The Exodus

[Tulip]

Look, I don't think Neeld can coach - but I'm willing to concede that things may turn around and that I might be wrong. However, I refuse to accept the fact that he isn't damaging this football club: Especially as more and more reports emerge of players ready to leave.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ender-jack-watts/story-e6frf9jf-1226648706348

FREMANTLE heads a pack of eight clubs chasing disgruntled Melbourne defender Jack Watts.
The 2008 No.1 draft pick is expected to request a trade at season's end.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...er-james-frawley/story-fn6pe9hv-1226647937604

GOLD Coast has joined a long list of clubs trying to lure Melbourne key defender James Frawley.
The Suns made an unofficial inquiry about Frawley in the lead-up to their win against the Demons last Sunday week.

Just two articles to appear in the last couple of days.

I seriously believe that Mark Neeld and his staff have disenfranchised the playing group; and that the time to act may be soon. Don't let them walk out the door, we've seen the quality (VFL) of replacement that our coach/list manager see as appropriate.

 

[CWaffles]

Look, I don't think Neeld can coach - but I'm willing to concede that things may turn around and that I might be wrong. However, I refuse to accept the fact that he isn't damaging this football club: Especially as more and more reports emerge of players ready to leave.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ender-jack-watts/story-e6frf9jf-1226648706348



http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...er-james-frawley/story-fn6pe9hv-1226647937604



Just two articles to appear in the last couple of days.

I seriously believe that Mark Neeld and his staff have disenfranchised the playing group; and that the time to act may be soon. Don't let them walk out the door, we've seen the quality (VFL) of replacement that our coach/list manager see as appropriate.

I just read the article and instantly thought the same! If we start loosing players and not just any players but our high calibre player we are in big trouble. I honestly think its time for Neeld to go before he damages out football club!

We need a highly respected coach to step in in order to keep these players, another unproven coach and we will be left with a bunch of VFL player and 18 and 19 year olds.

Hopefully Peter Jackson realises all this and sits down with the players to see if there is anything he can do to fix the situation.

 

[Tulip]

I just read the article and instantly thought the same! If we start loosing players and not just any players but our high calibre player we are in big trouble. I honestly think its time for Neeld to go before he damages out football club!

We need a highly respected coach to step in in order to keep these players, another unproven coach and we will be left with a bunch of VFL player and 18 and 19 year olds.

Hopefully Peter Jackson realises all this and sits down with the players to see if there is anything he can do to fix the situation.

Maybe it's not even Neeld's fault, plenty of young coaches make mistakes. Maybe he's just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or our playing group is weak. Point is that, on paper, our squad is (or was, before the 2012 trade week) not wooden spoon quality. It's just not working.

 

[guitarded]

Saw this coming a mile away tbh... Mismanaged and poorly developed from the get go.

 

[CWaffles]

Maybe it's not even Neeld's fault, plenty of young coaches make mistakes. Maybe he's just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or our playing group is weak. Point is that, on paper, our squad is (or was, before the 2012 trade week) not wooden spoon quality. It's just not working.

I understand that, although it's and advantage having a coach that you can buy into his game plan. It just seems as though that Neeld is struggling to get the respect from our players and just doesn't look good for us at the moment, I mean even Port Adelaide managed to keep most of their players at the end of last year.

 

[yakka man]

Not meaning to be disrespectful but if there is any truth to that article (which there may not be) what would you want or expect as a trade for Watts? Imo his currency is now quite low.

 

[Duritz]

Pretty selfish by watts IMO if true. Generation Me.

 

[Bartram_Class]

Agree with gist.

Can handle the losses while Neeld tries to get the team playing the way he wants, but other coaches have managed that without alienating the majority of the senior crop of players.

 

[Bluelegs]

How can the admin justify Neeld keeping his job when so many players have wanted to leave. If he can't keep Watts Neeld needs to throw in the towel because he can't manage players for shit.

 

[Cannon82]

We binned a quarter of the list at the start of the year. Maybe it needed to be done but it's not going to endear the coach to the players.

Not much has changed since that 'should he go / stay' thread. Unless we've got someone decent in line to replace him, don't think sacking him will help. Things can still get worse, and I doubt having a fill-in coach for the rest of the season is going to encourage players to stay / sign on.

 

[Higgs Boson]

I'll be fair dinkum really cross if Watts goes

I'm so startled right now

 

[Bluelegs]

Maybe it's not even Neeld's fault, plenty of young coaches make mistakes. Maybe he's just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or our playing group is weak. Point is that, on paper, our squad is (or was, before the 2012 trade week) not wooden spoon quality. It's just not working.

Who would want to play for Mark "We'll be competitive in five years" Neeld

 

[d33my]

Part of me agrees with thread premise. Not a good look seeing our talented players want out.

The other part of me says **** anybody that wants to leave and good luck to them. If they're not prepared to put in the hard yards now, how are they going to cope when the pressure is really on when (if) we're back up the top?

I don't know if Neeld is the answer to our problems, but I don't know if he's the root cause of them either. If players want to leave the club there is probably more to it than just the coach. The engrained culture of failure, of accepted mediocrity, phoning in performances on the weekend, etc. That was all well established before Neeld walked in the door. Even if we were to get a new coach, who's to say they might not get along with him as well?

Seems to me the players dictated terms under Bailey, and he let them get away with it. Neeld doesn't seem to be as forgiving. Some players may be having a hard time adjusting to that.

Who knows? If Neeld somehow turns it around despite losing Watts (and maybe Frawley, though as discussed in the other thread that's less likely, at least in the short term) then he'll be hailed as a genius who didn't take shit from anyone. If he stuffs it up then he'll be single-handedly charged with destroying a football club.

Fun times indeed.

 

[Bluelegs]

The other part of me says **** anybody that wants to leave and good luck to them. If they're not prepared to put in the hard yards now, how are they going to cope when the pressure is really on when (if) we're back up the top?

Here's my issue with this mindset. It's becoming a trend, when you start saying "everyone's a problem but me" maybe you're the problem.

 

[DeesFan]

I had a discussion in another thread yesterday, Question why would any football player want to stay at Melbourne, this is the underlying issue.

Bad management
Bad coaching appointments
Bad list management
A President and board who wont stand down - anyone person associated with the decision giving CS a extend 3 year deal should quit or be dismissed and now.

Have we heard from Mc Laughing Stock lately? No..




The list goes on. I would be worried about all the player who only have 1 year left on their contract. They would jump if some other club wanted them.


We will become a nursery for other clubs, build them up over their first two years and then if they show potential jump to another club.


I look at Petterd - delisted by us and picked up by Tigers and now when fit he would be in their best 22. They are a much better team than us but we couldn't get him right (worse under Neeld)

 

[Topkent]

I can't see watts being allowed to leave , but then again I saw what we gave up for pedo ... I wouldn't let him leave for anything less than a top 10 pick , and I wouldn't think anyone would give a top 10 pick for him .. Is his contract up at the end of the year?

 

[DeesFan]

Jack Watts is out of contract at end of year, he can leave and go into draft if he wants and we get nothing.
The only way we get something is if we trade with another club.

What we want and what we get are two different things. We would be lucky to get a second round or a late first round pick.

 

[Bluelegs]

Lance Uppercut said it well on the main board. How ironic that Watts could decide to leave Melbourne to play in WA.

 

[wowlace]

Hmm, **** anyone who wants to leave. Abandoning the team and club at this critical time would be Scully like.

 

[tasmanlvr]

I'm just surprised Jesse Hogan hasn't requested a trade yet.

 

[raven echo]

I feel like clubs are lining up to just pick over the carcass of our once great club.

We are simply going to become a feeder club for bigger and more successful clubs if we continue to struggle as some of our talented players will want out for success and the the extra money we can throw at them will not necessarily convince them to stay around and deal with our basket case of a club.

We have to get our shit together and this is our last chance to do it before we risk hitting oblivion. Success breeds loyalty and loyalty breeds success.

I have been on the Neeld bandwagon for a long time but with these reports of Frawley and Watts allegedly wanting out, I am official off. The man is a symptom of the cancer at the club right now which no doubt starts at the incompetence at board level and festers its way down to all the way to the bloody boot studder.

I pray that Jackson comes in and just reviews the club from top to bottom and somehow is able to rectify the mess we find ourselves because as I said on the main board, I really am worried about the future of our club right now.

 

[Samsara]

We've invested a lot into Watts and got very little out of it. I can't see us getting anything decent in a trade, so I'd be more inclined to keep him and persist.

 

[DeesFan]

The Melbourne recruiting staff will pick out someone who can't get a game in the seniors - swap for Watts and we will throw in a 1st round pick .. or Jack Viney if they ask.

 

[jhong]

We've invested a lot into Watts and got very little out of it. I can't see us getting anything decent in a trade, so I'd be more inclined to keep him and persist.

Another way of looking at Watts is we have totally screwed up his developement , from the moment he ran onto the "G" as a 17 y.o. He may not end up being the "star" we had all hoped for , but i still think he will be a good player for us , and should be kept if he wants to stay.

 

[Dory_77]

I think some of us still have our rose coloured glasses on regarding Watts. We aren't gonna get top 10 picks and probably not even a 1st rounder for him. He is a very talented player, but he's never had a specific role so clubs will be taking him as a utility, with the potential to maybe blossom into a more defined role. That isn't worth a top 10 pick. A high 2nd rounder at best
Frawley leaving would completely root us though. Watts is a good player, but he isn't holding down any big roles in the side. Frawley is our number 1 KPD which is bloody hard to replace easily; if he leaves we become a much worse side. Watts leaving, if it happens, would disappointing for all of us but it wouldn't really be the end of the world (though the media circus around it would certainly make it seem like it was).