stevethemanjordan

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Goodwin is truly perplexing.

Some legitimate contributing excuses for sure. How about some of the deep-seated issues that seem to fall into the abyss whilst the 'excuses' are so often brought up? The excuses only further highlight the real problems that exist and that haven't been addressed. Still.

Because Melbourne.

Looking forward to the streams of excuses from the happy-go-luckies. Should be a read.

Absolutely, and a lot of our core. Harmes. It goes without saying that these guys are young and still developing in all areas of life. It's a complex issue. Social media plays a huge part, we have an abundance of young players who have for the first time experienced serious positive media attention for what they did last year. It's hard not to block that out and keep your head down and bum up. But these are the lessons. Wait and see time if they learn and grow.

How much time do you suggest a club needs to give a player room to grow in such a competitive environment? An environment where list change and realignment is so vital, it can sometimes be the difference between a team making the finals, winning a flag or dropping off the pack completely. Let's have some reasonable and realistic discussion about this. Harrison Petty has shown more potential than Oscar McDonald and is 19 years of age. Marty Hore has come in and after half an AFL pre-season offers more than Oscar. Tom McDonald and Jetta both displayed high quality attributes before they settled into new positions which is part of why the were given more time. I would argue that Oscar has been given more time than desirable due to our list severely lacking in key position depth for several years. He was playing at AFL level when he shouldn't have been and as a result, the expectations and subsequent appraisal were completely out of whack. Compliments began to come for on field acts that would normally be judged as a pass level for a key backman given the circumstance. It was bizarre. The obsession that posters have with 'allowing time' for a player to develop without providing adequate reason perplexes me. And to suggest that Oscar has the potential to be an AA defender is lunacy given his output to date. Only binman and a handful of others who refuse to stop feeling sorry for him would say such thing. None of that is to say that I would "dump" him but would certainly entertain a trade. I agree with Lord Nev and Bring-back-powell as far as assessing this year goes. The fact that Jay Lockhart has shown up many of his teammates after working as a plumber for most of the pre-season is of course impressive but also (and more importantly), alarming. What does it tell you about the psyche of some of our other, more privileged young 'stars'? What does it tell Goodwin and co about his selection and list management over the off-season? What does it tell us about how much value he places on true, smart and skilled opportunistic small forwards for example? There are many questions, too many. But like others, I agree that this year's positive will be the titanic and inescapable magnifying glass that will hover over the coaches and players. I don't for one-second buy the idea that injuries are the sole reason we're going to finish bottom three at season's end. It runs deeper and change will ensue. That's the silver-lining, if any.

Doesn't show up for me. But yes, if I saw it, I would be annoyed. I'm annoyed that you've brought it up tbh.

We're a lost cause atm. Geez the perennial positives go missing when we're in the mud. Nothing to say I guess. Severe lack of skill and decision making on show again. Harmes really enjoys the AFL lifestyle. Would be cool if he realised that one good season doesn't mean a lot at this level if you don't back it up. Yeh mate, you have abs and a some tough stickers, we get it.

Tippa is a match winner. We don't have a match winner. We don't have a single player who can make something happen out of nothing. Garlett was the closest but I haven't seen that for over a year. It doesn't matter that he has quiet games still. Part of that is to do with the fact that Essendon have a game plan that falls apart under pressure, (like ours). Tippa won them the game tonight. He is a true small forward who provides elite pressure and creates goals and opportunities when there shouldn't be any. We don't have a player like that.

Facts M8. Look at em. They're good for ya. We're the least effective forward-line in the AFL. No amount of training you attend will change that.

I mean, is there any harm in us asking for one too? Srsly.

Look, the same jollies will enjoy the win, talk about how we held on with three down on the bench but won't bat an eyelid at the fact that nothing has changed regarding the way we're playing. The first half? We were deplorable against arguably the worst side in the AFL without Cripps, Curnow and McKay. Let's get real here, the end of the season can't come soon enough. Watching us enter forward 50 is amateur hour at its finest. We are literally a comedy act. It's as if we try and navigate the most difficult route to goal once inside our forward half. The problem with this list has never been effort based. It is entirely skill and decision making. We are the least skilled side and have the worst decision makers in the AFL. List must change over the off-season if we're to get back to finals.

The only thing I'm certain of is that we're the weirdest team in the AFL. By a mile.

He'd be coming to one if we were to land him.

Playing Gawn would be the most mind-bogglingly stupid decision we've made this year. And that's saying a lot as there have been more than a couple.

Have never stated such a thing but cool.

Bolton would certainly be a positive get considering his experience and cv at Hawthorn. But teaching a team to 'play' like another team always ends in tears. Just ask Richmond from a few years ago. We don't have the cattle to execute the 'hawthorn' style. Clubs recruit for a specific game plan. We've got a core group who play a certain way and we need to tweak the list and game style around that core.

Yep. Cause laying more than two tackles in a quarter needs a whole lot of nuanced thought and perspective.

Injuries and and interrupted pre-seasons are the reasons for our two tackle quarter, jeeeeeeez.

Oscar at present, isn't up to AFL standard and he's in his fifth year. The proof is in the pudding, he is not playing. After five years. That doesn't mean he can't be on a list. I always stated that he was playing because we had zero quality or depth over the years. Now we do. And where is he? Out of the side. Don't write back, there's no need.

Welcome. The truth lies somewhere in-between the extremist views on this site, I think you'll find. I don't think anyone doubts that off-season injuries and interruptions to preparation have had an impact on our ability to perform at our best and therefore impacted our season. Except maybe @Satyriconhome because he's in constant denial. However, I can't fathom the thought that it is only injuries and interrupted prep that is the reason we find ourselves third bottom from the ladder with eight rounds remaining. And anyone who believes it is only injuries has rocks in their head. Seriously. Worrying trends in our game, the changing of the rules, an inflexible coach playing the same game plan, some complacent young players, etc, etc. There are many factors. The interrupted pre-seasons to players has only further highlighted the inadequacies that have existed since 2018. That is indisputable. We got absolutely schooled and smashed in the prelim by West Coast which should have been a wake-up call. Collingwood had done the same to us earlier in 2018 as well as a couple of other sides. The trends throughout last year have carried into this year, fit players or not. If we win contested ball convincingly, we generally win. Allow us to get first hands on and then pressure and harass us, we're in enormous trouble. We only know how to play one way. Not dissimilar to Essendon's 'free flowing and fast paced game'. They're not balanced and neither are we. Generally, I use this forum as a place to vent frustration like many others. But I don't believe it's all doom and gloom for us. I simply see this year as a massive learning curve for Simon Goodwin and a test for him more than anything else. Like Chris Scott last year, like Buckley and Hardwick after their down years, Goody has an opportunity to recalibrate. List balance, game-style etc. I hate saying things like this, but it's the year we had to have imo.

Like the O-Mac myths?

As long as an MFC "one to two week" injury.

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