DeeSpencer

It's not who we let go that was the problem. It was the how and why. For example the McLean trade for an extra pick in a draft when we had pick 1, pick 2 and all the other picks. Ok on paper it looked great getting in Scully, Trengove and Gysberts to go with Moloney and co. But clearly after McDonald was let go we needed continuity with some clearance winning and running midfielders. The fact McLean had a lot of issues doesn't itself mean he was right to be let go of. He should never have felt like we weren't trying to win, nor she he have had such issues with his speed and groins, carrying too much muscle to run at AFL pace etc. Took two years for him to come good again. Keeping some experienced players around even if they aren't ideal would've actually helped the development of the young guys.

I'll question his ability. His skills are great but there is so much more to footballing ability than skills. Hard ball gets are not all just desire, you have to have the skill of contested ball winning. Same with tackling, some players are naturally good at it, others aren't. But Roos will aim to build up his weaknesses and play him in a position where his strengths can shine.

Much closer to Goodes (but miles away in class) or an Adreas Everitt than Kennedy. Watts will be molded into a tall athletic outside midfielder who can run and use the ball. No coach in a million years will ever make him a big body clearance beast like Kennedy.

Good news that he's not going overseas either. 2 weeks at Byron should be more than enough for him to relax, especially now he can refresh mentally. A lot of it has been him not helping himself with his on and off field efforts but now he should get a real chance to prove his talents. I'd like to see him run a top 10 time trial. That would prove he's serious about making it as an AFL star not just a guy who floats between positions. If he's going to be an outside midfielder he will need that fitness as well. Look at the starting wing man from the grand final teams - Hill x two, Isaac Smith, Mzungu, Pearce, all elite runners. One thing Roos does well is he sticks with guys. Watts is bound to get a month at least of consistent footy in the same spot and if he hasn't proved himself by then it should be back to the reserves.

We've already got a guy who is absolutely perfect at that job and has slightly stronger hands and much better foot skills than Miller in Dawes. I don't think Miller will be working too much with key forwards, they are one group on our list who actually don't need much coaching. Despite Brad been 6'4 or whatever he was I'd like to see him work with our small forwards and those who rotate into the midfield about how they can lead up and get to open space as well. Guys play whole games at half forward (Tapscott, Bail, Blease) without getting out in space and getting the ball. Miller could teach Watts a lot about being physical and playing like a big man even if he isn't that big. Would love to see Watts suspended like Miller was a few times early in his career.

I've got nothing against Leppa but if he doesn't work who's next? Lynch? Power? Black? Mal Michael?

You've quoted an article saying Leppitsch twice and gone with Lepitch in the thread title? He should do a great job coaching Maloney

Who else got votes in that game? Sylvia and Evans (and Howe) were a great combination in the last quarter. Our big rucks got on top and those 3 really finished of GWS. But Byrnes' hard running kept us in the game for the first 3/4. Was very impressed with how he played that day. Unfortunately his consistency was there and I got the feeling he carried a few injuries as well. Let's hope he can be better this year, I actually don't hate him as much as I do the rest of the sorry lot that Neeld brought in.

So if we kept Neeld apparently we would've got one because we didn't make a coaching change? The AFL commission has rolled to the opinion of the clubs, which is the entire point of having an independent commission in the first place!

Bennell (with a knee injury) and Petterd both were rookied by other clubs. With our list in the state it was we should've rookied both of them and kept them. I think Petterd is a bit of a lad but otherwise not too much trouble and Bennell is a hard working guy. Both deserved more time with all the other trash on our list. Morton was contracted, to ship him off to any one else was a win. Moloney is still miles away from a two way running midfielder, I'm not convinced we missed him. Rivers would've been handy but he got shown up by Hale the other night. We would have had him in the team and Garland playing smaller but I'm not convinced he'd be in a winning team that has McDonald, Frawley and Garland. All in all Neeld's clean out was a failure, but again not really the problem. Regardless of how little Byrnes, Rodan, Pedersen and Gillies gave it was the guys we already had on the list that weren't up to it. Pedersen the biggest failure because he was expected to be best 22 and instead was miles from it.

Voss - out of a job Hird - suspended a year and his clubs a disgrace Buckley - hasn't achieved anything Yet we look at the grand final this week Lyon - journeyman player Clarkson - best thing he ever did on the field was belt a bloke at a London trial game You seem to think that if we load up on successful players as coaches then that will just bring success. That's not true at all. We need hard working and committed people to bring a culture of hard work and if they are skilled at their jobs then success will come. It's also a lot of anger for a development coaching role when Miller still has a huge gap in playing career than Greaves, Nicholls and Satterley.

Couldn't mark, couldn't kick and wasn't all that fast but he rocked up every week and did play some very good games. And was in the leadership group even when he was in the reserves. He'll be a thorough and hard working coach and teach guys how to prepare themselves. He'll also know how to deal with disappointment. He also went to Richmond where he didn't really improve much as a player but he led the way for some young tigers to play some very good football. It's also nice to bring back people who have left the club maybe not under ideal circumstances. It shows Miller doesn't hold a grudge and wants to help out.

She's not an elite investigative journo. If she was she would've handled the entire peptide scheme and the Age wouldn't have send their true investigative journo's Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker. And you are right, she sure does seem to have a great knowledge of what is going on within the AFL and Richmond. As a lot of people have suggested of late she sure seemed to collect a lot of leaks that most likely came from the same source. She's compulsive reading if over the top scandal is your scene. If you actually want to learn something about AFL or read something positive then you wouldn't read Caro.

If a heart string was an injury. Certainly one of the better skilled ruckman of recent years. Just couldn't do any of the physical stuff - marks, hitouts, hard ball gets.

Which is why I think he'll stick with the swans scholarship. But a bit of pressure from our part might force them to use a primary list spot and not a rookie list spot. If Roos says he's good enough to be drafted in the main draft then most other clubs would take note at least. So I'm hardly getting my hopes up that we draft him. But I can certainly see why the kid would take the chance and get better pay and a primary list spot. It's different because he's a scholarship player not an academy guy. But Roos' job as head of the academy was to get his guys drafted, so in a lot of ways he's actually still doing his job for Sydney!

Really? She's not lazy and she can string a sentence together but what does she actually contribute? Her commentary has overtaken her reporting. Actually worse, her agenda, especially regarding us, then Brayshaw and North and then running the AFL line in peptide sage then running the Richmond line in the Martin saga. It says a lot when the Peptides saga breaks that the Age commission their investigative journalists (which to me is a tautology) because the standard of their football journalism just isn't up to scratch. I like their cricket writers, because cricket doesn't come with such hysteria they write proper stories. And of course EQ with her draft and human interest/background stories on players. That's about all I'll actually pick up to read. By the way I'm an NFL fan and I'm loving this website right here - http://mmqb.si.com/ I bet in one weeks worth of articles they provide more quality writing than half an AFL season.

Good clubs teach ticker. The leaders do it and the rest learn. This sounds racist but I'll say it regardless, if Bennell played more time with Whelan and less with Davey he might have made it at MFC.

Well that makes one person who likes the Saturday night fools. Personally I don't mind the MMM guys. If you want serious football discussion you've got ABC, 3AW and SEN. It's logical that MMM make a point of difference and go for the shenanigans. But there's only one commentary team that does TV games which is why I think seven need to think about what they are serving up on Saturday night. BT has jumped the shark, Richo and Lingy both want to actually talk footy and Darcy is horrendous.

His first season was so good. Speed, got enough of the ball, used it beautifully from half back. Then every year after that he just got worse. Couldn't defend, couldn't find the ball and then got changed into a forward. I think he's got the talent if he was developed properly. But now we've replaced him with Terlich and Clisby it's hardly a loss.

The week off made all the difference for Hawthorn. They had all the running for the last 15 minutes. Geelong started bombing the ball because they had zero run. Now the Hawks had earned the week off and the cats threw it away. But we need to change the finals system I believe. It's crazy to have the most important final in the first week and then the 2nd and 3rd weeks the games are either way lopsided due to either talent of a week off. Considering Freo rested all their players in round 23 it seems Geelong have fallen victim to 2 teams who played them coming off a week off. And all power to them.

Can't believe how sloppy both teams were defensively tonight for 2 of the best 3 teams in the league. Clarko sure would've come under some heat but I think he would've survived, but the subsequent performance review might have been messy

Its one of the dumbest things I've ever read. How are we meant to improve if we don't pay overs for quality assistant coaches? Maybe he should speak to his own boss big Hutchy about how much overs he's getting paid

1 pay TV channel, 2 free to air channels that really cover the game, AFL.com.au and club websites and then 2 major papers and yet they feel they need a media awards. Have you ever heard of anything so self centered?

Probably for times like this when we want to poach people from Sydney backgrounds. Or when Neeld went after a lot of Collingwood support staff (and then they didn't let us get Jason Taylor but I digress). Personally I think it's good practice. Holding a guy hostage for a contract isn't a great idea and Wellman probably would've fought with Neeld even more than Rawlings did. But I'm glad he's seen the light and bailed on the sinking bombers. Their defenders and Jake Carlisle in particular will be quite upset. Just like Frawley and Garlo were when he left us.

Lade would be interesting. The stereotype of rucks being stupid isnt fair. Has a good midfield at Richmond with some underrated players.I'd explain how the AFLs financial investment in Melbourne will help other clubs. It's really very simple. But I'm not sure it's Damian Barrett simple. Draft picks are another question and Id understand clubs being [censored]. But I'd say if they don't use their powers now they surely never will