Maldonboy38

B: Garland Frawley Tapscott HB: Blease Rivers Grimes C: Jones Trengove Bail HF: Jurrah Watts Green F: Davey Clark Howe R: Jamar Sylvia Moloney Int.: Mckenzie Gysberts Martin Sub: Petterd I would prefer Tapscott and Grimes to be rotated through the midfield but the backline looks so good with both of them there (apart from Grimes kicking!) Gawn is stiff to miss. Probably need to squeeze Bartram in - but for who? I can't fit Morton in. (and on 2011 form Idon't want to) Davey only just holding his spot, and I reckon he might lose it to Bate The HF line looks a bit flighty - maybe swap Watts and Clark? However, I reckon 2012 will spring one or two surprises. A new coach brings out talent and hard work in unexpected people. I am looking forward to Bail firing up, and I reckon one of Jetta, Bennell, Evans or Nicholson will emerge as a real talent. I hope it is Jetta. .

Great piece, well written if a little loaded. We all love the skill of our game and those who excel at it. Davey at his best is breath-taking. But he had a horror 2011 and has shown he crumbles under a tag. Fortunatley he has demonstrated already that he is coachable, having changed his role a few times and actually inventing two of them. He will rise again. But if he is not able to play with that skill we must select someone who can. Disagree about your insights into Moloney and the type of players who win grand finals. Look at the list of Norm Smith medalists: 2010 Lenny Hayes 2009 Paul Chapman 2008 Luke Hodge 2007 Steve Johnson 2006 Andrew Embley 2005 Chris Judd 2004 Byron Pickett 2003 Simon Black 2002 Nathan Buckley 2001 Shaun Hart 2000 James Hird There is a solid mix of gifted players, hard mongrels, and grunters in that list. We need 20 of our starting 22 firing most weeks to win a flag, not just the skillful boys.

Every visionary leader needs a 2IC - someone with enough grunt to implement what the leader sees. Cam Schwab is an exceptional manager and we need to keep him for as long as we can. But he is NOT a 2IC. He is a behind the scenes project builder. To make the changes that we see unfolding before us, Jimmy needed a no nonsense, bullish 2IC for a short term to get his vision running again. It stalled in 2011. Garry Lyon has played this role to perfection. I believe he will stay on board until preseason begins and together, he and Jimmy can see if all the restructuring, position moving, and recruiting are gelling together to make the vision come to pass. Garry has provided an invaluable service. .

Great post, Pitmaster. You have concisely and accurately summed up the broad perspective view of the Dees. Ever since Joe Gutnik (as annoying as he was, we would have died without him and his $) the MFC have been scrambling to build a business model, club structure, and supporter base. Much of this time and effort has had neither of the two vital ingredients: an over-arching vision that draws people into it, and the right people to achieve it. Enter one J. Stynes. Vision and leadership at an exceptional level Enter two. G Lyon. Short term mission with no b/s requiring yes or no answers to join Jimmy's vision. For the first time since the mid 1990's I am genuinely excited about the life of the whole club. Great leadership Expert management Correct personnel Marketing/promotional emphasis (ourr players in the TV footy shows, on ads on TV, artivcles in newspapers, our colours and history etc...) An exciting, if incomplete, player list A planned coaching panel mixing potential, innovation and experience. This is Jimmy's legacy to date. Doff your caps, boys, to the lanky Irishman. Charge your glasses ans jump on board. Also, don't be suprised if the best clubman award gets renamed in the near future and it becomes as sought after as the Bluey. .

Lots of players debut poorly (Frawley, Jamar etc...) and especially big fellas. Fitzy's debut was particularly poor and his basic skill set looked vulnerable. Having said that, Newton's skills are of a very high standard yet his efforst at AFL level are so bad. It is his average ability at marking and his horrible kicking action that are the main worry. If these are poor at training and in Casey games, imagine what Collingwood, Hawthorn or Geelong would do to them? The biggest issue for him are the players who are ahead of him for the kind of spot in the 22 that he might fill. Tall Forwards: Watts, Cook, Martin, Rucks: Jamar, Gawn, Spencer, Defence: Garland, Frawley, T McDonald, Rivers As for being quick, both Watts and Martin are quicker. I don't think Fitzy is going to make it but we do have to give him time to find that out. And there are others who need to be delisted/traded before him. I think he should remain with us for another two years. .

Looking at the shuffling and restructuring that has already taken place, I would love to see: Carey as forward line coach. He has a huge ego but I reckon some strut and arrogance would really help Watts, Jurrah and Jurrah. He is pig-headed but his insights are usually spot on. I put Dermot in the same category but I don't reckon he will leave his media roles. Ayres for backline coach. I don't reckon he would leave Port Melbourne because he is doing an amazing job, but he has senior AFL experience, is a cool head under pressure, and every tream he has coached has been strong defensivley. .

Bate. Although I am a huge fan of his, he showed little at AFL level until late in the season. But I reckon a new coach may spark something in him. Keep him. Dunn. Delist. Has a huge body and is an excellent kick for goal but is a terrible decision maker and has no other AFL level attributes. However, look what Malthouse did with Leigh Brown. Maric. Keep him on the list and see if Neeld can make a small forward out of him. McNamara. Delist. This should have been done at the end of 2010 Newton. Delist. Pleeeeaaassseee!!!! Campbell. Delist. Four ruckman, three of them already very capable at AFL level. Warnock. He is an AFL standard player and will get an opportunity elsewhere. I hope we don't lose Jetta or Wonna. Unsure about Bartram. His defensive pressure is so good, as is his ability to get the ball, but his kicking...!!! Anyone remember the ruckman from the PIes, Manson? Bartram gives me the shudders every time I see him running through half back ready to deliver. .

Krakouer's mark is a beauty, but the thing about Walker's is the hang time. Staying up there is rally hard to do, and Walker was up there for a long time. for mine, Krakouer was about 5th or 6th. .

Senior Coach: Mark Neeld Forward Line Coach: Wayne Carey Midfield Coach: Scott West Back line Coach: Gary Ayres Development Coach: Todd Viney Innovations Coach: Dave Dunbar General Manager, List Managment: Tim Harrington General Manager, Football Operations: Neil Craig .

Backline. This is not our weakness. Bailey focussd on this area first, recruited and developed well, and we have 8 - 9 players who can rotate through there. However, we don't have a play maker, "quarterback" like Scotland, Leon Davis, Josh Hunt, Birchall or Guerra. All top four sides now have this player. Midfield. Sylvia, Moloney, Jones provide grunt and hard bodies. Bail, Blease the run. Davey if he can ever recapture his dash and dare. Trengove pure class. Gysberts hopefully in the mould of Pendlebury. Midfield needs time and maybe one more classy A-grader apart from Trengove. Forward. This is our weakness. No crumbing forward (how will Wonna or Maric go under Neeld?) No power forward yet, Cook and Watts to come but having only these 2 options makes the list too thin. .

I wonder how Brad Green will play and lead under a new coach? Anyway, Jack Grimes for mine, with Trengove, Jones and Rivers as assistants. .

Ferocious attack on the footy No excuses for poor kicking when kicking inside 50 free of pressure Team game plan and structure is everything Consistency of performance Train hard play hard .

When it was first announced I honestly didn't feel too much at all. It felt a bit similar to Bailey's appointment; a low key appointment with little hoo-haa. Having listened to the interview I have changed direction on this 180 degrees. Ned from above wrote that Neeld is articualte enough to convey a tough message in a polite manner, and this is exactly what I sensed in the interview. I am genuinely excited about the prospect of Neeld but having been a Dees follower for enough years I can't get carried away - I have been burnt too many times. But I am enthused by the following: He sees places in our starting 22 that our currnet list can't fill (small crumbing forward, key position forward, the "quarterback" play maker?) He has made demands about the coaching setup. We need a strong, demanding personality after Daniher and Bailey. He wants us to be the hardest team to play. I almost had a sportgasm when he said this!!! Major two influences are Blight and Malthouse He has some absolute values that his players cannot compromise. I live down near Casey and am gonna love visiting pre-season training this year. Can't wait for 2012. .

Even if MFC had recruited Lyon this way I would feel the same. No one disagrees with coaches being sacked if it is required, or coaches looking at other options. But don't look people in the eye saying, "yeah I want to coach", or "yes, you have full support of the Board" etc... People have to have the guts and integrity to say what they are thinking and planning. Lyon needed to say to the Saints "I am listneing to other offers" Freo had to say to Harvey "we have these problems with your coaching" and then give him time to implement the changes. But this clandestine, lying, in-your-face, brazen spin is an insult to all those people kept in the dark by the creative planning of others. If you haven't got the guts to speak and act according to your plans, leave it someone who has. .

This issue has got under my skin in a big way. In my mind's eye, I see those black and white TV images of the Red Fox Norm Smith being interviewed and saying, "I'm Melbourne, through and through". The MFC at the time thought centralised control was more important than integrity. Horrible event. I don't mind a coach or player negotiating outside their management because I am convinced that most leaking of sport stories comes from player/coach managers in order to build currency in their "product". I don't mind a club like Freo speaking to Lyon, and offering him a huge deal. But I hate, really hate, that a coach can be in team meetings post season, in front of media, speaking to Board members to whom he is accountable and give every indication that he is staying, begin to plan 2012 when it is deliberately misleading. We have all been to a job interview while continuing to work for our current employer; but to deliberatley mislead - horrible. What about all that stuff with Luke Ball? How can R Lyon look Riewoldt in the eye and talk about leadership, integrity, perseverance etc... But worse than all this is the treatment of Mark Harvey. He is an unusual man and a poor media performer. But I think he has done an amazing job at Freo. But even if he was a poor coach, to have no idea he was going to be sacked and all the officials meeting with him and discussing players for 2012, while they were plannig his demise - really poor form. In the words of Derryn Hnch - shame, shame, shame. AFL is a tough, competitive, professional environment and none of us want to see this edginess diminish. However, call me old fashioned, but some honour among men would be nice for a change. .

No - put the number in mothballs for a season or two. The whole Scully episode (if he does announce his GWS signing that now looms imminent) has placed a shadow over this famous jumper that should not be tolerated and never repeated. Sam Blease is a great footballer but he would feel like the second choice which is unfair so put no. 31 away until someonje has "earnt" it. .

Yeah, a seriously good player who adds pace and hardness. His first kick was a shocker but his contested ball was great as was his speed. .

Unfortunately, Fitzpatrick's debut is one of the worst I have seem for many a year. And this is not a pot shot but an opinion - if that's alright by you and the other opinion-police? .

Green - failed critical moment Jones - had a crack Bartram - strong defensive role Watts - didn't seem interested Bate - outstanding half-forward's game Bennell - not enough involvement Frawley - back line star Trengove - tough but erroneous Morton - Can. Not. Kick. Mckenzie - tough and effective Garland - defence and attack Moloney - ran all day Rivers - calm and sure Martin - great at times Tapscott - needs a break Howe - spectacular and energetic Jetta - tried hard but... Jamar - umpies dislike him McDonald - rarely sighted Bail - hard and quick Blease - seemed imposibly slow Fitzpatrick - really bad debut. .

6 : Frawley 5 : Moloney 4 : Rivers 3 : McKenzie 2 : Jones 1 : Martin .

I feel really sorry for Fitzpatrick. He looks like a total flop. Clumsy and poor skills. And the last thing we need is another player who can't kick. Yeah, the umps haven't been great but our kicking has been aweful. I am so flat right now, I cna't wait for the siren. .

The Good Development of our young/new brigade (Trengove, Watts, McKenzie, Tapscott,Blease, McDonald, Gawn ) Vast unexpected improvement from Martin, Howe, Bail The Bad Our kicking skills Those 4 games late in the season against top 4 sides The media frenzy after Bailey's sacking The public revelations about conflict at Board level The Ugly[/u] Leadership Our game plan that often leaves us with no forward line to kick to Us versus the forward press The Westcoast Game The Geelong game Jimmy's health Actually... this part of the list could go on for a while. I'll stop now. .

OK - some cousins or family of Cale Morton posting above (they must be!) want us to support him for ANOTHER season in which he has under-achieved. Cale was drafted with the following attributes: tall, quick, agile and clean skills. In many games this year and in each year he has played he has shown the following characteristics: positioning : excellent gut running : excellent courage : OK at times but in too many contests he simply stops or shirks. skills : absolutely horrible. He is one of about 8 Dees players who have major kicking problems, even when under no pressure. He takes very few overhead marks, and even less contested marks. His tackles rarely stick. Goal kicking is embarrassing. I have no confidence in him when running free and even less when he is contresting. Trade him at season end IMO. .

My vote is for a small crumbing forward. Our list has Cook and Fitpatrick who are both totally untried and if Stef Martin continues to develop he might be considered KPF also. Wonna could be a gun as a small forward but I am unsure if he will ever mentally be in the right place to play out a full season. Maric has all the skills but seems to waste them with laziness and lack of effort when promoted to AFL standard. If Blease continues to shine down back, maybe Tapscott can take the small forward role but he does not seem to be the crumbing type (Milne, Phil Matera, Aker etc...) .

Moloney Jones Watts Garland Jamar