On 9/23/2018 at 6:06 PM, Danelska said:

Sounds like you're still tired and emotional @TGR

I agree with the sentiment on point one, and completely disagree on the latter two points.

Point 1... If Stretch wasn't injured, I'd dare say he'd be the winger. Tyson I feel was insurance for the contested ball as well, and yes he's not a winger. 

Point 2 - Watch the Geelong and Hawthorn game... the team constantly goes on little 45 kick forays to open up space...this happens week in week out...  If you mean switching RIGHT across the ground... we do it from time to time, but remember - our game style did get us to a prelim...so for what purpose does bringing in more switching mean? Part of our success has been able to get the pill to our players relatively straight in front...and the system seems to be about doing it more so from the centre of the ground, rather than within 60 metres and centering it.

Point 3 - Watch how we iced games after the Geelong loss....particularly the Geelong and Hawthorn final... the last 10-12 minutes of each game was ALL about tempo football.

 

1/ Fritsch is a "genuine winger" - pace, takes a mark, good disposal, awareness.

On 9/23/2018 at 6:35 PM, DeeSpencer said:

I'm not saying they are good, just they are (possibly) the better option than having guys who fatigue and are then completely useless.

Vanders, Tyson and Jones got the job done because our inside mids won against the Hawks and Cats.

The Eagles outside mids are Masten, Sheed and Redden. None of them are speedsters. Yeo, Shuey and Hutchings won it on the inside, that's what killed us. Plus the Eagles forwards got real pressure on when our forwards couldn't, and the Eagles half forwards kept bobbing up in to space where our half forwards ran in to each other.

If we had proper wingmen we could've extended the game out more and worked away from the contest, so it's certainly a needs area, but we went with the midfield that was doing the job when play A - win the ball in tight worked.

Fritsch, Stretch

On 9/23/2018 at 6:42 PM, godees said:

Definitely agree on point 1. We need some wings with pace. Fritsch, Stretch and Hunt are probably the only current options on the list. Must go to the draft on this. A quick small forward is also essential in this trade/draft period

Agree re Fritsch and Stretch ...... Hunt needs to have. good hard think about where he is and where he wants to be.   Running like a gazelle than blasting away blindly isn't his job: Frost does that already and we can't have two of them.

20 hours ago, TGR said:

No faith in Weed and or Joel Smith with more development and body maturity?

We sold the farm for Lever; and let’s hope we don’t sell the farm for a second ruck.

TGR ... technically we can't sell the farm if we have already sold it :-)

But point taken, though we do need a genuine ruck.  I suspect that Weed has the body (developing) and the mindset to get that job done, though the guy from Norf (name escapes me at the moment) certainly worthy of a look.

On 9/24/2018 at 3:01 PM, poita said:

At the risk of derailing the thread, Smith kicked 12 goals 26 behinds for the VFL year and 5 goals 20 behinds since the start of July. He will be 28 before the start of next season. He is the absolute definition of a list clogger. 

Your opinion, mine is different, there is some absolute hilarity in the posts in this thread, yours raised a smirk, but you are entitled to the opinion

https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/09/27/if-melbourne-are-going-to-trade-jesse-hogan-heres-how-to-do-it/

 

Thought this was a good read on numerous levels

On 9/23/2018 at 6:04 PM, Demons11 said:

If anyone said we would make a prelim at the start of the year and lose to WC in Perth you would have taken that in a heart beat not withstanding the loss was a poor way to go out.  

Our best players are all under 24 and continue to get better every year. Oliver and Brayshaw are absolute stars.    We have the best ruckman in the comp and our most important player (Viney) and new gun recruit (Lever) missed the majority of the season.

No big changes needed.  

I was not going to post on the inevitable teeth knashing that was bound to occur after this loss but  I hope I am backed up here by other supporters that were at the Prelim...I have never heard or been in a place where the noise level was deafening.  It really looked  & felt like a gladiator stadium and it was literally boys against men.  We have the nucleus of an amazing team but they need to get more games under their belts and bulk up.  Yes, Jordan Lewis stuffed up, so did Nathan Jones and many others.  We unfortunately put ourselves in the position of having to win games to make the 8, so the last five games or so were mini grand finals.  I will never forget that amazing first final against Geelong and to a lesser extent, Hawthorn.  We didn’t play well that night and it was a prelude to the following week.  We were cooked, it is very hard to keep up that level for so long with such a young team. We now heard about Clayton and there is no way Gawn wasn’t struggling with a significant calf injury.  Venders was unsighted, it goes on. As many supporters have said, if we were told we would lose in a Prelim ...we would take it any day of the week.  As far as I am concerned, one half of football does not define my view of the team I follow or the club.  Compare the WC list & our list & the difference in age, experience etc was significant whilst WC is  very close compared to the Pies. I can’t wait for 2019, I’m excited to see who we bring in, not fussed about any players we may lose, except def don’t want to lose Jesse, so lets embrace the season & get out and about for the next season.  Also, straight from the players....no mental scarring just a determination for next year.

7 hours ago, Danelska said:

https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/09/27/if-melbourne-are-going-to-trade-jesse-hogan-heres-how-to-do-it/

 

Thought this was a good read on numerous levels

Interesting that he mentioned Zak Jones very handy player if he can come to us.

On 9/23/2018 at 7:44 PM, Acrossplanet said:

We need reliable goal kickers in the forward half. Petracca, Spargo, Tyson Gawn, need to not panic with set shots from 20-30 metres from goal. So frustrating..Take a look at Gunston or Ben Brown. If we can improve our team accuracy in front of goal we win those close games.

That is all it would take - accuracy and deliberation. It is time that kicking skills were fully overhauled.

A couple of things I mentioned during the season and reinforced during finals.

1. Pressure and intensity must be recognised and countered.

Kicking skill is affected by both. 

Second, third and even fourth efforts in a passage created pressure and must be established as a natural impulse. Shepherding and creating space for a teammate to get balanced when disposing must be developed.

2. Use of the total squad.

Select teams to counter opposition and release players for resting when appropriate. Lewis and Jones can be rested to recover when younger bodies can be bought in to get exposure to top level when match up allows.

Support and backup for Max seems pretty obvious to keep him at his best particularly against teams with similar ruck strengh or depth

Hogan is a real star who has gone through intense personal issues that would divert focus. He is almost always double teamed which shows how opposition regard him. If he is double teamed someone should be free and someone should always be at his feet. Flying against him is wasted effort. Structure with Hogan should be different than when he is not on the field so wider use of the squad must be considered on selection.