Ex-Melbourne midfielder James Magner still looking for reasons why he was dumped

JAMES Magner has painted a picture of dysfunction and confusion at Melbourne as he attempts to understand his departure from the club.

James Magner, left, at Melbourne training with Jack Watts.

DELISTED midfielder James Magner has painted a picture of dysfunction and confusion at Melbourne as he attempts to understand his departure from the club.

Magner kicked goals with his first two AFL kicks, won Brownlow Medal votes in his first game, and yet after 19 games is somehow is on the scrapheap.

When you listen to the 26-year-old's pain, anger and frustration it is hard to fathom what was going on at Melbourne.

Every delisted player has a heartbreak story and a list of shortcomings.

CUT AFTER ONE GAME IN FIVE YEARS: SAINTS' CRUELLEST CUT

But as mature-aged recruit, Magner says he never got a straight answer from anyone at Melbourne about why he was dropped, then delisted.

He would play only two games this year in his second season despite withering VFL form, dropped for the last time in Round 9 by Mark Neeld for no apparent reason.

"It was almost funny,'' Magner tells the Herald Sun of his demotion.

"(Neeld) said he wasn't too happy with the defensive side of my game and I had just had a meeting with the midfield coach prior to meeting who said to me they were extremely happy with defensive side of my game.

"There were a few things that were confusing at Melbourne, but I was a lot more confused that day.

"It is pretty hard to tell what the reasoning was, but obviously from then Neeld didn't have me in his plans going forward.

"It was like I didn't have a shot from then on no matter how well I placed in the VFL.

"Him and Neil Craig came to the club together, so when Neil took over, I didn't feel like much had changed.

"I had 52 possessions in the VFL and Melbourne lost by over 90 points and I still couldn't get a game.''

He says he never had words or disagreements with senior coach Neeld, but clearly "the relationship deteriorated" from Neeld's end.

When Paul Roos took over Magner pulled out all stops.

He put together a dossier of his strengths with a long list of endorsements from fellow players, former captain Brad Green, and fitness boss David Misson.

Yet Roos has moved him on, and he holds out only a glimmer of hope that he might be picked up by another club.

Why did not he play more?

"The reasons changed from week to week. Definitely speed was the thing, and Neil Craig was in love with speed in the game.

"Speed and ball use, but the two games I played this year (for 41 combined possessions) it wasn't an issue in those games.

"I was constantly going to the midfield and development coaches and asking them where I needed to improve and doing that each week, and I felt like I was doing that, but to no avail.''

After half a year of excellent performances in 2013 he felt in control of his game, yet Neeld moved him into attack as a defensive forward.

"Put it this way, before the AFL I have never played as a forward in my entire life.

"I was playing good footy in the midfield, I came second in Melbourne's 3km time trial, I was leading the clearances, and I was a little dumbfounded to be moved forward considering I had never played there."

His wife and family grew increasingly frustrated, with Melbourne's facebook page flooded with anger about his lack of game time.

Only when it became apparent he had been shut out midway through the year did he give up hope.

He will move into his father's construction company and work on his fixed gear bike business, but cannot help but feel let down.

"For the majority of the second half of the year, it was extremely frustrating,'' he says.

"Having had such a disappointing year, I am sad to probably be leaving the AFL environment, but I am not so disappointed to leave the Melbourne footy club.

"The first year was awesome and I thought this is what AFL footy is about.

"The second year showed the other side of the coin. People look at footy and see the good side, but from looking in from the outside, it's not an easy job for so many reasons."

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