Coach for a day

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

You're the Melbourne coach for a week.

You have the full Melbourne list to choose from (no injuries, suspensions or hangovers).

It's Round 1 and Melbourne are up against Collingwood at the MCG.

1) Which players do you select?

2) Where on the ground do you have the players / who do you play them on? (NOTE: Not just where you select the players on the team sheet, but where on the ground do you want them to stand when the ball is bounced)

3) What is your basic game day strategy? (For example: high possession, long kicking and or numbers around the ball etc.)

4) What's your overall strategy? (Are you predominantly looking to shut down the opposition and try and restrict their scoring, are you looking to attack at all costs?)

5) Anything else you want to add?

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,120]

Take valium and hope for the best

[sylvinator 96]

i would try our youngsters, and tell ward,miller, brown, ferguson, wheatley, bizzel that they will not play again for the demons unless we as depth in case of injury.

i would put frawley, buckley, newton in the side and keep them there for the entire year. i would keep sylvia in the forward line, but see him eventually moving into the midfield. dunn and bate to play at c.h.f or on the wing switching.

whelan, carrol, frawley

bell, rivers, pettard

johnstone, mclean, green

bate, dunn, sylvia

robertson, neitz, davey

white, bruce, mcdonald

int: P.Johnson, Jones, Yze, Bartram, Newton, Buckley, Bartram

Emerg: Godfrey, Pickett, C.Johnson, Warnock, Garland

(when moloney is fully fit he fits into the starting 18)

[Jaded No More 57,744]

I'd definitely play Bell and Dunn at opposite wings.

CJ as a forward flanker.

Frawley to FB, Rivers to CHB and Carroll as third tall.

Matthew Bate to the centre square, alongside McLean and Jones.

And for a really random one, Bartram up forward to crumb (leaving Davey to run off the half-back line).

The kick-ins to be taken by Jared Rivers or Matthew Whelan ONLY. Nobody else is allowed to have a crack, and that includes TJ.

And no more kicking inwards for the sake of kicking inwards, it is so bloody predictable.

Also, I'd drag Miller everytime he handballed. He would be under strict instructions to back himself and kick the ball quickly to a leading forward.

Who am I kidding, I'd just take all the boys on a bonding trip to the pub... they are more likely to score there, than if I coach them

[sylvinator 96]

game plan: keep the ball moving at all costs, with the aim of getting the ball to our forwards as quickly as possible.

by getting the ball into our forwards quickly, we are hoping to get 1-1 contests (not kicking it long to neitz who has 3 men on him).

backing our forwards to be able to win 1-1 contests. with sylvia, robbo, neitz, yze, green, davey, bate, dunn and others going through the forward line, i am confident we can achieve this.

having 1 tagger in the team each week is crucial, maybe even two...other midfielders (bruce, mclean, jones, johnstone, mcdonald) can be trusted to beat their opponent without having to be defensive midfielders.

carrol, rivers and frawley backed in the take the k.p forwards. half back flankers (pettard, whelan, bell) expected to create lots of run from the backline

[Gouga 496]

B: Bartram, Carroll, Whelan

HB: Bell, Frawley, Rivers

C: Johnstone, Bruce, Green

HF: Bate, Robertson, Pickett

F: Davey, Neitz, Sylvia

R: White, McDonald, McLean

I/C: P Johnson, Jones, Moloney, Yze

Starting positions:

Davey would have a licence to run on the ball and drop forward when it suits him. I'd rotate Neitz and Robertson out of the square, the other leading from 30m out. Sylvia to play deep. Bate to push up and play like a second CHF that leads from 40m out.

Rivers to float in the backline.

Strategy:

Forget everything ND taught you.

Overall strategy:

Play the percentages in defence. But take risks when going forward. Plenty of run through the middle. I hate when one of our players look up and eveyone is jogging. Each kick must have a target and there must be someone ready to run past. Do not stop at half forward, it destroys our forwards.

[Yze_Magic 3]

My number 1 priority would be to play Sylvia one-out in the goal square for the whole game

he would kick 10

Its shame Danmiher cant spot talent and doesnt understand how to use a players strengths

[kryton 0]

You're the Melbourne coach for a week.

You have the full Melbourne list to choose from (no injuries, suspensions or hangovers).

It's Round 1 and Melbourne are up against Collingwood at the MCG.

1) Which players do you select?

2) Where on the ground do you have the players / who do you play them on? (NOTE: Not just where you select the players on the team sheet, but where on the ground do you want them to stand when the ball is bounced)

3) What is your basic game day strategy? (For example: high possession, long kicking and or numbers around the ball etc.)

4) What's your overall strategy? (Are you predominantly looking to shut down the opposition and try and restrict their scoring, are you looking to attack at all costs?)

5) Anything else you want to add?

tender my resignation and look for a gig commentating..... Yes gutless I know, but who needs the stess

[deeboy 40]

Would select the following side:

Whelan Carroll Bell

Yze Rivers Petterd

TJ Bruce Green

Davey Dunn Pickett

Sylvia Neitz Robbo

White McLean McDonald

Int: PJ, Bate, Moloney, Jones

Carroll to take Rocca

Rivers to take Cloke

Whelan on Davis

Bell on Didak

I would start by playing man on man, but would be prepared to drop the loose player back in defence if they started to get on a roll, or if Rocca got on top of Carroll.

Game plan would be to run Collingwood off their feet, as they lack pace in the midfield. However, given our strong forward line (on paper) I would instruct the players to try going through the corridor as much as possible and get it in quick and direct to Neitz and Robbo. The small forwards should get ready for the crumbs and should apply as much defensive pressure as possible. Collingwood get all their run from their half back line (particularly the Shaws). Heath Shaw shouldn't be allowed to run off his man and should be followed everywhere. Would even consider playing Sylvia as a defensive forward, with instructions to semi-tag H. Shaw and try and exploit his lack of accountability when we have possession.

Wouldn't bother tagging any of their midfielders, but would rotate Bate and Dunn through CHF and instruct them to push up the ground and present as leading link men.

[Maybe next year 167]

(1) My team as follows:

Backs - Whelan Carrol Bell

HB - Wheatley Rivers Petterd (Bartram when fit)

C - Green McClean Johnstone

HF - Bate Miller Davey (instructed to push back)

F - Neitz Sylvia Robertson

Ruck - White McDonald Bruce

Int - Yze P. Johnson Jones Godfrey (Moloney if fit)

When Pickett serves his suspension, he comes in and Wheatley goes out. Green moves to HB and Pickett to wing. I would give Miller 3 weeks to show what he can do. If he stuffs up I give the role to Dunn for the rest of the year. Any injuries and I just play the young guys - Frawley, Newton, Garland, Buckey.

(2) I would have 2 players on each wing. One goes in to help the centre players and one goes wide ready for the kick out of the square. I place David Neitz and Robertson in the pockets so that if any team wants to flood they do it away from the corridor. SHould the ball go down there, I know Sylvia will mark and goal. It also allows Neitz and Robbo to lead towards the centre corridor rather than always to the pockets where conversion is unlikely. McClean stands with the best onballer at the hitout because White usually loses it. Once the ball is out of the centre, McDonald moves on to the best on-baller and runs with him.

(3) No kicking backwards. I would love to see Melbourne players run in packs. Bate is the primary HF target because he holds his marks. When we have possession in the HB line, Davey follows Miller everyewhere until he gets the confidence to hold a mark. If he drops it I know Davey is there. If he marks it, well we know he handballs it anyway. I believe in the kick long strategy. If they put two on Neitz I tell Neiter to stay at the pocket. Same for Robbo. If they have the loose man down there I tell them to avoid that area.

(4) The biggest improvement must come from the kick-ins. Play on immediately when you get the ball. I try and look for Wheatley as much as I can with Rivers next. I go long down the wing where Aaron Davey is playing. I like the huddle at the CHB position with players running in set shots. I believe in attacking. We have te forward line to win games - extra emphasis on set shots at training.

(5) I sack my assistant coaches. They have let me down. I recruit Voss as the midfield coach. I recruit Ben Hart as my backline coach. I recruit Paul Hudson as my Fwd coach and to teach the players how to kick accurately. My ruck coach is Jim Stynes because he is good withthe players and he often played shorter than others. He would teach Jeff White how to run around the ground. I ask Neale to hang around as player welfare officer - if he refuses I go with Stephen Febey or Guy Rigoni. I look for a ruckman and full back in the draft offering picks and money for Rutten at Adelaide or Glass at WCE. More so than Chris Judd.