Binmans PA

Yes, as I have said, onfield improvement will come sooner with a change of attitude and/or probably coaches. We're no longer in debt due to our supporters donating exorbitant amounts through Debt Demolition. We still receive hand outs from the AFL. Jimmy and arguably Schwab managed to get supporters opening their pockets, but that is unsustainable. We've heard from certain Foundation Heros (ie RobbieF) that Schwab's treatment of these wonderful supporters, donating their hard earned money, is less than personable. As a result, we're now losing some of our foundation heros. So I'd be interested to read how we are more financially stable, as a result of Schwab and not external reasons. Schwab is consumed by the past. While we had a glorious early history, we've had a thoroughly abysmal forty years. We should be looking to the future, not the past. I received my membership letter on Thursday and the first paragraph was rabbiting on about the past. Start with the present. The fact that he ever meddled is enough for dismissal. The board was weak. Letting someone stay on after committing such potentially harmful acts sets a dangerous precedence and says a lot about the people serving on it. Let alone a three year contract extension. My goodness! I'm not saying he has to come out every week in the media like Kennett did. But if you've put a bunch of people offside, you won't ever get them back. The issue will merely fester and be passed on through the next football department. Finally, we must look ahead and although current onfield improvement may come from a change of attitude in the present and possibly coaching changes, future onfield improvement will be buoyed by strong leadership from the top. EDIT. I didn't hear it, but apparently McClardy is looking for someone to relieve him of the presidency. Did anyone hear this? That's at least a start. McClardy knows he's out of his depth.

I don't think it's gonna happen, WYL.

There's a chance that if we were to sack Schwab and keep the current coaches, we would remain rooted to the bottom of the table. I believe it's a bigger problem than simply one person, hence my identification of a number of areas requiring potential tinkering. I would start with Schwab, simply because if we get the leadership at the top right that will flow through the entire organisation and improve areas that may currently appear weak. I have three major beefs with Schwab. 1) His business plan mainly consists of AFL hand outs and MFC foundation hero donations. This is unsustainable and frankly not good enough. 2) His meddling in the FD and their day to day operations is Jeff Kennett-like. Hawthorn cut the Kennett cancer out as soon as possible. Clarkson would have walked otherwise. 3) His lack of leadership when the heat is on the rest of the club is simply condemnable. He may have been issued strict instructions from the board to lay low, but either way, this is not conducive to a harmonious and united club.

I see sacking Schwab as the start of the clean out. It mustn't stop there. It won't happen overnight unfortunately. We need a challenging ticket to appose the current board. That won't be entirely suitable until the end of 2013. We need to appoint strong, successful football people to roles within the FD and the administration. Importantly, we need a strong leader as President, not someone who wilts under pressure. We also require major changes to our coaching staff. Not a single line coach is proven. Royal is a liability. Rawlings as a backline coach. Really? Who knows what Brown is capable of considering his forwardline is rarely able to get their hands on the ball, due to Royal's inept midfield. It must be said, Brown's forwardline has not shown a great deal of structural competence either. One brick at a time. Take risks MFC. Do not disappear into obscurity. We're currently teetering on the edge of insignificance.

Grimes has already been more effective than Jones this season. Grimes and Trengove should remain captains and Mitch vice captain.

He's on big money too. I just wonder that if Gawn and Spencer posed more of a threat, whether he'd lift his game. It wouldn't be a stretch to believe he'd become content, perhaps complacent, considering the other two cannot stay out on the park. Another MFC player willing to merely put in a shift and collect a paycheck.

I don't rate Martin as a full time forward. I was referring more to his rucking ability. He at least had creativity with his hands and had the very occasional ability to go forward and kick goals. He was also quick and could cover ground. He pretty much has Jamar covered on all fronts. Jamar's a dinosaur.

The OP is a salient one though. I believe much of our midfield impotence could start with Jamar. Put Ryder or Bellchambers' input in a Melbourne jumper rucking tonight and it may have been very different out of the centre square and thus on the scoreboard. Another salient point, what the hell have our midfield group been practicing during the week? I watched a warm up drill before the game tonight. It consisted of Jamar tapping to one stationary player who would then hand ball to another stationary player, who would then bolt off. That's the sort of simplistic drill you'd run for an under 9s side. You don't want to be handballing to stationary players. It seemed to lack thought and any creativity whatsoever.

It's looking like a horrid move to trade Martin, who's started his Lions career reasonably. I watched him kick two of the first five goals for the Lions earlier. Further, that contract extension with Jamar - he hasn't fired a shot since.

There was one "chase" right out in front of us. He looked buggered, but he barely got up to a jog. He then gestured back to the bench as if to say get me off for a breather. Wasn't pretty. Granted, he seemed more switched on in the first quarter.

I'm usually the last to defend Sylvia, but considering his usual output, he put in a little tonight. Not enough, but showed more than usual. I'm not sure if that's good enough.

A guy called Sellar is quickly making this into an artform. Two sitters in two weeks. I was watching him mark in the warm up and he was only just clinging to those under little pressure. His confidence is shot. Meanwhile, on Howe's marking...you don't try taking hangers in the back half. He should have been dragged for that dropped hanger in the back fifty. Two seconds later he kicked it out of bounds on his left foot. He tried for probably three quarters, but his discipline lets him down.

MFC or nothing for me.

Well said. I agree.

Damning stat. I heard that too from some whacker behind me.

I wanna know who the feck was on Heppell all night. Even when he went into the square at centre bounces, he seemed free. Whole-heartedly agree though. Royal is hopeless. Though I thought Jamar's ruck work was again insipid, as it has been since his All Australian year. This may form a significant part of the midfield make up and their ability to get hands on the ball. Jamar barely gets off the ground and taps straight at his feet. Further, the opposition can read him easily (as they did tonight) and he offers very little around the ground. Bellchambers and Ryder managed to go forward and kick goals. No sign of that from Jamar - even though Neeld shifted him into the forward half later on. Unfortunately, Jamar seems to be our only option, or at least the only back up plan out of defence too. For a guy that's not a great mark, that spells danger for us. Another thing I noticed about our midfield in the first half was the peculiar role N Jones seemed to be playing. He was trying to zone off his man and play in between the lines during Essendon forward thrusts. In turn, this meant that some of the time he was playing a role unnatural to him, which probably resulted in retarding his natural ability to win inside ball. Our first three centre clearances were instigated, and in two cases, directly executed by Viney. Jones got amongst it as the game wore on, but to little profit. Someone on Demonland mentioned the other day that Neeld had perhaps stifled Frawley's ability to play his natural game. I just wonder if he or Royal are doing this again. Jones certainly needs to continue learning, but I thought last year Jones showed definitive improvement under Neeld and perhaps it's too early, but he seems to be largely ineffectual this year. Finally, another player who seems lost, seemingly bereft of instruct is young Toumpas, who I think under a clearly defined game plan and refined by experience, has the potential to become an important cog in the midfield machine. It is however worrying that in his first two games and particularly his second, he seemed unsure who to mark for large portions of the game. In fact, it was almost as if he appeared torn between zoning space and picking up an opponent. I don't rate Royal as a coach, but it's also difficult to tell whether Neeld's game plan is also convoluting issues here too.

Well said, Jaded. I was glad when no one challenged the board upon last renewal. I felt at the time that the board and CEO were doing respectable jobs. Financial security for the club was more important, particularly as we knew there would be some thrashings on the footy field to come. However, tonight made me realise that this decision was a safe decision. We're now, I believe, on the verge of a downhill spiral that will see us fold, unless we do something drastic. It's time for risk, because ultimately, if we don't fight now and take risks, we'll soon die anyway. I'm about to echo my sentiments from another thread, but we must be bold and employ non-MFC people, "footy" people to run the club. Not merely successful business people. Successful football people. We must be strategic, but bold.

Talk about irony. To remain alive we need to go into debt in order to sack the board that helped erase the debt in the first place.

I would give the game up if the MFC folded. I watch football to support. It's not interesting unless you're following one team. Even when watching opposition games.

I'm getting similar messages and from Essendon supporters.

Yeah, Aaron had a dip. Though he didn't play four quarters. Worth a game next week.

Disagree. For me he was very close to tears. Difficult to watch, but as callous as it sounds, I want to see that from him. I want to see him hurting like we all are. At least he made some moves tonight, instead of sitting on his hands like he did last week. It's not the right move, but he may be gone by the end of round four. My reading of our administration and board is kneejerk. I fear they may send another to the gallows before a contract expires.

This is something that was all too clear tonight. He would approach the majority of contests out of position. Surely Geelong would have hammered correct positioning into him?

No. He's low on confidence, in a defence being bombarded by opposition forward thrusts. Garland did some okay things tonight. I don't think many played four quarters tonight (the exception perhaps being Mitch Clark). The clumsiness was present almost universally by players in MFC jumpers. It's more an illustration of being belted week in week out, than it is of an ability to play the game. Not many people will agree with me, but I still believe we have a core group of players, forwards and backs, that will make a great AFL team. Currently, I would point to a lack of structures, tackle counts and one percenters, along with our rucking capacity that condemn us to the bottom of the AFL table.

Jack Watts will not be delisted. Bookmark this.