The Reverend

Neeld is, it seems, a man of his word. What this means is that we won't be signing any more duds looking for an easy ride. Players that choose to come to Melbourne will be those who understand what it takes and who are prepared to give their all. There will be a clear understanding out there that to pull on the red and blue means you will be held to account. I'm sure there are plenty of players out there who will relish the opportunity to be part of a club that is clear about its intention to be successful.

What? You reckon Clarkson's a people person? He's about as arrogant and single-minded as they come. I'm pretty sure nobody gets special treatment at Glenferrie.

I think I disagree with you - I usually do - but this time I'm not even sure what you're saying. Could you write this again so it makes sense?

Did you read what you wrote before hitting 'post'? Seriously? Do you really believe this or are you taking some medication that's not agreeing with you? Neeld is doing exactly the job he was hired to do. Do you seriously think he's acting alone here. I'm sure he has the full support of the board so appealing to them ain't gonna do you no good. We need to be prepared to suffer a little pain in order to build a club culture that will ensure more success than we've had in recent times. We need to start building the toughness that will enable us to hold our heads up when challenged by teams like Hawthorn and Geelong instead of capitulating when it gets too hard. Keep it coming Neeldy. Toughen them up and let them know they're playing for a club with pride in performance. Nothing else matters.

Change is not easy. Nothing has been done over recent years to make the required changes - until now. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. It would be insane for Neeld to come in and continue down the path established by Bailey and Daniher. Can't you see that this is the start of significant change? Give the man time before casting doubts. He's been here five minutes.

Do you want to set up a retirement home for all of them? Green made his own choice as far as we know. Jurrah was always going to be Iffy and Moloney's form this year didn't warrant an extension. Simple as that. It's always a bit sad to see good people go but that's the nature of AFL football. Particularly in the case of successful teams. No room for sentiment. It doesn't contribute to premiership points. Bring on the new Dees of 2013.

This is the clearest indication so far of the approach we are taking. Whilst there's a part of me that will be sorry to see him go I'm happy to see that we're prepared to play hard-ball with players who can't commit to Neeld's plan. Time will tell if the plan is a good one but at least at the moment I feel like we actually have a vision.

They folded - we survived. Another reason to be optimistic.

It's a fabulous place to be! It's a choice you make really. Yeah, it's been a long, disappointing season. It's been a long few years and we can choose to wallow in negativity and await the impending doom, or, we can live in "dream land" and maintain a positive attitude. None of history's great achievements came about through people adopting a defeatist attitude. The great advances have come from those brave enough to dream of the way things could be. You can say we're kidding ourselves and you may be right but once I reach the point where I can't see any sunshine on the horizon it'll be time for me to shuffle off because I'd hate to live without hope. Get on board. Lighten up. Out of adversity comes enlightenment and renewal. It's nature. Forests need to be burned out every now and then so they can regenerate and remain healthy. If you expect to be disappointed you'll get what you expected because you'll lose the ability to see the good things around you. Hallelujah brother, I've seen the light! We're on our way to the promised land.

Mmmm, humour. I guess that's a form of optimism. Sometimes it's cathartic to have a laugh and put things into perspective. What about Meatloaf as the Fat Controller?

How do we put a positive spin on Jurrah's departure. I guess it opens up one more spot to be filled with someone who fits the criteria being established by Neeld and the leadership group. It's bloody sad that we won't see him flying in a Melbourne jumper again but this was always on the cards. I wish Liam all the best and sincerely hope he is found innocent. Hopefully if he does end up lining up against us one day we will developed a midfield that will cut his supply and backline to nullify his brilliance. Onwards and upwards. Bring on 2013.

There are plenty of other threads to peddle your negativity. Go away.

The season is over. There are no more games to lose. Optimism is all there is. Being consistently negative is not good for your health so do yourself a favour. Jump on board or follow someone else. We need supporters.

NO! Unbelievable. Knee-jerk nonsense. For the first time in a long while we have a plan for success - let's stick with it. There's no sense in changing horses midstream.

If I'm not a coach's R Sole, is that what one looks like?

Get on the optimism bus. It's full of happy, smiling people who understand that next year brings a whole new set of possibilities.

C'mon folks... I've been reading a lot of gloom and doom among the threads today. Let's look on the bright side. Jack Grimes has been good and has stayed on the field all year. Mitch Clark is recovering. Winter's only got a few days left Etc, etc, etc Let's be positive now.

You'll just have to stay on that bus until you're offloaded onto the right one. It might take you a little longer to reach the destination but you'll get there.

The gloom is dispersing. Great to see. I'm looking forward to all, or even some, of this to play out over the coming months. We are going to be okay. Get on the optimism bus ladies and gentlemen.

Mate, I've got the optimist's umbrella up. Nothing's gonna dampen my outlook. I just hope all the doubters will be big enough to say "Geez, you were right Crawf", when the two Jacks are holding aloft the cup in three years time. Get on the bus!

Some of you perfect storm types might want to contribute to this thread. The optimists are going to take over Demonland and turn it into a joyful celebration of dedication to a cause. It will rub off on players, coaches and administrators. The sky is the limit. Don't miss the bus.

Loving the positivity. Aint it great when there's so much to look forward to? I agree, we need to be aggressive, but measured, in our list management. We have a chance to set this club on the path to sustained success. I'm confident we're getting the right bums on the right seats on the right bus.

Is there a positive anywhere in your negative little mindset?

Just waiting for the pills to kick in then I'm off to bed. I set myself a target to see if I could generate 5 pages of positive discussion. I'm almost there. Come on everybody get on board the optimism bus. The reality bus has flat tyres.

Get the odds now because after 3 rounds next year they're going to get a whole lot shorter.