Adam The God

I'm intrigued by Burns. I want an experienced coach, but his name tends to crop up a bit. Can anyone from Perth offer a little insight on him? If he's got the runs on the board under Worsfold, why have clubs consistently overlooked him? What's the word in WA? I noted I think PSD mention that Sumich stayed at WC for such a period, because he was no threat to Worsfold. Can the same be said of Burns, who's been at the club since 2009?

Paul, no one is expecting faultless and rapid regeneration of the playing list. We are demanding that the coach extract AFL standard work rate from the players though. He hasn't. He continually says the pressure on coaches comes with the territory and he's right. When a coach is failing monumentally across the board, you cannot compare that to a player. In fact, you can't really compare what a coach does with a player at all. Yes, the players should take some responsibility in all of this, but ultimately, if Neeld can't get them playing, he is the one that should be sacked. If we had a player of Neeld's ability on our list he'd never get a game again.

With respect, that's rubbish. I think the vast majority of the supporter base, myself included, wrote off last year and afforded Neeld some time to see who would form part of his future plans. Who displayed defensive work-rates and who didn't etc. That was reasonable. It was disappointing only winning four games, but it was a season for experiment and enacting Neeld's game plan. When the 2013 season rolled around many of us were not expecting finals, but we were looking for any sign of improvement. Instead, the work rate and skills for the entire year (save one quarter against GWS) have been reminiscent of 186. Over and over again. I was there on that fateful day in Geelong and I've attended every game in Victoria this year. It's comparable. Bailey rightly lost his job over that game. Neeld should have lost his job 6 or 7 times over this season. The only reason he hasn't is that we're waiting on PJ's report. If you watch Neeld's press conferences this year, they are markedly different from last. He continually focuses on experience and mere competitiveness, never simply on winning. Neeld is the coaching problem. I think the drafting under him has been pretty solid, although it's still tough to call some of them. His problem is he's not a senior coach at AFL level. As simple as that. Get rid of him.

I think it would have been knee jerk reaction after Round 1. After Round 2, well, I wouldn't have complained. You just simply cannot have 21 rounds go by under an interim coach. That said, if I was being ruthless I would have installed Craig as interim post Essendon.

The entire season has had a horrible sense of inevitability about it. Boring. Most MFC people go each weekend expecting us to get beaten comfortably. We do. Every week Neeld is on notice and many people expect him to be sacked come Monday. Since we were thrashed by Port in Round 1, it's been like this. I personally don't think there's much doubt that Neeld will get the arse once Jackson has submitted his report to the powers that be. Wake me up in two or three weeks.

I agree that you need some contested possessions in order to win it in the first place, so there is some balance to be found there. However, the fact that he's placing an emphasis on contested possessions, when clearly the game is moving towards an emphasis on uncontested possessions demonstrates how out of touch he is. I can see some sense in simply referring to contested possessions by way of playing one-on-one footy, but we don't play one-on-one. We play unaccountable footy. Abhorrently unaccountable. I've never seen anything like it at any level of football, let alone AFL level.

Which I don't believe will stand up under the strain of finals pressure. Knights' winning percentage is something like 33%. It's better than Neeld's, but you'd better hope to have a better record than him. A definite no on Knights. Meanwhile, those that keep bringing up Ayres. My god, no. VFL is a totally different environment, just ask the likes of Dunn, Magner, Fitz and Sellar. The only way I'd consider Ayres is in the implausible situation of being relegated to the VFL.

I wouldn't my mind betting the focus on increased bike training since Neeld (and note Craig) joined the club, has reduced some of Trengove's explosiveness or at least aerobic power. As soon as Sanderson walked into Adelaide, he threw out the bikes and all of a sudden, players who had lost a few hards and seemed hampered (blokes like Dangerfield) regained their explosiveness. Of course, some of that could be down to a new coach, just as Trengove's issues may simply lie in a string of injuries, which curtailed his pre season. I'm beginning to think though that it's the bikes.

I wonder if he understands that the game is now more than ever about uncontested possession. No wonder we don't spread, work hard and make an option.

Gerard Healy mentioned during the commentary that it would be delivered to the AFL within the next few weeks. I'd say we'll be able to move on Neeld during or just after the bye. Considering we play St Kilda after the bye (we might be a legitimate chance there), it might be the perfect chance to unveil an interim coach.

Should not have re-signed him. He's a good kick but cannot make a position his own after years on the list.

The Cats or the Hawks never played dispirited, structureless football that resulted in consistent 15 goal defeats. I like you as a poster Paul, but the stats and argument you've mounted here are desperate beyond belief. Stats can tell part of the picture (ie look at all the stats that are against us at the moment), but really all you need to see is gameday, week in, week out for over a season. Nothing has changed. In fact, I'd argue it's getting worse, as any potential light at the end of the tunnel has been systematically extinguished and I'd argue the dull flicker was stubbed out during the second quarter against Essendon in Round 2.

I'd rather be in North's position than ours. Ridiculous. And there's plenty to write about us. Sack the coach, they'll be saying.

We already did that and it fractured the playing group even further. We need someone who can get the balance right. Dish out the tough love when required, but gain the respect of the players and reward the good at the same time.

I couldn't give a toss about Neeld. He's cut peoples careers short over the past year. Time someone cut his. It must be about caring for the players at the MFC. The work rate isn't there, but every loss is a further hammering to their confidence and future psyche.

I thought I heard that Freo racked up the most uncontested possessions of any side for the entire season thus far.

Except we don't play one-on-one footy. We play the most poorly unaccountable football I've ever witnessed.

Because it means that we didn't turn up for the first two quarters. My god. How are people still defending Neeld? The arguments 'for' have no legs left to stand on.

You're joking right, Chook? Freo took the foot off the gas and we played with no structure whatsoever. I'm reasonably apathetic toward today's result, but it's indisputable that being thumped week in, week out is slowly crippling this club. As it did under Bailey, it hammers home an inability to win even once developed and experienced. Fresh blood and structures. I'm getting sick of saying it. Further, those that are saying Neeld should fall on his sword, you're kidding yourselves. Would you give up a $400,000 contract?

"Well, we were competitive in the second half and won the third quarter."

See you later Tappy. You're gone. Pathetic. Stuck by him long enough.

Apparently has his hand up for the Essendon job. Hopefully doesn't get it though. Wouldn't mind him. Met all the KPIs at Storm.

Watts was pretty much the only bright spot for that quarter. Attacked the ball and was involved in our only string of uncontested play (Davey, Watts, Dawes, Howe), where Jetta again failed to attack the ball when it was kicked to him at the top of the square. Davey also failed to attack the ball in a separate incident.

Yep, Collingwood look very ordinary. I could see Collingwood doing a Freo and hiring a new coach behind Buckley's back for '14.

Having just watched the press conference, Neeld looked shattered. Dawes looked angry. I much preferred Dawes' approach. Neeld's path was sprouting "rhetoric" and IMO dangerous messages, but I think his demeanour spells that he knows he's gone. Neeld's never been a particularly eloquent speaker, but he could barely string a sentence together in that press conference.