Pates

Another situation where I have to work and will be filthy with any Melbourne fan that has a can't be bothered attitude and not go. Kick to kick on the ground this week, spread the word! 18,800

The team I've seen on paper leaves me with no thoughts of negative ramifications about if we lose to GC. They have more class players than us, and I'd imagine our games and age wouldn't be far removed. Of course I want us to win but no massive ill feelings towards the club if we lose, and anyone that claims we're tanking should take a look at our injury list.

I spose the way I look at it is that by people contributing it means the club will have enough new to maintain the high costs of the football department we have now while being able to pay 100% of the cap.

Sounds like a Hail Mary procedure, shocking to hear that if it doesn't work it will not just end his career but affect his quality of life. All the best to him, is there any way we can inject his tenacity into some of our other players?

Given the apparent high amount of top end supporters I would hope that not only would there be plenty of people willing to chip in, but more than that hopefully some good dees fans lawyers would be up for a fight for the club. Personally it would leave me so disinfrachised with the game I would be capable of anything, even going on talkback radio! But seriously to the point if we would rally at afl house I would probably be the one to get an afl flag and burn it on their lawn middle eastern radical style!

Will they be having a foundation that us regular folk can donate to?

FFS Martin gets the mystery injury of the week and Watts still not back! I'm starting to care less and less about whether we win the match because this team is closer to the Casey best 22 that ours! Fitzy, Morton, Strauss, Gysberts sub would be my go.

There was a good suggestion IMO in the HS (incredible I know), someone said they should have a moratorium on tanking where any breaches are forgotten and we move on but let everyone know that it will be very closely monitored and breaches will be dealt with harshly. This means they recognise that it may have gone on (they don't worry about naming and shaming clubs because everyone already pretty much knows who the culprits were), and everyone knows where they stand if they try it again. Simple and it closes the book on past tanking so we don't need to talk about it again.

I reckon the system we have now (that is no priority picks) is fine, at the end of the day the cap between 1-5 isn't much and sometimes the no. 1 doesn't turn out to be as good as no. 7. Coaches will prefer wins over going up one spot in the draft.

It would be great if he could get another run this year, it'd be a shame if his only game for 2012 was a 100+ flogging where he injured his knee.

Mitch Clark Nate Jones Jack Grimes Jeremy Howe Jack Watts All names that have given me hope this year. Despite the lack of support I think Grimes has thrived in the captaincy role as the year has gone on. He's missed a lot of footy and early on was struggling but he's now consistently racking up the possies and his disposal is getting closer to what we remember. Clark has done so much in so little time at the Dees and he's brought a completely forgeign attitude to the club. A bit of mongrel, lots of competitiveness, and excellent skills. Jones will win the B&F by a country mile, and with good reason. The only player that gives 100% every week, his skills have improved out of sight, and is one of a very few that would be a walk up start in most teams. Howe and Watts have shown the skills they've got and each produced good football. It's great to see Jack silencing his critics, especially given some of he ridiculous statements that were made about such a young player. I feel he's going to become a flexible A-grade at least player for us. Howe continues to excite and when watching a team that's so lackluster, at least he can bring us to our feet in the darkest of times. As said, negatives outweigh the positives this year, I could write and 4000 word essay on the negatives but it is good to think positively every now and then.

You were right with the Hawks, and Hodge is a no. 1 pick. Pies got Pendlebury and Thomas with PP. And I keep hearing West Coast being mentioned but I can't recall them tanking. I think you're point is that tanking and building through the draft is a floored mentality and I tend to agree with you. I wasn't happy with us doing it, and during in the lead up to the Kruezer cup I would've liked the AFL to just abolish the picks all together then and there. I thought the same leading into the Richmond match. Carlton perfected it, and they are still well off the pace even with a star player in Judd. The Saints came close but I can't say they tanked, nor did they get rid of all their senior players. Pies I feel tanked to a degree but not as bad as us or the Blues, but again they kept older players around. EDIT: Forgot Nik Nat, shame we beat the doggies the year before. Should've had him and Watts.

You're probably not wrong, for us to change the culture we may need to get some from the old regime out. Connolly has been way out of the spotlight this year, and that's the way it should be, I can't say if he's done a good job or not because I don't have enough inside information. Schwabb is the interesting one, he speaks so well for the club but I can't really say his performance has been great. This red and blue print is certainly not going according to plan, but a lot of financial success rests of on-field success especially since we have a low supporter base. He got the weird one year extension during the Bailey debacle last year, has he earned an extension on that? If we can get someone better, I say we go for it.

Would not shock me, he came in to do everything in the best interests of the club. I really believe that it was a mutual agreement by all involved, and that includes all the coaches. They probably thought by this stage they would be coaching a team of champions. Fact is if your winning you avoid the sh$# storm.

The main issue for me isn't so much as is Neeld up to it. It's how far would it set us back if we were to get rid of him so soon? I am on the side that feels Neelds attitude is what is right for the club, perhaps there are mistakes that he's making perhaps trying to instill things that we aren't ready for but I can't see this year as a fair year to judge him. There have been a ridiculous amount of unforeseeable variables that make it impossible to say whether or not he is a good coach. He has inherited a list that was unfit and is underskilled. He brought in Mitch Clark and I reckon that if we had him for the second half of the year we would've got a couple more wins under our belt. He showed what he could do when we barely got it in the forward 50, now we are starting to stack up in that stat. It would be the dumbest thing for us to give him the flick before his second year and I reckon he'll run out his contract regardless of what happens next year. He needs at least one year after cleaning house, and it'd only be right to give him a chance to build his list.

I'm comfortable with us copping our fair whack as long as Carlton do to. Anything we did to lose, they did better.

Agreed, nothing to be gained by bringing him back early and potentially hurting himself again. Plenty to be gain by giving Spencer and Stef rucking duties to improve their development. Jake's tap work is improving, hopefully he can get a tiny bit of skill about him. On Nicholson, FMD I cannot believe this year. Did we smash every mirror at AMMI Park or something? Run over a black cat? Walk under a F-load of ladders? Bad luck to him, he's been showing a bit in the absence of Bartram and I really like his dash. I don't know what's going on with Jurrah, we keep getting conflicting reports. One minute he's going to be playing at Casey this week and now he's two weeks away from returning to footy but apparently nothings changed!

Ah this old chestnut. I also like the "we stand for nothing". These two points that keep cropping up are the most pathetic nonsense that goes around. Reporters and columnists can make this comment and base it on nothing because they don't have to. The mere fact that they're saying it apparently makes it credible.

Well we have proven that there are no guarantees, our picks haven't been the best and your right that it cost us culture wise and we are yet to reap the ability rewards. As said, this is very rich that Brock is now a Carlton player, and this is a team that began the ultimate tank. It pisses me right off that we are always mentioned when it comes to tanking but somehow the Blues seem to miss out.

Probably because he's not going to be dropped by Neeld when he's captain. Also I thought he was serviceable yesterday, plenty more needed from him though. Out: Jetta (sus), Bail, Joel Macdonald/Sellar, Dunn Ins: Gysberts, Couch, Watts, Morton Watts is a no brainer if fit. I think it's about time Gysberts got a game, his talent is unquestioned and he's been in the bests for long enough now, he's earnt a recall. Morton should be given a last ditch chance to salvage his career with Melbourne, and it really costs us nothing. If he goes long and direct with his kicking he looks ok, the moment he starts to get cute that's when he gets in trouble. Couch has gone back to the VFL and seemingly done what he needed to go, I want to see him get another chance. On match ups, I want us to send Jordie to perhaps Bennell, fact is Ablett is likely todo as he pleases no matter who we put on him, no make sure he's a lone soldier.

Would probably be about time for Gys to get a game. I understand the idea of making him earn it but he has been a regular in the bests for Casey and has plenty of talent in him. It's not like our seniors are doing great things.

I'm glad that we've stopped with the idea of gifting games to players who aren't ready. Gysberts I'm surprised still isn't there but I really hope he will be soon, Cook I reckon will be given a game at the tail end of the season just to give him a taste and to wet his appetite for 2013. I imagine Neeld and Brown are having regular meetings with Cook to discuss what he needs to do and what their plans are with him. Persistence must be the key with him.

Of the list you've put up I reckon Jetta and Spencer will be retained. Jetta still has much to offer (and from what I saw was OK first game back v Port), and Spencer I see us hanging onto more for coverage and depth. Bail seems to just get games, so he may be a favourite of Neelds. In The Age article this morning Green spoke about the future and retirement, and he mentioned the words finals. So if is to retire I imagine we will be retiring him, and we know how well that worked out the last time we did that. Is Bartram out of contract? If he is then I'd say it's unlikely he'll get another contract, sounds like his knee is shot. Shame too, may not be the most graceful or skilled player but one on one against small forwards he rarely got beaten. It's just wrong that he was so good in his first year and played every single game except the final. If all those listed are coming out of contract then I can't see them in a Melbourne gurnsey next year. And those that aren't out of contract should be moved on if possible.

Reading about their history on wikipedia and on their website it's kind of confusing. They still seem to have held on to the history of Springvale and relocated to Casey (ala South Melb/Sydney). That's at least how their website has written it, it could be a case of the winners writing the version of history. In any case they have held on to the name of Springvale football club, in fact they retain the SFC on the back of their gurnseys. In my mind us taking over that club would be detrimental to the relationship we are trying to build out in that area. If we were to go down a path of merging I would like to see us taking the name the Casey Demons in the VFL/reserves league (which ever happens) and making sure their history is recognised. And I still see Casey as our best chance of developing a local foothold. We're in there, the next step is to become a team kids will actually want to support, in other words WINNERS!

He WAS pretty skillful. He USED to be hard working. He USED to be passionate. He WAS courageous. He CAN take a speckie. He CAN kick a goal. He looks like he just doesn't want to be out there for us, I still think back to that Collingwood game (which will go down as his most influential game for the club) and I remember how gutted he was. Then he got injured and was being courted by GC, but he signed with us and we were all so happy. Now he can't even crack into a side that is decimated by injury everywhere on the ground, but especially in the forward line. It's just sad.