Longsufferingnomore

I am sure the mental stimulation here will overcome the lack of physical stimulation!

Thanks Territory for the insight. Interesting the truth about Moloney now coming out. Personally I'm glad we got rid of someone with such a divisive character.

Just a moonboot, not enough to keep you away, Deanox

In an ideal world it would be best that they didn't have to spend time making sure the other players were OK. I bet the Maxwell's etc don't or ever will have to go through what we/they have. I think what I am trying to say is that both these boys are exactly what we would want in our leaders. As Neal Craig said last night that despite both he and Mark wanting to almost protect the players from the outside noise they also have to allow the players to become resilient which in the end will make them better players but also better people.

Can't ask for anything more. Tks deanox.

Well I didn't expect much goodwill from you so obviously I can tick you off the list.

My impression from Neeld last night was that the outcomes of the two surveys was such that they couldn't split the two Jacks. They did mention some categories but sorry I can't remember them. Maybe one of the other participants can remember. My feeling now that we have been through annus horribilis x 1 1/2 I would have had Jack G as Captain and Jack T as Vice. Just as an aside re Jack G - Jack's father has been into the Club to work with the Volunteers as a Volunteer to make calls to reluctant non financial members; Jack G has sent messages of encouragement and thanks to the Volunteers for the time they were spending supporting the Club. One thing Nate said last night that because of the team's disappointing performances that both Jacks have had to spend an inordinate amount of time supporting their team mates. I really wish that all of Demonland could have been there last night. It was a real revelation to listen to the three of them talk so passionately about the Club. Despite this I still believe that the Coaching of the Club should be looked at again at the end of the season once we get Clark and Grimes back and boys like Toumpas and Viney have had more game time. We don't have the luxury of other teams to have significant back up players when we have injuries. We need all our players on the field and once that happens if there is no improvement then revisit the coaching.

After hearing from Nate Jones how absolutely stocked all the players were to see and hear the supporters at Gosch's Paddock to watch training, I thought the players and the Club could do with another round of support especially as the game is against the ferals. Wizza did such a great job last time I am hoping that he will come on board and put his fantastic organisational skills to good use again. As it is a long weekend and a Monday game hopefully training will be on the Saturday morning and we could get an even bigger crowd down there with lots of kids, dogs (Demon Dog will lead the pack)etc. I am hopeful we can get the Club to put a tweet out about coming to training and also if we can get the cheer squad involved again and bring down their "faces" that the kids really liked last time. How does everyone feel about this. Does it have legs?

I was also at the meeting last night and had prior to the meeting come to the conclusion that Neeld should go in the shorter term. I now after listening to both Neeld and Craig believe that he should at least be given to the end of the season. Both spoke honestly and both openly passionate about the Club and where it is and where it is going. Nate is well grounded and definitely a "leader" but I don't believe he is Captain material and I am not sure he would want it anyway. With regard to the appointing of the two Jacks, there were two rounds of surveying of players choice of captain, the second being after the Darwin expedition. Again the two Jacks could not be separated and were well in front of the next couple but also after Darwin there were six players who definitely stood above the rest. How could they not appoint them after going through that lengthy process otherwise why bother. FD Just appoint who they like. What would the players have felt then. Also how could they have known what crap would be thrown up over the last season and half. All very well to have hindsight. As to how the players are dealing with the year, Nate did say that the players were absolutely blown away when the supporters all came down to training that Thursday morning. He said that that support meant so much to the players (I took from that that are devastated when they get booed). Another comment that Nate made about how the team has played was that being such a young side in terms of games played, was about momentum change within a game. As an older player he could feel momentum change but the younger players don't sense that because they are concentrating on their own games and it was difficult during a game to get that message across. He said they have to be better at getting that through to the other players. Last night was a fantastic step for the Club to take and I commend them for taking the initiative. I believe the Club has plans to take their message to the supporters more in the future. We, like the players have to stop listening to the "noise" coming from the media. They are in a feeding frenzy when it comes to Melbourne. They are whipping up a perfect storm if we let them.

Equally as sad is that if they do put in a winning performances after he is sacked what does that say about the players.

GL did answer Craig Hutchinson by saying that he did not understand why "Al" would say that. I think CW or someone said who was to be believed GL or AC and Craig Hutchinson said Gary Lyon. From my viewpoint Gary was saying that he was approached and he doesn't know why AC would deny that.

But what would it achieve by the Board imploding now. Suddenly the boys are not going to win games because the Board has disbanded. I am in agreement that change has to happen but it must happen at the most appropriate time which with the Board must be at the end of the season. Peter Jackson was right about having "clear air". Without media interference choices and decisions should be made. We are all too emotional at the moment after Sunday's debacle, the media's pumping up of a player walk out - decisions can't be made under these circumstances. As supporters we have to get through whatever happens in the next couple of weeks. Personally I will wait for PJ's recommendations. I will be at the GM and if his recommendations are not adhered to I will be asking questions like all Club members should.

Who on the Board are there for personal gain. I know two Board members and they are not there for personal or financial gain and certainly both would say they would definitely not "gained" anything by being a MFC Board Member. Both are there because they like many Demon supporters actually believe that being a supporter means assisting the Club by any means that they have. That may mean by volunteering handing our scarves, organising Club members interstate or imparting valuable business skills they may have. The position of a football Club Board is an honorary position with no financial remuneration. Would you put yourself in their position. The Club has faced many challenges over the last ten years or more. More so than probably any other club. Some of those have been by our own making, some not. Some of those challenges have been exacerbated by the AFL's decision to bring in the two expansion Clubs at a time when the lower Clubs were struggling to improve. It was always going to make the Club's job all the more harder. There have been poor decisions made by the Club over the last decade, by previous CEO's, Boards and Football Departments. The current Board's decision to continue CS tenure was flawed. The current Board will and should face the same scrutiny but there is a time when that should happen and that is at the end of the year. In the current state of the Club it would be too destabilizing for the Board to stand down and anyone with any business skills would understand that concept. (I would doubt that half of the current Board will want to restand given the tirade of abuse it receives from supporters.) We now have a functioning and experienced interim CEO who has no previous connection to the Club and who is now privy to all that is wrong and right with Club. Let him make the recommendations that are required. Don't pre-empt what is going to be I believe the most important course of action ever to be taken by the Club. The result of the next six months of this Club's life could mean my children and grandchildren will or will not have a Club to support.

So Unleash, Neeld goes, the Board goes and we become a rudderless ship. You may think that we are that now but we are far from it. How does the Club function without a Board. Unless a group of people put their hands up now to takeover from the current Board it is not going to happen. It shouldn't happen and the AFL certainly would not let it happen. We are all frustrated and disappointed and whatever other emotion you can think of but to have Neeld go, a stand in coach come in, a new CEO and no Board - give me a break. This is a multi million dollar business and you may not like the current Board but they are the best we have at the moment. Change needs to be a considered process and not one directed and commandeered by a rabid media and some Club supporters.

AJ thanks for the report. We all can do with an "injection" of positivity at the moment.

......and don't you love ex Demon G Healey's comment about Freo playing a dope on a rope game (or something similar but meaning the same). Thanks for nothing. Stay away from our Club and Nate Jones.

Hang on why would he be delivering it to the AFL. Should he not be delivering it to the Board and if not are we under administration because my impression is that the CEO reports to the Club Board first and then the Board through the President to the AFL. Further to this, everyone calling for the AFL to step in take a deep breath and just think about what you are actually calling for. Do you want the AFL/Vlad running our Club. There has to be a better way.

Come on everybody by the time he is thinking about his contract ending we will be starting to show good signs so much so that he will want to be part of the resurrection.

Everyone going to the game needs to wear red and blue - scarf - whatever. We need a presence, a point of difference from the scummies.

Not again.

Unfortunately Carlton might get JW but we wont get Murphy. But if Neeld goes.....................

I agree. A number of times the ball was coming out of the backline but the midfield/forwards were slow to react and should have been running back to position but there was no one home. Hello.

After listening to Patrick Smith and Kevin Bartlett this morning, don't we have enough people (term loosely used) media and other club supporters bagging us on the outside without MFC supporters doing the same. All the players are struggling in that we know that they are better than what they are now. The players know what is going outside of their office. They know what is being said and don't be fooled by "I don't read the newspapers" quotes. I don't mind a relevant discussion regarding a players game but with regard to Shannon Byrne he has come into a team that is floundering. Even with any good team it takes time to gel with the style of play. We need his type whilst we develop other players. We need back up players and you can see by the Casey result we do not have the luxury of back up players that the other better teams have. I've got a sore head this morning listening to other team supporters ringing in to tell the world what is wrong with the Club from the FD to the total administration. What would they know only for what is being fed to them on a daily basis. And for CW to say that Peter Jackson more or less told her that the whole Administration of the Club was a shambles well, just typical CW. Even if Peter Jackson thought this why on earth would he give CW a tell all. Peter Jackson is right we need clear air - less media interference. Rodney Eade's comment to Robbo is also telling me that within the other Clubs there is a bit of sympathy for the MFC and the constant targeting and negative reporting. I need to lie down now.

Also have just watched Matt B's interview with James Frawley. I did not get any sense of disinterest only frustration that we didn't win. He also mentioned "Neeldy". I feel a little more comfortable in that he will stay long term. Well a little bit more hopeful. Just aside I noticed today that Col Garland was quite vocal in the defenders group. I liked his game today and his ability to shirk off tackles.

Just watched the media conference and am extremely happy that Dawes is a Demon. He was extremely assertive even butting in on one of Neeld's answers. He speaks well and seems committed to improving the team's on field performance. He brings another dimension to the forward line that we have been lacking for years. Another light in an extremely long tunnel. Leadership material on and off the field.