P-man

What a team. You can only admire them.

Traditional Bombers surge in the last quarter. Always able to run out the game better than their opponent this year. How do they manage it? Oh, right.

That's big from what was a respected senior player.

There are more shades in this debate than that: Not our man, sack him immediately / not our man, give him til the end of the year to prove otherwise / undecided, give him til the end of the year to decide / undecided, give him til the end of his contract to decide / he is our man, keep him til the end of his contract and hopefully beyond

Go Catters.

I love the never ending optimism I hope it's well placed. Dixon and Warnock are certainly outs that should improve our chances a great deal, Dixon especially.

No offence, but surely a lifetime of being on the receiving end of stuff such as this has hardened you up, just a little?

pm24, your posts are well written and understandably well received. I do wonder if your call for cool heads would be as well received if you were to call for them at three quarter time on match day, when everything has inevitably turned to a pile of puss, but you do raise some fine points. A few I would contest however: - each week we are seeing considerably less of the ball than our opponent. Mags is cosistently leading the possessions in the twos and knows how to give his team first use. Simply put, you make room for someone who can bring that sort of immediate presence to the midfield that we are still lacking. If we must prescribe to your "like for like", then you conveniently omitted McKenzie's name from the list of possible outs. Of course, as someone who met Neeld's checklist for "leaders" (apparently playing ability wasnt a criterion), we're probably stuck with Jordie, but he would be ideal if you don't view Magner as a suitable swap for Trengove. - I'm of the view that consistent effort should be rewarded, and for Fitzy to kick 13 goals in 4 games and still not get a call to the bench, with Jamar out, is at the very least a point for discussion. I still believe he deserved a nod ahead of Sellar and that hasn't changed. - Jetta not coming in for Nicholson is just bizarre. Jetta has been one of the shining lights so far. For some reason, in a rare winnable game, he spends another week on the sideline. - quoting the fact we were 0-10 as opposed to about to be 2-5 (not here yet y the way) is seriously clutching at straws given the obvious fact we had not played the expansion teams by this stage yet. Comparing this year to last is akin to comparing a bucket of mud to a bucket of dirt. One is slightly less sloppy but that's where the difference ends (incidentally, our skills have worsened this year to my eyes, making this year the mud) - in terms of what you are seeing as improvement in competitiveness, granted, the first half against West Coast showed some promising signs of at least looking like we can compete at AFL level, a low benchmark. The stark reality is we lost the game by 100 points and when the opposition lifted a gear, we were powerless to stop them. You saw alot more in the Brisbane match than I did. I witnessed a depleted (no Rich or Black), possibly bottom four side treat our midfield with utter disdain, waltzing through the middle at will, and putting together chain after chain of possession. When we did get our hands on the ball ourselves, we continually misused it and demonstrated all the same signs of a team, not just young and inexperienced as Neeld likes to mention to the point of obsession, but desperately low on confidence. As for Carlton, there were improved signs of effort, but only one quarter in which we looked like we were genuinely in the contest. The reality once again is that Carlton, missing several big names, went a half tilt and won by 10 goals. In short, if the signs of improvement are there, they are very small, and few and far between. When you speak to opposition fans, their reaction as to how bad we are is one of shock. I don't enjoy seeing my team struggle every week like this. I absolutely hate it. But I'm not going to put my hands over my eyes and pretend everything is alright when the evidence on the field, where it counts, is that it clearly isn't. I will give this FD props when it has earned them. Right now, Neeld is a man in a results driven industry who is keeping his job by peddling his pissy excuses for the weekly thrashings his team receives. As for this week, I'd like to say that only a win is acceptable. Given the state we're now in, a realistic goal is a four quarter effort and a respectable margin. Anything less and my views will remain unchanged.

Bingo. Honestly, I suspect some who are so adamant in their defence of Neeld are basically afraid to admit that maybe his appointment was just another poor decision made by this club, to add to the list. Afraid to admit that maybe Neeld isn't the anointed saviour after all, and is just an untried coach completely out of his depth. All we had to hold onto were wins against the expansion clubs. As it stands, could anyone put their hand to heart and say they would really be surprised if we got beaten by 10 goals on Sunday? Playing an out of form Gold Coast at the MCG, and a thrashing wouldn't be unexpected. That is where we sit under Neeld. 18 months on and his " hardest team to play against" is by far the easiest. A given 4 points for practically every team in the AFL. An entirely uncompetitive, messy joke. It's all very well to say we need stability, but essentially committing ourselves to losses before the ball has been bounced only serves to stabilise the losing culture at this club.

I'm sorry, but I've had it with this bloke. Excuses BEFORE the match? We're playing effing Gold Coast! An out of form Gold Coast!! It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. I'm sure glad he's reminded everyone about the lack of games experience, just in case they didn't catch it the other 2672 times he's mentioned it. Hinkley's message to fans: "we will never give up". Neeld's message to fans: "bare with us for another few years of painful beltings while we get games into kids".

What is with your need to add insult to EVERY post? Grow up ffs.

Ah, nice subtle personal jab there. Fed you the line and you gobbled it all up. Careful bing, you're becoming one of those predictable, smartarse types. I understand the argument for stringing together some performances before earning a call up. But Toumpas was given several opportunities in the seniors, and was kept there despite looking out of his depth. This week there was a rare opportunity for him to gain some confidence against a young, inexperienced opposition, to prove to himself that he can compete at this level. It hasn't been taken. Hopefully it's the right move but I am expressing my doubts. Deal with it.

Round 5 stats: 26 disposals, 10 makes and a goal. A tad better than "naught". If ever there was a week for him to come into the seniors to gain some confidence, this was it. As for Fitzy still not even making the extended bench.. I'm giving up trying to understand the selections, cause I simply don't.

bing, as a rule of thumb, should I just assume you will vehemently defend every single decision Neeld makes? Still waiting on your response in the "70 plus games" thread btw. I'm not saying he's the saviour for heaven's sake, but against a team with the Suns' experience, a certified ball winner who is consistently leading the possessions in the twos wouldn't have helped a team who simply can't get their hands on the pill? Alot faster than he is? What does that have to do with anything? How is that relevant to his core function? Eventually found out? Perhaps if he was consistently played in the middle instead of being switched to being a defensive forward, he would've been able to prove his wares more often. He's never going to be a star, but a mature bodied player who know how to contest for the ball and tries his guts out would appear to be a no brainier in our current predicament.

I hate to say it, but Christ that is an ordinary looking side.

I don't question everything Neeld does and I have zero desire to see him fail like he currently is, because it hurts my club. But if a decision as baffling as this one isn't open to question or criticism, we may as well shut sites like this one down.

5. Cyril Rioli 16. Daniel Wells 37. Shannon Hurn Thank for posting this. I needed a chuckle.

But Nicholson and McKenzie are? Groovy. Mags would've made a big difference this week against the younger Suns. I can't see how it can be argued otherwise.

So, just to clarify, by your reckoning anyone who questions ANY decision by the current FD, or Neeld in particular, is deemed to be spineless. Even a decision which, on the face of it, requires a fair amount of explanation. No questions, just acceptance. Give my regard to the Fuhrer next time you see him, C&B. Sieg heil and all that jazz.

I dream of a Demonland where the team is winning most weeks, and everyone gets along super duper. I like to dream big.

Disagree, CBD. Rushing him? We're about to go into one of the very few games we have a bee's dick's chance of actually winning this year. Magner has been the most consistent performer in the twos this year and our third world midfield just became a bit more depleted. We're not just crying out for someone of his ilk, we're pleading for it.

I don't recall many fans calling for Trengove to be captain, as it was and is still a pretty radical move. I remember a strong chorus calling for Grim\es as captain, and he has taken to the role fairly comfortably.

Must be because of the wealth of hard bodied, ball winning midfielders we have to draw upon.. FMFD.

Enjoying these match write ups, Jack. Not pulling any punches whilst remaining as level headed as can be expected. Good stuff.

If the appointment of a new captain (albeit temporarily) isn't worthy of publicising, what is? How is this news deemed as "spin"?