MadAsHell

Brilliant! The Melbourne FC in Back to The Future! Starring: Mark Neeld as Marty McFly Peter Jackson as Doc Brown Ron Barassi as Lorraine McFly Norm Smith as George McFly & Collingwood FC as Biff Tannen Oh and Caroline Wilson as Principle Strickland! Edit: Wilson

Same amount as Birchall, Grimley, Guerra, Gibson & Cheney for the Hawks combined!

To answer two questions that have popped up. 1. I don't have a keep mark Neeld option as I've said future Melbourne coach, as in after Neeld. 2. I didn't include Bomber Thompson for the resons that he's publicly come out and said he has no desire to coach again and being at his old club the Bombers, can't see him wanting to leave. I know Craig also said he doesn't want to coach again, but with him already being at Melbourne I think increases his chances. We have an interesting board meeting coming up tonight. Even if it's agreed neeld is to be sacked, I reckon they'd hold it over until after the QB game personally. As I've said already. The Dream: Roos The Outsider/Left Fielder (If others decline): Northey The Likely: Williams or Ratten That's my expectation anyway.

Pretty accurate to what the CEO'S thinking I would have thought.

But anyway as I've said I'd love to see Swooper come in. Otherwsie I'd be more then happy with any of Roos, Williams, Eade, Ratten or Laidley. Laidley being a distant last of 6 I've mentioned.

I can only speak for myself, but for me it's not so much the Win Loss ratio, but the manner in which the losses are occuring. I thought we'd started to turn the corner in the 2nd half of last year, but alas things have gone backwards since then.

What about whoever had Colin Munro???

He is a talent Williamson. I reckon they'll be alright the Kiwis, if they can unearth a bowler or two they'll get back to the type of cricket they played under Fleming and will be more then capable of giving us a run for our money. Ashes will be very interesting. I hope our top 3 consists of Cowan, Rogers & Khawaja, three guys that have good defences and put a high price on their wicket then allowing the likes of Clarke, Watson, Warner and Haddin an easier time against the older ball, Can't wait till it all gets underway!

Any links or tweets to that effect?

We'll have to agree to disagree I guess Billy. I reckon he would have the respect based on what he's achieved and his knowledge. And as I said with the right assistants at the helm there's no reason that a modern game plan and training methods couldn't still be used. I also think that he would sell hope to the members again, based on what he's achieved and his track record. You don't and you're entitled to that opinion.

At no stage did I say the standard of the BFL is equal to the AFL, don't know where that's come from??? I said what it shows it that the fact he's still involved with the game of football, means he still obviously loves the game. Hence he would still keep a very close eye on the game and the current trends. If you surrounded Swooper with some of the best assistants going round then there's no reason why it wouldn't work. The current trend is the get older coaches to over see rookies. Why not have an experienced senior coach who knows how to motivate and get the best out of his players with assistants who are totally over the modern trends. Barassi went to Sydney after 7 years of no coaching what so ever. Swoopers at least been coaching in some form.

If the FD for any reason suspect that Frawley might be thinking of walking at the end of next year they could well keep Davis as insurance. Developing nicely at Casey it seems.

Yep the Swans I think it is. I know it's not the AFL, but he's still involved in the game and there for I have no doubt keeps a close eye on how the games evolved. Northey for 3 years with a hand over. Would love to see that happen, he'd at the very least get the players playing for eachother and the jumper and have the place in some sort of order for a rookie coach to then take over unlike how the place is now.

I'm deadly serious about Swooper, despite his age. He's been there and done that, took Melbourne to the finals after 22 years of missing them. Took Richmond to the finals after 12 years of missing them and took the Brisbane Bears to a Prelim. All basket case teams that Northey transformed. He's still coaching, would cost a lot less coin which means you can spend that money on the best assistants out there with a view to a hand over in about 3 years time. Northey to plant the seeds for someone else as he's been there and done it all before. Would universaly loved by the players at all the clubs he's coached also. The man still loves the club and I have no doubt would be up for the challenge. When I say future I mean next. So it could be that you don't think they'll come in until 2020 if you believe Neeld will last that long. Hasn't been a Senior Coach at AFL level. That's why I suggested Healy (former player & current board member) as he knows plenty about football. As for McLardy or as I suggested Freeman being on the panel, of course the president or soon to be president should be there, how can they be held accountable if they're not?

Very good point. For me the panel should consist of 1. Peter Jackson (CEO) 2. Greg Healey (board member with football background) 3. Don McLardy or Geoff Freeman (either the current or soon to be president) 4. An AFL Delegate of their the AFL's choosing 5. An outsider, Paul Roos if he refuses to take the job or a Leigh Matthews

I reckon the most we could get out of the AFL would be them helping us pay out Neeld's and a few others contracts in exchange for someone from there sitting in on the appointment of the next coach.

I agree the club does need to get serious and needs to appoint someone who's been there and done it all before. But if the likes of Roos, Williams, Eade and Matthews say thanks but no thanks I'd certainly take Northey for a few years with a hand over rather then another rookie any day of the week. Was thinking of both Clarkson and Worsfold, but at this stage I can't see either of them leaving or being sacked by their chosen clubs so don't see them as realistic targets.

Fair call IWS. Knights added.

He's one of the people I'd want to get on board as an assistant if Northey took over.

Yeah I didn't include Knights as he seems damaged goods to me. Falls into the same category as a Dean Bailey, Tim Watson, Tony Shaw, Wayne Brittan camp. The only reason why I included Ratten and eventually Harvey is due to the fact they were still perfomring reasonably when given the flick. They were simply victims of unfortunate circumstances for themselves.

Thanks for that, Harvey's now in. Yeah i'm aware of Swoopers age. I just reckon he ticks all the boxes, would be willing to do it and for a lot less coin which could then be spent on good assistants. I reckon there's a good chance that the likes of Matthews, Eade, Roos even Chocco might not want the job. Swooper on the other hand if approached I reckon would relish the challenge! It's be a temp job before handing over to an assistant. It's to tough a job to give to a rookie coach at this point IMO.

Personally I'm goign with Swooper. Realistic in the sense he'l; be reasonably cheap, still loves the club so would be willing to take on the challenge and has a track record for turning struggling clubs around. The money we save on appointing Swooper could then be used on hiring top assistants which one of could take over after say 3 years. If we had great assistants who were up with the modern game that could help Northey out, given he's been out of AFL awhile, although still coaching in Ballarat. The coaches I've listed are probably the only ones potentially available IMO. Can't see a Clarkson or Worsfold leaving their clubs to come and coach us. Would love to see what other people think is the most realistic option.

Sadly even with a change of coach I can't see to many players wanting to come to us at seasons end. I think a lot of players will adopt a wait and see approach. Our best bet IMO is to land Daniel Cross as a free agent to extend his career. At Bulldogs there's to many older mids and that's why he's being squeezed out, we don't have that problem here. So I wouldn't be suprised if Cross was our only midfield addition through eith FA or trade and we then use our first 4 picks in the draft on mids. So our 22 heading into next year would look like: FB: Garland (core), Frawley (core), Strauss (jury out) HB: Grimes (core), McDonald (core), Terlich (core) C: Sylvia (core), N. Jones (core), Evans (core) HF: Howe (core), Hogan (core), Tapscott (jury out) FF: Clark (core), Dawes (core), Byrnes (temp) FOLL: Jamar (temp), Cross*(temp), Viney (core) INT: Toumpas (core), Trengove (core), Watts (jury out), Blease (jury out) * If he comes to the club. Other core players: Gawn Jury Out: Kent, M. Jones, Barry, Taggert, Fitzpatrick, Davis As other posters and I have said, the list isn't that bad. The two main issues are midfield depth and inexperience. This is why Jackson has said there's no quick fix. We just have to get games and the right coaching group around them until they're ready to click.

Is certainly an option. I guess it depends on what other senior players we can land at seasons end. If we can snare Daniel Cross for example then Rodan would surely go. If not then there's certainly merit to him possibly going on the rookie list.

Coaching up in Ballarat. The Swans I believe. This is a guy who took us to the finals after a 22 year dark period The Tigers after a 12 year period and the Bears to their only Prelim. The man knows how to rebuild confidence in shattered clubs.