Wells 11

Neeld as coach. A few pointers as to why it all went pear shaped. The worst process re finding a coach ( ie give to one person to decide) , the worst recommendation by a standing coach ( Malthouse who was after a legacy...he never deserved) . Given to the worst, most reluctant coach seeker ( Mr Lyon) and brought into a club that handled fall out between schwab and Bailey in the worst possible way. He was perhaps the worst possible communicator I have ever seen, using the worst game day tactics I can ever remember. We got what we deserved as a club when we bought in Neeld. And Essendon no doubt got what they deserved when they did the same. Its true he may have taken the wrap for a slew of crappy issues at the dees then same same at the bombers. I just cant seem to feel ANY sympathy for him whatsoever. ...and IMO the notion he "quit" mid season would be utter rubbish. Fall on your sword before we slay you with it. Lets hope he's the first domino to fall and the bombers can keep us all amused all season as sack woosha talks grow in volume.

I havent read the whole thread so apologies if Im re stating things here. Gerard was very pro us in the tanking saga I thought ( one of the very few) so he gets a big, long lasting tick from me. He was also one of the few who was trying to call the drug saga for what it was. Im a fan...I dont care what he or anyone thinks of us this season. I just want to be playing finals ...the rest will take care of itself!

I know, that bit still really gets under my skin even now. Also Watson handed back his brownlow. Except he didnt actually hand the thing back...never wanted to and only did so under pressure. Just so the AFL didnt have to "take" it off him. Which they should have done every day of the week. It all looked so different when were being hounded for the apparantly much more grevious sin of "tanking" I often wonder what would have happened , if instead of Essendon that club had been us, A club so many see as unimportant and without all the media chums that the druggies had. Neeld invited that idiot into our club also ...so we dodged a fatal bullet there by a few cm's only.

wow. Im shattered. Was hoping hed stay on for a few more years and be there when we pull in a flag. He's been so good for us. A CEO the likes of which we've never had, or not in the 45 years since Ive been following anyway. I guess it gives us time to get out [censored] together and bring in someone else who's of similar callibre. Still, Its a sad day. Much gratitude to him though for helping steer us out of the dark wood we were in.

His career was at the crossroads post his concussions and his value probably at an all time low. By all reports he worked his arse off over the summer and didnt miss a single session. His form is in direct correlation to his efforts over many MANY months and he is re establishing himself as a potential A grader. He's right to be waiting to re sign atm.

I get and agree with the crackdown on diving....and think its good for the game in general that they do. And lets face it...it did look like Jessie played this up a little so I guess it is what it is...but still it WAS a hit to the throat. And would still have been a free every day of the week. Ironically jessie got suspended for 2 weeks for a throat hit against the blues last year didnt he?

no doubt about it. But, given how well the last one went, the AFL are about as likely to open an investigation into that as fly to the moon! Maybe we can bring back Brock Mclean and he can say...that "everyone knew the cats were on drugs. We used to buy them off the geelong players after the game" Would it be wrong of me to hope for a situation like that? lol.

Without doubt one of the all time worst decisions. He probably would have won another the next year as scott did, and retired a multi premiership super coach AND premiership player. Obviously his stance on drugs has been questionable personally and proffessionally. There just HAS to be question marks over the cats flags now surely. Man the bombers really just keep digging their hole deeper and deeper. Feels good to be able to watch another teams train wreck instead of ours for a change.

Anyone having a small dejavu with the crows run of soft tissue injuries? It was the first sign all those years ago that the bombers were in fact drug cheats and that that was the cause of it. Surely no club could ever repeat that mistake?? But it IS interesting. I'll keep watching that space.

Im not sure it matters how well WE would play Jibroni. Im 57 and couldnt complete the warm up without fatiguing lol. But Oscar is turning into a super reliable player . His decision making and marking has gone through the roof. Shows you why its worth perservering with youth sometimes. Hoping Weid is in the same boat.

Somehow I doubt its just Gawns doing Dazzle. Its the way we are setting up in the middle and at stoppages. Something large is really not gelling. Jones, Petracca and Oliver are certainly good enough to win the ball. So either Maxxy IS hitting the ball to the wrong places OR the places we're asking him to hit it arent working/ are too obvious. Or a bit of both. I remember when Sandllands started breaking out with Freo and they had the same problem. The good thing is its SUCH an obvious problem Im sure the coaches are all over it. Its one of the big things Im looking forward to today to see if I can spot any changes in the set up.

Ive got a sinking feeling. But I hope Im wrong. I remember last year we had a game plan that could beat anyone if we were switched on and it was only the dumb one quarter lapses ( eg fremantle, the pies, the hawks etc ) that stopped us finishing probably top 4. This year it feels like we've fallen behind. Yes, our intensity is now more sustained but the way we play just isnt top 8. Not from what Ive seen so far. I hate to say it but I think the bombers are a better team...or the team with the bigger upside if they switch on. Anyway I'll have to go and have a long shower after saying that and wash my mouth out. Again...really hope Im wrong about all Im saying and that rocknroll is right! Im interstate but will be watching

I highly doubt that trash was coming from Dee supporters. It was most likely crows fans attacking his poorish form at the start of the season. Agree with all else though.

Well, the batch is 87 was the best Ive ever had...but you just cant get that stuff any more. It was as pure as you could ever taste. Then they were mixing it with god knows what in 2013 and I stopped buying it altogether for a while. Bad for your health. This batch has a nice initial lift but sort of peters out quite quickly and leaves you with a big low. Use with caution.

Good post. Im interstate and sometimes the game does look different at the ground. On the vision he didnt seem able to handle the slippery ball and made a lot of errors that were frustrating to watch...but its also true that richmond are the best high pressure team going around. He wasnt our worse but doesnt seem like he's making us too much better either.

Tiges are a top side but Im starting to think we're bottom 6. Gawn dominates the hit outs and we get consistently blown away at the centre bounces. Stretch isnt up to it, Weid isnt quite ready, outside run is missing. Only THREE goal kickers is a big indication of what's happening. Feeling depondent.

Boils down to whether we still have confidence in Goodwin..and I , for one, still do. We're just so close to being a really good team atm. Let him get the coaches box just as he wants it so he can think through the style he wants to play with support. He's our coach and , for now, weve got to give him what he needs. Macca seems like a great shaper of young players...maybe the best going around. But in terms of strategy and handling of the more experienced players I think he is down quite a few pegs. So, Im happy to have goody pulling the reins without interference. IF that is indeed what was happening!

6. Gawn 5. Petracca 4. Hogan 3. Jones 2. Bugg 1. Lewis (Apologies to Kent, Wagner, salem and Oliver)

thats a big limb your out there on DV8. Lets talk after the game and see which branch broke!

if we lose I think we're all going to be thinking dark thoughts this week. its one of these games that we just HAVE to win. As many have pointed out here......we lost to them twice last year and missed the finals on %. That trend of blowing games against weaker sides just has to be broken. If it isnt then...We might all come up and join you for the xxx and rum.

Im going to go out on a limb here and call a big dee victory. 80 points plus.

dare I say it.......as good / or not as Weid turns out to be we missed charlie curnow.

The way your talking about them makes them sound positively wonderful.I had a family member addicted to the pokies....and Im not talking about losing the odd 20 bucks on a Saturday night. BIG money goes into those things ..usually from the desperate and isolated...and in SO many cases ruins peoples lives and tears families apart. Ive seen it first hand...just being real. The dees are one of my big loves and I want them to prosper and succeed ....but personally Im glad we're getting sorted enough now to not do it using these god awful things. I felt so strongly about it I bought a North Melbourne membership when they took a stand...and I hate the roos lol. I also believe the noise about using them to support AFL clubs is only going to get louder and louder as the AFL tries to promote a "clean" image. Of course the AFL will always be covered in mud and their is hypocrisy is stupidly large, but as others have pointed out I think we're ahead of the game in terms of reading public opinion. Hoping we use the money to start a new home base and use THAT to make money.

Amazing that carey says " he doesnt duck" when he CLEARLY does in the segment shown. How can anyone see that clip ( and see this slice of it) and say he doesnt duck??? amazing. Hes been doing it his whole career and should never have been able t get away with it. I think the way they judge the greats ( and like it or not I guess he is one...just one that cheats) is different to the everyday player.

I thought your summasition of things was really good Webber. I too find the omission of Brayshaw and Tyson troubling for the reasons you outlined. I also have real difficulty seeing Maynard and Wagnar as superior choices.... no knocks on either as I thought both were servicable, but Tyson and Brayshaw can both be match winners. Brayshaw hadnt missed ONE pre season session and in his effort to keep that record intact had his wisdom teeth taken out later than he might have. So theres a real question mark there. The only thing I might add is that Lets not forget it was only round 1 and Geelong are a super well drilled team ( defensively and offensively) and finalist for the last 10 years so we were playing what I consider to be a settled top 4 side. When we worked harder to defend their short game in the 3rd and 4th quarters it no longer looked like the superior game style . It wasnt like we faded through all the effort , we were coming over the top of them.