Maldonboy38

Love the banner. Everything around us is changing (hopefully for the better) so a fresh banner makes sense. Three remaining places I am thinking Toumpas, Viney and ??? I cannot believe the vitriol directed toward Garry Lyon. Granted, his work helping appoint the last two coaches reeks of nepotism and inability, but no-one should ever forget his role in helping the Dees emerge through the late 80's early 90's into a team that was a serious challenger. He bleeds red and blue. He simply does not want to get involved in a position at the club. Why is everyone so miffed at him for this? Have you ever thought that the reason he does not take on a role is because he would be poor at it, as indicated by being the swingman who came in a couple of times to help Jimmy out? Look how that has worked out!

I like the collar on the jumper and the logo. It's being a pathetic club that loses all the time that I hate. How about we fix that first?!?!

Roos would be great, but I just can't see it happening. Money is the ultimate carrot to those who have none. To those who have money or success, the challenge and the fire in the gut is the greater appeal. If we can get him - well done PJ. But Choko or Eade have a fire in the belly and WANT to coach. Aren't these ingredients as vital as experience and influence?

Hawks of the 80's, Lions of 2000's, Cats of recent years are the three best I have seen. I rate the Lions as the best of these. Incredible skill, serious aggressive grunt and the best captain I have ever seen in Voss.

Choko, I feel a bit like you. Both coaches set about doing exactly what they told the board they would do, and when it got too much to handle in the public arena, they were sacked. But with Neeld, I reckon even the board were surprised that we are still losing by 10+ goals almost every week. The clean out - check. Moving aside leaders - check (but done really clumsily). Recruit for the future - check (Toumpas, Hogan, Barry) But surely some success could be expected by now, or at least improvement. The club as an entity was beginning to fade as a participating force and everything had to give, including Neeld. The Board, over the past 5 years in particular, needs to be held to full account for all this.

The argument for "no rookie coaches ever again" is really dumb. All premiership coaches were rookies at some time or another. We need the right person. We need experience now, because we need to unite behind a name and get some immediate confidence.But Roos, Clarkson, Worsfold, Longmire are all great recent coaches who came into a club as a 1st time senior coach and became premiers. Don't just feel stuff... think!!!

Roos, Matthews and Clarkson all look set in what they are doing. Can PJ stimulate some interest and shake one of them out of their current place of success - I don't reckon. Try hard though, try and get one of them. Choco Williams or Gary Ayres for me. Williams - he is passionate, takes no prisoners, success follows him, he is young-ish and the football brand he likes is tough and quick. On the downside he is not known for his people skills and we could get another Neeld/Beamer situation. Gary Ayres - unfinished business. He got burnt fingers from the Adelaide crowd for not being a South Australian and they turned on him. He walked out because the board would not honour the final year of his contract - 2005. Great people skills, magnificent footy brain, has done a remarkable job with a heap of young players at Port, and commands respect. Downside - can he transfer the Port success into the professional AFL environment? This is unproven and speculative.

I loved Beamer as a player and an disappointed he is gone. But that Instagram post is an absolute shocker. Adolescent at best; boorish, petty, mean-spirited, nasty and childish at worst. Goodness, when are some of the AFL players going to grow up? Lots of us THINK stuff but we don't have to say it or publish it. Today is really starting to turn my guts. Some good news about the Dees, from the Dees, would be really good about now but I might have to wait a while.

I am so sick of typing the same names in various threads I thought of the 1st two delistings and then just put in an etc...

Mixture of relief and sadness for me. It could not continue waiting, waiting, waiting for something to click when it became apparent that Neeld could not produce that click. I am a bit surprised that Craig was picked for the interim - I probably would have chosen Rawlings. I just want one week in which we win a game, and the media is not reporting on "poor struggling Melbourne". I hope this is the beginning of change we have been waiting 7 years for. I feel a deep sadness for Mark Neeld. Looking at all the factors leading up to his appointment and the culture of our club at present, it had "failure" written all over it (the Board, Schwab and Connolly, poor fitness etc...), even though I was a real fan of his initial appointment. Totally disagree about major changes to our list. We need two quality midfielders and then delist dead wood like Dunn. Gillies, etc... but I see quality in defense and attack.

What about Beverley O'Connor? First female President (not including the interim woman from Geelong), articulate, passionate Dees supporter, well connected to business, media and football communities. Could she unite and lead?

This has to be one of the best threads/debates on Demonland in my time of being a reader/poster. I stand by my opinion that he Hawks would not have won a flag without Kennett as President, in the same I way Costa has been essential at Geelong. I am not against Jeff becoming President for a short period because of many things already mentioned, but as the days wear on, and especially after his comments today that seem to translate as "everyone get out of my I way - I WANT to be MFC President at any cost", it is becoming clearer and clearer that he divides the support base. Apart from his bullish style, and success mentality I think his divisiveness is exactly what we don't need. We can't take any more division, disunity, leaking to the media, Schwab v Connolly stuff, and we supporters need a unifying figure. Someone posted earlier that we need an Eddie Maguire type: high profile, doesn't take any rubbish, is one-eyed and fights every fight until he is literally purple in the face. But I just can't see that candidate anywhere!! We see people suggesting Wells who seems reluctant, Freeman who is unwell, and Stockdale who is focused on politics at least until September. I don't get a sense of ego, passion, leadership from any of them but that might be a deliberate choice about not playing this out in front of the media. Surely we have someone who WANTS to be the President????? But seriously, is there a Melbourne person who fits every criteria we currently need? As far as I can tell the answer so far is a resounding NO.

Speaking the truth with respect and grace does no discredit to anyone, regardless of who they are. In hindsight it appears that what Jimmy started became the problem. We all love him like we love no other but the sad state of things now shouldn't make him a sacred cow that cannot be mentioned or scrutinised. The failed McLardy board is in reality the failed Stynes board, and we have no way of knowing if it would have succeeded had the great man survived. We simply have what we have.

I know that Jimmy was an inspirational man, but to me, the rot really set in as he took the helm. The McLardy Board is actually the inherited Stynes Board and it has proved to be one of our worst ever. I hate thinking this, but I have to conclude it is true. Apart from the debt demolition which was no small feat, have there been any big achievemetns on or off the field that have not ended in failure? He had vision and incredible leadership ability, but his decision making is proven by its fruit - rotten, rotten fruit. Whether it was the inability of the board to function without him, I don't know, but there is a pattern of dysfunction. All the crap with Schwab and Connolloy Horrible nepotism (jobs-for-the-boys) Don Mclardy was never meant to be in charge Coaching appointments I admire Don McLardy for his effort and resilience and thank him for his work, but we need fresh, new, capable, bullish leadership.

I think you will find any player who wins a premiership with a team, has as their first allegiance, the premiership team.

Glad to be corrected if he was pushed, rather than jumped. But it was not "complete rot". Alves chose to go - he said so in his interview on SEN, and that he "will always hold a soft spot for Melbourne". Just because they were champs doesn't mean we have to believe they are red and blue through to the bone. And Barrassi is intersting. Probably the best Dees player ever. He was red and blue, but he is multi-coloured these days. He is more dedicated to footy in general than to the MFC.

Greg Wells was an absolute gun - a little bit in the Michael Voss mode. I wore his number as a kid. But he left. He knicked off to the Blues for a Premiership so calling him "Red and Blue" or whatever is rubbish. Do you reckon he will celebrate 200 games with a poor, lowly MFC, or the premiership with the Blues in 1981? Stan Alves, Gerard Healey are in the same boat. Great players but their heart is NOT red and blue. If we reject Kennet for being Brown and Gold, should we have any more tolerance for people who jumped ship for a flag?

We do not deserve a priority pick and although I am craving success, I hope we don't get one. We got priority picks and early draft choices for a number of years, and tying this into the tanking debacle we totally stuffed up any advantage we might have gained. We lost credibility in every area of football life right across the AFL. We need to follow the lead of Port Adelaide - they recruited first at the very top in that Koch bloke - and they are determined to rise again under their own steam. No more handouts, no more easy hand shakes with mates, no crappy "short term loss for long term gain" that led us into tanking. 1. We need a strong, focused, capable, hard-nosed President who can be a change agent in partnership with PJ, and stay 8 - 10 years in the job. 2. A review of the board members. Not all the current board will be duds, and a few people familiar with the place would be handy. 3. A strategic business plan (please not a Red and Blue print) that will give us long term institutional and financial sustainability. Without these three things, no coach or superstar player will make any difference. 4. Get us a #@*&%$# coach who can coach, and assistant coaches who can assist. PLLLEEEAAASSSEEE!!!!!!

Sylvia, Watts and Gawn are the only 3 other clubs would show any interest in, maybe Jetta as well. KEEP Watts, Davey Gawn Taggert Tynan Fitzpatrick UPGRADE Magner TRADE Sylvia Jetta (maybe - hey, WCE took Morton) DELIST Nicholson, MacDonald, Sellar, Davis, Rodan, Gillies, Couch, Dunn UNSURE Clisby and Stark EDIT: cannot believe I forgot to delist Dunn

Interesting. Watson 'mentoring' Watts and Ling 'mentoring' Trengove. For mine, this actually validates the Neeld/Craig position of elevating Grimes and Trenners to the captaincy. After the ridiculous displacement of Junior McDonald we simply had no AFL standard leader to mentor and guide the up-and-comers. And although Trenners is slow, I have never jumped off him. He has poise and class - on open display with that kick to Watts on Monday and also his goal kicking. He is the right bloke for captain.

I think we need to see some of the young players get multiple matches. As much as I have, at times, admired the work of Byrnes, Rodan, Sellar etc... it would be great to see Taggert and Davis get a go. I am convinced that Davis will not make it but he gets a heap of the ball. Give the kid a run. I haven't seen a CAsey game for about 4 weeks but if Clisby is dpoing well, give him a go. OUT: Rodan, Dawes (inj), Dunn IN: Davis, Taggert, Strauss or Jetta. CONSIDER: Gawn, Clisby

I saw enough of him yesterday to suggest he can play. He is definitely NOT Stef Martin 2.0. For those who say his marking was terrible, take a second look Yes, some of it was horrible, but he also took 2 contested marks with a single clunk. His pace speaks for itself and he has done some serious work on his kicking over the past 2 preseasons. As for his positioning. 50/50 for mine. He will never be a gun but we have to give him another run after the break, especially if Dawes and Clark are missing long term again.

MFC: Flower. Ox deserves a mention. AFL: Ablett snr. Jnr has better defensive skills and a bigger engine, but snr had a wow factor like no other and one main thing jnr lacks - he was a hard, vicious player who would monster you given a chance. Some of his (rare) tackles were vicious, and some of his bumps were bone breakers. If could hurt you he would and there was a hint of fear playing around him. Special mentions: Lethal Leigh Matthews. When other players were still using flat punts he was kicking drop punts off both feet and running rings around everyone. Carey. Every skill, courage, leadership and arrogance. He strutted because he could. These three remain the best ever for mine. I was a couple of years too late for Skilton.

Absolute rubbish. Watch the game again. "Doesn't run hard at all" is the worst quote of the day. There were some shocking errors and poor footballers, but Pedersen wasn't in either of these groups.

6. C Garland 5. M Jones 4. C Pedersen (real surprise here - he played really well) 3. N Jones 2. C Sylvia 1. J Trengove I love Terlich's effort, but he gets caught too easily trying to spin out backwards from being tackled. Watts did well, but was not in the play enough.