Norm Smith's Curse

I liked his comment about being jealous of the next coach getting Hogan, Clark and Dawes all at once.

Everyone has a price.

neeld getting players in tears was how the problems started according to the people I speak to.

listen to the whispers coming out you're on the money.

Was more like one of his pressors. he won't dump in club and won't admit to losing players because he wants a future. he avoided the Moloney thing well. otherwise not really worth waiting up for other than the freeman interview.

MMM - just looked that up and you are right - thank you for completely undermining my argument

Did we ask Bailey to lose a game by 186 points? Did we ask Neeld to start with a midfield made up of two inside mids (and pretty much only that), get rid of one of those mids rightly or wrongly and then start the season with one experienced inside mid and three debutants? perhaps the players played continually coach killer intensity - but that is another issue. Neeld came in hard and that was requested. But the players couldn't handle it rightly or wrongly it appears.

I wonder how the players will respond now. According to tv reports the players were training with renewed energy.

I agree. I don't really rate his as a development coach - he basically took over a side that had already made a grand final under Rocket. But he is like Malthouse - will keep going until he fails and realises he is fallible.

From what I understand Neil Craig was very careful not to second guess or even put input in when Neeld made decisions around the club to ensure he didn't look like he was undermining Neeld. I wonder if players confided more in Craig as a mentor than the stern discipline-enforcing Neeld. After all Neeld basically said at the start there would be no nice and welcoming attitudes under his reign.

Good post. Well considered.

I don't necessarily believe this. the storm rumour was BS. The cancelled training sessions also proved to be a stretch (just a time trial). It just comes across as boot sticking to me. I think the list has bottomed out. It could only really get worse if Nathan Jones left and we had NO midfielders. Currently we have won and three newbies. The comments in the media today that we concentrated on too much running training and not enough game training seems possible givent he endless stream of material pre season from the club about time trials. The comments today that Neeld baked players so hard that they were lost is identical to what ive heard from people that should know. Backpeddling too late. the comments today in the media that Neeld got the young players to critique the older players in front of the whole team sounds on par.

very astute observation.

It will be interesting to see how the players respond.

What we need is to recruit 2 or 3 players with big personalities - players that inspire. Players with strong personalities that provide leadership on and off the field. Uncompromising types. professionals.

Neelds sacking potentially has the hallmarks of Bailey's - players perhaps not trying to their optimum - playing with coach sacking intensity??

I for one am now happy our club is not accepting crap any more.

Mark neeld made list decisions that resulting in us losing most of our games by over 70 points. He didn't move to sure up a poor midfield. End result is he had to go.

He didn't buy neelds way. He was iced for being a stick in the mud. Neelds way didn't work.

Players did want out.

At the end of the day - who cares - Moloney wasn't going to lead us to a flag and it seems neither was Neeld. Time to look forward!

The curse has been lifted? Thank $%^^&

What if malthouse knew Neeld wasn't a good fit but thought he could set him up for life with a fail and then a nice pay out? Sorry - just had to ask

Clearly Craig needs to be sacked - Jimmy Toumpas and peter Jackson have had their chance and done nothing (other than sack everybody else). Sack them!

The best coach available. Jeff Kennett! Why do they call betting odds a 'market'? There is nothing being marketed but the allure of making money