To be fair, I think the backline being a tad underdone is going to be a relevant talking point regardless of the Essendon result. May and Lever would be in our top 10 paid players and are most certainly best 22. We are really struggling down back, and having those two fit and firing would certainly have made a difference in the early stages of the season. 

As far as Goody goes, It's a bold approach and I think it shows that he thinks the list is capable of executing his game plan effectively right now. He knows more about where the list is at than I do, so I'm expecting the team to come out swinging on Friday night.

Edited April 4, 20196 yr by Adzman

I think he is doing what any good coach would: shielding his players from any potential fallout. If we get pantsed, the focus is on him. 

We have had a shortened summer (by a month) for the first time in the careers of all the players.

They are not prepared just yet and I hope they get there soon or the season will get away from us.

But Goodwin knows, from the sporadic selection of our smalls in the forward line and back line, that we don't have trusted talent in those positions.

This thread is a classic from classic Demonlanders.

If Goodwin has said something about our bad pre-season, the same posters (ADC, beelzebub, SWYL) would be complaining about him making excuses.

  On 04/04/2019 at 06:40, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Goodwin's not under a cent of pressure. He's re-signed until end of 2022.

Yeah, because AFL coaches (and MFC coaches in particular) always make it to the end of their contract.

  On 04/04/2019 at 05:53, Satyriconhome said:

It may turnaround this week, but it will require 22 working as a team, that is what has been missing last 2 weeks, no excuses any more

Agree Saty. In terms of individual players' we have been poor apart from Salem in R1 and Clarry in R2, but collectively as a team we have been abysmal.

Need total buy in from all 22 each and every week. The fact that it has not dawned on all players on our senior list highlights we still have a way to go, re: maturing.

  On 04/04/2019 at 06:40, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Goodwin's not under a cent of pressure. He's re-signed until end of 2022.

Why would you worry about Goodwin , as if he doesn't care ? he didn't ask for the losses or the injuries we have. 

So lay off him he is out there to do his best and we have to stick by him and the players and support them not criticise when thing don't go to plan.  We are a touch behind however we will be better and improve so hang in there support hard .............. We are Melbourne!

  On 04/04/2019 at 06:33, beelzebub said:

How many are in peak fit shape ?? 

What you don't get is we believe the results... believe the vision of getting run circles around...of hands on hips, blowing hard.

The Dee's are starting the season as most teams finish it....stuffed.

 

Now you are the one making excuses, professional footy players, have to ensure they are fit, doing extras etc etc, as another poster said, you really do need something to whine about don't you

I think he wanted to say, "We all need to pull our socks up." But that would have sounded too simple. The journos would have nothing to write about. Instead they fill the sport pages with waffle. We all know about the injuries etc etc.

  On 04/04/2019 at 09:54, Satyriconhome said:

Now you are the one making excuses, professional footy players, have to ensure they are fit, doing extras etc etc, as another poster said, you really do need something to whine about don't you

You define gullible. You believe the club hook Line and sinker. The first language of football is lies.

I'd love Melbourne to actually be successful...not just play at it around the edges.

You're very funny Saty. Youve really got a taste for the koolaid.

This thing that some posters believe about finals appearance causing a late start to the preseason and impacting next year.... 

Players late to get going again. Compromised by unhealed injuries, post surgery recovery period, late to get back into aerobic fitness regime (despite playing and training a few weeks longer than non-finals teams) - yada yada yada 

At least a couple of teams in recent memory say ‘Hi’:

Brisbane Lions 2001-2004

Cats 2007-2011

Hawks 2013-2015

Guess I don’t subscribe to the theory that an athlete’s body goes to lard, butter and jelly the year after playing finals.

HTFUp

Edited April 4, 20196 yr by bjDee
forgot cats

  On 04/04/2019 at 10:38, bjDee said:

This thing that some posters believe about finals appearance causing a late start to the preseason and impacting next year.... 

Players late to get going again. Compromised by unhealed injuries, post surgery recovery period, late to get back into aerobic fitness regime (despite playing and training a few weeks longer than non-finals teams) - yada yada yada 

At least a couple of teams in recent memory say ‘Hi’:

Brisbane Lions 2001-2004

Cats 2007-2011

Hawks 2013-2015

Guess I don’t subscribe to the theory that an athlete’s body goes to lard, butter and jelly the year after playing finals.

HTFUp

Possibly the 3 greatest sides of all time, some of them taking the field nearly 20 years ago. Really relevant history there.

  On 04/04/2019 at 10:38, bjDee said:

This thing that some posters believe about finals appearance causing a late start to the preseason and impacting next year.... 

Players late to get going again. Compromised by unhealed injuries, post surgery recovery period, late to get back into aerobic fitness regime (despite playing and training a few weeks longer than non-finals teams) - yada yada yada 

At least a couple of teams in recent memory say ‘Hi’:

Brisbane Lions 2001-2004

Cats 2007-2011

Hawks 2013-2015

Guess I don’t subscribe to the theory that an athlete’s body goes to lard, butter and jelly the year after playing finals.

HTFUp

Since we have come off a finals campaign for the first  time in over a decade,  apologists have to find some new ludicrous excuse to gild bad losses from the well worn ones when we were perennially bad. 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 20196 yr by america de cali

  On 04/04/2019 at 10:52, Chook said:

Possibly the 3 greatest sides of all time

Thanks mate. Good luck defending that ambit claim 

 

  On 04/04/2019 at 10:52, Chook said:

some of them taking the field nearly 20 years ago. Really relevant history there.

But plenty in recent times...

Also Swans, Eagles, Crows, Giants etc with multiple recent (this decade - is that ok?) finals appearances say ‘Hi Chook’

Simple question: why are we making excuses?

Edited April 4, 20196 yr by bjDee

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:04, bjDee said:

Thanks mate. Good luck defending that ambit claim 

 

But plenty in recent times...

Also Swans, Eagles, Crows, Giants etc with multiple recent (this decade - is that ok?) finals appearances say ‘Hi Chook’

Simple question: why are we making excuses?

Who's making excuses? You're the one comparing Melbourne(!) to three of the best sides of all time, let alone this decade.

We've been a terrible footy side for near on 6 months now. I saw it personally in Perth last September, and it hasn't gone away, regardless of the events of the preseason that happened between then and now.

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:12, Chook said:

Who's making excuses?

Sheesh

That bit wasn’t directed at you. I invite you to read it in the context of my first sentence, post #35

It’s about the ability of teams to generate successive successes - as evidenced in this case by appearances in finals - it’s not about which team has the biggest gonads of all time. I’ll bow to your judgement on that. 

Edited April 4, 20196 yr by bjDee

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:22, bjDee said:

Sheesh

That bit wasn’t directed at you. I invite you to read it in the context of my first sentence, post #35

It’s about the ability of teams to generate successive successes - as evidenced in this case by appearances in finals - it’s not about which team has the biggest gonads of all time. I’ll bow to your judgement on that. 

mmm imagine Successive Successes mmmm

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:26, Sir Why You Little said:

mmm imagine Successive Successes mmmm

Screw that I just want isolated successes.

  On 04/04/2019 at 04:30, hemingway said:

Goodwins comments will look good if we win, but if we don't he can assured that no-one from supporters to the media will be accepting excuses. 

I find it a strange comment, perhaps reflecting the pressure he is under to turn it around.

Two games in and he is talking about no further excuses, it sounds a little desperate after two games. Mid season or end of season, I could understand. 

Better to simply state, we expect to see improvement this week or we are going out expecting to win. 

I disagree. His comments resonate with me. I don't want to hear him come out and make excuses. He's saying there are none and that's what I want to hear from him. I'm sick of our mob from Gawn down, talking the talk in the media and then not backing it up.

Jeez, poor old Goody can't do much more. Damned if you do, damned if you don't stuff.

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:33, A F said:

I disagree. His comments resonate with me. I don't want to hear him come out and make excuses. He's saying there are none and that's what I want to hear from him. I'm sick of our mob from Gawn down, talking the talk in the media and then not backing it up.

Jeez, poor old Goody can't do much more. Damned if you do, damned if you don't stuff.

Goody's coaching skills, nous and tactics are going to be closely examined.

Unfortunately, he has problems with injuries and form, which makes his job that much more difficult. Our games todate make us look well off the pace. So he does have valid excuses. Our injury list and form are not figments of our imagination. 

I understand your sentiments but I think he could have chosen more appropriate words. We lose and his comments are going to hurt. And it is so early in the season. 

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:39, hemingway said:

Goody's coaching skills, nous and tactics are going to be closely examined.

Unfortunately, he has problems with injuries and form, which makes his job that much more difficult. Our games todate make us look well off the pace. So he does have valid excuses. Our injury list and form are not figments of our imagination. 

I understand your sentiments but I think he could have chosen more appropriate words. We lose and his comments are going to hurt. And it is so early in the season. 

I still disagree. We lose and he says, we have nowhere to hide. I don't see how this is a bad thing or how his comments are going to hurt. If anything, it should drive our group to thrive, not drown.

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:42, A F said:

I still disagree. We lose and he says, we have nowhere to hide. I don't see how this is a bad thing or how his comments are going to hurt. If anything, it should drive our group to thrive, not drown.

As I said, I understand your thinking and I hope you are right.

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:33, A F said:

I disagree. His comments resonate with me. I don't want to hear him come out and make excuses. He's saying there are none and that's what I want to hear from him. I'm sick of our mob from Gawn down, talking the talk in the media and then not backing it up.

Jeez, poor old Goody can't do much more. Damned if you do, damned if you don't stuff.

 

I too am sick of all the talk.
Have been listening to the BS for decades.
Have to redeem ourselves every second week etc.

As for Goodys coaching.
We've butchered the ball going into the forward 50 with his famed "Chaos ball" since he's been in charge.
Lets just bang it in there and hope we can scrub enough through the goals seems to be the mantra.
Game plan is garbage.
Even worse now with the 666.
Coaches have been caught with their pants down.

Edited April 4, 20196 yr by Fork 'em

  On 04/04/2019 at 11:58, Fork 'em said:

I too am sick of all the talk.
Have been listening to the BS for decades.
Have to redeem ourselves every second week etc.

As for Goodys coaching.
We've butchered the ball going into the forward 50 with his famed "Chaos ball" since he's been in charge.
Lets just bang it in there and hope we can scrub enough through the goals seems to be the mantra.
Game plan is garbage.
Even worse now with the 666.
Coaches have been caught with their pants down.

Disagree. The same plan won Richmond and the Bulldogs a flag. It's not a garbage plan, particularly when you have such a dominant ruckman and midfield.

The debatable point for me is whether we've built a list that actually compliments that midfield and game style.

I'm beginning to feel that we need to invent our own style that uses the midfield dominance, but doesn't hand the opposition a slingshot back the other way to their own attack.

Edited April 4, 20196 yr by A F

Whereas I think Goodwin knows we have no-one in the midfield who can really deliver to forwards at an elite level so has just gone with the bomb it in there as often as you can and hope for the best mentality.

 

Edited April 4, 20196 yr by Fork 'em

  On 04/04/2019 at 05:53, Satyriconhome said:

Absolute twaddle, don't know which bit some on here don't get, we have a team of 22 that has put in two poor performances, one where the midfield failed and were duly criticised,  the other where the midfield started to get it together but the team connection was horrible

We have players stuttering to find match day form, not from an injury point of view but pure and simple form

It may turnaround this week, but it will require 22 working as a team, that is what has been missing last 2 weeks, no excuses any more

Cmon Saty, you know i am not one to bag you, but this is utter rubbish. If you honestly believe we are not underdone and a our lack of fitness is not the key issue then i'm sorry i struggle to take your views on where the clubs is at seriously.

Your desire to tow some imaginary MFC line is like a footy version of the Stocckholm Syndrome.