1 hour ago, Earl Hood said:

Dropped by at training briefly today. I noticed Fritsch working with the mids with Gawn and Filpovic rucking against each other in boundary throw in simulations with 4 blues against 4 yellows trying to take the tap outs. The usual suspects, Clarrie, Jones, Viney, Lewis, Tyson, Harmes on the inside but Fritsch was playing an outside receiver role in the sims so maybe he will spend some time up on the wing? 

This group then moved to the centre to do simulated centre hit outs. For some reason a bloke carried a large step ladder and set it up near the centre bounces. What for I could not fathom. Anyway on about the third simulated bounce and tap down Clarrie ran into the ladder receiving a handball in traffic. The ladder was duly removed from the field??

 

Apparently, Clarrie told the coaches that his team mates were soft tacklers and that only a man of steel could stop him. 

The coaches looked around the group, shrugged their shoulders and decided that the only way to test Clarriés boast was to bring out the steel ladder.

We're still a bit of the pace.

There was a passage of play in the 3rd quarter where we were tentatively handballing it around in front of goal and no one wanted to kick the goal despite completely dominating possession.

Like the leaking of soft junk time goals it was the play of a team lacking ruthlessness and some self belief

I think we'll need a better plan than this to encourage players to Step Up if we're ever to get truly serious ?

 

Edited May 3, 20186 yr by beelzebub

1 hour ago, FarNorthernD said:

If anyone is looking for a definition of "a very Melbourne thing to do" I think we have a contender. 

Maybe the ladder is there for inspiration! For eg: climb the bastard! Or perhaps, win the next 5 and see how many rungs we climb up the ladder! Or we need a percentage boost to climb the ladder..... lol

Do we have anything baking in the oven to debut this week? To perhaps add a little outside pace and fresh legs to counter what the Saints may look to expose on the spread.

Edited May 3, 20186 yr by Doodle Dee

2 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

yep.. one week the dog and then next.. the ladder....not as good as the Geelong star missing the bus all those years ago !!

How many Dees does it take to change a light bulb at AAMI Park?

None, the can’t find the bloody ladder!

42 minutes ago, Demonland said:

B: JETTA, O.MCDONALD, J.LEWIS

HB: HIBBERD, LEVER, BRAYSHAW

C : PETRACCA, OLIVER, HARMES

HF: HANNAN, T.MCDONALD, SPARGO

F: MELKSHAM, HOGAN, FRITSCH

FOLL: GAWN, TYSON, JONES

IC: HUNT, VINCE, NEAL-BULLEN, T.SMITH

EMERG: WEIDEMAN

22 minutes ago, Doodle Dee said:

Do we have anything baking in the oven to debut this week? To perhaps add a little outside pace and fresh legs to counter what the Saints may look to expose on the spread.

Saints can spread quite well and have good runners against us. Just for the hell of it, why not play Baker as a running utility - he has genuine pace.

21 hours ago, Cards13 said:

You always seem to be!!! 

You must be a real trooper around the office or work site when something goes t it’s up.

The Mist..........

7 hours ago, pinkshark said:

My views on Goodwin are unaltered.  He is admirably and luckily bluffing his way through.  He is consistent only at inconsistency.  Results this weekend will prove this.    When we lose, its always in the same manner.  Over the top, out the back, Lever and McDonald looking stupid, inept forward entries to outmanned contests, exhausted from attack, and no energy and or structure to defend.  Week in week out.  This suggests he is not learning.  Just occupying, collecting a cheque, satisfying and fulfilling an ego and desire to one day be the coach of an AFL footy side.  Thus, it will be a loss this week and Goodwin, since taking over will have coached us to 16 wins and 16 losses.  In 5 weeks time the Jesse Hogan is returning to WA bandwagon will start rolling.  For make no mistake, if we are not at least two games above .500 in 5 weeks time then it will be obvious to all, pundits, Jackson, Bartlett, the board, that Goodwin is not cut out for it.  So, Goodwin's future head coaching career will be determined  by mid jun.  And so it should be.  He should be very worried.  

What a waste of time reading that rant was. 

The bloke is 25 games into his coaching career. 

Keep your Goodwin bashing to its own topic and it will save me having to read your dribble. 

2 hours ago, hemingway said:

Apparently, Clarrie told the coaches that his team mates were soft tacklers and that only a man of steel could stop him. 

The coaches looked around the group, shrugged their shoulders and decided that the only way to test Clarriés boast was to bring out the steel ladder.

Gold!

2 hours ago, hemingway said:

Apparently, Clarrie told the coaches that his team mates were soft tacklers and that only a man of steel could stop him. 

The coaches looked around the group, shrugged their shoulders and decided that the only way to test Clarriés boast was to bring out the steel ladder.

Good theory Ernest but I think the ladder was made of aluminium! 

2 hours ago, chook fowler said:

Also have heard the AFL have settled a harrassment  case on behalf of Petraccas dogs who accuse a Club official of indecent acts. A confidentiality   clause has been activated after the payment of several kilos of eye fillet.

Whose eyes came with the fillet??

3 hours ago, DubDee said:

Bad feeling about this one.  I think we'll be flat about the 2 games in 5 days and we will be carrying a few sore lads.  Saints will be fired up after being hammered in the media again.

Hope I'm wrong

2017 Results of the teams that backed up off the short week post Anzac round last year does not bode well.

Melbourne 91 lost to Hawthorn 94

Fremantle 116 defeated Essendon 79

Western 80 defeated Richmond 75

Collingwood 56 lost to Carlton79

1 hour ago, SFebey said:

Maybe the ladder is there for inspiration! For eg: climb the bastard! Or perhaps, win the next 5 and see how many rungs we climb up the ladder! Or we need a percentage boost to climb the ladder..... lol

As long as no one walks under it i don't care how they use it!

6 hours ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Anyone reporting for duty at Goschs this morning?

Plenty of talk, calls and encouragement at training. The players seemed 'keyed up'. Jake Lever a little less animated than when he first started training with the dees a few months ago. He is more focused on his own skills, fitting in and acting in a leadership role.

The simulated game drill was very physical. The tackling and pressure was game like when in open play. The aerial contest more constrained. 

Joel Smith and Oscar Baker moving and kicking well. They were getting plenty of ball and showing good defensive skills. Cam Pederson displaying his usual reliability, marking well, kicking goals and bringing the high ball to ground, Tim Smith there abouts. Harrison Petty working hard and learning. Billy Stretch running well and working hard. Sam Frost is in the mix, showing his speed and the reading of the play. Talking of reading the play, Michael Hibberd is killing it. Jay Kennedy-Harris getting plenty of ball and working hard. Tom Bugg looks to be putting in that extra effort, professional approach, similarly is Jeff Garlett. Josh Wagner doing some good defensive plays. Lachlan Filipovic getting to the aerial contests.

I thought some stand outs at training included Nathan Jones, Jordan Lewis,  Jake Viney, Charlie Spargo and Oscar McDonald.

The rehab group included Dion Johnstone, Mitch King, Harley Balic. Christian Petracca mainly running but also did a little ball play, kicking goals and some soft ball handling. Dean kent, some walking and very slow jogging. Pat Mckenna his usual jogging.

12 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Whose eyes came with the fillet??

Don’t know but I hear they’re barking mad.

 

Melbourne
B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta
HB: Angus Brayshaw, Jake Lever, Jayden Hunt
? Jordan Lewis, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson
HF: Mitch Hannan, Jesse Hogan, Jake Melksham
F: Sam Weideman, Tom McDonald, Christian Petracca
Foll: Max Gawn, Bernie Vince, Clayton Oliver
I/C (from): James Harmes, Charlie Spargo, Cameron Pedersen, Alex Neal-Bullen, Bayley Fritsch, Jeff Garlett, Tim Smith, Josh Wagner

In: Petracca, Pedersen, Garlett, T.Smith, Wagner
Out: Christian Salem (thumb)

16 minutes ago, big_red_fire_engine said:

2017 Results of the teams that backed up off the short week post Anzac round last year does not bode well.

Melbourne 91 lost to Hawthorn 94

Fremantle 116 defeated Essendon 79

Western 80 defeated Richmond 75

Collingwood 56 lost to Carlton79

Interesting and alarming.

Garlett for ANB also please.

No acres for saints he has been 1 of their best mids 

Two changes for me, Petracca and Garlett in, Harmes and Salem out.

Fritsch plays higher hff/wing, spargo and Garlett deep and HFF. Tell Jeffry if he doesn’t have 5+ tackles and lots of pressure he won’t play other than injuries.

Salem out we knew, but with an 8-man I/C, impossible to draw any conclusions on who'll play.

Shame that Casey have a bye, not much incentive to drop players to work on their game.