"the better teams like Geelong/

My God, it's amazing how things can change. What's Melbourne's record v Geelong like in the past 5 years. We've given them some thrashings.

I'm inclined to agree that you don't throw out the baby with the bath water. If a player can kick lke Green why require him to handball?

You are missing the wood for the trees.

Its not about W/L ratios against one Club. Save that for the statisticians.

Its about having the discipline and commitment to play tight accountable football that provides a greater opportunity to control possession of the ball and provide effective defensive pressure on the opponent when you dont have it.

And one other point. Does one have to use the same tactics every week? Whatever the conditions?It was slippery last week especially in the first half. I would have thought that some long kicking out of defence was called for. It may be different when dry.

Nevertheless Jake Niall's article is excellent

So we should set up a game plan to help lazy frontrunners.

Do we then change the gameplan when we bring in some decent, hard working and committed players? Or do we keep recruiting the same type that we have recruited because they fit in with the game plan that we are using (which was designed to cater for selfish players who don't run hard)?

How about we recruit "some decent hard working and committed players" and mould the gameplan that actually suits us? Or would you rather wait five years to use a system which has twice been successful (Port, who had one key foward and a stack of mobile electric runners; and West Coast, who had one key forward and Kerr, Judd and Cousins), or go for somewhere inbetween, with good tall forwards and a solid midfield, which is about where Geelong is.

On a side note I love how the myth of Geelong's 1:1 has just been accepted. Some analysis of where they get their handballs and where they get there kicks could be handy....

I hope he's giving the boys more than, 'let's just be competitive boys. Ok, let's go.'

How does everyone think he's game plan, selection, etc. has been so far?

Selection has been ok, but if what they have said the want to see who is willing to play for MFC then it's been a worth while thing to pick Yze etc

Game plan..... Well thats hard to say as I don't think the players could execute any sort of game plan the way they have been, you need to run hard and attack the footy in any game plan and we do neither.

Selection: Poor.

Gameplan: Too early to tell.

I'm sorry but I've been overseas for the past month so haven't seen any footage, but surely after two 90+ point thrashings someone can point out some MAJOR fundamentals that are wrong, or aren't working, e.g. I read handballing is high on his agenda.

From my experience in teams not highly skilled this is just fundamentally WRONG, and will not work, a la when Neil Balme came in. Although in having said that I know Geelong handball almost as much as they kick. Is it just a lack of skills on our behalf?

Is it just a lack of skills on our behalf?

Lack of pace and skills. The article above talks about the kick game under Daniher and now the run and carry game under Bailey and how the kick game played to our strengths and how the current team is not suited to run and carry.

We panic waaaaay to quickly, but the biggest problem is we do not run the lines enough, we will call for a handball when we are 1 meter away instead of shepherding, we lack the fundamentals and we go so wide the opposition amble into our backline and clog it.

Our team just has an all round lack of skill. Its not just in Handball either its also our foot skills as well.

The skill shortage is so bad they we fail even when not under pressure. The skills coach should be given a fair "blast" for his lack of presentation by our players in the club. Also the players must also take a fair share of critism for there lack of skill. You cant execute any game plan with the skill level we have!!

This is also the reason I think confidence is down. If you were playing on the field with these players how much faith would you have that they would deliver the ball to you on target.

Endurance is not as important if the skills are at a high level (As you dont have to work as hard if the ball hits its target) but it should not be neglected either. If our game plan is a running game then endurance must be higher than average.

"Coaches get to work, you know what bailey want and needs"