tallstuey

The only thing stupid about the thread Tess is the people who don't have the mental capacity to think deeper than the words on the screen in front of them! I did not propose that we sack Bailey. He is and will be a good coach. However, clearly there is a cultural discipline problem at the club (not to mention too many players who lack a killer instinct and REAL passion) which are the sorts of issues that are often handled best by an experienced campaigner - a coach who demands respect and tenacity by virtue of the years he has put in to the game and also the (premiership) results he has extracted from it. My question (to the intelligent members out there) asks would our players have played with a superior intensity for a living legend like Kevin Sheedy thus producing a better result than a 104 point loss! Personally I think they would have but I do not necessarily believe he was a long term coaching option for the Dees. Still, it is our 150th year!

Melbourne apparently did not lose a game by 100 points plus in the entire 10 years Daners was coach. I pose the question for discussion, would we have lost by 104 points on Sunday if Sheeds had been coaching us?

Hi folks, I need someones help to clarify something I heard on SEN thismorning just before the 6.30 am news. Tim Watson said that Paul McNamee was on the short list (down to the last five) of applicants for an important CEO job. More after the 6.30 news and......no more said (I hate that). 1) Has anyone else heard or read anything about this? I can't find anything in the papers. 2) Were they referring to the Melbourne CEO position I wonder? Any further input gratefully accepted as Paul handles himself very well and would be a great asset to the club if true. cheers Tallstuey

For your interest

Hi fellas, Lance Whitnall is considering entering the pre- season draft after just being sacked by the blues. He is 192 cm, 100kg (give or take 20!), a former all Australian and turned 28 years of age in August this year. In outlining the following pros and cons,could we use him? 1) We now have an under 23 policy 2) He has leadership potential 3) We need big bodies down the spine (back and forward) 4) He could provide an on field mentoring role for the likes of Newton if Neitzy finishes soon. What pick do we have in the pres season draft? Given that I doubt there will be a rush of clubs for him, would he be a handy pickup for say two years on a fairly moderate package? Didn't we pursue him last year? I would be interested in peoples thoughts and some constructive debate.

Diablo, What a lot of CRAP! 1) The best decision is not always a hard decision. You do not have to make hard decisions to progress -you simply need to make the BEST decision and IMO, (and I am not the only one) Jonno off a half back flank as Dean Bailey himself promised to Trapper a few weeks ago, would have been a win. There are many ways to skin a cat. 2) Daniel Bell to date has been a fair footballer but done nothing (yet) to make me think he was anywhere near pick 14. 3) When a club is accessing financial assistance from the league as we are, us subsidising him to play for another club is incomprehensible. Furthermore, the $200k balance that we have "benefited" from wouldn't pay for Adam Yze's cousins neice in Shep, yet alone a quality footballer. 4) As for Jolly, Armstrong, Thompson etc, premiership clubs are partly measured by the quality of their weakest link (player). Clearly some of these boys played at a standard good enough to help these clubs win or play in grand finals. Why the hell do we move them on or allow them to leave when WE FAIL THEM by not developing them adequately? 5) Craig Cameron is the one constant through all of these decisions. While he has been wonderful for our club, who has been evaluating his performance more recently? There is a trend of consistently strange decisions developing. 6) Mincing you say? Supporting your club or any other body is not just about agreeing with everything they do or say. Vigorous debate and occasionally criticism is absolutely necessary to keep us all focused and accountable. My passion for the red and blue runs as deep as anyones but as a paid up member, I prefer to speak up, as is my right, rather than just insipidly nodding and agreeing like you Diablo.

:angry: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...5012432,00.html While I understand Travis was a "high maintenance" player, people are not robotic and it is surely incumbant upon the coaching staff to be "handlers of men". (ALL PERSONALITY TYPES) Travis was the ONLY player in our team who could hit a target up forward and now we may be paying half of his salary to deliver the ball lace out to Jonathan Brown. (see this article) In the tradition of Jolly and Armstrong, hold your breath folks as we prepare to watch another Melbourne player bask in premiership glory with another club. signed Angry, Frustrated and Bloody Had Enough

The cats 119 point grand final victory over Port today has relieved us of one record we never wanted to own. In 1998, the hawks beat us by 96 points so that we had the unfortunate title of the owners of biggest ever losers in a grand final. Thanks catters. In a strange reversal of roles, the [censored] really "licked them"!!!

If the cats win this Saturday, they could receive the following 5 major awards in the one season. The premiership The minor premiership The Brownlow The NAB rising star The VFL premiership. This would be an exceptional performance (probably unequalled) and they should be congratulated. They have shown incredible patience and perseverence over the last 5-7 years with Bomber and his team and the foresight and planning to do this is monumental. They took Ottens when he was a huge risk and let Moloney go (when they didn't want to) and yet look at their list. Two questions. 1) Who is their recruiting manager? 2) Does Melbourne possess the ability to construct AND implement such a plan to achieve an even remotely similar outcome?

With todays confirmation that Carlton have secured the services of our caretaker coach Mark Riley, we have now lost a SIGNIFICANT amount of player and coaching knowledge (that relates specifically to our team) at the top end. Daniher, Fagan and now Riley have all departed. Mark Riley had another year of his contract to run. What is the point in having contracts if we do not enforce them. I understand it would have been difficult for Mark to spend 12 more months in an assistant role when he had been a stand in coach but at the end of the day, that is what he was hired to do and would have done if Neale had remained until the season's end. His knowledge would have been invaluable for Dean Bailey during a one year crossover or transition period. I am a little angry at the MFC for allowing him to step away from his commitments and unless there are special circumstances we don't know about, I ask the club to "PLEASE EXPLAIN" - HONESTLY and issue a press release or e-mail to members.

Are you all mad! Robbo is worth plenty to the club in many many ways. 1)He is a very useful second or third target up forward. Great marking skills. 2) No forward pocket or flanker kicks bags each week. He does a sensational job of getting a couple most games with bags quite often through the season and I think 30-50 goals is very very handy. 3) He has carried an unstable knee joint problem this year and to have played at all is remarkeble. 4) He can play key position if we really need him to should we loose a tall forward. 5) He is very quick and skilled at ground level. 6) He markets the club beautifully and speaks to the supporters - not at them. 7) He is passionate AND DISPLAYS IT which is more than most do. In other words, even though he is 28 or 29, he is EXACTLY what Melbourne need, even if only for a couple more years.

http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArti...px?newsId=49505 Hi team, Please find above the link to the AFL site today to find an article discussing the CV's of our five remaining coaching applicants. A really good read. Tallstuey

Hi Coxy, Disappointingly I am being deadly serious. The wording of my post was unclear but it was one of HIS relatives, not mine. I hope they/I am wrong.

Hi folks, With Newton seemingly embracing the full forward position so well, wouldn't it be worth giving Neitzy some occasional game time at CHB? He was an all Australian at CHB in his youth and certainly our back line has been our achilles heel this year. I would think that his tenacity and leadership in the back line (not to mention less twisting and a more straight ahead style would be slightly easier on his body) would be a suitable win /win for our team. Then when Newts is struggling, we give David a bit of time up forward. Thoughts?

Hi Gang, Just heard from a relative that one of my favourite Melbourne players (Nathan Brown) is set to head back to Adelaide and play in a local league. He feels he has offered as much as he can. If anyone has extracted close to their full potential from their body down at the dees, it would be doggy. I admire him greatly and his service has been nothing short of outstanding. Further, he is a wonderful club man. We wish him well

Hi folks, Following on from the "Sheedy is our man -think about it" thread, Tim Watson painted a compelling picture as to why Melbourne should think about Sheeds for the next 3 or 4 years on SEN thismorning. Apart from galvanizing or supporters into a more parochial and passionate group, there are the huge marketing advantages as already outlined and another plus would be the attraction or CORPORATE support. This is now a paramount concern, especially heading in to out 150th year. Just as a coach is not the SOLE reason as to why a team does well or poorly, neither should a coach be ingnored by virtue of the fact that he his slightly older than our preferred coaches profile, especially if he has the capacity to DRAMATICALLY improve the club in so many other intangible areas. His appointment need not be for more than three years initially although there can be an option for both parties to continue if the relationship is going well. I feel sure that with the right coaching structure put in place under him with some young, energetic and extremelly motivated developing coaches as his assistants (and also with the view to succeeding him in a few years), it could work well. Sheedy could mentor them ito a gradual handover eventually. Finally visualise something like this for 2008. Coach - Sheedy (a skilled tactician, wiley old fox and marketers dream at the helm), Assistant (Chief) - Voss or McKenna- being further groomed to lead us for the long term, Boom recruit- Pavlich?? A couple of hard trades to secure the long term services of a KPP, 150th Birthday with these new men at the club. Do you dare to dream? Make it so!!!

Hi gang, Ratten will go to Carlton and Daniher to Essendon. I feel it is a done deal. Out of the remaining candidates there are very few I would jump at but I want to suggest Kevin Sheedy for Melbourne on the following basis. In the same way that Barrassi marketed Sydney, Sheedy is one of the faces of football that the media love to interview. He pulled Essendon up from a finacially average team to a finacial power house during his tenure and this would be a HUGE bonus for our club. The man has coached 4 premierships and this does not happen by accident. He has the kind of experience and knowledge and TENACITY that our players desparately need at the top. There is the thought that he may be too old to relate to "generation Y" but this can be overcome with younger assistant coaches. If the right coaching structure is put in place where Kevin "coaches the coaches" and addresses the players say on match day or at important training meetings, it could be a win /win for everyone. Think about it. Who is (currently) available who we would want more and although he is still tied to Essendon, St. Kilda showed in their pursuit of Malcolm Blight that if enough people ask, a prospective coach may listen. Comments????

At the end of the season, would we do it? Would we want it?

Can anyone tell me what has happened to Ben Holland please? I don't think he was injured and suspect he was dropped but haven't heard anything about him for a couple of weeks. I quite like what he did in our back line last year and provides a bit of occasional forward versatility. Who would you chooses as a back pocket , Holland or P Johnson?

When do Terry Wallace and Rocket Eade come out of contract?