Lutz

You think Jimmy should be "moved on" as well do you?? You think the MFC could look itself right in the eye after doing that do you?

This place is only just starting to rebuild because of Jimmy....The whole club would fall over itself like a pack of cards....Let the Stynes energy through the place as long as we can.....once he has gone he is a long time gone-don't forget that.

All I'll say, is that questions needed to be asked and still do, whatever the answer may be.

It's simply prudent.

Beyond that, timD is bang on.

Let's just see where Darling and Cook are at after 4-5 years...

A medium forward should be expected to produce straight away; a tall skinny KPF not so much.

The way Darling plays the game is irrelevant - a medium forward is what he is.

And there's a school of thought that things were much easier for Darling to have an impact because of his side's success.

Much like Fasolo, or Duncan / Menzel / Christensen / Vardy, or Smith / Stratton / Shiels / Savage.

It's a lot easier with good coaching & great players around you.

There's a reason why the top clubs seem to be getting gun kids late in the draft all the time.

Looks like Belly to me.

Both strong, quick and athletic. Perfect sizes for the game and both actually have great skills but IMO they aren't there mentality.

Very hesitant, quick to lose confidence and always unsure of themselves.

Hope Strauss makes it cause we need his type but his name isn't in my mind going forward.

They both lacked composure at times, but...

Bell's issue was brain damage that made it difficult to concentrate and know what was going on around him.

Caused by overt courage.

Strauss' issues have been almost the opposite - tentativeness and a lack of confidence and aggression.

Which was evident early in his career, but was fading quickly once he strung some games together in 2011.

I actually think the common appraisal of Strauss is outdated and obsolete.

I'd select Grimes first.

Some people see things others don't, I guess.

Great post old.

I wonder what it says about the board that Gary is seen as having the influence he does? I wonder what it says about Jim that Gary has the influence he does. I wonder if Bailey was white-anted by Gary for about 18/12 until he went and now, lo-and-behold footy expenditure has gone through the roof?

The more I think about it, the more I wonder about the Board. And about how much longer we should accept the role of president being used as pre-palliative care. I wonder if anyone has the guts to get Jimmy to move on? If he were prime minister, he would be forced aside. If he ran policing, or health care - hell if he ran a serious business he would be moved on. If he was your accountant or GP none of you would see him - well, not for anything imporant. I think it says an awful lot that the mood of melboune supports is to canonise a living man and absolve him of his responsibilities...and line up to blame the first poor dolt who mis-fires.

At least Gary sounds like he's been an effective figure-head (at worst).

Wow. Great post.

I've had many similar thoughts myself, but decided against posting them on this forum, due to fear of being literally burnt at the stake.

Good to see some harsh realists on this thread, who have the stones to ask some seriously tough questions.

There are still some serious questions that need to be asked about our club, but so far it seems to be working in spite of a potentially messy situation.

I was told early in 2011 by people that have close connections to the board that most on it thought Bailey just wasn't a coach who could take us forward and that he wouldn't last the season.

I disagreed, vehemently at the time, but in retrospect, I think it was correct.

Bailey may have been given the resources Neeld has at his disposal, but I'm not sure he could manage them effectively.

I utmost confidence in Neeld.

Looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds.

I watched the games. Stats dont lie perceptions do.

As does a lack of understanding of how the stats should be interpreted...

Green and Davey were decidedly average in 2011.

He shouts a lot at training and has a prestigious blog, sir.

If Strauss is ever a best 22 player Melbourne will be seriously in trouble.

In my opinion, that is pure ignorance.

Just my opinion of course.

Then how come Sellar didn't do that at Adelaide..?

Not writing the guy off, but he's being given a lot of credit sight unseen.

Completely subjective, and not a view I agree with.

I'm happy we don't have Darling.

Bit early to judge a skinny KPF after a single year on the list, isn't it?

I don't think Neeld's M.O. is only bringing in players that can compete straight away.

It's just that he saw it's what we desperately lacked and needed when he arrived.

I've not ever seen him play. I'm simply relying on the feedback I read about him, essentially this site - so I've got no clue really.

We just seemed to go through a period when we recruited a lot of skinny, nice young (apparently talented) kids. Cook seems to fit firmly in that category, yet we recruited him to (ultimately) take on the KPP mongrels at other clubs. That said, I understand he was All Australian CHF - so he must be pretty handy. Just a pity about Darling IMO - we probably needed him more than any other club at the time.

Some of the other clubs during this period seemed to recruit kids that you could see as men, and they've got a bit of mongrel about them. From a distance, I think Neeld likes those types and feels we don't have enough of them.

Could very well be wrong though, but the approach to the recent draft period suggests otherwise.

Darling wouldn't be competing with Clark, Watts, McDonald, Martin and Cook for a tall forward spot.

He'd be competing with Green, Jurrah, Howe, Petterd.

We don't need him.

I don't think Neeld would have been particularly impressed with our selection of Cook at number 12, given our clear need for an aggressive, big bodied forward on our list. The reports I've read suggest that he's still a long way off playing in the seniors. If true, that's not good. Not remotely.

That the recruiting team (or at least some in it) preferred Zaharakis over Strauss is interesting - I'd always found Strauss to be a curious selection so high in that draft.

I wonder if Neeld/the club have already identified someone they'd prefer in the BP's (former) role. After all, the club's been a step ahead of the curve in recent times.

Isn't that what you'd expect of most 18 year old tall KPPs?

Obviously Darling was available, but he's a mid-sized forward like Howe, Petterd or Jurrah.

Great get Master.

Re Bail recruitment I believe he was one of Dean Bailey's picks so BP should not get the credit.

Not sure that's exactly true.

Moloney isn't smart enough, nor a good enough communicator.

spot on Macca.

Big Carl wasn't Catain/Coach for nothing.

A ruckman can dictate so much of a game, as our President did during his career.

So Carl was captain/coach because he was a ruckman, was he?

Cos that's the same reasoning you're using for Jamar.

Using that logic all ruckmen should be in their respective club's leadership group.

Not sure that's correct, WYL.

I said that relative to the young man Grimes, Trengove is a kid.

And that is only a small facet of why Grimes is better equipped to be captain.

I've even clarified it for you.

Re: Aaron Jetta, apparently nobody watches the WAFL reserves when looking for talent, because usually young kids who are any good play colts, or if they are even better get promoted straight to the firsts.

There's a school of thought that a WA team may have tried to hide him away in the WAFL reserves so they can pick him up cheaply, or at all, since he seems to be highly rated.

Just repeating what I've been told.

Yeah right. Coming from someone who wants Frank Grimes to be captain..."because he's a man.."

He's more of a man than Trengove.

And it's only one tiny facet of why.

But keep misrepresenting others' opinions if it's the only way you can engage in debate...

haha! Are you serious? Being in control of centre bounces in a tight game. Knowing how your players will react during a contest. That's leadership. Personally i don't give dam how a player speaks in the Media, that is far over rated IMO. Although Mark has no problems in that area. Mark is now a senior player so i would want him in the leadership group.

Again, none of what you mention has anything to do with leadership...

We need more realists on this forum.

I wouldn't call you a realist.

Especially when you pot BP for missing out on Fyfe and Hanneberry.

I think you might mean "we need more poeple on this forum who agree with me"...

Sole focus? You're kidding me.

Physically.

Maybe "major" instead of "sole".

I doubt the football department is too concerned with Morton increasing his running capacity at this stage.

More than anything else, he should be focusing on weight gain and strength, in terms of physically building his body for the upcoming AFL season.

Don't get it, or don't agree?

I think it's purely a narrow mindset that a player can't be captain because he was injured last year.

Not if you're Tim Harrington!

* BUMP *