Thanks Dean !!!

[Biffinator]

Dean, thanks very much for what you have done over the past four years. You have not laboured in vain - the seeds you have planted will be harvested in a few year's time.

Anyone who took over from Danners was always going to do it tough.

I am sorry it did not work out. Anyone who loses by 186 points with a 25% win ratio is dead man walking. This year's captain did your cause no service.

There are some fond memories:

• beating Brisbane at the 'G in 2008. When Wonna grabbed that ball at the end, oh what bliss. I freely cried.
• the comeback against Freo.
• Last year's win against Brisbane and the Swannies. Perhaps Bruce did ejaculate prematurely but it is surely a premonition.
• Getting rid of TJ.
• Paying out on CJ: gold gold gold.
• telling Brick Mclean that his role in the team was going to change, thereby prompting him to migrate to the Cheats in return for Gysberts.

Nor were you egotistic. You always put the Club first - and that meant playing the boys. Perhaps, in retrospect, we needed more of a fire-breather to shift the culture - but you did what you could.

Your exit was also class personified.

best wishes, and thanks. I hope you stay a Demon.

Biffinator.

 

[Topkent]

thanks dean
for despite the fact that you were always under pressure this year

you unearthed nicholson, howe, evans, gawn all as future players

and got games into strauss, gysberts, watts, and others when people felt they didnt do deserve them


full respect for the way he handled his press conference, all class

 

[Captain Jack]

Well said Biff. Amidst all the hate, hysteria and ridiculous statements, someone needed to appreciate the good things Dean has done for our club and our list. He inherited a poisoned chalice and did a fairly good job in parts.

I would add this year's win over Essendon to the list of fond memories.

 

[Spirit of 39]

Selfless, approachable, a teacher. Dean always put the club's interests before his own.

May we look back in years to come and say "Dean Bailey set the Demon premiership train on its path during some very lean years."

Thanks for your best efforts, Bails!

 

[Power King]

deserved to see out the year with the chance of taking the dees into the finals imo

 

[davey_magik]

Thanks Dean, for:
- The Freo win
- Whilst I felt the gameplan had flaws, the general idea taught the players to play the right way
- Always coaching in the best interest of the club (Playing so many kids)
- Playing what I think will be a key role in hindsight in the development of Watts, Frawley, Trengove, McKenzie, Jamar, Martin, Jurrah and a few others
- Handling the press conference brilliantly, I think all Melbourne supporters with a clue wish you all the best

Whilst I am a firm believer in that our club has culture problems that need rectifying, I don't think Bailey was ever a part of this. The problems were there long before he came into our club.

 

[Gazza_11]

No matter how badly we lost, he's given us a great winning game plan. That corridor allowed us to belt Sydney, Freo, Essendon, Adelaide, Richmond, etc as well as almost defeat Collingwood, Hawthorn, etc. We should hold on that style of football, just with more structure.

 

[Dez!]

I know it won't happen now but I'd like to see him in a development role at the club, he was very good at teaching players.

 

[Keele]

deserved to see out the year with the chance of taking the dees into the finals imo

I agree... DB might not have been the best coach for the job but he gave his best ... he deserved a better departure for services rendered.

 

[RandB]

Dean, you stuck to your convictions and you had an ethos that you believed was the right one to carry forward with the MFC.


You came on board during one of the most difficult times in history of the club and inherited a nightmare of a list. The way you have conducted yourself during this time has been first class and I thank you for your contribution to the club and the important role you have played in turning over our list and educating our younger players.


In your press conference you were asked about the direction that you took and your performance record. You made the point of there being a risk to yourself in the way that you approached our development. There was indeed a risk there and you were bold in your efforts, again thank you.


Sadly there was a bigger risk swirling in the undercurrent for some time as a result of the approach you/we took. It came to a head on Saturday, 30th of July - that being the risk to our playing group.

Regardless of having a mandate, the repercussions of coaching for tomorrow rather than for today caught up with all of us in the end and the board had to act.


All the best for the future Dean and I also hope you stay red and blue in spirit although with some of your parting revelations I am not sure that is necessarily going to happen.

 

[AllenJakovich13]

My Top 5 Bailey Wins

1 - 2008 wins Freo/Brisbane at the G couldnt split them both were great!
2 - 2011 Essendon
3 - 2010 Brisbane round 5
4 - 2009 West Coast Stynes Game
5 - 2010 Sydney Thrashing

 

[Ando727]

I wasn't a fan of his coaching direction at any point, but I respect him for giving it a go and for being a generally top bloke. Very funny guy sometimes too. He's the kind of guy you'd like as a mate.

 

[Timmy Houlihan]

the brisbane win was his best, people were starting to talk up Brisbane as Top 4 material and frawley smashed Brown and trenners got the rising star nom!

 

[00Stinger]

Well said Biff.
Seemed like a great bloke, always put the club first and went out with dignity.

 

[Demon Revival]

Dean took on a did that many others would not have had the balls to do (for the benefit of our club), it was always going to be a thankless task with our limited dollars available to the football dept & lack of stability at HQ.

It was not made any easier this year when Wellman defected & his other assistants very much having their L plates on or just not being up to the challenge of improving our list.

I'm still struggling to believe that the senior players in particular are likely to got off scott free with their efforts on many occasions this year, the usual line of "we need to show more effort" has been heard time & time again...

NOT BLOODY GOOD ENOUGH...

One thing that I'm not sure has been spoken about from last weeks game, is that all the other teams have been resting their key players on a rotation basis, with the new interchange & sub rule, where we have been playing all of our key midfielders each week & there must be a point where their output is going to be affected. This could be a major factor at this time of the year...

Dean, having met & spoken with you at the team photo morning, I appreciate your attitude & contribution to our club & wish you well in the future...

 

[stickman11]

I know it won't happen now but I'd like to see him in a development role at the club, he was very good at teaching players.

could have had cuddles job

 

[CM Sean]

My Top 5 Bailey Wins

1 - 2008 wins Freo/Brisbane at the G couldnt split them both were great!
2 - 2011 Essendon
3 - 2010 Brisbane round 5
4 - 2009 West Coast Stynes Game
5 - 2010 Sydney Thrashing

Adelaide 2011?

Anywho. TANK you, Bailey.

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

As someone who spoke to Dean on a few occasions up here, I certainly had a lot of respect for him, and always felt that he had a real vision for the team, and a cohesive on-field plan.

Very intelligent, articulate, and a fundamentally decent person.

And we have had some great wins during his time here. For my part, the Freo & Brisbane wins in 2008, and Aussie's performances in both matches, were what inspired me to become a Demons member, after a long time away from the AFL, and the disillusionment I felt following the League's systematic whiteanting of Fitzroy to the point of near-extinction.

I'll always remember those two wins more than any other AFL match, except for Fitzroy's win over Fremantle in 1996.

And although Dean's obviously made a bunch of bad decisions throughout matches - continually putting Jack down in the backline amongst the worst of them - I certainly can't blame him for the depth of what happened on Saturday, or for our other losses this season being as big as they have been.

As I said on game day, when players, including some who are supposed to be part of our leadership group, ESPECIALLY Green, just stop trying, don't show any sign of caring, don't commit, and chuck a strop around the ground, that's down to them and no-one else.

That's what was really disgraceful about the whole spectacle of it.

And I don't think it's reasonable at all that Dean should be carrying the can to such a degree, because of the fact that these players, and I'd name 11 of them in that category, didn't live up to the responsibility they have, as representatives of the Melbourne Football Club, to give their best effort out there on the field, whatever the situation, whoever the opposition is.

Also, as I've said more than a few times in various places over the last few days, if I had my way, Brad Green would be removed from the captaincy immediately, after he played such a large part in dragging the reputation of our club through the mud with his appalling display. I see his actions as just plain unforgiveable at this point.

 

[adamelliott]

Yes, it is not entirely reasonable that Bailey has to get hung for what everyone did not do, failed to do. But he has been and I hope he cops it on the chin. I hope the club are not so weak willed as to wonder if they have done the right thing. It is done, it is dusted.
We have to hope now that all the people associated with the club who are airing their opinions in the media are doing so purely in the best interest of the MFC. No mates, no pack drill.
good on you Dean and thanks. Sorry about the shit sandwich

 

[stickman11]

he was a little out of his depth in the senior coaching stakes.

 

[wart101]

Hey guys, i dunno how you guys are feeling about what has happened but IMO i think it was a bit harsh, i viewed bailey as a good coach dealing with a young side with ups and downs, OK it was a thrashing to say the least but i don't think it was the coaches fault ?

 

[thetank]

Round 5 2010, Melb v Bris

My girlfriend is from Sydney and goes for the Swans, I made a bet with her that if Melbourne beat Brisbane in that game then she would sign up for a Dees membership for the year

Went to the match, one of my most glorious experiences at the footy - thanks Dean for that.

Hated all the losing over the past few years, but have always felt that he was a well-loved bloke of high integrity...just not quite tactically astute enough. Happy for his family that the blowtorch is off Dean now.

 

[iPadlard]

The other thing DB had to take on was the role of spruiker wherever possible. Lets face it, the MFC need a lot of help getting its brand out there and DB always seemed available to the media for an interview and the like.

I go to pretty much every game with my daughter and we sit on the fence in the members near the race - she loves hi-fiving the lads after a win. Due to the popularity of these seats we have to get there pretty early and on one occasion in 2009 against the Cats DB came over to talk to her (she was 10 at the time). He spent a good 15 minutes answering her questions about the team, the players and how genuienly excited he was by the list and the future.

She asked if we would win and this is his answer (pretty much) Note that on the screen was a game from Kardinia Park when we maybe beat a team with a young Ablett, Chapman etc:

"See this video, that Geelong team has been together for 4 or 5 years, around 100 games and lots of preseasons. Thats where we want to be. The bigger bodies with these preaseaons is what we need to become and I think we can do it. We wont win today but there are lessons that will be learned"

He then gave me his hat as I'd left my scarf at home. Prettu funny, it's got his name on the underside.

Thanks Bails, I reckon you've taken us as far as you can. I wished you'd stayed as an assistant.