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It seems to me as supporters we are very quick to dismiss players with poor skills. Sure, turnovers kill us and Nicholson, McDonald and Grimes are some of the worst turnover kings. The question is: can kicking be improved in AFL players? By the time a player is drafted, if he isn't a good kick, can he ever become one? (For the purpose of this thread, a good kick is someone who reliably hits a target.) If you believe kicking can be improved, can you please provide some examples. I can't think of anyone who's been converted from a poor kick into a reliable one.

TPM posted very early in Neeld's tenure that his appointment was Dennis Jones all over again. Jones was a similar mistake some 36 years ago. After this Big Carl took the reins and immediately looked fearsome. Neeld for all his big talk was certainly no Big Carl. Lots of talk about the hardest team to play against but sadly we quickly became the opposite. I was nailed to the cross by most in Demonland for simply pointing out obvious selection blunders, recruiting blunders and various strategic blunders. Blunder after blunder. Why couldn't anyone here(apart from Tonatopia) see this? Just interested? What were you guy's thinking? Does anyone concede this very same problem has existed in the Melbourne FC hierarchy since 1965? Failure to see the bl oody obvious? After Brisbane round one last year, the stagnant game pattern, hit the boundary at all costs mimicking Collingwood's Style. IMO most in this forum just couldn't bring themselves to believe it.The great white hope! Mark Neeld. Some 75% here even demanded Neeld was the man to revive MFC similar to many whites in Jack Johnson's era who tried to invent someone to topple the Galveston Giant. "Neeld is the man to revive Melbourne back to it's glory years." The Posts defending Neeld just kept coming. Melbourne kept on losing and the margins became larger. Melbourne not only kept losing by large margins but it was the lack of any method, strategies heart that made us appear somewhat soulless. Neeld had no punch or zip. After match conferences were senseless. Pre game addresses lacked fire. They seemed scripted, boring and school teacher like. To the contrary players ran out onto the ground revved down not up. Tonatopia and TPM stood firm and waded through the various topics heaping praise on Neeld for doing what "needed to be done". Sellar, Gillies, Pederson, Rodan, Byrnes will all make way for future Melbourne stars next year. Sylvia, Hogan, Clark/Dawes, Toumpass, Viney, Watts, Blease, Gawn, taggert, Clisby, Frawley, Howe, Terlich, the Jones boys, Trengrove,Mac donald Grimes and Garland will form a potent force as early as next year with the right Coach and Administration. Neeld had to go just like Dennis. Dennis at least won 5 games in his first and only season. Good luck to Neil Craig instilling some confidence back into boys. Am tipping to fire up V Bullies and pull off un upset.

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.

Something that has dominated my thinking since the announcement is the role Brent Moloney takes on gameday. We all see him revving up the players and talking to them in the huddle before games and at every break. I mentioned earlier in the year that Moloney should not take these talks in lieu of Brad Green. Now with a 20 year old and a 22 year old in charge I am debating in my head the merits of taking what is usually the domain of a captain and giving it to someone who isn't even in the Leadership Group. I am still of the belief that this is important to how a captain is seen and recieved on the field and I would like someone at the club to tell Brent to let his captains have this duty. Thoughts?