hahahahahahahaha.

[quinny88]

And to think people were saying they could make the 8 after their "awesome" recruiting strategy..

So coach will be sacked at some point but who takes over, not Craig surely? Though wouldn't be the worst thing to happen recently!

But then who? :o  Neil Craig 2014 :o Roos? Lyon :o :o Bomber Thompson? :o :o :o

They need someone like this, develop kids but play attacking footy while adapting real pressure, but who? ???

I think Neeld will be gone before the end of the season to. Weather people like it or not the club has gone a long way backwards since he took over. Lets not forget that at the end of 2011 a lot of people thought Melbourne were going to make the finals in 2012, then enter Neeld and they have slipped down hard and fast with an awkward list that includes a couple of young future guns, some washed up players from other clubs and a heap of rubbish in between.
Personal opinion is that they don't need someone that is trying to sell a game plan and use excuses of it taking time to get the game plan right. They don't have the blokes to carry out a Collingwood style game plan. they need a motivator that will strip back the club, not look for any quick fixes and start at baisic game play #1 and work their way through. Don't know much about Neil Craig but Roos is a bit more of a strategic coach and I don't think bomber doesn't look like someone that would be up for the challenge these days. Ken Hinkley would have been perfect, not sure who else is out their but it would need to be someone hard and respected that gets the best out of average players. Leigh Matthews? Kevin Sheedy? Wouldn't happen but there the kind of guys they need.
Maybe even Chocco Williams! But don't take him from tiger land :P

[nostradamus]

maybe port is just awesome this year?

Now you're just being silly Zip.

But on a more serious note, if there were football Gods this would be exactly the purgatory the Melbourne Football Club would desrerve.
What has happened there is a terrible thing on a number of levels.
* an AFL team has been given tacit approval by their administrators and coaches to fail, with the obvious intention of gaining a future advantage in the draft
*this has impacted severely on not only the lists morale and ability to win, but also on their supporters who deserve much much better. It's a proud club with a rich history.
l think the worst part about the whole thing is the denial which AFL administrators seem to show and the pathetic penalties that were imposed. The system rewards failure and needs to be adressed.
Last  of all there needs to be a broom put through the club and get rid of anyone who had any part whatsoever in the tawdry affair.
Melbourne supporters deserve for their club to be restored to their former greatness. The club needs a strong and fearless leadership who are prepared to do the hard yards and not seek success based on planned failure.

Anyway that's my rant .......sorry, l got a bit carried away

[coolfugitiv0]

I think it says a lot when their (possibly) best player for the match was a guy playing his first AFL game.
Don't expect the Dees to go anywhere soon.

[Ziplock]

well adelaide went from what, 14th in 2011 to 2nd (on the HA ladder) in 2012 didnt they?

what if port's this years adelaide?

just saying, it might be a bit too early to heap punishment on them, perhaps wait until they play some quality opposition?

[quinny88]

well adelaide went from what, 14th in 2011 to 2nd (on the HA ladder) in 2012 didnt they?

what if port's this years adelaide?

just saying, it might be a bit too early to heap punishment on them, perhaps wait until they play some quality opposition?

Completely different situation than Adelaide though zip, Port are a team full of kids.
Lets not forget they only beat Melbourne... I expected them to win comfortably, maybe not by that much but still.
They start the year with some easy games. Big test is Adelaide in a couple of weeks

[Cruiseon]

Rodan, Byrnes, Pederson ????

These just never seemed like names to drag a poor club up the ladder. When Sheedy recruited Brogan, Power & Corns he got off-field leadership from Premiership players to mentor the kids. The irony is he also got McDonald.

Melbourne lack leadership on & off the field, its sad & will be tough.

[Cicjose]

So does the club need a culture shift and which players need to be sacked?

Watts?
Sellar?
Dunn?
Mckenzie?
Tapscott?

[Leventi]

Rodan, Byrnes, Pederson ????

These just never seemed like names to drag a poor club up the ladder. When Sheedy recruited Brogan, Power & Corns he got off-field leadership from Premiership players to mentor the kids. The irony is he also got McDonald.

Melbourne lack leadership on & off the field, its sad & will be tough.

Very well said, was shocked to see Rodan and Byrnes picked up by a bottom club, especially Rodan. An impact player who offers very little to the club going forward beyond this season. I really don't understand what the coaching staff had in mind as the best case scenario when they took a punt on these guys. Will get worse before it gets better any time soon unless some of these 50-100 gamers show some spine like Viney did today becuase those new recruits aren't exactly leaders.

[tbagrocks]

I thought Rodan was one of the best, the whole team was bad, but Drod good, the coach will be gone soon

[Mat0369]

And to think people were saying they could make the 8 after their "awesome" recruiting strategy..

People actually said that?  ??? Since when was giving high amounts of money to spuds like Dawes an awesome recruiting strategy?

Pedersen will be a handy stop gap and a replacement for Stef Martin as a guy who can play forward back and spell in the ruck. Guys like Byrnes, Rodan and Dawes are interesting pick ups.

So does the club need a culture shift and which players need to be sacked?

Watts?
Sellar?
Dunn?
McKenzie?
Tapscott?

These two guys actually play with some balls. Tapscott is an angry kid who likes to throw his body around with a long boot, Melbourne just have been using him in awkward positions. With the right coaching he could be a poor mans Chappy. Jordie is their best tagger and also has some mongrel about him. If you were looking at the list from the outside, these are two kids you want to keep.

Obviously not looking good for them at the moment

I am taking a quick look at the list and I might do a quick write up as to who looks to be an actual keeper

[Mat0369]

I am going by player number order for this

Nathan Jones: Keeper, with out a doubt in their top 5 players. Is not a number one midfielder but is a good player to have in a core group. Also provides leadership

Jack Watts: Trade bait, see what you can get for him at seasons end. He has 22 rounds to prove everyone wrong, but he might get the Travis Johnstone tag of a high under performing draft pick who might be suited somewhere else without the pressure.

Jimmy Toumpas: Keeper, young high draft pick in his first season. Looked silk in the NAB cup but when he gets more games he will become a goal kicking mid.

Chris Dawes: Lumped with his contract which is bad if it is accurate to what was reported. Can't do much with him now but let it play out

Viney: Absolute star in his first game. Was best on ground for the Dees.

James Frawley: Keeper, I like Chip Frawley. I don't think he benefits from having the ball pumped inside 50 all game on a repeat basis, and although he looks to have stagnated, he could still be a premier back in the comp. Only turning 25 this season

Trengove: Captain just needs to get some continuity into his footy, has been injured often

Byrnes: Stop gap player who is their to compete with Davey for the small forward role in the team and provide some pace. Not sure how long he has on his deal but I think will be gone after next season

Clark: Has played really well, just keeps getting injured

Col Sylvia: Turns 28 this year, obvious trade bait at seasons end. He is a quality player when he is on, just is not on enough and has had trouble with his body.

McKenzie: Keeper, number 1 tagger at the club, tackles well and could be good in building an unsociable style of football around him, Jones, and Viney in the guts

Dunn: Huge kick, never really been able to put it all together, probably gone

Rodan: Stop gap option, probably gone although he played well

Sam Blease: Keeper for now. If he learns to lower his eyes, the kid will be a weapon. Exceptional pace, backs himself in when he has the ball, just blazes away to often.

James Strauss: Not sure, injured his leg badly and I have not heard or seen him since.

Col Garland: Keeper for now. Would be the ideal 3rd tall in the back 6, shows glimpses but then again, the back 6 are under constant pressure

Pedersen: Stop gap guy but would provide good depth later on

Josh Tynan: Young kid, not sure on his ability as I have not really seen him play

Tom McDonald: Keeper, young kid who has a good build and might be the CHB in the back 6.

Dan Nicholson: Keeper, small defender, still young, shows glimpses of ability and was impressive in games last year.

Tom Gillies: I was not a huge fan of him at the Cats. I don't think he will be anything more then a depth player

Joel MacDonald: Gone at the end of the year

James Selllar: Gone at the end of the year

Grimes: Captain and a gun. Would fit in well on the wing in the ideal side

Michael Evans: Have not seen him play enough, will reserve comment

Dom Barry: Same as Evans

Dean Kent: Looked the goods in the NAB. Will be a keeper

Tapscott: I have him as a keeper. Has a lot of aggression which he needs to learn to channel at the contest and not the man. Still young, has a big boot, would like to see him play a Chapman role for Melbourne as a high half forward and rotating through the middle

Davey: Gone at the end of the year

Gawn: Huge kid, needs time to develop and will be the replacement for Jamar

Howe: Obvious keeper

Neville Jetta: Probably gone at the end of the season

Jamar: Keeper for as long as he is still performing.

Rohan Bail: The last of these guys I am going to do, but if he can ever get fit he will be handy providing run off the wing

Jesse Hogan will be in the team next year, so the coach does have a lot of talent he can still work with. If you can get a decent pick for Jack Watts and hit the next selection at the draft all hope is not lost. There is a good young core coming through. It is not unrealistic to finish top 8 in 2 years time but the improvement needs to come through the players.

[tbagrocks]

And to think people were saying they could make the 8 after their "awesome" recruiting strategy..

So coach will be sacked at some point but who takes over, not Craig surely? Though wouldn't be the worst thing to happen recently!

But then who? :o  Neil Craig 2014 :o Roos? Lyon :o :o Bomber Thompson? :o :o :o

They need someone like this, develop kids but play attacking footy while adapting real pressure, but who? ???

I think Neeld will be gone before the end of the season to. Weather people like it or not the club has gone a long way backwards since he took over. Lets not forget that at the end of 2011 a lot of people thought Melbourne were going to make the finals in 2012, then enter Neeld and they have slipped down hard and fast with an awkward list that includes a couple of young future guns, some washed up players from other clubs and a heap of rubbish in between.
Personal opinion is that they don't need someone that is trying to sell a game plan and use excuses of it taking time to get the game plan right. They don't have the blokes to carry out a Collingwood style game plan. they need a motivator that will strip back the club, not look for any quick fixes and start at baisic game play #1 and work their way through. Don't know much about Neil Craig but Roos is a bit more of a strategic coach and I don't think bomber doesn't look like someone that would be up for the challenge these days. Ken Hinkley would have been perfect, not sure who else is out their but it would need to be someone hard and respected that gets the best out of average players. Leigh Matthews? Kevin Sheedy? Wouldn't happen but there the kind of guys they need.
Maybe even Chocco Williams! But don't take him from tiger land :P

Paul Roos = what we all want

Gary Lyon, too soft to do it! Yep! Step up Gary and do it you softy

Mark Williams, staying at tigers, why wouldn't he

Terry Walllace?

[Purple 77]

I am going by player number order for this

Nathan Jones: Keeper, with out a doubt in their top 5 players. Is not a number one midfielder but is a good player to have in a core group. Also provides leadership

Jack Watts: Trade bait, see what you can get for him at seasons end. He has 22 rounds to prove everyone wrong, but he might get the Travis Johnstone tag of a high under performing draft pick who might be suited somewhere else without the pressure.

Jimmy Toumpas: Keeper, young high draft pick in his first season. Looked silk in the NAB cup but when he gets more games he will become a goal kicking mid.

Chris Dawes: Lumped with his contract which is bad if it is accurate to what was reported. Can't do much with him now but let it play out

Viney: Absolute star in his first game. Was best on ground for the Dees.

James Frawley: Keeper, I like Chip Frawley. I don't think he benefits from having the ball pumped inside 50 all game on a repeat basis, and although he looks to have stagnated, he could still be a premier back in the comp. Only turning 25 this season

Trengove: Captain just needs to get some continuity into his footy, has been injured often

Byrnes: Stop gap player who is their to compete with Davey for the small forward role in the team and provide some pace. Not sure how long he has on his deal but I think will be gone after next season

Clark: Has played really well, just keeps getting injured

Col Sylvia: Turns 28 this year, obvious trade bait at seasons end. He is a quality player when he is on, just is not on enough and has had trouble with his body.

McKenzie: Keeper, number 1 tagger at the club, tackles well and could be good in building an unsociable style of football around him, Jones, and Viney in the guts

Dunn: Huge kick, never really been able to put it all together, probably gone

Rodan: Stop gap option, probably gone although he played well

Sam Blease: Keeper for now. If he learns to lower his eyes, the kid will be a weapon. Exceptional pace, backs himself in when he has the ball, just blazes away to often.

James Strauss: Not sure, injured his leg badly and I have not heard or seen him since.

Col Garland: Keeper for now. Would be the ideal 3rd tall in the back 6, shows glimpses but then again, the back 6 are under constant pressure

Pedersen: Stop gap guy but would provide good depth later on

Josh Tynan: Young kid, not sure on his ability as I have not really seen him play

Tom McDonald: Keeper, young kid who has a good build and might be the CHB in the back 6.

Dan Nicholson: Keeper, small defender, still young, shows glimpses of ability and was impressive in games last year.

Tom Gillies: I was not a huge fan of him at the Cats. I don't think he will be anything more then a depth player

Joel MacDonald: Gone at the end of the year

James Selllar: Gone at the end of the year

Grimes: Captain and a gun. Would fit in well on the wing in the ideal side

Michael Evans: Have not seen him play enough, will reserve comment

Dom Barry: Same as Evans

Dean Kent: Looked the goods in the NAB. Will be a keeper

Tapscott: I have him as a keeper. Has a lot of aggression which he needs to learn to channel at the contest and not the man. Still young, has a big boot, would like to see him play a Chapman role for Melbourne as a high half forward and rotating through the middle

Davey: Gone at the end of the year

Gawn: Huge kid, needs time to develop and will be the replacement for Jamar

Howe: Obvious keeper

Neville Jetta: Probably gone at the end of the season

Jamar: Keeper for as long as he is still performing.

Rohan Bail: The last of these guys I am going to do, but if he can ever get fit he will be handy providing run off the wing

Jesse Hogan will be in the team next year, so the coach does have a lot of talent he can still work with. If you can get a decent pick for Jack Watts and hit the next selection at the draft all hope is not lost. There is a good young core coming through. It is not unrealistic to finish top 8 in 2 years time but the improvement needs to come through the players.

Appreciate the effort in that :)

Fair calls, but Watts is a keeper. Had one bad game yesterday and was number 1 in the AFL for intercept possessions in Round 8-15 last season. I like the kid. Still only 22 which is strange to hear sometimes given the amount of times we hear him criticised.

[Noz]

They changed 1/4 of their team I suggest that it would take time for them to gel together as a team.

We did have 20 players that played less than 100 games but we have spent most of that time working together and discovering each others strength and weaknesses.

It's Clarks first game playing with Dawes do It would take time to work together

Midfield was quite bad they need a new ruckman Jamar and Seller can't cut it anymore. Honestly can't remember the last time they drafted one. Fitzpatrick and Spencer can't ruck.

[MTTY]

I'll be doing a write up/ analysis later today.