Demon Dynasty

Looks like a pretty good feed from your bro OD. I never thought he was coming anyway but now that he's gone North i'm putting you forward as assistant coach to whoever we end up appointing. At least i'll know he'll have no illusions as to the task that lays ahead! Oops, i'm being sexist here. could just as well be the first ever female AFL coach they way we're travelling

If WADA is in dispute with ASADA over the categorisation of AOD etc that could take years and be just too hard WYL. Even if WADA eventually wanted to penalise individuals The AFL and/or the Bombers could then argue against it in court, quite possibly successfuly, under "natural justice" alone given the delay. Red you might wish to comment on this aspect if you're about?

That's how i saw it as well OD. Ie., a managed/massaged outcome. Keep the "team" in the game with some sort of penalty, outside of preventing the club from participating in the rest of the season. I also suspect if any penalties are laid, that their nature might well allow thoses charged to resume their roles before the beginning of next season. Send out the bad cop (legal announcement/show serious face & possibly a reasonably serious outcome on the surface), but in the end a fairly moderate outcome for all. Nicely managed so far. Steady as she goes from Vlad & the boys.

You mean to tell me it's taken you this long to even entertain the thought Nasher?

A rudderless SHIP Bb? More like the SS Minnow! Given how the executive producer of that show arrived at the name of the famous leaky boat, we might wish to call ours the SS Lyon or SS Schwab

You mean we're playing football?

I doubt there will be many left after this year WYL regardless. It's been a downward spiral ever since JM was moved on and the 186 debacle. The executive then backed the CEO over the playing group and that was it. If the shitty treatment of JM wasn't enough to make them feel ostracised then the decision to back CS was IMO the final straw for some within the senior group like Beamer, Rivers and Green. This is the moment the club slowly started to lose it's soul, spirit and fight on the field IMO. The introduction of MN was simply the icing on an already rotting cake. I have to disagree with you on this one Red. Sometimes you have to fight and stand up for yourself no matter what the financial cost. By not fighting, sometimes the outcome is worse than any financial impost, that is on the spirit, on the soul i mean. The outcome can be too dispiriting and impact heavily in many ways that will result in an even worse outcome in the long term. Football is a business i realise but in many ways it survives on it's supporters and their spirit/soul and willingness to keep committing year after year to the cause. We gave up the fight way to easily IMO. Our name has now been tarnished forever as most outside the club believe we cheated our way into a No.1 draft position. If you took a poll on the MFC supporter base around the time of the saga i think you would have found they would rather have had us fight this one to the death. Imagine the impact this would be having on us trying to garner new sponsors for example. Can't be an easy sell, even for those few who might still be willing to consider us as a prospective marketing proposition. I am reminded of a solid Thin Lizzy song here - Fight or Fall (probably the greatest "Live" classic rock band i've had the pleasure of witnessing) ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1OQtgS9YNg

Firstly, in relation to whether he stays or goes, i don't think he's been given enough opportunity so far to be sure as to whether he deserves another run at it or not. Another poorly managed aspect of the list in what is our worst year by a long way IMO. Your assumption that he's a big clearance winner is correct insofar as his average places him 2nd only behind the Jones boy. That's up to round 15 anyway based on all player averages. See above re inside clearance work. His stats tell a different tale as stated. In addition Magner ranks 2nd, again only to Jones, for contested posessions (based on all player averages/data up to Round 15). I would agree with you re outside RUN in terms of creating overlap/spread and carry. Magner ranks 11th in uncontested possession averages to round 15 and 28th in bounces. However I don't think anyone would expect him to be outstanding here including the recruiting dept. I would see him more as a foil/alternative to fill in for Jones boy (inside work/pressure etc) while Jones is being rested either on the bench or forward. What Magner might offer is a hard work ethic and willingness to push hard to get to many contests. An area where Magner lets himself down is disposal effectiveness where he's ranked 30th. He would need to clean that up in a big way to have a meaningfull impact i would think. Having said that, looking forward we obviously have to improve our mid field stocks to be AFL level competitive. Just referring to the here/now/season gone and where Magner sits in a relative sense on our existing list.

Not sure about that olisik. Up to Round 15 Magner is ranked 5th for inside 50s. Only 2 matches i realise but the record is there. Should have received more game time given the parlous state of our mid field stocks atm.

Very strange. It doesn't resemble "a club" in any normal sense of the word Daisy. Quite possibly part of the reason why players don't turn up to play very often. Decisions which completely deflate and fail to inspire. From the outside it would appear that it doesn't seem to reward "effort" consistantly or promote a hard working "team" environment. It's been run like an "old boys" NETWORK by the boys, for the boys, for decades. Never grown into a real club, let alone a professionaly run AFL one until now. The fact we haven't won an "AFL" premiership since its inception in 1990 and an AFL/VFL one in 49 years says it all.

I'm afraid they've never left 31, at least not entirely. The fact we have the worst mid field in the comp but our mid field coach over the last 2 disgraceful seasons is still coaching the mid field, is testament to that. Let alone the fact that he should have been fighting tooth and nail to get the extra mid, in Magner, into the middle to help with rotations well before now. If we don't land Roos (or 2nd banana Choco) and just as importantly a few very strong mid field recruits (along with some decent assistant/line coaches) i'm afraid The AFL will be funding us for 10s of millions over the next decade and most within the comp (Clubs/Club Presidents/Journos/Opposition supporters) will be calling for us to be axed/relocated. Not that this hasn't been suggested already by some.

No need to say it 3. Easily one of the biggest [censored] ups in MFC's recent lengthy history of [censored] ups.

I think you meant to say WAS

Are you really sure about that? Edit: Sorry, i just read Biffs responses. Too late!!

I stayed with an American family in the 70s and one of their boys had that electronic American Footy game! I got to play it and the little plastic men moved with alot more purpose than most of the MFC players out there today! P.S. May i suggest we use this game as our new white board for match days?

Craig still believes in the "Two Jacks as Captain" blunder. This situation wont change until a new coach is appointed. And even then i'm not confident he would get it right, unless it's a Roos or Choco appointment. IMO the 2 Jacks decision was as damaging to the entire playing group/club as any under the Neeld reign. There were just too many damaging blunders during that period as we have all come to learn. This is the blow back from so many blunders and so much ineptness. The MFC only has itself to blame. If i was the AFL i would change the player contract rules and put every MFC player on a performance based contract. If they don't meet their KPI's over rolling 3 to 6 month periods i'd show them the door and just ring in the changes from Casey or other "special assistance" drafting avenues lol.

I can only hope this club has enough $$ available from the AFL to make Roos a massive 'overs' offer. I would consider Choco as 2nd banana if Roos wont budge. But foresaking those 2 i think it's allover red rover for this club now. I doubt it will improve significantly under an Eade reign or anyone similar or lessor. I'm not even that confident Choco could turn this shameful ship wreck around. And i know there's no way PJ can sitting behind his desk. Craig has unfortunately proven himself to be a "has been" in the last few uninspiring weeks, both before the game at the selection table and in terms of being unable to motivate the troops to any degree on match day. IMHO it's either Roos/Choco or bust. Unless the AFL are happy to keep bailing out a completely irrelevant club for the next decade or more with tens of millions in losses from here over that period.

Without seriously watching it (and the Norf non-effort last week), just glimpses as it's just not worth the effort anymore, our opponents are in the clear by at least 3 to 4 meters almost every time they receive. Meaning they have ample time to make their next disposal/choice/option including kicking for goal. We just give them too much space to work in and don't pressure them out of it often enough. This gives our opponents too much possession early in the match and boosts their confidence ten fold from the get go. Unable to close check an opponent when we don't have the ball means they are able to run it coast to coast either from the middle or from the kick out with little or no pressure. Not putting in the hard work early means we are chasing tail all day as well. Not in all cases i'm sure there are exceptions but too few to matter. Having too many slackers just deflates the others who are playing a close checking game and working hard to get their own possessions. I'm not sure why so many are unwilling to close check an opponent once we lose possession (which is alot of the time given our woeful disposal) but those who are unwilling or incapable of doing so must be weeded out and delisted/traded pronto. This could end up being up to 10 to 15 players off the current senior list but in the end this is reality for us right now. From what i can garner Craig is pretty uninspiring in his match day selection and structure, as well as whatever it is he's preaching on game day. I'd say the only chance this club has of ever becoming an AFL competitive football club from here is a new experienced premiership coach and a massive clean out of the present list while keeping a core (8 to 12 or so) who have shown they are willing, capable and/or have super potential to develop.

And be more entertaining!!.....

Meanwhile a potential ok midfield option continues to rot at Casey (magnet). Too many talls, not enough mid field rotations to help Jones etc. poor coaching selection (again) by Craig & co. Another black mark against Craig continuing. The negatives continue to mount by the week for him being considered beyond this season.

More than likely on the money OD. There wasn't a contradictory/combative person on the entire panel taking an opposing view eg., picking up McVeigh on his defense/aggressive outburst earlier in the year when the story first broke, why didn't Luke "the AFL apologist" Darcy ask about Dr Reid's role?, If Reid was left out of the supplements experiment who made the decision? where is Dr Reid now and why has nobody spoken to him (not one person on the panel mentioned or asked about Reid, probably the most important cog in the entire saga outside ot Dank!?) etc etc. No doubt some unwritten guidelines must have been put in place by 7 hierarchy and producers prior to the program going to air with legal situations/advice as an overlay. 7 not willing to jeopardise the next broadcast contract. With the amount of $$/careers at stake now nothing is left to chance and everything would appear to be very carefully "managed", from the top down. What you say is correct, and looking back on it in the clear light of day now, it was no coincidence that not one member of the panel was willing to put the hard questions up.

You mean this team actually has a cue somewhere? Last time I saw them use something that resembled a cue was 2006

Are you sure about this? Or just a freelance under contract. Does a whole lot of work. Sportingbet TV, SEN 1116. Not sure he's actually on the payroll as an employee for 7 even if making regular appearances. Still doesn't explain why 7 couldn't have brought in another ex Bonger in Reimers for a completely different view/aspect given that he was the first "public" whistleblower.

And also derided/lambasted Reimers in this first week for talking rubbish over the supplements program during his whistle blowing interview. In addition, when asked tonight whether there were any players other than Zaharakis who refused the program McVeigh intially said something along the lines of "there were others", then when prompted again said "the OTHER player", then contradicted himself yet again a little while afterwards saying "the others who refused". The question also needs to be asked, why is McVeigh's view given more weight than the guy who started the ball rolling in the first place, Kyle Reimers? McVeigh's reaction/info in that first week towards Reimers and his interview has since been proven to be so off the money yet Chanel 7 uses McVeigh as their main "go to" guy for all things Essendon. Seems a little strange IMO. Why not bring in Reimers for his opinion as well???

I don't often see eye to eye with you Soxy but on this one i'm with you. SOFT SOFT SOFT!!! Both mentally and physically. It was Watts earlier in the year who whined and went sooky sooky la la in public interview after a loss about being dissapointed that he wasn't playing in a team with any decent leaders like Selwood, Hodge etc. No matter how much you might desire that, IMO if you are a team player you just wouldn't go public about it. There's nothing TEAM orientated in that or this bloke's behavior on and off the field. He's a liability and has been carried and given too much leeway by all at the club. And yes that includes Craig. Stand up and have some balls Craigy and call it for what it is mate. The bloke can hold out but don't make a bloody song and dance of it via Manager. He just aint THAT good yet. Honor before honors Mr Craig. Another negative cross against appointing Craig. I'm tending more and more towards Choco as the days pass (assuming Roos is unavailable as stated). Watts doesn't or isn't willing to do the hard 1 percenter team things on the field either that might inspire a hard nosed coach and FD to want to continue putting time/effort & $$ into. He plays a "bruise free" selfish style of game with a few minor exceptions demonstrated over 4 years. He isn't alone in that regard (ie., not being hard nosed at the ball/carrier, doing the critical 1 percenters etc) and certainly not expecting a Nathan Jones type, but i'd take a Kent/Howe/Terlich/Grimes type attitude with some reasonable talent over a primadona like Watts anyday. Time to trade for a half decent mid fielder and reasonable draft pick. One of the biggest mistakes (of many) this club has made in the last decade was not going after Nic Nat and instead putting their blind faith in this bloke. His rankings vs the rest of his 37 team mates (that had played up to Round 15 against the Swans on which these stats are taken) are as follows...... Contested 15th (no i'm not expecting a mid field/on baller result here) Uncontested 17th (not so good given he plays most of the time in space/getting away from his opponent or playing loose down back for the most part of the first half of the season) Effective Disposals 13th (a pass mark but not setting the world on fire) Effective Disposal % 8th (a good result but has a below average disposal count vs top 18. Just doesn't get enough of it to be damaging) Clangers 31st (positive result as you would expect given his disposal effectiveness %) Contested Marks 9th (average ranking vs top 18 regulars) Goal Assists 16th Marks i50 4th (competitive effort but even Fitzy is up on him here at no. 3 and he's only had a handfull of games) 1 Percenters 15th (Bettered by Pedo, Sellar, Strauss, Nicho and even newcomer Clisby!) Kicks 17th (simply doesn't get enough of it himself unless someone's giving it to him on a platter) Handballs 15th (as above) Inside 50s 23rd Tackles 34th (only beaten to the bottom by 3 others..... Clisby [35th], Blease [36th] and Gillies [37th]) Basically Watts is sitting on the outer edge in most comparative stats vs his team mates (ie., sitting a little inside the top 18 rankings/players on most stats) with the exception of contested marks (9th), Marks i50 (4th) and effective disposal percentage (8th overall). His tackle ranking at 34 is IMO a solid indicator of a man that is either unable or unwilling to impose himself on his opponent and the contest when he doesn't have the ball. I certainly wouldn't want that level of committment in a team member going into a big game where everything's on the line in the clinches. Time to part company with Jack Watts IF we can get some value for our severly under-manned mid field stocks.