Jaded No More

Can we have some confirmation please? If they did play and didn't kick a goal between them I'd be very very worried.

They won by just a point with that team? What happened to Dunn, Moloney and Miller?

Agreed with the sentiments regarding Carroll not being a FB. He does his best each week, but people are completely underestimating the value of Rivers. He holds a fragile backline together, and without him we are lost down back. Belly has been good this year, but there is only so much he can do given his size. This is precisely why I was mighty [censored] off that they dropped Frawley this week. Not only that, he isn't even playing this weekend because Sandy have a bye. Nothing has been gained here. He must play on Sunday and until the end of the year. He must be given jobs, every game and told to stick tough and do his best. We need to find a FB and soon. Miller might be worth a try, and there is Garland who is incredibly raw as a potential CHB. A backline of Rivers, Bell, Carroll, Petterd, Bartram and Frawley looks the goods for the future.

No idea, and there is no mention of that. Not sure Robbo's knee requires surgery. My guess would be Wheatley, Yze and maybe Neita if they decide to postpone his 300th till next season. Or maybe they'll operate on Bruce's feet to get him kicking straight again

Interesting article in the HS this morning, which mentions the following: - Neita, TJ, Green and Bell likely to miss this week through injury (Bell- 4 weeks with the hamstring, Green and Neita with knee) - Bartram's season is over - The club is contemplating sending 2-3 other players to have season-ending surgeries - Rivers could be back next week (unlikely?) Riley is clearly keen to play some kids and is looking to "make sure no one goes into their shell or plays for themselves". I for one am really looking forward to see how the next 9 weeks unfold. We'll be preparing for next season, getting all our injured players fit and ready to take part in a big pre-season, looking at players who are at a risk of being traded/delisted, and of course introducing what's left of our untried kids. Hopefully at the end of this process we'll have a clear idea of who stays and who goes, and that might very well apply to Riley too. If he does a good job, he's every chance to stay on and coach us full time next year. I just hope he is actually as ruthless as they made him sound in the article, because there is no doubt we need a major shake-up. Bring on 2008! You can read the rest of the article HERE

It's a long shot, but the chances of winning a premiership increase dramatically when you actually take the field, do you agree?

It was a knee jerk reaction was it? Daniher has been at Melbourne for 10 years. The longest serving coach in the history of our great game to not win a flag. That's 149 years of history that he's broken. Sacking him in 1999 would have been a knee-jerk reaction. When Gardner made the comments about waiting to review the coaching position at the end of the year, he could not have predicted the position we'd be in mid-season. I'm sure if someone asked him "what would you do if we win just 2 games and lose to Richmond at the half way mark of the season?", he would have said "we'd have to re-evaluate the situation". Which is exactly what he did. He did not sack the coach, he did not ask for Daniher's resignation. The board implemented a review which Daniher decided not to take part in. To sit on his hands and do nothing, would have been terribly irresponsible of our president. He did not go back on his word, he did not force Daniher to leave mid-season. The review was pushed forward, and had Daniher agreed to participate, he would have coached us until Round 22, then the board would have looked at his performance further. IMO the end result would have been the same though, because after 10 years, we are still without a premiership. Not sure what Melbourne supporters you speak to, but I've met plenty who are happy that we're going to have a new coach and some new direction at the club. You talk about perspective, and yet your comments are extreme. Whether you like it or not, Daniher would have been out of a job at the end of the season given the way we have performed this year. That it happened earlier only helps the club in finding the best possible replacement. Ugh, I'm going to take my pain-killers and go to bed. I've had enough of the endless whinging from our supporters. You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Yep, we finally have someone in charge who has the balls to make the tough calls, and now people are bitching and crying about it. A few weeks ago nearly everyone was in favour of finding a new coach at the end of the season. Now they got their wish, and yet they still find reasons to be unhappy. When a coach leaves a club after 10 years, it's never going to be a big sweet farewell. Feelings are bound to get hurt, and people are bound to be upset. What has transpired over the last week has been handled with the utmost dignity and transparency, in order to avoid an ugly media circus. It was short and swift instead of nasty. Daniher chose to not coach out the season, he was not forced into anything. I really don't understand how anyone who wanted him gone, can be unhappy with this situation? Not only is he not the coach of the MFC anymore, we now also have an extra 9 weeks to find a replacement. This is probably the best outcome given the circumstances. Neita and the rest of the players will get over it.

He's emotional at the moment and he should have cooled his head before fronting the media. Neita is a champion of the MFC and his aim would be to win a flag. As long as he thinks his body can withstand another season, he will carry on, and he will have the full support of the board, especially Gardner. Despite what a new coach might decide, I know for a fact that Gardner wants Neita to carry on as our captain next year and be part of our 150th year celebrations. For god's sake, the hysteria surrounding the entire week is completely over the top. Coaches come and go all the time. Daniher has had 10 years, has left in more than respectable circumstances which best served both him and the club. The players who have been under Daniher for 10 years are upset, but they'll get over it. Their aim should be to win a flag, and that hasn't changed and won't change no matter who the coach is. Neita is not weak hearted, he'll carry on because he deserves to win a premiership and he still can.

I was refering to Neita's comments.

This should have been done in private.

Ok firstly Ferguson is not a youngster. Do you actually know how old Ferguson is? And Bartram would fetch more than Bruce? What are you on about? I thought Bruce was Melbourne's best player Name one youngster who has shown a lot of potential who has been traded in the last few years? The only ones I can think of have left to go home (e.g.- Scott Thompson). Clubs don't trade their potential youngsters, they trade older more senior players who they don't think fit their plans. They normally strike deals with clubs who believe they are on the cusp of winning a flag, who are therefore willing to trade draft picks in order to gain the short-term services of players they think will complete their team (e.g.- Byron Pickett, Nick Davis). What could we possibly achieve by trading Clint Bartram? We'd get a second round pick at best, and have to invest time and money into his development in the same way we did with Bartram. The idea is that by trading older players, you get to bring in players who complement your current under 23's who can grow and develop together into a formidable side. If you don't understand that, then I seriously give up.

Yes, lets trade the youth, the players who could potentially win us a premiership in a few years time, just to save us the heartbreak of seeing some under-performing senior players running around at another club. We won't win premierships, we won't have any success, and in a few season we won't have a team to field either, but as long as everyone is happy Do you actually understand WHY they have better trade value.... I'll give you a hint, it's because they have more potential, more room for improvement and are more likely to help teams win games in the future. ARGH! *goes to bash head against a wall*

Bit hard to blame players with less than 50 games experience isn't it? Maybe we should blame Newton because he dropped a chest mark. Yep, burn him at the stake. Nobody should be getting the blame individually. As a group, they all stuffed up in the first quarter by playing like a bunch of 9 graders. And I know you don't hate McLean. You only get stuck into him to try and annoy me, isn't that right? Are you and BrownlowBruce related?

We all have our favourite players. I can tell you right now that if Robbo was ever traded to another club I would be absolutely shattered, but I wouldn't go on and on and on about it for 4 years, and if it helped the club in the long term, then I'd be happy. I'd look at the trade from a club perspective, I'd look at what we got out of the trade, and I wouldn't be selfish enough to only care about my own feelings. I barrack for the Melbourne Football Club, and that means I barrack for anyone who plays and works for that organisation. But the reality is, players and staff come and go, but the club still remains. I will love and support this club always, no matter who wears the jumper or who coaches the side. There isn't a single individual player who I could love more than I love the club itself. We've been around for 150 years, and have had thousands of players take the field, and none of them have ever been greater than the club itself. Some may have come close, but we survived when they left and we'll continue to do so. P.S.- Bring back Scott Thompson!

Not untouchable. He stuffed up, we all know it, but you called him selfish which was and still is a stupid comment. He works has hard as anyone on the field, and he is anything but a self-centred player. He wouldn't be in the leadership group if he was. Not one individual play cost us the game. Being so far behind at quarter time did it. How many times have we seen this happen... Melbourne lose because they play one bad quarter of footy. The competition is far too even to go snoozing for 30 minutes. Let's hope the new coach can eradicate that up-and-down problem.

Hi, just wanted to remind you that Woey is 30 and plays in the WAFL. Can we get over Woey and move on... Christ, are we still going to be talking about his departure in 4 years time?! It's all this lack of success that's had us holding onto the careers of extremely average footballers even long after they're gone. We made the right decision, if you can't see that, you're clearly in favour of an individual and not our football club.

Neita is a brilliant player and an inspirational captain, but a club president and a businessman he ain't. If the players were so against Daniher leaving, then maybe they could have lead better, worked harder... you know, since apperantly injuries were no excuse for getting so badly beaten this year (so we've heard the players say)*. I love Neita and I feel for him because the reality is, he's unlikely to walk away from the game with a flag. But at the end of the day, having been there longer than anyone, he'd know very well that to move forward you sometimes have to make hard decisions. There are positives and negatives in Daniher's early exist. A negative would the feelings of the players, a positive would be their ability to pay their respects and say a proper goodbye. Then of course there is the issue of the club having an extra 9 weeks to look for a new coach. The positives far far outweigh the negatives, and Gardner is right, the situation would have become public sooner or later. Why lie when transparency is so much more dignified for all involved?! *Note: I am NOT sticking the boot into Neita and our poor season is not his fault.

Everything in this sport is a risk. Getting rid of Daniher is a risk. Playing players who are not 100% is a risk. Putting your head over the ball is a risk. But, sometimes success requires the courage to let go of certainties. In the words of Kennedy: "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly"

Jamar will have decent market value. We got plenty for Jolly, and Jamar could be just as good a ruckman (both useless around the ground). There are plenty of teams desperate for ruckman, and Melbourne have a good reputation for developing them. If we got a late second round pick for Jamar, I'd be all over it like a rash. Miller would have no value, and so I'd rather keep him and try and develop him as a defender. Worse case scenario, he's good depth, especially given Holland and Bizzell are done. Ferguson has no value, same goes for guys like Ward and Godfrey. I'd be keen to trade one of Bruce or Green, but I too think that Green's market value is probably not as high as his value in the side. He should and hopefully will return to his rightful position up forward. Bruce has huge value, and at 27 (soon 28) we could strike a great deal and get someone equally as good who'll be there for 10+ years. I have my doubts on whether Bruce will still be a damaging player when we're ready to win a premiership. TJ is hot and cold but he's the sort of talent we sorely need. I'd keep him unless a huge offer was put on the table, or as part of a Judd deal obviously. And who knows, a new coach might be able to get more out of TJ than Daniher could. The players I would be very reluctant to trade would be anyone 23 or under who has shown they have the talent to make it at AFL level. Players like Rivers, McLean, Bate, Jones, Sylvia etc etc...

Don't think they need to go to strip clubs to see those. Plenty of desperate girls who'd do anything to hook up with a footballer BTW, Sylvia going next door and having a drink and leaving shows he is smart enough to know the limitations. Judd is still a superstar and a decent human being despite hanging out with dodgy guys like Kerr. To rob him of his friendships would be unfair, when it clearly doesn't affect him. The same goes for Sylvia. I'm more worried that he hangs out with bigs girls like Dale Thomas. Ugh!

Finally taking small steps in the midfield, which is nice to see. My heart was pounding everytime he went for a run, as with our luck this season, I was expecting him to break down never to be seen again Hopefully over the next 9 games he can gradually build up his midfield engine, and come 2008 become a permanent fixture there. Love his tackling, probably my favourite part of his game. When he tackles you, you ain't going anywhere!

You think 3 clubs will finish below us? Who are they, and how highly do you rate Riley's ability to get us going in the last 9 games?

If we finish 16th, and Carlton win one more game, we'll get the #1 draft pick. We won't get pick #4 as well, if that's what you mean to say. There are no more first round priority picks unless a team wins less than 10 games over two years. Priority picks however still exist in the second round, and whoever finished on the bottom gets the #1 pick.

If Carlton win one more game (and I'm sure they will), then they don't get a priority pick. Meaning that whoever finishes bottom gets the #1 pick, followed by the team placed 15th getting the #2 pick and so forth. Can I hear you say "GO CARLTON"?