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Reading all of the hand wringing about the Demons as we head into 2024 is enough to make me spew. Honestly, can we be as big a basket case as we are being reported as? The demons have huge challenges and massive messaging headwinds just to get to the starting line. Today I got contacted about the Demon draw raffle - I’m in immediately. I might break my oath to never bet on sport and choose dees for top 4, GF and premiers. When you put coal under pressure you make diamonds. We are under pressure now but I remain all in. C’mon Dees, stick it up em all and take the flag!

How about it? Sydney dont look to be offering him another contract Im not sure if he has more than one year, but it cant hurt to have another mature player. Pro: Another experienced calm head down back and a switched on player that reenforces coaches message Tough uncompromising player and it wpuld strengthen our culture and bring in Sydney IP. His disposal is fine and reliable enough. Part of the process of upgrading our 'bottom 6' and allowing them to fight it out in the vfl to replace McVeigh, Bernie And Lewis in the 22. Allows some scope for Lewis to play more in a drifting role and move forward more in setting up clean inside 50's or kicking goals. Would replace Vince's role or allow him to be primarily a roleplaying tagger. Vince has exausted any cultural impact he might've offered. Would only benefit us if we also brought in outside running mids who could offset the lack of pace we'd get bringing him in and give more solidity to a defence that uses TMAC forward. Could become a valuable addition to coaching dept or clubman. Cons: He'll be 32 next year and there is an injury risk and we'd need to outbid a Gold Coast club who may be looking to strengthen their culture and give him 2 years. At risk of becoming too slow. Anyhow: He's one player to watch in Sydneys upcoming finals series to see how much benefit we could get.

Listened to Titus O'Reily on latest episode of the Junktime AFL podcast. While it may be common knowledge to some, I was shocked when he spoke of rumors of just how bad the culture really was during Bailey/Neeld era. Talks of senior players constantly eating McDonald's, one player getting so drunk in China the night before exhibition game that he couldn't even play the next day. Had to make it 17 v 17. Also said when Roos got to MFC, he couldn't believe the team were actually AFL players - they were that unfit!! I knew it was bad, but I just thought that the FD and/or players were just really below par, but those stories of the example setting senior players being slobs just blew my mind. Anyone else got any other messed up behind the scenes tales of what went on?

"Whether they hit a target or not, they were willing to back themselves in and they trusted themselves because they practised it over many, many years. We have to get to that stage eventually where we trust our leg, trust the guy who is leading to us and hit those targets. You may miss a few but [eventually] the reward will be better." - Shannon Byrnes (via Daniel Cross) talking about the amazing Geelong teams of the recent past. (Daniel Cross is the centre of a very good article by Peter Ryan on the AFL website: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2014-04-04/dees-must-be-hell-bent-on-winning-cross Trust is such an important aspect of any endeavour but in team sports it takes on even more substantial consequence. How you see yourself and your talent and how you see your teammates will dictate your actions when your actions matter the most. We can all talk a good game, but training ourselves to truly believe that we are good enough to do something is a battle. Another battle? Trying to train yourself to believe your teammates are good enough. From here - football on the weekend, and the Demons. Why don't we move the ball quickly? 'I can't hit that target.' 'I don't think Cam/Shannon/Jeremy can win this footy.' 'I can give it to Nathan/Bernie/Jack right next to me though. They will be able to do something.' Evolving/graduating/cleansing ourselves of these trust issues will what sees us become a 'team' of worth and note. I can't put a timeframe on it (and, yes, a forward line of note helps) but it will turn and click and the brave souls that join Nathan/Daniel/Jack/Bernie/Dom(!) will be better than they think they can be right now. Next opportunity? Sunday 6 April 2014 - 3.20pm against GWS.

I know this isn't Melbourne Demons related specifically but I found this fascinating. I usually find Iron Mike an absolute muppet but this was very well done. I wonder if they will ever do a doco. on the events from 2009 until the end of 2013 at the MFC? I think that would be a brilliant documentary. It just does go to show that culture does matter. And it's not just the culture among the players. How a club functions and what it's expectations and values are from top to bottom are important.

During the standard post-match Press Conference, the hot question of Jack Watts was whether he wants to stay at the battling club and the young man answered in the affirmative, pointing out that after being apart of the poor form the club has produced he wants to be around his mates when it all turns around - hopefully sooner rather than later. The source of that question attempted to ask a rejoinder, and interim Head Coach Neil Craig interjected: "It is up to the Melbourne Footy Club to provide an environment for players like Jack who are coming out of contract to want to stay. That's part of our responsibility," said Craig in a matter of fact way that is a departure from the usual spiel about 'hoping' players stay for they are good players, and resting the world on their shoulders by intimating the club's future is tied to their presence. "It's the responsibility of the Melbourne Footy Club to get its act in order, to provide an environment, so that when people come to the MFC, whether it be a player or an employee, they have an absolute belief they will be able to be the best they can possibly be," Craig stated with thundering authority. Craig concluded his remarks by saying "that's just part of our responsibility, so that when it comes (players) signing or re-signing - it just becomes a no-brainer. We need to accept that responsibility." Whether the club embraces this notion is to be seen. It has long put its faith and hope into young players and placed the denouement of whichever rebuild - the first, second, or third - over the last few years in the hands of boys full of potential and promise - deposed President claimed the 18 year old prodigy Jesse Hogan, playing VFL currently, as the salvation from the despairs of earlier this season. Hopefully, the club listens to The Craig Principle and stops looking for salvation in its players, but looks to offer them an environment they know will get the most Demonic performance out of them. Then that hot question will never have to be asked. rpfc (Thought I would do some journalism; lots of journalist these days but not much journalism.)

Apologies in advance if other people think this is merely duplicating what others have said in other threads. But there have been so many duplicate negative threads recently (with just cause) that I thought this warranted its own. It's our darkest days at the moment. I know we've been promised that the light at the end of the tunnel is near & are sick of the spin going into every new season... but this guy is a light in a virtually starless sky. When he was chosen as co-captain, I thought it was because Grimes had not been able to string a full season together (prior to last year) and they did not want to be playing without a captain most weeks. Trengove had obvious leadership qualities but was very young as we all know. In hindsight and from afar, it looks as though Jones and Clark would have made good (perhaps better?) captains. However we don't see the day to day workings at the club and so watching this interview, I got a glimpse as to why he is one of our captains. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-04-17/recovery-claims-untrue-trengove He's what 21? Considering the media pack that is swarming around us at the moment, the composure he shows in that interview gives me confidence. He's on message and his determination and steely resolve in the direction we are going shines through. He's missed the pre-season and has been slammed from pillar to post for being too young to lead by people that couldn't actually have any real idea. His form and speed were disappointing last year (maybe due to injury) and the start of the season has been tumultuous for the club - but he stood there, answered all the questions without giving them the "quote" for another negative article. I used to cringe when hearing previous captains such as Green or Neitz spoke to the media. I don't with Trengove and have equal faith in Grimes. Now of course the obvious response is that this counts for zip if he/they can't lead on the field. But they can. With no pre-season, he's got better with each game. He was down last year but (as all the coaches said so many times last year) he lead the team in nearly all the defensive indicators and his work rate was good despite getting less of the ball. People forget that many teams had him as the #1 pick in 2009 for being able to do it all and despite what you think of our ability to develop young players, in Trengove I see the same focus and desire to be the best he can be that Nathan Jones had when he started. We all know how much Jones has improved and I think Trengove has more raw talent / potential than Jones did. Similarly Grimes captained a team that had Kruezer and Cotchin in it - he can play! We've been getting killed in the midfield - can't be an easy place to be playing for a young footballer - but with Gawn knocking on the door, Trengove and Blease getting fitness back, Sylvia finding form (can he do it every week?), return of McKenzie and the injection of M Jones, Terlich, Kent, Evans, Viney & Toumpas we might not be as far away as some think. It's amazing how much better your attack and defence look when your midfield improves. I still think Trengove was unfairly thrown to the wolves in being made captain so early in his career, but with all he's been through outwardly he shows no signs of it affecting him. Perhaps it has made him stronger - made him grow up much faster than what would normally be expected of a young AFL player. With Grimes, Jones, Clark and Viney around him we have a good young leadership group who are selfless, tough and uncompromising - these guys can and will change the culture of the club.

In light of recent comments, and many not-at-all-recent, we are again facing the accusations of having a poor culture. And I think it's plain to see they are correct, or at least have been. But my question is: how do you change a bad culture? I'm not into exaggeration using terms like "toxic." Basically we have had a culture for some time that is simply not conducive to reaching the ultimate success at AFL level. There have been other reasons, but this has been a significant contributor. And recently, when we have been trying to rebuild, I think the leadership vacuum has exacerbated the culture problem. So - how do you change it? How will Neeld change it? How long will it take? WHAT DOES THE CLUB NEED TO DO?

FYI http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/newsId/133259/Default.aspx