Nasher

Yikes, drastic! I'm flexible and adaptable to change - I'll get used to it :-)

As my position has always been, I have no idea what a good coach looks like or who that might be. I'm not going to pretend that I do and name names. I do hope Neeld is able to surround himself with some really talented help though. I want the whole team leading this club to be strong, not just the senior coach.

So many things wrong with this. Others have already touched on how we should focus on doing ourselves a favour before doing Collingwood any, but how about this quote from Mick Malthouse of the MFC website?

Heaps I have liked about what I've heard and read so far, but this is probably what pricked my ears up the most. I've come to think that being surrounded by absolute quality is just as critical as having quality at the top. I hope the club spares no expense in this regard.

Where's the link to the press conference where he said this will be the game plan?

That's how it seems, doesn't it? If getting the "experienced" bloke is such a straightforward answer then clubs would never appoint "new" coaches and the old farts would be kicking around forever. I doubt Hawthorn are too disappointed they took an "untried" coach name Al Clarkson in the mid 00s when he took them to a flag, especially when an experienced coach in Terry Wallace was in the mix at the time. The premierships aren't going to keep coming from the same 3 or 4 coaches, so eventually a club's untried coach is going to become a premiership holding great coach. I'm happy for the MFC to try and find that coach.

I don't understand the "untried" argument. Can't see how this is any more risky than, say, Laidley or Eade who have coached at the top level without achieving the ultimate success.

Why don't we worry about 2012 first?

They exercised an option that was not available to us.

You're right in that Freo got the job by going in the back door, but I expect if Melbourne had tried this the response would've been "talk to my manager". Freo only had this back door available to them because they couldn't do it through Lyon's manager - if he'd responded to Freo in that manner they'd have been forced to just walk away, why would Lyon want that? They bypassed the "process" and got the result they wanted, so well done to them there, but I think the logic of "Freo went in the back door therefore Melbourne could have too" has holes in it - the back door was only visible to them because of extenuating circumstances.

Richmond, Richmond, Essendon, Essendon. I think you may've just gotten to the bottom of the problem.

Allan Joyce anyone?

I believe GWS upped their offer to Scully a number of times, and I bet the 5 years becoming 6 was a very recent addition. Like nutbean I highly doubt their initial offer to Scully's management last year or whenever looked anything like the one he ended up with. Still think Scully wasn't lying the whole year and that he made his decision very late in the piece. Still think he's a prick for leaving. Will still always inwardly boo him (and possibly outwardly) when watching the footy. Still very keen to move on now.

You were given the opportunity to be specific and concise rather than vague and wishy-washy and you missed it. Those looking for intelligent, informed opinions will now skip over your posts from now on. Bad luck.

Well said.

It wasn't so long ago that Ross Lyon and Alistair Clarkson were just "highly rated assistants". The next great coach will have to come from somewhere and this year's batch looks as good as any. Heck, it was less than ten years ago that Paul Roos was Rocket Eade's right hand man. By all reports this year's bunch of "untried" coaches-to-be is as good as any. Of course it could all go to poo (it could also go to poo with Lyon or Malthouse in charge), but I don't see any reason to be especially pessimistic about it.

Yes. I thought players showing faith and loyalty to the club at exactly the same time that one of their higher profile team "mates" was giving us the bird was significant.

In my eyes we couldn't keep both Bruce and Junior - and the decision to move Junior on seemed the right one at the time and it wasn't until Bruce unexpectedly split that the decision itself turned sour. I was disappointed with how the club handled it and that he wasn't afforded the dignified exit he deserved. The club itself has said it handled the situation poorly. I'm nervous for Junior though. For the same reason I thought the decision (but not the handling) was right at the time, I think he's going to struggle playing footy at AFL level. I'm worried that an already indignified departure from AFL footy is going to be exacerbated by playing when I believe he's passed it. I don't begrudge him the opportunity though and I hope for his sake that I'm wrong.

Yes, he has.

Valenti is at his level IMO. Clint Bizkit will disagree.

Tom obviously doesn't give a shit about his teammates or his supporters, so I doubt he'd give a shit about Jimmy either. The "how could you do this to Jim!" thing is going a bit overboard - ultimately Jim's just another MFC supporter who has been burned, like all the rest of us, not some superior being who deserves more than us serfs. Time may have somewhat healed the wound Barrasi left on his departure, but 40 odd years ago he made his thoughts on taking the coin and running perfectly clear. It's not surprising that history has repeated itself in terms of his attitude towards it. That said, I agree that it'd be nice if he could put a sock in it while he's the #1 ticket holder of the club - thankfully he's not anymore anyway.

I take comfort in knowing that Jack Trengove and Luke Tapscott couldn't sign long contracts fast enough.

I'm really disappointed that some still feel the need to hang it on Morton given the events of today.

I'm now hurting with laughter. That is genious. Every word is true too.

Probably the funniest Hitler yet.