3 hours ago, 48 Year Now said:

I have never understood why AFL clubs don’t bring former stars in for a session throughout the season. We have four stars in Schwarz , Neita, Robbo and Lyon who could all teach a trick or two about the craft, quite separate to game plan. Things like separation, leading, when to leap and a lot more. 

Hooray! Now we are thinking. 

43 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Watching the game again, you can see the last kick into the F50, often ignores free players and is bombed to about 20-30 meters out, to a pack.

All of our star mids, especially Viney, do this often and that is why we see 19 inside F50 entries in a quarter, for a one goal return.

I am pretty sure the Coach is not saying to play this way and in fact he said just that.

We have lost finals and multiple games, by ignoring free players and bombing it in to a pack.

It is the players panicking and getting their kick away as their main goal, rather than delivering it to someone.

Viney’s lack of pace obviously contributes to his issue and possibly to most of the others.

We also are not a great disposal side and several of our better skilled players have been missing. That hasn’t helped the last couple of games.

Early in the game i think Tracc and Clarry each chip one of there kicks to a player on the 50 meter arc.

From that point on the msg just gets lost in translation, is Goody talking to them in Swahili?

We always have 2 or 3 players by themselves in a large pockets of space just outside of 50.

90 percent of the time we just bomb it forward to 4 on 2 situations.

 

37 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

 

Full credit to Adrian Hickmott, Carlton utility who was often used forward but never kicked 30 goals in a season, he has the small-medium squad at Hawthorn purring along.

Says it all really.

Xavier Clarke was strait up not a forward. He kicked 49 goals total in 106 games, with season bests of 12 and 10.

Says it all really.

Gold Coast is the most underperforming team to ever exist and has hosted a parade of top pick forwards who have either left in pursuit of better opportunity (Rankine, Lukosious) or been so one-dimensional that it undermines the value of their primary role (King, Ainswerth).

Says it all really.

Meanwhile, Stuart Dew only became Brisbane's forward coach in 2025. For their premiership, the Brisbane forwards were coached by a guy named Murray Davis, who never played at AFL level and who, coincidentally, had recently been moved to the forward line after being defensive coach for an extended period.

Says it all really.

And to witness art in life, here's what the Brisbane supporters had to say about that, roughly this time last year when Brisbane started the season very poorly and were on their way to being 2-5 and smacked by 54 points in round 7.

 

Says it all really.

Did I mention somewhere else about my pet peeve of people who make big announcements of how certain they are that they're right, but who simply haven't done the work?

They have devalued coaching by letting anyone coach. Chaplin has no idea on forward line coaching Fritsch must laugh when he tells him what to do. He’s teaching the kids wrong. It’s no coincidence that Fritsch form has gone down the toilet since he has coached. Must go at seasons end.

1 hour ago, SPC said:

On the first point, watching Adelaide playing so many tall forwards last week- it was the talls that got up the ground and created space in behind for the smalls. We use our smalls as marking options, when they should be crumbing. 
The whole system is predictable to the opposition. 

Thankyou for highlighting one of the most absurd characteristics of our 'system' 

Truly beggars belief 

11 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

They have devalued coaching by letting anyone coach. Chaplin has no idea on forward line coaching Fritsch must laugh when he tells him what to do. He’s teaching the kids wrong. It’s no coincidence that Fritsch form has gone down the toilet since he has coached. Must go at seasons end.

I see what you're doing Werridee.

You made a fool of yourself claiming that coaches had to have played a role in order to coach it. When someone decisively refuted that by posting the current list of forward line coaches, which showed only about a 1/4 of them to have forward line player backgrounds, you made frankly silly claims about the ones with 'forward player to forward coach' being superior.

Now that claim has also been entirely debunked you're shifting attention onto just one player and rewriting the timeline of Fritsch's form slump, and doing so in an inflammatory way in the hope of getting a rise out of @Ghostwriter which you can then escalate and send the conversation on a new and rowdy path in the hope nobody will remember the string of demonstrably wrong claims you've made.

All because at some point you decided the most emotionally satisfying way to cope with the distress of a bad game of football was to commence a vendetta against one person.

Troy Chaplin is one of the highest rated assistant coaches in the game, and his resume already includes teaching a young and disheartened team to become a dynamic attacking force.

1 hour ago, Little Goffy said:

I see what you're doing Werridee.

You made a fool of yourself claiming that coaches had to have played a role in order to coach it. When someone decisively refuted that by posting the current list of forward line coaches, which showed only about a 1/4 of them to have forward line player backgrounds, you made frankly silly claims about the ones with 'forward player to forward coach' being superior.

Now that claim has also been entirely debunked you're shifting attention onto just one player and rewriting the timeline of Fritsch's form slump, and doing so in an inflammatory way in the hope of getting a rise out of @Ghostwriter which you can then escalate and send the conversation on a new and rowdy path in the hope nobody will remember the string of demonstrably wrong claims you've made.

All because at some point you decided the most emotionally satisfying way to cope with the distress of a bad game of football was to commence a vendetta against one person.

Troy Chaplin is one of the highest rated assistant coaches in the game, and his resume already includes teaching a young and disheartened team to become a dynamic attacking force.

The last paragraph is complete and utter rubbish. I’m not wrong the coaching landscape is a joke due to people like Chaplin.

2 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

They have devalued coaching by letting anyone coach. Chaplin has no idea on forward line coaching Fritsch must laugh when he tells him what to do. He’s teaching the kids wrong. It’s no coincidence that Fritsch form has gone down the toilet since he has coached. Must go at seasons end.

Well he was employed as a ....

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/teams/afl/coaches/troy-chaplin

1 hour ago, WERRIDEE said:

The last paragraph is complete and utter rubbish. I’m not wrong the coaching landscape is a joke due to people like Chaplin.

Whittling away, whittling away. Another five posts and you'll just be saying "I'm not wrong" over and over.

Chaplin is a highly regarded assistant coach who mobilised a potent young offensive unit which punched above its weight the last time he coached the sector, and then masterminded one of the best, premiership-winning, whole team defensive systems of the modern era. 

If that is an 'utter rubbish' 'joke' to you, well... that's fine.

1 minute ago, Little Goffy said:

Whittling away, whittling away. Another five posts and you'll just be saying "I'm not wrong" over and over.

Chaplin is a highly regarded assistant coach who mobilised a potent young offensive unit which punched above its weight the last time he coached the sector, and then masterminded one of the best, premiership-winning, whole team defensive systems of the modern era. 

If that is an 'utter rubbish' 'joke' to you, well... that's fine.

Young offensive unit? What the hell are you talking about? The defence could coach themselves May, Lever and Salem at the peak of their powers, but in saying that he should be a coach of defence he was a defender. He's out of his league as a forwards coach.

5 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

Young offensive unit? What the hell are you talking about? The defence could coach themselves May, Lever and Salem at the peak of their powers, but in saying that he should be a coach of defence he was a defender. He's out of his league as a forwards coach.

Uh oh.

Things get quickly forgotten.  Earlier in preseason Chaplin was hailed as the messiah.   Maybe NJ2 as the midfield coach has some effect on delivery into F 50?

16 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Things get quickly forgotten.  Earlier in preseason Chaplin was hailed as the messiah.   Maybe NJ2 as the midfield coach has some effect on delivery into F 50?

By ??? 

29 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

Uh oh.

 

29 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

Uh oh.

That was a good joke. I'll call it a Chaplin.

This morning before training Troy came over to the fence and he brought up Sunday’s match. Before today we’ve only ever talked briefly, and about our kids etc., so I was surprised when he cut to the chase. It was clear he was getting a feel for how fans in general saw the match. Understandably, I’m not gonna share the convo, suffice to say I’m glad it was me with whom he was speaking and not someone like Werridee (although I suspect Werridee wouldn’t be so scathing were he face-to-face with Troy).

 I spoke with him on behalf of the Demon Army, as was the case with Goody.

 I respect Troy for wanting to see the match from the perspective of a fan.

PS: lest I be accused of embellishing or flat-out lying as has happened previously, there was another Demonlander there for the entire convo. 

WHO IS MR FREEZE? NEVER HEARD OF HIM TIL HE GAVE ME BAD REVIEWS ON MY NOTHING SHORT OF BRILLIANT REVIEW ON CHAPLIN. JUST DON'T PUT THE THUMBS DOWN WRITE SOMETHING! 

3 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

This morning before training Troy came over to the fence and he brought up Sunday’s match. Before today we’ve only ever talked briefly, and about our kids etc., so I was surprised when he cut to the chase. It was clear he was getting a feel for how fans in general saw the match. Understandably, I’m not gonna share the convo, suffice to say I’m glad it was me with whom he was speaking and not someone like Werridee (although I suspect Werridee wouldn’t be so scathing were he face-to-face with Troy).

 I spoke with him on behalf of the Demon Army, as was the case with Goody.

 I respect Troy for wanting to see the match from the perspective of a fan.

PS: lest I be accused of embellishing or flat-out lying as has happened previously, there was another Demonlander there for the entire convo. 

Very interesting.

2 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

This morning before training Troy came over to the fence and he brought up Sunday’s match. Before today we’ve only ever talked briefly, and about our kids etc., so I was surprised when he cut to the chase. It was clear he was getting a feel for how fans in general saw the match. Understandably, I’m not gonna share the convo, suffice to say I’m glad it was me with whom he was speaking and not someone like Werridee (although I suspect Werridee wouldn’t be so scathing were he face-to-face with Troy).

 I spoke with him on behalf of the Demon Army, as was the case with Goody.

 I respect Troy for wanting to see the match from the perspective of a fan.

PS: lest I be accused of embellishing or flat-out lying as has happened previously, there was another Demonlander there for the entire convo. 

By a fan boy! I bet you said you could do no wrong Chappy? Did you ask him what's going on with Fritsch? He's been woeful since Chappy has taken over, was a star 6 goal Premiership hero. I can understand van Rooyen and Turner they are only young their form will fluctuate but not Fritsch.

This thread is proof that it's sometimes a good idea not to press the submit post button.

13 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

This morning before training Troy came over to the fence and he brought up Sunday’s match. Before today we’ve only ever talked briefly, and about our kids etc., so I was surprised when he cut to the chase. It was clear he was getting a feel for how fans in general saw the match. Understandably, I’m not gonna share the convo, suffice to say I’m glad it was me with whom he was speaking and not someone like Werridee (although I suspect Werridee wouldn’t be so scathing were he face-to-face with Troy).

 I spoke with him on behalf of the Demon Army, as was the case with Goody.

 I respect Troy for wanting to see the match from the perspective of a fan.

PS: lest I be accused of embellishing or flat-out lying as has happened previously, there was another Demonlander there for the entire convo. 

I would be honest we flat out gave up once we were 5 goals down and what's going on with Fritsch been woeful since you have taken over.

As I recall frittata was also struggling in the final half dozen or so games in 2024 …. when did Chaplin take over the forwards?

25 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

40 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

I would be honest we flat out gave up once we were 5 goals down

And that of course in on the forward coach, not the mid or defensive coach, or the head coach or the on field leaders?

Edited March 25Mar 25 by monoccular

Just now, monoccular said:

And that of course in on the forward coach, not the mid or defensive coach.

No it's on all the coaches and players. The thing is our forward line hasn't been fixed since Goodwin took over. It's the reason why we only won 1 flag and didn't have a dynasty. We have a very good backline and a good midfield but our forward line is a disgrace..

10 minutes ago, monoccular said:

As I recall frittata was also struggling in the final half dozen or so games in 2024 …. when did Chaplin take over the forwards?

He still kicked 40 odd goals.

37 minutes ago, Jack Vineys Anger Manager said:

This thread is proof that it's sometimes a good idea not to press the submit post button.

What! It's got people talking it's great there are different views and some people are protecting the coaches and some aren't it's called banter.

1 hour ago, WERRIDEE said:

By a fan boy! I bet you said you could do no wrong Chappy? Did you ask him what's going on with Fritsch? He's been woeful since Chappy has taken over, was a star 6 goal Premiership hero. I can understand van Rooyen and Turner they are only young their form will fluctuate but not Fritsch.

I have no words 😶