13 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

We are disgusting the spoon for us I don't care if it was a practice match. We are done for the season I hate this club they do it to me all the time.

Got time to knock up a best 23 team line up assuming with finish 18th with your suggested ins and outs for the year? 
Its got to be time…

Selection was one or two talls light. What was the problem with Petty? We needed a true swingman very badly today. Lever is not and never will be any good as a"tall defender". He is a brilliant interceptor but no good one on one; we needed at least one more good tall defender - why wasn't TMac in the team.? And forward: when JVR went down, we were totally exposed for lack of height. I thought AJ did very well but we needed another tall in attack as well. Campbell should have been selected. In the other hand, Adams did some ok things but was also beaten; Windsor was great with his disposal but a defender needs to be able to defend and I'm not sure that he is ready for that. And how did Walters regularly get so free? Was that down to Bowey?

 

But absolutely great to see Clarry and Trac in top form.  And in the third quarter the value of it was on show.

 

4 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Cmon mate man up, im here in shockingly cold no name ice block called Port Mc Donell where it is as cold as a.mother in laws kiss!! I watched it in my Caravan and my good Wi fi said, you are pretty quiet considering the result...I said.. yes dear and thought of Slithera Central!!

Nah I was only joking sucked you all in. Pretty disappointing effort by Chandler thought Jefferson could take his spot.

2 minutes ago, Ollie fan said:

Selection was one or two talls light. What was the problem with Petty? We needed a true swingman very badly today. Lever is not and never will be any good as a"tall defender". He is a brilliant interceptor but no good one on one; we needed at least one more good tall defender - why wasn't TMac in the team.? And forward: when JVR went down, we were totally exposed for lack of height. I thought AJ did very well but we needed another tall in attack as well. Campbell should have been selected. In the other hand, Adams did some ok things but was also beaten; Windsor was great with his disposal but a defender needs to be able to defend and I'm not sure that he is ready for that. And how did Walters regularly get so free? Was that down to Bowey?

 

But absolutely great to see Clarry and Trac in top form.  And in the third quarter the value of it was on show.

 

The answer of course was M.J

3 minutes ago, Ollie fan said:

Selection was one or two talls light. What was the problem with Petty? We needed a true swingman very badly today. Lever is not and never will be any good as a"tall defender". He is a brilliant interceptor but no good one on one; we needed at least one more good tall defender - why wasn't TMac in the team.? And forward: when JVR went down, we were totally exposed for lack of height. I thought AJ did very well but we needed another tall in attack as well. Campbell should have been selected. In the other hand, Adams did some ok things but was also beaten; Windsor was great with his disposal but a defender needs to be able to defend and I'm not sure that he is ready for that. And how did Walters regularly get so free? Was that down to Bowey?

 

But absolutely great to see Clarry and Trac in top form.  And in the third quarter the value of it was on show.

 

Haven't watched the game but is it me or has Bowey gone backwards since the premiership.

7 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

I couldn't even work out what his old role was. What's his new role?

Trying to get a bird??

Statistically that match summed up Melbourne of 2022 and 2023. Dominated but yet somehow didn't. And never really looked like winning.

A question for the track watchers if I may:

Do we ever practice goal kicking in any meaningful way?

6 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

Haven't watched the game but is it me or has Bowey gone backwards since the premiership.

Bowey was fine? Had 27 touches at 70% DE. Ideally he would be at around 75-80%, but it was a practice match so I’m sure his touch will improve 

I saw more intent and physical application in AJ then I have in Matt Jefferson the whole time he has been at the club. Just an absolute brute of a forward.

Once he gets some experience at senior level, him and JVR are going to be a good physical combo.

Could have easily kicked 3 tonight. Round 1 debut awaits.

11 minutes ago, Sesto said:

A question for the track watchers if I may:

Do we ever practice goal kicking in any meaningful way?

Yes we do but in a meaningful way, maybe that’s debatable . 

3 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I saw more intent and physical application in AJ then I have in Matt Jefferson the whole time he has been at the club. Just an absolute brute of a forward.

Once he gets some experience at senior level, him and JVR are going to be a good physical combo.

Could have easily kicked 3 tonight. Round 1 debut awaits.

Yeah I think he plays the role we had Petty playing last year. Works hard, brings ball to ground and knows where the goals are. Hopefully will be able to have a bigger impact than Petty last year both around the ground and on the scoreboard. 

 

12 minutes ago, Sesto said:

A question for the track watchers if I may:

Do we ever practice goal kicking in any meaningful way?

No. It’s always like an afterthought at the end of the session. It’s not structured either; it’s just a few at a time taking set shots from various angles/distances. 

Thanks to all for your comments, I was only able to listen to the call from Fremantle, very lopsided.

 

And I have read all comments, some make some sense, some make none, and some show a bias.

It was a practice match, but poor kicking is still poor football.   

11.24 is a concern in any game, so Chaplin and Choco have some serious work ahead of them in the next 2 weeks 

Otherwise it was ok, for a Praccy

1.9 at halftime is very concerning. Goodwin has to get the team firing earlier in games, otherwise we will get murdered….

Lots of serious Homework MFC

Pretty good effort I thought. Obviously a bit disappointed with the accuracy, but it’s not a real game.

Petracca and Oliver played as well as we could have hoped for. 

Max was ordinary in a first hit out. We really need him dominating the air.

I would like Rivers played in defence. We don’t need him in the midfield at full strength and he’s an A grade defender.

Sparrow has played two excellent preseason games. 

Langford was just fair. It will be interesting to see how he is used. I think he’s not really athletic/strong enough to play as a forward yet and he’s isn’t in our best midfield.

Lindsay looks faster and more ready to slot into our side.

Windsor needs to polish up his kicking to take the next step.

I think we’re over possessing the ball a bit in defence and lack the kicking skills to play that game style.

I don’t really like Fritsch being so far up the ground. 

Goodwin is obviously trying to mix things up, but I think a lot of his previous tactics were right for our list.

Does anyone know why Petty didn’t play?

4 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

No. It’s always like an afterthought at the end of the session. It’s not structured either; it’s just a few at a time taking set shots from various angles/distances. 

Would be like a professional golfer practicing their putting by just slapping a couple of balls around (Mr. Humphries!) the putting green for five minutes. Not ideal.

46 minutes ago, Sesto said:

A question for the track watchers if I may:

Do we ever practice goal kicking in any meaningful way?

Rarely do they get one on one instruction, usually its the lot of them kicking at the goals.

They do change it up regularly.  That is, snaps, different angles, over or around mannequins, different distances. They also get together in small groups and kick from the improbable angle off the boundary, or try those inside out double movement off ball from sharp angles so as to amuse each other.

Choco comes up with a variety of kicking drills and will spend some time with an individual during the mass kicking. He appears to be the field kicking and goal kicking coach. 

I also think they accept mediocrity, and don't push perfection.

I would like to see a dedicated goal kicking coach, who looks at their style, studies the tapes, and helps optimize the craft, well away from that mass kicking drill and put a spotlight and solution on each individual. 

Edited March 2Mar 2 by kev martin

7 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I saw more intent and physical application in AJ then I have in Matt Jefferson the whole time he has been at the club. Just an absolute brute of a forward.

Once he gets some experience at senior level, him and JVR are going to be a good physical combo.

Could have easily kicked 3 tonight. Round 1 debut awaits.

AJ didn’t start either practice game. 2 talls and Fritsch/Jeffo as a medium seems the plan and I can’t imagine that will change. Even if they replace Langford with another smaller flanker.

No way they drop Fritsch off a practice game. I’d be shocked if they drop Disco after a good preseason. So if JVR gets up it will Casey for the big fella. He’s looking like a smart pick up but we need agility and speed in this forward line, we can just bomb it to 3 big blokes

1 hour ago, Gorgoroth said:

My hot take.

We are not fun to watch. 

If I didn't support Melbourne I would not watch our games.

Everything that we do looks like hard work… 

49 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

We are disgusting the spoon for us I don't care if it was a practice match. We are done for the season I hate this club they do it to me all the time.

This one is going in the time capsule.

3 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

AJ didn’t start either practice game. 2 talls and Fritsch/Jeffo as a medium seems the plan and I can’t imagine that will change. Even if they replace Langford with another smaller flanker.

No way they drop Fritsch off a practice game. I’d be shocked if they drop Disco after a good preseason. So if JVR gets up it will Casey for the big fella. He’s looking like a smart pick up but we need agility and speed in this forward line, we can just bomb it to 3 big blokes

Jefferson wont/shouldn't be in round 1 contention.

Last week we ran with the 3 talls in Turner, JVR and Jefferson. There is no way looking past it, Jefferson is counted as a tall with his height and reach.

With JVR back being an uncertainty and Turner going completely missing for two whole practice games other then junk time goals then AJ will simply get a round 1 gig.

1 minute ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Jefferson wont/shouldn't be in round 1 contention.

Last week we ran with the 3 talls in Turner, JVR and Jefferson. There is no way looking past it, Jefferson is counted as a tall with his height and reach.

With JVR back being an uncertainty and Turner going completely missing for two whole practice games other then junk time goals then AJ will simply get a round 1 gig.

I’d be extremely surprised if Jeffo played round 1. I think it will be JVR, Turner and Johnson as the KPFs and Johnson 2nd ruck. Petty will also be back in defence assuming he doesn’t have an injury.

I fear for roos flight home with a sore back

3 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

I would like Rivers played in defence. We don’t need him in the midfield at full strength and he’s an A grade defender.

Sparrow has played two excellent preseason games. 

Rivers is an A grade defender? When? And are we sure we don’t need him? At least until Kossie is back we need more than just Langdon to provide midfield run.

Sparrow excellent? He’s killed JVR with his first lob inside 50. Frequently beat to the ball by defenders. He found a lot of the ball and seems to be moving well but he has to start being cleaner with it. Assuming we stick with the smaller forward line I’d have him start deeper forward just to get out of the way especially early in games.