How do you fix Melbourne?

[1990crow]

Or pay their players outside the salary cap.

And still be well within the salary cap, sure.

 

[whysmell]

To The Collective Staff At The Melbourne Football Club:

Don McLardy opens his letter stating that the last two weeks have been trying for the club and it's stakeholders. I contend that the last seven years have been a staggering disappointment.
I, like you, do not believe that the results to date are a true reflection of the quality of our playing list, or the effort and improvement they have shown over a tough and demanding pre-seaThe Melbourne Football Club:

Don McLardy opens his letter stating son campaign. The question must then be asked, where is the problem?
It is clear from watching the performance and body language of the players that they do not care for this football club. The players that actually show a love for the club are few and far between, and this says to me that the club has lost the players.

As a club we need to now make the changes required to rectify the situation, lest we end up going the way of Fitzroy. I am not sure what you are referring to as external pressures, but as a member, I consider myself an internal part of the club, and I count myself among those demanding radical changes.
We have dropped two coaches now in the search for improvement and nothing has changed. We have suffered a huge array of on and off-field issues over the last seven years, including but not limited to: two tanking scandals, the loss of a number one draft pick, two record breaking defeats, failing to develop ANY elite talent despite the amount of first round draft picks the club has had.
It preplexes me and every other Melbourne supporter I have spoken to in the last few days how some on the board are still on the board. It is even more astounding how our CEO, is still in his job after everything the club has been through since his appointment.
I therefore ask the following of the president, the board and the CEO: If you truly love the Melbourne Football Club, then hand in your resignation and give control of the club to AFL administrators.
This is the only way the club can recover from it's dire position. A clean slate is what is needed at this football club, not more politics and blame games. Let the club move on, or be destined to fold like other clubs before us.

Sincerely,
A Melbourne Football Club member.

 

[DogDays]

There's a simple solution to solving Melbourne's problem.

Sack the Board
Sack the coach
Sack all the players

Recruit the Board, Coach and Players from Port Melbourne and hey presto! you'll now have a competitive Melbourne side.

 

[tigers71]

I dont understand if Melbourne is crying out for players aged 22-26 why not they have rookied Myles Sewell!! Hes been a consistent player at VFL level and there must be others elsewhere!! I dont watch much VFL and there some good midfielders, some good forwards and defenders but to do the same mistake like my team did for years is quite unbelievable. Also the same must be said about the other leagues, there must be gems in lower tier competitions as well!!

 

[Final Siren]

To The Collective Staff At The Melbourne Football Club:

Don McLardy opens his letter stating that the last two weeks have been trying for the club and it's stakeholders. I contend that the last seven years have been a staggering disappointment.
I, like you, do not believe that the results to date are a true reflection of the quality of our playing list, or the effort and improvement they have shown over a tough and demanding pre-seaThe Melbourne Football Club:

Don McLardy opens his letter stating son campaign. The question must then be asked, where is the problem?
It is clear from watching the performance and body language of the players that they do not care for this football club. The players that actually show a love for the club are few and far between, and this says to me that the club has lost the players.

As a club we need to now make the changes required to rectify the situation, lest we end up going the way of Fitzroy. I am not sure what you are referring to as external pressures, but as a member, I consider myself an internal part of the club, and I count myself among those demanding radical changes.
We have dropped two coaches now in the search for improvement and nothing has changed. We have suffered a huge array of on and off-field issues over the last seven years, including but not limited to: two tanking scandals, the loss of a number one draft pick, two record breaking defeats, failing to develop ANY elite talent despite the amount of first round draft picks the club has had.
It preplexes me and every other Melbourne supporter I have spoken to in the last few days how some on the board are still on the board. It is even more astounding how our CEO, is still in his job after everything the club has been through since his appointment.
I therefore ask the following of the president, the board and the CEO: If you truly love the Melbourne Football Club, then hand in your resignation and give control of the club to AFL administrators.
This is the only way the club can recover from it's dire position. A clean slate is what is needed at this football club, not more politics and blame games. Let the club move on, or be destined to fold like other clubs before us.

Sincerely,
A Melbourne Football Club member.

This is the part that amazes me, since it's not just Melbourne that Schwab has steered into a horrifying death-spiral after taking control, but every club he's ever been at. His major skill seems to be self-preservation, as for 20 years he's managed to leap from each flaming wreck with his reputation intact, ready to set to work dismantling the next club.

Even in mid 2011, when MFC were all set to sack him, he managed to jujitsu-throw it around and have Bailey take it in the neck instead.

I imagine he must be very charming and genuine in person, because there is surely no-one in football with a worse track record.

This is the guy who gets to create the working environment at the club, who gets to hire & fire people to fit his vision... and Schwab continually creates clubs that try to be too smart for their own good, that prize theory over practice, prefer fancy skills to footy basics, and are weak, weak, weak at heart.

 

[Bulldog Banana]

A few things that appear obvious to me.

1. Make Nathan Jones captain, at least he will carry others with him.
2. This will allows Trengove & Grimes to just play footy. Trengove especially appears to be weighed down with the captaincy and it is affecting his on field performance.
3. Get James Magner back on the primary list and play him. At least you know you will get 100% effort. Couldnt believe it when I saw he was back on the rookie list.
4. Ditch the CEO. Reeks of the "VFL/AFL boys club" at play here and it has more to do with his family name than his ability. The silence is deafening, is he not allowed to comment at the moment?

I couldnt understand the recruiting of Rodan, Byrnes etc. They wont be around when the Dees are able to challenge again, & they would be looking at this as professional footballers and just looking forward to getting paid. They wont "buy in" as such. Fair enough getting Dawes, but I dont know about the others. Im amazed that the mainstream media werent more savage in their criticism of the Dees recruiting. They certainly arent holding back now.

From the outside looking in, I couldnt understand the axing of Gysberts. He always appeared to be a fairly decent player.

I'd be a bit worried if I was Neeld, when you get the Boards support it never really appears to be as good as it sounds. At least if they sack him they can put Neil Craig in straight away, he couldnt do a worse job.

 

[pazza]

I note that Tapscott kicked 6 for Casey yesterday and that he and Gawn were in the bests.

Both must get picked for Melbourne this week.

 

[Musrum]

I think a fresh start at Etihad is just what they need.

 

[EasternTiger]

It's obvious the players don't have an elite mindset, Sports psychology will be the new frontier for gaining the edge on your competition. I have an old set of Tony Robbins 'Personal Power II' tapes that I'd be willing to lend the club. I'll even write up a glossary of terms page because the players wouldn't know the meaning of words such as commitment, dedication and sacrifice.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Delist Gillies, Sellar, Macdonald, Evans, Spencer, Rodan. None of these guys offer enough (Rodan is a good sub, but Melbourne aren't exactly in a position to have a 29 year old specialist sub right now). Jamar needs a tap on the shoulder. Let Sylvia go via FA, it's unfortunate but inevitable. Reinvest the pick in youth. Do the same with Davey, although the pick won't be as good. Keep Watts because of his youth and talent, but no more special treatment. If he doesn't perform, he goes back to the VFL. A new coach who actually imposes and enforces standards on the players has turned around some of Port's lazy inconsistent players like Carlile and Westhoff. Somebody needs to do the same to Watts.

Trade for a ruckman who's younger than Jamar and better than Spencer, but who is struggling for opportunity in his current side. Somebody like Warnock, Currie, West or Renouf. No star, but good enough to hold the fort until somebody like Gawn develops. The Demons need midfield help badly. Have a look at somebody like Adam Selwood, who has shown in the past that he can play as a midfielder but who doesn't get the chance to do so in West Coast's side. Offer West Coast a pick, on the basis that it's better for West Coast to take a pick for him than lose him for nothing and it's better for Melbourne to trade for him to avoid compromising their compo for Sylvia and Davey (something Melbourne should've done last year with Byrnes, but didn't).

There are 9 outs up there and only 2 ins, so some re-stocking is necessary rather than trying to replace them all with 18 year olds. But that doesn't mean they should be replaced with 28 year olds either. Do what Port did this year with Heath and Stevenson, look for talented young players who are being kept out of their side because of the depth their side has in that position. Brodie Martin, Jared Polec, Shane Savage are a few who come to mind. Extraneous GC/GWS players are always worth a look. Collingwood can't fit all of Didak, Krakouer, Fasolo, Goldsack, Macaffer, Elliott and Dwyer in the same side. If Elliot, Fasolo or Dwyer end up being the ones to fall out of favour, then they would be worth talking to.

Don't fall into the trap of trading for experience like they did last year unless that experience actually adds something to your side. Just because somebody is experienced, doesn't automatically make them a good role model. I'd rather have a draftee learning how to train and play from Jack Viney than David Rodan any day of the week.

First choice 22:
B: L. Dunn, J. Frawley, D. Nicholson
HB: J. Watts, T. McDonald, J. Grimes (I think he's better at HB than he is as a midfielder)
C: S. Blease, J. Viney, J. Trengove
HF: J. Howe, C. Dawes, J. Magner
F: J. Hogan, M. Clark, S. Byrnes (look to replace with Dean Kent as soon as Kent earns it in the VFL, delist at the end of the year if he's no longer best 22)
R: The new ruckman, A. Selwood, N. Jones (captain)
Int: M. Jones, D. Terlich, J. McKenzie
Sub: J. Toumpas

Hope for the 2013 draftees and the other young players on Melbourne's list to show their worth and replace the likes of Dunn, Byrnes, McKenzie, Matt Jones and Magner, who are all triers but whose skills aren't necessarily up to AFL standard.

Oh, and most importantly, sack the moron who decided that Chris '0.7 goal average' Dawes was worth picks 20 & 45 and a 2 million dollar contract.

 

[erbenz]

Actually, I like what I've seen from the Demons so far this year.

You've cleaned out a lot of players who haven't the desire to be there, or were simply dissatisfied with the way they were handled by the club (That's not a discussion I want to get into). That at least creates a clear selection of players who want to be there and play for their coach.

You've bottomed out again as a result of being educated to play the game properly. Bailey spoke of educating your players, but the zonal stuff Neeld was doing last year was so far beyond the players' comprehension they had to be re-educated to bring themselves up to the speed of the modern game.

Now you still have serious personnel deficiencies, but you've brought in mature-aged blokes from VFL who have the want to succeed at AFL, cast-offs from other clubs (Rodan, Byrnes, Dawes) who bring the ability to lead and knowledge of premierships to your team; which will enrich your club's culture if nothing else, as well as young talent that will be properly nurtured in a competitive environment under Neeld.

Your forward line will be competitive with Clark spearheading it and while your midfield is still a few years away from being top 8 material you've got the raw materials there to build it whilst Jones is still around. If Watts and Frawley go down injured your defense will struggle, but I think that will be the next major deficiency to be addressed.

I don't tip many wins, but I tip an improvement in general on-field competitiveness, hopefully with the benefit of picking up some scalps in the second half of the year.

Don't get frustrated if they don't win heaps early though, I think the attitude and want is the main thing I'd want as a Demons supporter. Culture is the key foundation in building success.

Well, I'm not sure how this post sits now, it almost seems hopelessly idealistic and romantic in retrospect.

 

[Freomaniac]

I see you reference 2008 and 2009.

Melbourne need to acknowledge the club is in the position it is today because of failings during the Daniher, Bailey and Neeld eras.

The number of excuses and inconsistent arguments from Melbourne fans over the last year or two has been ridiculous. Scully was the potential superstar who would lead the club to the promised land but the moment he defected he was a waste of a #1 pick The drafting and development has been so bad that Morton and Scully (not there) are duds, but miraculously Watts and Trengove (there) and the latest batch will be stars. Etc.

Anyway, the point is there is no quick fix but the 'blind faith in the latest panacea/anyone who is gone was bad and anyone who says anything bad about us is trolling' attitude is not the answer.

P.S. When Fremantle fans say Schwab and Connolly are part of the problem they know what they're talking about.

Yep I agree with this...

Schwab and Connolly did Stuff up Freo and I reckon they would be some cause on why Melbourne are struggling now. Had Freo got better people to coach and run the club than them 2 Freo would of made more finals appearances between that 2002-2007 period. And like Freo from 1995-2006, Melbourne have paid over the odds on certain players in the last 2 years.

Another Major Problem Melbourne has done recently was bad recruiting... Go look and Compare what the Demons Freo got in the 2008 National and Rookie Drafts.

Demons got Jack Watts, Sam Blease, James Strauss, Jamie Bennell, Nevile Jetta. Freo Got in that draft: Stephen hill, Ballantyne, Suban, Zac Clarke, Walters and in the RD, De Boer, Clancee Pearce and Greg Broughton.

2008 was a strong draft for decent Mids: Hannebery, Beams, Ziebell, Zaharakis. Rory Sloane was pick 44 I think. There were decent Key position talent as well. Im not saying this as a troll attempt but Demons were very unlucky in that draft.

Their Playing squad is not as Deplorable as some people might suggest on here. Forward line is formidable. Frawley and Sellar can become decent key defenders. Their midfield is their main weakness. Nathan Jones is their best Mid by a mile.

 

[Freomaniac]

There is no short term fix.

I disagree...

Go look at Port Adelaide in 2011-12 yes they were bad. But over the off season they did some major changes most notably in the football department. Yes its Ironically Melbourne and GWS But Port are playing with Belief and Passion that made them decent in the 1st place.

Theres short term goals and long term goals.

Short term is to make the team competitive and find out which is the best 22.

Long term plan is to get the right recruiters, players board room people to help the club. Neeld has a Similar resume Like Sanderson: Both have been assistant coaches in a previous club and saw a flag as well with a very decent coach.

 

[Tulip]

Here's how I'd 'fix Melbourne' as posted on the Dees board.

That's why the AFL needs to do it.

First and Forever, the bugler, the darkened jumper, the shitty logo.

All of these are doing us absolutely no good.

We've gone and revisited our roots when we need to move forward and make ourselves a sustainable brand.

Darwin, despite how annoying playing 2 games there a year will be, is a good initiative for that.

I'd almost be ready to bring back the royal blue, a version of the Demon logo of the early 21st Century, and start making our club about the players we see leading us in the future. I'm talking a group of 5 or 6 here that would get our young fans enthusiastic: (by age) Viney, Trengove, Grimes, Jones, Clark (and maybe Frawley if he gets his shit together). That should be our leadership group, the players should be accountable to these players.

Don't remove Grimes and Trengove as captains, just promote and appoint the other guys and make it clear that these are the players that need to be answered to. Bid Dawes, Byrnes, McKenzie and Garland a very quiet goodbye from the leadership group. Not forever, just for now.

Get these people on billboards wearing brighter jumpers with a brighter logo, expose them on TV. Get some fire around them, promote the club as "The Demons" and focus on Hell and all things Demonic. Have one of those adverts on Fox Footy where we have those supporters in face paint shouting "LET YOUR DEMON OUT". Have real open training sessions where the club allocate an hour or two a fortnight for jumper signings and pictures. Once a month in the City, once a month in Casey.

A strong leadership group like that opens up the next brigade of players to really be lifted. I'm talking Watts, Toumpas, Howe, McKenzie, Blease, Garland, McDonald, Nicholson, Gawn, Jamar, Davey, Dawes, Jonesy II.

Don't focus too much on the past. Garry Lyon can do or say what he wants, but disassociate the club with him. If we want past players, make them fashionable ones and get them amongst the club. I'm talking Flower, Neitz, Robertson, White, Viney, McDonald. Set a standard for strong leadership.

Give Royal his marching orders, Rawlings too. Give any of the plethora of retired champions a call and ask them if they fancy an assistant coaching job or a mentoring role and let them be part of the rebranding. Neil Craig can be farewelled, right after we show him the footage of him with his hands behind his head 24 f'n 7.

If we can do it, get Kevin Sheedy in. Either behind Mark Neeld, or in place of him with a Scott Burns next in line and learning. He talks a lot of shit, but he's gotten the Giants into the headlines and could get our name out in footy-mad Melbourne where he is still respected by many.

Start asking around for board positions. Jimmy Stynes appointed a board that he could trust, but just delicately, I think he intended on running the club himself and having smart yes men behind the scenes. He obviously trusted Don, but now someone needs to tell him that his letters are embarrassing the supporters and that the club needs a face of empowerment. I honestly don't know who would volunteer, so we need to go chasing a bigger name. Greg Wells isn't a bloke I'm too familiar with, but if he's willing to do the job with a bit of love and persuasion than I say get him in. Ask the AFL really nicely to pay off Schwab's contract and to find us someone with the capacity and balls to initiate this rebranding whilst remaining in communication with the fans.

I can't think of a strong conclusion, but it's time to stop revisiting the past and start putting the future as a priority.

 

[se17enteen]

This is a disgrace.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

A player like Sylvia should play out his contract at Casey and then be allowed to walk to whichever club will take him. All the talent in the world, but simply does not give a shit. I actually advocated for Geelong to pursue him last offseason, as I thought it very likely that he'd flourish at a strong club with strong leadership. I still think that might be the case. But I could never, ever, ever support a player like that. Give his spot to someone, anyone, who will have a crack. He's a cancer at the moment and exactly what's wrong with the club.

As for the supporters, I'd say keep the faith. It wasn't even two years ago that Port Adelaide seemed to be getting belted by 20 goals every second week. What was it - Round 20 last year - when they were at 'rock bottom' (when Primus walked)?

Thing is that's exactly what we did last year with Moloney now every man and his dog is having a dig at us for it.

 

[SizeMatters]

Merge or fold?

 

[dajesmac]

On-field - I would keep trading for experience, personally.

It may not propel them into a premiership tilt, however it would certainly lift them from where they are now.

If it were up to me I'd be willing to trade draft picks for good players, and attack the free agency list.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

When everything seems hopeless you just have to do SOMETHING.

It's the default reaction to think "this is totally ****ed - we're going to get smashed next week. I'll go out there, I'll give it a go, but we'll still get spanked."

I think the directive has to be so simple and clear that it is achievable and motivating. Judge the players purely on their tackle count for the next month. Anyone can tackle. You don't need talent to tackle - you just need effort. Skill errors will happen. Games will be lost, but using this as a starting point to a unit that is hard work to play against, even when you belt them by 10 goals, is the only way I see forward for these guys.

You don't give complicated instructions to guys that have no hope.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Spot on. One of Clarkson's first moves in resurrecting the Hawthorn football club was by weeding out the flashy match-stick types, and by promoting Vandenburg to captain who was in no way ever going to be an elite midfielder but wore his heart on his sleeve and played for the jumper week in and out. From there he was able to construct his entire team and football department on core values including commitment and determination which are mandatory for success.

Melbourne on the other hand, from an outside point of view, seem to take the simplistic approach of looking at the premiership clock framework with the attitude that draft picks= success. This polluted view is toxic for the culture of the club all the way from the inner sanctum to grass roots level. A complete overhaul is required from the current playing group through to football department then to board level.

They can consider themselves lucky that they are not known as the 'Hawthorn', or 'Western' etc Demons or they would have been sent packing from Victoria or killed off long ago.

DJ

Neeld already weeded out Morton, Cook & Gysberts, your quintessential matchstick types.

 

[El_Scorcho]

After our consecutive 150 point losses last season I was ready to sack everyone involved with the club and start again. Our football department was a disgrace. Our off field leadership seemed weak and ineffective. Our list was mentally and physically weak, seemingly low skilled and there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

Ultimately the positive change was already on it's way. We already had a tough, former footy player CEO with good business credentials in Keith Thomas. Port supporters were wary because KT was a Norwood champion and reeked of an SANFL plant. He became a Port Adelaide man incredibly quickly and won the supporter base over.

The GWS loss was the catalyst for the removal of Primus, and we were able to get Koch on board who brought a few new smart operating board members with good contacts with him in Cos Cardone and Amanda Vanstone and that very quickly started to shore up the off field side of things.

We got a new coach from a successful background who had coached with success at a few levels and was the sort of character you could rally behind, and surrounded him with the strategic mind of Alan Richardson and the fitness expertise of Darren Burgess. We lucked out with Burgess as he's a Port fan and wanted to move back to Adelaide.

Onfield we changed our captain and recruited smartly by taking skilful players who were on the fringes of top quality sides. Heath and Stevenson look like quality additions.

Peter Rhode kept his job. Josh Carr and Shaun Rehn kept their jobs and seem to be flourishing with the new people around them and more direction in their roles.

We are a long way from the finished article. A long long way. But we have gone in 6 months from getting embarrassed by 25 goals back to back weeks to showing a lot of promise for the future. One off season. Change can happen but people who have the ability to step up and make it happen need to do so. It won't happen by itself.

You'll be surprised how players, coaches and officials that you'd written off as no hopers can turn around once the right people are around them giving them motivation and direction.

 

[Super Hans]

If the AFL give Melbourne a priority pick like some people in the media are suggesting that is a joke.

 

[Big Blood]

After our consecutive 150 point losses last season I was ready to sack everyone involved with the club and start again. Our football department was a disgrace. Our off field leadership seemed weak and ineffective. Our list was mentally and physically weak, seemingly low skilled and there was no light at the end of the tunnel.



Ultimately the positive change was already on it's way. We already had a tough, former footy player CEO with good business credentials in Keith Thomas. Port supporters were wary because KT was a Norwood champion and reeked of an SANFL plant. He became a Port Adelaide man incredibly quickly and won the supporter base over.



The GWS loss was the catalyst for the removal of Primus, and we were able to get Koch on board who brought a few new smart operating board members with good contacts with him in Cos Cardone and Amanda Vanstone and that very quickly started to shore up the off field side of things.



We got a new coach from a successful background who had coached with success at a few levels and was the sort of character you could rally behind, and surrounded him with the strategic mind of Alan Richardson and the fitness expertise of Darren Burgess. We lucked out with Burgess as he's a Port fan and wanted to move back to Adelaide.
.......


You'll be surprised how players, coaches and officials that you'd written off as no hopers can turn around once the right people are around them giving them motivation and direction.

Yep, the Port experience shows you can go a long way on the field by fixing up the off-field. There might a lot wrong with Melbourne's list but clearly the big problem is the off-field leadership.

The Dees have their GWS moment in two weeks. If they don't come out of that with their dignity intact it's probably time for the AFL to move in.

 

[sTeeL]

I think a PP or two which can only be used to trade in current players might be a better solution. Forcing Melbourne to take somewhat decent and mature players than just hitting the draft year in and year out

 

[MightyTiger]

I disagree...

Go look at Port Adelaide in 2011-12 yes they were bad. But over the off season they did some major changes most notably in the football department. Yes its Ironically Melbourne and GWS But Port are playing with Belief and Passion that made them decent in the 1st place.

Theres short term goals and long term goals.

Short term is to make the team competitive and find out which is the best 22.

Long term plan is to get the right recruiters, players board room people to help the club. Neeld has a Similar resume Like Sanderson: Both have been assistant coaches in a previous club and saw a flag as well with a very decent coach.

So Port beat 2 bottom 4 teams and all of a sudden they've turned a corner?