Grand New Flag

In: Kent Out: Spargo

Talk of trading Hogan is beyond insanity. Thank God these people are not running our football department.

What I can confirm is only that we are pursuing Lever aggressively and Lever has indicated he may be interested in joining the Dees. This is nothing more than what is out there in the media. Whether it happens, what the size and length of the contract being discussed and what the potential trade I have no idea. I am sure Adelaide will go all out to keep him, and we are also competing with other clubs. However, at this stage we are the clear favorites. A finals win or two will really help. Increase likelihood of Lever choosing Dees and increase value of our players. You would think a best 22 player or highly rated junior will likely be traded as part of deal.

Apologies it was Jon Ralph's prediction.

Comments from player agent Paul Conner: "He (Lever) comes home citing family concerns and lands at Melbourne. They become the 2018 premiership favorite,” he predicted.

Trades are suggested and many are actively worked on through trade week. 1 in 10 or so turn to reality. That the trade was not completed does not mean that it was not on the table, and looked likely to be completed. Would you prefer I said nothing?

No disrespect Ethan, but please tell me what I have said that was wrong? I gave you the scoop on: Roos as coach (round 5, 2013) - completely dismissed by 100% of demonlanders Mitch Clark - not really retiring, not prepared to play for Dees - completely dismissed by 90% of demonlanders Dees in make play for Tyson (was smashed for this one) To name but a few. I challenge you prove you 20/80 or shut up.

The club is very confident that: Hogan will re-sign to a long term contract this calendar year. Despite reports to the contrary discussions with his manager are on-going and positive. We got close last summer. Dion Prestia will request a transfer to the Dees at season end. This means we will probably have to give up player and next years first round but in my mind this is utter gold. Dion is massively underrated on this site. Do not judge Dion by last weeks performance...... he played injured.

Not sure how much help I am going to be this year. The Board Member who was giving me the inside word pre-mid last season (Roos to coach etc) is now an x Board Member........ and for some reason, can't imagine why, my friend from the football department who I regularly have beers with, no longer talks shop with me. Maybe I have blown my cover. Not withstanding I have done my best work, extracted my best info, at the Grand Final in previous years. Alcohol loosens lips big time. Lets wait and see.

Considering the outstanding recruiting in the last 2 seasons since Roos & co took over I trust that Melksham will be a wonderful recruit. Roos has a long, strong record of rejuvenating players. He knows what he is doing. Personally I am excited about the prospect.

I can't wait to see Hogan play on Saturday.

The penetration on his kick will improve enormously. I remember watching Hawkins in his first couple of seasons, Hawkins was limited to 35 - 40 meters. Now as a mature player Hawkins has no issues from 55. Hogan will be dobbing them from long rang in no time.

What an epic failure 2011 draft was! Neeld was indeed the biggest mistake this club made since sacking Norm Smith.

If Roos becomes coach as expected. Watts will resign, Watts will not be considered for trade. Watts is confused on when he should attack the ball and when he should stand on the edge of a pack as an outside player. He is our best user of the ball and has been told to be an outside players as this is who we want to see with the ball. Roos will fix this confusion up. Remember Green was soft in the first half of his career and turned into a mongrel.

No one can deny Watts has been appallingly managed since he came to the club. There has been a lack of mentoring to such an extent he has needed to go outside the club for a mentor (Multhouse), he has been used as a scape goat by Neeld, he has been publically humiliated on several occasions. As such his development and confidence has suffered. Add this disgusting behaviour towards him by Melbourne supporters and consistent losses. Who would be surprised if he wants to leave?

All arguments aside, it would be an unmitigated disaster for the club if Watts: our #1 draft pick, Watts: our poster boy, Watts: our great white hope, in the footsteps of former #1 draft pick Tom Scully, turned his back on the club. Regardless of your view of him as a player it would be a deliberating wound to the club.Despite talked up traded player(s), there would simply be no way to sugar coat it.

I somewhat agree. However, I am not sure this is the point. The point is: How has it all come to this?

Did you just say improvement????????? Are you kidding, we are at least a 10 goal worse team than when he took over. We are a worse team then even last year. We have won just one game (not including expansion teams) since Neeld took over. Mate, hate to break it to you, but we are going backwards, we are being compared with the worst teams in the history of the competition!!!!!! Statistically we worse than Fitzroy in all but Fitzroys last season. What is worse is that we have a young team of 1st and 2nd round draft picks, we should be improving. Can I remind you we won 8.5 games in 2010 and 2011, including some big wins against top 8 teams. The only thing I am blinded by is how pathetic we have become on-field since Neeld took over. Incredible comment.

Watts has been managed appallingly since the day he arrived at the club. It was my hope Neeld would put an end to this poor management. How wrong was I. Neeld making him a scape goat for the round 2 flogging was disgraceful. According to Neeld he had the flu. As such he should not have been playing. Blind Freddy could see he was struggling to run that night. Neeld subbed him off, but instead of coming to his defence and admitting that in hindsight he should not have played as he was still suffering the side effects of the flu, Neeld publically sprayed him and then dropped him. It was unprofessional, and disgusting publically humiliation. Neeld (not for the first time) made him into a scape goat for the teams terrible performance. Despite being sick Watts was far from our worst that night. In fact I will say that half the team played worse than him. The following week he was then left on the boundary as an emergency, while hacks who played worse against Essendon and have 10% of his skill played. Absolute appalling player management. Its as if Neeld went out to try and destroy this kids self confidence. It worked. No wonder he wants out under Neeld.

Ablett equals 1 player. Not 5 of your top 10 over 2 seasons.

The damage that Neeld has and is still doing is untold. It is a unprecedented disaster. It is hard to imagine anyone doing a worse job. At this stage anyone would be better than Neeld.

I know as a fact the Carlton are all over Watts. Multhouse has approached him personally, plus Carlton players. No doubt an orchestrated campaign. They would "love" to have him.

Bossdog: I highjack every thread because of the seriousness of the situation. I truly believe we are in a death roll. Doing nothing or pretending things are not as they are will bring us to extinction.

By now most here should know my opinion. After round 5 last year I started writing posts outlining the terrible choice we made in making Neeld Coach. I said that he had divided the players, he had lost the players before he even coached his first game, I said Neeld did not have the personal skills or management skills to be head coach, I said after round 6 Moloney and Rivers would walk, midseason I spoke of a major falling out (fight) between Neeld and Martin and that he would never play for Melbourne again. I spoke of a falling out between Jurrah and Pettard with Neeld......... but few listened. I told all that would listen that Neeld was the greatest mistake since firing Norm Smith and that if we did not remove him quickly he would drive us into extinction. I said we were in a slow motion train crash. I was and still am called an alarmist, a nutter, other people asked for me to be banned from this sight, however, everything I have said on this subject has turned out to be true. This season, I have said that as things currently stand, Frawley, Sylvia and Watts would leave season end. Again as recently as yesterday I have been smashed. My information has never been made up, it has come from within the playing group and player managers. I love this club and l will do anything I can to help ensure its long term viability and survival. I have made significant donations to this club via debt demolition. I only want to see my club survive. It is time for those who still have their head in the sand to wake up. We are deep in survival mode. We should no longer be looking at Premierships, we must put all effort into survival. Make no mistake, we have 2 to 3 years to turn this club around or we will be relocated or merged in time for the next broadcast contract. If we lose more senior players that task will be close to impossible. Its time to look at the big picture, everything must be done to hold all our top 25. I will make things very clear to all who will listen. Mark Neeld may not be the person who started the rot, however, he is not the person for our club. He has divided our playing group, he has lost our players, he does not have the motivational or personal skills required. He is a cancer, he is part of the problem rather than the solution. He was a terrible choice in head coach. The ONLY chance we have is to fire Neeld immediately, replace him with a motivational coach that can unit the players and do whatever we can to land Roos or then next best experienced coach. Only then may our players stay. Only then may we survive. This is the train wreck I told you all was coming. I am devastated. We must move quickly while there is still time. I again call on the board to fire Neeld immediately.