tiers

As always, it will depend on the role that he is asked to play on the field. I like the idea of him playing as a "defensive" forward playing on the defence's sweeper and allowing the other smalls to run free. Each team seems to have one player designated as a sweeper to fill the gaps and to provide an extra at contests. Let Jones sweep the sweeper away by negating their influence and role. Any goals he kicks will be a bonus but he will keep the ball in the forward line.

Wing. Running up and down the ground marking and winning the ball on the ground. Back, centre and forward. Langdon's apprentice rotating with Harmes, Hannan and others.

As I have said before in a post, the late Dean Bailey used to say that it takes 70 games played as a group to build the sort of cohesion and understanding needed for success. We are getting to this target - Oliver, Petracca, Brayshaw, Salem, Harmes, Gawn, TMac(?), Viney, Jetta and maybe others. It is significant that Oliver, Petracca, Brayshaw and Gawn have been prominent in recent Brownlows. MaCartney used to say that it takes 5 years to build an AFL footballer. Combine the two and 2020 was supposed to be our year but it will now have to wait for 2021. With good coaching and leadership it's nearly time for this group to burst out and find success.

A stable team structure with few injuries. Consistent and reliable game plan that secures wins. Fit, match hardened players who play to their capabilities and roles. Two to three match winners on the day. No fear.

Don't know about Libba snr but the year that Teasdale won he was completely dominant across the ground. As I recall, he started the year at full forward (his position at Richmond) and went into the ruck early in the season when the Swans' ruckman was injured. From then on he was untouchable at a time when ruckmen (also known as followers) were the equivalent of our current on-ballers who not only contested ball ups and throw ins but were relied on the take big contested marks around the ground (see also Gary Dempsey, Graeme Moss and Peter Moore who also won a Brownlow). As I said above Teasdale was dominant and his win was not a surprise. That he got injured and could never replicate that form is another story. The Brownlow is reward for that one season only and no win should ever be diminished because the winner could not replicate that form again.

The umpires are always in the best position to vote. They are close to the action and can tell who is working hard successfully and who is not. They can see up close who is winning the ball and using it well in a way that is superior to all coaches and commentators. They have never picked a dud and always pick one of the top fancies. Lachie Neale proves the point as does previous winners Pyke, Dangerfield, Martin, Ablett, Priddis etc.

Woewodin played a great 2000 as an attacking, free-running, left- footed on baller who could run all day, get in front of the pack to get us moving and could score goals. Together with his lefty mates Powell and A MacDonald he made a huge contribution to our success that year. After 2000 he was treated shabbily and prevented from playing his natural running game as the coaching panel sought to make him into a defender playing in the BP or HBF. They destroyed his greatest strength - running. No wonder his form diminished and he ultimately left in an act of extreme bastardry by our club.

When Dunn started he, like Bate, showed enormous potential. Sadly both got weighted down with our poor coaching and development at the crucial state of their careers with the Dees. I can understand why the coaches were not impressed by his reluctance to play within the "system" (too predictable and too many long bombs to no-one in particular) but he was, at his best, the best one-on-one defender we had and possibly the best in the league. No-one could beat him. It is sad that the coaches could not find a way to integrate such a skill in the team when we needed it the most.

The real opportunity lost this year was Frost on a wing. After watching Langdon's effort this year, another hard running wingman could have been beneficial. Frosty's run and effort and, even with his at times unfocused delivery, could have made a difference. We will never know because we never tried or experimented.

Tracca often fills the role of "pappa bear" in the forward line. He is the one that pats his team mates on the head when they come to him after doing something special. That, to me, is a sign of captain material. Let's see how it develops. The last one to regularly fill that role was David Schwarz but he couldn't displace Neita for the captain's job. Watts also filled that role on occasions and it will always remain an unknown just how effective he might have been as a captain for his maturity and footy nous. Before you all pile in I remind you that not all effective captains are always the best player. They just need to be the best leader on the field.

The worth of a running wingman was seen this year with Langdon. If Hannan can be developed in this role then he has the attributes (running, marking, kicking if not yet a tank) to fill this role. He will never get high possession counts playing as a HFF so past performance shouldn't coutn against him. In my world view we need three rotating wingman to maintain pressure, to support the midfielders and to provide a way out for the defenders and a path to the forwards. I sometimes think that Clarrie would be ideal if not for his value in the centre. He does the running anyhow and one-on-one on a wing would see him dominate.

More running power. Except for Oliver's run and Tracca's strength we get strangled whenever Viney, Melksham or AVB go in the middle. Brayshaw when played in the middle adds run but he is left on the outside too often. Note also that we get throttled at ball ups and boundary throw ins unless Maxie gets a clean hit to advantage and the oppos don't rove to him - not often. For his control of the ruck contests we get little return. - it seems that there is no plan or cohesion between Maxie and the little fellas. It's demoralising how often we get beaten at crowded contests. Too many dees attack the ball and allow the oppos to own the outside perimeter that gives them a clear passage away from the pack. Even when winning we seem to chase all day. It's own occasional good fortune that we have so many players who can convert something from nothing eg. ANB dodging the pack and running free to goal. Hunt whenever he gets free to run. Lucky we have another six months to correct our deficiencies, if we can. Like our forward entries this has been an obvious failing for years but apparently there is no solution. Better coaching and planning would not hurt.

Do we want to? Too much heartbreak there.

Embarrassing performance. Twice in the third quarter Maxie took an uncontested mark in the backline and twice the ball came straight back after he disposed of it with first a kick and then a handball. If we have no plan or strategy to clear the ball from the backline then what hope do we have to plan and kick goals. Oh , I forgot, we have kicked just two in three quarters. Time to watch current affairs or documentaries because they are more exciting and interesting than watching Goody's dees.

Some years ago I wrote regarding the draw up to round 17 and the final five weeks followed by a finals season and retaining the bye before the finals. I believe it still has merit especially after this year. Play a 17 round season and then break up into separate groups for the last five rounds. Groups to be as below to play a round robin within each grouping ie 5 rounds. 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16; 2, 5, 8, 11., 14, 17; 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, The advantages would be that there would be no favourites, no guaranteed finals positions, incentives for all teams to play hard up to round 17 as group assignments would not be known until the end of the round (draw to be made as late as possible to maintain interest), further incentives in the final 5 games for up to 12 teams to progress, less chance of the system being gamed by unscrupulous or creative coaches, maintain interest till round 22 as all teams to have something to play for. One downside - teams would not be able to challenge those closest to them eg. 7, 8 and 9 for the final spot in the eight. it is an acceptable compromise. To enhance this system, there should also be a similar staggered round robin series for the first three weeks of the finals. Combined the potential is awesome. The bye and the chance for a rest and refresh for the players offers the prospect of a finals season, distinct from the H & A season and a finals series. The eight clubs to be divided into 2 groups 1,3,5,7 and 2,4,6,8 and play a round robin series to determine ladder positions at the end of the finals season. The teams that finish top in each group play off in the grand final. They will have earned it. Finishing 1 and 2 or top 4 loses its appeal for the teams. The argument the WB benefited from the bye is correct - but don't we want the best teams to win, not just the team with least injuries at the start of the finals. Injuries can occur in the finals that will test team lists but at least they could all start even. The trade off is enhanced interest in the final round and four matches a week for the three weeks of the finals where just winning is not enough, it's the margin of victory and its affect on percentage that counts as well. Every score could have a bearing. I would also have all four matches in the third week played at the same time so that teams can't game the system. The broadcasters would have the challenge to cover all four matches simultaneously using "round the grounds" images and reports. What a dynamic and exciting day of footy. Introduce another bye in the week before the grand final so that both teams can be at their best The grand final would then be the ultimate match of the season. The bye week before the GF should become awards week for the Brownlow, rising star, MVP, coaches and all other awards to be held in that week which would become an event in itself with daily functions with the Brownlow as the climax. What a celebration of footy. And then the grand final. Or use the bye week before the finals start Why not?

Current: Oliver. A class above the rest. Has the skills, the size and the potential to be the best player in the AFL in time. All time: The incomparable, unmatchable Robbert Flower. Better by several orders of magnitude above all that have played VFL/AFL, not just Dees, in the 60+ years I have watched.

Have to concede. well done to Diamond Jim. Some might say he ia more successful than his earlier namesake.

It was first posted under 2020 Lightning Premiership on 6 April. Don't know date of podcast.

Some months ago, a clever poster posted this suggestion: Send 18 teams with coaches and staff to Tassie, wait 2 weeks then start training for a lightning premiership season based on a truncated series of matches. Every team plays every other team once (there is of course no home ground advantage) over a short period, say two games a week with minimum 3 days rest with a new game every night for the season to clean up with the TV viewing (just like T20 cricket). If the season runs into spring and summer, so what as it never gets too hot in Tassie and there is no international cricket season to protect. Modify the scheme for multiple hubs and there is still the structure that has been used. So when Whispering says: The Melbourne Football Club should hand out an award to the person who came up with the concept of the 20 day football frenzy the football world experienced from Round 9 to the completion of Round 12 on Monday. I accept the award on behalf of the clever poster.

Having a free kick reversed is penalty enough. An 80-100m territory (now that territory is spoken about as a real thing) loss is far too much.

Was this game not more exciting and attractive as 2020 footy? No scrums, quick umpiring decisions, fast tough and uncompromising. Real footy that had not yet been sanitised by the rules committee and over-coached by so called modern coaches. And we won. And how good was Stinger's mullet.

I am a bit older so my memory is probably more reliable. A good old wingman would patrol his side of the ground. They didn't run forward as much as they ran back to either help out or provide a target out.

The late Dean Bailey used to say that a group needed to play about 70 games TOGETHER to bond with trust, understanding and cohesion. We are getting there with the core group of Tracca, Clarrie, Gus, Salem, Maxie, Harmes and others. Add to the mix Kozzie, Jacko, Rivers, Langdon togerther with the experience and stability of Lever and May and we have the makings. I had always predicted 2020 as the year when it all came together but in the midst of this madness it is hard to be confident. Watching the game from high up behind the goals is the best way to gain an appreciation of movement, tactics and plans. It is still my favourite view but these days I am MCC and don't get behind the goals but still sit top deck. Coaches needn't sit up top so long as they have watchers who do and can relay relevant information (I think NFL do this). Go dees. It has been easier to watch the past 2 weeks. Long may it continue.

He runs and runs and runs. He is the Energiser man who plays like a wingman of old - up and down his flank with a regular support role in defence and not hunting for goals. Good pick up.

Trade out Clarrie or Gus so we can watch them become stars of the game at another club under a better coach? Nuts! I would rather trade the coach and find one who can maximise their potential. Enough. The boys deserve better from the club. And more support and belief from us.