deespicable me

Great summary as always Binman. I think GWS will be up there at the pointy end of the season so a win is hard to envisage even for the optimistic like yourself. Beyond the win/loss result of today's match I do hope the debutants show something and they are not 1. Overawed or 2. Injured. If we see positive signs from the youngsters in the team that will be enough when we are "building into the season" as Goody says. Go Dees

SSShhh! Keep it quiet Binman. We don't want Roost it Far to get wind of this. All hell will break loose. You know what he's like when a training report isn't on time!

Nice! Nice! That would be like heaven on Earth. Oh please, please, let me live in that Universe.

He looks like Petraccas little brother. And a jealous little brother too. Also his bed in the back of shot! You expect his mum to come in half way through the video "Mum, I told you not to interrupt when I'm doing my AFL preview video" He really would get bullied at school.

Do we assume that if Jagga Smith hadn't done his knee as well this wouldn't have happened. Either way it's good news as he has been showing good signs over pre-season and deserves a chance.

I have liked Aiden Johnson as a recruit. He can be a role player for us. What role and where on the ground I'm not sure. I didn't see him much in the sim but I haven't got used to how he looks so not so sure how he went. Jeffo. I purposely didn't comment on Jeffo because at this stage I'm not too positive on him. But in his defence it is still a small sample. I think he may be a frustrating footballer for us for a number of years as we see signs that get us excited only for him to have a no impact game the next week. I don't even know if he'll start in the Casey or the AFL side.

I went down to training on Wednesday and came home in a fairly buoyant mood. I will just put out a few of my thoughts and opinions as to how I think we are going as we approach the pointy end of the pre-season. Firstly they were doing different things to what I normally see. The full ground drill was a pleasure to watch as they practised giving with a short kick and receiving by hand then hitting a target on the run. Some of the 40-50 metre passes where the receiver didn't break stride were a thing of beauty and made a lot of sense to a fast transition game. Then in the sim Goody actually came out, stopped play and told them all what he wanted to see. I've not seen him do this before. It was good. He wanted them to, when the oppo is coming out of defence, crowd the corridoor and push them wide. Made it very hard to hit targets from the backline for both sides. Then on turnover switch and move quick with short passing. I think we were trying something like this last year and it mostly didn't work so will be interesting to see if we can take this new style into the early season. Players to impress Oliver. Didn't miss a target and had Pendelberry type poise. Baulked, feinted switched hands then always hit his target by hand or foot. Was a joy to watch. Howes. Had half a season last year before getting injured and struggling to get back in the side. Has had a very good pre-season as a distributor off the backline. May is confident using him and some of his passes, not all, were lazer like 40+ metre bullets. He'll make mistakes but has a touch of class. Langdon. As everyone has already said he looks terrific, especially for a first year player. Reads the play well and knew when to drop into the forward 50 and received two lovely passes in space. Both kicks were 40 odd metres out and sailed through. He should be a top 5 rising star but given our love affair with the media he'd have to be an absolute stand out to win the rising star, and then he still probably won't. But he's ours and a great get. X or Lindsey. Saw his class in the sim and he will have elite disposal and vision but is severely underdone. As a poster mentioned in the running he blew up badly and you could see his lack of body strength. He should be handled well in his first year I think and maybe only play 15 games or so whether in the ones or twos. I think he will have real trouble running out a full AFL game. I might be wrong but he can't be a Windsor mark 2. Turner Love the look of this guy. As do many. I think he will have a break-out year this year, well I hope so anyway. He is getting taller and stronger and was the best most classy forward out there apart from Fritsch who chimed in for a couple of classy left footers. Laurie. This is the first pre-season where I reckon he might make it. He is obviously back-up to Viney and it looks like Langdon is now ahead of him but he has grown up now and was beating Viney a couple of times. Is a good accumulator and should rack up possessions at VFL level while he waits his turn. Downer JVR. Didn't enjoy the fast pace of the sim at all. His one wood is getting out the back and taking a speccy with a pack mark. He will get plenty of that when the games start but pattern running and leading he is like a chook with his head cut off. Defended well but had very little connection to the myriad of ball users kicking inside 50. He is an undoubted talent but he still looks like he needs a lot more coaching. Hopefully Chapman can get him going. Just my opinion, by the way. Finally I think we have the best squad in a number of years. I think depth is good and we look a balanced and fit squad. We look to be training with good purpose and I'm looking forward with hope to the new season

I think Geelongs interest in Oliver was more about trying to buy cheap. Moneyball. I'm glad we held out with both Trac and Clayton (obviously) as given the situation we would have been lowballed for sure. I don't think either will go now at the end of this year, but if they do we should get reasonable compensation. This also makes me less nervous about any Kozzie trade. We have shown we won't be bent over when a contracted player aks for out. By the time these contracts run out there is no doubt circumstances will be quite different and there is every chance the player will be happier to continue with us. Also I thought the club handled the Neil Bullen trade with a lot of class. Against what many in the media would have us believe I think we've had a great off season, given we have moved on our former President and CEO. To have all the upheaval dealt with before Christmas and move into the New Year with a stable club was no mean feat. I say well done MFC.

According to the AFL your arithmetic is wrong. How else could we get a Round Zero

I would like the Coaching crew to spend more time on opposition scouting. ie looking at games coming up and how to play those games, who to try and shut down, how to restrict their movement or free us up to play the way we want to. Back in 2020 and 2021 and the first half of 2022 it was all about getting the game on our terms. If we did that we would often / always win. It's different now as teams feel they have us beaten, they get the game on their terms and we can't shut them down or change the game to our advantage. Fremantle, Collingwood and Brisbane are three obvious examples. I would like to see us with more tactics to get back at some of the teams that have seemingly gone past us. Unless we change how we go about it I don't think we can beat those sides and that becomes your seasons death knell. We play Lions (away Round 10), Freo (at the MCG Round 6) and Collingwood (MCG Round 13 and again Round 24) . I agree every game is important and we need to be winning a lot of our games, but those three games in the first 13 rounds will be critical to our self belief for season 2025. I hope we don't just roll out the same lame stuff as this year.

One at the start of the year at each of the grounds to welcome the fans to that area and site for the season then one to start the finals and of course indigenous round. Those ceremonies can be extended if wanted because they aren't as common. Surely that's enough.

He's been a Collingwood member ever since

I'm certainly not Goodwin hating but I think it's important for our management to find out what Longmire is looking to do in 2026. He may be being sounded out for the Tazzie role, or looking at media or a job with the AFL or a complete break from coaching for a period of years. Another team may get to him and offer a huge amount of money. All that's fine. But there is a scenario where we finish 10th or below and people will be screaming for Goodies head. This is the scenario where having had a conversation with Longmire, we can push to make it an option for him. Don't get me wrong, I'm very bullish about our chances of getting back up the ladder and playing finals again in 2025. With Goodwin as coach. We have a very good list on paper, and if the stars align we should be considered as a team capable of winning the flag. But we should all be asking what is a pass mark for Goodwin in 2025?

I thought Lindsay is more of an upgrade, especially over time on Billings. Billings was drafted to be that half forward connecter role, to do a lot of inside 50 kicking and improve our forward connection. It had limited success, but I think that is why Lindsay was recruited more than the half back role. He may end up there but he is too slight to play half back for a year or two i would have thought.

Reading between the lines we may find Trac and Clarry aren't part of the leadership group, leaving a bit of a gap there.

I think Richmond wanting to trade for pick 2 is all about not being able to split Lalor and Smith. If North trade pick 2 to Richmond they will both be gone. North getting pick 6 and wanting Tauru is dangerous because we might take him at 5. It would be a gamble for North but they also recognise that Tauru is probably a pick 6-10 so they are in a sense overpaying for their man if they hold their pick and take Tauru at 2. If North hold their pick and take Tauru we are a huge chance to get Smith at 5. Or Lalor.

I've worked myself up over taking Langford over Smith and regardless of the fact I'm just a foolish fan I'm absolutely adamant we should take Smith over Langford. I can't believe we would pass on Smith if he was available at 5. Langford is another Sparrow. Good solid footballer, strong body, kicks it a mile and can take a forward grab. Smith is the speed in the midfield we need. Imagine if we start winning midfield clearances. Smith is the answer. Langford is same same.

Jagga Smith looks a gun. Very similar to Serong, which is exactly what we need to compliment our slow midfield. I'd be wrapped to get him at 5. Josh Smillie also looks a gun but he is a bull. Would learn heaps off Trac as he is of a similar mould. Either of these two would be fantastic.

I'm quite underwhelmed. I thought the top 5 were meant to be a lot more than Langford. He had bull like qualities but they will get a bit lost at AFL level and he hardly hit a target. No real clue and will be happy whoever we take but am secretly hoping he goes at 4.

I found no offence. I found it disarming and it's the most open I've heard Clayton be so you have to give the interviewer some credit. Clayton is finally maturing and he seems like a well grounded humble guy. I'm certainly on board with keeping him.

A wonderful analogy Undeeterred

I think these are valid points. I also like the use of the word "Maybe". Football clubs are full of "let's make our own story!" If we are successful with Clarrie then it was the right thing to do. If not then maybe we should have moved him on when we had the chance. If he moves on during this trade period and we become successful again then we did the right thing moving him on. If we move him on and have another bad year then gee we missed Clarrie. The funny thing is out of all four scenarios whichever one does come to fruition there will be a bunch of hindsight Harry's telling us how they knew this was going to happen!

But we are hated. By the media.

Lindsay although he's done his knee looks a gun to me. Elite left foot kick and a good connector into the forward 50.

Dante, I thought Saty made some good points and you got personal, then had a second go at him. I think you should be better than that. At the moment I think you owe him an apology. My take on a review is to know the results you want before you do the review, which of course plays to the incumbents. But I think it is important to do a review for appearances sake. If we go poorly next year at least those in charge can say they did a review. We did a review, we came up with answers, we made changes, we move on. If Kate is strong enough to hold on then good luck to her. I'd rather she fight than wake up one morning and say, I've had enough. Good people are hard to find.