The Awful Truth - 2015 Edition

[Lods]

It really has to happen.
We can't have a fresh start without change at the top.
Get that and we can all be on the same page and UNITED will be more than just a hashtag.

[madbluboy]

Tigers turned it around very quickly. They were in debt and around us on the membership table only 3 or 4 years ago. They got it right off field, cleared their debt on the back of supporter donations and are now pushing Collingwood as the biggest club in the country.

[flyboy77]

I can name a bunch of senior/top draft players who havce cpontributed next to nads thios season:

Possibly in order of importance to the team:

1. Hendo - he must want out - for a guy who can be an AA performer (but only down back?) he has been worse than shocking.
2. Gibbs - B & F to pony tailed wannabe. Shocker. Trade bait imo.
3. Yarran - derailed by major off field issues it appears.....
4. Jamo - history.
5. Warnock - his best (not seen for a few seasons is top notch - remember the 2011 finals series?)
6. Menzel - pony tail aside, had a poor season. After 28 goals in 2015, gone missing.

Throw in Waite, Robbo, Garlett & Betts - all of whom could have/should have stayed. There's half a team of regular starters simply not there.

[MosquitoFleet]

Tigers turned it around very quickly. They were in debt and around us on the membership table only 3 or 4 years ago. They got it right off field, cleared their debt on the back of supporter donations and are now pushing Collingwood as the biggest club in the country.

no they haven't mbb- no flag since 1980- they have had rises and falls...this rise is not guaranteed as they are 6th and will not win a flag this year...

that said, this rise is looking very good - great ceo, great recruiter (our Williams for 6 months),good assistant chocko, good coach, great supporters...ok board

[madbluboy]

Like a few people here have said you have to fix things off field first.

They haven't won a final since 2001 yet their membership and sponsorships are booming. They're doing something right.

We need to follow their lead and clear the debt otherwise we will always be at the mercy of Pratts, Mathiesons etc. Don't get me wrong we would still love their support but we won't depend on it.

[MosquitoFleet]

Like a few people here have said you have to fix things off field first.

They haven't won a final since 2001 yet their membership and sponsorships are booming. They're doing something right.

We need to follow their lead and clear the debt otherwise we will always be at the mercy of Pratts, Mathiesons etc. Don't get me wrong we would still love their support but we won't depend on it.

i agree- we don't need billionaires - we need a small, smart, focused, hungry, hard working board that is obsessed about winning premierships

[Vivian]

If I may, we are in a bad position but we have a foundation to work with and if good decisions are made, can make good progress. This is different to our plight a bit over a decade ago.

Our latent membership is evidence of this. The bulldogs, for all their rapid success this year, still only manage to pull crowds in the mid 20k, and we are awful to watch. Start winning games, and attendence will rise quickly. We still draw crowds and interest, as evidenced by the TV scheduling this season, not that we will get the same next year or after.

The critical issue is if we make good decisions now and gradually turn the ship around. We have decent facilities and while we will cop a wack this year financially, we can work it through. If we squander things again, it is harder than ever to climb up and the damage to the club will be generational.

Changes off field are happening and for the first time ever, we are recruiting a head coach properly. We lost 3 board members last year, so there is a little progress happening in this department. A coupke more may be gone in a year or two: its slow, but better this than the chaos of a total clean out and novice board in.

I would like to see some sort of indication from the club post appointment of the new coach of what direction they are heading and where to, if only to reassure that they understand that the head coach is step 1 of 50 odd.

The awful truth of 2015 has been such a kick in the nuts that there is simply no way we can't of learnt our lesson about the need to do business differently.

[ItsOurTime]

We wwon  :o

A game and percentage clear with Brisbane a much tougher  draw means we'll avoid last. If we beat GWS, we'll even get third last.

[kruddler]

We wwon  :o

A game and percentage clear with Brisbane a much tougher  draw means we'll avoid last. If we beat GWS, we'll even get third last.

We simply cannot afford to beat GWS!

[Mantis]

We won't have enough fit players to beat GWS.