Very optimistic 

Reality & brutality

We will build on adversity, where does Goody get these lines. Get real for 22 weeks this year the forward line has been ordinary and don't seem able to tackle.

Brutality, get an external review because internally we are strong enough to identify our faults. Forward craft and coaching is a disaster. Develop a plan B if A isn't working. Also finally notice our contested ball is good but what we do with it is poor and at times laughable.

 

 

1. A disciplined coach

2. A disciplined game plan

3. Capable assistant coaches

4. Clayton Oliver (hope he stays)

5. Rivers in the midfield 

 

  On 15/09/2023 at 14:52, The heart beats true said:

We need to find a way to add more skill in the middle and forward half. We can’t have a centre line and midfielders without one elite kick, and 80% of them with very little penetration in their kicking.

I’m of the opinion that the only upside of this horror show is that it’s unavoidable. All levels of the club will have to stare it down and come up with solutions. 

I also think we need to tinker with the game plan so that not every game has to be a smash in contest. We have to find more ways to win with skill. I think our players are exhausted by our game style by September.

No we don't need to just tinker we need to start A NEW GAME PLAN, 

One that the players can understand and is a positive pro active plan that aims to kick goals not prevent them.

Not aim at a pack of players just yo keep the ball in the 50m arc.

Get rid of Stafford and get in some new forward ideas snd centre's etc. 

  On 15/09/2023 at 16:49, KingDingAling said:

1. A disciplined coach

2. A disciplined game plan

3. Capable assistant coaches

4. Clayton Oliver (hope he stays)

5. Rivers in the midfield 

 

Why would Clarry go ? He is just as big a player in this mess as every one. 

  On 15/09/2023 at 16:49, KingDingAling said:

 

4. Clayton Oliver (hope he stays)

 

He’s only contracted until 2030. 

No draft picks are likely to help in the near term, if we want to win with the list we have right now we must trade for a key fwd. The other choice is to draft best available trade for players on the cheap and accept we probably just aren’t good enough right now but happy to play finals for years to come not unlike cats the last decade. I’d vote for the latter over risking it all to maybe get 1 more now.

Edited September 15, 20231 yr by Garbo

  On 15/09/2023 at 17:24, Garbo said:

No draft picks are likely to help in the near term, if we want to win with the list we have right now we must trade for a key fwd. The other choice is to draft best available trade for players on the cheap and accept we probably just aren’t good enough right now but happy to play finals for years to come not unlike cats the last decade. I’d vote for the latter over risking it all to maybe get 1 more now.

We had Jesse and kicked it over his head every week, then cursed him for he’s body language. 

Maturity, and everything that goes with it: discipline, hardness, decision-making, consistency etc.

  On 15/09/2023 at 17:24, Garbo said:

No draft picks are likely to help in the near term, if we want to win with the list we have right now we must trade for a key fwd. The other choice is to draft best available trade for players on the cheap and accept we probably just aren’t good enough right now but happy to play finals for years to come not unlike cats the last decade. I’d vote for the latter over risking it all to maybe get 1 more now.

That should've happened last year.

Instead we went after a post injury (no longer AA) Grundy

Terrible decision and not said in hindsight.  Disliked it from day 1

A waste of a list space and ultimately an entire season of experimenting "in the hope that he might solve this or that"....

The club also seriously needs a decent sports psychologist.

It STILL doesn't get up and win often enough when the expectations are high or in big games facing a pretty hostile crowd.

It's either a soft underbelly and/or poor coaching / game style as witnessed by four consecutive losses in finals at the G.  Possibly a bit of both!

We are STILL also a very ordinary team in wet or greasy conditions.  That needs fixing in the off season... not ignoring and continuing on as if all is fine.

We also traded out or watched on as most of our speedy players left the club which resulted in a pretty sluggish  team (foot speed to get the pill to the outside or get to the loose ball/oppo on the outside) become even more bogged down and sluggish.  THIS ONE WAS SUPER COSTLY IMHO and now needs solving as it has impacted any ability we had to transistion the ball with speed into the 50 and give our forwards a fighting chance more often.  Hunt was a big part of our 2021 success in this area prior to his unfortunate injury which was covered off by the intercept work & clever ball use of Bowey during finals.

Having said that we were certainly cruelled up forward with injuries in the second half and you always need some luck in this regard to get through to a PF let alone a GF.  However that does not explain away four losses on the trot.

Edited September 15, 20231 yr by Demon Dynasty

A couple of forwards with decent disposal/ foot skills. Some of our losses this year:

9.17 loss by 2 +8 scores 
7.11 loss by 7 +3 scores
5.15 loss by 2 +8 scores
8.15 loss by 15 +0 scores
10.12 loss by 7 +3 scores

 

  On 15/09/2023 at 14:08, dee-tox said:

What do we need to do in 2024 to take the next step?

PERSEVERENCE AND DISCIPLINE

  On 15/09/2023 at 17:33, KingDingAling said:

We had Jesse and kicked it over his head every week, then cursed him for he’s body language. 

Yep but we also tried (and failed) to turn him into a HHF / quasi tall mid instead of letting him hone his skills as a KTF.

We were also unlucky with him in 2018 as he was injured just before the finals and pretty sure he missed it all.

I'm not sure us cursing him for his body language was the reason he left though.  It was pretty shizen at times.  That's just a fact.

The same thing went on with Richo for years and he just stuck it out, kept fronting up and continued to hit the scoreboard (still the most goals in total at the G by any player i think?)

Edited September 15, 20231 yr by Demon Dynasty

  On 15/09/2023 at 14:33, Return to Glory said:

Is Rudi Webster still alive? Get him

That's a bit Rude...i

We have two tall forwards ,but they were not playing ( JVR & Petty) . Had a strong sensible mid (Gus), not playing. Rivers will develop into a great HBF (Like Rioli).

Kozzie will learn !!!

We need a Petty in defence & trade Lever !!! (He was terrific for the first 15 minutes tonight but.....then turned into a traffic cop. May is the cornerstone of our defence so we need another May !!

Spargo,ANB, more of please !!

  On 15/09/2023 at 20:10, dimmy said:

We have two tall forwards ,but they were not playing ( JVR & Petty) . Had a strong sensible mid (Gus), not playing. Rivers will develop into a great HBF (Like Rioli).

Kozzie will learn !!!

We need a Petty in defence & trade Lever !!! (He was terrific for the first 15 minutes tonight but.....then turned into a traffic cop. May is the cornerstone of our defence so we need another May !!

Spargo,ANB, more of please !!

Kossi has shown no sign of learning..if anything the opposite.

They have a Petty for defence 

 

His name is Petty  they need two big bodies forward who can run, compete, mark and kick for goals ( AFL basics)

JVR isnt actually a tall foward btw 

 

Edited September 15, 20231 yr by IRW

We need a re-think on the type of player we are drafting/recruiting. McAdam seems to be a shift in that mindset.

Being combative is important and has kept us around the mark but the limitations on our playing group are overwhelming.

We are exposed for height between HBF & HFF, we lack elite ball users nor do we value them, our gameplan stifles opposition but hurts us even more. Development of players seems to have come to a screeching halt beyond Judd McVee who has been absolutely phenomenal - yes, he made a couple of errors but no more than our leaders/best players do weekly.

Our 3 best players, Clarry, Trac and Max have become almost ineffective. They get great stats but what the team gets from them is of far less value. 
 

Its’s just so disappointing to be here again and I hope we can address the mental side of our game and double down on ball use

 

 

 

Cut the list deep… 

TMAC, BBB, Jordan all gone. Would consider Sparrow and Salem too if currency is there. 
Tomlinson stays as depth, but need Petty back. Pick up a gun KF, would not be against Lynch or McKay while we are in the window. 
Mid ball users with ball winning ability and speed. 

  On 15/09/2023 at 20:33, BW511 said:

We need a re-think on the type of player we are drafting/recruiting. McAdam seems to be a shift in that mindset.

Being combative is important and has kept us around the mark but the limitations on our playing group are overwhelming.

We are exposed for height between HBF & HFF, we lack elite ball users nor do we value them, our gameplan stifles opposition but hurts us even more. Development of players seems to have come to a screeching halt beyond Judd McVee who has been absolutely phenomenal - yes, he made a couple of errors but no more than our leaders/best players do weekly.

Our 3 best players, Clarry, Trac and Max have become almost ineffective. They get great stats but what the team gets from them is of far less value. 
 

Its’s just so disappointing to be here again and I hope we can address the mental side of our game and double down on ball use

 

 

 

Quality of use but also how we use it - rebuild ourselves around McVee and Rivers and the way they bounce off the line and also want to counterattack.

Some are saying ‘new forwards coach’ but it’s more than that. Their used to be a ‘ball movement coach’ in the AFL a decade ago at the clubs that could afford that luxury but someone needs to own this for Goodwin; such talent across the lines (except one and we will get to that) but we play like Ross Lyon’s teams of years back when he had 6 stars and battlers everywhere else.

Forwards, my life for a forward, or where art thou actual forwards in their prime?

The forward line as a concept has been disrespected by this club entirely under Goodwin. The way we move the ball last year into the forward line was a protection racket for cooked mids and backs. We have repurposed players in there battling away. McAdam is a start, but we need to value their forward craft first, and then look at the extracurricular work they do up the ground or to free up mids in stoppages etc. We just can’t carry so many forwards that are repurposed mids, on their last legs, developing, or out of form.

  On 15/09/2023 at 20:48, rpfc said:

The forward line as a concept has been disrespected by this club entirely under Goodwin. The way we move the ball last year into the forward line was a protection racket for cooked mids and backs. We have repurposed players in there battling away. McAdam is a start, but we need to value their forward craft first, and then look at the extracurricular work they do up the ground or to free up mids in stoppages etc. We just can’t carry so many forwards that are repurposed mids, on their last legs, developing, or out of form.

The strategy in our forward half is to be defensive first, it’s what I mean by stifling our players.

The only player who is allowed to play as a genuine attacking forward is Fritsch and unsurprisingly, he kicks goals. 

The gameplan and strategy needs to loosen up to allow pure offence because the defence first version is being shown up year after year.

  On 15/09/2023 at 14:08, dee-tox said:

What do we need to do in 2024 to take the next step?

Obviously, the last two season's we've finished top-four only to lose four MCG finals.

Is our list good enough?

Do we have the right game plan?

Can we add to our coaching staff?

Are we happy with our player development?

Is our fitness and conditioning up to scratch?

Are we happy with the overall direction of the club?

 

A new Coach would be a good start! Goodwin has officially lost me!

Edited September 15, 20231 yr by picket fence

Give away our first round pick for McKay (Carlton’s). Carlton don’t need two forwards. They’re better without. They may consider this.

Need to review our footwear probably in association a podiatrist  regarding our foot injuries - were Fritsch and Petty (and TMc over the last two years) to have not had those mid foot injuries we would have been preparing for a PF since last weekend. Is it just bad luck, or is it to do with footwear?

And whilst on footwear too many players just slip over too often.  

Not getting bent over by umpires hellbent on exacting HQs wishes.

Also Harley Reid. 

Sydney want Grundy who is contracted, straight swap for McClean who is also contracted.

Number 1 past AA ruckman for their backup ruckman who can actually play the role we wanted Grundy to.