astrodee

Whelan, Carroll, PJ Bell, Rivers, Ward Wheatley Jones Bate Pickett Miller Bruce Davey Green Dunn White Moloney MacDonald Newton Jamar Petterd Buckley

No. I've been assaulted on the footy field and given out a few - got suspended for 8 weeks once. You are trivialising this with your innanities. I have absolutely no doubt that if he's found guilty he'll cop a heavy sanction. And so he should. Do YOU have a daughter?

It appears that O'Donnell wants to be an administrator. What about Sheedy, Pagan or Malthouse if any of them are available? Not as silly as it sounds. None of them tolerate mental softness.

What do you mean - support them? I turn up every bloody game, pay my membership every year, barrack with everything I've got, watch the replay to make sure I've seen the game when not suffused with anger, needle opposition supporters, and all I ask is that every player give everything that they have every minute of every game. My money goes towards their massive salaries, and I expect 100% effort - no more, no less.

What I meant was if he said it he should...

I've played senior country footy, U19's, and TFL, and said and heard cracks about mothers and sisters etc. I also have daughters. This was a crude and beyond the pale statement about a criminal act - paedophilia - to a 6 year old girl, and those of you who think a line hasn't been crossed are totally unaware, and you should have a long, hard look at yourselves. I've got into fights at AFL games with other spectators who've made racist remarks about players, a former president of our club etc. What Selwood said, if true, rates equally with racism - and should not be tolerated. He should receive counselling and be heavily sanctioned.

If it's true - and I hope it's not - it might explain the way he's played this year. Unless he's just done it. Oh well, if he does have one we'll really have to play some kiids.

I, too, will be there again. I had a 'feeling' we'd beat Geelong. We didn't. I'm sure I'll be yelled at again at the game by demon supporters for daring to once again criticize ND, the lack of brains trust, effort, game plan, leadership, skill, etc. I'll still turn up full of eternal hope - only to see it dashed yet again. As it has been for the last 43 years. But what the hell, unlike most of you, I've seen this club win premierships and actually have a winning culture. Yes - I know it's hard to believe - but this club once had a winning culture. That was before it thought that mediocrity should be forever rewarded. In the days when the players played for the jumper and each other - and actually had some pride in themselves as a TEAM. When the board (as vile as it was) expected results - and not just hoped for survival. When supporters wouldn't settle for the players just turning up. And so on. :angry:

I have been watching Melbourne play since 1957. I've had the privilege of watching them win four premierships. I have seen some truly terrible demon teams - with little to no ability (RDB described the 1981 side as the worst football team he had ever seen), with poor attitudes, winning only 1 game in a season - but I haven't seen too many with the softness of far too many in this team. The list, even with all the injuries that we have, is far more talented than our full list was in the late 70's and early 80's, yet has 1/2 the desire and the toughness they had, and some of them were pretty poor. Apart from young blokes like Jones, Bell, Bate (lots of mistakes, down on confidence, but never stopped trying), Miller (who, if he had 3 metre long arms would have marked all the passes aimed at him), Moloney, PJ (who with only a handful of games in 4 years at 2 clubs has the experience of an 18yo, but keeps running and trying), and very few older blokes,most of whom don't have much talent, the team thinks that running at 95% will do. Our so called leaders don't have the faintest idea of what it takes to lead and inspire others. To be a leader at this club just means having the appropriate empty rhetoric and length of service. It doesn't actually involve setting an example on the field, rallying the troops, telling a teammate he's about to be tackled etc, etc. Add to that a coach who is bereft of ideas or inspiration, and who at his best is merely mediocre (which for far too long has been rewarded at this club), and it makes a pretty depressing picture. The pre-season gave the warning, and round 1 the reality of where this club is at. Then injuries happened - at last, an excuse. Last year when injuries struck Adelaide, Essendon, Brisbane and the Bulldogs (only mildly), their coaches just said - well that gives us a chance to play our kids - and see how good they are. Mr. lack of imagination prefers the tried and failed. Kids mightn't be up to it now, but with 30-50 games under their belts they become experienced young players, just like we had in the 50's. Kids in 1953/4, premiers in 1955-7. Brisbane - kids in 1998/9, ptemiers 2001-03. Essendon in 1991 (1993). I honestly just wish I had chosen better in 1957. This club has a losing culture - where close enough is good enough, and mediocrity is well rewarded. When Norm Smith was sacked in 1965, the spirit left this club. It has merely flickered on accasions since.

And hallelujah!

I have been one of his harshest critics for some years now, but he should still be allowed to serve out his contract. He has done his best and has spruiked hard for the club. It's just a shame he's a mediocre coach.

Watched every game he played. And it was persistent groin injuries that undid him. He was more a KPP than a ruckman, despite his height. And looking at the ruck coaches around the league @ the mo, not one has played less than 100 games in the ruck at the required level. Rucking is a skill picked up over many years of playing in the position. Although a little bloke (HFF), I played over 150 VCFL and TFL games and always marvelled at how ruckmen just kept getting better when they gor into their late 20's and early 30's with heaps of experience. I am friendly with a bloke who played over 200 VFL games as a ruckman, and has ruck coached at 4 clubs - good experienced ruck coaches make a big difference. Sammy spent almost a day a week with our rucks last year. He was 300 gamer who was a very smart ruckman in his day. Prior to him I think Darren Flanagan (ex Geelong) was our ruck coach. It appears to me that our rucks have gone backwards so far this year. We dont have many $, I know, but a good ruck coach is essential when 3 ruckmen (including rookie) are as inexperienced as ours are.

No typo. Leigh 'Juice' Newton is, by his own admission (brave man) coaching our rucks as well as being the club's media manager. It was in the papers last week (or the week before). He played about 13 games before the dreaded OP (or some other permanent groin injury) ended his career. IMHO he could have been anything - except an AFL ruck coach.

This club loves to protect a losing position rather than risk the chance to gain a winning one. Like much in life in order to go forward and gain you have to move out of your comfort zone. Unfortuantely it seems the comfort zone for the MFC is to finish outside the four in the nowheres ..and end up with nothing !! but hey..its nice and comfy !!

Agreed BB, but they played with the expectation that they'd do well. So even with our top goalkickers missing the rest may play as if they have nothing to lose - and when that happens ...

Jamar is 23 years old, and came off the rookie list. Ruckman take time to develop. Until into last season, he had very little AFL game time. Apart from Newman last year, he has had very little GOOD ruck coaching. Juice Newton is currently coaching our rucks - although he looked highly promising in his 13 (?) games, that hardly qualifies him as an AFL ruck coach. And it's showing on the field with all our rucks. Daniher obviously doesn't have real faith in many of the kids - selects them late, gives them little field time when he does (barring a few notable exceptions), usually drops them quickly unless they are very impressive early (or,of course, they become favourites). Kills their confidence. But he continues to give Gogfrey games - yes he's all heart, but he only shines when 15 players play badly; other teams isolate him - encouraging his teammates to give him the ball so that he can continue his 30.4% clanger kick rate and his 29% clanger handballs (2006 stats) - so with 13.7 average disposals, only about 9 were hitting targets. Gee, that's better than playing a kid. I would prefer to head into tomorrow, than keep repeating yesterday. Not so our glorious rev.

Absolutely right. And been at Sandy for most of the year. Malthouse, Sheedy, Pagan, Williams and Matthews only have 13 premierships between them and are all going with their kids. What would they know about winning teams? Genius "decade" Daniher, with none, prefers the likes of Godfrey, Ward, Brown, Holland et al. Playing kids is 'giving up' is it? Well then - all those premiership coaches have just given up.

This is the sort of game that we occasionally win - down on form, missing many key players, absolutely no expectations, all the tipsters against them: perfect conditions for a mentally soft team to shine.

Yep that win in WA in '98 was magnificent, and showed the value of taking risks. That was the rev's 1st year, and he wasn't as scared. His contract wasn't up that year.

Win, lose or draw on Sunday, the so-called coach is not coaching for the future. No flair, no imagination, no faith in his kids. And no future at this club. And they want more people as members. People (other than we morons who sign on year after year) join in anticipation of the excitement and flair. Why is it that we forever sit near the bottom of the membership ladder? The last time we introduced a whole lot of kids at once was 2000, the only really great year the rev's had. And he didn't learn from it.

Get rid of him. I've been saying it for 5 years. GET RID OF HIM!!!!

Get rid of him. I've been saying it for 5 years. GET RID OF HIM!!!!

Why is anyone surprised? ND has always done this - HE's a tried, tested, and FAILED coach, so he picks tried, tested and FAILED players. My daughter has just joined the club (twice, she says - the 1st & last) but will go shopping rather than watch a has been coach (although I reckon he's a never was) play players who are "old & slow" rather than the youngsters she joined the club to watch!

I like Bell's run, determination, fierceness and kicking. I still worry about his decision-making, but he does seem to be improving. I'd like to see him play more side by side with his opponent, and then run off him more. But I have no doubt he will be a very good ordinary footballer for a long time - barring injury.

All except Warnock, Occo. 2 of Newton, Garland or PJ on the forward line. I really liked Garland's work before he got knocked on Saturday. But Bizz at FF - please, no.