COACH Dean Bailey says nothing has changed as far as talking football with president Jim Stynes.
With Stynes recently replacing outgoing board member and former player Andrew Leoncelli as football director, the president’s role became public via the media earlier this week.
But Bailey said “nothing has changed”, as far as he’s concerned.
“It’s interesting, because ever since Jimmy has been president, I’ve talked footy to him, so that hasn’t changed,” he said from Casey Fields on Friday.
“We’ve had Andrew Leoncelli and Jimmy is interested in footy and I’ve been speaking to Jimmy since he’s been the president about football.”
Bailey said he had “no problem at all” with boardroom involvement in football. And he didn’t feel Stynes was analysing him in his role.
“He was a fair player Jimmy, so he’s a got a fair view on things and we sit down and talk about footy and have done ever since he became president,” he said.
“I feel that having access to Jimmy more and being involved with Jimmy more is a great thing.
“It’s always been open door policy for Jim to come in whenever and wherever, so internally nothing’s really changed to be honest. It’s just the external opinion - that’s all.”
Bailey said any role Stynes took on would always draw public interest, simply because of his profile.
“They see a story about Melbourne and they see a story about Jim Stynes. Jim’s always going to bring attention because of who he is and the role he plays at Melbourne,” he said.
“Internally, Jimmy walks around in the gym at AAMI Park and he’s got free rein to come in wherever he wants to and he always has since he’s been president.
“Inside, because we live it and breathe it, we don’t see anything differently, but externally, as soon as Jim does what he’s doing right now, it becomes a story.
“That’s just because who Jim Stynes is and where we’re at in the last week.”
Bailey said he saw Stynes last Friday after the Thursday night match in Perth.
“He was disappointed in our start of the game and we spoke about that we didn’t get our hands on the footy,” he said.
“We didn’t clear the ball well enough out of our back 50 and we seemed to be very reactionary and his view was very similar.
“He’s got support for the football department and great support for the playing group.”
With Stynes recently replacing outgoing board member and former player Andrew Leoncelli as football director, the president’s role became public via the media earlier this week.
But Bailey said “nothing has changed”, as far as he’s concerned.
“It’s interesting, because ever since Jimmy has been president, I’ve talked footy to him, so that hasn’t changed,” he said from Casey Fields on Friday.
“We’ve had Andrew Leoncelli and Jimmy is interested in footy and I’ve been speaking to Jimmy since he’s been the president about football.”
Bailey said he had “no problem at all” with boardroom involvement in football. And he didn’t feel Stynes was analysing him in his role.
“He was a fair player Jimmy, so he’s a got a fair view on things and we sit down and talk about footy and have done ever since he became president,” he said.
“I feel that having access to Jimmy more and being involved with Jimmy more is a great thing.
“It’s always been open door policy for Jim to come in whenever and wherever, so internally nothing’s really changed to be honest. It’s just the external opinion - that’s all.”
Bailey said any role Stynes took on would always draw public interest, simply because of his profile.
“They see a story about Melbourne and they see a story about Jim Stynes. Jim’s always going to bring attention because of who he is and the role he plays at Melbourne,” he said.
“Internally, Jimmy walks around in the gym at AAMI Park and he’s got free rein to come in wherever he wants to and he always has since he’s been president.
“Inside, because we live it and breathe it, we don’t see anything differently, but externally, as soon as Jim does what he’s doing right now, it becomes a story.
“That’s just because who Jim Stynes is and where we’re at in the last week.”
Bailey said he saw Stynes last Friday after the Thursday night match in Perth.
“He was disappointed in our start of the game and we spoke about that we didn’t get our hands on the footy,” he said.
“We didn’t clear the ball well enough out of our back 50 and we seemed to be very reactionary and his view was very similar.
“He’s got support for the football department and great support for the playing group.”
