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This has to be the most damning stat of all: "According to Champion Data, Melbourne is overall the best contested possession team in the competition. Specifically, Simon Goodwin’s side is ranked first in the league for contested possessions won in both the defensive 50 and midfield. But alarmingly, the Dees are ranked 16th for contested ball in their forward 50" Even if the talls bring it to ground our ground level players can't win it. So we are losing in the air and on the ground. So much for having so many defensive forwards!!

I am interested in the commentary around Gawn being out of form. Are people concerned about his tap ruck work or his influence around the ground, or both? Im not sure he’s cooked. He is obviously on the wrong side of 30 now, so I’m expecting some slide in the coming years. The poor bloke gets held, scragged and interfered with at every marking contest, if he was Cody weightman he would have had 1000 free kicks by now. Conditions have been miserable for tall marking players in recent weeks. I feel that he played that dominate marking player much better when he is a kick behind the play. When he is the target, everybody knows where the ball is being dumped and multiple bodies crash into him with little chance for a grab. So is he out of form or is it a structural issue, where he’s not being played in his best role, coupled with the conditions that make it seem like he isn’t at his dominant best?

I look at how bloody hard Jack Viney has been playing this season. Must be incredibly frustrating watching it go in and then get run back past you 15 seconds later.

Here's a quote from Robbo - who I don't normally rate - but I think he is on the money here: Melbourne plays density football. It’s a strong contest and combative team. They don’t play so-called easy football with spares everywhere. It’s labour intensive, man v man, which means their football is tough and grinding. Our game style is very taxing. We make it hard on ourselves. Its an arm wrestle and tries to wear down the other teams. SG has shown no inclination to change that except for the finals series in 2021. So maybe that is his go. Get to finals and 'flick the switch' as it were. I can see why that makes some sense - get to finals - but there is a lot wrong with that if that in fact is the case. And it isn't an easy thing to change style late in the piece. My observation is that during pre-season and the early part of this season we were playing a lot more daring football and kicking angles into the corridor. Hence our accuracy at goal as many of the shots were front and centre. But as we have seen in the past 5 weeks it has shifted dramatically to old style of kick along the boundary and bomb the ball into our fwd line.

Well thank god for that! I was prepared for the worst. Send him our best wishes! By the way, how close are you with Clayton’s mum? Can you tell her that I can no longer live without Clarry and he has to come back and play please? 😂

Does anyone seriously think the coaches are instructing the players entering the 50 to kick as high and long as possible, preferably to Stewart/Haynes etc? if its true they should all be sacked. but Its extremely unlikely to be true

Been happening for a long time. Even in 2021 it was an issue throughout the season. It just clicked when it mattered. The burning of the free players to bomb it in really ticks me off.

Either our players have the lowest collective football IQ in the game or they are being instructed to play this way. I firmly believe it’s the latter. We don’t have many good kicks in the side and the game plan is tailored to suit that but someone training every single day of the week should be able to hit a lead from 25-30 metres in their sleep

I believe the FD's logic is this: Our players are more fatigued than earlier in the year, so rather than kick to an open forward line where the ball may sling shot back out, requiring our players to sprint back into defence, they slow down to allow our players to get back and either; Take a contested mark Kick a crumbing goal from the marking contest, or Create a stoppage (or several) in the F50 You're right in that it exacerbates our poor kicking - it typically puts players under more pressure when having a shot in open play or puts them at sharp angles for set shots. IF the game style change is due to fatigue and protecting players during the 'second act' of the season, the FD knows they risk losing games because it highlights the lists deficiencies. But they likely see that as acceptable in order to protect players from burnout and injury that an end-to-end game might cause at this time of the year. We will know in about 4-6 weeks whether the game plan change we've seen for the past 6 rounds was a short-term change to accommodate the challenges of the middle part of the season, or if the FD lost it's nerve and reverted to a 'safe' style. We're 2-4 since the Port game, having lost by 4, 7, 15, and 2, and beaten the league leaders during that time. If the players are playing poorly, and/or the game style is terrible - it won't take much for us to turn games into wins, given how close we've been despite how terrible it may seem.

The thing is with the kicking skills isse, there is no easy fix, and they certainly won't solve themselves naturally (which is not to say we can't try something up forward - but really rhey are pretty limited what they can do. They have after all tried petty and brought Smith) Goody has built a game style that this list of players can win flags with. What's the point of us, say adopting the pies model if we don't have enough players who can reliably hit high risk kicks that model demands. We went all in on contested ball winners in tracc, oliver, Gus and viney - none of whom who are elite kicks. We had Max, a generalation ruck - but just a passable kick, albeit he has really improved his kicking over the journey. Only two elite kicks, in Watts and Salem, though Wattsy not tough enough, or committed I'm guessing, for goody, so he's soon out. And in Salem, we essentialy took him and Hunt, instead of Kelly, who is exactly the sort of plsyer we now need. Max, tracc, viney, oliver, gus and salo. Some A grade stars. Contested ball beasts. Bulls. Not much silk. But, with the exception of salo, often unreliable by foot and only salo an elite kick at the Pendulbury, Sidebottom level. That's the foundation goody inherited. To that he added key the structural players in May, Lever and Langdon he needed to build a premiership team. But again, all three are ok kicks, but certainly not elite. In May's case he is elite sometimes- but turns it over way too often in the 20-30 metre range, often under no pressure. It will take time to bring in some really skilled players to support Max, trac et al - all of whom are locked in on long contracts. Taylor has been working on it though. JVR is a terrific kick, nice simple technique, Mcvee is a great in, Laurie is waiting, Howe looks like he has neat skills, and I really like Sestan's kicking - has the knack of balancing up a touch before hitting it. And Hunter was a good pick up - adding an elite kick straight in to the 22. When the weather improves and we get closer to finals, we will increase tge speed of ball movement and transition. And all things being g equal we look like we did rounds 1-6. More space, more free players ahead of the ball, more movement by hand, riskier corridor kicks leading to better angles leading lanes openingup etc etc- all of which mitigates the kicking skills issue. Frustrating, but we're close to playing that sort of ballistic, fast game that everyone loves. Let's just hope it doesn't rain again this year. It's also worth remembering that the method goody has built is based on that of the tigers - who also had a pretty average list in terms of kicking skills. The tigers also built a model to take advantage of the strengths of their list - and won three flags.

That's the art of Coaching though. He's got to have more of an influence on our players or make the hard calls and change the list/positions etc. If they're not up to it or not listening, there's got to be some sort of statement made no? This is where I think his unwavering faith in his players works against him. I think supporters overrate Trac and Oliver. That sounds wild. But for elite players, they give the ball up far too often. And I'm not talking about their disposals when under pressure. Gus while not of the same quality is another. It's this lazy, automated and unaware habit that just kills us. Is the number one reason we we kick ourselves out of games and or lose games when we are dominating every other facet. Add in other ball butcher(ers) around them and forward of centre in Sparrow, Viney, Langdon, ANB, Harmes and its plain to see why we struggle going forward. The flow-on effect this has on gane-plan, motivation levels, crowd atmosphere etc is much bigger than people give credit.

Who honestly cares about Gawn being ‘Gawn’? We dominate games and can’t finish - that is not on the ruckmen. Jumping at shadows all over the place… We need to commit to better decision making and delivery into the forward line, and create space and structure to maximise our strengths. Its not easy but it is simple.

Everything is an opportunity. JVR, and Brown will be well served by Marvel. You’d also think we might back Tomlinson in and play Petty forward if needed too. Oddly it’s a good time for us to be playing on a guaranteed dry deck. Get some confidence back in our skills.

Fritta 7-8 weeks according to club. TMac 4-6. That’s our 2 best forwards from the last 5 years. Time to get inventive.

How about he instruct at least one to lead at the ball carrier and not all run to the same spot. Even better, how about he instruct them never to kick long to a pack, and always kick to advantage. If you want to see how it works when you have a mediocre bunch of roles players in your forward 50 go and watch Collingwood.

So you think every single player in the side is ignoring the coach and blazing away? That’s harder to imagine

Now there's an idea......

I think I heard that Goody felt the pre-game overnight stay at Geelong was such a success that they're all now at the Quest Docklands Apartments and will stay there until 90 minutes before game time.

If we don't finish top 4 that is a massive failure and deserves a serious review of the football department. Especially considering we've had an ok run with injuries so far.

Great post. Completely agree.

Basically, with the advent of tbe sophisticated defensive zoens, every team is the same forward line game plan, including the pies. The exception is the cats and the lions, who both try to engineer as much space as possible to give Hawkins, daniher, hipwood and Cameron opportunities to be one out. But even doing so, as soon as the ball is stopped zones get back and it becomes all but impossible to find space ot take contested marks. The only way to create space now in footy, is win the ball from centre clearances whilst the 6 6 6 is still in force (which was brought in for exactly this reason - create space and one on ones in the forward line by stopping teams flooding their defensive zone) OR go fast on transition so teams can't get their defensive zones set. The latter is basically the pies game plan, and how we played preseason and rounds 1-6. I know this sounds a little fey, but i really wish dees fans had more faith in goody. He has well and earned that with our team's first flag in 57 years. If that holds no water because it is history, then I don't want to hear about the program not working last year. We won't flick a switch as such, more slowly open the valve. And if they have got their fitness program right, we will soon (rounds 19 or 20?) be back to our offensive, fast transition best. Stay the course people. Have some faith. It's all about winning the war, not the battles

As an Englishman, I can assure you that everyone on my WhatsApp groups called both the Starc catch and JB run out in your favour. Same with the broadsheet press and sensible TV pundits over here. All that BS about Starc not being in control of his body after the catch?? This isn’t the NFL ffs. It was a catch and when the authorities get round to clarifying the respective laws (hardly necessary in the case of the run out/calling of ‘over’), Australia’s stances on both will be vindicated. As for Broad, he’s a rubber sole. I’d hate to captain him if I was still playing. Did you see him having the white lines (requested by the bowlers pre-match as a guide to prevent no-balls), painted over in green as they were distracting him on Day 1? All about him. It’s embarrassing. Looking forward to Headingley mind, should be a bit spicy. Your lads’ll cop it from the drunks on the Western Terrace but I can’t see anything other than 3-0 by the end of it all.

I agree with the shake up, but not sure what Goodwin should be saying instead. CP5 and CO13 need to be sat down and told - we don’t dump the footy anymore. Kick to movement or to space. They are our window but they are the worst offenders. Jack Viney is half as good a kick but he has lowered his eyes and been so good this year. I fully expect us to finish 4th and make a prelim even without Fritsch, but we still need some agitation and a tall forward with forward craft in 2024 and beyond.

Spot & laughable with forwards not leading to ball carrier plus players torching free teammates is this selfish or just dumb plays https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/melbourne-demons/afl-news-2023-melbourne-demons-stats-garry-lyon-exposes-issues-on-fox-footy-on-the-couch/news-story/b0f7da9aafb06a6db683ace5230b5905?fbclid=IwAR2KN7LUYw58doNBygAj7b4qCXiQVVunCHbQsf3LbGvlApitZw43TvHBM8w_aem_AXVyVBMKuYAGiqbtbiyhSYZsTJY722i-LmyojPk5uIINDQ3LmVMG0lB5u6hZpDfAAPw&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Very much enjoy your analysis, probably because it is actually grounded in sensible data points (take note AFL media). Faith somewhat in tact, our inability to correct course last year is the niggling factor in the back of my mind

I think we’re lucky Membrey is injured. We always get touched up whenever he plays and usually kicks a fair few snags on us.

a thought out of left field I wonder how disco would go up forward. He's just languishing in the magoos because our back spots are so tight. he's a great kick, mark and interceptor. If he played like a defender in the backline, he'd just have to mark, turn around a and kick goals - lol

We have 2 quality forwards Kossie and Fritsch. What do you expect Stafford to do with a bunch of role players? It's the list.

Gaz is 100% right. No care for team mates , no selfless footy. Clearly playing to instruction - kick the ball on the forwards head in a three on one. No one anywhere leading towards the ball carrier. Haven't seen that in the last 10 rounds. And then we have NQRs like ANB and Harmes and Brayshaw who can't hit the side of a barn Most frustrating side in the comp. Its all coaching. He has them completely confused and clueless about how to play forward. WTF is Stafford doing?

Maybe, but options who get burned tend to be shy the next time. Trust and commitment is hard won, easily forgotten, and not linear in its return.

I suspect a couple of things here. It would be interesting to see how many of our inside 50's are from us winning the ball back and pushing it back inside. If this number is as I suspect then the forwards are playing a defensive role in assisting turnovers. ...but I think we would all be happier with less inside 50's with greater scoring efficiency. I just don't know that we have the players to do it.

We have been given the heave-ho out of the City area training. It will be interesting to see how full time use of Casey will suit us? Due to the FIFA Women's World Cup, Melbourne will be based at Casey Fields for all main training sessions throughout July and August. This was posted on https://www.melbournefc.com.au/teams/training-times We are the only club with disruptions, due to us not having our own stand alone facilities. Caulfield would make a stable home that is reasonably close to the MCG. Much better than what we have now. https://concreteplayground.com/melbourne/travel-leisure/caulfield-racecourse-reserve-looks-set-to-be-revitalised-as-a-public-park-and-recreation-space This is the main plan, let's get on board.

The sad part about this is its nothing new, its been going on for years. It's a sad state of affairs and is so messy, it just looks like the plan is to get it in and create chaos. Dumb footy, you see more leads in bush footy.

I don't rate Smith's brain enough to picture him in the very demanding role Fritsch plays. I would say his best option is as a defensive forward tightly staying with the Tom Stewart / Lever / Aliir / Andrews types to prevent them from intercepting and rebounding too easily. With his athleticism he can create the occasional opportunity to turn the tables completely, but left to be a 'normal' tall forward he become the player that opponents can predict and know when to zone off from, and that's no help to us. Also, Gawn is actually having a respectable year, just not All-Australian level. I agree that he has had some games of very uncertain marking efforts and he also isn't being used as effectively as he should be to get to important positions. I have my theory for how they would work best (Gawn mostly a kick behind play or receiving the escape kick from defence, Grundy playing as a half-forward link option, each sticking to a loose area of control to minimise the low-value running, and each only occasionally slipping forward to mix things up for a while) but I'm not tearing my hair out about it just yet because Gawn and Grundy are both smart players and will not be sitting passively on the obvious problem.

They have gone to see a reiki healer to get rid of the bad juju around goals

You are alluding to the focus of the team changing slightly and that leading to higher scoring and better conversion. That may happen but I am more interested in how it would happen; players need to alter behaviour and look shorter or with hands, we need to work into space and not sit in it in the forward line, and we need to make better decisions with ball in hand. There is no switch for that. It is being predictable, trusting your teammate to do adhere to the above, and trusting yourself to take the extra second that our pressure doesn’t allow others. These are simple concepts but I have seen teams flirt with form and be unable to regain the above. So much of this game is mental and there is nothing as simple as a switch when it comes to the collective mind of a footy team.

ask the boss...isnt that why she got the gig ?? Crickets from my vantage point Whilst there I did ponder what it all could be.. An opportunity begging

If a Tassie born player decides he want to play for Tasmania then I would think that a club would be very well compensated for losing the player. Tassie team will have a massive bounty of picks and future picks and Tassie players will be worth more to them than drat picks as there would be no go home factor for them to worry about. If we get 5 years out of a player and then get some very good draft picks in a compromised draft we may end up coming out well in front.

Why do you suppose Clarry and Teac would be told that ? I ask as it seems to this observer that this is our game. If it wasn't surely they, and all, would have already been instructed as such. I dont have the opportunity to go to the training nowadays ( I'm a 100k away and just not that interested in getting up that early.... so big shout out to Kev, Pickett and others ) but by all accounts there are lead drills practiced... but we hardly see it in games...hardly. We all understand its about the dump kicks ( more akin to dumb kicks ) into the forwards. So little about what we do past centre makes any sense to me. We either know what we should do...and dont... OR we dont really know what we're doing ( and do that ....sure looks like it ). Either way its all wrong (imo) and it's way past time it changed. Either Simons words aren't getting through... or they are, just not the words we want. Any which way ,currently its a chitfest, a dogs dinner. We dont seem to have a clue. I only ever played burb footy..but as a forward.... just about everything i see is the anti-ethos of just about all i was ever taught. I thought i might just be ignorant of better ways. A b-i-l .. ex VFL player..a forward also ( bit better than me lol ) agrees with me..He's also coached. Interesting he offered... you ever get that front end sorted... youve a couple more flags coming. It baffles him , as it does me, as i think you too that we just keep on keeping on with the same durge. I can only summise we play that way as it's the instructed way. If it wasn't we would have seen wholesale changes by now..no ?? A key element to why we continue to crowd ourselves and fumble is we have no idea of tempo. We're just a bull at the gate... thumping that ball down there ....then expecting something miraculous. We take no care in what we do... and are then surprised (not) by the results. There is no escaping that the chief culprit has to be the bloke in charge. We should have changed our modus by now. It's not working. I dont think he has a thorough enough grasp of the game styles that need to be employed forward.... or we'd be seeing it. Also the bloke delegated that area is useless. Sure as [censored] ...if nothing changes... nothing will ( outcomes ) Every other coach knows exactly what theyll face... some have the cattle ..some dont... and some are simply better coaches. Everyone...from most here, to other teams supporters, to the sporting media... everyone knows the area we're poor in. What changes ??? SFA !!!

Does of course not dies!

I think St Kilda can smell a kill and will kill. No idea how some can hold faith. Now that Fritsch is out as well. We have zero confidence and Goody just clearly can't inspire. Whatever the msging, learnings and teaching at training, are clearly not working or being listened to. "It's something we're working incredibly hard at". How many times do we hear this... Joisus. Goody either simply has to address a list and positional change next year. Which means the game plan has to change more significantly than it ever has. And I think we'd all welcome that. So many go on and on about our defence... But it's gone too far. We've robbed Peter to pay Paul. We need a serious shake up of personnel and positional change through the midfield and forward line next year otherwise we're wasting our window. Three new assistants who can challenge Goody would also be welcome.

Tracc's problem since day one is his ball drop. Too high, and too inconsistent. Needs to drop the ball from knee height not hip height. Also leans back far too much.

Spargo cops a lot on here but he is one that disposes effectively in the forward line. He is needed imo.

I'll be releasing an extremely short podcast explaining the technical reason for not doing the podcast as well as a brief MFCSS vent. Not all listeners are on Demonland so I thought an explanation was in order. I've asked my cohosts if they want to contribute a brief diatribe that I can tack on. If you want to vent and for it to be heard you can call 03 9016 3666 and leave a voicemail and I'll include that too.

Thanks TU. Without the time to research this in depth, I would argue we would have a few missed ‘gimmies’ most games, leaving the shallow and wide shots the more considerable culprit. I would also argue against this growing point from a few that these are ‘reentries’ due to our high press. That is what you get with a high press. That is by design. Its a feature, not a bug. If we can’t maximise it and kick more than 70 points, we shouldn’t play it and we should sit back more and develop chains off half back. So ‘reentries’ is another excuse for our poor connection and delivery into the forward line.

We should have won regardless, that can’t be the metric in this discussion. We should have been further ahead against Geelong at 3 qtr time and we should have been further ahead on Kings Bday and nearly lost. Freo and Carl were a mess too. We have had terrible conversion on I50s for 5 weeks now - got little reward for effort and it’s not just accuracy at the goal.

Sorry but look at the opponent he was supposed to mind in the last 2 weeks. Tom Stewart after half time cut him up and this week Nick Haynes figured in the coach's votes. He isn't kicking goals and hasn't been able to quell the intercepting marker for the opposition. What other role am I not recognising?

The podcast is run by Elon musk this week - which is why it's not working. Good thing too. That was the most frustrating loss I can recall for a long time. Our kicking skills were absolutely horrendous. As were our ball handling skills. Good lord, we missed Oliver.

This morning I'm attending a market with my lovely wife. It happens to be in Caulfield....actually, at the Racecourse.... to be specific...in the middle. Quite expansive... gee...make a good spot for a sports training establishment... If Melbourne dont grab this...we're truly stupid.