Maldonboy38

I find the following part brings the most clarity for me. Basically, it is saying that the people who joined the Board under Jimmy and Don had some leadership ability but were more managers than leaders, and little ide about Corporate Governance or Business structures. I have summarised it down a bit. Bold type is my emphasis. QUOTE: 2. Board Effectiveness A number of Board members joined the Board in mid 2008 when the MFC had limited management skills, lacked resources and had significant debt. This resulted in a blurring of roles of the Board and management, as Board members were immersed in “running the club” and eliminating the debt. Findings: The review indicated that the effectiveness of the Board was being impacted by the: I. lack of clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the Board and management; II. issues around the strength of the working relationship with key management; III. depth of experience of Board members with Corporate Governance frameworks, structures and processes; IV. use and mix of skills of individual Board members; V. time availability of certain Board members; VI. clarity of Board member roles; and VII.the depth of relationships with key stakeholders Recommendations: I. To improve the effectiveness of the Board, the current MFC Governance framework, structures and processes need to be revisited and, where practicable, brought up to corporate best practice standards, recognising the specific requirements of the MFC; II. The Board Nominations Committee, in determining the composition of the Board, should ensure that there are a number of Board members who are experienced in businesses that have working Corporate Governance frameworks; and III. As the Governance structures and processes are being updated and the strategic priorities of the club are being reassessed, it is recommended that: a. All current Board members are re-inducted through the revamped Board Induction program; b. All new Board members complete induction within two months of joining the Board; and c. At least one Board meeting per year has a session to refresh Board members on the key aspects of the induction program.

The opening point of the executive document says it all really: 1. Overall Board Performance In assessing the performance of the Board, it was clear that the Board has added significant value to the MFC over the last five years, and until 2013 had produced four years of profit, acquired significant assets and grown the MFC revenues. However, due to both poor on-field performance and current financial performance, the Board recognises it has lost the confidence of the members, key stakeholders and the AFL. I haven't read much more, but will post stuff I find noteworthy.

I just finished watching the interview and like most came away impressed. He answered the questions directly but without the clipped, abruptness of Mark Neeld. But I am not buying into the PJ is Lord and Saviour just yet - I have seen too many false dawns and heard great speeches that sounded like roast beef and ended up being more fairy-floss. When the new Chairman, 5-year CEO, experienced coach and his assistants are in place, and the captain is chosen for 2014 THEN I will make a call on how I reckon PJ is going. But I refuse - point blank stubbornly refuse - to follow words any longer. Personnel including administrators, coaching staff, players, board members etc... is what will change us and the only real change is PJ himself at the moment.

N Jones. Absolutely AFL standard. B+ player who could be A grade Viney. Will probably we A grade in the Scott West category. Toumpas. Will be a B - B+ midfielder Evans. Might be a B grader, but he cannot stay injury free. Sylvia. What a horrible waste of talent. A+ at best, C grade most of the time. Trengove. B grade but sliding away. I still really believe in this bloke but something is wrong/missing. Bail. Too many goes, too many injuries and a poor skill level. C grade. Rodan. B+ at best, C- at worst. Gone at seasons end. Blease. Could be anything but has not been developed. C- or D at present. Other players like Tapscott, Kent, M Jones have not really been played as midfielders. At best we have 1 current top line midfielder, 1 potential A grader, and 2 potential B - B+ midfielders. What a horrible outcome after 6+ years of high draft picks.

We need one A grade midfielder with great skills both under pressure and when running free. Del Santo is perfect for this and can help Evans and Toumpas develop. He is a very good trainer and has a profesional attitude to every part of footy life. We also need, and maybe even more urgently, another midfield LEADER of the Nathan Jones type who is as hard as stone, courageous and inspires team mates by his actions and attitude. Sewell fits this bill. He has killed us over the past 5 years and is losing his place in the starting 22 at the Hawks. To get players like this in our right hand we have to be prepared to let players go - of equal or greater value - with our left hand. Howe. We could use him for trade bait and would get heaps of offers, but he is the only thing keeping young Dees supporters interested. We need him for marketing and for hope. Watts. Although he frustrates the %$@# out of me, his skill level is of such high calibre it is difficult to let him go. However, if we could get Del Santo and Sewell in some 3 or 4 move cyclic trade, we would have to consider it considering we have Dawes, Clark, Hogan and Fitzy. Sylvia. Time to go I reckon. I can see him at Sydney or Freo. Any club that believes their culture can produce a disciplined, focused Sylvia is a good trade option and attractive to those clubs vying for top 4. Jamar. We will get little for him, but GWS might need him and it could form a part of a cyclic trade to get Del Santo and Sewell. I don't believe we will land Del Santo or Sewell but it is good to dream - that's all I have left this year.

I didn't get to a tv or radio today, but got a score 20 points in the 2nd quarter saying we were 20 points down. I cannot believe this 122 point result. I am so tired of trying to be interested in the games this year, when I have more interest in ... well anything really. Apart from 3 classy midfielders I cannot see any change in 2014.

From the moment we recruited Pederson and I saw him train I was doubtful. I can understand him being brought in to play North because of their big forwards, but I remain really disappointed that Strauss is not being persisted with and Davis can't crack a jumper. Yes, Davis' kicking is amazingly poor at times, but he has actually improved a fair bit in this regard, reads the play really well, and is a big AFL-size body. But it is good to see only 1 or 2 changes per week rather than 4 - 5.

If only Pickles Evans could get a decent preseason under his belt and have an injury-free season. The club have perseverd with him over ( I think) 3 injury-riddles seasons now so they must see something in him in a similar way to Max Gawn. Note to all Demonland revisionists: Cameron Bruce might have been an outside player whose helicopter drop-punts and hospital hand -passes made us all cringe at times, but it is totally unfair to question his work ethic or talent. At his peak he was a very, very good footballer. Don't let's re-write our own history because we are all feeling so poorly about 2013.

Your quote, "strangling their enthusiasm" is spot on and the main difference. The game plan is not markedly different, it is just that the players are beginning to spread from a contest with enthusiasm believing that they will make a play. It always appeared that Mark Neeld was so focused on defending opposition movement he forgot to inspire our boys to go for it when we had the ball. Watts, Trengove, Sylvia, now Fitzpatrick have all hinted at the same thing: Craig wants them to have a go and enjoy their footy and I admire that approach immensely. The above stats are a glaring difference, but I reckon they are the cart, and enthusiasm/confidence is the horse, not the other way around.

Great news. Give him a full preseason, including many hours in the gym, and his influence in 2014 will be immense. There is a lot to like about Gawn's footy. I am unsure if we can fit both him and Spencer in the team but if it is possible these two could give us a better midfield advantage. Couldn't be any worse.

OUT: Garland, Kent IN: Davis, Tapscott North are very hard at the ball. We might need Spencer to replace Gawn to counter Goldstein's dominance.

Frawley at this stage. Hogan in 2013 because he symbolises hope. But Viney will be for the next 10 years

After tonight I finally agree with this. Leigh Matthews was a freak around goal , Voss was inspirational, Hird had incredible vision, Skilton was unstoppable, Harvey was the first modern aerobic capacity midfielder, Judd has an amazing burst of speed around packs; but Ablett jnr matches all these players in their point of difference. Amazing footballer. Franklin is offered $1.5 mil, and Scully gets $1 mil - Ablett is so far ahead of anyone and deserves every cent he gets. And stuff me if he has not developed into a really good leader. Pity he is bald!! (just joking for all you nude nuts out there - just trying to find one thing about him that isn't magnificent.)

If I can't watch the Dees win, watching the Pies lose comes as a comforting 2nd option.

If Stockdale becomes President, which I reckon is a great idea, we have to get a coach or CEO with personality and media savvy. Stockdale is a really dour, behind the scenes, capable, management kind of person - will make a success of our business, structure and admin. But he is not a person who inspires supporters to become members, or who has charm to burn. Him with Mark Williams as coach - I'm in.

The only times I can watch rugby league and enjoy it are State of Origin and the Grand Final. Only in these games is the skill anywhere near enjoyable, and even then it only just makes it. I have no personal interest in AFL State of Origin. I have great memories of it in the past (Lockett, Ablett and Dunstall in one team!!!) However, if Melbourne are 2 points up with 3 minutes to go in any game for the remainder of this year, I might consider streaking to ensure the result. And if you reckon that streaker from last night should have buffed his body first, mine will cause some serious heart problems.

Del Santo is a class mid but I am unsure if he is the type you could build a midfield around. His influence often appers to be his skilfulness rather than his impact on games of team mates being inspired by him. I am unconvinced that he would/could influence Viney, Toumpas, Barry too much. Now Brad Sewell on the other hand...

Each year around October/November the membership renewals for me and three of my kids arrive in the mail. There is no conversation, discussion or discernment - we are Melbourne people through and through so we renew. I was born 6 months after our last premiership and have not wavered one day in my support. I will say that this year almost got to me. After seeing the West Coast and Essendon games early in the season I had to stop watching games, going to games and even visiting Demonland - it was seriously the lowest point of my Dees supporting life. That is including the horrible mid-1970's period when we were poor. What gets me through? Addiction - possibly. The greatest game on earth - yes. Love for the club - yes. Love for the jumper - probably more than anything else. I'm Melbourne, through and through, and no dysfunctional administration or administrator, pathetic coach, skinny player, or loud-mouth Collingwood/Hawthorn/Carlton/Essendon tossbag will move me away from the Dees. And when we DO hold up the cup - don't come near me if you are not a Dees supporter - I will give all of you the biggest spray ever and love every minute of it. Melbourne - through and through.

Most important versus best - an interesting difference. As far as most important to our immediate future/success: Frawley Clark Hogan Jones Garland Frawley, Clark, Jones and Garland have leadership influence and impact, train well, and have been through 6 years of horror while maintaining high standards. This influence working its way down through our list will be invaluable IF we can get the right coach in place. Hogan because he is the first star since Ox and Farmer. Howe would be no. 6 because of his spectacular feats that make young Dee supporters put 38 on their back. However, our best and most important by 2015 will be: Hogan Viney Toumpas Gawn Frawley

When he gets up and running, the only person who could run with him is probably Robert Harvey at his best. Swan is different, ungainly, portly and lots of other things but he is a gun. All those slight criticisms (doesn't kick enough goals etc...) are of little importance when you see him setting up plays, breaking the lines and setting up goals.

This interview is a classic "read-between-the-lines" interview, where most of the meaty stuff lies n what was not said. And that touching of his ear and cheek when asked about Mark Neeld - made me think of Bob Hawke's ear pulling when he was telling pork pies, or sliding over an answer. All that said, Watts remains an impressive individual when interviewed. If he stays a Dee, and I hope he does, I can see him becoming part of a great team set-up. If we can get an outstanding senior coach, and then fix the biggest hole in our football dept - namely the way we develop new talent - Watts could become anything and everything we could ever want him to be.

Growing up in the Carlton zone when they were very successful and the Dees were poor, I hate Carlton like nothing else. However, I have to disagree about Malthouse. Listen to players from the Bulldogs and West Coast and they say that the whole place changed when Malthouse was coach. It is not so much about institutional culture, but he has an outstanding record of making boys into men. Footballers play for him in a similar way the Hawks played for Alan Jeans. It is great to see Carlton struggling now but history says they will not struggle in 18 months or so.

A big no from me. He has 2 tricks. 1.Get it, sprint like all hell and then bomb it. 2. Get it, sprint like all hell and then do a dinky 10m pass to someone close. He is one of the worst tacklers I have seen and is too easy to beat one-on-one.

Hey - I probably chose my words badly - but by "Neeld-haters" I wasn't talking about hating the man personally, I was implying that I never really hated his coaching or style like a lot of others here on Demonland. Perhaps I should have hated it more - look where it has led us!! But I really agree with Heart Beats True from above. Neeld was given a direct mandate by Schwab and the Board to come in and be very tough, with no compromise, and to introduce a game plan based on defence. But as in most things in life, it is not what your task is, it is how you operate, and Neeld's manner seems to deflated players en masse rather than inspire them.

Gawn to ruck 2/3 of each quarter, and Fitzy to ruck one third. Fitzy to rotate through the forward 50 also. Please, please, please don't play either of Pederseon or Sellar. They can be great in VFL, but rarely play more than 1 decent game in the AFL. Great to see Grimes in. I wonder if Strauss will take the place of Byrnes?