Ok, the 5 prospective coaches (Sheedy, Connelly, Bailey, Riley & Hardwick) are going to have to pick a Melbourne 22, highlight match-ups and state their tactics to defeat another AFL team.

Is anyone interested in having a crack at this?

The hypothetical team we will be playing is Geelong, below is their line-up.

Geelong:

Backs: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley

H/Backs: Enright, Eagan, Wojinski

Mids: Mackie, Bartell, Corey

H/Fwds: S.Johnson, Mooney, Chapman

Fwds: N.Ablett, Ottens, Stokes

Rucks: King, Ling, G.Ablett

Inter: Blake, Selwood, Kelly, Hunt

Who are you going to select from our current list (no injuries assumed) and what tactics + match-ups will you put on the table?

I believe the team that will be chosen for the hypothetical competition, is going to be a side not playing finals footy.

My guess vs. Brisbane.

I gave it a go and wrote this really big thing but then the computers at work all failed briefly and I lost it. Teriffic. Was a great side too. Reckon I couldve coached the dees haha.

I believe the team that will be chosen for the hypothetical competition, is going to be a side not playing finals footy.

My guess vs. Brisbane.

I'm just interested in seeing how posters would line up a Melbourne team and what strategies they might use Finksy, I dunno who the opposing team would be in the actual exercise.

Surely we have some aspiring coaches out there that want to have a crack at this.

Geelong:

B: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley

M: Green, Neitz, Robertson

Green to play a more defensive role but has the ability to hurt Milburn on the scoreboard.

HB:Enright, Eagan, Wojinski

M: Newton, Bate, Davey

Newton and Bate to play the CHF role.

C:Mackie, Bartel, Corey

M: TJ, McDonald, Bruce

McDonald and Bruce to play a run with role. Bruce n JMac will rack up them up anyway.

HF: S.Johnson, Mooney, Chapman

M: Whelan, Carroll, Bell

F:N.Ablett, Ottens, Stokes

M: Rivers, White, Wheatley

White to play a KPP in defense. CHB role. Will suit Ottens more then Mooney.

R:King, Ling, G.Ablett

Jamar, Mclean, Bartram

Ling will go to Mclean cause he is our best midfielder. Jamar and PJ to take the rucks and Bartram gets first dibs as a tagger.

B:Blake, Selwood, Kelly, Hunt

M: PJ, Jones, Dunn, Sylvia

E: Frawley, Yze, Moloney, Petterd.

Backs: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley

Forwards: Robertson, Neitz, Yze.

Bring in Yze to force the cats to either play a tall on a small or drag a tall.

H/Backs: Enright, Eagan, Wojinski

H/forwards: Pickett, Miller, Davey

Pickett can make Enright be accountable because he can not allow him to get infront of goal, take Enright out of game. Miller to come in to lead hard up the ground, he can take Egan out of equastion quickly.

Mids: Mackie, Bartell, Corey

Mids: Green, Mclean, Bruce

Use Green and Bruce to run in and be 5th and 6th midfielders, both have the ability to push forward and kick a goal while possibly avoiding a tagger on a wing.

H/Fwds: S.Johnson, Mooney, Chapman

H/Backs: Bell, Rivers, Whelan

Bell and Whelan both with huge jobs, id be confident in those two players.

Fwds: N.Ablett, Ottens, Stokes

Backs: Carrol, Holland, Bartram

Use Holland to take Ottens, he is a big man who can take a big man, faith in Holland should be rewarded.

Rucks: King, Ling, G.Ablett

Rucks: White, McDonald, T Johnstone

Confidence in the teams ability to run with their midfield. Mcdonald can get in and under like Ling, Johno is classy like Ablett. And Mclean can towell Bartel up on a good day.

Inter: Blake, Selwood, Kelly, Hunt

Inter: Jamar, Jones, Wheatley, Bate

Playing Jamar to deal with the trio of Blake, King and Ottens. Jones to come off the bench and play midfield most of day.

Emg: Sylvia, Moloney, Dunn

Quality midfielders to come in if needed.

Key Match ups:

Yze vs. Harley

Rivers vs Mooney

Bruce vs. Corey

White/Jamar vs. King/Blake/Ottens

Whelan vs. Chapman

T Johnstone vs. G Ablett

I believe the team that will be chosen for the hypothetical competition, is going to be a side not playing finals footy.

My guess vs. Brisbane.

How come?

Isn't the aim of the exercise to see whether a prospective coach can coach against a top team, with what he has at his disposal?

How come?

I'm sure i read something today that said it would be a team not playing finals this year, but I must have misread it, coz I agree with you, it should be a top team.

I heard it was against a non-final team as well. Think it was mentioned on footy classified last night

I'm sure i read something today that said it would be a team not playing finals this year, but I must have misread it, coz I agree with you, it should be a top team.

Assuming we're doing finals teams, the teams should be:

West Coast

Geelong

Port Adelaide

Hawthorn (they'll keep getting better and better)

Adelaide/Brisbane

I'd love to see how Bailey would coach Melbourne against Port Adelaide, or Hardwick against Hawthorn, but I don't think they'll get their own team.

I would love to be a fly on the wall in those presentations. Would be really fascinating.

Geelong:

Backs: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley

H/Backs: Enright, Eagan, Wojinski

Mids: Mackie, Bartell, Corey

H/Fwds: S.Johnson, Mooney, Chapman

Fwds: N.Ablett, Ottens, Stokes

Rucks: King, Ling, G.Ablett

Inter: Blake, Selwood, Kelly, Hunt

Melbourne:

Backs: Whelan, Carrol, Frawley

H/Backs: Bell, Rivers, Wheatley

Mids: Johnstone, Mclean, Green

H/Fwds: Bruce, Newton, Bate

Fwds: Robertson, Neitz, Davey

Rucks: White, McDonald, Jones

Inter: P.Johnson, Sylvia, Moloney, Dunn

(unlucky to miss out were Bartram, Pettard, Yze and Holland...i chose Dunn ahead of them bc of his versatility)

Back matchups:

Wheatley vs. S.Johnson

Rivers vs. Mooney

Frawley vs. N.Ablett

Whelan vs. Stokes

Bell vs. Chapman

Carrol vs. Ottens

Notes:

1) if we need an spare defender to quell a period of geelong ascendacy, then Green to play as a floating extra backman across half back and in front of the leading forwards

2) If one of Geelong's big forwards are dominating, then try switching around our tall backman. Otherwise give Dunn a job of N.Ablett or Mooney. If there is still one dominating, then try something different by playing Bell on N.Ablett to see if he can run off him (ala Campbell Brown).

Midfield matchups:

McDonald Tags Bartel

Green Tags Ablett

Mclean Tagged by Ling

Johnstone vs Mackie

Bruce vs Corey

Jones vs J.Selwood

notes:

1) Moloney, Sylvia and Dunn rotating through as well.

2) If a Geelong midfielder is dominating then give Dunn a go at shutting him down. Davey and Bate to spend time up on a wing.

Forwards:

1) Neitz and Davey to play out of the goal square leading up. Newton and Robertson also to spend time leading out of the goal square.

2) Bate and Newton to spend most of the time playing the lead up role of CHF but play close enough to goal to be dangerous for a couple of goals. Sylvia and Dunn also to spend time around CHF.

3) PJ to spend 5 minutes a quater in the forward line out of the goal square. (5-10 minutes a quater in the ruck relieving White)

Other notes:

- All the usual emphasis on 1%s. Huge emphasis on tackling. When we were on top of the ladder round 18 2006 we were the best tackling team in the competition.

- Geelong blast out of the blocks most games so huge emphasis on being competitive and hard at it in the first 20 minutes.

- Go dees

BTW:

- i delisted/retired/traded 8 players over the summer: Neville, Warnock, Bizzel, Ward, Pickett, Brown, Jamar, Miller

- i brough in 5 draftees, 1 PSD, 2 rookie elevations (Bode and Neaves).

- another possible thing i would do over the summer is trade Bruce for a pick around pick 8-12 (no worse). If this trade was done then i'd offer pick 18 for someone like Ryan Murphey, Cameron Wood, Brent Prissmall...

Backs: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley

Forwards: Robertson, Neitz, Yze.

Bring in Yze to force the cats to either play a tall on a small or drag a tall.

H/Backs: Enright, Eagan, Wojinski

H/forwards: Pickett, Miller, Davey

Pickett can make Enright be accountable because he can not allow him to get infront of goal, take Enright out of game. Miller to come in to lead hard up the ground, he can take Egan out of equastion quickly.

Mids: Mackie, Bartell, Corey

Mids: Green, Mclean, Bruce

Use Green and Bruce to run in and be 5th and 6th midfielders, both have the ability to push forward and kick a goal while possibly avoiding a tagger on a wing.

H/Fwds: S.Johnson, Mooney, Chapman

H/Backs: Bell, Rivers, Whelan

Bell and Whelan both with huge jobs, id be confident in those two players.

Fwds: N.Ablett, Ottens, Stokes

Backs: Carrol, Holland, Bartram

Use Holland to take Ottens, he is a big man who can take a big man, faith in Holland should be rewarded.

Rucks: King, Ling, G.Ablett

Rucks: White, McDonald, T Johnstone

Confidence in the teams ability to run with their midfield. Mcdonald can get in and under like Ling, Johno is classy like Ablett. And Mclean can towell Bartel up on a good day.

Inter: Blake, Selwood, Kelly, Hunt

Inter: Jamar, Jones, Wheatley, Bate

Playing Jamar to deal with the trio of Blake, King and Ottens. Jones to come off the bench and play midfield most of day.

Emg: Sylvia, Moloney, Dunn

Quality midfielders to come in if needed.

Key Match ups:

Yze vs. Harley

Rivers vs Mooney

Bruce vs. Corey

White/Jamar vs. King/Blake/Ottens

Whelan vs. Chapman

T Johnstone vs. G Ablett

Why do so many people leave Jones out of our starting line up?

He is about the only Melbourne player who has a crack every week!!

Why do so many people leave Jones out of our starting line up?

He is about the only Melbourne player who has a crack every week!!

Because he has relished the role of coming off the bench in real life. He comes in and gives us a sudden hard edge with hard running.

He has done that all year. As you said, plays well. Why change that plan?

Wouldnt play him anywhere but on the ball. So I choose Johnstone, Mclean McDonald to be their first.

B - Whelan Carroll Frawley

HB - Bartram Rivers Bell

C - Johnstone Jones Bruce

HF - Robertson Newton Bate

F - Dunn Neitz Davey

R - White McLean McDonald

I/C - Green Sylvia Pickett P.Johnson

Demons by 18 goals

B - Whelan Carroll Frawley

HB - Bartram Rivers Bell

C - Johnstone Jones Bruce

HF - Robertson Newton Bate

F - Dunn Neitz Davey

R - White McLean McDonald

I/C - Green Sylvia Pickett P.Johnson

Demons by 18 goals

Your in depth analysis of the opposition and possible match-ups make u a prime candidate for the job. i particularly liked ur in depth explanation of plan A, but also plan B and C in case something goes awry...you're hired!

actually on seconds thoughts...ur not...

the exersize was not to simply name ur best 22