LouisCK
Norm Smith Medallist
- Banned
- #1
Anyone else getting a bit tingly about 2012 all of a sudden?
Following "The game that shall not be named" I was, typical of Melbourne members above the age of 16, just about suicidal. But over the weeks that followed, I thought the club just really handled themselves well. They didn't panic, they didn't rush. Schwab played a part in the drama, but he also brought in the millions that had us back on stable ground (for the first time I can remember). So we didn't sack him - and then he produced the biggest sponsorship in club history.
Then Scully left us, but we kind of shat on his breakfast by announcing it before GWS did - I liked that. It showed ticker and passion. Two things our newly appointed head coach said struck him as the reason he wanted to come to Melbourne.
Then we somehow snared the most highly rated assistant going around. Then we snared one of the top fitness coaches in the game. Then another high profile signing in Neil Craig. A couple of more assistants followed, but it all seemed very deliberate.
We've thrown some cash to land Clark, yes, but it shouldn't but a big dent in our cap situation considering we'll front load most of it. Make no mistake, the Demons don't usually land someone like Clark and it shows a level of collaboration between FD and Admin that we've lacked sorely over the years. The fact we have the cash to even make the offer certainly didn't hurt either.
I have confidence in the club, for the first time I can ever recall. Jimmy has certainly done a lot of work, but I think McFarlane and Prendergast and Schwab and Lyon and no doubt countless others all look to be pulling in the same direction. We made mistakes this year, on field and off, but we rectified them quickly and most importantly: we fixed things in house. We don't leak. Neeld, Mission, Clark etc. all just kind of "happened" and nothing was done through the press. Melbourne just handled their business, and we got the result we wanted. We lost Scully, but we've rolled with that and look strong - overall, the off-season from hell has become a completely different proposition in a matter of weeks.
Heading in to 2012, I'm expecting a lineup something like this:
B:Grimes Frawley Rivers
HB: Blease Martin Garland
C: Trengove Sylvia Moloney
HF: Howe Watts Petterd
F: Jurrah Clark Davey
R: Jamar McKenzie Jones
INT: Green Tapscott Gysberts
E: Bail
Look, that isn't a premiership team, but it isn't far off given time and familiarity. Add in Jack Viney and a couple of other first rounders in 2012's superdraft and we're looking like the duck's nuts if you ask me. Best of all, we don't have any inbuilt excuses anymore.
Fitness? Neeld and Mission are renowned for their fitness focus.
Talent? You've got to be kidding me, half that team was drafted in the top 15.
Money? Did you not just see us sign Clark for CEO money?
Membership? 40k last season, will smash that this year too.
Its a good time to be a Demon.
Following "The game that shall not be named" I was, typical of Melbourne members above the age of 16, just about suicidal. But over the weeks that followed, I thought the club just really handled themselves well. They didn't panic, they didn't rush. Schwab played a part in the drama, but he also brought in the millions that had us back on stable ground (for the first time I can remember). So we didn't sack him - and then he produced the biggest sponsorship in club history.
Then Scully left us, but we kind of shat on his breakfast by announcing it before GWS did - I liked that. It showed ticker and passion. Two things our newly appointed head coach said struck him as the reason he wanted to come to Melbourne.
Then we somehow snared the most highly rated assistant going around. Then we snared one of the top fitness coaches in the game. Then another high profile signing in Neil Craig. A couple of more assistants followed, but it all seemed very deliberate.
We've thrown some cash to land Clark, yes, but it shouldn't but a big dent in our cap situation considering we'll front load most of it. Make no mistake, the Demons don't usually land someone like Clark and it shows a level of collaboration between FD and Admin that we've lacked sorely over the years. The fact we have the cash to even make the offer certainly didn't hurt either.
I have confidence in the club, for the first time I can ever recall. Jimmy has certainly done a lot of work, but I think McFarlane and Prendergast and Schwab and Lyon and no doubt countless others all look to be pulling in the same direction. We made mistakes this year, on field and off, but we rectified them quickly and most importantly: we fixed things in house. We don't leak. Neeld, Mission, Clark etc. all just kind of "happened" and nothing was done through the press. Melbourne just handled their business, and we got the result we wanted. We lost Scully, but we've rolled with that and look strong - overall, the off-season from hell has become a completely different proposition in a matter of weeks.
Heading in to 2012, I'm expecting a lineup something like this:
B:Grimes Frawley Rivers
HB: Blease Martin Garland
C: Trengove Sylvia Moloney
HF: Howe Watts Petterd
F: Jurrah Clark Davey
R: Jamar McKenzie Jones
INT: Green Tapscott Gysberts
E: Bail
Look, that isn't a premiership team, but it isn't far off given time and familiarity. Add in Jack Viney and a couple of other first rounders in 2012's superdraft and we're looking like the duck's nuts if you ask me. Best of all, we don't have any inbuilt excuses anymore.
Fitness? Neeld and Mission are renowned for their fitness focus.
Talent? You've got to be kidding me, half that team was drafted in the top 15.
Money? Did you not just see us sign Clark for CEO money?
Membership? 40k last season, will smash that this year too.
Its a good time to be a Demon.
