Outside fifty

I'm glad Tom took the money and ran. We dodged a bullet people, lets just be appreciative that the cards eventually fell our way for once.

Finally the curse has been lifted.

Having walked down this road some time ago my advice is simple. Make it fun. Don't get angry and keep the treats coming. As binman said Hot jam donuts are the go. The lava hot jam will keep them occupied for hours. As soon as the kids see the match affecting you in a negative way they will want out. Celebrate the good things and laugh at at the rubbish. You'll end up laughing a lot.

We as demon supporters all know the true problems that have plagued this club for the best part of a decade. To my mind the most pressing of these is that our playing group lacks character . Character is perhaps the most essential quality of a successful player. It can turn an ordinary player into a good player and a talented player into a great of the game It is infectious within a group and can lift an entire team, a case in point is Sydney. Naturally it goes without saying that the opposite apply for teams that lack character. With that lack of character comes a lack of good role models who in turn can act as mentors and help develop both the skill set and character of our youth. Without these positive role models around the club our young players learn the wrong things and sometimes appear to progressing backwards in their development. We have all seen players arrive at the club full of potential and yet that potential is never realised and they in turn become poor role models and so the cycle continues. This has been the cancerous core that year after year has held this club back. Neeld is now in the process of attempting to cut out this cancer. It will be a slow and painful recovery but one we must endure. I don't know if Neeld is the messiah of AFL coaching or not, but I can see the enormity of the task that lays ahead and I can see what he is attempting to do. Right now he is testing the character of the playing group and seeing where this cancer lurks. He appears to be isolating some younger player at Casey in the hope that they don't learn the same bad cancerous habits that exist in many of our senior list . Best of luck Mark Neeld. Get this right and you will become an immortal of this club.

I'm confused. If as you suggest the MFC were to field a standalone VFL side playing out of Casey, why would the good people of Casey bother to support a club that they have no attachment too. As for the Bentleigh suggestion why would the club locate in old established suburb with little or no real chance of expanding it's supporter base. This would solve absolutely nothing and cost a mint. This is the exact same reason Hawthorn moved out of Glenferrie and engaged the people of the outer eastern suburbs to great success.

Abandoning Casey would I believe be very short sighted and in the end detrimental to our long term survival. It has long been accepted that the MFC has struggled to attract supporters because the Club grew out of a ground rather than a Suburb. Without success we simply flounder and our supporter base stalls and eventually declines. We need to supplement on field success by connecting with people where they live and hopefully establish life long associations. The Casey corridor has the fastest growing population in the state and we have a foothold.

Last year I was genuinely excited when we rookie listed both Evans and Nicholson. Both offer pace and run and spread, something we desperately need. It's such a shame that both have had their year curtailed by injuries. Nicho has since worked his way back into the side and continues to prove his worth. I hope Evans is given every chance to do the same. Hope to see both boys back at the club in 2013.

No doubt about it Lovett is doing an outstanding job.

It is has been suggested in the media that as much as a game plan a successful club needs a strong culture, a case in point would be Sydney. Sydney’s culture goes a long way to explaining how that club develops it’s list and extracts the best out of each and every player as well as it’s never say die attitude, which brings me to Casey. It is becoming apparent that Casey has developed a similar never say die attitude and this must be having a positive effect on the MFC listed players. So to my point. In the past the MFC has thrown our younger developing players into the fray and hoping that they survive and adapt. Some obviously will but maybe it’s not such a bad thing that players like Cook, Davis, Tynan, Fitzpatrick, Spencer and Gysberts to name a few hone their skills at Casey and embrace a culture that see’s them standing at the top of the ladder. Hopefully when the time is right and they step up to AFL these core values are embedded into their psyche and eventually have an effect upon the rest of the senior playing group, thus creating a shift in culture that this club is desperately in need of. Thanks K.C for the excellent match reports and news that you deliver week in week out, much appreciated.

6. Martin 5. T Mcdonald 4. Grimes 3. Nicholson 2. Jones 1. Bail

One player I thought would have been handy today was Sellar. Once the Russian went down and Martin went into the ruck we looked seriously undersized in the forward line.

Couldn't have said it better. Two men down and Grimes proppy early in the third we were always going to run out of legs.

Thanks for a great site and keep up the excellent work. Finally joined up today. No more guilt trip.

This year has been our Annus Horribilis. Everything that could go has gone wrong, and yet we are still standing. The chances of having another year like this in terms of just plain bad luck have to be slim. I don't want quick fixes anymore. I don't want to have to keep plastering over the cracks every couple of years. Be patient and lets start getting the foundations of this club right. Despite what many on these forums think we have never really addressed our deficiencies with any real intent. Yes from time to time we have tried to rebuild our list but never the entire club from the ground up. For the club to attain any semblance of sustained success this rebuild is critical.

No. Apart from the minimum two year contract it would show the club as lacking integrity and honour. Enough looking for the eternal quick fix.

Still having a bad day. Fitzpatrick is seriously quick for a guy his size. I find it hilarious that people honestly think that all our problems will be solved by drafting 18 year olds and other clubs fringe players. At the end of the day we have to stop looking for the quick fix and start developing our list from within. I expect at the end of the year 4-6 players will be moved on as is the norm every year.

It was so good to hear that Jack Fitzpatrick was adjudged to be B.O.G yesterday. Just over three weeks ago the kid was diagnosed with Diabetes. An outstanding effort in anybodies eyes. I recently read where one poster considered him deadwood. Given his illnesses and injuries his development will take time but I suspect we might have uncovered a good one in Big Fitzy.

The truth is with Collingwoods development program, yes probably they would get a game, and the sad truth is some would have developed into very good footballers.

At first I thought it was Brett Lovett but on closer inspection I think your right, it's obviously Dean Chiron.

I have noticed a lot of negativity about this player on this forum from time to time and it's often had me puzzled. It's interesting that since Nicho has returned to the side that we have become a much more competitive outfit. Yes some times his disposal isn't A grade and sometimes he makes the wrong decisions but having watched this kid train a couple a times during pre season you just know those deficiencies will be addressed. He is one of the most professional and through trainers at the club and his work ethic can't be questioned. I love his run and spread and his willingness to take on the opposition. I have great hope for this kid and believe that with serious game time he will become a gem.

I think that Moloney is at heart a simple footballer. A bit of a dinosaur perhaps who is being overtaken by the changes in the game. He's an old dog who only knows one way and just can't get his head around learning new tricks. We know he can play so maybe it's time for Neeld to let the old dog of his leash and let him fetch that ball. I still believe he has something to offer.

I would like to see Martin get given the first opportunity and later in the year introduce Cook against younger teams like GWS and Gold Coast.

Nice work Morgan. Having previously worked as a photographer for some twenty odd years, ( although not sports ) I can tell you have an eye for it, and believe me that half the battle. The one piece of advise I always gave people is rather simple. "Shoot the Sh-t out of it" All the best in your endeavours.

Sit him in the naughty corner.

Neeld is versatile to say the least. He was fantastic as Damien Oliver in the cup.