Norm Smith's Curse

Id agree. I think at this stage we need some older leaders that have some heart. Clearly most of the ones we have now arent up to it.

And has injury clouds.

None of these have set the world on fire. Buckley I see often still banging a few Demonesque clangers LOL. But Brad is actually kicking a few in what I assume will be his last season.

I wasnt responding to your post. Do you think that the potential coach who had the most negative opinion of our list got offered the job? And my point was mainly about the off-field organisation of the club and about it being about 'everything but football', etc.

That was why we got Scully, Blease and Gysberts I believe. Hope the later two come on

I didnt mean all old players obviously. More an example of Essendon and Hawthorn where older stars of the club get involved at some level or support the current coach. On the one hand I remember Dunstall and Dermie defending Clarkson at the start when he lost 5 in a row and then I hear Gary on the radio bagging the dees at every opportunity while offering none of his time other than in coach selections. I guess the point im getting at is passion. Successful teams have a culture that just seems different from ours.

I dont agree. I think he and many thought our list was better than perhaps its turned out to be. Once he took the job it was only then that he realised how messed up the club was (Malthouse's comments). But it takes balls to take on a harder task with the possibility of ruining a coaching career (like daniher, Balme and Bailey)

I feel very sorry for him really. As you say he could be at Adelaide now and he chose us and our players have repaid him with dismall efforts at times. I have questioned a few of the decisions that he has made, but time will tell and I think there is probably more to some of the decisions than I can see from my lounge chair. What I want the club to do is now give him 100% support. We are at rock bottom, he believes he can take us somewhere, lets hope he is right.

We need him to play better to get a better trade for him??

Lethal basically admitted last night that Clark had done mkuch more than he would have expected and been good as a forward. Mitch Clark is the only reason I go at the moment!

Just like Brad Miller?

Sellar looks asleep at times. I wanted to run out and give him a bloody coffee or something.

The first one I got of SEN - the sources of all factual footy stuff! The second I got off you and got it wrong. My bad,

At successful clubs old players WANT to be involved - Hird coming back to Essendon as an example. At the Dees we had Gary being forced against his will to come in and Todd Viney never missing an opportunity to say he didnt want to coach the club. They go on about being a proud, old great club, yet they arent interested. Its a bad look for mine.

the only player Ive lauded this season is Mitch Clark.

Yeah if we get posession on the midfield it seems all our other midfielders dont spread, rather they stay on their opponent. Very annoying.

its probably too soon to say this, but I agree COMPLETELY. Blindly trying to force a game plan on a list designed to run and attack seems a little odd to me.

Im yet to see a demons supporter spit on their players.

Both totally different situations mate. So irrelevant. Norm was a proven coach, Geelong werent facing the wooden spoon when they were reviewing Thompson's performance. Whereas after a 4 year rebuilding phase we are worse than previously and on current form may be outclassed by two new teams of almost teenagers. Rather than there being too many drama queens, there are too many apologists. Half the reason we are where we are is because peole accepting mediocrity.

Thanks for the good news on Blease. Pleased to hear something positive.

Sellar was not OUR draft pick and he was a dud at Adelaide. Its too soon to make a call on Blease or Gysberts although some rumours do circulate. Nate Jiones is a good player, but not a superstar. You missed Lynden Dunn and Brock McClean who were also first rounders. Or back to Luke Molan who barely played. I remember before the Scully draft I read an interview of Dustin Martin where he said he was going tio go out and smash it. I thought at the time he was pretty full of himself but that a player with that kind of confidence would suit the demons purely because in the last ten years we've had no mongrel other than Pickett and Phil Read. But they didnt even talk to him. Worse was someone here saying that in the Moloney trade we nearly got Bartel instead and that we nearly got Sewell in a trade but chose to keep Ryan Ferguson!! I dont think its just recruiting - none of our younger players do well at other teams either - Armstrong, Cheney, Buckley, etc. Our trading has been pretty bad as well - John Meeson comes to mind.

if you can point out where the improvement is gonna come from then no knee-kering required. personally I dont see it. So Im all for knee jerk at this stage. Just as a reminder we are bottom if the ladder and in the last few weeks our possessions have nearly been half our opponents.

LOL - yeah i can relate to that. I see more passion in the players talking to the opposition or laughing it up when not playing than on the field

Bate has been ok. Not great but half reasonable. If Stef martin gets a call up again im gonna crack it.

We wanted Malthouse - he said no, 'but my mate is just as good as me, honest...'