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Max Gawn Ruled Out vs Pies

Lord Nev
Lord Nev
in Melbourne Demons

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21 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Fitness Test for Max before the weekend is what i just heard

Did Saty PM you?

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    33 minutes ago, A F said:

    There's an irony in there somewhere that Max thought he needed to play in the Adelaide game, where he was convincingly beaten by an emerging ruckman. I reckon we would have been better without him in that game, but I get why he played.

    For me, it was poor leadership, because I think you should realise when you are going to be an impediment on the team if you do play, and sit the game out if that's the case. Viney used to do it all the time and I didn't like it.

    Anyway, I certainly don't wish injury upon Max and I love him as a player, but I'm far more confident we'll make finals if he's out for 6-8 weeks.

    Really!?!

    I do not understand why you'd think we're a better team without Maxy playing...

    is it because we beat North?

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    9 minutes ago, PaulRB said:

    Really!?!

    I do not understand why you'd think we're a better team without Maxy playing...

    is it because we beat North?

    It's because I have no faith that we'll be able to become less predictable from stoppage and since stoppage is our game, we're stuffed unless we get that right. 

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    37 minutes ago, A F said:

    There's an irony in there somewhere that Max thought he needed to play in the Adelaide game, where he was convincingly beaten by an emerging ruckman. I reckon we would have been better without him in that game, but I get why he played.

    Think that's a bit revisionist I reckon. Max was clearly hampered and didn't have his usual influence against the crows, but he was far from a liability. He had more hitouts, possessions and marks than O'Brien (all while being illegally targeted off the ball), so it's a bit of a stretch to suggest he was "convincingly beaten".

    We're a better team with Max.

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    8 minutes ago, Accepting Mediocrity said:

    Think that's a bit revisionist I reckon. Max was clearly hampered and didn't have his usual influence against the crows, but he was far from a liability. He had more hitouts, possessions and marks than O'Brien (all while being illegally targeted off the ball), so it's a bit of a stretch to suggest he was "convincingly beaten".

    We're a better team with Max.

    Convincingly beaten is probably unfair. He was convincingly beaten in the first half and levelled things up in the second.

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    16 hours ago, Lord Nev said:

    Sorry, should have given more detail around that, I posted it in the thread about Gawn being in doubt for the Crows fame.

    TBF to everyone, it's a really tricky one. It's easy for a few of us here to say 'he shouldn't play' and then add 'see, he shouldn't have played' after the damage is done, but the context of footy club culture, being a captain, our club and it's circumstances, the coaches position being under fire somewhat and all the rest makes it a bit more messy than just a simple yes or no.

    I would have been among the many who were up in arms if we had lost to the Crows too, so it's a bit of a no-win situation.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't agree with how it was handled, it's not what a good club would do, BUT I also understand we're not really at that stage yet and maybe we have to take these gambles sometimes.

    Let's not forget though, we're smashing out an incredibly compacted period of footy and have been riding on the back of a clearly very banged up and sore captain who has had multiple knee injuries, and to both knees, with one as recently as this year.

    We wait and see how it all pans out I guess.

    internal monologue as stream of conscious post

    No one I think is in my tree
    I mean it must be high or low
    That is you can't, you know, tune in
    But it's all right
    That is, I think, it's not too bad

    Edited by Pollyanna

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    21 minutes ago, Pollyanna said:

    internal monologue as stream of conscious post

    Fair. Just don't think every post here needs to be having cracks at each other in disagreement.

     

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    1 hour ago, Sir Why You Little said:

    Fitness Test for Max before the weekend is what i just heard

    Goody said a few days ago that they would give him til the absolute last minute.

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    4 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

    Goody said a few days ago that they would give him til the absolute last minute.

    Yes i know. 
    not quite a 6-8 week hiatus 

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    1 minute ago, Sir Why You Little said:

    Yes i know. 
    not quite a 6-8 week hiatus 

    Nope. Might have heard wrong, but wasn't it Tom Browne who apparently suggested something like that? He's not exactly Mr Credibility.

     

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    2 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

    Nope. Might have heard wrong, but wasn't it Tom Browne who apparently suggested something like that? He's not exactly Mr Credibility.

     

    Different scenarios are flying around

    The chooks need feeding

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    1 hour ago, binman said:

    I'm totally with nasher about there no chance Goodwin selected max out of fears for his future should we lose.

    My personal view is that it questioning his integrity is indeed very insulting. And again this is personal view, but i reckon it is not ok to question his integrity, but each to their own.

    But i think it is ok to question his judgement and decision making, as i have done a bit of late.

    On that front, why do i think he didn't rest Maxy?

    Obviously i'm only guessing, but my guess would be that there may have been a number of factors he considered:

    • he had publicly said his plan was, as far as possible, to play his best team right though this period, and playing Max was fully consistent with this plan
    • maybe Tmac wasn't ready to play and he didn't want to expose jacko to a full game of rucking
    • maxy was dead keen to play and wanted to fly the flag after bartlett's very public criticism of his teammates 
    • the burgess and the doctors convinced him he was at no risk of making the lat injury worse so maxy was good to go 
    • percentage might end up playing a critical role in making the finals and playing maxy would increase the likelihood we have a big, percentage boosting win

    Fair enough response. Thanks. 
     

    But I have to say I disagree about the “very insulting” nature of questioning an AFL coach’s integrity. Surely a coach’s integrity is wrapped-up in the judgement and decision-making that you mention. The lines are very blurred between these things, anyway. 
     

    I don’t mean to assert that the move to play a sore Gawn against the Crows, was solely to ensure Goodwin’s safety. But the guy is only human, and any suggestion this didn’t play a part in the decision made, either consciously or subconsciously, is hard to swallow. 
     

    I also think his strategy of playing the best team at all times is inherently flawed, especially if it means we lack members of said best team in clashes against in-form teams, because we cooked them playing against the minor threats. 

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    30 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    Release the beast. It’s time for Preuss imo.

    With Jackson injured now we will have no choice.  Its Preuss time.

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    I'm gonna vote for Vandanberg into the ruck and put up a token contest and we rove to Grundy or the times he goes to grab it out, Vandenberg just nails him in tackles.

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    5 minutes ago, Watts the matter said:

    I'm gonna vote for Vandanberg into the ruck and put up a token contest and we rove to Grundy or the times he goes to grab it out, Vandenberg just nails him in tackles.

    Not a bad call. I doubt we see Tomlinson unless Oscar comes back in. Seems to be finding a role down back.

    I think you have to bring Preuss in surely. This is why we recruited him.

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    42 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

    Uhoh...

     

    You've got to be kidding! FFs

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    8 minutes ago, Watts the matter said:

    I'm gonna vote for Vandanberg into the ruck and put up a token contest and we rove to Grundy or the times he goes to grab it out, Vandenberg just nails him in the tackle.

    EFA according to Roy and HG

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    43 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

    Uhoh...

     

    Oh so Melbourne....kid starts finding his feet.  Wins rising star.... Cue 4 to 6 injury (and we all know what that means minions).

    At least he's now a true Demon...his first curse!

    Edited by Rusty Nails

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    1 minute ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    Ffs. Jackson injured and out 3-4 weeks. Farrrrrrrrrrrrrk

    It’s Burgess’ fault.

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    3 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    Ffs. Jackson injured and out 3-4 weeks. Farrrrrrrrrrrrrk

    You realise that’s about 6 matches these days?

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    20 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

    It’s Burgess’ fault.

    I blame Misson for this again!

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