Unfortunately no real hope at the minute. Still coming to terms with the complete car wreck. I'm sure in time once the smoke settles the optimism will come round but at the minute 2019 is still firmly in mind. 

I think they will be pretty angry after the events of 2019 and work their butts off in the off season to make amends.

Add some recruits to address our needs in wingers and forwards and a bit of luck with guys like Vanders and Joel Smith as well as some natural improvement from our still very young midfielders like Oliver, Brayshaw, Petracca and Viney.

Ill back them in.

This BS certainly doesn't give me any hope:
https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2019-09-03/brayshaw-a-better-player-after-2019

“Obviously everyone would have preferred to have won, but I think there’s a lot of value in becoming a more rounded player and person, which is what I think we’ve got out of this year. It’s absolutely been a year of growth for everyone, not just me but coaches and players, and hopefully it’s that growth that propels us next year. I really believe that this is the hard year that will really set us up to be better next year. People will hear that and think, ‘Well we’ve had decades worth of bad years’, but I think we took some serious steps forward in areas that don’t really corollate exactly to wins. That will certainly go a long way to helping us become a better team and ultimately winning it all.”

PUKE!

Ok what gives me hope? Tough question. My fear coming into 2019 was that a few players in 2018 played "above themselves" through high confidence and gun players being at close to peak form. The worry was that a drop off/injuries to those key players would expose those lesser quality players and they would get found out quickly. It appears that happened in the worst possible way this year. 

We had major injury issues over the summer to key players that lead to them having an extremely poor fitness base, the confidence of some of the fit players were destroyed early on and those average players really rose to the surface exposing how poor our depth is. 

So what gives me hope is this. We SHOULD have the opportunity to ensure all our key players are given as close to a full pre-season as possible. We have Darren Burgess coming on board who is highly rated world wide to assist in preparing our players better. So really there is no reason (barring bad luck) for us to not have close to our best team available for round 1 next year. 

We will finally have Lever and May playing together with May now fully aware of what is expected of him. Jetta will be back, although admittedly slowing down, while Hibberd should be over his niggles that held him back. 

The middle and forward line is the major question mark, it's like the two lines were on completely different planets. This was an awful problem as we won enough of the ball and got it inside enough but we were so easy to score against on the rebound and even when we had multiple entries we still couldn't get anything out of it. The ball would go up the other end ONCE and we'd concede a goal. 

So I'm choosing to fall on the side of hope with this. That the club has/already has dedicated critical analysis of not only our major failings in that area, but what teams did to curtail our effectiveness and what we can do to counter it. 

I'm also backing on players who had bad years not doing it two years in a row, Tom McDonnald looked like he was finally coming good just as he got injured, while Viney himself would be the first to admit he was poor this year. Weids showed what he could do in the finals last year, but failed to develop this year. Maybe 2020 will be his year.

Pick 2/3 also provides us with a great opportunity to either get some top grade talent in our look to use it as leverage to improve our best 22 immediately. 

2019 was an utter failure but it can be used for future success if done right.

 

Edited September 3, 20195 yr by Pates

Nothing gives me hope right now. Hopefully Alan Richardson amd a few new players may help, but no guarantees!

I hope

a full squad train with intensity. The only injuries occur at training as players compete for positions.

Goodwin has confidence of full squad and no one is gifted  games. Ie no favourites.

i am able to get finals tickets and watch the Dees go all the way.

No hope for next season. Maybe hoping that we get smashed the first 5 weeks and that Goodwin gets sacked and God help us if Alan Richardson takes over.  Literally nothing to look forward to. We're a bottom 2 side next year. Terribly skilled and terribly slow and terribly coached. 

5 minutes ago, Dr.D said:

No hope for next season. Maybe hoping that we get smashed the first 5 weeks and that Goodwin gets sacked and God help us if Alan Richardson takes over.  Literally nothing to look forward to. We're a bottom 2 side next year. Terribly skilled and terribly slow and terribly coached. 

Love it. Comedy at its blackest.

On 8/29/2019 at 5:57 PM, DeeSpencer said:

FB: Jetta   May   Frost
HB: Salem  Lever  ######
C; Langdon   Oliver  #####
HF: Melksham  T Mc  #####
FF: Fritsch   Weid/Petty  ####
Foll: Gawn  Petracca  Viney
Int: Brayshaw  Harmes  and any of the rest of our depth players.

To bounce back hard I really think we need to fill 5 spots, with Langdon filling one. 

The Geelong team we beat in the finals last year added 5 new players to their line up and went from elimination finals to top of the ladder:

Rohan - trade
Dahlhaus - free agent
Atkins - mature recruit
Jordan Clark - first round draft pick
Miers - 2nd year player

All quick, all good 2 way players and a mix of skills. We've got guys like Lockhart, Baker and Chandler who could break out with good summers. We've got the chance to nail a draft pick or two. Skills will be important and especially at least one good goal kicking option but we don't have to work miracles to find the missing pieces to help the current team bounce back.
 

Good post DS. You've missed Hore who deserves a spot on the HBF and probably Hibberd (maybe depth). 

Salem is not a defender for mine. They need to find another spot for him or is lack of accountability / capability to defender in the air and on the run will sink him and us. 

Agree Lockhart will find a spot and am hopeful for Baker (but not confident). Doubtful on Chandler but hope to be wrong, ditto Dunkley. 

Joel Smith, if he remains and get's fit has some real X factor and can add pace and courage at both ends. 

Also, I'm hopeful that Sparrow and Jordon show enough to be at least semi-regulars too. Footy department would be confident of this I'm sure. The value of that confidence is to be proven. 

On 9/4/2019 at 8:53 AM, binman said:

Love it. Comedy at its blackest.

not sure if you watched this season or not? 

sorry I forgot the question !!!!!!!!

Is anyone up to date about Aaron Van den Berg and Joel Smiths ability to commence Pre-season training? Please aim me to the correct thread if there is Learnings about this.