rjay

A good suggestion re Buckley but I think we really need the best, someone with the runs on the board and that is Cook.

If we are serious about excellence then we must start at the top with someone who knows what excellence and success is. Brian Cook helped build the WC Eagles to a powerhouse and has done the same with Geelong. You can never build anything of value without having a strong foundation. Get Cook.

You know what? I'm with you on this, we were going nowhere last year and it really p's me off when I hear that crap from people like Robert Walls. It's becomes like some kind of urban myth. Yep and the same goes for the defence in general, they have no one to kick to and they are continually under pressure. Watts disposal efficiency was pretty good and Col Garland who a lot like to get stuck into was excellant plus his 1% a's were top notch, he gets a bad rap but is one of the few that is standing up. Rivers is another one that holds up pretty well, probably the best of the senior players. With the amount of ball coming in they are going to make mistakes and with the lack of work ethic up the ground I don't blame them.

Yes, and I totally agree with you. He is not the only one making these throw away lines, they point to issues and nudge, nudge, wink, wink, but no one is coming out and saying why the head is causing problems... I guess I'm thinking there is no smoke without fire. Where is the fire and who is causing it or is it all just a smoke screen?

It looked like it coming on the back of 2010 and moving into a really promising 2011. I did feel uneasy about that one though, the others no.

...and you think Malthouse would be interested in taking over from his mate, and besides take on a basket case that he clearly thinks have a lot of off field issues. If Caro is right then the board members really don't have the resolve required to run a football club and it's no wonder we are where we are. Maybe they have decided it's time to really address the issues from 2011 on and not look for one scapegoat.

It only hurts the club mate, and the club is it's members, you, me and everyone else on this forum.

The only mistake with the senior players was letting Jimmy Mac go, a huge mistake. The rest were past it. Was it all Bailey or were there other forces at work?

Sam will develop if he can string some games together, he has good pace and skills. He needs to keep his feet though, goes to ground too much. I've always found it's hard to run on your hands and knees.

diesel, I'm not sure it's the tail wagging the dog but I get your point. However, something is seriously wrong at the club that hasn't been fully addressed if addressed at all. Football people in the media including Malthouse, Watson and Pickering have all alluded to it without really putting anything on the table. Denham has pot shots and although many are cheap shots there is something behind them. The list is not that bad, it's not a premiership list but it's not that bad. We stalled in 2011 and in my opinion it is way too easy to blame Bailey for everything.

Would love to see Taggert in but he really is underdone and it would be unfair on the kid. Sometime over the next 4 to 6 weeks I would like to see Taggert, Sheahan, Davis and Cook getting a game. It's time to stop going back to the tried and true gunna's and prima donna's like Silvia and Moloney. I think Martin will come up next week and maybe Tappy but couldn't see anyone else at the moment oh yeah forgot Couch, he has worked hard to get a run and deserves it.

With you on this Macca, that they were allowed to sweep last year and 186 under the carpet at the AGM showed a club in denial as I've posted elsewhere. Until this is taken care of we are heading nowhere fast. Sorry Scarlett but the board only half acted after 186 and you could see by the performances under Viney that nothing had really changed, and this year well.... As Tim Watson said about the MFC recently, "the fish rots from the head", well the head is still there.

Tim Watson said about Melbourne a few weeks ago that "the fish rots from the head", I wish he would have followed up with an explaination which he declined to do. It was directed at the CEO, why are there whispers and little remarks here and there but no one comes out and says what they believe the issues are...Greg Denham. Discussion of last year and 186 were more than discouraged at the AGM, it was a club in denial. It needs to be addressed by the board and explained to the members because unless we can come clean it will continue to haunt the club. Clear out all those responsible, move on players who don't show the required commitment and get on with it asap.

MCG not the SCG, they struggle at the MCG but at home they are a whole different team and we haven't beaten them there since 2006 I think. Then again we haven't beaten many sides since then. I hope we can get up but don't really like our chances.

We have another one at Casey, Jai Sheahan who is an A grade kick playing in defence as part of his development. I think he will be a player, a tall who can play forward or back and has also been used in the ruck at TAC level.

It is a fascinating artlcle and seems they are looking to future seasons with this one setting the foundation and sorting out which players will be along for the journey.

...played them at the "G".

Unfortunately they didn't, an ex premiership player from another club of that era told me that he found the Melbourne players were arrogant and for the life of him he could never understand why. They had won nothing. Some players like Robbie Flower will be respected on an individual basis but respect for the club will only come with a premiership.

I wouldn't be happy to see us go after Cloke, particularly if the $1mill price tag is close to the mark. It's too big an investment in one player for a start and then there is our record of bringing big names to the club that whilst they may have played some good football, Big Carl & Peter Moore for example they certainly didn't bring the success we were looking for. Diamond Jim, Kelvin Templeton not so good. We need to grow our own, and maybe top up with a well thought out player or two that meets our needs, not necessarily a big name. In the past you really wouldn't back our football guys in the trade, draft, development triangle, hope we are better at it now. Clark is one that looks like it is working for us, maybe we have some good people in charge now.

Agree with pretty much all of your points. The Taggert one is interesting, I would consider the same thing about using him as the sub and suggested it in an earlier post. The only downside is that he didn't do a full pre season and missed the first month of footy. We may be asking a bit to much of him to come in underdone in his first game, this is where Misson and the coaching staff come in, they should know if he is ready. If he doesn't get a run I hope they are able to drop him back to the development team who are playing this weekend so at least he can get another game under his belt. I'm sure we will see him at some stage if not this weekend, we need kids who can get and kick a footy.

I know it is a bit of a storm in a tea cup, and lets see what we can find to hammer Melbourne with this week but it just wasn't a good look.

Yeah I know, but because it has been so long it should have been fixed by now. A bit of a chicken and the egg on the wins.

OK, nothing new there but it is a major problem for the club in my opinion. Docklands is not the answer though, the MCG is our home, it is the spiritual home of football and we should be in the precinct. Time for the board and the CEO to get off their a... and get control of the area around Gosh's and get a home. KIck everyone else out if we have to, where have the atheletes gone? we can't keep rolling over.

Yeah good point. He has really set himself up well outside of football, but the call of the game can sometimes draw you back in. James Hird is an example of that and even his ex coach who has a lot of outside interests. It certainly wouldn't hurt us to at least approach him. The influence he could have on our young mids like Trengove, Grimes, Taggert, McKenzie, Viney,and draft picks could be similar to when Ratten was at Melbourne and how he helped Scotty Thompson's development, pity we lost him.

Brown and Lynch worked pretty well, but I get your point with Brown and Clark.