Giddyup

A reference no doubt to the relentless pressure football displayed last evening by West Coast in its total dismantlement of the football club formerly known as Footscray. The Bullies are now for all intents and purposes dead in the water and I know some people might regard this as blasphemous but I reckon that we might even beat the bastards at the Dome in a fortnight's time.

My thoughts while watching the Eagles going around last night were that I now at least know what our next coach needs to do - he must be able to develop a team that sets its own agenda for a match and then carries it out efficiently and ruthlessly. The key of course is the total control of the midfied which enables you to dictate the terms upon which the game is played.

Unfortunately, no Melbourne coach has been able to do that for over four decades.

It's time and a matter of who?

A reference no doubt to the relentless pressure football displayed last evening by West Coast in its total dismantlement of the football club formerly known as Footscray. The Bullies are now for all intents and purposes dead in the water and I know some people might regard this as blasphemous but I reckon that we might even beat the bastards at the Dome in a fortnight's time.

My thoughts while watching the Eagles going around last night were that I now at least know what our next coach needs to do - he must be able to develop a team that sets its own agenda for a match and then carries it out efficiently and ruthlessly. The key of course is the total control of the midfied which enables you to dictate the terms upon which the game is played.

Unfortunately, no Melbourne coach has been able to do that for over four decades.

It's time and a matter of who?

Not having watched the game... I am left to assume that such "pressure football" has two vital ingredients that have been the hallmark of not only the Eagles, but the Swans and the Lions before them. The first is Accountability (Zoning off is fine as long as players aren't cheating their teammates by refusing to chase or man up an opponent) the second is the willingness to make a physical contest rather than avoiding them. From here teams work over the opposition, crushing any belief in their game plan - faith in their teammates etc.

The thing that stood out to me last night was just how strong each and every player is. This is nothing new, but when you compare them the skinny Bulldogs, the difference was incredible.

The key of course is the total control of the midfied which enables you to dictate the terms upon which the game is played.

West Coast's strength is and always has been their midfield. They realise this and have developed a style of play and structure that plays to this strength.

Whilst Melbourne's midfield of Jones, McLean, Moloney etc. can potentially (and has been) be very good, I would be surprised if they ever got on top of a midfield with the likes of Kerr, Judd and Cousins.

That's why Melbourne need to play to their strengths.

IMO, Melbourne's strength is (and has been for a while) their forward line.

Injuries have not helped this season, however I see a core forward line consisting of Neitz, Robertson, Davey, Bate/Dunn and Newton with Green, Bruce, Sylvia, P. Johnson, White, Pickett (if he ever plays again), Petterd rotating through as having the potential to be one of the most formidable forward lines in the competition.

Whether or not this potential eventuates is another thing. However, IMO the important thing is to set up a structure and develop a game plan that plays to their strength.

What do other people think?

.....

Yep

Hence our good performances through large parts of '04, '05 and '06, when we played a style of football (direct, attacking) that worked to our strengths.

The challenge for the next coach is to develop our good young players into a strong team, and implement a style of play that suits their strengths.

Yep

Hence our good performances through large parts of '04, '05 and '06, when we played a style of football (direct, attacking) that worked to our strengths.

The challenge for the next coach is to develop our good young players into a strong team, and implement a style of play that suits their strengths.

All of the above represent part of what I was saying but it's more than that to me. Our new coach has to be creative and not just a follower. He has to primarily focus on developing a winning style and the defensive part of the game (i.e. how to deal with your opponent's strengths) should come next.

We always seem to be imitating that which has already been successful rather than being creative e.g. this year we decided to go with the "run and carry" that worked for last year's premiers so we adapted our entire pre-season including the fitness regime to enable us to compete with the teams we couldn't beat last year especially away from the MCG. This was a reaction to the way the game was evolving and we failed at it so badly that, not only can't we beat the teams we couldn't beat last year, we can't beat anybody now - certainly not away from the MCG. Of course you need luck with injury and you need to have the cattle anyway but I still believe that all things being equal, our list is capable of making top four. Certainly if we trade and draft well this year and we don't have a repeat of the injury plague of 2007 we can rise very quickly. We do however need the right coach.

On the subject of coaching I think the way Carlton and Essendon handled their coaching positions in the past week was positively appalling. Two coaches with six premierships between them were given the brush off in a very ordinary fashion.

I think Pagan has been badly maligned by Carlton both under the new and the old regimes. The Barry Mitchell situation was high farce and the ultimate dismissal was a humiliation for a bloke who was restricted in carrying out his duties by the stupidity and greed of the Elliott regime. Pagan himself was performing as good a job as he possibly could this year given the destabilising that was going on behind his back. It wasn't that long ago that I watched three consecutive Carlton games - Adelaide (a game lost that could easily have been won), Bulldogs (a high scoring shoot out where Pagan out coached Eade) and Port Adelaide (a 10 goal triumph over a team now in the top four). The experts were in raptures over the high scoring and exciting brand of football that Pagan's team was playing. Yes, they went into a slump as will happen when you have a young side and you're missing leaders like Whitnall and Stevens (physically) and your star KPP (mentally). Interestingly, I heard Dwayne Russell on 3AW stating that he expected Carlton, under Ratten to go super defensive and lock down games from now on. He predicted that in this way St. Kilda would beat them by only six goals and not 16 implying that this was a better way to develop the Blues for the future. I don't agree and believe that if we haven't crossed Ratten off our list already, then we will if that's all he can bring to a young team, albeit with nothing to play for other than priority picks.

As for Sheedy, he's always been an innovative coach and, despite the way the press is nodding to itself and saying that Essendon did what's best, the Bombers treated him appallingly. They told porky pies about what was going on and didn't afford him the respect a four-time premiership coach deserved after 27 years service and who single-handedly built the Essendon brand to what it is today. If whoever's deciding the Melbourne job considers that he has a couple of years of creativity left in him, I'd grab him as coach of the Demons before Richmond realise what a dud they have and someone forks up his severance pay for them.

Not having watched the game... I am left to assume that such "pressure football" has two vital ingredients that have been the hallmark of not only the Eagles, but the Swans and the Lions before them. The first is Accountability (Zoning off is fine as long as players aren't cheating their teammates by refusing to chase or man up an opponent) the second is the willingness to make a physical contest rather than avoiding them. From here teams work over the opposition, crushing any belief in their game plan - faith in their teammates etc.

The third (related to your second point) is an ability, especially for the midfield, to run incredibly hard. Watching Kerr, Judd and Cousins (in his second game back FCS!) run like that is just amazing. I also think their forward line is underestimated, and they have some excellent backs.

The third (related to your second point) is an ability, especially for the midfield, to run incredibly hard. Watching Kerr, Judd and Cousins (in his second game back FCS!) run like that is just amazing. I also think their forward line is underestimated, and they have some excellent backs.

Well that is another thing in itself Maurie... I'm staying stum on the Cousins farce....

but I think you're right... as the Bulldogs found out last night ... legspeed is one thing, getting the ball is another. The Lions midfield were excellent winners of the ball, not overly fast, but physically strong... win the ball and give it to a team mate in space... doesn't sound overly complex does it?

West Coast currently have three of the top five midfielders in the competition right now, they're able to run all day (or night), they have the strength to break tackles and they are great leaders on the park. We can talk tactics until the cows come home however without the right cattle we'll never be a real contender.

A reference no doubt to the relentless pressure football displayed last evening by West Coast in its total dismantlement of the football club formerly known as Footscray. The Bullies are now for all intents and purposes dead in the water and I know some people might regard this as blasphemous but I reckon that we might even beat the bastards at the Dome in a fortnight's time.

My thoughts while watching the Eagles going around last night were that I now at least know what our next coach needs to do - he must be able to develop a team that sets its own agenda for a match and then carries it out efficiently and ruthlessly. The key of course is the total control of the midfied which enables you to dictate the terms upon which the game is played.

Unfortunately, no Melbourne coach has been able to do that for over four decades.

It's time and a matter of who?

Yes, finally.

ANd its important when your down the ladder to NOT rise prematurely. Too many coaches who don't know the BEST recipe for a GOLD medal bread. rush the team on in a false hope that they've found the bottom of the rainbow & the gold, rushing to market with their booty, only too find it's poor quality & doesn't stack up. The cost of such a round trip, about 7 or 8 years.

The answer, a cook who recognises quality ingredients, the good old taste test, & if he ends up supplied with a inferior ingredient, then throw it out & get fresher! A gold Medal Chef doe sn't continue baking crap.

We can talk tactics until the cows come home however without the right cattle we'll never be a real contender.

There's only so much delisting, trading and drafting that a club can do to change their "cattle", so they might as well do the right thing with the players that they have got.

Tactics can be changed easily. Players not so.

Yes, finally.

ANd its important when your down the ladder to NOT rise prematurely. Too many coaches who don't know the BEST recipe for a GOLD medal bread. rush the team on in a false hope that they've found the bottom of the rainbow & the gold, rushing to market with their booty, only too find it's poor quality & doesn't stack up. The cost of such a round trip, about 7 or 8 years.

The answer, a cook who recognises quality ingredients, the good old taste test, & if he ends up supplied with a inferior ingredient, then throw it out & get fresher! A gold Medal Chef doe sn't continue baking crap.

Luck plays a very big part. Using the Eagles as an example they had one very poor year where they ended up with the 3rd pick overall, it just happened to be one of the best drafts with three very, very talented kids comning through. They were alos lucky that the two clubs preceeding them decided to skip on Judd because they were concerned about his shoulders. They were also lucky that Cousins opted to go to them under the father and son rule rather than Geelong.

Whilst Melbourne's midfield of Jones, McLean, Moloney etc. can potentially (and has been) be very good, I would be surprised if they ever got on top of a midfield with the likes of Kerr, Judd and Cousins.

That's why Melbourne need to play to their strengths.

IMO, Melbourne's strength is (and has been for a while) their forward line.

Injuries have not helped this season, however I see a core forward line consisting of Neitz, Robertson, Davey, Bate/Dunn and Newton with Green, Bruce, Sylvia, P. Johnson, White, Pickett (if he ever plays again), Petterd rotating through as having the potential to be one of the most formidable forward lines in the competition.

Whether or not this potential eventuates is another thing. However, IMO the important thing is to set up a structure and develop a game plan that plays to their strength.

What do other people think?

I agree with your statement and our forward (not this year) has been our strength and that we should play to our strengths. But one of our perticular weaknesses this year has been our delivery into the forward line which is the key concept to a forward line functionaly properally. To often this year i have seen melbourne getting to our forward 50 and then not knowing what to do and the ball is turned over i.e Melbourne V West Coast. Our midfield and coaching team needs to develop a system to deliver into our forward line, the ball is often blazed away and not kicked toward leads which puts pressure on our forward line which in turn becomes flooded making it very hard for us to score.

Our new coach needs to work out a system to which to solve this problem.

I agree with your statement and our forward (not this year) has been our strength and that we should play to our strengths. But one of our perticular weaknesses this year has been our delivery into the forward line which is the key concept to a forward line functionaly properally. To often this year i have seen melbourne getting to our forward 50 and then not knowing what to do and the ball is turned over i.e Melbourne V West Coast. Our midfield and coaching team needs to develop a system to deliver into our forward line, the ball is often blazed away and not kicked toward leads which puts pressure on our forward line which in turn becomes flooded making it very hard for us to score.

Our new coach needs to work out a system to which to solve this problem.

how jealous am i on west coach.

honestly, every one of these midfielders would be our best midfielder.

and they keep coming up with these terrific youngsters. LeCras is a gem

I hate to say it, but the Bulldogs might even be in a worse position than our lot over the next few years.

Grant, West, Johnson, Darcy, Akermanis all likely departures.

While they've coped without Darcy or Grant for long periods, and Akermanis ain't what he used to be, losing the lot puts a huge whole in any team.

Brad Johnson must be just about the most irreplacable player going around, simply because no-one else does what he does, and West is undeniably critical.

The form and fitness of these players, despite all the 'young doggies' hype, is the barometer of the Bulldogs performance, and they are all one their way out soon.

interesting as well the philosophy of the two teams and the way it worked out in the way they defended against the player with the ball.

the dogs, with their fsat running gameplan etc, tended to attempt to force the player with the ball backwards or stifle their influence, without attacking the body. it was here where the eagles 'run and carry' game ticks over into overdrive as they use the handball not to free up players sideways, but forwards and as an ongoing springboard up the ground.

obviously the eagles understand the need for a running attack, but their incredible fitness has not resulted them in playing the basketball 'shepherd' on the opposition, dogs players seemed to expect the same treatment they dished out, only o experience eagles players hunting in numbers and hitting the body.

you won't win a premiership without a physically strong and fit team