3183 Dee

Happy Birthday - hopefully the boys put the foot down today and win all 4 quarters for you. Enjoy your day.

This is the crux of the problem, isn't it? In some ways, the subject matter is irrelevant - it's the amateur way our administration has dealt with all our off-field issues and I agree with whoever said it goes back to 2007. It started with the belief that by simply drafting the best young talent through getting top draft picks, our on-field success would take care of itself. We'd sacrifice a season or two for greater returns. Well - that bit us royally on the arse and we're still paying for it now. Since then we've lurched from fire fighting one disaster to another with an administration that was more concerned with building a brand as the originator of the game, where it all came from etc. New logo, new red and blueprint, new blazers, new deal with the MCC. It was papering over the cracks - on the field we were [censored] and our development of this exciting new talent we'd fought so hard to lose for was useless. The only area the admin succeeded, thanks to Jimmy, was clearing the debt. Call round some of the old boys to dig into their pockets, chaps. Meanwhile clubs like Collingwood, Richmond and Hawthorn (yes, I know they secured early picks as well) have grafted and tried successfully to build their clubs up. Success is going to be a long time coming to our club but, when it does it'll be because we run an open, honest and tough entity and not one that runs itself as a piece of historical curiosity that has a divine right to be here and relies on handouts to exist. Honestly, it's like the last days of the British aristocracy. If we were the first club, we should be damn well showing the example.

Agreed - this hysteria is just boring now. But this running around, screaming with skirts pulled over our heads is now a commonplace reaction when the game is now being dictated by no-talent, sensationalist rumour-mongers with clear agendas to (a) settle personal vendettas and (b) make a name for themselves. These grubby little guttersnipes in the papers and on the radio offer no real solutions or constructive ideas - instead they bang out any little rumour that they've heard, watch it grow and continually lay the boots in to whoever's on the floor. Disgusting. Pathetic. I'm not saying for one second that our current problems are not of our own making, but for a group of young lads, already low on confidence, having to cop the backlash from one sensationalist rumour to another (Laughing in the spa - really?! FMD!) is not helping. The press are baying for whatever blood they can get for the next story, it just happens to be our club where they reckon they can get it. So, let's at least pull together at this time and refuse to bring this ridiculous hysteria onto these boards. Edited to remove rude word. Sorry if any offence caused.

Wines is a fantastic player and no mistake. But hang on a minute, it was Todd Viney who made the call - a man who knows Wines extremely well and still reckoned Toumpas had the edge. Time will tell, but you can't say it was an ignorant choice.

I'm not a betting man, but I notice that West Coast have now gone into a $1.02 and we are over $12 for the win!

Not good news about Rohan Bail. I believe that headgear does very little to prevent head injuries like concussion as they're caused by the brain being knocked about inside the head. Happy to be corrected on that, though.

Hopefully, the boys don't sit back now, contented with their performance so far. Now's the time to put the foot down and stamp a bit of authority onto the MCG. Come on boys!

Nosebleed time! Sylvia!

Is that a good thing?

We're winning!

At the time Cantona said that, there was much made of it in the British red-tops (Sun, Mirror, Star) about how it made no sense, dismissing it as typical ridiculous French philosophising!

I think, if you look at the series of photos, most of the "fans" around the race are, infact, Bombers supporters giving it the large one.

I agree - the manner in which the Bombers went about the 2nd half was exemplary. Actually not dissimilar to our effort against them last year, in terms of fight and going hard at it, but with far greater ball skills.Much as I love to hate them, you've got to admire their unflinching desire and belief in the middle of all the uncertainty and distraction.

That's right - from the footage I've seen, he's coming on all fire and brimstone - maybe trying to emulate his mentor, Malthouse. However, looking at Malthouse at 3Q time v Pies, he was just calmly addressing the players, rather than barking orders. I believe Neeld will be a good coach, but agree with Stuie that he should develop his instructional style. He's learning too, of course, and as he gets more confident as a coach, so his demeanour will become more relaxed and assured.

I haven't heard the presser yet, but I'd be tipping that the reason that Don is so shell-shocked is that he made the call to the AFL and they immediately organised Cam's departure. I have no information but I wouldn't be surprised if they (AFL) will pay Schwab out of his contract. I think Don has been taken by surprise as the swiftness of it all, and no longer has Schwab to organise his media performance. I've never met Cam Schwab and I'm still unsure as to why there is so much vitriol aimed at him. I also think it's telling that the better players (Jones, Clark, Grimes) have just got on with things, while others still seem to be sooking at what Schwab has or hasn't done. Still - no excuses now, hopefully we'll see a dramatic improvement in some of our senior players. Good luck Cameron in your next role - you seemed okay to me!

For sure, get him. We are so [censored] up at the moment, that it's going to need someone like Sheeds to really turn things round. How did things get this bad? What has Cameron Schwab done to make such a large group of people want his blood?

Ha ha - fair enough, but screaming for everybody's head isn't the answer.

There has to be an answer. Is it a system change? Do we just try and lose by less and less each week til we win?

...when all the knee-jerk hissy fits have finished and the pundits have stopped kicking the [censored] out of a club that's on the floor, what can be done from here? How do we bring confidence back into this playing group? How can we realistically turn this juggernaut around?

I actually thought that Rodan showed some glimpses on Sunday - some clangers too, but who didn't. I also thought the same about Byrnes. The delivery to our forwards was that poor, that he couldn't get a sniff most of the time. However, when he did get around the ball, I thought he looked okay. Incidentally, it seemed for most of the game that we were just playing one forward (Clark) such was the poor effort in presenting and leading. When Clark went off the ground, we had absolutely nothing.

Regardless of what people think about Cameron Schwab, he has nothing to do with Saturday's performance. Does 360 also have an anti-Schwab agenda?

Port could not believe their luck today. They have a younger, less experienced list than us, so there can be no excuses for this pathetic performance. I've always been in the 'give it time, it'll come' camp, but this was worse than most of last year. Not sure what Neeld is going to do next.

Pfffft. Pretty poor - basic mistakes, both decisions and skills. Port have 2 options each time. Not sure why we are sitting off them so much - baffling. Viney is a gun - tough, smart and not giving up. Him, Howe and Clarke are propping everyone else up, honourable mentions to Rodan and the 2 Jones boys.

It's just too easy for Port ATM - bypassing our midfield too easily. Can't hang anything on Watts, he's not been too bad. Positives: Viney, Howe, Clarke. We're getting better at centre clearances. Here we go for 2Q...

I want to see us ahead by 3 goals at HT and then go and blitz the 3Q and shut up shop in the 4th. I want to not be disappointed.