Adam The God

Jeff White.

I'd agree except on the last point. I'd say a small running defender must be on our list too. Minus potentially Garland, who would you have play on a Rioli type?

I'd be looking at throwing cash at Betts and LeCras to solve our dearth of crumbing forwards. I'd go Thomas first and Dal Santo at a pinch. No to Guerra and Van Berlo.

Drool. A forwardline of Clark, Dawes, Hogan and LeCras? Amazing.

What we need is a crumber. I know Clark and Hogan are mobile talls, but we need someone with x-factor who can find it on the deck. It's then a supremely dangerous forwardline. We should be going for a FA midfielder next year and then another midfielder or two, plus that crumber or even a second in the ND. This is the missing element of our forward set up. If Gawn can come in and at the very least give first use to our midfield half the time that will improve the midfield. The other thing missing is a small defender. I know Garland can play that role, but believe he is best used as a third tall and rebounding defender. I don't think Strauss has the leg-speed for the position, so it's to FA, ND or the trade table. The other important piece of the puzzle is signing Frawley up. Do it now MFC. He's having a [censored] year. Get him to recommit. He is the lynchpin of our defence when on song. With less defensive inside 50s to deal with (hopefully), he'll find his form again. Anyway, sorry to digress. Cannot wait for Hogan to debut. He won't get it though unless our midfield improves. I'm glad he's not playing this season. VFL development and gaining confidence in Casey is much preferable to shooting the kid's confidence at AFL level (hello, Jack Watts).

Those three usually know where to get the ball offensively, but defensively they're reasonably inept at the moment. Either way you look at it, our set ups are atrocious. That's Royal's department. If he's not implementing structures, what is he doing? Exactly. No, we waited close on seven years for him to do anything. He was woeful through all the White years. He's been playing the best part of a decade and he's played one, yes one, good season. If anything's more endemic of mediocre culture, I haven't come across it yet. No, he wouldn't. He can't mark or kick. Where would you propose we sit him? He's no good at full forward.

Rivers was a fantastic reader of the play. However, McDonald demonstrated a number of times yesterday that he could play that role. What McDonald offers is pace and run and carry. Rivers never offered that. Rivers was a good servant, his experience is what we will most miss. No one in our back six has ever played in a final or a winning team. Rivers had.

Agreed. Play him or don't.

It may also take him time to get used to running again after his hip ops.

Yep. That's the truth, I'm afraid.

That's a reasonably generalised comment, but the fact that Neeld isn't teaching anymore could speak volumes. Don't get me wrong. Being a teacher doesn't make you a good communicator, but you would have thought it would offer you a little more foresight about how people respond to autocratic leadership. Someone described the way he came into the club as subtle as a bull in a china shop. Reasonably apt description. Surely he'd know this approach wouldn't work with everyone.

I'm not a school teacher. I just prefer to spell things correctly. And his boxing sessions were about emasculating the younger players, just as it was for Brock McLean. Moloney made his own call. If he hadn't been lazy and egotistical, he'd have played a role for the team. It's not about any one individual. I agree a good coach gets the best out of his players, but what Bailey got out of him was not the best and if it was it's not worth it. Moloney was endemic of the Bailey era. If we were playing an interstate team at the 'G he'd turn up. He rarely got it down against good opposition.

I agree. Although this problem stems from simply not following Heppell or Priddis around the ground. We are so loose and our midfield structures are hopeless.

Disagree jnrmac. We were still as loose as gooses in the first half. We took the game on with more attacking flair, but still failed to stop them from scoring. Our tackling was almost AFL standard in the first half. In the second half, our players "went into their shells" (to quote Grimes) and this further exposed our lack of accountability.

Doesn't it just defy logic that he's clearly not a good communicator, considering his background in education?

Good point. McKenzie is perhaps a big out. Still, he's a very limited player. But so was Ling to an extent.

Neeld has denied we're playing a zone. He may not want to call it that, but it's that or deliberate unaccountability. It makes absolutely no sense that a coach would come in, looking to strengthen defence, but play zonal defence. This teaches a side about manning space, not accountability or winning one on one hard ball. Neeld must finally feel how Bailey must have felt. Neither of them are up to it either.

Roos and Clarkson are the only two I'd touch out of that list. I'd have Ratten back as a midfield coach though.

I think "done as a club" is a bit excessive, but I understand the urgency with which you view the situation. I'd take Leigh Matthews over Neeld. Wow, what am I saying. Yep. I would.

I don't disagree RE: backline needs to improve, but there was a guy called Priddis who was this week's Heppell. He ran around seemingly by himself, which allowed other Eagles players first use and usually made it very difficult for the defenders. Essentially, the midfield didn't do our defenders any favours.

I'd counter this though, Stuie, by saying that the defence of the Bailey era never had the midfield backup either, yet they managed to repel attacks far better than 2012/2013.

Pretty much. What the hell have we been working on for two pre seasons? My god.

So why are you a supporter of his? Reasonably contradictory statement, especially given our "culture" and defensive side haven't improved an iota.

I wouldn't have thought he left the dogs in decent shape.

Our lack of midfield structure already exposes the likes Trengove and Jones for pace. We don't need even slower mids. Magner tries hard, but shouldn't be AFL standard, while Couch certainly isn't AFL standard.