Ditch the new game plan right now.

Go back to putting all our efforts into winning the contest, ball ups and centre bounce and pump it forward.

Van Rooyen , Fritsch,  Kozzy, etc may benefit with the ball coming in fast .

I know we missed finals because of this approach but it was mainly inaccuracy.

Get back to our DNA!

 

Unlike some on here, I’m not smart enough to know how to fix our problem - I don’t even know what the real problem is. But I do know one thing: we are sadly missing Gus, not just on the field, but off it as well. He was definitely the heart and soul of the Club. No one appears to have stepped up to replace his leadership and immense encouragement he would heap on his teammates on the field. When your heart and soul is gone, without a replacement, you are left with an empty vessel. And that’s the way we are playing.

I also believe - and perhaps the players do too - that the Club let Gus down by not appealing that shameful tribunal outcome. I’m sure Gus felt let down by that. And even more so well after the verdict when he received the medical advice to retire.

im sure there are a myriad of reasons as to why we are playing so poorly, but I’m also pretty sure sure that the Gus factor is one of them.
 

MFC appears to have too many distractions and too lenient on some players. And its on again next week with the  Big Freeze event. A good cause of course but still a distraction.

Why was Langdon allowed to ditch the team against the Eagles and attend a wedding instead  ???? What!!!!!

Sorry not good enough.  Either you want to play for the dees or you dont. Alot of other players seem to go awol for a few days for personal reasons. Sorry,not good enough. You dont want to train on a particular day for personal reasons,  fine,  get a job as an uber driver instead.

Loved Ben Brown in 2021  but since then he spends most of his time with kids not footy games.  Yes, injured but time for him to retire and maybe become a social worker. 

Goodwins pregame presser in Alice was cringeworthy. Take another look at it Its still up.

He'll do it again next week, urghh!

Monday's KB game is a defining moment for us. We can win this. We have the cattle which Pies are lacking due to spat of injuries.

Toughen up MFC  !!!

Stop giggling all the time.

Look serious and get the job done against Pies. Forget about Maynard. AFL exec branch was the real culprit.

Edited June 3, 20241 yr by deebunked

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

NORM SMITH Coached the DEES TO 6 PREMIERSHIPS and got every ounce of talent out of all players. You cannot even contemplate a comparison to Simon Goodwin, who FLUKED a premiership and has wasted the last 3 years of what has been recognised as a Crack list!!

No fluke. We finished minor premiers, and thrashed our finals opponents with a huge win in GF, One of the biggest margins of all time. Silly comment to suggest we fluked it. 

Great work @spirit of norm smith

I think the problems aren't that hard to see, we've managed to paper over the cracks (mostly) for half a season thanks largely to our back 6/all team defense and some big efforts from Gawn, Tracc, Viney, ANB, Fritsch, Langdon, Kozzy and JVR.  With fatigue, injury and form the cracks are not sinkholes. 

Facts

• Forwardline = completely decimated
  • Petty, unfit, hopelessly out of form and not a forward. Averaging ~7 touches & 0.3 goals
  • McAdam, either not fit or not up to the level. Cannot kick further than 30m
  • Turner, learning the ropes, possibly not a forward and ulikely to evolve into David Shwarz with the support available 
  • Kozzy, playing midfield 
  • ANB playing midfield 
  • JVR didn't play v Fremantle (but has been an absolute warrior all season)
  • Fritsch, a class act but is currently being asked to play like Tony Lockett. Very difficult for Bailey to play his role well without a legitimate FF or CHF
• Midfield = severely undermanned 
  • Brayshaw gone
  • Oliver, not fit and down on form 
  • Langdon, playing forward 
  • Hunter cooked
  • Windsor, trying but fatiguing 
  • Sparrow down on form
  • Viney, manful but down on form 
  • Tracc & Gawn, trying to be everything, everywhere & probably saved us from 2-3 more losses 
• Backline = dam wall finally broke
  • Lever, not playing 
  • Rivers, playing midfield 
  • Salem, playing midfield 
  • May battered and bruised 
  • Tomlinson a very good VFL player
  • McDonald steady but on the retirement tour 
• Overall
  • Playing with 2 less than everyone else, Brayshaw, a legitimate top 5-10 player and Smith, a useful utility 
  • Recent mature age recruits have not helped at all (Billings, McAdam, Fullarton, Schache)
  • Rookies with serious potential are not ready (Tholstrup, Jefferson) 

 

Cathartic but painful to type out. I'll need to rest before putting forward some solutions 🙄...but largely agree with what Norm and others have said 

34 minutes ago, Neil Crompton said:

I also believe - and perhaps the players do too - that the Club let Gus down by not appealing that shameful tribunal outcome. I’m sure Gus felt let down by that. And even more so well after the verdict when he received the medical advice to retire.

What provision are you aware of where by a club can appeal the suspension of a rival player? That’s never been a thing.

We’re missing Gus as a player but aside from that I’m wondering if a lot of our players are in self protection mode both when attacking the ball and even more so when attacking the man.

Which is somewhat admirable but you never get anywhere in AFL footy if you’re playing with doubt. I don’t want to see our players cause injury or be suspended but our tackling has been way too safe and we are rarely hitting the contest with any kind of power. We have a lot of big bodies, they need to start playing like it 

7 minutes ago, Dee*ceiving said:

Great work @spirit of norm smith

I think the problems aren't that hard to see, we've managed to paper over the cracks (mostly) for half a season thanks largely to our back 6/all team defense and some big efforts from Gawn, Tracc, Viney, ANB, Fritsch, Langdon, Kozzy and JVR.  With fatigue, injury and form the cracks are not sinkholes. 

Facts

• Forwardline = completely decimated
  • Petty, unfit, hopelessly out of form and not a forward. Averaging ~7 touches & 0.3 goals
  • McAdam, either not fit or not up to the level. Cannot kick further than 30m
  • Turner, learning the ropes, possibly not a forward and ulikely to evolve into David Shwarz with the support available 
  • Kozzy, playing midfield 
  • ANB playing midfield 
  • JVR didn't play v Fremantle (but has been an absolute warrior all season)
  • Fritsch, a class act but is currently being asked to play like Tony Lockett. Very difficult for Bailey to play his role well without a legitimate FF or CHF
• Midfield = severely undermanned 
  • Brayshaw gone
  • Oliver, not fit and down on form 
  • Langdon, playing forward 
  • Hunter cooked
  • Windsor, trying but fatiguing 
  • Sparrow down on form
  • Viney, manful but down on form 
  • Tracc & Gawn, trying to be everything, everywhere & probably saved us from 2-3 more losses 
• Backline = dam wall finally broke
  • Lever, not playing 
  • Rivers, playing midfield 
  • Salem, playing midfield 
  • May battered and bruised 
  • Tomlinson a very good VFL player
  • McDonald steady but on the retirement tour 
• Overall
  • Playing with 2 less than everyone else, Brayshaw, a legitimate top 5-10 player and Smith, a useful utility 
  • Recent mature age recruits have not helped at all (Billings, McAdam, Fullarton, Schache)
  • Rookies with serious potential are not ready (Tholstrup, Jefferson) 

 

Cathartic but painful to type out. I'll need to rest before putting forward some solutions 🙄...but largely agree with what Norm and others have said s

8 minutes ago, Dee*ceiving said:

Great work @spirit of norm smith

I think the problems aren't that hard to see, we've managed to paper over the cracks (mostly) for half a season thanks largely to our back 6/all team defense and some big efforts from Gawn, Tracc, Viney, ANB, Fritsch, Langdon, Kozzy and JVR.  With fatigue, injury and form the cracks are not sinkholes. 

Facts

• Forwardline = completely decimated
  • Petty, unfit, hopelessly out of form and not a forward. Averaging ~7 touches & 0.3 goals
  • McAdam, either not fit or not up to the level. Cannot kick further than 30m
  • Turner, learning the ropes, possibly not a forward and ulikely to evolve into David Shwarz with the support available 
  • Kozzy, playing midfield 
  • ANB playing midfield 
  • JVR didn't play v Fremantle (but has been an absolute warrior all season)
  • Fritsch, a class act but is currently being asked to play like Tony Lockett. Very difficult for Bailey to play his role well without a legitimate FF or CHF
• Midfield = severely undermanned 
  • Brayshaw gone
  • Oliver, not fit and down on form 
  • Langdon, playing forward 
  • Hunter cooked
  • Windsor, trying but fatiguing 
  • Sparrow down on form
  • Viney, manful but down on form 
  • Tracc & Gawn, trying to be everything, everywhere & probably saved us from 2-3 more losses 
• Backline = dam wall finally broke
  • Lever, not playing 
  • Rivers, playing midfield 
  • Salem, playing midfield 
  • May battered and bruised 
  • Tomlinson a very good VFL player
  • McDonald steady but on the retirement tour 
• Overall
  • Playing with 2 less than everyone else, Brayshaw, a legitimate top 5-10 player and Smith, a useful utility 
  • Recent mature age recruits have not helped at all (Billings, McAdam, Fullarton, Schache)
  • Rookies with serious potential are not ready (Tholstrup, Jefferson) 

 

Cathartic but painful to type out. I'll need to rest before putting forward some solutions 🙄...but largely agree with what Norm and others have said 

You reap what you sew, simply our trades are very poor list cloggers who want improve our list, it lands on the feet of the recruiters & Goodwin, flip flop b the 2 Ruck, Grundy valued then dumbed after 12 games or so, in 22 Goodwin persisted with the same line up and no plan B, look at the players who we got Hunter can’t kick, Billings, Mcaddam to early but looks underdone, the rest at Casey .. oops Shache may be our sub in a final if we ge there! Flag gone begging in 22/23 , get ready for that cliff, too many issues Oliver, Smith etc 

The FC has no depth

Take one look at the VFL team that played on the weekend. Laurie, Jefferson, AMW, Kolstrup, BBB, Seston....say no more

56 minutes ago, deebunked said:

MFC appears to have too many distractions and too lenient on some players. And its on again next week with the  Big Freeze event. A good cause of course but still a distraction.

Why was Langdon allowed to ditch the team against the Eagles and attend a wedding instead  ???? What!!!!!

Sorry not good enough.  Either you want to play for the dees or you dont. Alot of other players seem to go awol for a few days for personal reasons. Sorry,not good enough. You dont want to train on a particular day for personal reasons,  fine,  get a job as an uber driver instead.

Loved Ben Brown in 2021  but since then he spends most of his time with kids not footy games.  Yes, injured but time for him to retire and maybe become a social worker. 

Goodwins pregame presser in Alice was cringeworthy. Take another look at it Its still up.

He'll do it again next week, urghh!

Monday's KB game is a defining moment for us. We can win this. We have the cattle which Pies are lacking due to spat of injuries.

Toughen up MFC  !!!

Stop giggling all the time.

Look serious and get the job done against Pies. Forget about Maynard. AFL exec branch was the real culprit.

What did Goodwin say in that pregame presser?

Of concern each trading period, is our inability to attract any serious free agent, we are not even in the conversation. Similarly, why aren't we trying to attract a big name still in contract? Interstate Victorians? We are never in these conversations. We have been in a premiership window, which should be attractive to free agents and homesick Victorians. Instead we are trying to get lucky with other teams' discards.

 

5 minutes ago, SthSea22 said:

The FC has no depth

Take one look at the VFL team that played on the weekend. Laurie, Jefferson, AMW, Kolstrup, BBB, Seston....say no more

At the end of the day our list is 2 men down with Brayshaw medically retired and JS suspended.

Not sure VFL team this weekend a fair reflection of depth given emergencies required for our game and injury list had JvR, Melk, Spargo, Hore, Schache, Lever.  You'd assume if fit JvR, Melk, Spargo, Lever would be in the match day squad at a minimum, maybe even Hore? So a flow on would occur and what not.

Not doubting we have some depth issues in certain positions though. 

 

Just listened to 1st crack and they said players are confused with new game plan smashed on clearances which is obvious, we win a flag on multiple entries going fwd but couldn’t capitalise on them in 22/23 do to F50 issues

Edited June 3, 20241 yr by Demonsone

7 minutes ago, KLV said:

Of concern each trading period, is our inability to attract any serious free agent, we are not even in the conversation. Similarly, why aren't we trying to attract a big name still in contract? Interstate Victorians? We are never in these conversations. We have been in a premiership window, which should be attractive to free agents and homesick Victorians. Instead we are trying to get lucky with other teams' discards.

 

Same thing I've said before.

Surely we should have thrown the kitchen sink for McKay, remember Carlton re-signed Curnow first.

Some timid rumours about Georgiades, and nothing.

11 minutes ago, KLV said:

Of concern each trading period, is our inability to attract any serious free agent, we are not even in the conversation. Similarly, why aren't we trying to attract a big name still in contract? Interstate Victorians? We are never in these conversations. We have been in a premiership window, which should be attractive to free agents and homesick Victorians. Instead we are trying to get lucky with other teams' discards.

 

We got May, Lever and Langdon who won us a flag. We also got Grundy.

Hard to attract big names still in contract when your salary cap is pretty tight playing the likes of Gawn, Trac, Clarry, Lever etc. 

Have the Pies or Carlton done any better in attracting big name players recently? 

We also have no idea what conversations we have been in. I am sure we have made plenty of inquiries, but when you have no cap space and no draft capital, it's very hard to get deals done. UFA is where you need to look, and the quality of these in recent years hasn't been great. Did you want to spend $800k on Ben McKay? 

I suggest everyone give this a listen. David King hits the nail on the head about our game style. Saying Melbourne has had a case of identity theft was actually pretty funny and damn accurate.

 

Edited June 3, 20241 yr by At the break of Gawn

4 hours ago, picket fence said:

NORM SMITH Coached the DEES TO 6 PREMIERSHIPS and got every ounce of talent out of all players. You cannot even contemplate a comparison to Simon Goodwin, who FLUKED a premiership and has wasted the last 3 years of what has been recognised as a Crack list!!

That's a poor comment. Norm had his own failures before he got MFC to glory.

How do you fluke a premiership?
25 games played. We won 20.5 games. Minor premiers. We won 3 finals by a combined 190 points. QF by 33. PF by 83. GF by 74. We did it away from home. It's one of the best premierships ever won.

I think Goodwin has a fair bit to answer for

1. Harrison Petty, playing unfit after a serious foot injury, playing forward & gifting him games when he doesn’t deserve them. (This sends a terrible message to the whole list)

2. James Jordon/Lachie Hunter, this one still burns deep. Getting rid of a hard working 23yo popular teammate replacing with a slow 29yo with nothing to offer & a history of poor culture.

3. Brodie Grundy, was treated woefully, promised the world & given nothing. Goodwin gave up on this plan years to early & now we have a champion 33yo ruckman getting bashed every week with no backup.

4. Billings, McAdam, Shcache, BBB (these players shouldn’t even be on our list) none of them have any on field impact.

Not all of this is his doing, but the buck stops with him & then of course there’s the elephant in the room that’s been hanging around for 12 months 

If we beat Freo we would’ve been 3rd so he deserves a bit of slack, but if things spiral out of control for the rest of the season it should be time for a change at the top

Edited June 3, 20241 yr by Billy
Delete

I think Goodwin has a fair bit to answer for

1. Harrison Petty, playing unfit after a serious foot injury, playing forward & gifting him games when he doesn’t deserve them. (This sends a terrible message to the whole list)

2. James Jordon/Lachie Hunter, this one still burns deep. Getting rid of a hard working 23yo popular teammate replacing with a slow 29yo with nothing to offer & a history of poor culture.

3. Brodie Grundy, was treated woefully, promised the world & given nothing. Goodwin gave up on this plan years to early & now we have a champion 33yo ruckman getting bashed every week with no backup.

4. Billings, McAdam, Shcache, BBB (these players shouldn’t even be on our list) none of them have any on field impact.

Not all of this is his doing, but the buck stops with him & then of course there’s the elephant in the room that’s been hanging around for 12 months 

If we beat Freo we would’ve been 3rd so he deserves a bit of slack, but if things spiral out of control for the rest of the season it should be time for a change at the top

I think Goodwin has a fair bit to answer for

1. Harrison Petty, playing unfit after a serious foot injury, playing forward & gifting him games when he doesn’t deserve them. (This sends a terrible message to the whole list)

2. James Jordon/Lachie Hunter, this one still burns deep. Getting rid of a hard working 23yo popular teammate replacing with a slow 29yo with nothing to offer & a history of poor culture.

3. Brodie Grundy, was treated woefully, promised the world & given nothing. Goodwin gave up on this plan years to early & now we have a champion 33yo ruckman getting bashed every week with no backup.

4. Billings, McAdam, Shcache, BBB (these players shouldn’t even be on our list) none of them have any on field impact.

Not all of this is his doing, but the buck stops with him & then of course there’s the elephant in the room that’s been hanging around for 12 months 

If we beat Freo we would’ve been 3rd so he deserves a bit of slack, but if things spiral out of control for the rest of the season it should be time for a change at the top

2 hours ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

We’re overthinking it, I don’t think it’s our fitness or president, it’s our game plan. Yes defence is important but we have lost the ability to score. In 3 weeks we’ve gone from potentially 2nd to outside the 8. If we’re not going to change the way we play may as well shut up shop.

We don't have players that can score. Look his in the forwardline. Petty can't catch a cold, McAdam not up to it, Chandler just a battler. ANB and Kozzy are playing midfield, Petracca trying to do everything. 

58 minutes ago, KLV said:

Of concern each trading period, is our inability to attract any serious free agent, we are not even in the conversation. Similarly, why aren't we trying to attract a big name still in contract? Interstate Victorians? We are never in these conversations. We have been in a premiership window, which should be attractive to free agents and homesick Victorians. Instead we are trying to get lucky with other teams' discards.

 

We haven't had the cash the last 3 years. Sucked up by signing long term deals with Oliver, Tracc & Angus. 

Won't be the case this year. Already lost Gus (surely paid outside the cap, resraint of trade that we don't at least know already if it will or won't), plus  Smith and will lose Brown & Hunter (on top of Harmes & JJ last year) 

8 minutes ago, Billy said:

I think Goodwin has a fair bit to answer for

1. Harrison Petty, playing unfit after a serious foot injury, playing forward & gifting him games when he doesn’t deserve them. (This sends a terrible message to the whole list)

2. James Jordon/Lachie Hunter, this one still burns deep. Getting rid of a hard working 23yo popular teammate replacing with a slow 29yo with nothing to offer & a history of poor culture.

3. Brodie Grundy, was treated woefully, promised the world & given nothing. Goodwin gave up on this plan years to early & now we have a champion 33yo ruckman getting bashed every week with no backup.

4. Billings, McAdam, Shcache, BBB (these players shouldn’t even be on our list) none of them have any on field impact.

Not all of this is his doing, but the buck stops with him & then of course there’s the elephant in the room that’s been hanging around for 12 months 

If we beat Freo we would’ve been 3rd so he deserves a bit of slack, but if things spiral out of control for the rest of the season it should be time for a change at the top

Nailed it. Harsh of Brown, he was esssential to the flag and is just serving out his contract but everything else is spot on. 

I was dumbfounded then and moreso now that not only we couldn't make Gawn/Grundy work but we gave up after 1 unsuccesful plan and (maybe) 12 games, in a year we finished top 4! 

The FD/club have done a lot right but that was an utter failure and it might lead to a Swans flag

Edited June 3, 20241 yr by Dee*ceiving

37 minutes ago, bush demon said:

That's a poor comment. Norm had his own failures before he got MFC to glory.

Poor comment?? Very fair unless you think Goody will win another 5 !!

1 hour ago, KLV said:

Of concern each trading period, is our inability to attract any serious free agent, we are not even in the conversation. Similarly, why aren't we trying to attract a big name still in contract? Interstate Victorians? We are never in these conversations. We have been in a premiership window, which should be attractive to free agents and homesick Victorians. Instead we are trying to get lucky with other teams' discards.

 

The thing to take in to account is we probably ended up with an extremely full cap.

Our backline was insanely expensive. May, Lever, Salem, no doubt Petty got paid, Tomlinson was a dreadful free agent signing on big cash to play on the wing!

Midfield we know about. Gawn, Clarry, Tracc, Viney, Gus, Langdon poached home.

Then we had money tied up in BBB and T Mc, plus Fritsch, Pickett, ANB. 

We weren’t ever going to be shopping at the expensive section of the store! I still think we paid Gus when we probably didn’t want to, I hope for our salary cap space we get off that.

Otherwise it’s a matter of getting rid of expensive deals before we bring money back in. Brown, McDonald, Tomlinson come off the books this year, that’s our tall shopping.

Mids and flankers we might be able to spend a little but unless we give a player up it won’t be big dollars