Wells 11

Wondering how people feel about the constant barrage we get from the media here. . Constant joking about the clothes we're wearing, the holidays we take, the snow, the cars. Even when we're winning finals and our supporter base is CLEARLY as fired up and passionate as any in the league its STILL coming. Personally it always hurts me a little. The feeling behind the ribbing is that none of us care and Im sick of it. I get we're stuck with it, but the sense that melbourne supporters are spoilt tossers doesnt sit well well with me nor ever has. As as far as I know it we have suffered more than the average supporter.....and the fire burns in us every bit as deeply, if not deeper than the average supporter. fitzroy excluded. Maybe other people don't mind it as much as I do?

Anyone considered a possible repeat of 64? Dees and pies? So proud of the boys last night. No voice left today.

no team walks into a semi final overconfident. Not if the coaching is half decent. It’s all so new to this team I reckon they’re going to b so pumped. 2 weeks running of 90 plus crowds , a game style they trust, a coach they love, some outright guns and a work ethic only rivalled by the Tigers. Dees about to send a massive message to the hawks and whole competition. We are THE team to b feared.

Scully back? I have three responses. 1. please god no. 2. Lolol....No. 3. F@ck no! Mind you...It would almost be worth recruiting him to just so we could never pick him and make sure he finished his career as a good Casey player.

His positioning and decision making are excellent. But if u can, Ask him about his kicking. Is there any kind of training focus fr him re set shots and increasing penetration.

Well expressed. Everyone keeps saying we cant " break up the brotherhood" but one or two of Frost and Weed would be looking elsewhere if they cant see getting a regular game. the brotherhood involves those guys too right? Its up to us to choose which ones we keep and which ones we let go. As much as we'd like to keep them all its not going to happen. As a hypothetical to put out there. If Weed left over the summer ( just as he's emerging) and started starring elsewhere and then Jesse left when his contract ended at the end of next year to a mammoth once in a lifetime offer, how [censored] would we all be? . Personally as a club Id rather be in front of this story than behind it. Or...we try to hold both and play Jesse back as some are now suggesting. But will Jesse want that? What will that do to his contract worth? And we will then we have one of the highest paid players at the club ( who may be looking for an even bigger pay cheque next contract) at CHB..with Oscar, Lever, Frost?? Somethings gotta give folks. Just saying.

I now have 2 spare tkts in the ponsford stand ground level , available at cost. If anyone is interested PM me.

So happy to fully admit I was wrong with weid.Perhaps I was just too influenced by past players that never stepped up. Stoked fr him.. stoked fr the club. We do def have a strange set of problems fr next year though. Not only tmac, weid, hogan and possibly preuss. But also frost, Oscar and lever down the other end. Because surely now frosts value is widely seen. X factor. Surely we can’t plsy ALL these guys all at once. Fascinating to see how this pans out.

This ISNT the big game. The big game is in about 4 weeks

I’d forgotten how good johnstone could be. All class on his day.

Personally I’m hating this shite. Way too much hype... let’s let the footy do the talking. I want to enjoy winning the game (s) not reading the news. I sincerely hope we’re not getting distracted by this garbage., we finished 5th and almost missed the 8. That’s the truth of where we’re at... for now.

I feel like differentiating Neeld the man v Neeld the coach. As a man his disappointment must have been immense, coaching was his lifes ambition. He killed his own dreams as much as killed ours with his coaching style. He faced the truth of our recuiting policy that had gone before him...which was never going to make him popular. The club recovers but his aspirations never will. So, as many above have said , like him or not, he gave it his all and bled for our club along with us. It must have been a savage ride and I thank him...as I thank all ex dees for his contibutions and the time and strain he gave for us. That being said. Neeld the coach was a frikn abomination. He was weak when he needed to be strong ( apparantly following a directive to sack the leadership group on arrival....sooo wrong) and strong when he needed to be flexible ( the manner he appoached the players and the relationships he grew/ poisoned) his speeches to the players were atrocious, his game plan was dated anyway and built without reference to the players he actually had. On top of that he managed to alienate both the coaches AND the players with his autocratic ways from early on in his time here. His tenure remains the darkest years of my entire 46 year supporting history...and theres been some really crap years to run that against lol. The only good thing Neeld gave us imo was that he brought us absolutely and fully undone. He was great at that. From THAT place PJ and PR arrived and today we are a destination club, finals coming, a possible new home base and seen by many as having the best young list in the comp. I hated the death and that whole humiliating time he was at the helm...but Im def enjoying the rebirth! Perhaps today could never be reached without that kind of black yesterday.

How about the favorite questions we'd like Mike to ask him? Ive got a few. 1. Do you think sacking the ENTIRE leadership group in your first pre season was wise for a rookie coach ? 2. Do you think your complete and almost total lack of emotional skills in any way impacted your capacity to inspire? 3. In hindsight, given you were the worst coach in living memory, do you think you were merely part of Mick Malthouses grand attempt to shore up his own reputation by recommending you as one of his assistants. 4. What do you make of the fact that the bombers suddenly started winning when you left? 5. Are you in fact really just an undercover Collingwood operative..sent to rival teams to destroy them?

Dont mean to bring a negative vibe to all this positivity. But honestly Id rather the players just keep all this stuff to themselves until the finals are finished. feel like we're leaking a bit...spirt of Bernie, spirit of Jimmy, the brotherhood, etc etc. Maybe its just me but if this kind of stuff was coming out of Geelong, so far out form the game, I reckon id be smiling as it may well be playing into our hands. Feels like we're going too early. Lets save this kind of stuff to after the GF when we're explaining how we did it. Until then.. "We're proud tp be here but geelong are a great side, we know what we're facing etc etc etc.

O’dwyer is often forgotten now but he was a great one two combo with Stynes 87-90. Think he even won our b&f in our grand final year of 88 . He got suspended before the debacle v Hawks.

I don’t think anyone is doubting the importance of top 6 fifty five... but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In the heat of finals, especially a GF, mistakes are enormously costly. ..

I think that’s the point isn’t it and it seems like it’s the reason he’s leaving the Roos. However to play devils advocate perhaps it’s not the only reason. Maybe given what the Roos are paying or offering Polec/ Gaff etc they just aren’t paying him well. Maybe the dees see his importance in a larger way and he gets a decent pay rise to come to us...and he might rather be second string in a successful club? I’d be wrapt if he came to us and don’t doubt he’d get his share of games either.

think he has a big future and agree with you but not this part. His vision and skills seem ok. His strength ( especially kicking) and tank need serious upgrade. Looking forward to seeing him with a second pre season into him.

the crows...a good first club to be at.... to start your career.

Easy to laugh at them. Bar a players revolt, Seems we were close to going down a similar pathway.

Don’t mean to alarm anyone but I feel we need to also consider what we do if JV doesn’t come up... ie he starts to get sore ramping up has training. No one wants him to risk his career, so we have to have a contingency plan.

Brayshaw also missed 3 in a row and gawd help us if Oscar ever has to take an important shot. No frikn idea. Even tmac spraying them. Brayshaw Just slotted a cpl and Jones kicking super straight now.

Let’s enjoy the moment while it’s here. We can remember for a brief second we’re all in the same tortured demon family. I honestly doubt we can get there this year but how good is it to be in the hunt for the big one in a genuine way?!! The fuse has been lit. We take GWS today. Big massively pro dee crowd ... players pumped. Dees by 6 goals.

Unfortunately and sad to say it but I do think it’s a good thing. Free agency is skewing things waaay in favour of top teams. I say unfortunately as we have finally emerged from the swamp and for the first time since FA started are in a position to benefit from it. We did it the hardest way with no frikn help and a fair share of shaming for even asking for it. And now we aren’t going to reap the same benefits of as those that went before us. Ie Geelong, whorethorn... both of who just kept using FA to stay at the top. Effectively getting an a grader every year as well as their draft pick. When it was us at the bottom “ Melb are a basket case...let them stay there” when it’s carlton different story. But mainly this is about rehabbing their problem child in GC isn’t it? At least the changes are a couple of drafts away so we get a small break.

I agree re his kicking. It’s sometimes exceptional and sometimes v average. Eg his goal kicking. Also I still see him slipping over or fumbling at critical times....and sense a mind set in him that , in the main, isn’t quite owning the moments . At least not in ways I sense he could. I feel Like he hasn’t quite taken the next step up mentally. I also agree he’s excellent in close... but I don’t see him as explosive. He doesn’t have that much real pace imo. Not slow, but I don’t see explosive. Degoey, martin, Garlett are a few “explosive” players that come to mind.