Pates

Many on here will know that I have been a staunch supporter of Neeld despite many of the losses. I now officially don't care. I am over in New York at the moment, I was asleep to wake up in an hour and I get a message from my mum saying "be glad you're not here the score is diabolical." I could not have imagined that, if ever I thought club pride alone would surface to make a stand after last week, especially given our history with the bombers, this would've surely been it. Instead we go further backwards, into Fitzroy territory. If the club wants to sack him I won't be [censored] off, I feel sick. Only Melbourne could make me feel this bad in New York.

Have to agree with you there, Rodan and Pederson wouldn't have been first outs for me. Tapscott I agree with but as you said Gillies for Tmac would've been natural, and it's interesting to see Davey gets his first go at it. Congrats to Terlich on his debut, I hope the game goes better than all the other debuts last week.Interesting changes to say the least.

Is that an official word out of the club or your prediction/pessimism.

Sellar and Gillies aren't in our best 22, Tmac and Dawes will push them both out. Peders showed a little in parts, but needs a lot more urgency. As someone posted above Jamar was my biggest concern, one of the worst games he's played in a long time and we've given him 3 more years. I like him, he's a loyal player but we've given him too much.

That is one of the best comments I've heard about this game. The old fashioned "[censored] em on the track" days are gone unfortunately, which is a shame it would be good to see them test the elite fitness they're meant to have.

Name these "skilled determined athletes". The only determination I saw was from players that haven't been at the club for more than 2 years. That tells me the problems stems a lot further back than when Neeld became coach. You guys seem will to burn him at the stake, but do you think about how much FURTHER that will set the team and the club back? Forget about the football side of things where we bring someone new in with a new philosophy etc, financially it will really kill us and I don't mean that as a metaphor. Now don't get me wrong, the closest I've felt to today was 186. Every player was beaten, and I can count those who gave a bit back on one hand without using all the fingers. At some point out on the ground players need to take charge themselves and just want the ball. On your point Hardnut, almost all those points you've raised could be used in defense on Neeld. He's only had two preseasons with a group of players that didn't know what elite fitness was, he had players that weren't willing to to buy into the culture he's trying t build so got them out and got players that were. The game plan is the concern I have, and to be honest it was nowhere to be seen today. Apart from safety with the boundary I can't see where we're meant to be going. That IS a massive concern for me.

Mostly agree with what you said, but I think this was simply a fitness decision and had the game been in the balance he would've been perfect to have come on. Obviously it was not so he got to get a quarter once the game was well and truly over. I noticed you pointed to Mitch killing himself at contests after the game is over. Unfortunately he doesn't know any other way.

What I saw today (among other things) was players not willing to run hard. How many times did they stroll out of defense with no pressure whatsoever and be able to deliver it to a man on his own in 15m of space? There is only one conclusion to draw from this, laziness. Where was the gut running that Misso has been training into them? Were we not told that their fitness capacity was much improved on last year? Why the hell, when Port had the ball and they were streaming forward were there players jogging essentially on the spot? It is a disgrace that our best performed players were mostly recruits playing their first games for us. A great moment for me was when Rodan had the ball just outside 50 and was waiting for leads and put his hands up to say, "c'mon guys give me something". In the end Howe was able to give a lead, it wasn't pretty but it was good enough for Rodan, but the point is he should be spoiled for choice with people constantly moving and making space with dummy runs. Jury is still out on Neeld, but people need to accept that for better or worse we have him for the whole year. I seriously hope that we have had our low point for the year because what I witnessed today was pure tripe.

Absolutely the same feeling. Last year he was able to walk off the ground and Neeld said he should be alright in 2 weeks, then the scans came. It was indicative of the day that when he went for a marking contest after coming back on there was a collective breath skipped in the MCG. Why they bothered to bring him back on is beyond me. EDIT: Wanted to add, when he went down I said to my folks who i was with, "if he gets taken off on a stretcher I'm going home". Kinda wish he'd stayed down so I had an excuse.

Won't state a case for why me may be a good coach, fact is it is still too early to tell. But I will say this; if we don't give him the full 3 years it will just set us back even more. He is trying to break a moral fabric that has been so entrench in the club it's in our core. No point in even contemplating getting rid of him, like it or not he will be coach at the end of 2013 and I would be shocked if he isn't at least given half of next season.

The closest I've felt to what I'm feeling today is 186. It's not as bad in pure numbers, but for what it means to the club and the fans it is just a horrible performance.

Heading to the game, excitement and nerves are kicking in! Can't wait for that first bounce! Go Dees!!!

I have to completely disagree with this comment. There's plenty of progress from a win. Every win gives the team the memory of that feeling and the desire to have it more often. Every win creates a bond with the players in that they look at each other and know they went out there and together got the result. I don't think this game will make of break the players or the season, but there is infinitely more gained from a win, especially a hard fought win, than a loss.

From the sounds of it, if he racks up the sort of possies he got today then it might not matter.

Looks like the two NAB cup grand finalists are going to lose, one getting smashed by the doggies. To those who reckon Port are going to beat us based on pre-season form, looks like as usual it is meaningless.

I have no ill feelings towards Beamer, but I'm glad we let him go because he wasn't going to do anything with us. I hope he keep racking up possessions, I've got him in my dreamteam!

That's a concern, but he's had very little conditioning so hopefully he'll get into his groove.

Good luck big Max.

It's a good effort, there have certainly been times that his career has been on shaky ground but I really hope he can cement his place in the side in his new defensive role. Congrats Dunny!

Perhaps trying to give Tappy a chance to find his place in the side as an enforcer. Plus we have a fair few debutantes this game, a bit of extra experience isn't a bad thing. I think there's something to Luke, but so far it's been scarcely shown.

I'm not sure about the rules of the LT injury list, it might be that if he's playing at Casey we aren't allowed to upgrade a rookie to replace him. One or two weeks may be fine but I would think the AFL would frown on us upgrading a rookie so someone can get some form at VFL level. I agree with jnrmac, despite what everyone says about port I see just about everything in our favour. They have a pretty limited forward line, a midfield that would be on par with ours and we have some tall timbre to cause problems for their IMO nothing defense. They have just as many young players making their debut that they're resting their hopes on and we have the one factor that will make all the difference in my book. The MCG. We should be winning this, and there is no other way of looking at it.

Great attitude. We need the Geelong mantra of "everyone who comes in knows their role, and just does it".

So I was just having a think about the game and I thought, "I really want to see someone make a statement from the opening bounce". Not a king hit or an illegal and dangerous shirtfront. But someone crash through a pack or get a really good hard ball get to set the tone for the year (preferably from a LG player). (Apart from a win obviously) what doe everyone else want to see?

Well zero confidence from the footy show people, everyone except Sam (including Gaz!) tipped Port. And Sam only tipped us to back Gaz up, who he expected to tip us! I almost take this as a good omen, considering I believe everyone tipped us last year v Lions.

Think Travis Johnston, for a couple of years he was one of best players, but he'd do 1 or 2 things a game that would were high risk and cost us badly.