Strafford

That's it really last chance for young Col. We need him as a mid at this stage of our list development. We can't continue to give players easy outs who should be playing premium positions. He just needs to stand up and show some leadership, by working his butt off. The tools seem to be there. As a marking mid he could be a matchup nightmare, but alas...

Unfortunately I think there is a major but here, and not just the unliklihood of luring him from his new team. Yes he worked well for us before, and I think he would work well in the system I think Neeld is trying to implement, and he has experience with a number of the issues our club faces as he had to deal with similar issues at Carlton...but I imagine he still wants to be the main man again one day, which in practice means he would undermine Neeld's authority, especially if we continue to struggle in the future. It would just give the media another name to throw around as a replacement for an under pressure coach.

As much as I actually agreed with some of what he wrote, especially on our ex CEO, which also just quietly had me doubting my position because of who I was agreeing with, the only thing to say is...what a spanner.

The irony is that petty game playing is partly responsible for our current circumstance as a club.

Fair enough mate, I honestly wish I had your faith. I still can't believe RR sent that PM...shakes head.

Yep both had to go and then you delve into unhealthy dynamics in the playing group. What I wouldn't give for a time machine lol.

The PM RR sent you was a classless act mate, but don't let one poster going about things the wrong way get your back up to such an extent that it clouds your judgement. Our powerbrokers have handled themselves poorly, all this flip flopping is not how you run an organisation. They stuffed up by not sacking the CEO at the same time as they did the coach. With that done the new coaching regime comes in with clean air, and if they are savvy enough, a better chance of weeding out the real troublemakers within the playing group,rather than those who misguidedly became involved in a conflict they shouldn't have due to loyalty to their coach. There were no real winners in the conflict between our fomer coach and CEO just as RR Isn't a winner today. None of this has helped the MFC, so we all lose.

I agree with a great deal of your post mate, but I really don't think they are following a "Moneyball" strategy here. I think it is more to do with turning over senior players, but at the same time trying to keep a reasonable experience mix. We probably aren't a great landing spot at the moment so our choices are probably limited, unless we overpay or have connections to current coaches. As to the reasons as to why we are having to and or choosing to churn players....

The last thing we need is another game player and Sheedy is certainly one of those. If he was actually any good as a coach GWS wouldn't be letting him go. If in the future we do replace the coach we need a complete package with a sound gameplan for the modern era.

Thanks mate. They should have cut the CEO as well unfortunately. Any incoming coaching regime really needed clean air to take a fresh look at the list without any baggage. I doubt that any of the parties involved were entirely blameless and you can't have the inmates running the asylum and all that, but I honestly think it would have been for the best.

Unfortunately if the so called powerbrokers are looking for others to do something, how can we expect the players to be all in. We need to give these kids a vision, something to play for, actual examples of leadership when things are tough. Too many people who profess to love the club, are either saying it is too hard for them to help or are laying the boots in without any answers or again any offers of help. It is just tragic...

Considering the results of the review and other discussions, I doubt many players will be honest about much of anything again until trust has been rebuilt. Rightly or wrongly the perception is there that all of these discussions have been used against them. Nor do I believe the players are blameless,but the whole situation was badly handled. The impression that one side won, again rightly or wrongly, when their seems to have been fault on the part of a number of parties can in no way have helped heal any of the fractures that seem to have developed.