Ned

I'll speak the words. I want us to try to win every game as hard as we can. Our competitiveness is dramatically improved and I'm enjoying watching a contest when I follow my team again. But, and just but, if we come last and jag the top two picks with Frawley gone, I'll be happy with that. I trust the decisionmakers in our club now now to stuff up good selections, and I trust them to run the season out as hard as they can. All good.

+1. and to the earlier posters. Aish isn't going to be anything like a Jobe Watson build. The Aish family are highly skilled sticks!

If he's the best man then let's wait. We're not about to challenge. Let's find a decade-long coach once Roos shuffles off. I read it and thought ``smart Melbourne.'' Not something I've thought much in recent years.

I followed Aish's uncle at Norwood as a kid. He was an absolute champion. It sounds like his nephew is of a similar ilk. Because of that I wouldn't draft him. Michael Aish was exquisitely skilled. But he was built so that a strong gust of wind would blow him over. He also struggled with the physical side of the game. In SA, while there was a degree of hard hits and violence, ball players like Michael Aish were generally left alone. Not so in the VFL or AFL. I worry the younger Aish will just be worked over something terrible. I wouldn't use pick 2 on him.

Just changing tack, I watched Craig's press conference after the match. I've observed Neil Craig play/coach since I was 8 years old. I was always found him a solid professional who lacked the spark to go to the top -- at both levels. But the way today he managed to convey how comprehensively outplayed we were, based on the stats, with a positive message on the players willing themselves the whole way through really impressed me. Coaches are sometimes that bit wiser the second time round. I'm really starting to warm to him as our man. I think he is a coach who could help Watts reach his potential. I think the group responds to him. He just seems so right for our club.

Jeff will provide accountability. I am not fan of his politics, but Melbourne could really do with someone competent and with a profile in charge. Things are desperate.

The loan was the first red flag of a major problem to me.

Yep, couldn't agree more. At least he's gone now. But that extension was a joke. We need a new board. We may need someone like Kennett. We need pros now.

I used to want Neeld out. I'm beyond that now. I'd just like to know what the fundamental problem is at our club. There is one, I'm sure. I hope Jackson can establish it and then we can all know what we're dealing with. Feels like we're floundering in the dark as supporters at the moment. I didn't bother with membership this year for myself and my son. But as I told the club, if I can see the most basic efforts that we're dealing with the basic issues at the club I'll sign on. I felt bad about it, but right now it just feels like chucking good money after bad. I'm starting to believe Neeld isn't the problem at all. It's something much deeper. I don't watch his press conferences any more. I don't want to be insulted. But I would genuinely like to see him turn it around, because he has taken some massive blows.

The prospect already inspiring musicians.

Perhaps. Perhaps he can't play. But I'm not sure that was determined more than the discards we took from Port and North. Anyway, water under the bridge I guess.

I don't know if Gysberts can play. I don't think anyone does. I know Pederson can't play and North didn't want him. But that was the trade. Idiotic.

+1 I was howled down last year too. And over Schwab. The advantage we have is that Neil Craig is at the club and will be a stabilising influence to take over in the interim. As to how the club can be turned around, I don't have a simple answer. An experienced and successful coach would be a solid start. A less machiavellian ceo -- or at least one capable in the dark arts -- would be the other step. What we do with all these castoff players from other clubs etc, I don't know. A ridiculous strategy. Utterly idiotic.

I feel sorry for Neeld. He was asking the journos if they had any ideas on what to do. So it emerged that the only person with passion at the end of it was Jack Viney (a Melbourne person). Just sad.

Do you reckon he would've become something if he'd gone to Collingwood or West Coast? My feeling has always been that he would.

Yes, I admit withholding my membership and my son's this year. I just lost all spirit. I was ready to tip back in today. But it's just good money after bad. McLardy is apparently coming to Sydney and I plan a full ambush. Melbourne can't keep contracting out coaching appointments to Garry Lyon. We have no idea if Neeld can coach. It would be in character for those reports about us failing to do due diligence being proved correct. We needed a coach who knew what they were doing. Why is Cameron Schwab still at the club and has he repaid his loan? Schwab hasn't succeeded anywhere. How did we fail at tanking and why is noone at the board level held to account? We got a 500k fine and no player benefit. Why is Connolly there? Why is Viney there? It's like a post-playing retirement village not a club. These are questions that have plagued me for a long time and I'd like some answers. I don't get any joy out of criticizing our club. I am angry. We face another lost year.

Yes, November is when Demonland expectations begin to rise and then crest in February. We all know what usually happens after that. I have few expectations. But I do hope we're a competitive footy team, along the lines of Brisbane this year: always have a good go and maybe upsetting a couple of higher-ups.

Yeah, I don't view Old Dee as overly pessimistic, I see him as someone who tries to be realistic. There's been a lot of letdown over a lot of years. Let the footy do the talking, instead of pumping up players' tyres in pre-season. I'm easily seduced looking at Tappy's size -- but that's mainly because we have a team of kids. Having said that, I'd love to see him step up this year. I'd really like to be surprised at the start of the year for once, rather than the usual disappointment.

That is pretty deluded! No one cares a damn about Melbourne, we're no threat whatsoever. But as the guys above say, the only way we can respond is on the footy field. We need to win, and when we don't, we need to be playing competitive footy. That's the only decent answer Melbourne can provide.

I've got lots of complaints about Schwab and don't want him at the club. But that has nothing to do with the current investigation. The club was doing what it had to do with tanking. It's just unfortunate for us that so many rats went and dropped us in it. Schwab isn't to blame for that.

I reckon we could've done better with Stef. I liked him and I thought his extra training and strong performance in 2011 showed he had the desire to be there. If we were better resourced, we might've taken him further to be a very good player. But all water under the bridge now. Good luck with the future Stef Martin.

This place is great. There are some fair-minded posters who understand how to agree to disagree and that to me is how discussion works. But there are a great mass of semi-literate muppets that believe criticism is heresy. If our footy boss was Neil Balme and our team Geelong I could get the whole circle the wagons bit with decisions taken. I reckon we had a great trade period until Thursday. I totally support the Dawed pickup, it was my best moment as a Dees supporter outside the Essendon win. But Rodan and chucking away Gysberts and Martin just stunned me. And I reckon as a supporter who's sat through a lot of crap in the past few years to question the decisions. The club has treated supporters with something approaching contempt and isn't above questioning (no different to the stupid decision with junior). For the record, I'm not wedded to draft picks and had no problem with Morton - our Richard Tambling - being moved in for nothing.

Shame about Ricky. Not a wet eye in the house for the rest.

Yes, the Swans are a precedent, that's true. To the numpty going on about me turning up in my scarf etc, I live in Sydney champ and unfortunately rarely get to see the Dees. But like many, I still take out a couple of memberships a year to support the club I follow. It's difficult to have confidence in the club. I like everyone hope Neeld is the man who turns things around, and as I repeated, I liked the moves until Rodan. But it looked rash from there. I guess we'll know in 12 months. If it does I'll be happy to put my hand up; it'd be a joy for MFC to be proven right.