14 hours ago, bing181 said:

In reality, we haven't changed the way we play as much as people are making out.

Amongst the commentary on our win on the weekend, a number of pundits highlighted how strong our contested footy game was: clearances, stoppage wins, tackles etc etc

Which is one of the reason we've been able to turn it around so quickly, the basic building blocks were already in place.

"Contested footy" is the bottom line and essential part of every team. Not negotiable. Not sure it even warrants mentioning.

We excelled in contested footy in 2021 but started to lose our way in 2022/2023 and were relatively poor in 2024/2025 so much so that we lost most games as a result.

So, I would contend the building blocks were crumbling.

Our contested footy assets impacting this year are new players (Steele, L. Pickett for implied pressure, Mihocek) or players getting more opportunities/roles (Sparrow, Culley, Sharpe, Howes etc),

As to the question of whether we've changed the way we play, I'll let the coach answer that:

"We're game three into a new game plan and new system so for us, we're just chasing constant improvement," King said. 

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1980845/press-conference-focuses

On that note I exit this conversation!

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by Lucifers Hero

36 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

"Contested footy" is the bottom line and essential part of every team. Not negotiable. Not sure it even warrants mentioning.

We excelled in contested footy in 2021 but started to lose our way in 2022/2023 and were relatively poor in 2024/2025 so much so that we lost most games as a result.

So, I would contend the building blocks were crumbling.

Our contested footy assets impacting this year are new players (Steele, L. Pickett for implied pressure, Mihocek) or players getting more opportunities/roles (Sparrow, Culley, Sharpe, Howes etc),

As to the question of whether we've changed the way we play, I'll let the coach answer that:

"We're game three into a new game plan and new system so for us, we're just chasing constant improvement," King said. 

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1980845/press-conference-focuses

On that note I exit this conversation!

19 hours ago, MrFreeze said:

According to Fox Footy, we are ranked 5th for mark retention inside 50, a stark contrast from last year.

While we are aiming to get forward half territory with these kicks, they are not 'bombs'. Our players clearly have way more clear instruction on how and where to move the ball.

Yes, we may not be hitting our forwards lace out like the Hawks do. But we are certainly not bombing in willy nilly like last year.

Agree with what you say. We are also playing surge football getting the ball forward quickly by any means necessary eg soccer kicks. We are set up ahead of the ball really well with our forward entries, we are proactively looking to score.

With Goodwin our forward entries were based around being set up behind the ball defensively. I always believed that this method didn’t suit our forwards.

I love the current approach and it is quite apparent that the players do as well. Credit to everyone involved that has been able to make the appropriate changes so quickly.

7 hours ago, nedleg said:

I had a dream about Clarry last night, no real details, we were just hanging, but it was all good, he was doin’ fine.

Just so no one’s worried.

7 hours ago, nedleg said:

I had a dream about Clarry last night, no real details, we were just hanging, but it was all good, he was doin’ fine.

Just so no one’s worried.

I know a good therapist!

16 hours ago, bing181 said:

In reality, we haven't changed the way we play as much as people are making out. As both King and numerous players have commented, the starting point is still contest

No doubt, but winning contests is a fundamental part of the sport. In many ways, a non-negotiable. To not do so means a team can't win big

As for the rest of it, although it's only been a month, from what we've seen, we've gone from butchering the ball on a contest basis to not butchering the ball anywhere near as much

The thing that stands out are our footskills & teamwork (and the rare long bombs down the line)

And our long kicks forward are no longer time-consuming bombs. They're quite often rapid and low-flying to 1 on 1's

And it should be pointed out that Goodwin didn't leave the club in bad shape, it's more about the game plan & game style that's way different. Players personnel wise, we're in decent shape

Compare that to say when Roos took over (when we lacked basic talent)

As previously stated, Goodwin did try and change our style in 2024 & 2025 but his message fell on deaf ears. Needed a new voice