Norm Smith's Curse

There is a certain calmness in accepting the fact that we are actually worse than most people could ever have imagined.

He wins the coach's award every year.

Not even in the game

U jest. Look at our stats and compare them to gold coast's. At this stage 40 points down might be a win.

I like Evans, Howe, Tapscott, Viney, The Joneses, Dawes and big Maxie - im not fussed about the rest...

How about before every game we get to choose one player from the opposition that has to play for us for that game?

Peter Jackson made two comments - the fact that no one in our coaching panel or footy department has much experience and that a team can only be successful it if recruits well (which to me suggests that he was saying we hadnt).

A midfield

I've watched the sun a few times this year. We will struggle.

But my point was that an inside mid with a big body might balance things out a little to allow matt Jones or toumpas types to run while Nate Jones and tappie do the grunt work. Just an idea.

Tappie kicked an amazing inside 50 entry to a target only last weekend against Carlton - and what's more, he didn't seem surprised like Stefan martin used to seem.

Improving slowly... As in six years...

mate if you think our midfield isn't far behind Carlton or anyone else in the comp you clearly haven't been watching. we have one functioning inside mid who always draws the tag now that Brent is gone, two mids with less than ten games, another who can only tag and heavy reliance on grimes (who would be valuable elsewhere) and Sylvia. We rarely get clean disposal out of the midfield and never have any spread so I think its our number 1 problem and something that SHOULD be harped on about. No midfield no Melbourne and while tappy isn't super quick he has played more than ten games (unlike viney and matt Jones) at AFL level.

Since we are getting smashed royally (pun) in the midfield and on reading that tapscott played as a mid at jnr level I was thinking he has the build of an inside mid.

I have defended Neeld quite a lot and even some of the decisions that now seem questionable. Where we are at right now has not justified my defense to be honest. 1. Were expensive tall forwards really our biggest priority when our midfield is so far behind the rest of the league and is manned by one inside mid who is always tagged, two players yet to play ten games, and a mid that can ONLY tag, always moving players like Grimes back into the midfield because we have to? How much better would our side look with another polished mid to complement Nathan Jones? And the lack of spread in the second year is a shocker 2. Why didnt Mark 'see the Port Adelaide loss coming?' - again our midfield isnt simply good enough - and it cant be with one inside mid and Colin Sylvia and Grimesy having to come in attempting to sure it up - RELYING on two midfielders in their first ten games of AFL footy FFS! 3. Skills levels and disposals have been major provlems at the club for years, yet I just cannot see any improvement in this area 4. The co-captain appointment - criticised or not it seems that its a fail in hindsight despite my defense of it. 5. While Neeld and Moloney clearly didnt see eye-to-eye and there might be more to the story than we know losing our only other experienced bigbodied inside mid has just resulted in Nathan Jones being stiffled by endless tags. 6. If your going to chase talls make them talls that can take marks...

Every week the fans pick decent sides in this threads and ever week we see poorer sides go out onto the paddock...

According to SEN this arvo - source of the story was indeed Tony Sheahan and the 'rumour was going around'. Too good to be true I think myself - Denied by AFL sources, Roos and Don McLardy. A pity I say. I was a Neeld fan until recently. He lost me through poor (and obviously poor) selections, by the fact he said he didnt see the Port Adelaide loss coming (despite our midfield consisting of one inside mid who is always tagged, two first gamers and another mid who can ONLY tag...)

and above all slow and looking like they are asleep

No spread, no second efforts, no pressure, poor decision making, unaccountable football, no shepparding, poor disposal. I think that about sums it up.

Bring on Dean Kent or hand the keys back in - this is just embarrassing...

coach killer...

We would struggle in the VFL. This is truly a joke - bail in the forward 50 and sylvia's efforts tell the story. Strauss isnt up to it.

Tappie often does work around the ground and especially in the forward 50 that doesn't get him stats but helps the team and his team mates. Under rated by some.

Just don't drop Evans or gawn and get dean Kent out there already!

I know a school friend of the hulk and I can tell you that he is wrapped to be in Melbourne and so far very happy to be at he Dees.