SFebes

At 29 years old and not a known forward or great overhead mark, I think the club have miscalculated this move. Sending him back to VFL for try to work on his "forward" craft is too little too late IMO.

Grundy omitted. Cant spin it any other way now boys.

Just because things worked OK in 2021, doesn't mean that they are guaranteed to work in 2023, for loads of reasons. Ohhh I mentioned loads.....

Call it what you like but Grundy has been dropped. You can't drop your captain. Unlike some, I think this whole Gawn/Grundy thing has been a failure tbh and I was quite sceptical from the get-go. I understand why they tried it to preserve Max but it hasn't worked properly for whatever reasons. You just need to think of it from an expected output/wages paid perspective. Both excellent ruckmen, both probably past their peak. Both were never a forward apart from the odd cameo from Max. I do hope they find a way to make it work but it takes away from our forwardline. Obviously an injury to either means we get a good ruckmen replacement in the team. What I don't understand is some of Goodwins selection decisions and we all know he does love to play favourites. Tomlinson, Petty, Harmes, Spargo.....dropping of JVR when he was averaging 1.4gls a game, bringing Ben Brown in in sloggy wet conditions when he isn't the most mobile, playing JVR without any help - now probably bringing him back after a poor game at Casey last week. I think dropping Grundy is the final straw they had to pull to try get our forwardline some structure, finals isnt far away and we need to be settled. The club needs to find a way quick smart and stick with it. We need to go find/buy a decent KPF this year.

GWS aren't that bad of a side, people need to give them a bit of credit. They have won 5 of their last 6 and the loss to Richmond was 4 points from memory. They not only beat us but they also beat Geelong at GMHBA also.

Caro was right then after all that

I see the team practiced shots around poles etc for an extra hour before training the other day....but what I'm wondering is if they practiced leading at the ball kicker and forward entries that will equate to those shots? All well and good to practice shots at goal but still doesn't fix the problem with connection and delivery.......

While I'm not as starry eyed as some supporters on JVR yet, you have to feel sorry for the kid. He's basically been taking the number 1 defender for weeks as a 19yo and I think Goodwin has let him down a bit by not playing Brown to take the key defender, which would free JVR up. We bring in Brown and drop JVR when it would have freed him up. I'd much rather JVR than Smith thats for sure. Another season with baffling team selections imo. Anyway....

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.

What annoys me when we go forward is everyone just stands there like dummies and doesn't offer anything, its very frustrating to watch as you even see good leads in lower level footy. So many times on the weekend the footage showed players standing still. By the time the kicker bombs it long into 50 our forward line is flooded. This seems to have been going on years now which makes you wonder....

So the "expected score" was 77 from our 73 entries and you say it wasn't connection, forward issues, game plan, structure or set up? I think there are a couple of you who need to have a spell tbh.

You forgot about comparing to 2021 and flicking the switch as well....

Positives - Bowey, Brown. Real worry - Form Of Pickett, Langdon and Gawn. Wheres Brayshaw?

Gawn and Langdon missing

Already bombed it in 4 times and not looked for anyone. Poor from Grundy there

I really wish people would stop comparing 2023 back to 2021. For a lot of obvious reasons.

Happy to give Viney a rest if needed, we should have enough depth to cover. We don't want him or others busted up again like last year....

He also does a lot of last minute tackles and almost chases, I've been watching him closely of late. Perhaps he is injured? However he looks to have completely put away his strengths. Its a watch for me.....we shall see.

There's no way we got Grundy and pay him what we do to play one quarter every week. I like the outside of the box thinking though, but can't see it happening.

The problem is, both just aren't forwards. Bit hard to teach this late in their careers, you either have it or you don't.

Well said, finally some common sense and telling it as it is. I'm starting to form the opinion that Kozzie is a very lazy footballer. And agree, something isn't right.

It's round 15 - we should NOT be trying to find the best forward structure still and we should NOT still be bombing it in/having no connection. The fact its been like this for 2 years, is a real concern IMO.

I'm just going to go back and read this thread however.... Has anyone noticed that a few of our players look overweight or carrying extra pudding? A couple of key ones too, one very important crumbing forward.... Why after so many years we continue to keep bombing it into 50? It just seems every bloody game we do this and sometimes we get lucky, but when our crumbing forwards are sooo badly out of form, we have nothing. Goodwin needs to understand and adapt in game. Cats are known for their little chip mark game and Scott knows we play a zone, so they just pick it apart and chip through it. I was never a fan of the Gawn and Grundy experiment, they take away from each other not complement it. Not a fan and it isn't working to the best of its ability. You cant have a forward line with a very raw and green Smith and JVR to kick your goals. A positive, I'm liking Bayleys second and third efforts down forward, definitely noticed a big shift in his hunger recently. Anyway, get sick of saying and hearing the same old after a loss. Bombing long into F50 kills me.