I know he cops a lot on here because he's slow and goes to ground at every opportunity but I think he has been the biggest difference between our defence this year and last year. It feels like we are really lacking a leader to tell others what where to position and man up. We end up with two players marking space while the opposition gets an easy mark between the two players/2 players going up and no one staying down/not covering the overlap. 

What are your thoughts? He's still out for a couple so will need either hibberd or Jetta to step up on field. 

You’re right. We have 0 leadership.

Have to look elsewhere as he will be gone at seasons end.

4 hours ago, dl4e said:

Have to look elsewhere as he will be gone at seasons end.

Have we signed Luke Hodge to replace him?

I’m not a big Lewis fan for the reasons you mentioned but I would happily have him back in the team right now.

No doubt we have missed Lewy not sure about last night making a difference due to the pace of McD TW and others but a Swans and Saints return would be ideal in his role of "General down back".

If as I suspect Petty (rather than Keltie) should come in vs Swans then his experience would be irreplaceable.

Jonesy may fill the breach but of course is no faster!

By the time Lewey is ready to come back season 2019 may have already passed us by. Unfortunate for him because if we are not in a position to play finals it's players like Lewis who will need to make way for younger untried players in preparation for 2020.

We have missed him out there, no doubt about it.

The guy we really seem to be missing is the one in the pink clothes who was always running around giving out good advice.

"If you get between the ball and your opponent, defending is much easier"

"Stand over there, somewhere near your opponent. It will help."

"See how your opponent is always getting his hands on the ball? Now you try it."

"Now try getting it to another Melbourne player. You can kick OR handpass it. Your choice! If you can get it to one who is on his own, that's even better."

That guy was really good. I wonder what ever happened to him?

We clearly miss Lewis in organising the defence. Vince was pretty good also. Jones would not be much use. Never seen him organise anything. He just plays his own game. 

Edited April 5, 20196 yr by america de cali

The thing with Lewis is, those that get a set against him then only look at his weaknesses and fail to see any of his good play. He still has plenty to offer our backline..

100% miss his leadership, on field coaching & foot skills in the back half

 

Do the bloody maths.

6/6/6 don’t allow him to hide in a +1 down back any more.  Even if he did, go back and watch the prelim again.

He will slow is further.

He needs to retire now.

 

This club will pay the price for making us slower (Lewis has soaked up 50 development games somewhere else) and selling the farm with Lever in a super-draft.

Farewell game v Hawks.

 

That must be his last game if this club is serious about addressing uncontested possession.

Just what we need - another old, slow player.

12 hours ago, Deefiant said:

I know he cops a lot on here because he's slow and goes to ground at every opportunity but I think he has been the biggest difference between our defence this year and last year. It feels like we are really lacking a leader to tell others what where to position and man up. We end up with two players marking space while the opposition gets an easy mark between the two players/2 players going up and no one staying down/not covering the overlap. 

What are your thoughts? He's still out for a couple so will need either hibberd or Jetta to step up on field. 

Well yes and its inexcusable that Lewis plays for 2 years and we still haven't found a few players to 'become' that type with experience and leadership in the backline.

To me its the most disappointing factor to Goodwin. we don't have blokes coming off the back of the square due to the new rules, and we cant play traiditional defensive roles all of a sudden. He's chose his line coaches and Chaplin is coaching a disorganised rabble.

this is now his real test as a coach and he is failing. He has the cattle to beat Port and beat Essendon.

Edited April 6, 20196 yr by Bay Riffin

Pretty interesting stat regarding Lewis.

We have no leaders in our back six. We have Frost and OMac who spend a lot of time looking like they don't know what they're doing. At times we've had Hore, KK and J Wagner down there who weren't part of our winning team last year and are either new to the game or new to our system. And we have Hibberd and Jetta who are nowhere near in form.

All of that means I think we'd benefit, significantly, from having Lewis in the backline.

13 hours ago, Deefiant said:

I know he cops a lot on here because he's slow and goes to ground at every opportunity but I think he has been the biggest difference between our defence this year and last year. It feels like we are really lacking a leader to tell others what where to position and man up. We end up with two players marking space while the opposition gets an easy mark between the two players/2 players going up and no one staying down/not covering the overlap. 

What are your thoughts? He's still out for a couple so will need either hibberd or Jetta to step up on field. 

Unfortunately this shows how poor we are in the back half with individuals. mainly our talls.

 

I think if the Oppo forwards push up high and we want our defenders to drop off, we need our Mids and half-forwards to be in our back-half and close off the spaces.

We need to select small speedy skilled players on our wings, who will run hard all game.   These should be our connecting players.   Our Centre-man should be similarly quick but more robust.

 

C       Jay Lockhart   Angus Brayshaw   Christian Salem

 

 

 

46 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

Pretty interesting stat regarding Lewis.

 

Ok there's the argument he makes us slower.  And i agree, but that's only when we don't have possession.

Yes we need to find a replacement but all players need replacing at some point.  Who do we have that plays "the general / QB" role down back better than Jordy at the moment?  Let me answer that for you....no one!

The thing that Jordy does bring is great experience and fabulous reading of play across HB, which is even more critical against 6/6/6 with mids running straight out of the middle more often now.  Many teams are still launching most of their attacking forays off HB.

Jordy is our best intercept player (outside of Lever when he finally gets back) and leads all comers (outside of Lever).  Jetta, Joel Smith and Hibberd not far behind.

So....he is cutting off many opposition forward entries for us, more than anyone else.  And turning the tide back in our favour.  Assessing the game before playing on like a donkey no matter where the state of the game, opposition or scoreboard is at (as unfortunately too many of our players seem to do of late) and directing the ball on 45s or the switch to positions / players across the ground that are better placed to launch or to just use up the clock, maintain possession and ice the quarter, game or slow down an opposition run on.

Maintaining possession when the opposition gets a roll on or when we need to ice the end of a quarter or match is critical and a key part of the modern day game.  If you can't do it for more than a minute or so before turning it over or you just don't stop at any stage to do so and are constantly playing on no matter what the circumstances, you are (at particular times of a match) going to play right into the opposition's structure/set up down field and hand them the match.

Jordy brings a wealth of experience and a football brain that many of our younger amatures down back lack.

While he is still intercepting better than anyone else (other than Lever) as he did in 2018, i for one am more than happy to see him back as the QB/General and hopefully he can pass on another sinew of his experience and help to turn some of those down back from ugly ducklings in to decent footballers before he finally hangs his boots up.

Edited April 6, 20196 yr by Rusty Nails

3 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

The thing that Jordy does bring is great experience and fabulous reading of play across HB, which is even more critical against 6/6/6 with mids running straight out of the middle more often now.  Many teams are still launching most of their attacking forays off HB.

He is crucial for us at the moment.  We are missing his reading play, and settling our weak defenders down.  Via instructions.    He composes us.

 

You can't load the team with youngsters/VFL level players simply because the playing unit as a whole will suffer. No matter what you say the team provides the backbone for individual brilliance.

If we come out of this year with 2-3 solid best 22 players who were not in the 2018 team that will be an excellent result.

Lewis' replacement may well not be one of those players which raises the real possibility of another year for Jordan if he wants one. Hopefully we find that replacement in 2020.

You need defensive leaders to make the mids and forwards accountable.  Lewis, Lever, May are natural leaders with the authority to tear shreds off those up the field when they don’t do their defensive job.  Right now none of our back 6 seem to have that. Consequence are these sickening runs of bags of goals.  

8 hours ago, TGR said:

 

Do the bloody maths.

6/6/6 don’t allow him to hide in a +1 down back any more.  Even if he did, go back and watch the prelim again.

He will slow is further.

He needs to retire now.

 

This club will pay the price for making us slower (Lewis has soaked up 50 development games somewhere else) and selling the farm with Lever in a super-draft.

Not sure if you read my post but it was less about his play involvments and more about his experience. Brayshaw spoke really highly about his work in teaching younger players last year. The maths I have done is without him in organising us we have been a shambles in defence and look like a bottom team. Not sure we can blame him for being so reliant on him or we blame other players/coaches for being unable to take the step up. 

9 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

We have no leaders in our back six. We have Frost and OMac who spend a lot of time looking like they don't know what they're doing. At times we've had Hore, KK and J Wagner down there who weren't part of our winning team last year and are either new to the game or new to our system. And we have Hibberd and Jetta who are nowhere near in form.

All of that means I think we'd benefit, significantly, from having Lewis in the backline.

Salem heir apparent to Lewis...who else?

On 4/6/2019 at 12:51 PM, chook fowler said:

Just what we need - another old, slow player.

Nail.  Head.

 

The Hawthorn game must be his farewell game. 

For anyone suggesting we are missing his leadership down back, watch the Prelim again.  6/6/6 doesn't even allow a +1 starting in your defense anymore.

 

Sliding doors 2-3 years ago.  Hawthorn got rid of Lewis/Hodge/Mitchell and got quicker; we got seduced by Lewis, which made a slow team slower; and sold the farm for Lever.