With respect, Gary Lyon is full of shit.
I really rated him as a player, but post his playing career he's been happy to meddle behind the scenes but not put his balls on the line and take an active and accountable role at the footy club.
It's time he buggered off, and let the club move on without him.
I'd like Neeld to stay in his role but thats only because i'm happy to see Melbourne in this predicament. It has been obvious from day dot that the players will not play for Neeld.
We have all seen their list & thought they have some talent but when you have players like Rivers & Moloney playing nowhere near their best & then running for greener pastures when the season is up then something isn't right. It sounds like when he arrived at the club he polarized the senior group & from that moment the players didn't respect him & have not/will not play for him.
Neeld will be sacked, its just a matter of time.
It's cold and dark there at the bottom of the tank...drip, drip.
Well, they positioned for picks, and stuffed it up. People only forget if you get it right it seems ( um...pies )
Last edited by Ghost Dog; 08-04-2013 at 08:04 AM.
You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. ― Epicurus
FFC: Established 1883
Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.
When looking at Melbourne's drafting/ trading from last year it needs to be remembered that they also gained Hogan in the 17yo mini-draft who looks an exceptional talent.... They gave a bit away to get him, which they had to do, but when you consider they got Viney, Toumpas & Hogan it looks more than reasonable.
In isolation yes, but look at the way they're building the side - trading heavily for Clark and Dawes, then taking Pederson (WTF?), Rodan, Byrnes, etc.
Essentially, they're doing the opposite to us. We're building from the "inside out", taking Smith the year after we nabbed Wallis & Libba, and despite having a full compliment of inside mids (even accounting for Higgins & Addison who played inside mids as juniors but now play elsewhere) we took Prudden, Hrovat & Stringer (played inside mid at VFL level as much as a forward) at the draft and traded/signed Stevens & Lower.
It's an interesting strategy, but they're paying for it now - Viney, after two games, is their second most important midfielder after Jones.
Like it or loath it, we're clearly sticking to building the team from "the inside out" and the whole club has bought into the mantra.
Melbourne said they want to be "the hardest team in he competition to play against" yet their list management does not seem to reflect that statement.
Western Bulldogs: 2016 Premiers
Yep, agree that their strategy has been a little strange - almost trying to have 2 bites of the apple, by drafting both long term & short term options.
Could part of this strategy have been because it was rumoured that the penalties to be handed down due to the tanking fiasco were going to include the loss of current & future draft picks so they just 'burnt' them all before the decision was made?
Development of the talent once it arrives at the club has been Melbourne's biggest downfall, not the actual talent they bring to the club. It's the old chicken and egg argument - is the talent actually there or has the young talent not been developed to its fullest potential once it arrives? I'd say Melbourne have developed poorly moreso than drafted poorly in the last few years.