Just a try hard indie.

Melbourne Football Club, why they made the wrong call on Bailey.

The Melbourne Football Club, after eight rounds in the 2012 AFL season are currently winless, and suffered a 101 point defeat last Saturday afternoon, at the hands of the Sydney Swans at the SCG.
Their performances so far this season have let all football supporters, especially Demon fans, and members down, given the widespread goodwill toward the club following the illness,and subsequent loss of club President, and champion player Jim Stynes.
A positive step has been the recruitment of Brisbane’s Mitch Clark, from the jaws of an expectant Fremantle, however on field successess, have been few and far between.
I believe the main reason for this was the premature sacking of Dean Bailey following the record 186 point defeat by Geelong in round nineteen, last year. Admittedly the performance that day was less than abysmal, and repurcussions had to be felt, but stronger weight should have been given to the players performance, and effort that day as opposed to the senior coach.
After seventeen rounds last season, Melbourne were 7-7 with a draw, and only trailed eventual finallist Sydney, by a full game, and 6.45 percent. Thereby, still well in finals contention with a valid chance given their run home.
Admittedly the Demons loss to eventual preliminary finallists Hawthorn in round eighteen was large, however given the Hawks were third (11-4) at the time, some allowances can be made.
The Geelong loss that resulted in Bailey’s sacking was in my opinion, an incorrect reaction aimed at the wrong source.
After that fateful day, the Melbourne Football Club, subsequently appointed caretaker coach Todd Viney, however they Demons only managed one victory for the remainder of the 2011 season , which was registered against 2011 debutants, and eventual wooden spooners Gold Coast, by the hardly flattering margin of thirty points. Concluding with a defeat by a Port Adelaide side that was bottom of the AFL ladder, thus allowing the Power to climb from the cellar and avoid the wooden spoon in the last round of the season.
Now, this is not a critique of current coach Mark Neeld and his abilities, but the cause of their winless season so far has to fall on the playing group that have gone from being a competitive side on the brink of finals action, to a basket case on the field in just thirteen matches.
Are the players feeling guilty and embarrassed that their pitiful performance against the Cats, cost a more than competent coach his job, and as such are playing with no self confdience, and thus are letting the entire club down?
To be succesful even for this season, this is a question the entire playing group need to resolve as soon as possible, for the entire Melbourne Football Club’s future is at stake, not just the playing list, coaching staff and senior coach Mark Neeld.
As a football fan, I wish them all the best, at the very least to preserve the legacy of Jim Stynes, and the heart and soul he put into the Melbourne Football Club.