RudeBoy

Despite only playing 35 games, Liam Jurrah has averaged 50 goals a year (almost 2 1/2 goals per game) in each of his 3 seasons. He has also kicked the fastest first 50 goals of any player for a decade, surpassing Buddy Franklin, Fevola, Rewoldt, Rocca, Cloke or Johnathon Brown. Whatever else happens, the forward set up must focus on maximising the goal kicking talents of LJ imho.

Mark Neeld doesn't know Liam, as he only joined Collingwood after Liam became a Demon.

I think that's a fair assessment DOF. I guess I'd perhaps also add that Liam suffers, like others have done, from his laconic style. To those who don't know him, his body language sometimes makes him look uninterested or lazy. Don't be fooled, along with his 40 goals this year he also laid over 40 tackles. Assuming a good run with injuries and perhaps a freer reign given to him by his coaches, he should have a stellar year in 2012. For a player with only 35 games under his belt, he has averaged more goals per game than any other Melbourne player in each of his 3 seasons with the Dees. Let him off the leash and let him do his stuff.

The club will struggle to attract a top line coach until all the off field issues are fully sorted and there is stability and unity of purpose around the place. Anyone who thinks that was achieved by sacking Dean Bailey is living in fairy land imo. You can forget about getting Malthouse. It aint gonna happen.

Thanks for your kind words bt. So there's no misunderstanding, this is not Liam's book, but rather my book about Liam and his journey from the Tanami desert to become an AFL player. My aim in writing it, was to promote a greater understanding of the pressures and hurdles Liam has had to overcome, being the first of his kind to ever play at the elite AFL level. Someone else - maybe Liam himself - will write a book about his football career in another 10 years, but that was not the purpose of this book. So it's not really a footy book at all, but rather a book about culture and humanity. Anyway, the book has sold really well and the publishers are about to go to a second pressing which is fantastic. For the record, I'm sharing the royalties with Liam and the Yuendumu football Club.

+1

I don't understand why Choco Williams is not a favourite for the job. Not only is he a Premiership coach, but he had Port finish top of the ladder for several years. His dream has always been to coach a big Melbourne team.

Todd may be a great coach, but to be honest, his record of three terrible losses and a modest victory against a team of teenagers is not the sort of resume which fills me with confidence.

Make no mistake, if the Blues manage to lose their finals match to Essendon (unlikely, but certainly possible) they will have exited the finals in week 1 for the third year in a row. Ratten will lose his job. The Blues CEO is Greg Swann, former CEO at Collingwood, and there are also ex Pies in Gavin Brown and Alan Richardson already there as assistants. The Blues have a [censored] load of money and will believe their team is close to playing off for a Flag. Malthouse would guess that he could win them a flag within a couple of years. It would be a no brainer. Realistically, it's at least a 5 yr re-build at the Dees to win a flag. At his age, is Malthouse likely to sign up for such a long haul? I suspect not.

I realise he was out for ages recovering from a very serious broken leg, but my query was really about why he's been playing at Casey for a while now, instead of with the seniors. Anyway, it doesn't matter now. I don't expect he'll play for Casey much (if ever) in the future.

The kid will be a gun. Can someone explain why it's taken so long for him to get a senior game?

Liam can cop criticism, so there's no offence taken by me. I think the main thing is that despite being such an instinctive and naturally gifted player, he obviously has lot to learn about team structures and defensive play etc. I am actually surprised that the club has never played Liam on the half back line for half a dozen games or so, to teach him the defensive stuff so important in modern football. At Collingwood for instance, Malthouse played Daisy Thomas in defence for half a year. Unfortunately, he has not had any mentor at the Dees to look up to and learn from as a key forward. It's a great shame that someone like Nietz was not still playing to take Liam under his wing. That said, he has a great attitude and is always looking to learn and improve. Unfortunately the off-field dramas at the club this year have not exactly provided the best environment, for him, or for the team generally. Stability off the field is essential for on field success. Hopefully the club will resolve those problems over the summer and begin to build a strong and united leadership. As much as Liam clearly still has a lot to learn, I think the team has a lot to learn about delivering the ball into the forward line. Far too often the ball has been bombed down in a lazy fashion, making it difficult for Liam or any of the forwards to mark.

For those interested, the good news on Liam is that his shoulder is OK - just jarred but no structural damage. The bad news is he has a cracked bone in his wrist, which took the full weight of his body when he landed from taking that ripper mark. I actually feel a bit guilty as I told him he had just 2 remaining games to take mark of the year! For the first time since very early in the season, in the 2nd quarter he started to fly for pack marks again, so it's disappointing that that's what led to his injury. So his season is over one week early, but given he managed 40 goals from 18 games, in a season where he was playing a somewhat different role, I think he's had a pretty good year. It will be interesting to see who his coach is next year and how they choose to use his exciting talents, but hopefully he'll return for round one fitter and stronger than ever.

I nominate HighTower!

Which beat Richmond in round 14. Also, a month ago we were not a bottom ranked team, but one knocking on a finals berth. Since then the wheels have fallen off.

At the time of Bail's sacking the Dees were still a chance to make the finals and had won about the number of games most commentators expected. Two thrashings and a loss to a bottom ranked team since Bailey's sacking, suggests to me that the club should have waited until the end of the season to review the entire football department as well as the coach. Still, if your auntie had wheels she'd be a bike.

I wouldn't call it soft, just reality. History shows that whenever clubs are divided off the field, they perform poorly on it. Supporters might not like to hear it, but it's fact.

From press reports it's clear that the club has suffered terribly from off-field bickering and divisions this year. No team can be immune from the debilitating effect of such factors. Until the off-field stuff is stabilised, the team will not be able to get it's act together.

It's even more puzzling that one of those in the picture is the club's leading goal kicker, but now is playing for Casey. Strange days indeed...

I actually think Bails was a good coach. Remember, his first 2 years he was asked to tank in order to secure Watts, Trengove, Scully etc. In his last 2 years his win/loss ratio was about 45 %, which was about what was expected of such a young list. This year, it is now public knowledge that the team's performances have been adversely affected by off-field squabbles. Anyway, it's time to move on. Let's just hope that the off field stuff is quickly sorted out so the new coach can have some chance of success.

If Gerard, or someone else, is going to be the Football Director, then what is the role of Chris Connolly who is the Football Manager? Seems like too many chiefs and not enough Indians to me.

Very disappointed to see Liam picked out as a sacrificial lamb. Playing forward in a team smashed by 31 goals, he had very few opportunities, but still collected 11 disposals and kicked a great goal from outside 50m. His previous game he kicked 3 goals and had 3 goal assists. Not happy.

I was thinking either Brad Pitt or Johnny Dep!!

It gets officially launched tomorrow but is in the shops today.