Slartibartfast

I think we are coming off 8.5 wins in 2011. With our draw 9 wins is achievable.

This is our biggest issue and I imagine Roos and his staff have spent a great deal of time and effort working out how to restore the players belief that they are good enough.

Just for clarity as I'm not sure whether you are referring to the discussion of my post as the "broader issue of this thread" but my post was nothing more than saying Bailey was a much better coach than Neeld. I'm not arguing Bailey was a good coach (although I think he is much better than some give him credit for). Master I'm not arguing there weren't drafting errors. I'm not arguing we were a good team under Bailey and I'm not arguing Bailey didn't make mistakes. I'm arguing that when you compare Bailey and Neeld then Bailey was significantly better than Neeld and they should not be coupled together in terms of coaching ability. All this talk of "eras". Old Dee will tell you that this era started in 1965 and won't end until we've got a flag. Since 2006 we have been a disgrace. We've debated the reasons and we know where we stand. But Bailey should not be tarred with the same brush as Neeld. I'm not disrespecting Neeld, I'm not blaming him. I'm saying Baileys record is very significantly better and to say they are the same is just plain wrong.

It frustrates me that Bailey and Neeld are coupled together as failures. Bailey had by far the harder task. He had no facilities and no money in the FD when he came. I sat in a meeting where he was told we didn't have enough money for new training footballs. We were training with ones that were out of shape. (Ironically the person who gave him this advice didn't understand the budget and denied him new footys when we did have the money!!). He started with an exhausted list with ageing "stars", many journeymen and few young players. The club was led by a CEO (Harris) who knew he was done and had mentally switched off. He was directed to go down the youth path by the new CEO and Board and sacrificed games for youth. He didn't trade in one mature player bar John Meesen and that agreement was "done" before he was appointed. He sacrificed games for picks to his own obvious detriment. He had an extraordinarily young list but managed to get 8.5 wins in each of his last two years. Yes we had some awful results and yes we were inconsistent but our list was not unlike the Suns and Giants who in their first years didn't get anywhere near 8.5 wins. Neeld came in with many good young players on the list with a year or two under their belts. He had exceptional facilities, he had an expanded and fully funded FD, he traded early picks for established players and yet didn't manage as many wins in his tenure that Bailey got in his final 15 odd games. Bailey had his weaknesses and I don't think he was the right person to lead us into finals but he never got the opportunity. MN was a very unfortunate appointment who was nowhere near Dean Bailey's level of competence and the two should not be "coupled".

You're right, the function used to be called the Commencement Dinner and was held at Crown. I note this year it's being held at the MCC dining room which I imagine is a cost cutting exercise and a sensible one too.

Hey Tas the reports are fantastic, thanks so much for sharing them - love your work. I assume Jordie just cut them up again, IMO the best trainer we've had over the last few week looking at it holistically. Thanks.

Thanks Roger, great work.

It doesn't actually. Timing is everything and Neeld (and I strongly suspect Schwab's) timing on Trengove in particular was awful.

I think he'll stay for at least as long as Roos. Roos wouldn't have committed for longer than Jackson. And his job isn't finished until he's found an equally competent replacement. That's his most important job now.

Wrong foot too.

Great report Roger, thanks.

Glad someone has mentioned Kent. His pace and kicking today were very good and added a bit to the group I thought. He's got the body and aggression I reckon Roos will like and he finished last season well which was a great credit to a first year player. I also thought that Tyson was very good. Natural ball winner and uses it very well. Of course the one that caught my eye was Jordie McKenzie. Hands were clean and never missed a target. Having said that it all looks good now and it's not until we start playing that we'll know. Players like Strauss my just be like Bennell who looked a million dollars on the track but under the genuine pressure of AFL just wasn't good enough. The most interesting thing about the season will be to see who breaks out of the pack and consolidates a place and who were just preseason teasers. It never seems to be who you think and when the team settles there are always 4 or 5 who surprise.

Well done.

Just trying to change the subject.... to football.

I went to training and was going to post but I've obviously come to the wrong place.

Just looking for the footy discussion Jack, thought this was a footy site, my mistake.

Good footy thread this! Too many threads, not enough mods.

Of course. My question related to the concept of "empowering" the members. As I've said in this thread Jim was a fantastic footballer, one of the great stories really and he bought the club together.

I agree. "Empower" was the wrong word and I agree Jim was a peoples President.

Wow. So you're saying Stynes "empowered" the members by letting them give money to the club. Jim was a great figurehead and people wanted to follow him and believe in him and that was great. But he didn't "empower" the members.

There were no questions about Billings skills. It was some of his other attributes. This bloke knew Billings very well.

What sort of situations do you think they could help? Why do we need 4 of them? Genuine questions. Boards are there for governance and direction, not day to day operation. I think the CEO positions is the most important to achieve your objective and Jackson is all over the AFL and how clubs work.

I think Stynes will be remembers as one of the great stories in footy for his Brownlow win and number of Bluey's. He was a fantastic player. What do you mean by "empowered the MFC supporters"?

Well done Joeboy, good effort in the wet. Hope you took your wellies.....

I spoke to someone who was involved with the Oakleigh Chargers coaching group and he also is well connected around junior TAC footy. He said the blokes at Oakleigh rated Salem ahead of Billings and equal with Kelly and thought we had a ripper. He also rated Salem miles ahead of Freeman. All opinions but it's interesting that those involved at TAC level thought we'd done well.