pm24

Was a staging or flopping rule introduced the other year.......or has that somehow disappeared?

I've only been able to watch some of the highlights and the most encouraging passage I am saw was the first blease goal..and it wasn't because of the goal, it was the fantastic bump watts applied on the st kinda player after giving the ball off to blease. It was exactly what we need from him.

Actually it should probably be 11 points the difference if you take away that stupid 50m penalty against Dawes, and the free to Riewoldt 10 metres out!!!

Any noticeable differences between how the team was listed versus how they lined up in the training drills? I'm hoping that Watts is actually going to go into the forward line and Sylvia in the middle, which is the opposite of what the team submission says.

It's interesting that Milne kicked 40% of their score last week with 5 out of their 12 goals. Last year we struggled to contain Maister (the man formerly known as Wilkes). Both aren't playing this week, which leaves Kosi and Riewoldt to provide the goals. That's not as imposing a thought as it used to be. I seriously believe we have a chance. I hope that McDonald does the smart thing and if he gets the ball, looks to hand it off to a runner rather than kick it himself. Mind you, we'll need to make sure our runners are actually getting to him to allow this to happen. I'm glad we're not rushing Gawn into a full game in the Ruck. After two knee reconstructions I don't want to risk overloading his knees. It's taken Max Bailey from Hawthorn years to get to where he is now. Lets allow Gawn to gradually building up the strength and condition to run out a full game in the Ruck. In the mean time, lets allow Spencer to take the bulk of the load and see if he has a future. He has his limitations, but I remember Ivan Maric used to be viewed as a spud, but once he got his chance he became pretty effective over time. I'm not saying Spencer will do this, but he provides a contest and has the ability to actually chase, something that Jamar has not shown this year. I also doubt that Watts will start on the ball. I would fully expect the final lineup to be very different, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Sylvia start in the middle again.

I seriously believe that if we can get enough of the ball out of the middle we can get the win. They are missing some key players from a structural perspective. Hayes may not play, Fisher may not play, Blake is out, Maister is out. They are relying on Dempster, Gwilt and Stanley in the back line and some other kids, but they have little size down there. The main concern for me is that this week both Dal Santo and Riewoldt play their 250th. That's sure to give them a lift. But, aside from their midfield, there is little that gives me worry. I just hope Jamar actually sticks on McEvoy and doesn't let him roam far and wide to do whatever he wants.

Looks like Couch and Magner are going to need to continue to rely on long-term injuries to get a game.

I agree with what you are saying, Gawn has much more upside as a Ruck. But I think Fitzpatrick has some upside as a forward/ruck so that we don't have to play Clark in that role and can just keep he and dawes as permanent forwards, along with Hogan.

Seems a bit harsh on Fitzpatrick. I genuinely thought the guy showed a bit last week, particularly with his work in the middle of the ground and his couple of entries into the forward 50. He has the speed to get into space when playing as the relieving ruck and I think a bit of continuity at the top level would be good for him. On a side note, I can't help but feel that we got an absolute steel with Kent. I watched a replay of the first quarter of the Collingwood game last night, the guy is tough at it, penetrating kick, and just doesn't give up. What a great find by the recruiting department. Also, that side that's been listed looks pretty decent on paper. Just imagine throwing Clarke into the forward line and an A grade mid next season as well.....

Interesting to note that Howe is in the White in the group pic, and that Dunn is in Blue. If we take the view that the Blue are the senior players or best 22 for the coming week, I can't believe that Howe would be out of the team while Dunn would still be in. I'm assuming this is not the case and that players were placed on other teams to balance out the line-ups as well.

Could he finally be about to "get it" and take that physical step we've all been waiting for. If this has all happened since he started chatting with Jobe Watson, lets' see if we can get Watson on the payroll as a "player development consultant".

I here what you are saying, but while everyone wanted Neeld to fall on his sword, he obviously believes in the processes that were put in place and an argument to appoint players as captains who the players didn't even rate as the best leaders in the club (based on their actions) would obviously seem as illogical. Can you imagine if the results of the survey's were released to the players and then the coach said "Well it's nice to see that Grimesy and Trenners were identified as the best leaders in the club, but instead I'm going to select "Beamer" or "Greeny" as captain, despite the fact that he is listed as the 13th best leader in the club (made up ranking)". How do you think that would have made the playing group feel. If I was Peter Jackson and asked everyone on demonland to identify who the best coach would be for us based on certain behaviours or attributes, and then selected the person published as being 5th best candidate how would that look. There's no use in just expecting him to apologise for a process which in any other club would have resulted in a Luke Hodge, or an Adam Goodes, or Jobe Watson being identified as the best leader. The problem was with the lack of true leaders in the playing group, rather than the process. So I see no reason why Neeld should apologise for the process. I also see nothing wrong with what he said about Toumpas and Hogan. I think they have managed Toumpas well. If the footy department though he was fit enough to play round one, I'll trust the judgement of guys like Misson. They've made sure not to overload him this season, thus why he's only played about 5 games this season so they haven't been overworking him.

Some people on here need to seriously pull there head in. Has anyone considered the impact of Neeld making statements like "I shouldn't have appointed Grimes and Trengove as captains, it was a mistake" might actually have on Grimes and Trengove, not to mention how they might be perceived by the playing group if he was to make such a statement. To make such a statement brings into question their position as captains. It would further destabilise the club and the playing group. Neeld not getting caught up in those questions is a very mature response. Neeld is well within his rights to focus on the fact that he was given 3 years to transform the club, and feel that he was not given the opportunity to do so after being cut loose after 18 months. I'm not saying it was the wrong decision, but there's nothing wrong with him holding that line. Neeld is obviously perceived as a very good football guy around the league. That is something that is earned over time and a reputation like that comes about for a reason. He may not be a very good senior coach, but that doesn't mean he is a bad football person, or extremely valuable assistant coach, and that is a brand he needs to maintain for the sake of his and his family's financial future.

Explain to me how a player is loyal when he sooks because he wasn't named captain, then goes to Brisbane. Same thing happened at Geelong. He sooked when he didn't get what he wanted. I think you are the one who has had the wool pulled over your eyes by beamer. He won one B&F but is far from a champion of the club. Whenever we needed him to lift against the better teams, he was nowhere to be found. Sorry mate, but regardless of what you think of Neeld, Beamer isn't as good as you seem to think he is. A true champion gives his all for the club despite what might be happening with the coach.

Ummmmm if this is the sort of "leadership" Beamer shows than Neeld was right to not have him in the leadership group. Far from wrong.

Very true. For me it will not only be about what players are brought in, but what positions players might be put in. One thing I'm hoping is that Dunn is out. I'd rather have Joel Macdonald in over him. How the team line's up this week will be very interesting to see. I also wonder how the players are feeling in all this.

I assume by mature age recruits you are referring to Byrnes, Pedersen, Matt Jones, Dean Terlich, Rodan, Magner, Couch, Sellar, Gillies??? Brynes, Jones, Terlich, Rodan and Magner have all contributed to the team. Pedersen is showing he could be a solid defender. Sellar and Gillies, we got for next to nothing and are just depth players, with Sellar proving very helpful when we have had players injured. I'm not sure whether you expected them to star straight away, but they have certainly contributed.

I'm not sure I like this decision, purely because I am sick of our club sacking coaches part way through a season, and part way through rebuilds. What happened to Neeld supposedly getting some "clean air". What happened to the need to restructure the football department first?? I can't help but think that this was one of the "conditions" referred to by the AFL for bailing us out financially.

If we get a pick at the start of the first round trade it to the dogs for Ryan Griffin. They need a forward for the future and Griffin is better than Thomas. They could then get Thomas boyd who we probably won't need with hogan on the list next season.

Well the title suggests that but the article only states that we asked for "draft assistance". It makes sense that it means a priority pick, but I think until the commission makes a decision, I'm not going to believe something just because the HUN says it.

Don should be applauded for putting the interests of the club first. Despite what we might think of the Governance of the club in recent years, he has made a contribution and is now doing the right thing by the club by stepping aside.

I understand what you're saying, but I think I look at it a little differently. Less than 2 weeks ago, the club had a board meeting, it was acknowledge that the football department structure needed addressing and that Neeld needed some clean air in order to Coach. It was also stated that all those personnel with football responsibilities would be continually assessed. Since then we have had one game. This is an organisational change process we are going through, and from my experience, you do not change your view after two weeks. If you say assessments will be undertaken, then assessments will be undertaken. I see things like this. Jackson says football department needs to be restructured and Neeld needs clean air, while all personnel will be continually assessed. I'm going to approach this from a HR perspective, because that's my expertise, but until you have set up the new structure, identified the roles and responsibilities that you need performed, and provide time for personnel to get used to operating under that structure, you can not properly assess their productivity or effectiveness in the role within the new structure. What Jackson's statements say to me is: We're reviewing the entire football department, including all the roles and responsibilities of those in the department and will assess whether the people within the organisation are able to perform the roles that will exist within the new structure. Remembering that Jackson has only been around for less than 2 months, and the comments about the list being in a similar state to GWS, I don't believe their is a strong enough body of work that Jackson has witnesses intimately (within the club culture) to make a decision on Neeld, let alone assess whether he fits into the new football department structure given that it obviously hasn't been finalised as it was put to the AFL as a proposal in order to receive the funding. Remember back to Bomber Thompsons early days at the Cattery. He was on shaky ground regarding the teams performance (who were further advanced than us), and the club decided to free up Thompson from some of his responsibilities, restructured the football department and then all of a sudden things improvement rapidly. Same thing happened with McKenna last season at the Gold Coast, and now they're taking that next step in competitiveness. If we truly are in a similar position to GWS from a list perspective, then it is right that we are on the bottom of the ladder. In assessing Neeld's performance, that also would need to be taken into consideration. From what we've seen, Jackson won't be swayed by media or public pressure. He will go through this process in the way he knows is right, and won't deviate from that until he's got a solid body of evidence to make the right decision. To me that suggests Neeld will be given until at least the end of the season. This is about long-term stability, not short-term concerns.

It's the old recruitment v development argument. Does anyone doubt that Watts would be a better footballer than he currently is if he was drafted into a team other than Melbourne? Which statement was that exactly? Do you mean the one where he reiterated the position that was established a couple weeks ago regarding the whole football department continuing to be assessed?? That indicates nothing to me. It just says that they are going to continue along the path they are on with restructuring the football department and continually assessing all the roles and performance of people in the football department. To me it is all part of the restructuring of any organisation.

Thanks for clarifying this. It's good to know. As some have already said, it's amazing what Schwab got away with. I wonder how we'd be placed if we removed Schwab after 186 instead of Bailey....

I'd say it says more about the fantastic cultures they have at their clubs, and their ability to develop players, rather than just the coaching and recruiting. Also, don't forget that Geelong had a couple of very nice father son selections which helped them along the way: Ablett Jr (pick 40), Nathan Ablett (pick 48) Hawkins (pick 41), Scarlett (pick 45), Mark Blake (pick 38). They also traded in some key players like Harley and Ottens. Also, if you look over some of the drafts, they have not always hit the money with their first round picks. They have also had some big misses. They've grabbed some good one's late or in the 2nd round onwards like Hunt, Stokes, Stevie J. We've also got some nice later picks like Howe, Gawn, McDonald. I think Culture is the key for Sydney and Geelong. Edit: expanded comments