Earl Hood

Today showed why we should take him with our first pick. 30 disposal 5 clearences and 7 tackles today against Vic Country. 185cm 84 kg inside tough midfielder who is a ball magnet and can push forward and kick goals. Has excellent disposal and will be ready made Ollie Wines like.

Make it happen melbourne!

Well we did not take Ollie why would we look at this bloke? We did not take D Martin, we did not take Scott Selwood, nor Jack Darling, nor a Hurley, we do not take nasty types with talent we only take nice kids in the first round, with talent yes, but no appetite for the contest nd who can't get the ball themselves.

Very few things in life are more frustrating than wasted talent.

He could have been anything.

Yes I remember going to Princess Park in 2009 to see him in the VFL to see what all the talk was about this wizard from Yuendumu. He kicked 5 that day against the Bullants.it was a brillant display. A few weeks later he debuted for the Dees and played another 5 or so games where we saw a player doing things I had never seen before. He did not take so much as take high marks but rather plucked the ball out of the air which he did spectacularly in a game against the Saints.

I remember my sole wish for season 2010 was for Jurrah to play 20 games so we could all see someone really special and unique. Stupid wish of course as he was injured early and never got going that season as I remember it. Oh we'll add him to the list of Demons who never reached their potential.

The tragedy is that the magistrate did not allow the Yuendumu community to resolve the original problem in their own way however barbaric and ill logical that may have seemed to us. A ritual spearing of the guilty party was preferable to the fracturing of the community we have seen since. The outcomes have been far worse. Liam as a tribal elder was always going to get drawn into the mess, unfortunately he has been involved in a litany of domestic problems as well since going back to NT.

i hope he serves his time and can make a new start.

could have sworn there was a General Discussion area for subjects like politics.

Here its about footy

Point taken. Still not sold on Alan though.

Blame Labor mismanagement more than the "stinginess" of those charged with cleaning up the mess.

Gee don't know where to start on that comment. Jeff got in in 1992 I think and Alan got the budget back in surplus a year or two later as the economy started to recover from the 1990/91 recession felt more in Victoria than other states by the failure of the Pyramid collapse and the State Bank of Victoria. The so called mess was cleaned up very early on.. My point is Alan did not know when to open the purse strings after getting the budget back in order, he kept the stinginess going right up to 1999 and they alienated rural Victoria. Fact is Jeff and Alan lost an election no thought they could.

I hope he has got over his obsession with budget surpluses he had when treasurer for Jeff. In the end I always thought his stinginess, especially the lack of funding for regional Victoria cost Jeff the election in 1999.Jeff never seems to have worked this out.

If he takes over as President he will be unloading players and coaching staff left, right and centre to maintain an operating surplus. Forget the win loss ratio it's the accounting balance sheet that counts in any business.

I received this email today from a work colleague. I think he is onto something.

G'day Hood

What a match yesterday! Great effort by the Dees to match it with the mighty Pies, I thought. I was on the edge of my seat in a real nail biter, however the Pies got there in the end. This surprised me at the end because I don’t worry about the score line anymore that’s not important it’s the KPI’s, the 1 percenters I’m looking at.

I’m starting to understand where the coaching staff are coming from, that we need to dig a bit deeper into the statistics to get a picture of what is happening and put events in their context over a relevant time based data set.

I’m analysing things better now that I have started benchmarking our performances against the Geelong 186 disaster of 2011 and I’m seeing real improvements consistently against the Hawks (95) and now the Pies (83). See the trend is down!

I believe my stats tell the real story:

-our hard ball fumbles were up,

- reverse inside 50’s up,

- loose ball misses, we met our season average;

- broken tackles up markedly

- delivery efficiency to the opposition running at 80%,

- the handballs to no one count was at elite levels.

The telling numbers for me though were in the contested/uncontested ball counts. Our number of contested balls observed from a discrete distance count was through the roof as was the number uncontested ball observations from afar.

The knockers can bang on all they want but my benchmarking data telling me we are getting somewhere!

(just not sure where that is)

Regards

Dr Pangloss

This email and any attachments may contain information that is personal, confidential, subject to legal or professional privilege and/or copyright. No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or communicated without the prior written consent of the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the recipient to check for and remove viruses. Any personal information in this email must be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender by return email, delete it from your system and destroy any copies. You are not authorised to use, communicate or rely

Please consider the environment before printing this email

Sorry stuffed up trying to add to bernie's post.

Agree with all you say which got me thinking which is nothing new, this ineptitude has been going on all season.

Why do we only see them training out on the paddock every second day if that. I would have them out on the ground every day for hours to drill in the fr&&king basics. For heavens sake don't tell me they spend every second day analysing in detail from the videos how shite they were? I mean how many videos do you need to see where you didn't run or chase or make position? Forget the bikes or the Gym and weights at this point just get them out on Goshes Paddock everyday in a competitive environment having to get the ball and dispose under pressure, it's called game day simulation. Forget the classroom lets just go man on man- if you have it I am all over you, if my team has it I run off you to space. Is it that hard to be competitive, I am not talking about out-thinking the top sides,just trying to compete one on one and make the opposition earn it. How do you learn to kick to position under pressure, in the classroom or on the field. God I would be keeping it simple from now on.

Few positives: Garland punching above his weight, Fitz, M. Jones, Kent etc showing signs of improvement. But far outweighed by being totally inept at basic football fundamentals. Kicking is deplorable. Handballing to stationary targets and or someone under the pump is doing my nut in. Mark Jamar is the worst. Takes a grab and handballs one meter to a bloke standing still or who gets tackled by the man on the mark. FFS Russian show some leadership. Its so hard to swallow whats going on with this group. If you look at our defensive unit, no-one is an elite kick, in fact some barely go at 50% efficiency (Dunn, Tmac, Terlich, ) so what happens when we get it in defence? Then add to that the inability of the mids to put pressure on the opposition mid group (that has 10 good players rotating through) you get these blow-outs. I just cannot get over the recruiting and developmental mistakes of this club.

Ive been a loyal supporter for 32 years, this is the worst bunch of AFL footballers I've seen. Enough of this having a crack rubbish. I know it sounds harsh, but having two guys like Jordie Mckenzie and previously Clint Bartram not only in the team, but in the leadership group sums this club up to a tee. Accepting and rewarding mediocrity.

I dont know if any coach could do too much with this group before seasons end, but I fear if we dont make a change now, we may lose a couple who actually can play. But I'm starting to run out of hope that this will ever turn around. Until then, keep punching Lads.

You've obviously not seen him play.

I have and he looks good but referring to my post I have seen all those others as well and there are many variables to be negotiated for him to be a star just yet. Let us wait and hope for the best but until then keep lid on it.

We've been through this before but the way the club is now we can offer what ever we like but it would be highly unlikely that he would sign. Any manager worth his salt would hold off until the dust settles.

Alternatively can we just drop the hype on this kid a tad. He is playing well at VFL level I hope like everyone that it means he is a gun but gee over the years how many gunnas have we seen? Schwartz could have been anything but stuffed through injury, Jackovich injury, attitude? Charles injury, neglect, Glenn Lovett injury, jurrah, community meltdown, Warren Dean, knee, Tingay workplace injury, where do I stop on the talent that has for not been fully realised over the years. Let us give him some time and space to make his way into the seniors and treat him like any of the others. If we as a club have got our act together in two years time he will re sign ata fair price.

OK I hear all the sophisticated, complex, club wide arguments from PJ but gee can't we just sack Neeld! That will solve everything.We know it worked wonders when we sacked Daniher and then Bailey (instead of CS). Oh hold on......!

I think even Eddie has worked out that having dysfunctional teams in an 18 team comp eventually costs everyone. Look at how many dud games were played last week. The AFL had manipulated the FIXture in the first 8 or 9 rounds that had the top 8 teams from last year taking each other on so there were numerous blockbusters for the night games and at least competitive matches down the bottom (Dees excluded). From now on there are going to be a lot of one sided matches that does nothing for the AFL brand and Its saleability. Equalisation is in everyone's interests

We have little or no choice but to trust in this man's judgement. If he gets it wrong we are RS. But his advice to give Neeld time is cause for some optimism i believe. I assume PJ has spoken to all stakeholders, assistant coaches, senior players, FD people to ascertain what is really going on. If he has discovered that everyone is working together as a team then why sack the coach unless you have a Paul Roos waiting in the room next door. If on the other hand if PJ had found that assistant coaches were critical of Neeld's methods or senior players were not on board, surely he would have advised immediate action to the board?

If everyone is now working together, however inefficiently, given CS's dysfunctional FD structure, you have to stick with it till year's end.

I did not go this week. I could not face the prospect of a likely 150 point drubbing. In some sense the outcome was a win but really how did we get here? My wife went who is a Hawks supporter but at least I dropped her off at the ground but I could not sit through another drubbing from the Hawks. How many would that be? My explanation was why would I go and see team that can't win but also dull! No Javoviches! No schwartes, no Nietzes, etc. nothing to get your enthusiasm. No Robbie Flower off the wing, no Garry Hardeman off half back. That is my problem, we a getting pumped every week but there is no one to inspire! Maybe Howe but that is it.

Was

I went to my first Casey game in yonks hoping to see something from Taggert. Obviously I wasn't disappointed. Solid kick, couple of grabs although the four goals might flatter.

He looks promising but would need to continue today's form, even allowing for the fact that the ground was very wet, and waterlogged in one pocket.

Other observations: Hogan very strong in the air but kicked poorly today. Yes the ball was wet but he has this stammering approach half way through. Odd, he starts fluently, stammers for three steps and then recovers and...sprayed the ball today. Still the upside is his grabs were amazing.

Gawn was good in the air but the surprise for me was Clisby who had a very strong third quarter. Won plenty of it and used it well.

Jimmy T was busy but his disposal was not up to it, again the conditions were tough.

Blease supplied the game highlight in the second running off half back, taking a pass off Taggert I think, refused to bounce the ball, instead did the one two handpass, ran to half forward and drilled it from the boundary. His first quarter running goal was assisted with some lax umpiring - he ran about 25 metres without a bounce but at least he kicked straight.

Hold on am I hearing the first reservations on Hogan? His stammering kicking for goal approach! Are we heading toward another NQR recruit? please tell me no!

Make no bones about it though Deanox. I truly believe that once CS got into that process, he did find someone who ticked all his boxes (i.e. a bloke who would lay down the 'law', play more defensively etc). As Rjay said, Neeld said everything Gaz and CS wanted to hear.

Let's not also forget the role Garry played in a lot of this. I would suggest that he single handedly saved CS's job (at least that's the way Jimmy put it in his book).

The more I read these posts the more I believe CS and Gaz were looking more for a pliable Drill Sargent of a coach such as newby Neeld than they were for an established senior coach such as Clarkson or Lyon. Neeld duly came in with a set of orders to deal with the recalcitrant senior players who had objected to CS and his influence. Add to the conspiracy when we learn from PJ that everyone was reporting thru CS! Classic control freak, micro managing stuff that will paralyse any department. When Clarkson says he wasn't

Approached but Gaz says he was, I start to wonder who I should believe. Even Sheedy said when interviewed for the Bailey job that there were too many conditions for his liking! Was CS on that panel?

Older Demon I think I heard this on FC as well. Why take Dawes when we need a mid field! however when I think back what established midfielders were up for grabs? I don't think there were many. What we should have done of course is draft Wines at 4 and not Jim T. We drafted for the future with Hogan and Barry. Wines was ready to go with man's body whereas Jimmy needs time. I hope he turns out to be a gem but MFC does not have time, we need results, we need to be competive now! Wines is also a competitive beast, it is not as if we don't need this type in spades!

Anyone can explain Tapscotts problems? Every time we think we may have a goer they falter. He looks the goods but goes missing every second match. Do we need to move on yet again?

Ayers may be the one. He has been there before and can use an assistant coach to understand the intricacies of the modern game. I think man on man might work well for the first half of next season. Is it that complicated to get competitive? I suspect not. In short we won't attract any super coach I can think of to coach this rabble of a list and club.

Just make it happen and leave open the option of doing a GWS. Yes you can play as well if you are fit to play but we want you as a long term coach.

Each to their own on how they see Demetriou. For mine he will leave the competition divided when he is done.

Unless there is a massive change, all of us will have to watch between 4 and 6 of the same clubs fight out the premiership over the next 20 years. This will be Demetriou's legacy.

Hey guess what? Most of us will be in nursing homes by the time the MFC gets it poo together.

Could not agree more with expansion clubs, free agency and players on contracts just saying thy want out,MFC and the other smaller, less achieving clubs are in big trouble. The AFL is looking at a two tier league where every second game is a blow out. That will effect the brand and what they can demand for TV rights. The big clubs will just continue to top up with FA recruits to keep them competitive. The lower sides will get what is left and have to pay overs for that as well. The AFL now hates the priority pick after its tanking investigation but I reckon you need a double dose of priorities going to the lower sides to get some equity in the competition.

I think I meant coach Allan Jeans by the way in my earlier message! I had not been aware of the Neil McMullin incident. Thank heavens as it would only add to my pathological, ilogical hatred of the Hawks. You see my problem is my wife is a 35 year hawks member as are her parents and some of my best friends. I struggle to speak though gritted teeth when discussing the latest Hawks win these days. I dread the match in two weeks time!!!

Who do you have in mind Hood?

RTU I don't know but if a half decent mid fielder comes up on the radar at the end of the season out of contract or free agency I would chase them. I wonder if that player would be a better option than another untried potential star that we seem to always slide past in the draft for a skinny kind who needs the sort of development that only Geelong and West Coast can deliver.

It was BOTH Giles and Smith, AND behind the play when he was being beaten. Don't forget his cowardly punch of Neil Mc Mullin.

Yes was it the Giles king hit I remember behind the play where several Melbourne players had the opportunity to put Lethal into next week (Brent Crosswell comes to mind) but all they did was scragg him to the ground?? And of course I remember that when coach Alan Joyce was questioned his response was "I didn't see the incident".

Of course Lethal would be a great player today but he might not have played too many games. Nor would have Dipper for that matter.