Straight Sets Simon

Shane Valenti to be the next Scott West.

I can't play sorry due to work commitments.

As a Captain and his attitude towards the game.

Daniel Vettori is my favourite player from any side in the world. He's a great bowler, solid batsmen and seems to have a great attitude towards the game. He puts Ponting to shame IMO.

Have you seen the Herald Sun lately?

I will do, thanks.

I would have loved to have been able to get the the summit. I still like the idea of targeting Snickers as a major sponsor, especially if the 'Demons' are well and truly brought back. My concept here.

Again, it's about creating a culture and not making excuses or setting standards so low that even crap results are acceptable.

Stynes said it in an interview on 3AW (I think?) a few days ago.

Stynes, Connolly and Bailey have all said that, or words to that effect.

In terms of "telling it like it is" as everyone keeps going on about, there's a difference between saying "we won't make the finals next year" and "we have a young, inexperienced side that may struggle at times, but our aim is to still make the finals and win the flag".

I just hope that Melbourne actually puts players in the forward line next year.

The bit on bold a few posts up.

All of it, because you've misinterpreted it.

Re-read the opening post.

Pretty much spot on from my point of view.

The whole point of this thread is about trying to create a winning culture. Where mediocrity is not accepted, nor is it expected no matter how bad things seem.

I never said that it's about saying the team is a chance. It's about making the club's intentions clear that no matter crap things seem, their aim each and every year is to win the Premiership. Behind closed doors they know and we know that the chance is tiny, but it's still a chance. Why should I go and watch a team run around if the club itself has stated that they are essentially just making up the numbers? I want to see a team go out and no matter what play as if there's five minutes to go in the Grand Final and they are two goals down. I don't want to see the complete and utter crap that we have been given over the past two seasons.

It's a shame because as a player I rated him. However, it's not just about how good you are on the field these days.

It's accepting mediocrity because if in the future Melbourne don't improve by much then the club can say "Oh well, we didn't expect much anyway". When really we should demand the best week in week out. The best may not always be a win, but it is rather the best that the 22 players selected that week can perform to. How can we expect to see this when the coaches and President are saying that they are not expecting the team to perform? Why would I bother going to watch Melbourne play if I know they are not expecting to play well? At least if I know that their aim is to win the flag this year then I might have some hope of getting some entertainment out of the game win, lose or draw because the bar hasn't been lowered so much that they just have to fall over to achieve it. Lower your expectations and you won't be disappointed. EDIT: Sorry for my overuse of the word "expect".

When Neale Daniher left the MFC last year there was much talk about the MFC no longer "accepting mediocrity", whether it be through making excuses after games or the continued selection of under performing senior players. Whilst Stynes, Bailey and Connolly have in some ways improved in this area (greater focus of youth and transparency with members and supporters) I am still extremely worried about the some of the public comments made by these senior officials. What worries me is that this accepting of mediocrity still does and will continue with all this talk of "Premiership windows" and "Premiership clocks". That is, by stating that Melbourne won't play finals next year (or even the year after) as has been said (or words to that effect) by Bailey, Connolly and Stynes the club is already raising the white flag. Now, if in one or two years time the team shows little or no improvement, these senior officials can turn around and say that they weren't expecting the team to perform so therefore they can bear little responsibility. This to me is accepting mediocrity. It's setting your standards low so you won't be disappointed if the team doesn't perform. I'm not suggesting that anyone from the club does a Brad Green states that the team will play finals next year, however it should be their public policy to state the in 2009 the Melbourne Football Club are aiming to win the AFL Premiership. Yes, it is highly unlikely that the MFC will win the flag in 2009, 2010 or 2011 but it doesn't mean that it still isn't their aim. Any talk of windows and clocks should be kept behind closed doors and away from the public. In a time when the MFC needs all the members and supporters at games they can get, publicly stating that the club won't win matches next year is the biggest of all turn-offs. Not all of us have the time, money or patience to go and watch a team play uninspiring, boring and tedious football that has subsequently resulted in many thrashings in recent times. There are supporters out there who through sympathy alone will buy their memberships and go to games to watch the financially stricken team get flogged each week, but most supporters won't. We go to the football to be entertained, because we enjoy watching this team play the greatest game on Earth. They are athletes and entertainers and seeing Melbourne win is some of the greatest entertainment for us all. We can still however, be entertained even if they lose so long as we can see that the very best of the 22 players in red and blue was on display. That was not always the case this year. I'm not questioning the desire of the players to win each week, or the coaching staff for that matter. I am however questioning the setting of low expectations and the creation of a losing culture that accepts mediocrity. We, as supporters and members need some hope and some belief that no matter what, we will be entertained and we will enjoy going to watch the Demons play Australian Rules Football each and every week.

I'm fairly sure you completely missed the point of RR's post.

FB: Whelan Warnock Martin HB: Petterd Rivers Garland C: Morton Moloney Green HF: Sylvia Miller Davey FF: Wonaeamirri Robertson Maric Foll: PJ McLean Valenti Int: Jones Buckley Bate Bruce Emergency: Bell Grimes Newton If the team had to have two ruckmen I would throw Jamar in there. EDIT: I keep forgetting McDonald.

I want McLean to be the next captain but not because of anything he has said.

Does anyone know what days Melbourne are training there this week? I think I might have to head down to have a look.