rjay

Good posts from 'pm' & 'macca'...differing points of view but still well put. I agree with a lot 'macca' has said in the past about the coaching side of things and I think any supporter will wonder why a coach does certain things, it's these arguments that help make the game. I also appreciate that Neeld is playing a long game in a world that demands the short game. I appreciate what he is trying to do and the courage he has to keep at it under enormous pressure. I just feel at times that he is too focussed and inflexible, and that is he is pushing through his program at any cost. Sometimes you need to reflect and understand the whole of the story not just one part. I will pick you up on one thing though 'pm', Dawes coming across can't really be seen as an endorsement of Neeld as a coach. There is a vast difference between being an assistant and being the boss. I've told the story before of the Saints players I met telling me how Alves was a great assistant but had a brain/personality transplant when he got the main job and turned into a real ..... Having said that Dawes has really backed him up during the press conferences and on the ground and that is a positive. I do think Neeld could take a lesson from Dawes in how to front the media but it isn't really his style, in Neeld's words 'that's ok'. He would be better off taking the Jeans approach and say very little, he does bury himself at times.

I was not sure if we made the right move with Dawes, I still think we got conned into paying overs but that said the quality of 2 out of his 3 games for us has been good. A Collingwood supporter mate (yes I do have mates who support them) said when we got Dawes that he thought they had made a big mistake, he may well be right. All the hype about Lynch and he is giving them donuts, Dawes is proving a good leader on and off the field.

I think this is true and if the board have ticked off on this strategy then they have to back him or have a very good reason if they don't. I think this is where Jackson comes into the equation, as a fresh set of eyes. Is the strategy sound, can it be sustained or will the business as a whole suffer to much.

Sellar will go to Cloke if Frawley is not available unless someone can slip Cloke another dodgy prawn...

This happened with Wallace and they really embarrassed themselves, can't remember which journo. In their hurry to get the scoop they said he was gone when he wasn't. Of course this did happen but they were taking an educated guess, same here. It would be a good bet but not necessarily so...unless they have a reliable source...Gerard.

Plus last year he played against Box Hill as a mid in a best on performance, I reckon he will be a good mid for us.

No, I don't think you can blame him for the list. Some say this is his list but it's not, yes he made changes that really needed to be made. The only one gone you could argue with is Moloney and I was never a fan, the rest were not up to it. I would agree that some of the decisions to bring in Gillies, Rodan and co were not so good but they didn't cost a lot. ...but the list can be sheeted back to previous recruiting mistakes not Neeld, the performance of the list is where you can have issue with Neeld.

If they do hopefully they are doing it with all the information available to them and find there are more positives than negatives and are not just caving in to public opinion.

Logically what you say makes sense but football is such and emotional game. I'm not sure what the answer is but I'm not so keen with the caretaker idea.

Correct.

Me too, and some of the big bodies like Tapscott let tackles slip. It's all about commitment to the tackle and most are not committed.

Yep...human nature being what it is there is no way known spirits can be high when you are getting flogged every week. The are doing well to keep a positive face and when things turn it will hold them in good stead, but they are holding the party line at the moment.

Not so sure of this, watched big Max take Hudson apart at a Casey game before his last knee so he can do it against experience. He will definitely give us more around the ground but his downside maybe the tank to go all day.

I think the fundamental flaw is a mix of a few things, with the emphasis on defence and zones to many of our guys don't put themselves in attacking positions. Experienced opposition know this and don't need to provide the cover they do against better teams. They are then free to set up easily from the back half. If it's true that players are being restricted to GPS positioning as posted above it's no wonder we are not getting the possession numbers that our opponents are and that our guys seem to be second guessing. I think this could be part of Trengove's problem, he is not moving naturally. I don't think he will ever be accused of being quick but looking at Selwood and Bartell the other night they are not exactly quick over the ground either. It's how they position themselves, I don't think Scott would be telling them where they should be standing and/or not to move out of a particular area. This does seem to be a problem of Neeld's making and a new coach may bring some creative sprit back into the team and free up the players a bit. I'm not a big fan of the caretaker approach and would prefer us to appoint a new coach, that would mean either getting a commitment from Roos or more likely poaching Williams or Eade from their current jobs...now. We can't be nice about this, if it upsets Ed or the Tiges so be it.

I think Watts started well and really attacked the ball, he seemed to lose intensity when he was put back behind the ball. He needs a role and to be left at it.

I think pushing Watts and Howe back behind the ball was a tactical error. Hawthorn use the ball so well from HB if they are allowed and it wouldn't matter how many you had back you have freed up their defenders to be attackers and they will take you apart and hit targets with ease. The only way to stop this is at the source not the destination, but we took players from there and placed them where they were of little use...somewhere in the area of the destination. Not a tactical error but one of the game plan is we are reactive and more concerned with DI's than getting the ball, where my philosophy of football is the best DI or act is to have the ball...the man with the ball is king, now if he can also use it then he steps up even further. This was what was encouraging about Kent's game today. With limited opportunity he got the ball and used it well and was involved in most of our goals.

I think it's time to give Taggert a taste and bring Blease back in. Time for Tapscott to play some midfield time or be replaced by Magnar if they don't think he's up to it.

This is the day of the Peter Moore, Jim Stynes type ruck man. Grant Thomas was on to something when he said he didn't rate ruck men. I think Clark will be our best bet with Hogan coming in next year, he will be like having an extra mid and this is a big part of our midfield problem at the moment...we are one man down.

I knew there was someone I missed out. Tommy Mc has to get his kicking right though, if he really wants it he will do it.

Kent really showed a bit and has a lot of kent in him, with Taggert, Blease, Viney, Toumpas and Hogan to come in plus a bit of Clark experience a couple of early picks in the draft, maybe a good free agent mid and we could be ok. Dawes showed a bit, I was not convinced but if he keeps working like that he will be a real bonus. Plus a lot of his marks stuck today, the pies are actually missing him at the moment.

I'm watching the same one you are 'Redleg', he's been good I reckon.

It's called survival, it's what happens when a team has no confidence. Frawley & Garland have been holding back the tide for a few years now, people were talking of 10+ goals to Buddy today, well I don't blame him. He's had enough trying to cover for everyone else.

Might be time Neeld played him in the mids, he was doing ok earlier...then he gets put back to the forward line.

Like Kent, made a couple mistakes but still feeling his way into this level. Getting a bit of ball and just needs to settle and use his kick to advantage, makes tackles stick. Go easy on big Fitz, this time he needs a few games to see what he can do.

Hear that Tappy is the sub today.