Harrisonrules

I'm a Morton fan. And believe Bartram doesn't have adequate skills under pressure. To many turn overs. But chopping and changing for the sake of it won't make any difference. None to be included will change the game style or intensity etc. It's all a bit of hit and miss at the moment. We hope the right spirit turns up

Dreamer

Anybody got a spare seat in their car. I don't care about destination. Previously plans for Mt G in Sept fell through early May

Its an argument worth considering. I've heard it said before. Yes I've made my considered decision. Harsh as it may seem. If you want to wait for 15 more games and opt for 7 years so be it. You not alone. But neither am I. Whatever I'll be still there in 7 years

I was a brickie in a previous life

8 wins with our draw was a backward movement. Eight wins will put us about 4th bottom. At the beginning of the year it was a gimmie. We were talking about 6th to 8th. St. K - Etihad ..........? Car at G ..............? Ess at G ..............? Coll at G ............? Free at G .............? Rich at G ............win Dogs at Etihad .......? Port at Tio ...........Win Haw at G .............? Cats at Skill ........Loss Carl at G ............? Eagles at Etihad ......? Rich at G ...........? Suns at G ...........Win Port at AAMI ..........Win That gives us 6.5. I expect a couple more spirited wins. Meaningful progress would be 12.

I'm hoping to sqeeze this comment past our own vigilant administrator. I posted a new thread on this very subject the other day, and withibn minutes couldn't find it. I presumed it had been removed (the admins right). I tried to put a bit of humour, some would say sarcasm.. I should have known better. I'm hoping this gets on for at least five minutes.

Jimmy made the comment on radio that pre Crows game, the press had motivated us for ten days before the Crows game. I don't want to take away from what Dean did that week, but there were so many sources of motivation who really knows what brought that enormous potential out of our team. It's there. The club has to make a choice by years end on who is to oversee it.

Who is responsibile for choosing those players?

So what do you suggest. You've got 13 games to make your choice. How are you going to change the club culture over the next few years.

Obviously I am not as proficient with English as you. We will all make our decision (as if it is of any significance) at different times. I hope you get the full season to make your call. You've got to make it by seasons end. I've made mine.

THE HOUSE THAT ‘DEAN’ BUILT Essendon finally squeezed 53 games out of Dean before they realised there was no more improvement. It certainly wasn’t 200 games but then I wish I had just got on the Dees list let alone play one game. So I congratulate Dean on his efforts, he’ll look back with some pride. Dean has some 67 games as Melbourne coach. Yes I believe we have squeezed out of him pretty well all there is. Week in week out we blast players for their inept performance. This week the weakest excuse was injuries. Unfortunately that is only part of the story, the buck most always stop somewhere. And that is Deans desk. A 70 point turn around yesterday against one of the lowest teams in the league, after a quarter of dominance is absolutely absurd. It says there is something drastically wrong, not on the strength of yesterday’s game alone but because flawed patterns appeared once again. This is the house that Dean built. Into his fourth year no one else carries as much responsibility as Dean does. He was given free reign to build a complete list as he chose, from tanking to cutting, this is his list. Very few coaches ever get such a choice. He cut hard at the top end following a formula that said premiership teams must have players with certain numbers of games in them irrespective of readiness. This philosophy meant that not only did players not quite good enough to get cut but the experienced competent players also went before they were real liabilities. It meant we cut deep into leadership. It overlooked the value and need of a group of leaders to teach the younger brigade. The result is that we are so vulnerable at times that we are inept. We understand his strength and excitement at time of appointment was his platform that he was a development coach. I still fail to see in what way he develops players any better than any other coach. We criticise lapses in tackling, hardness etc, but the task of the coach to get into the minds of players so that they perform consistently close to their optimum separates the average coaches from the elite. What an elusive quality, but 67 games has shown us that Dean does not have it. What is at least as important and I really think more important is the way the game has changed to be a systems game. Team performance is more important than ever. I’ve never heard anybody – from supporters to media – speak of Dean as having any significant skill in coping at this level. It’s not simply developing a game plan, it’s about one’s ability to constantly read the ever evolving and changing plans of the opposition and counter attack. Sorry Dean, it’s just not there. As I began, this is the team Dean built. He’s done a job but the total picture says there is nothing more in the tank. We might squeeze up to 80 games out of him. That will depend on the clubs administration, I doubt they will. I doubt there would be more than a hand full at the club, admin or supporters who would be prepared to entrust this young group to even two more years of Dean. It’s too much of a risk. He made choices that really required 7 plus years to see if it would work. He has not made the progress that justifies it. And the club cannot afford the time. 53 games as a player, 70 odd games as coach. Well done Dean I envy the career you were able to squeeze out of yourself.

Wouldn't it be fun to see the kid get a go if not tomorrow over the next weeks. I'm hoping.Tomorrow is Newton's big day. This is his chance to show he can fill a place as a utility ruckman. If he has no impact that would be the end.

Good idea But remember it is now AFL Advertising LTD. Controlled by Large commercial interests for the purpose of advertising. AFL merely has the task of controlling our behaviour (eg. facebook scandel...tut tut)so we don't damage their brands. Kevin Bartlett is their scout in the crowd.

But midfield is also dependent on how well the backs can run and kick out of the back line. When we are not stopped by the opposition mid field press we have a good running game.Midfield clearances is the second aspect of the midfield. We certainly did better this week. In fact that is where we killed them. I suspect Maloney had are different approach. I'll be watching with interest to see if there has been a change in centre square strategy

Shouldn't be blamed for last weeks game nor should he be congratualted on this weeks win or you have to blame him for our inconsistency into his fourth year. And that is the porblem. It is hard to see evidence of him having impact on game day other than some ordinary coaching of a group of young kids.

Support you on the loss of fairnessRegarding a not for profit operation ......who knows what it is. But it sold itself out to Sponsers. Take away the sponsers (and that includes TV rights) and there nothing left. We are now an advertising arm of a group of competative sponsers. When a sponser is not getting return for money they spit us out.

The better business are very clear about its goals and values. The AFL has one clear value - Money. It shapes its goal to grow the business. The business is totally in the hands of sponsers. Their sole involvement is for advertising. The AFL brand is subsidiary to sponsers brand. The media is integral to this dynamic. Supporters are no more than bums on seats and money donors. It is more about the TV viewer than the week to week attender. Such values have so changed from the roots of community involvement. Hence the once core value of a level playing field no longer exists. An equal fixture etc. Clubs are so desperate that the fixture is shaped by the club accountant.Dimetriou has sold himself out to the corporate values. We mean nothing to the AFL. Kind of sad.

What a shambollic year. Slow start and fast comeback against swans, fits and start against suns, reasonalbe start against Hawks but diabolical second half, eagles lame ducks, unbelievable against crows. We are all over the place from game to game and from quarter to quarter. Of course our best is usually against interstate teams at MCG - particularly cold wet Sunday afternoons, but as was stated somewhere the press have been motivating us all week. In fact this is not a one off season but has been going on for some time. The last few years we seem to have created a winning stretch that promises a lot but quickly disipates. Is there not something within the club that can instill something consistent in our team. Personally I have no idea and look forward to others reflections.

I totally agree with your sentiment on Maric. I believed that he should have been given for more chance after his preseason development.Don't pick on Morton. Bailey likes the short chunky players, we are building a team of them. Something about self image. If you want someone to quote on easy careeer start with Bartram. Great run, good courage but very low grade skills and even slower mind. But there again he is of the short and chunky mold.

Final Siren

Chaos reigned following last weeks catastrophe. Many reasons were given.. Run... leadership... etc etc. But hardness was the popular choice. Punishment had to be given. Of course the buck stops ....at the top. This was not a once off, it has happened quite often in the past; slow starts, shambollic team work, lose against the teams we should beat. We pressed on turning a blind eye to these with each spirited win, particularly against visiting interstate teams on the MCG. Yes of course we did well against the pies last year, for some reason we do. But which of the other Melbourne based teams have we beaten in recent years. (I'm already trying not to think of the pies this year). Of course if hardness was the reason it was because our tough nuts 'cracked'. They had soft insides. Why weren't these the ones punished. Because hardness is easy to blame, and running ball players are not tough. Morton is potentially an elite player. The more he runs the better he gets. He's been injured and is getting back into the swing of it. Put him on the ball and he will improve the mid field. Martin, will never be a bash em crash em ruck man. Against Cox and Nat he was never going to jump over them, but who would and at least he gave Jamar a rest. Two weeks ago he played one of his best games. So we blame him. One of our biggest threats this week will be Tippet. He is the one serious backup for Tippet we have. Pity about Bennell, again another elite skilled player but half forward flank, or occasional back flank in a backline that was torn to shreads is hard to establish yourself. Pity he isn't given the 'never question his ability' Bartram treatment. All we've proved is runners aren't always the tough nuts. The tough nuts get off scott free because there will always be softer agile bodies that can be the sacrificail lambs.

Unimaginitive coaching won't make any significant changes. They are trying to get games into certain players, rain hail or drubbing

Lighten up.

It's called preparation and strategic coaching. If we don't do it its because the coaching doesn't understand.