Ted Lasso

Dunn to me is like Tyson goldsack in a poor team, his kicking would be a nice bit of icing on the cake for a top side but we lack some other qualities that allow him to play like that

So glad he is getting on board, hopefully he can sort the mess out

I'll be tipping us to win either way, might be wrong but that's fine.

We had a couple of bad games, that has dinted our percentage a fair bit, can't be ignored but i am more concerned with where we are now. it's not that we and everyone else is kicking bigger scores, it's that we are doing it without out best forwards or best forward set up, to me that says we have room to improve further in this area and when you combine that with a better midfield possibly next year we are heading on the right track.

Last year we scored over 100 twice 135 against GWS with clark and rivers each kicking 4 goals 108 against GCS with brad green kicking 5 goals our highest score against a non expansion team was 84 So far in 2013 we have scored 83 and 94 against non expansion teams and 144 against GWS without a power forward dominating this would suggest our offence has improved significantly. the fact we had a bad first two rounds and a bad third quarter against west coast costs us stats which provide the numbers you have posted but don't really reflect any of the improvement i have just shown.

Improvement is there, and winning the ball out of the middle will add to that, i don't think we are out of the woods by a long shot, but with so much doom and gloom around it's nice to look at one thing and say that could definitely take us somewhere.

Perhaps, but i'd rather be positive about things.

I admire the amount of logic behind going to one of the only positive threads and posting negative comments, i don't see how scoring around 100 points in games without our big forwards kicking goals is anything but a positive regardless of the opposition, I understand being a demons supporter can be tough, but things like this only make it tougher.

We know our issue is our midfield, Magner and couch are mature bodies who if nothing else will provide support to Jones and co which is a good thing, the biggest thing to work on this year is stopping teams running through the middle so easily, and getting rid of this zone, Neeld wants our young defence to learn how to play, lets go one on one and teach them, wins and losses aren't as important as setting in place the right habbits and structures, Odds are Neeld won't be our coach next year, the bonus being that these positive things will remain, fix up the zone and stop the ball moving forward as easy and the wheel starts turning, add to our midfield and get our forwards on the park and it keeps turning and then build the confidence in our guys like grimes, trengove, toumpas, viney and see them become elite level players all this can happen in 2/3 years

I just hope we can find more reasons to be positive, the thought of coming through all this crap and winning a flag down the track always puts a smile on my face, if it will happen i don't know for sure but obviously i believe we are in with a chance

Don't care what rules are in play, to score around the 100 mark without your main forwards having any sort of impact and getting smashed out of the middle is a huge positive

Couch and magner might well be a big midfield boost for us, with watts, clark is down so i think we should play him at CHF for the next 8 weeks, it's his natural position and see how he goes, the big fellas need time so back him in for the next 8 weeks, and if he fails we look at our options at the end of the year, we might get a first round pick for him and be able to get another good mid

Dead right, and that can be the fault of the coach in terms of set up, lack of fitness, lack of experience knowing where to be and what to be doing, i am inclined to think it's possibly abit of all of those the big positive is, 3-4 years down the track, Trengove, grimes, jones, howe, clark, dawes, hogan, frawley, mcdonald, toumpas, viney and whoever i have missed plus no doubt more draft picks and people we gain from trades and free agency will all be in their prime and we again in theory could have a real crack at a flag

Really nice to see a bit of passion out there! I really hope Sylvia stays with us, i think we are now capable of getting his best football out of him

I agree, i can't understand those people who say we are 10 years off being good, the wheel is going to turn very quickly for us i think.

First thread i have started so see how it goes, One thing i have been really impressed with in the last two rounds in particular is we are kicking good scores, for a team that is getting belted out of the middle basically every game, and the last two clark has kicked one goal and dawes has not played, to score 94 and 144 points in these games shows we have good options up forward and we can score that much without winning the ball out of the middle, against poor sides sure but we also scored 83 against west coast. To me this says we are on the way to being a good team, if we recruit a couple of mids, start getting first hands on the ball, get the confidence up, the pressure comes off the defence which i think is quite solid, and we should in theory be quite a good team. winning clearances with clark, dawes and hogan up forward next season and we might well be able to do something similar to what port power are doing this year. if Mark Neeld is coach or not i think we may find we are nowhere near as far off as our on field performances are suggesting. Thoughts?

Watts and dawes up forward won't be too bad, just hope the big fella is alright!

Alot of the midfielders seem to have lost pace and as a result they are rushed alot of the time, possible the hard pre season program is just going to take it's toll for a year or two until we get up to scratch?

Are you sure you're a Melbourne supporter? he was a great player for us, gambling is an addiction not something you can just flick the off switch on and he was very strong to overcome that, inspiration or not, your club is in a hole, this bloke could and has offered to help the club so i don't really understand your objection.

Lets say we get pick 2, IF we were going to entertain trading it, they would have to offer someone like a Nat fyfe or rory sloan for me, which they won't, Gaff would be a great get, but if he wants to come to Melbourne, west coast could be pushed down to a second round pick rather than get nothing for him, I think Free agency will see alot more compromise in the trading scene

Would it really be the worst thing for Mark Neeld to say to Jack Trengove, " Look mate, we think you can be an elite midfielder of this comp but are starting to be concerned the captaincy may be weighing on you, how would you feel about being part of the leadership group and having our blessing to focus 100% on becoming the best possible footballer? " if he wants to be captain that's fine, the worst scenario would be that he feels he has to be. Keeping in mind my preference is he remains captain, i think if he had the last two full pre seasons he'd be the player we all want him to be and he wills till get there just in time to see us rise up the ladder.

One line he uses that i absolutely love and has me sold that he should be involved in some way is -" i will do whatever it takes, i just want to help" lets be honest, fixing the Melbourne football club is going to take a long time, it's going to require hard decisions, honest people and the comps most loyal supporters the ox will provide those things, Not so bothered about Mark Neelds feelings at this point, i like him as a coach, he is very methodical believes in structures and setting high standards which we need, unfortunately i feel that there is something he is missing, not sure what that is, and unfortunately i think that will cost him his job, and that he knows as well as the ox that if he doesn't pull off something special he won't be there next year. 3-4 wins against expansion teams won't and shouldn't be enough i don't think. Having said that there is no way the ox should be senior coach next year either!

You have a good point about Craig, so perhaps a different role, my preference would be to have Williams as coach, but that's just me I think brett kirk would bring that brotherhood, if that would be the correct word, from sydney and really give the players a midfield mentor who commands the respect of the people around him, I have been fortunate enough to meet Brett and i can't speak highly enough of him. The players need someone to inspire them, Mark Neeld is a big fan of the reality bus and that's great but you never hear guy mckenna or Kevin Sheedy saying we can't win because we are younger, to me that's totally the wrong message and the players and coaches should believe they can win every game they play

i think realistically if we are going to persist with Neeld we should consider spending the money to get choco williams to come over as a head of player development coach, let's not leave any more of our high draft picks to under develop as they seem to be doing, consider trying to appoint cameron ling or brett kirk as a midfield coach ( two blokes from the two best cultures in the competition ) they will quickly identify the differences and work to fix this David Misson i trust to know what he is doing in terms of the fitness side of things, has been involved in good teams, knows what it takes and has done wonder for our injury list Target an elite midfielder plain and simple we need at least 1 quality midfielder this trade period Be honest and open with the fans, we are struggling and it's hard for everyone but i don't believe our chance to have a successful period like Geelong or Sydney with this group is gone if we work things out now.

This is someone we need at the club in an official capacity, bleeds red and blue, very honest and passionate, all the things the Melbourne football club should but sadly doesn't currently stand for.