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Listening to Yze comments on our list, it was the lines a good collection of individual talents yet to gell as a system or team (paraphrased), that caught my attention. I think we have assembled the pieces/players, from which to construct a top 4 team, we now need to do it. Yze's role (and Goodwin's) seems to now be focused on bringing it all together into a team... team rules, game plan, culture, leadership, coaching all combining to delive a team. That Goodwin wanted Yze last year, shows he's been aware of the issue and challenge that he's looking for Adem to assist with. Really positive development.

Your anti-Lever bias is outstanding but if think May and Lever have "made us worse", I really don't think there's much point having any ongoing debates with you on the topic. As far as I'm concerned, that position is wholly untenable. Our defence, on any fair metric, was superior in 2020 to what it was in 2018, when it was our biggest weakness. The argument that Frost/OMac in 2018 = preliminary final is a classic case of correlation vs causation.

I absolutely agree with this. I just listened to Oscar on the radio & he spoke so well about the club & the handling of his delisting. I just hope he never read the vitriol spouted about him ...I shudder to think who will be the next unfortunate player who gets “dumped” on now he had gone. I sometimes think we forget that the players are just young men who play to the best of their ability but unfortunately we expect them to play to our expectations & they often don’t marry up !

and you missed the one where he got poleaxed putting his body on the line. He's cheap, experienced insurance. If we have a good year he doesn't play a game. That doesn't make signing him a bad thing

Your comments about Oscar are the most sensible out of the 400+ that have been posted. My real worry is that most average supporters worked out 5 years ago that Oscar was not up to It yet the highly paid professionals in our Footy Dpt couldn't see the obvious.

The pettiness is getting a little boring. Maybe it’s time to put the white gloves away that you’re slapping each other with and retire to your corners for a breather lads.

10 replies and all of them positive. You're all nuts. He was picked twice and dropped twice before he was picked a 3rd time and the season finished before he had time to be dropped again. He's soft. He doesn't do the number 1 non negotiable for any key forward which is to bring the ball to ground. He doesn't defend either. He will lead up and take nothing marks on the wing but that's not a key forwards job and it means he's not where we need a big man which is competing for long kicks. Ben Brown, Weid, Jackson and even Petty should all be ahead of him. Which means he's 5th in line, a position we could easily cover with Tom McDonald if things get that desperate, which is very unlikely. We'll get to the end of the season and he'll retire after maybe 2-5 meaningless games if we have a terrible run with injury and everyone will wonder why we don't have the right depth of outside runners or skilled flanker types. And this is why. We're just burning through list spots on nothing footballers rather than churning the list looking for that diamond in the rough.

No. Lost his pace and endurance so was relegated to deep in defence this year. His lack of endurance and speed has meant he’s struggled to get his hands on the ball, even in a strong team. His kicking skills are good, but definitely lost penetration the last year or two. He’s struggled with form and at his age it’s no wonder he’s been delisted. Family lives in WA so he won’t come across to Vic for a one year cheap contract. He’s not a really an onfield leader either. All adds up to a No.

He is more of a tall, link up player rather than a KP player. Having said that, he can play either end of the ground if needed. Those types are not easy to find and he is a very good insurance player in my view. Good decision to keep him on. I also think he is somewhat underrated. A smart footballer who plays his role to the letter. Anyone who has used the words dud, spud or soft in their descriptions of Mitch need to give themselves an uppercut and try looking outside of that tiny little square occasionally.

The saints have found a great angle naming their pool and gym after Spud and pretending it’s about mental health. What’s our angle? Jim Stynes centre for sun smart education? The Ox’s gamblers help. Norm Smith Institute for curses. Ronald D B building and it changes it colours multiple times?

As good a season as I have seen from a Melbourne midfielder since Woewodin's Brownlow year. B&F win, All Australian, top 3 in all of Brownlow Medal, Players Award & Coaches Award. Congratulations Christian, you worked your backside off and got the rewards. Now the challenge is to back it up next year.

Herald Sun have a nice little piece on the top 60 draftees. AFL are only expecting around 50 picks to be taken this year (as per AFL website) https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-draft-2020-dossier-interactive-profiles-stats-and-draft-range-on-all-the-top-prospects-from-around-the-country/news-story/b6eff3e0139aed53c9867837030577cb What I noticed looking at these, then with Twoomey, Knightmare, AFL Draft Central is a lot of discrepancy between picks 8-25. The more and more I read, the more and more I agree with Mahnoey's decision to have 3 picks in the top 28 and see what shakes out. As we are only taking 3 picks to the draft (AFL website), I can see a case for using 19, 28 + 50 (equal to pick 5/6) to move up, but I don't know who takes it. Collingwood have 14 and 16 and I dont think that Reef will be taken before then, and they'd be happy to sacrifice points on their pick next year. Maybe just maybe they'd be keep to swap out 16 on the night if they are confident Rich and Melb wont bid on Reef and then they get the extra points they need. But it is a long shot. Essendon have Brand who is mid-20s pick and they dont have the points for him, but I cannot see them parting with pick 8 for 19, 28 + 50 though. Which gets me to why I dont think it matters. Tall wingers / half back flankers / guys who can deliver a ball, come on down - Perkins, Henry, McCrae, Cook, O'Driscoll, Poulter, Carroll, you could even throw Chapman in there as well (all picks 10-30). Laurie is a small forward with an elite kick, Winder and Ford could be drafted into our forward line (25+). It just feels like this is one of those drafts that people will look back at and ask how recruiters got it so wrong. So lets back Taylor and see how it all shakes out in a few years.

I love the way Petrac presented himself on and off the field in 2020, He was second to none. I will say that there is another level that he can take his game to in 2021 and i just can't wait to witness it.

Agree with this. A great guy apparently and I wish him well but the fact he stayed for so long at this club when it was clear to most that he had substantial limitations as a footballer is beyond belief. Not one outstanding attribute that you could hang your hat on. He was picked because he was virtually our only tall defensive option. It's not Oscar's fault but the fact the club persisted with him for so long is embarrassing. Those that defended him to the death can start wiping the egg off their faces now.

What is a big minority?

Perhaps about 10 or so years too late. When recruiters came around to Neville Jetta’s place, Nev’s mother suggested it might be worthwhile getting in touch with her nephew Lewis but it never eventuated then ... it’s now a bit late.

No

SO WHY WAS HE DROPPED TWICE IN 3 GAMES!!!! Because he absolutely does not play to his role. Not at all. Why was he delisted from Essendon who have no fit quality key forwards? This is his 2019 for Essendon. 3 goals in 8 losses. The disposals, marks and goals all dry right up. Why? Because he doesn't do his job as a key forward and start his game with the basis of winning and halving contests and bringing his team mates in to the game. Instead he chases kicks up on the wing which he can find against bad teams, then goes completely missing against the good sides. He's everything we don't need as a Melbourne player. Yet he's the type of player we've seemed happy to keep around for 50 years probably. A non winner. The more non winners you keep around the club the more you become a non winner and we just live for that. We love it. Flat track Brad Green back on the board, I'm sure he loves Mitch Brown too. There's another forward who loved a chest mark rather than opening their body up for contact and loved dining out on bad teams.

Irrespective of the reasons, I will always feel sorry for players that are sacked by the club. It’s a tough business and decisions have to be made in the best interests of the club, but it’s hard for the individual player. To be told publicly that you are not good enough is hurtful. Do clubs offer termination type counselling for sacked players? I’m talking about players that are not picked up by another club but are left out in limbo land?

I think we all heard it and it’s Incredibly disappointing to see it’s taking so long for the coaches and players to be able to work together for the one goal of a flag.

When I watched some games - he wasn't soft!

Death ,Taxes and ET's tradebreaking intell.

Strongly disagree. He got shafted for Oscar mcdonald and there were no other tall options apart from frost. Sure dunn wasn't a great player in his later years however he was far better than oscar

'Flighty' Jackson flies!

Has to be something to do with The Reach foundation and youth. So that is every Victorian club except us and I Hawthorn but there will be funding for Dingley. You hope with the role change of the Footy Manager that something is in the pipeline.

Step up Alex Neal-Bullen. Your time is now. Let me add, I like ANB as a player but wonder why he hasn't been used in other positions other than small forward. He seems to play on-ball at Casey. I know his skills aren't great, but given running is his best "skill", I would have thought giving him a role where he can make best use of that talent might get the best out of him. For example, could he be a wingman? Or a tagger?

Yes Goodwin has had 4 mentors now. Clearly the club believes he is not capable and are hedging their position I cannot believe that the club gave this guy 4 years It has the possibility of sinking the club This is another desperate move to cover arzes. A better move would have been to sack him and appoint a proper coach.Why wait till halfway through next season?

the opposite to a big majority.

well said Jimmy Well crafted piece with perspective. The club Chose Oscar over Dunn and then in a bizzare way kept playing Oscar even though he clearly wasn't up to it. I blame the footy department and really feel sorry for Oscar Should never have come to this in my opinion.

First of all I would have never gotten rid of frost or lynden dunn. Both got shafted to make way for Oscar and both had better talent than Oscar. Second of all I would've recommended recruiting a ready made body, someone like Sam Collins who was delisted from freo instead of relying on an underdeveloped kid to man full back

An apt renewal of contract. Given his lack of opportunity with some at times bizarre preferences around forward selection decisions last season. A merry-go-round of one, two and three talls? with varying degrees of effectiveness v ineffectiveness. Some overly persisted with, others summarily dropped and back to just scratch matches after just one go around in AFL side. Thought his Brown low vote winning effort against the Dons was one of the better performances by a Dee tall forward for the 2020 season. A team orientated smart decision maker with clean skills and mobility plus courage. A keeper. Go the mo!

He’s done well to receive another contract and should be happy with himself. Hard work pays off.

I love that bloke. My heart is beating true. As an aside, Adem’s niece used to work at the firm where I work (a few years ago now). She was a first class person - very well regarded, both professionally and personally. She was a passionate Demons’ supporter and she said that her entire family was too - they all loved Uncle Adem. It’s brilliant he’s back at the club. I’ve got a good feeling about next year.

With LJ resigning, Oliver not having moved to Carlton, Goodwin reaching the magical 9 wins to save himself and Matty Egan staying within the coaching structure we are due another rumour

The general critique of Oscar is very superficial, a lot of good work that KPDs do is hard to see and their mistakes on the final line are conspicuous because they usually result in opposition goals. Players up the field making more egregious and repeated mistakes are cut far more slack e.g. forwards missing straightforward shots for goal.

I like this call, especially in light of the decision to get rid of Omac, not chase Phillips harder, and trade Preuss. I agree that he probably won't play many games but if any of our key position players go down he's the kind of backup you want on your list. I'm happy for him to be our Cam Pedersen, who pops in for a 2 goal cameo at some point and apply pressure on the senior team.

I remember the first time I drove to Buller (May 2000 epic dump, snowed in overnight) my brother left me a note about the Tallarook-Yea back road. He said "this road is windy, so be careful" and - without him having a mobile phone and calls costing 30c flagfall and a $1/minute (remember those days?!) so I could enquire further in order to dispel the ambiguity - I had no way of knowing. So I was driving along in wicked dark and cold thinking "when is this windy wind going to blow in on this bloody windy road".

Collingwood’s 2021 calendar was sent off to the printers before the trade period and now features a Western Bulldog on the front cover. He’s also Mr. January. Then there’s a North Melbourne player featured for the month of October. There were no takers for Mason Cox so he’s still good for the last month of 2021 but will he still be a Magpie by then?

Couldn't disagree more. You obviously don't like Mitch. Must have missed watching his last two games of the season. A big reason why we beat GWS and Brownlow votes v Essendon. Oh well everyone to their own thoughts and beliefs. You are in a big minority though.

Jake Lever is a quality interceptor and not a true key position backman. He needs to be reading the play up field so as to get into a position to cut of the oppositions play. That is when he's in his element. He is turning into a valuable team player. Jake can take his game to another level with the inclusion of a Key backman.

He displayed courage and footy smarts knowing where to go to provide options! We need Smart players and I believe he might be more than a bits part player in 2021

it didn't stop them tearing down the members stand at the g, and that was a 100x more heritage than that rotting wooden ferals stand.

One year is better than nothing, his manager might be banking on him hitting his straps during his third year to get a big fat long term contract.

I never kiss and tell, Ethan, you know that! ?

I know your point but Mitch Brown played a very good set of games once he got his chance and an excellent round 18 where he was nearly BOG. How those Essendon-scum hated his last game to beat them. 21 marks in the last 2 games. And contested marks. Took more marks in his 5 games than Tmcd did in 10 games. Probably gets a year again on value for money coin.

Unless we figure out a way to free him up to play the intercept role and play to his strengths then we'll continue to get a poor return on our investment.

The Port-a-loo we’re getting at Gosch’s isn’t coming cheap.

Another late change to some drafting rules! Until now clubs with Academy/FS/NGA players could only have the same number of draft picks as list spots. "This has been to stop clubs from stockpiling late draft picks with the intention of only using them to pay for highly rated draftee...which was an early loophole of the live bidding system". late-draft-rule-tweak Now, "...the League gave clearance for clubs to use points from draft picks even if they are not going to use the selections to draft players". ie they can have more draft picks than list spots. Clubs that will benefit with players in the top 25 of the draft: Hawks, Bulldogs, Pies, Freo, Swans, Ess, Richmond, Port, Suns. Drafting of these players has become a farce. Clubs can draft elite players for a stack of otherwise useless high picks. One would think the AFL would remove the 20% points discount to offset the advantage this rule change creates. I'm not a fan of rules that advantage only some clubs. Thankfully from next year NGA clubs will lose much of their priority access to these players.

2020 equivocal... let me borrow those rose coloured glasses An injury free team that won one game against equal/superior opposition (St Kilda) by a point. Collingwood were injury riddled when we met them and we failed against every other team in the 8 during home and away for the third year running (except GWS in 2018). He's treading water at best. Glad to see you think he'll go next year if he repeats this year.. if not for the money he'd be gone this year and we all know that