The Reverend

There's no need for hysterics guys. The path is clear. We have recruited for a set purpose this time round. It's about a change of culture and filling some short term gaps while we develop Viney, Hogan, Taggert, pick 4 and some of the other youngsters. We will win more games next year and will be a more attractive proposition to free agents and others at this time next year. The journey has begun. Get on board.

Let's just be negative at every turn. These guys have had their chance. They have held back the development of the team and now it's time to start afresh. Go Dees!

It might say that he's made his expectations very clear and the kid has decided it's too hard for him. How much time should the coaches spend working with players who don't want to buy in? In the end I want players who want to wear the red and blue so much they'll do anything for the privilege. If losing Jordan Gysberts is the price we have to pay, so be it.

You forgot Rivers - but what's the point of the post? We can't hang on to everybody who might have some potential. I'm trusting the FD to know what they're doing. I'm sure there's a lot that goes on within the club that we don't know about and it will be this stuff that's guiding any decisions to move players on. At long last we have coaches who are establishing the foundations for long sustained success. Let's be thankful that, at last, something is being done. I don't need to beat myself up over what might have been or what might go wrong in the future. I'm just happy that we're doing something. Go Dees!

I'm confident Dawes will know exactly what he's getting into and so will Byrnes. You seem to forget the Bomber Thompson dictatorship at Geelong. You've got to stop taking shots at Neeld. Did he steal your bike or something? What's with the "schoolboy" stuff? Just because he used to be a teacher is not a reason to condemn him. All coaches are teachers after all. This one has a clearly written lesson plan and a solid curriculum base. He has established his assessment criteria and is about to embark on whole-school improvement plan. Go Dees! Go Neeld!

Moloney - Chose to leave = couldn't adapt to new demands. Is he a better player than Viney will be? Why compare him to Byrnes who will play a completely different role? Jurrah - Chose to leave = distracted, injured, didn't even say thanks for having him. Neeld has a plan that calls for bigger bodies, not the ones who keep getting hurt. Greene - Chose to leave = retired but I guess you can read whatever you like into that. Past his prime and seemed happy to go. Rivers - Chose to leave = looking for new opportunities. the only potential loss I can see from this quartet but we have the depth to cover him. How much of a loss are any of these really?

That bastard? (more humour)

Cheers my friend. I'm excited for the very reason that whilst I don't understand a lot of what's been happening and some of the choices of our FD seem to be a little odd it gives me cause to think that perhaps they might know better than I do and that they deserve our trust. It's been a while since I trusted the club to get things right. Go Dees!

Read it again. The rumour is that we have no... Ah forget it. It was just a poor attempt at humour.

Just heard a very hot rumour from someone who can't be named. It appears that very few of us on DL have the slightest clue what's going on. Go Dees. Trust the FD.

It's never too early Old Dee.

Would make a good step ladder for Howe.

Hardly an authority. I just like drinking the stuff. It helps a lot with my condition - Chronic optimism/melbourneitis. Go Dees!

You guys need to stop this nonsense. Where in the world do you get these ideas? Do they bear any resemblance to the clear, methodical approach of our FD? Get a grip boys and leave it to those who have a clue. I know you're all entitled to your opinions but FFS at least try to give them a semblance of common sense. i'm more than happy, based on what I've seen so far, to sit back and wait to see what unfolds over the next week or so. Go Dees!

Dis he put his teeth in before he said that?

I'm aiming to stretch it until September. I'll be saving a nice Laphroigh to sip whilst watching us play at least one final next year. The Lagavulin will come out for the celebrations for Mark Neeld - Coach of the Year and I'm sure I can round up a drop of Ardlour for Mitch Clark's Coleman Medal. A few nips of something light and airy, something from Speyside perhaps, will do for Howe's Mark of the Year. I might be struggling if we go any further though. Go Dees!

C'mon Old Dee nothing sours the taste of a single malt. I suspect we're going to be drinking a little more next year as we celebrate a few more wins. Go Old Dee!

C'mon Jnr - don't worry be happy.

It's a grand old flag! The signing of Chris Dawes speaks volumes for the determination of the MFC to address the wrongs of the past and to establish a basis for future success. We're getting what we target and we're not giving up any more than we need to in order to meet our targets. I'm sure Olisik and others will complain that pick 20 is overs but if Dawes meets the identified needs of the football department then who are we to question? We can't have it both ways. We demanded something be done and now it is. I've never been more excited about the future. No more being pushed around. No more bruise-free football, no more 186. From here the way ahead is upwards and onwards. Go Dees! Go Neeld! Go Tim Harrington!

My kids have always wanted to be just like their Dad. Poor buggers. They're now 32, 30 and 21 - all Melbourne supporters and proud of it (well my daughter's a little ambivalent but more about the game itself than loyalty to the Dees). There's something about the superiority that comes from being able to rise above the scorn. It's good for the soul. Go Dees!

There is no choice. My grandson had a Demons jumper within weeks of his birth - the same as my three kids. I don't understand this choice thing. Surely we want the best for our children.

I grew up in a family of Hawthorn supporters. My grandfather would take me off to Glenferrie Oval to watch the Hawks get pumped week after week. In 1962,at the age of ten, I asked myself, "Is this what you want to be doing for the rest of your life?" "Hell no!" I answered. I liked the colours of the demons and they were doing pretty well at the time so I made the switch despite the howls of protest and threats of exclusion from the family. My mother was the only one who really supported me. She even knitted me a Melbourne jumper. In 1964 I was ecstatic and gave it to the rest of my family like there was no tomorrow. I've paid for that a few times since and have learned about humility. Now, fifty years later, do I regret the decision? Not for a minute. It's been challenging but rewarding. I believe it's made me a stronger person and given me incredible resilience. That's not to say I don't get disappointed. I do, but I get over it and front up next week for another go at it. I start every year with great optimism and a belief that this could be the year. I end most years with the thought that there's always next year. My time will come again before I shuffle off. This I know! Go Dees!

It just keeps rolling on. Dawes will make a difference. He is a premiership player and will add a lot to our forward line in tandem with Mitch Clark. The good thing is there's more to come. This wave of optimism and hope is going to carry us into the new year and bring an end to our suffering. Go Neeld, Go Dees!

Why do you?

You're entitled to be sceptical. Our performance has been poor by any measure. My optimism comes from the fact there seems to be a plan to get specific types of players to fill gaps in our list. I'm sure there will be a big improvement in the midfield, and all over the ground, next year and it will come not just from new players but from a team with better fitness, a better understanding and adherence to a winning game plan along with a much strengthened culture. We are one year into Neeld's reign. He has been putting the pieces in place with the footy department and is now starting to get the right pieces on the game board. It was never going to turn around in one year. Whilst I understand your doubts, I'm just buoyed by the sense of an actual strategy at play in our drafting so far. We've moved away from the kids only policy of the past and seem to be building a team with some bodies that can make us a hard team to play against, instead of being pushed aside like we have in recent years. Let's hope this is the start of something different at the MFC. Go Dees!