John Crow Batty

No, I wasn't there, but this debacle made me ask questions as to why it happened. Why did the players lay down for the club? Why was the promising game plan developing 12 months earlier unravelling? Why was there discontent within the senior player ranks and reflected in their performances? Why were most of our developing players who showed something earlier going backwards? I was a critic of Bailey but what was happening at our club was something beyond his control as a coach. IMO the problem was elsewhere up the chain of command. No matter what the apologists say, there has been a mutiny and it is still continuing as reflected by our below minimum AFL standard performances. There are only two viable options to cure this cancer. Sack the management culprit/s or 80% of the players immediately and start afresh. If neither then the discontent will keep on propagating itself until this club hits the wall.

I'm glad Jimmy came out with this. Hopefully now full scrutiny will be applied to those who deserve it. Bailey and players were scapegoats. We still have a divided club with low morale and no fighting spirit. Things won't change for the better until changes are made at the top.

There is not much alternative. One would play deep and the other higher up, perhaps Cloke for his lead up marking strength. The way we are playing now he would need to play up to the wing to get a kick. negates his worth. Would turn out to be another Dawes.

Relief! But not playing half back please.

As Miles from Nowhere said. Cloke is not going to be second fiddle to anyone. Either him or Clark has to be subordinate. I see a problem of balance there. Brown had his Lynch or Bradshaw. Buddy has his Roughhead. Cloke now has his Dawes. Two big forwards on superstar wages does not fit.

Players like Cloke are not going to battle and scrap to get their own ball and kick miracle goals like Clark has been doing for us. He only thrives on gilt edged silver service. That is not an option at the moment.

I thought we been working on building a list for 5 years and now we have to do it all over again.

Patience is a virtue for the meek. Of course we know they will eventually inherit the earth, but in the meantime the sinners are winners.

We average 42 hit outs per game against 39 for our opponents. Our ruck options are outstanding relative to every where else on the ground. Tom as an emerging big key defender has been one of the few shining lights this season. Better than Frawley on current form. We would lose more than we gain. Besides not tall enough to ruck.

I am saying he is the wrong type of player for us at the moment. We have a long way to go before a player of his type would be effective for us. Extremely poor value in our current situation.

If he kicked a dozen every game we might have had a chance to win a few. How would Cloke fit in a team where all the key performance indicators rank us in the bottom four and our best inside 50 player is ranked 60th(Jones) in the comp? He's going to be a game changer you presume. You're dreaming.

If Clark was not injured he would have been above that and more. Perhaps hitting 65+. Would not have won us any more games though. How many has Cloke's partner got? Less than 20 I guess

My point is a player like Cloke would be ineffective in a poor side. All my Collingwood friends say he is fair weather player. When things are tough he disappears, can't handle pressure and is almost a certainty to miss a crucial shot at goal. Not surprising they are always jeering him when things go wrong. Going for someone like him at his price is a blinkered quick fix assuming money will solve our problems ignoring the rest of our game which is still not up to AFL standard all around the ground. He's not worth even half the figures that are being bandied around.

Even before Clark got injured our forward line was dis-functional. Basically most of his productivity was a result of brilliant individual efforts from his part with scant real support from the rest of the forward line or midfield. Over the season it has made little difference with or without him. Bringing in another big marking forward won't fix our forward line problem. A player like Cloke looks awesome with quality delivery and support from his team mates but would be a spud in a team like ours unless we can suddenly develop a productive midfield, quality half forwards with a viable game plan and skills. When Collingwood's game breaks down occasionally as it did last week he starts to look like James Seller playing forward.

I am still worried by the notion that we may end up with two extremely well paid big forwards whilst the guys who do all the hard work to get the ball to them are not so well paid. Better for balance if possible to get a top quality midfielder if we have big money to spend. i could only see problems coming from this.

I believe they have a ticket on themselves. And they look pretty good this season with Lyon coaching. Better than for a hell of a long time.

Our ineptidude has already been confirmed. Getting him would be rubbing it in. I would prefer Cloke any day over Goddard.

At his age, only a club who reckon they have a premiership window opening would want him for big bucks. Not us. Fremantle would be in the picture.

As I said, just another rumour. I don't say I believe it but I did hear it. And there have been plenty recently.

I stress this is just another variation of the rumour. But I suspect he has numerous girlfriends, address unkown he can shack up with if need be till he is clean. Given his golden boy status and the AFL's track record, bending the rules for Buddy is also a possibility.

The story I heard is that he tested positive in an "unoffical" club test and they are hiding him so as to avoid the "offiicial" AFL drug test.

Seller IMO has been good. When given a specific defensive role he has done very well.

Another aspect is that players who will be the core of the next generation of senior players like Garland, Frawley, Trengove, Grimes etc have had ordinary seasons relative to expectations.

If the senior umpire had the power to overturn decisions made by his cohorts that may help. It is nearly always apparent when a howler is made. Pride and rules prevents horrible decisions being overturned. The senior umpire should be excused from chores like ball ups and bounces so he can concentrate better on the action. The other field and boundary umpires can take up his slack. Also ball ups within 10 metres from the boundary should be taken to the line and thrown in by the boundary umpires.

Skills are just as bad or worse than last year and other every aspect of our game has declined. Hardness at the contest is like a robotic rection because the players have been horse whipped to do it or else. They do it with no heart. Just like galley slaves reacting to drum beats and whip. I would say there are more than quite a few disgruntled players, even some of those who would be considerd our future stalwarts and not the usual suspects. I am now starting to questions Neeld's competance as a coach. Many of his decisions have been very puzzling and it appears he is clueless in how to motivate players. Never though that I would prefer to watch other teams play rather than us in the past 12 months.