Barassi Backs Bailey But Says Dees Have Big Problems
Sun Herald
Sunday May 4, 2008
MELBOURNE players have blamed a lack of confidence and poor skills for the team's dire start to the season, while club legend Ron Barassi bemoans "a lack of consistent spirit" at the Demons.
In the build-up to today's game against Fremantle, players expressed a series of concerns, including that they'd fallen into bad habits, weren't taking enough risks and were making basic skill errors. No one criticised the game plan of coach Dean Bailey. While stressing he was not close to the inner workings at Melbourne, Barassi said there were major deficiencies in the playing list, stretching back to before Bailey arrived on the scene. "It's lacking in fearsome players, it's lacking in good players who are consistent, it is lacking in key position height [and] can only be improved by recruiting," he said. Barassi said Bailey was not a man prone to panicking and needed time to implement his plans after the club's disastrous start to the season. "I don't know how complicated it is, but it's got to be given some time," Barassi said. "He [Bailey] is a very impressive speaker ... he's got a lot going for him and he's got to be given a chance. "All a coach can do with the batch of players that he has is do his best, and try and get the message over to his players that that's what they should be doing as well - their best. They've got to battle through this. "I mean, they did play some quite good football for some of the 100 minutes against Geelong. They've just got to keep on doing that [but] it's an easy thing to say." Despite the massive blow-outs Melbourne suffered in the opening rounds, the statistics supported Barassi's observations. In round one, despite losing to Hawthorn by 104 points, the Demons were effective with 77 per cent of their disposals, bettering the average of 74 per cent for the league. The areas where Bailey's men are falling down are clearances from stoppages, getting the ball inside their attacking 50 and scoring accurately. Midfielder Nathan Jones said confidence was low, but that Bailey's message remained as strong as when he arrived at the club last summer. "It's been bloody disappointing, but we're chipping away week by week," Jones said. "The players have full confidence in Dean and what he's brought to the club."
© 2008 Sun Herald