Strafford

Yep we just need a win...any win.

You make some good points. I think next season will give us a clearer picture as to where we are at, regardless of coach, just because rightly or wrongly we will have cleared out most of our senior players.

But he changed the dynamics by changing the leadership group. Some of those who left may not have been the right ones if attitude was the criteria.

I am torn on this one. I think he was heavily influenced by some who had strong views on the player group and acted accordingly rather than having an open mind and making his own judgements. I genuinely believe that he thought the players that left were a major reason as to why we struggled in his first year. Thus another reason for the shock at our first two rounds. Change hurts and leaves scars, which is why doing it frequently is not a recipe for success, but is Neelds position untenable and beyond retrieving. I just don't know.

It depends on how it is handled and who you get rid of. I don't think Neeld had a clear run at it. I reckon he made a few decisions on players based on the negative perceptions of others rather than just taking a season to look at the group and then make decisions about leadership and who you don't want at the club. The mistake can be jumping on guys who are vocal in their criticism, rather than look at the fact that they could just be egged on by others who are the real problem.

The other complicating factor is the bonding with staff. Players aren't robots, they do see some staff as father figures, mentors and friends. Again lots of turnover hits them. Jimmy dying would have hit them hard. I'm the same as you things had to change, but it had to be handled very carefully. I think the mistakes we made after 186 impact heavily on where we are at now.

To me you touch on a very important point Ben Hur. Players do love their mates and for all the rhetoric over bleeding for the jumper etc etc they are in reality bleeding for their mates, to not let them down. The wrongs and rights of our situation are up for debate, but any clear out of players creates turmoil and grief, because you are turfing out mates.

Unfortunately it is because we are the new news on the issue. Regardless of who is to blame, if we had disclosed our link to Dank at the same time the Gold Coast and Brisbane did we would not be in the headlines on this issue now.

It is a fair point. I truly doubt that many involved in the sports science side of things would be unaware of Dank. There are a number of linkages in the US between clinics and drugs in sport. Have clubs been too trusting with their sports gurus?

I agree with those that believe winning is the key. Generally rebranding etc etc occurs because there is something wrong with your product.

I'd like a balanced list. I would prefer a few more aggressive guys, but you also need to balance it out with level headed types. You still do need cool heads to help with direction, on the field and off it. Both types need to be hard at it though.

I certainly don't think many of the more irrational posts are helpful, but where emotion is involved sometimes that is what you get. More worrying would be if there was no reaction. Then we are dead as a club, because no-one cares.

Barring injury the kid does look the goods. The team will look a lot different when his contract is up, so we actually don't know what the situation will be then. Until then just enjoy his play. He does seem to be a competitive beast, which is what we need.

I stand corrected then if that is the case. His own site had it as a year, more fibbing lol or I misread it, which is probably more likely.

Just on that I just hope we asked the right questions when we hired Bates. Why was he only at the Swans and Kangas for a year? I imagine that the AFL may just retrace his work history and see if he has had ongoing links with Dank.

They picked up Avril as well who would be on a fair bit of coin. Hopely not too much in the way of guaranteed money in the latter parts of a few of these contracts. The problem with guys on relatively cheap first contracts is that they then want to make up for it with bigger than normal second contracts. Still a good problem to have rather than picking up duds. With Harvin now you would think that they would be even more potent. I really like their secondary now. Browner, Sherman, your ex guy and that top safety whose name escapes me. On paper they look like they could give it a real shake.

Sorry Stuie, I don't see how it is the same. The club's aren't employees of the spew, if anything they employ him, due to the fact that they vote the commission in.

Yep Vick's health is a concern. Simpson's main problems for us were lining up in the wrong spots and route running, the drops were generally a consequence of that. The weed probably didn't help lol. Our QB Dalton probably has a few of the same problems your guy has. He also doesn't have the strongest arm. We though, don't have AP. The reality is we can't use AJ Green to full advantage. We really need guys like Sanu and Jones to step up and build on the promise they have already shown to stop the double and triple teaming of AJ. Sanu is very similar to Keenan Allen, not quick, but big and physical with great hands, although Allen is probably the more accomplished route runner. Winfield was certainly a loss, but probably doesn't have long left. How are Seattle affording all these players? Surely they are going to have some salary cap problems soon?

It will also be really interesting to see how the Eagles play under Kelly. The Ducks were really fun to watch, but it is unlikely they will play exactly like that in the Big Boy league.

It's my own fault. I shouldn't get sucked into the main board lol What is about the North. Two tough divisions. Your success probably depends on Ponder improving, although if our ex guy Simpson is your number 2 you could be in trouble. He has all the physical tools, but he isn't real bright. Hopefully you can get a wideout in the draft who can start straight away. Perhaps even one of the tightends. Rudolph who I think is a gun paired with one of the top TE prospects could work beautifully. Both in the pass and run. We have a young team, so hopefully we will improve just through players having had a bit of experience. We have looked awful in the playoffs, so hopefully we can get over that mental hump. A lot of hope there. If we come out and suck this season, I may take up crochet, sport will have become too hard lol

You would imagine they would be after at least one head to roll. Even if we qualify for their new rules to pick up a priority a pick they will be even less likely to give us one. It was already a hard sell.

Frankly I won't be happy if you are proven wrong. Much better for the club if nothing is wrong.

Yep I look forward to the day. I've already had a few moments already. Forty years a supporter and I thank my Demon supporting uncle for taking me to my first game of football and getting us into the rooms. Can't remember much about the game, just how big everyone seemed in the rooms and all that Red and Blue. The rest of my family are Blues so they are really going to cop it when the wheel turns, as it will.

You have a bit of a comprehension problem. Think about it.

That is the nub of it. All the uncertainty and grief has probably contributed to some of the questionable decision making.