1. Tackle around the waist... not the neck. Weak players go high. Hold the tackle and pin the arms.

2. Goalkicking. The most important and yet poorest skill executed on the footy field.

3. Over use of handball. An MFC specialty. Handballing around in a circle achieves nithing but a turnover. 170 kicks and 170 handballs achieves nothing. I want 220 kicks and 150 handballs.

4. Run run and run. Its a sport where you must keep moving. Create space. Demand the footy on the move!!

5. Support. Bump. Shepherd. Talk. Knock on the your advantage. Smart 1%s.

6. One up, one down. Both in attack and defence you must crumb smartly.

7. Kick to the Hotspot 15 metres out of goals (not the pockets).

8. Stand up. Don't go to ground (MFC slips or goes down too quickly). Your options are often poor and you get caught with the footy.

9. Move the ball quickly quickly and quickly. Use the corridor. Defenders hate quick attack. If you are slow, the opposition setup defence too quickly. Attack and entertain.

10. Dont kick backwards or sideways in the back 50. It achieves nothing.

Thats a start to measure next week. Watch the top teams (Hawks and Eagles especially) and tick off these 10. Forget other meaningless stats.

1. Tackle around the waist... not the neck. Weak players go high. Hold the tackle and pin the arms.

2. Goalkicking. The most important and yet poorest skill executed on the footy field.

3. Over use of handball. An MFC specialty. Handballing around in a circle achieves nithing but a turnover. 170 kicks and 170 handballs achieves nothing. I want 220 kicks and 150 handballs.

4. Run run and run. Its a sport where you must keep moving. Create space. Demand the footy on the move!!

5. Support. Bump. Shepherd. Talk. Knock on the your advantage. Smart 1%s.

6. One up, one down. Both in attack and defence you must crumb smartly.

7. Kick to the Hotspot 15 metres out of goals (not the pockets).

8. Stand up. Don't go to ground (MFC slips or goes down too quickly). Your options are often poor and you get caught with the footy.

9. Move the ball quickly quickly and quickly. Use the corridor. Defenders hate quick attack. If you are slow, the opposition setup defence too quickly. Attack and entertain.

10. Dont kick backwards or sideways in the back 50. It achieves nothing.

Thats a start to measure next week. Watch the top teams (Hawks and Eagles especially) and tick off these 10. Forget other meaningless stats.

I can add a few to that.

All passes should be low and hard. The high bomb is BANNED

Clean hands are a must.

Pass in front of your teamates, not behind them.

Yes. Add "intensity and hardness". 14 steps !!

Edited August 24, 201510 yr by spirit of norm smith

So recapping that's;

1. Execute basic skills

2. Execute basic skills

3. Don't be like Premiership Geelong, be like Premiership Hawthorn

4. Run a lot

5. Work together

6. Work together

7. Be predictable going inside 50, don't worry about the four defenders controlling the space

8. Execute basic skills

9. Don't be like Premiership Hawthorn, be like Premiership Geelong

10. Kick the ball forward even if there's no good option to kick to and a 50/50 chance it'll come sailing back over your head.

This reminds me of the old 'alternate ten commandments' jokes.

Y'know starts with the comfortable ones about "don't stab people in the eye" and "be excellent to eachother".

Then there's the one about the moon being made of green cheese, and only having mustard on hot dogs, never tomato sauce, and definitely no onions, but also remember you must always have onions and tomato sauce on hot dogs because mustard is the work of the devil.

Yes these are ALL the things we are failing to do. The club seems to not have the answers. Footy is still a game of basics.

After taking a mark, unless you know you a clear to play on, rotate around immediately so that you are facing the goals you are kicking to (so you don't drift off your line and accidentally get called to play on) and quickly move back behind the mark to give yourself enough space to kick the ball without pressure from the man on the mark.

10 step program... should rename this site Melbourne Fans Anonymous

3. 170 kicks and 170 handballs achieves nothing. I want 220 kicks and 150 handballs.

I guess the 30 extra possessions would help too.

Its all between the ears. The players are capable of doing these things.

The belief system is what's at issue here and is the hardest thing to change. The negative belief of supporters and players. They don't believe they're winners, that is basically it. Change that and you will change their performance. People act in line with their beliefs. A bit woo-woo but its the only thing that will work.

Its all between the ears. The players are capable of doing these things.

The belief system is what's at issue here and is the hardest thing to change. The negative belief of supporters and players. They don't believe they're winners, that is basically it. Change that and you will change their performance. People act in line with their beliefs. A bit woo-woo but its the only thing that will work.

Their belief system is correct.

They ain't

Confidence comes with executing correctly. We fail at the basics. Remember the basics get you 90% of the way. X factors like Rioli, Ablett, Judd etc the additional 10% !!

Agree with most of your points, though the Hawks in particular but most top teams regularly break commandment 10. But they do it with precision most of the time, and use it to set up forward thrusts on the open side.

1. Tackle around the waist... not the neck. Weak players go high. Hold the tackle and pin the arms.

2. Goalkicking. The most important and yet poorest skill executed on the footy field.

3. Over use of handball. An MFC specialty. Handballing around in a circle achieves nithing but a turnover. 170 kicks and 170 handballs achieves nothing. I want 220 kicks and 150 handballs.

4. Run run and run. Its a sport where you must keep moving. Create space. Demand the footy on the move!!

5. Support. Bump. Shepherd. Talk. Knock on the your advantage. Smart 1%s.

6. One up, one down. Both in attack and defence you must crumb smartly.

7. Kick to the Hotspot 15 metres out of goals (not the pockets).

8. Stand up. Don't go to ground (MFC slips or goes down too quickly). Your options are often poor and you get caught with the footy.

9. Move the ball quickly quickly and quickly. Use the corridor. Defenders hate quick attack. If you are slow, the opposition setup defence too quickly. Attack and entertain.

10. Dont kick backwards or sideways in the back 50. It achieves nothing.

Thats a start to measure next week. Watch the top teams (Hawks and Eagles especially) and tick off these 10. Forget other meaningless stats.

Looks like Footy 101 since the 80's! Yes the speed and body sizes have changed but the basic non negotiables stay the same.

JUST STOP HANDBALLING IT AROUND INSIDE 50

I watched the last half against the Cats tonight and you cannot imagine the difference in game style. We ran, tackled, nailed goals, went through the corridor.

Watched the Pies dismantle Cats and Power beat the Suns following these steps. Its a simple game really.

Sack, trade out, retire or delist the following players:

1. Matt Jones

2. Dean Terlich

3. Rohan Bail

4. Jack Grimes

5. Mark Jamar

6. Jimmy Toumpas

7. Colin Garland

8. Jordie McKenzie

9. Aidan Riley

10. Jeremy Howe

Replace with 10 elite AFL players over the next three years.

Sack, trade out, retire or delist the following players:

1. Matt Jones

2. Dean Terlich

3. Rohan Bail

4. Jack Grimes

5. Mark Jamar

6. Jimmy Toumpas

7. Colin Garland

8. Jordie McKenzie

9. Aidan Riley

10. Jeremy Howe

Replace with 10 elite AFL players over the next three years.

just like that, huh?

like 10 elite players just grow on trees

not bad considering we don't have one elite player

i'm not against cutting lots of players, but i can't see where replacements are coming from, given the shallow draft and the amount of fa's and ooc players, plus our undesirability as a destination

1. Tackle around the waist... not the neck. Weak players go high. Hold the tackle and pin the arms.

2. Goalkicking. The most important and yet poorest skill executed on the footy field.

3. Over use of handball. An MFC specialty. Handballing around in a circle achieves nithing but a turnover. 170 kicks and 170 handballs achieves nothing. I want 220 kicks and 150 handballs.

4. Run run and run. Its a sport where you must keep moving. Create space. Demand the footy on the move!!

5. Support. Bump. Shepherd. Talk. Knock on the your advantage. Smart 1%s.

6. One up, one down. Both in attack and defence you must crumb smartly.

7. Kick to the Hotspot 15 metres out of goals (not the pockets).

8. Stand up. Don't go to ground (MFC slips or goes down too quickly). Your options are often poor and you get caught with the footy.

9. Move the ball quickly quickly and quickly. Use the corridor. Defenders hate quick attack. If you are slow, the opposition setup defence too quickly. Attack and entertain.

10. Dont kick backwards or sideways in the back 50. It achieves nothing.

Thats a start to measure next week. Watch the top teams (Hawks and Eagles especially) and tick off these 10. Forget other meaningless stats.

tacklers should also attempt to grab the ball carriers arm to stop him from handballing as well.

handballing in circles is what they do in practice, so change your practice one handball then quick kick down field to one of our players advantage.

chase the ball carriers at all times either to support if we have it or tackle/put pressure on them if they have it.

never turn your back on play, stay alert and look for any opportunity to move the ball on toward our goals.

just like that, huh?

like 10 elite players just grow on trees

not bad considering we don't have one elite player

i'm not against cutting lots of players, but i can't see where replacements are coming from, given the shallow draft and the amount of fa's and ooc players, plus our undesirability as a destination

Other clubs have managed to get elite players. Why can't we? I think you have a veil of negativity.

Other clubs have managed to get elite players. Why can't we? I think you have a veil of negativity.

Were not exactly a destination club though are we?

We are if we pay enough and sell ourselves better.

Other clubs have managed to get elite players. Why can't we? I think you have a veil of negativity.

there is a difference between reality and romanticism

get 10 elite players in 3 years......yeah sure.....dream on

Set an example by dropping senior players for putting in sub standard performances.Change playing positions of players so they have a chance to gain or remain confident.Toughen up players.Set goals for reserve players this will give them self esteem.Do away with critiqueing reserve players mfc web site or critique senior playes.Much much more.