1 minute ago, titan_uranus said:

I rarely think we ever lose a match at selection, nor do I buy into the "Goody picks his faves" conspiracy theory.

But there's just no way I will be able to stomach seeing Spargo get another game. Not until he goes back to Casey and earns it. Right now he's a slow, possibly overweight, liability with no asset (don't tell me he can kick - that's useless if you can't get the ball in the first place).

What the actual flying [censored].

Bowey, outmanned , out bodied when he wasn’t turning his back on the play coming in. You think turning your back on play would be tolerated at Hawthorn any time the past 60 years? At Melbourne it means nothing.

Edited April 4Apr 4 by 48 Year Now

Fullarton kicked 5 this week and 3 last week at Casey. Give the man a go. Drop fritta or JVR for him. Both could use a game at Casey to gain some confidence.

I don't have confidence that Lever will be ready based on Simon Goodwin's body language and answer during the presser. Could Jed Adams be a shot? Was he an emergency this week?

MAKE A STATEMENT FCS

Out

Viney, a horrible out of form rugby scrummer

Sharp, Never ever again

Van Rooyen, horribly out of form

Spargo On what basis did he get a game without match fitness at Casey?

Petty terrible defender and a worse forward!

Fritsch totally out of form

INS

SESTAN, FULLARTON, JEFFO ( IF FIT) LEVER LINDSAY, AND POSSIBLY MENTHA , BROWN OR CULLEY

Edited April 4Apr 4 by picket fence

44 minutes ago, 48 Year Now said:

In Lever Fullarton Mentha/ Sestan Lindsay

Out Petty JVR Sharp Bowey

Eh? The first three can hop in the bin but Bowey’s having a go.

I knew nothing would be different from the very opening bounce.

Goodwin needs to make a statement and walk the walk himself. You cant keep bemoaning clangers and turnovers then continue to play the competitions leading turnover player (for the past decade no less) in the middle week after week after week.

IN: Melbourne's first win of the season

OUT: Essendon getting the first pick in the 2025 AFL draft

Hey Essendon can we have our 1st pick back for a player take your pick.

fritsch will be out suspended while houston will get off; fullarton in

petty out injured with that knee knock that he had in the first quarter i think; lever in

sharp out; lindsay in

spargo out; brown in

sparrow out; laurie in

peptides will tear us a new one - zerrett will have a field day running away from our treacle slow midfield

i would be pretty amazed if we make five changes, again, but it really does feel like we need to keep turning it over

the ironic thing is that it's the likes of petracca and viney that should have their roles under threat, but they are still better at their roles than anyone who can replace them

Edited April 4Apr 4 by whatwhat say what

Out:

Salem - If you're looking at standards, this guy is top of the list. Absolute seagull. Keeps his stat sheet tidy every week to the detriment of the team.

Petty - I like him, but 4 doesn't go into 3 and McDonald is in better form.

Viney - Too many clearance players. Go to the VFL and learn to become a small forward. If you're too good for that, then request a trade please.

---

McVee/Lindsay - whichever one is fit

Lever - slightly better option than Petty, but pretty bog average these days at everything except for shouting

Laurie - I guess

2 hours ago, Jjrogan said:

I knew nothing would be different from the very opening bounce.

Goodwin needs to make a statement and walk

Could have stopped there.

Petty forward. The one thing he can (still) do is take a big contested mark. Unlike JVR who is struggling to take any kind of mark at the moment.

For the rest, who knows, depends on who's available. No point on just moving deck chairs to give the impression that we're "doing something". I'd be inclined to make as few changes as possible, we desperately need stability and consistency. There'll always be hesitancy and indecision when every week you look up and have a different set of players in front of you.

BTW, no way Sparrow gets dropped. Was a big part in us winning centre clearances.

29 minutes ago, bing181 said:

Petty forward. The one thing he can (still) do is take a big contested mark. Unlike JVR who is struggling to take any kind of mark at the moment.

For the rest, who knows, depends on who's available. No point on just moving deck chairs to give the impression that we're "doing something". I'd be inclined to make as few changes as possible, we desperately need stability and consistency. There'll always be hesitancy and indecision when every week you look up and have a different set of players in front of you.

BTW, no way Sparrow gets dropped. Was a big part in us winning centre clearances.

Petty is done as a footballer, no awareness, thrashed one on ones, cant jump, done!

9 hours ago, Return to Glory said:

Petty should be dropped. Rarely have I been so disappointed in lack of effort

Dont worry about Petty if dropped he will have a golf game organized with his Adelaide mates

His attitude stinks and needs to be addressed

Time to deploy Windsor in the midfield. We need some breakaway speed and he hasn’t worked that well off half back.

Viney as sub.

Out: JVR, Melksham, Sharp, Spargo

In: AJ, Adams, Lindsay, Sestan

JVR needs to go and get some touch in the VFL or alternatively go completely rogue and play him key back and Petty forward. If JVR out AJ needs to play as a chop out and to create a forward contest.

Melksham and Spargo need to play out their careers at VFL they I’m sure are great clubmen but they are not the answer. Time to see what others have got. Sestan is ready to offer a role forward or back and certainly knows how to kick a ball.

Lindsay back in should mean we look better forward with him on a wing and Chandler high half. I would like to see him part of the midfield rotation once again.

I am assuming Lever will still need another week but if ready will play ahead of Adams.

8 hours ago, Nasher said:

Eh? The first three can hop in the bin but Bowey’s having a go.

Ok, I’d give him some time forward

9 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Petty had a stinker, one of our key backs seem to every week. Could drop him, or could go 4 tall backs and move Rivers on ball.

Sharp’s no good. Spargo should play a month at Casey so they can pick him for full games in form and match fit.

JVR is just ordinary and not getting any better. I’d rather big AJ.

Langford’s not ready.

Viney continues to get worse.

I’d probably go:

Out: Sharp, Langford, JVR, Spargo

In: Mentha, Lever, AJ, Laurie

Langford not ready! You are a generational hater of all things good in the world DS I'll give you that much!

I'm not writing off JVR but last night was just horrible. He is reminiscent of Chris Dawes. Concrete hands. He has to go back to Casey to gain some form and confidence.

Sharp is not the answer. Give Bill Laurie another go.

You could drop half the team tbh

5 hours ago, bing181 said:

Petty forward. The one thing he can (still) do is take a big contested mark. Unlike JVR who is struggling to take any kind of mark at the moment.

For the rest, who knows, depends on who's available. No point on just moving deck chairs to give the impression that we're "doing something". I'd be inclined to make as few changes as possible, we desperately need stability and consistency. There'll always be hesitancy and indecision when every week you look up and have a different set of players in front of you.

BTW, no way Sparrow gets dropped. Was a big part in us winning centre clearances.

We gave Petty an entire season forward and it didn't work. We've spent all summer training him as a defender again. I don't think swinging him forward now is going to work.

Stability is valuable, I agree, but there are minimum standards we have to adhere to. Neither Spargo nor Sharp are meeting them.

Goody will never learn - 2 years in a row he has selected Spargo without any match play at all. He needs at least 2-3 weeks at Casey to get into it. (Won’t happen)

And how about Fullarton for Fritsch (or maybe JVR) who would also be asked for some ruck time?

PS. Haven’t seen any of last night’s AFL or VFL.

3 hours ago, BDA said:

I'm not writing off JVR but last night was just horrible. He is reminiscent of Chris Dawes. Concrete hands. He has to go back to Casey to gain some form and confidence.

Sharp is not the answer. Give Bill Laurie another go.

You could drop half the team tbh

I can go further back. Our own David Schwarz . Vividly remember a well known Melbourne supporter saying he was no good bc he couldn’t hold his marks.Curiously Chris Dawes was a beautiful mark as a junior.

Fullarton has to come in this week. Has proven he’s in great form and kicking goals. He is also a nice height and can take a mark. With the Bombers having a mediocre backline, it could be prime time for his debut.

It’s time to reward form over names.

It’s time to penalise players who cant execute basic skills by either shifting their role where it wont impact or demoting them.

It’s time to build players confidence either at VFL level or through a different role.

With still a few more than I’d like on the injury front than you would hope you cant do it all at once but we need to make a start through a combination of the above.

I reckon if Lever is coming back in Petty is going to the forward line .

I honestly can't remember a more high stakes game. Realistically the North and Suns games are the two I would have thought we won on paper. Suns seem legit now, so arguably the North Loss is the main cause for disgust, and maybe we'd have been better on the G.

Having said all that Essendon is a team we should beat. On paper and on form. Gather round is always dicey though