MH.

It's no use whining about what mistakes we have made over the last 7 years....They are gone....

But of course you're right. I'll rearrange the blankets covering my knees and not complain a jot. How unreasonable of me. What was I thinking ?

We're now Dankers ?

$500K fine for Danking...

Anyone on Demonland who's still here after three losses with an average losing margin of 107 points still cares. It's ok mate, we're here too and as much as we want to protect ourselves from more hurt by pretending we don't care, the truth is, we still do and that's why we keep fronting up.

I'm not lying.

I naturally have an "interest", as I'm a supporter. But my soul has been sucked clean and I presently have no feelings - good or bad.

I no longer care.

I'm immune to the decisions this club makes.

Jack Trengove is not a tagger, he just needed to be aware on the damage his direct opponent can do.

Trengove is going to be normal midfielder, not a tagger

Yes, I know, but I didn't like his tagging role on Shuey. He did a role enough last year. Time to get him hunting the footy again and not the man with the footy.

Look, forget it.

I think thats part of the whole accountability idea in AFL

There's a difference between accountability and being a designated tagger who's mainly concerned with stopping an individual from the opposition.

I recommend you watch the tape again.

Best case scenario: Trengove is over doing his defensive mindset.

Worst case scenario: Trengove is playing a stopping role.

he hasnt....

You didn't see a no. 2 draft pick chasing around a no. 18 draft pick on Saturday ?

Unusual.

He had a really good first half on the weekend. Kicked 2 clutch goals, but then went missing.

But then went tagging.

I want him to be left to play with the shackles off. All players must play with defence in mind, but he'll be better without a specific role.

2 nice set shot goals from Trengove on the weekend pleased me.

Would love for him to become a 2 goal 25 possession a week player.

How is that going to happen when Neeld has turned him into a tagger ?

Problem with the whole Ross Lyon situation was that both Garry and Ross were managed by Craig Kelly. Given that Kelly was blindsided by Ross Lyon (and subsequently parted ways after Ross went to Freo) it stands to reason that Garry would have sounded out Craig Kelly, was told that is nothing to the rumours that he was leaving the saints, because Craig literally knew nothing.

If Garry had gone behind his own managers back he would have jeoparised his own relationship with CK.

I don't think it is amateurish at all... Ross Lyon all but lied to his own manager, and his own football club. But Garry should have known better apparently?

BTW I am not a fan of what Garry has done recently to the club!!

It was amateurish at the highest level.

I know they were manged by the same people and I couldn't give a flying. Getting the best coach for Melbourne was far more important than any personal relationship.

I'll tell you what, support the Club is what I do, not deluded just not jaded

Why do you think I am deluded (Caroline Wilson's favourite word, iit is you Rangey isn't it), coz I don't agree with you, quite a few of us delusiional then.

I understand the issues at the Club, the real issues, because I get to see/listen/hear etc on a regular basis, nobody sugar coats it for me, but hey I could throw my toys out of the cot like some do, I just don't choose to

I'll refrain from that when the so called supporters stop bagging everything about the Club

I don't say don't go, I just don't understand how people who obviously hate something with such a passion still put themselves through it, it smacks of latent masochism

Lost the function you were looking for ?

Interesting tweet from Grant Thomas 6 days ago re Ross lyon. "I can say with some authority that Roos contacted G Lyon & informed him R Lyon was available (would have stayed in Melbourne). Alas no follow up!"

Garry was a great leader of our club & I think he's great in the media but he should never have been in involved in coaching appointments. I know it's spilt milk & we have Neeld & I back him & hope he turns us around but from what it sounds our procedures in appointing coaches stinks. Sheedy says he was actually interviewing us & was worried when he left about troubles ahead. Now reading this about Lyon seems like negligence of duty. Not to mention passing on Hardwick, Hinkley & Sanderson. Anyway the next coach MUST HAVE SENIOR EXPERIENCE.

One of the most inept performances in this club's history was to not drive around to Ross Lyon's house and sound him out. Paul Roos had been providing hints on OTC that he was worth talking to.

We're amateurs and deserve our lot.

Considering that was your 69th post it is probably appropriate that it "sucked"... I know for a fact that Satyriconhome is actively involved in the club and would be the last person to try to turn support away from the club. What is your involvement?

None.

I'm glad he has the time and inclination to be a volunteer. The fact that he's the most deluded football observer I've come across is by the by. He clearly loves the club.

I'd recommend he refrain from continually telling disenchanted supporters on these forums to not go and to not watch. Wouldn't you ?

Gee for a minute there I thought Rangey was back.....sympathy is even worse than stick, tell em to shove it.......the membership is still ticking over by the way, I know I was there last night, there was always a difference between member numbers and who turns up for the game........an example - guy last night from the country, his sons play footy weekends so he can only get to a game or two if he is lucky, still renewed to add to membership numbers though......the report of the demise of the Club is exaggerated by a few......... similar sentiment to Don McLardy, he is as sick of the negativity as I am, supporters support the Club no matter what............if you were sharp in your thinking similarly you would have realized that Malthouse remark was facetious....but never mind, next time......Rangey never got the hang of it either....thank you for the frank assessment of my character I will take it on board NOT

English thanks.

MH my old thing, you seem to be one of the few beaten down, I'm not, sorry must be in denial.

Don't quite understand this one, I don't get annoyed, just don't understand if the footy makes people so miserable why they put themselves through it

Laughing stock, that is my point, can't you handle a bit of stick from people, bit sad, I'm only tiny but people give me wide berth on the footy coz they know I fight back, I take [censored] from nobody, hopefully it the plan we are putting in place works (like everybody hopes it will) neither will the team going forward

Winning is everything.........sigh......vicarious triumphalism....

,

I lived through the 70's, so no need to be concerned for me. And no-one gives me "stick". The only "thing" i get is sympathy.

I am concerned however that many Melbourne supporters have already decided not to attend. You actively advocate supporters who are not happy to take such a stance, which is pathetic, and hardly helpful to the club in its current plight.

Btw, I answered your inane question in the Rocket Eade thread, in case you're interested. You know, the one where you equate Malthouse and Carlton's predicament to Neeld's at Melbourne. It sums up the quality of your contributions and the sharpness of your thinking.

Aside from all the previous posts all I want is a competitive side, for the full game, not just a quarter, or a half, or even three quarters.

That's the problem. We've been so beaten down (understandably) that we've lost sight of the fact that the only thing that matters in footy is winning.

Snip

A more delusional glad handler I'm yet to read.

Imagine if you barracked for Geelong ? You wouldn't be able to stand upright in public for one minute of the day.

The fact that you get annoyed with supporters that are tired of making excuses for this rabble - the laughing stock of the AFL, merely highlights your emotional denial.

Send in the OX. Not as a coach, more of a player performance and attitude manager.

Send in a guy that was a notoriously poor trainer with a bad attitude, who retired 10 years ago, to monitor the current training standards of this Melbourne group ?

That works.

I think Neeld knows exactly where we were at and where we are at, it's us fans that are not prepared to listen.

Compare the Demons with the Hawks.

Captains

Hodge (205 games, 144 goals, Norm smith medal (2008), All-Australian (2005, 2008), Premiership (2008), top 3 in club best and fairest (2005 - 2008)

Grimes + Trengove (56+61=117 games (combined), 5 + 31=36 goals (combined), both NAB AFL Rising Star nominee,...

That is Hodge has played 88 more games than Grime and Trenners COMBINED, and kicked 108 more gaols than both of them, etc... And as Mark Neeld recently said Grimes and Trenners are the "best leaders we have at the club at the moment".

Best players On weekend

Hawthorn - Hodge (205 games/144 goals), Franklin (164/531), Shiels (67/19), Birchall (155,19), Stratton (55,1), Gibson (127,2), Roughead (162, 300), Burgoyne (224,209) = Average for Hawks best is 144 games and 153 goals per player, 8 players in best.

Melbourne - N Jones (138/69), M Jones (3/0), Grimes (56/5), Sylvia (141/122)= Average for Demons best is 84 games and 49 goals per player, 4 players in best.

That is, the best for Hawthorn averaged 60 more games than our best, and 104 goals on average more. They had 1 player under 100 game in their 8 best, we had 2 under 100 games including our captian and a player with 3 games experience.

Summary

Neeld has coached these men for 25 AFL games with a woefully underdeveloped list relative to the teams he is charged with performing against. take Average player age or Average player games or top 50 players awards, etc... and on all these metrics we were behind the average in the AFL PRIOR to Mark's arrival. To assume a miracle surge is to fundamentally ignore the realities of the competition we are in.

Do the same analysis and replace the Hawks with Port, or Richmond. Would make interesting reading.

Well I think the club knows if Neeld is able to coach not the panic merchants who post on forum sites who think they know better. As for people dropping of then they should grow some balls and stick with the club!!

Really ? Right now Neeld himself would be questioning whether he's the right man for the job. I've got no doubt the club is too.

Next week as we all Know MFC plays GWS

I believe we are a chance to beat them , previously we would have said a shoe in but that's not the point anyway

On the other hand Carlton plays West Coast in Perth

North Melbourne on the other hand plays Brisbane in Melbourne

GWS is also winless at this stage

So my question is

If Melbourne does beat GWS

Carlton looses to West Coast

Or North fails to beat Brisbane

What then ??

The ladder will be GWS, CARLTON or possibly NORTH Winless after 4 rounds !!

If this played out this way who do you think the MEDIA spotlight would turn too??

Would it stay on Melbourne ?

Or Would it switch to either Carlton or Nth???

What would it mean as a club to have the pressure off ?

The week after we Play Brisbane in Brisbane who have also only won one game so far

Football is neither life nor death , but rather a passion that needs feeding each week.

We need to get a new perspective on this, and were Melbourne actually stands, the only way Melbourne will continue to Fail is if we Fail this week, because the pressure will remain and nothing will have changed

It is essential that this does not happen !

This is their best chance to turn it around so far this season, this must be drummed into the players,

If it isn't then it is a failure of the coaching team to do so.

There will be no place for anyone to hide should we fail again this week.

It's one thing to lose games and another to be completely uncompetitive.

I don't see any correlation between our plight and these other teams.

I wanted Toumpas. He was a classier junior with far better footskills. Wines is a ferocious bull, but he's an ordinary kick.

That said, I'm nervous. I saw Flower and Healy as 18 year olds, younger than Toumpas, and they belonged straight away - no question. I'll reserve judgment, but as stated I'm nervous about this one.

I would argue that none of those teams were as void of embedded senior players as we are. Where are the 7-10 year Demons who just pull a club together. Clubs do rebuild but I doubt there are many, if any examples of teams that have been so completely stripped of those types, so quickly.

And other than Jones who is improving under Neeld ?

God help us with those ins.

To think that all 3 were top 20 picks 5 years ago.

I would argue that none of those teams were as void of embedded senior players as we are. Where are the 7-10 year Demons who just pull a club together. Clubs do rebuild but I doubt there are many, if any examples of teams that have been so completely stripped of those types, so quickly.

Our percentage is less than GWS' at the corresponding stage last year. It's incredible.

Do you think anyone could have possibly had the team in a worse state ? If they tried ?