Jaded No More

Exactly, it means that he has to abide by the rules that he sets. It puts a lot more pressure on him to behave by the standards that he creates as a leader and as a consequence, if he steps out of these boundries his punishment should, and will be, more severe as a result.

Nathan Carroll needs to seriously pull his head in. There are too many unsightly stories floating around in regards to this guy and it does nothing for our club's reputation... or his. Very glad the leadership group decided to suspend him. Hopefully it'll be a lesson to him and every other player at the club.

Lets get something clear. I do not think he is up to senior footy atm. But I think that if anyone can change their fortune around through sheer hard work, Miller can. He has a lot of work to do and he knows that. But it speaks volumes of his leadership traits and the respect he has at the club, that even though he's struggling on the field, he was still chosen to lead the club. That's a great testament to him.

A big part of being a leader, is setting a good example off the field. There is no doubt that Miller needs to step up big time and start performing on the field, but you just cannot fault his character. Even when he is struggling, he is always in there trying and he is always positive. I have to say that I really do admire his positive outlook and the way he carries himself. He really did come from nowhere, picked very late in the draft, and it is a credit to him that his teammates see him as a leader even though he has struggled for a position. Why can't we just concede that he has a lot of good points, and wait and see if he can start improving on the field? Why always take the negative route? I know we're Melbourne supporters and it's ingrained in us to be pessimistic, but it really is getting boring.

That's a reasonable summary. But people are fickle... if he plays well this year, 98% of people will all of sudden love Miller and claim that they supported him all along. For someone relatively young, he has an incredibly stable head on his shoulders. He is mature and grounded beyond his years and he really does lead by example off the field. Hopefully this translates to on field success soon. I just hope that we don't have fifty threads between now and the end of the year bashing Miller, because man did that get boring quickly!

There's speeding, then there is 70km OVER the speed limit. And what the hell is a 'safe road'? Do other people not drive on that road? What I think some people fail to understand is the danger of what Johnson did. He can drink and take drugs as much as he wants, and not harm anyone but himself. If he had got into a fatal car accident, he would have most definitely killed himself and the people in other vehicle. But hey, it was a safe road and everyone speeds... My biggest issue is the incosistency. How can you punish a bloke for being drunk in public, and not for endangering countless lives? What, is one a bigger problem than the other? Does it only matter what a player does if it affects his playing or if it reflects badly on the club? Does dying or killing another person not do both those things? It all comes down to football clubs protecting their own arse. They don't really care about the players, they just care about their image and their success.

So you think that getting an indefinite suspension for being drunk in public is reasonable, but no suspension for driving at speeds that would certainly kill any other travelers on the road, is ok? Being drunk in public is not a great endorsement for the club, but Johnson was only harming himself. How many fatal road accidents do we have a year as a result of idiots speeding? What he did this time was far worse and far more dangerous. Anybody who has lost a friend or relative in a car crash would certainly agree. He put himself, his teammate and countless other people in danger. He deserves a punishment for that, and having his license suspended is a very small price to pay. If he had killed someone he'd be sitting in jail right about now! Given that Geelong are long term partners of a motor vehicle company, I can't see how the club doesn't take this incident more seriously. But then again, if you're a good player you're immune from all punishment

Haha. Disturbing! For anyone who is interested in buying a new scarf for next year, the club is selling a members only 2008 scarf for $25, or you can pick up a non-year specific scarf for like $10 from the Melbourne Shop. And because I'm so nice, I'll even provide you with the relevant links: 2008 Scarf Other Scarves Remember kids, shop at the Melbourne store so that all the money goes to our club! And after all that, if they don't offer me a job, they are just foolish :D

A tie does seem like an odd choice. Would you wear a tie to the football? I know us females are getting a throw of some sort, which I guess will be slightly more useful. I agree that in our 150th year, it would have been nice to receive some sort of commemorative merchandise, be it a scarf or otherwise. I will now have to purchase a new scarf, because there is no way I'm wearing my 2007 one... BAD omen right there!

You are way underrated!

Thanks for the report. Looking forward to seeing the photos! Poor Bartram, my heart really goes out to him. As for Whelan, is he done for? This is not wishful thinking on my behalf, but he's been in the rehab group nearly all summer, and missed the majority of 2007 with injuries. He cannot afford to spend anymore time on the sidelines because the likes of Bell, Petterd and Bode will quickly steal his spot.

I think recovery and rehab have been our problem. We have plenty of injury-prone players, and many who suffer/ed from OP. Learning how to manage these players short and long term, is the key to having a healthy list. Impact injuries can't be avoided, no matter how brilliant your conditioning department is. But for Sylvia not to have done a full pre-season for 4 years, or for Moloney to spend 2 years out of the game because of his groin, that's stuff which I believe the club wants to improve. The other issue is of course working on our endurance and not having repeat situations where we've run out of steam by round 19.

Indeed, although there is a whole lot of fluff in the article and not enough "I'm fit, ready for Round 1 and will win the Brownlow soon" He's a gem though!

Leaders are born, not made. You either have it, or you don't, and age or experience often have little to do with it. With experience comes knowledge which may better your leadership skills, but no amount of time will ever create a leader out of someone who just isn't one.

We don't take advise from journalistic heroes, but I can understand where they are coming from. It is rather odd that a relatively young side, which has only recently culled a large number of 'over the hill' players, has appointed such an old leadership team. Worst still, is the re-introduction of some older players who have been given the opportunity to lead before and failed. They were promoted again, ahead of younger more promising kids. And it's January and there's absolutely nothing worth writing about. There's a reason why Stephen Rielly writes about football and doesn't coach a football team.

This topic should be revisited in Round 22... or better yet, after we win the flag* *Disclaimer: flag not guaranteed

Neita: Pst+ Our best leader. Well equipped to handle the media in a big year for the club. Respected and loved by all. Ngt- Possibly his last season. Injuries have ruined his last few campaigns. Brock: Pst+ The successor. Leads by example on the field. Ngt- Needs to lead by example off the field. Junior: Pst+ A great role model and won the last 2 Blueys. Plenty of experience. Ngt- Possibly his last season. Robbo: Pst+ Much loved senior player who, despite injuries, has performed adequately each season. Plenty of experience. Ngt- Should be concentrating on his form Bruce: Pst+ When on song, a very good player and is at the perfect age bracket to lead the club. Plenty of experience. Ngt- Should concentrate on hitting some targets Miller: Pst+ Strong, aggressive and leads by example Ngt- Can't really get a kick... or a game (in which to lead by example) Yze: Pst+ Skillful. Plenty of experience. Ngt- Poor application for a number of years now. Dropped from the leadership group for a reason. So that's it really. There are positives and negatives for every choice made. At the end of the day, the choice was left up to the players, and that IMO is the only mistake that's been made here. It's dangerous letting a bunch of 'friends' pick leaders, there is far too much bias involved. However, we owe Dean Bailey and his new team some patience. This is the way the club chose to conduct their leadership search, and so be it. If it fails, things will change in 2009. The thing that worries me, is how are we going to change our culture, when the main culprits from the past are back in charge? I would hope that we are trying to be the opposite of what some of our senior players have represented in the last few years. And where does the 'Under 23' policy fit in, when the leadership group is comprised mainly of over 28's? What will happen next year when Neita, Junior and Yze are possibly gone? Eventually we'll be forced to introduce a young leadership team, but it would be nice if, when the time comes, we could have a group ready to go. At the moment, it looks to me like McLean is the only youngster anyone rates. Certainly I think most of us would have preferred to see Jones, maybe Bell, maybe Rivers be included in this group, over some other individuals. Perhaps following the leadership camp they had in China, it was decided that they are just not yet ready. Or perhaps, as we've done in the past, a secondary 'young leadership' team will be introduced again, and given minor duties to try and develop their leadership skills further. At the end of the day, you can have 7 Neitas and that still won't win you a premiership. Each individual player should lead the club in their own way, and it is up to the whole group to set the right example, from first year players, to our oldest and most experienced. Having 7 leaders is completely pointless, as you might as well have 20. With Neita in charge, and everyone else pulling their weight, we can thrive and succeed whether Yze or Miller or Green are or aren't given the title, and yes it is just a title, of 'leader'. P.S.- Brad Green is VERY VERY stiff to miss out from an outsiders point of view.

What a very strange leadership group! Yze? Robbo? Miller? No Green? It's a very 'old' leadership group, and Green is very stiff to miss out. Still, Neita being captain and Brock being in the leadership group is all that really matters.

Obviously we cannot control injuries, but we can reduce the risk of them occuring. There is nothing more frustrating than a player suffering a long term injury in a meaningless pre-season game. That was my point.

That's not entirely true. I would like to see our senior players played on a rotational basis in the pre-season games, be it the NAB competition or regional games. This will ensure that all senior players get to have a game under their belt, but are less exposed to injuries. Players like Neitz, White and Robbo don't necessarily need the experience of playing in the pre-season, and if they get injured we're well and truly stuffed.

Thanks for the report. Excellent news about Rivers resuming full training! Any word on Bartram's progress?

and no injuries.

Hey, I never asked to see a close-up of Carroll's crotch, seeing his disgraceful new haircut is disturbing enough! Great photos otherwise. Cheers!

There's a size limit to attachments, which is why it's better to embed the pictures using the first method. If you have anymore issues, PM me the link to where you've uploaded the photos and I'll embed them for you.

To post pictures, you can either upload your photos onto a free site like photobucket.com and then click on the 'insert image' button in the 'add reply' screen. You then have to put in the URL of the photo you want to post. Alternatively, you can save the photos on your computer and attach them. Directly under the writing area, there is section called Attachments. Click on the 'browse' button, select the photo and click 'upload'. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense, but I don't know how else to explain it.