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Our midfield was disappoitnting under Paul Willams.

But whether or not he is a loss will depend on who takes his place. I hear that Scott West is a difficult character so I'm not sure he's the man. He also comes from a battling club.

Woey will probably put his hand up. I wouldn't take him.Would you?

Can someone promise him a few hundred slabs if he trains well with St Kilda?

We need to get rid of him to move on

I can't believe that there isn't something in his contract that allows the club to claw back some money for his off field antics. On the other hand , I reckon the club only needed to look at his haircuts to know that he was an idiot. We should have known what we getting ourslves in for.

Mark Riley bought him over from Claremont -why can't we get Carlton to take him as back up for Waite and Thornton? ( or R Warnock?)

The AFL are certainly making it hard for us - which makes me worry that we are in the gun for a relocation.

They've given us a bit of money over the last few years and we've blown it. ..... but what do they expect with scummy draws and inequitable ground sharing arrngements

The worst thing about the draw is that it doesn't offer our sponsors prime time TV coverage. We really need a sponsor with a name that will attract young people. I'd actually sacrifice a bit of short term money for a long term association with the "right name".Given the draw we've been given big spending sponsors are unlikely to come on board anyway

One thing we should try to do is to take on the Tasie Hawks with a Tourism Victoria logo.Tourists want somthing to do on Sunday afternoons

I've gotta say that I've changed my mind about Caro.

I used to think that she was nothing more than gutter journalist who wrote far too many articles about the only team she knew anything about ie Richmond.

Lately she has shown real interest in Melbourne and her article this morning ( "Demons Duped" ) was absolutely spot on.

She has really tried to support us lately - and I reckon its about time all us Caro knockers gave her a break.

It must have been tough for a female to get to the of the tree as a football journalist.She's done well

Viney's son is one of the best 14 year old footballers in the State -and he's headed our way under the father-son rule.

Todd might as well lead the family back into the Demon fold right now.In Viney; Out: Williams !!

Let's get right into the action-

Bruce to Sydney ( to play O'Keefe's role) ; O'keefe to Collingwood; Didak to Port Adelaide; Pick #6 to Melboune.

Somehow we need to get another top 10 pick. I'd even throw in pick 34 to clinch a deal like this one.

How did Richmond come to appoint CAC as list manager?

His legacyat Mebourne was to pay the weakest list in the AFL 100% of the salary cap in 2008, commit to paying $250k to an unemployable 28 year old in 2009 ( Carroll) and to give a 3 year contract to a reject who can't play ( Meeson). As a sweetener he agreed to pay $150k of the 2008 salary of a Brisbane player who got dropped for the last game ( Travis)

As the club can't afford to give Brad Green the same deal CAC gave Cameron Bruce, he may also be responsible for the loss of the bloke who is our natural onfield leader. I wonder if Richmond is one of the clubs reportedly wooing Greeny?

At least we should be able to trade Carroll and Meesen to the Tigers !!

but we must do all that we can to get another pick in the top 25. And we need to keep culling dead wood. We need to be creative next week. It won't be easy, but it has to happen.

I don't think I've copped more of a shelacking about the Dees than I've copped today. "Whats goin' on with that mob of yours?" " They're imploding" "Can't be Macca's fault" Hasn't the CFO gone too - who is running the show now? " "Who's going next?"

Chris Connolly loves the limelight and is not the sort of bloke to sit back behind the scenes without putting in his two bobs worth.Well the gossip over a few beers tonight went something like this....

Chris is great mates with Gary Lyon and Gary is Jimmy's AFL mentor.

Surely Chris was well and truly in the loop when Jimmy was putting his ticket together and planning his coup - and surely Chris would be happier reporting another mate like Cameron Schwab than he would be reporting to a charismatic boss like Paul McNamee. If Chris can quietly sneak Cameron in as CEO, then in the space of a couple of months , he will have gone from a lowly office three seats from the top to a barstool alongside the CEO, the Chair , and Chair's mentor. He's on a roll!!

Next thing you know , he'll be jumping from the interchange bench to the coaches box. If I was Dean Bailey, I'm not sure, I'd feel quite as comfortable in my job as I did a month or two ago.

Now I used to love Chris when he ran around in #22 - but the Connolly- Schwab legacy at Freo is looking pretty shaky - and I not sure its the combination Melbourne needs right now.

We need a business-orientated CEO who will get Chris to concentrate on managing football operations.

Jim must get the best man for the job -quickly and professionally.

We are but a few days away from 'Debt Demolition' month. Is there going to be anyone in the office to bank the cheques?

We are on the bottom of the ladder with the worst list in the AFL.

Of the 48 players who participated in the 150 year Tribute game, we contributed precisely none.

Now that Neitz has retired, we don't have a proven big bodied key position player on our list - nor is one coming through( unless you rate Stefan Martin - or believe that Juice Newton and Colin Garland have big bodies).

The facts speak for themselves - recruiting and list management under CAC was sub-standard

I trust that Youami is just stirring.

Nobody should be allowed to roll along and take over a democratically elected organisation without some form of policy statement. Gardiner put Phillips in to the CEO role and he produced a plan which led to substantial AFL assistance. THe club is much better off financially now than it was when Gardiner took over ... which only shows how bad it was- and dangerous it is to go in blind

It's been reported that Phillips ( who is highly repected around the club and the AFL - and who initiated the Casey deal) wants to saty on to help JIm - given there is a new CEO etc. Apparently Jim doesn't want his help.

This really worries me. Its hard work running an AFL club - and many great footballers eg Ian Ridley, Stuart Spencer and Hassa Mann have struggled to do the job. A "new broom" is one thing - "lambs to the slaughter" is another

Jim's new Board can't afford to make a mistake while they are learning the ropes. Part of their plan must be to understand why Szondy/Ellis left us bankrupt, how Phillips dug us out of the hole, and why things have slipped again. There's no better way of doing that than talking to the bloke who's been through it all.

To his credit Phillips is not resisting change - he's just saying " Jim, I know heaps - use my knowledge as you see fit. I can help flatten your learning curve"

JIm needs to be careful. We cant afford a 15 metre penalty while he learns the game.

John Phillips is a member of the Board that is reporting a $1 million loss plus this year, so how can one support them to run our club.

And most of the current Board members were co-opted on to the board, without being elected by the members.

We need to wait and see who is on Jim's ticket, but I am sure that they with business experience and passionate for the Demons.

At the Red and blue breakfast/walk to the MCG yesterday how many of the current Board memebrs joined in.

Why is Mr Gardner getting off the board mid season, and serving out is full term till the AGM.

It is time for a change, with new passionate and business experience members for the board.

Jim thank you for putting your hand up to help our beloved demons

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John Phillips isn't trying to run the club. He's just offering his knowledge to assist the new Board.

If bit wasn't for the wotrk he did when we couldn't pay our tax bill , Jim would be staring at at a more serious financial position than he is. JIm has not yet nominated people with proven business experience and football management knowledge.

Phillips has gone before the members at election twice - and has been comfortably voted on twice. Why should he stand down?

you make a compelling argument...however, i dont think jim stynes is an idiot...i dont know about you, but the majority of us dont actually know what people are like at board level...jim stynes doesnt want to have a huge board and there are a couple of people that he wants to bring in and a couple of people that he wants to stay

i cant comment on phillips because i know nothing about him but i think that jim basically wants the broom to keep sweeping and for us to have a fresh start.

there are some heavy businessmans names that i have heard floating around of late that might be joining the board...most of watch you have all already read about

Both the Sun and the Age indicated that JIm wants all directors to resign this week except Leoncelli, Spargo and Hayes ( who are only recent appointees)

I don't think JIm is an idiot - but any bloke you who could dig us out of the mess Szondy and Ellis left behind , like Phillips did - is no fool either. Gardner's Board was stymied by govt delays on the rectangular stadium and by on-field problems they tried to correct. Led by Phillips the Casey initiative appears promising. They have generated some goodwill and cut the debt.

Jim liked to ruck all day , without help. He'll need help as Chairman

Like most members , I'm a JImmy Stynes fan and I'm delighted that he's prepared to put his hand up to carry the club forward.

But change is one thing - business savvy is something else.

Why is JImmy so determined to remove every member of the existing board who has actually been in the role long enough to understand the pitfalls? Leoncell and Spargo have been directors for less than a year - and Hayes hasn't been there much longer.

John Phillips wants to stay on. He was the bloke who sat in as CEO at the end of the Szondy/Ellis rein and confronted the crisis represented by unpaid tax bills. It wasd his plan that persuaded the AFL to fund our operations over the last 3 years. I have a mate at the AFL who tells me Demetriou was disappointed that Phillips did not become full-time CEO.

Phillips was elected by the members until October 2009. According to the press he made the initial contact with Casey Fields. Surely we need his knowledge. I've heard it said that he's a good down to earth bloke. Clearly he is passionate about the MFC.

It is not easy to manage an AFL club. Many well intentioned people have failed. We have a rookie coach and a rookie CEO. WE are about to get a rookie Chairman who wants to bring in rookie directors.

He should welcome Phillips with open arms. Phillips may have made mistakes - but his knowledge might prevent the new Board from making the same ones!!

Come on JIm - you are going to need a lot of experienced help. Put Phillips on your ticket