Wells 11

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.

Im not sure if Im for it or against. Depends what his long term intentions are. ie will he choose to stay if Kennedy cant get fit and finishes up for example. Or he gets a monster offer from Freo. But its HIGHLY unlikely we will get to hang on to Wiedeman much longer if he isnt getting a game. So...perhaps its going to have to be a choice. Would suck to lose both of them in the next few years. Im not yet quite a Weid believer but for those that are...this has to be a part of the conversation. Lets see how weid goes in this next chapter ...of how ever many weeks. If he kicks 4 in a winning grand final the answer might be clearer ?

18.40 into the podcast on the 20th. I can’t post it as it’s protected. Pretty low I thought. To be clear What she said re statue was “ he deserves it as a player but not as a president” after saying what we did was as bad comparable to EFC.

Really sad. Was such an inspirational player. A living testimony to the culture of the eagles at the time. Yes Ben is responsible for his own life but so many people in power over there also have a hand in his current state. He was Captain of an AFL premiership side FFS. So sad. In a related topic..Caro ( dont we love her) in the age podcast yesterday said that what Melb did re tanking was " as bad as what EFC did" and it bothered her to see Jimmys statue outside the G. I wanted to explode. When I heard the cousins story today and thought about drugs in sport in general I couldnt help but reflect on the stupidty of her comments,. Why am I even surprised though?!

As good as 87 was, Robbie was past his best by then but, even so, still outstanding. No point comparing apples and oranges though. Robbie was imo peerless as a wingman...the best player Ive ever seen play the game. Still annoyed that the kangas Keith Greig won his two brownlows from the wing in Robbies era. The advantages of being in a winning team I guess. Oliver is something super special. I dont know if we've ever really had a player like him at the Dees in my time. I do know, and this is similar to Robbie , watching him play I constantly wonder " what happened?" or " how did he DO that?" When I watch replays I slow down some of his bits to try to understand. So that bit at the moment is def the same. Sometimes its just hard to believe what he does.

Agreed. It’s a big statement fr someone so early in his career but I reckon He is to clearance players what flower was to wingmen or Schwartz was to centre half forwards. Different level to mere mortals.

Lol... fair enough. Happy to eat a little crow but not the whole bird. Yet. def saw some really good signs, especially in the first half. To be clear . I’d love him to be the gun so many think he will be...but Sunday’s game didn’t quite have me fully changing camps. Yet.

Yep agreed. I think we got lucky a cpl of times and they got lucky a couple times. Feel the umps, all in all, we’re pretty good and did well to resist the crowd.

87 all over again! Think we may be about to find a whole new gear.

I want to agree with you but I dont think so. Playing finals is a massive tick for the club and winning a final even better. the only way we ( or anyone imo) get close is if the Tiges get some injuries to key players. I just Dont think we're in the tigers class or even the pies tbh. Need a big recruit over the summer and a fit Viney, lever and Hogan back in the side. .

A bit bleak but its how Im feeling! Leonard cohen. the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFjVWYgSFcQ

Its the truth. Probably an uncomfortable one but imo its accurate. Yes, we've improved and yes, we could/ should also have had about 4 more wins this year and be comfortably in the top 4 and eyeing off a flag. But.... we're not. if it happens, missing the finals WILL add enormous pressure to the group and onto Goodwin...and it should. Near enough, almost, unlucky, young or "still developing" have no currency from here on in. Its time our boys were men.