right and play full seasons and dominate and Bater will be a champ and Aaron Davey will stop wahwahwah becoz his toughboy team-mates will actually FLY THE FLAG and look out for the poor skinny little beggar and bloody Jared Rivers will finally find his way back onto the football field and DOMINATE the halfback line like only he can and Matty Whelan will stop getting injured all the bloody time and DOMINATE from his little corner of the backpocket, racing forward and booting goals and smashing fools, and Disco Carrol will grow his hair to his waist and wear TWO HEADBANDS and TWO MOUSTACHES and STILL smash the opposition around, and most importantly, Daniel Bell will play a FULL SEASON and not get injured and will be a TACKLE DEMON and boot goals from 70 metres out while smoking cigarettes and and all of us MFC supporters will be like 'read it and weep, losers' and all the weeping losers will be like 'wahwahwah, wish I barracked for MFC' and we'll be like 'bad luck! losers! but maybe you can be like a secondary supporter of the MFC, but you have to renounce your previous team publicly and repeatedly and you have to be our personal servants for the rest of our lives and still weep when MFC wins premierships EVERY YEAR, because even though now you kind of barrack for MFC, WE still like to revel in the weepiness of losers like ALL OF YOU who don't barrack for MFC but really secretly wish that you did." and later...... "Copped a shellacking from a cowardly bunch of Essendon/Geelong/Collinw&%$ supporters yesty and felt the need to respond. What a profoundly disappointing year. One of the highlights of my 2006 was sitting in front of an open fire and smoking a big [censored] off joint while watching the Dees finally get the edge over the Saints in a gritty and hard-fought Elimination Final. Maybe I shoulda known better than to get me hopes up. But it hasn't been the lack of success which has disappointed me this year, it has been the lack of spirit. Once McLean went down in Game 1, it was like the entire team had taken a cruel blow, and when Neita went down with a knee injury it was pretty much season over. That's fine. I can handle that - sh*t happens. But I still expect the senior players to fly the flag, and many of them didn't. Instead they capitulated in a craven fashion when they should have been taking it up to the opposition in EVERY WAY, EVERY WEEK. Who gives a sh*t if you're playing injured or feeling out sorts? You bloody well fly the flag, you stick up for each other, you don't put in a token shepherd, you line that opposition b*stard up and flatten him, and by god you start a bit of biffo. Nothing like getting into biffo with some young bucks to get some team spirit. A bit of f*cking pride in the jumper - they may be gettin on, but at least senior players like Whitey, Junior and Neitz have that. Even little Doggy Brown. He may be bloody useless at footy but at least he gets down on his hands and knees and weeps when he loses - and I don't just mean loses the match, I mean the match, the coach, the team, the season, the supporters, the effort, the energy, the cost to all of us. A bit more bloody passion like that if you please - not idiotic pre-season statements about how fired up the Dees are for season 2007 or ridiculous predictions that we're making a run for the 8 when we win our first game in Round 10. I don't want a team like WCE: superhuman footy players who are individual guns and operate as a well-oiled machine, but who are also squabbling little d*ckheads in real life. I want a team of good blokes who do it for one another and for all of us and for the jumper and bring the cup back where it belongs: Melbourne Football Club. Bring on 2008." I loved the effort and the sentiment.

The stereotype game works well for us. The stereotype for the saints, tiges, pies, dons is all the same: feral, drug taking, unemployed, woodstock-sucking, welfare dependent bogans, without teeth. We are grouse. P.S. -I meant woodstock and in woodstock bourbon and cola.

Alan, I've read most of the posts, and I can understand your frustraion. What I cannot understand is why, given your frustration, you won't put forward an alternative method to get a coach. Surely, after the amount of vitriol poured at you to 'put up or shut up', you'd at least do one or the other? Given that others seem satisfied and you don't, isn't it incumbent on you to provide to alternative? Don't let me down!

I'm fairly sure that I read somewhere his DAd saying that he's only returned to footy in the last three years, and had previously been playing basketball. Does indicate that there should stilbe quite some development left. So hard to judge though - look at Miller.

Jarka, I really do not think you have an argument at all. You could very well abandon your KPP line and just argue that as we do not have a great midfield we have wasted ten years.

I don't think Jarka has an argument, he has several half-arguments that he defends with the ultimate "we don't have a flag and therefore I am right". I could say that West coast in 200o-2006 were a disgrace that failed to find one good key forward and my evidence is that they hadn't won a flag. THen they won one without a key foward of any significant talent, proving... Nup, stuffed if I know what Jarka is saying.

Jarka, I would love to know the basis for the idea of 'wasted time'. Newton had a serious back injury in his first year. He spent time working back to fitness and form in his second year. He has debuted for the Dees half way through his third year. He had shown a steady increase in his application and output across last year and this year (averaged out of course). How is playing him now he has hit the targets that coaches set, 'wasting time'? In fact, the burden of proof is on you - prove he was ready before now - and you cannot use the last two weeks as evidence because it is disputed.

Brocky, it was hayes - but i don't blame you for missing it.

I really like the idea that 'every other club can fast-track players but us"...based on what evidence exactly? Certainyl not game time or performance. I wounder what demon 3165 thinks of us playing young frawley, given that he has been injured for most of the year and only played one half for Sandy. I'd think that playing him with so little preparation would be 'fast-tracking'...maybe I don't understand what it is? I do hope he considers sharing his special insights - particularly given the coaches are so wrong...

Rhino, I'd think that Wardy's disposal is not bad enough to downgrade the importance of his speed. But we may disagree.

Thanks Brocky - it needed stating. As for you demon3615 what you said is nonsense. i dont mean it to be mean, it is factual - your post contradicts itself...i mean isn't watching acculuating 'evidence'? And how do you know i was referring to stats... Or are you being really, really ironic?

SAd but true - I think you're right Rhino. I'd keep wardy though. I am concerned about the one-paced nature that I see in the Dees. with no bell, and Bater playing forward we lack a competent fast adn ahrd running back-cum-mid. WArdy earns another year for me. Bode, Neville, Jamar, Biz, Holland and Brown top my delist list. Bruce, trapper, davey and green top my trade list.

Yeah - I agree. It of course opens up teh captaincy debate AGAI, but perhaps we shoudl let well enough alone and see how the year goes. Watching the replay left me longing for one midfielder with genuine burst speed.

that is absolute rubbish. Do you think that we got bate's intro to footy wrong - or dunn's, or jones? Back up your comment with evidence rather than random emotion.

I opened the document, enlarged it 400% and still cannot see a thing.

I think that two things are true - the umps are poor, and awful last night. We should have won anyway. We have to get so good that, despite everything being poor, our attitude and application do not falter and can carry the randomness of umpiring. We have so far to go.

I'd like to add my thoughts to the list. First the thank-you to Neale. It has struck me for some time that 'Thankyou' is such a miserably inadequate word. How to you explain the gratitude and respect for a bloke who tried for 10 years to save your club...a bloke who came as an outsider and then came to love and 'own' his own piece of the club...who behaved with intelligence, grace and dignity the entire time? I have no idea - the only word left to me is 'thanks'. Some of my greatest MFC memories have come from Neale's reign - highs and lows. I sent Neale a letter after the 2003 defeat to collingwood with my thoughts about his abilities and need to back himself. Included was a poem ( I know, I sent a poem to a football coach- what was I thinking), that last stanza of which I have included here. I enjoy this greatly and it summed up Neale in my mind. Tho' much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.' Thank you Neale.

I endorse everything you've said Jaded. I am really sad to see Neale go, and admire the manner in which he has conducted himself over ten years. I had so wished that we could reach a flag for him and also Neita - thankless servants of the club. The vicious bile and hate directed by some from these very boards is an enormous shame. A new coach will come, trade season will be harsh too, time now to dwell on our success and our loss.

I though he looked hesitant and overawed. i wondered about dropping him in favour of Buckley. But having another crack would be more use and buckley doesn't look like playing for the dees given his sandy performance...

OMR I have some sympathy for Byron. However I see his role in the 'impact' position. He has not delivered in thi sposition for this year. He dlivered in part last year The team desparately needs younger players to fire. What does Byron give us - a hard man and shot at superior finals performance. Do we need this given our year - given that we won't make finals? I'd argue that we do not have a list that in its current state can win a grand final. Byron is 'cream' on the list 'cake' - but ours hasn't risen yet. If his performacnes at Sandy improve, pick him, if not don't. Delist at end of season. His record onyl counted when recruited - I agree with Rhino that it doesn't amtter a stuff now. I'd rather priveldge the behaviour that we've seen over the memory of a player that was.

An impact player is one whose skills are high, can be hurt going to the other way and whose fitness is questionable - TJ is a perfect example. IMO we either make the finals playing known characters or realise that this is near imossible and play unknowns. There is more to be gained and given the season nothinh really to lose. Byron has demonstrated his poor application - we do not need to see more half-hearted efforts from a mature and experienced bloke. further, it is not relevant if he plays his guts out, our season is gone. If we were 5th, or at least in the eight, then maybe. We're not, we won't be, so lets respect that reality. As I said, it was a gamble worth taking, but it has not worked this year.

Our best team at the moment is IMO not up to flag level. I think that we need to be playing petterd, batrum (when the poor bugger is fit) frawley, dunn, juice, buckley even though ward, picket, browney are all better players right now. Difficulty is geting blokes to earn their spot while balancing the need to try to win games, develop players etc. Coaching would be a brute of a job.

Well I heard from a reliable sourse that I don't give a [censored] if he's 'fit' now. There is no way that the conditioning we failed to have after preseason he now has after a few weeks on the sidelines. Unless he's had an attitude transplant, there is nothing to gain from playing pickett - in fact there's nothing to gain even if he's had an attitude transplant. We picked him up as an impact player for a finals team. We aint gunna get there and there's far more sense playing Buckley or weetra or Neaves or hayes than pickett (elevate one after bartrum's injury or river's injury). Pickett was a gamble wortrh taking - it hasn't really paid off so lets cut our losses.