bing181

Well, if I may, we don't actually know. His grandfather died, and along with a few other players at the club, he'd been sick with some gastro thing. Quite how much the two affected him, only those on the inside would know.

Nothing gives you the right to highjack every thread. Make your point. Make your point once. Then drop it. You're getting really really tedious, and I for skip your posts because you just say exactly the same thing (player manager, blah blah, Watts, blah blah, Neeld, blah blah) over and over. You are not doing your argument one iota of good. As for being desperate, it's a football club. Desperate is when you don't have enough money to feed your kids or pay your rent.

Interview with the man himself: http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/east-perths-freddie-clutterbuck-invited-to-train-with-melbourne-demons/story-fnb7bkh3-1226208346862 "Clutterbuck had an outstanding season in the WAFL, playing all 20 games for the Royals as well as making three appearances in the Foxtel Cup. The 21-year-old midfielder averaged 22.3 disposals per game to clinch the league’s Rising Star award at the end season." ... and some random quotes: "Freddie Clutterbuck (26 touches) was superb on the wing for East Perth and kept Fremantle-listed Jesse Crichton quiet" "East Perth was led by skipper Michael Swan's six goals and 42 possessions from Brendan Lee .... and 39 from Freddie Clutterbuck."

Where the hell is the evidence that he's pissing the boys off left right and center? Especially given that all their public utterances have been completely the opposite. e.g. Trengove's tweet today: "Massive session today. I have a feeling we are going to be some fit blokes come xmas! The boys are flying and loving the whole new set up!"

FFS, he has spoken to the players one on one, and presumably in some detail. And he hasn't cast "aspersions on their prospects at all". I took it as positive encouragement and direction more than anything else. Sorry, but really bizarre post IMHO.

The cynic in me instantly went back to one of Clark's first interviews where he spoke of wanting to 'earn the trust of his new team mates'. Still, good on him. I feel it also goes to show how important it is to have real A-list stars and senior players around to set the pace. In spite of everything, Brisbane still has a couple of those, whereas we're in pretty short supply. Reading some of these articles makes me amazed that we actually did as well as we did last year! Talk about a shonky outfit (off-field/FD) ...

Yes, it's going to take 12 months ... but I'm still excited by 2012. How can we not be, whole new FD, fitness dept, maturing players ... Really looking forward to it. But Neeld ... certainly talks the talk. To publicly start naming names like that ... ouch. Aaron Davey must be looking for a hole to crawl into ...

Fabulous, and has earned an enormous amount of respect for his rides over the last few days. Was lucky enough to have a brief chat and get his autograph outside the bus last week ... ostensibly for my son, but ahem, might be keeping that one away somewhere myself. Genuine guy, took time out for autographs and photos with the kids etc. Very different vibe at BMC to what it was a Lotto - they almost resented him, certainly didn't know how to work with him.