bing181

Yep, you nailed it ... we've recruited well, and have a solid, developing list, with a good balance of potential stars and blue collar grafters - all of whom are pretty shell-shocked at the moment and down on confidence. In the shorter term, perhaps the trade table looms large - a few more mature, settled heads wouldn't go astray. Otherwise known as leaders. Perhaps we should have gone for Luke ... Tapscott-I-mean -Ball after all. But why is this being discussed on the "Changes" thread???

Good post. Dane Swan played 30 fairly ordinary games over 4 seasons before even starting to become what he is now - in his fifth season. But this has all been discussed ad nauseam, and some people just don't get it. If a 19 year old kid isn't tearing the house down, Prendergast must be an idiot. As for the thread per se: Wait and see after the Casey game, but surely with a backman or two out, either Warnock or Tom McDonald should just about have earned a guernsey. And as long as they don't mess it up, Jurrah for Bate and Sylvia for ??? Gysberts maybe? Not great these constant changes though, we certainly need a lot at the moment, but stability must be near the top of that list. These guys need to play together ... and play together.

Funny you should mention it. For the first time today, I was feeling the same thing.

Like trying to have the coach sacked after the Bulldogs game? He should stick to what he's good at ... management, finance, business. No doubting his passion for the club, but Dean had plenty of passion for the club as well and it didn't mean he was necessarily doing a good job.

Yes, seems to be the crux of the situation with the Board. And explains why Schwab (good at business and admin) is still there, and Bailey isn't (though not saying he should be either). Interesting, informed article - especially the bit about Schwab pushing to have Bailey sacked after the Bulldogs game. Not interfering in the Football side of things??? And then Schwab comes out and complains that Bailey was undermining him? I don't know that even after last weekends events, Cameron "gets it".

Viney has said that he doesn't want to be a head coach long term. Cross him off the list. Not Eade for mine, but otherwise ....

Don't agree with you on much, but 100% with you here.

Partly answered your own question there. One of the reasons we have less money available for the FD is because it's all being eaten up by Cameron and his staff. It's also obvious that yesterday's loss has really brought to a head various rumblings regarding rifts and factions that have been going on for at least most of the season, even back to last year. It's not just about one very bad performance. Just go back to the Moloney incident ... why was Schwab (admin) involved in that press conference?? Not to mention that old enigma ... why did Scully leave the China trip?? Finally, having had on more than one occasion the unfortunate opportunity to experience how the "admin" part of an organisation can really mess up the "making/doing/practising" part of an organisation, I can well understand why the CEO would be one of the first to go at a time like this.

The Good: It should bring matters to a head (club/staff/coaches/players). Watts/McKenzie/Trengove at least trying to fly the flag I can see myself having a bit more free time for the rest of the season

Nicholson doesn't deserve to get dropped - well, not before 10 or so others. At least he tries - even if it doesn't always work. As for Green, captaincy mightn't suit him, and he mightn't be much of a galvanising leader, but he's still an AA player. 4 (unforced) changes would be the max I would imagine, so for me, Gysberts (tired), Strauss (need more experience) Jamar (needs to refind his form after the long layoff) and Maric (too often found wanting). If we wanted a "symbolic" scalp, I'd drop Sylvia. In Gawn, Joel Mac or Bartram, Scully, Davey, maybe Tom Mac. Bummer that Jetta and Evans are injured, at least they're both triers. Hard though, you go through the team list and with the exception of a handful, there's ample justification for dropping most of them. Can't really get any worse people.

I know we had a terrible day, but that doesn't justify ridiculous threads like this. Thank god the two S's and BP are there. Connolly ... not sure, hard for an outsider to judge.

With you on all of that except the recruiting department. No complaints there from me, quite the reverse. Should be more B Prendergast love. McKenzie, Howe, Nicholson, Evans, Gawn ... all excellent low picks.

I'd start with the senior players. Terrible for younger players like Nicholson, Howe, Tapscott etc. to be out there with this going on. Where are the role models, the leaders? Some deep-seated cultural problems at the club for this to be happening. It's all very well sorting out the debt, and loading up on young guns, but if it's rotten at the core ...

Well said. Not to mention respect for the club.

Hmm. Is this the worse quarter for the year? To keep watching or to keep watching? Decisions decisions.

oh-oh ... not looking good.

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.

Scully, Grimes, Davey, Jurrah out ... a bit too much of an ask, especially after Darwin.

... if only.

This is a site awash with wild rumours with no evidence to back them up ...

Well, I don't doubt the FD has the "guts" to do whatever they think is best, but I share your surprise on Bartram. A bit of a statement being made there, especially as he's not really being replaced by another back - presumably it's Nicholson for Bartram. Perhaps also with King's suspension, that's one less potential match-up for Bartram. Good to see Garland pulled up OK, and great to have Jamar back (of course!). Something resembling a decent team again, albeit with a few of the newies holding their places (Howe, Strauss, Nicholson etc.)

As a few posts above, Bartram won't be dropped. I sometimes think people round here don't watch the other teams enough - for starters, it's easy to have great disposal when you're surrounded by stars who are going to make you look like one as well, and for seconders, even the biggest names in the comp make mistakes. The backline has been a moveable feast all year, as has much of our team lineup - and when the players around Bartram start making life a bit easier for him disposal-wise, it'll become less of an issue. As a shut-down player, he's one of our best. It's a team sport, and what matters is that everyone fulfills their role. As for team, either no change or Warnock in for Garland (if he doesn't come up). Warnock had (another) very good game at Casey, with 31 disposals, and would be expected to be next cab off the rank.

Woops, my mistake, didn't pick him up at ... Full Forward. Pleased for the big guy. As you were.

We need to do what we said we'd do. Judge Bailey at season's end. Or would you have preferred to renew his contract after the Essendon game? Thankfully, the club aren't going to be making decisions based on one game, especially one against the current premiers.

A bit of revisionism going on there. They have 6 players with more than/around 200 games, and almost no players in their 22 with less than 40. On Monday we had 11 players (half the team) with less than 40 games, the majority of them with less than/around 20 games and one solitary player with more than 200 games. Comparing us to Collingwood is just ridiculous, they're years ahead of us in experience and development. If you want to start comparing us to clubs, look at Gold Coast, they're closer to our age group/spread.