Jaded No More

I knew you'd use it against me! No, a broken toe, a hairline foot fracture and a twisted ankle. But never mind that, I'll be there to cheer on the Juice!

Melbourne Team Backs: D.Ward, N.Carroll, P.Wheatley Half backs: S.Godfrey, C.Bizzell, D.Bell Centreline: C.Bruce, J.McDonald, T.Johnstone Half forwards: B.Green, R.Robertson, A.Davey Forwards: C.Sylvia, D.Neitz, M.Bate Followers: J.White, B.McLean, N.Jones I/C: P.Johnson, R.Petterd, M.Newton, N.Brown Emergencies: B.Miller, C.Johnson, S.Buckley In: D.Neitz, T.Johnstone, N.Brown, M.Newton Out: Yze [hernia], Holland [broken nose], Pickett [omit], Frawley [omit] The emergencies look about right, in case Neita and TJ pull out.

My preference would be for the club to wipe the slate clean and start over. However, if Riley does a good job over the next 9 weeks, and especially with selection and match-day coaching, than you'd have to seriously consider him. The one thing he has over other candidates, is that he is already familiar with our list and would know exactly who and what he'd want to bring into the club.

Ok Juice, I really want you to have a great game, but keep in mind I am broke and have to take the next 2 weeks off work due to injury, so please don't kick more than 3!

I thought we would start playing the kids this week. Maybe they're giving Daniher this game to do what he wants, which I guess means little in the big scheme of things. But the question you ask is valid, who does play on Lucas? Don't think I want Bell to be spanked by someone who is clearly not the right match-up for him. I thought Miller may have come in for insurance down back, especially since they decided to drop Frawley and Holland. Hell even Warnock would be a more logical inclusion, and he's been playing well from all reports too. I just don't understand what the plan here is. We drop two big defenders, and bring in one unaccountable small defender. Lloyd and Lucas must be laughing.

Daniher is not that selfish. I just refuse to believe that that is the reason behind the inclusion of Brown.

I hope this is not official. Why drop Frawley for Brown, and where's CJ/Whelan/Dunn/Buckley? Thank god there is only 10 more weeks left, until we get new people doing team selections.

Oh yeah, I'll sign that! SAY NO TO CHRIS CONNOLLY!

What are you talking about! Time is disasterous, how so? Our season is finished, when would you have liked us to look at new coaches, in September while 3 other clubs are fighting for new coaches and we're staring down trade week? What could possibly be achieved by having Daniher stay until season's end? Daniher and the club have done the right thing, they have remained honest and dignified and I would expect nothing less of both Neale and Gardner. They are true professionals. I don't remember a better handled coach resignation in my life.

Yep, Riley has been there the longest, knows our list well I would imagine and so is best for the job. I love how people just assume that Mark Williams will get up and leave Sandy to take over at Melbourne. He is already coaching and he has a duty of care to the Sandringham Football Club. To expect him to leave them mid-season just to take over at Melbourne for 10 weeks is moronic. He has a job, and while many will say "oh but it's only VFL", it is still his job and one which he takes very seriously. I'm sure he wants to win another flag this year, not try and clean up the mess at Melbourne.

I briefly heard on SEN that a new coach might even be appointed before the end of the season. Ideally, we'll go through a proper process and find our man by round 22, and be ready to make some ruthless changes during trade week.

I like the overwhelming support for Connolly :D Hopefully the board feels the same!

I'm in two minds about this. If he leaves after Friday night, we can almost start bringing in replacements to sit in the box for a trial. On the other hand, if he stays, I have more confidence in team selection, in the fact that he'll play the kids who deserve a game and so on. I have zero trust in Riley, but then, what does it matter? I want a good draft pick, so I couldn't care less how many we win from now until next year. I agree though that Daniher should be there to coach Neita's 300th.... unless they rest him and postpone it for next year?

Will Gary Lyon be pushing for his old friend Connolly? If so, get him the hell away from the selection process. I agree that we need to bring someone else to help the board along. Afterall, a lot of the board members don't have a background in football, so they might need a guiding opinion. But why would we get a journalist to help us out? And I heard Grant Thomas moaning and bitching about Gardner and the fact that he has a lot to answer for. Gees, he has become a sensative soul since he had to leave Saint Nick... His opinion doesn't matter much either.

Went right over your head, as I expected.

Wayne Carey, Gary Ablett, Shane Woewodin... Think about it.

I always said that he'd be gone if McLean came into the picture, not sure we discussed Finks Thanks for making me laugh while I'm crippled in bed!

I can think of at least 2 people who might have something to say about that!

Get your money ready kids, because I have it on very good authority that The Juice will be coming to a Dome near you this Friday night.

Of course your list is better, you don't write for sportal.com.au What can you tell us about Rhen and Jonas? I don't know anything about them, and I'd like to find out. I'm worried by all the smoke surrounding Connolly. Usually where there is smoke, there is fire. Listening to his press conference today, he made it clear that he is a 'life member of the MFC'. Good on you Chris, you were a good player for this club and it's all peaches and butterflies, but we want a premiership and the only thing you've shown so far is your inability to get Freo to perform consistently. I'm going to have nightmares about this until a new coach is signed up.

From the article: Garry Lyon: Doesn't even want to coach. People talk about Voss having no experience, what exactly has Gary done in the form of coaching? Chris Connolly: Everyone will become very familiar with me saying this... DON'T GO THERE! Connolly is in the same boat as Daniher. Great person, but soft. His list at Fremantle is superior to ours, and yet they under perform every year and they have horrible discipline issues. Sounds familiar? Michael Voss: A risk that, if it comes off, will come off in a huge way. Mark Harvey: Been searching for that head job for a long time, but has been left out to dry. You have to wonder why. Gary O'Donnell: Not bad. Lots of experience, would like to know more about him. Chris Bond: Not keen, but maybe as an assistant. Guy McKenna: Heard conflicting reports about him, and again, he's been knocked back several times and that has to be a worry. Overall a very uninspiring list. Voss excites me greatly, everyone else are average or completely horrible.

Gardner is nothing like Butterss or Kennett, and Daniher's review was based on nothing else but his performance as coach. Unlike what happened at St.Kilda. And being a small club, we need all the publicity we can get. Gardner has really pushed Melbourne's cause in the media, he made it clear that we deserve AFL funding just like all other clubs get in some form or another (e.g.- Collingwood's draw). He works in advertising so he knows exactly what it takes to promote this club. What the hell would you know about what he does off the field? I know a number of board members and people who are close to Gardner, and I can tell you that he works tirelessly to better this club. Steve Harris, our CEO is actually responsible for financing and both he and our president have done a wonderful job getting us back on track. We were in millions of dollars of debt when those two took over, and this year, we'll be making a profit. Not to mention that after years of being homeless, we're finally starting to build ourselves some decent facilities. That is a huge deal! Well that just about sums it up... Don't get offended, just making you accountable that's all.

I have my doubts over his sanity. I actually think we need to get someone who has been involved in the game recently. Either a current assistant coach, or someone like Voss who is recently retired. The game has changed a lot since Ayres was coaching, it changes every year. We need someone who understands the modern game, and what it takes to compete with clubs like West Coast. Not just on the field, but in terms of off-field structures too. I'd actually like to get someone who played/coached interstate. Who knows, might bring a bit of interstate luck with him (Don't get Connolly!!!)

There is nothing common about common sense And didn't we ban the use of the word 'Woewodin' a while ago?

Thank god that 99% of Melbourne supporters support THE CLUB, and not the individuals. The club has handled the situation admirably, and has done the best it could in very difficult circumstances. Gardner said the club won't talk about Daniher until the season was over, well guess what, the season IS over. We can't make the finals and we've won 2 games in case you forgot. The time to act is now, so that both Melbourne and Daniher have plenty of time to decide what they want to do next year. Daniher was not sacked, he was given the review and decided to quit. Good on him, he's putting the club's needs first as always. We are a business, and we're allowed to review our employees if we don't think they are performing up to our standard. Oh and comparing the Woewodin trade to Daniher's resignation just further proves that you care about the individual more than the club. I bet you'll be thrilled if we win a flag under a new coach next year, won't you?