tiers

Not so sour. The implication is that Goodwon is either too stubborn or too hidebound to accept another opinion. And Jennings should know. Jennings calls him creative at one point but his creativity has not been shown on match day. His strategy of using Gawn in the backline as a deterrent to other teams to kick to the goal scoring areas as Jennings describes is sensible if not predictable. But it only works if the backup around him is aware of his role and Lever is allowed to play his intercept role. His other suggestion to play Gawn in the forward line if we are a few goals down is also sensible. Create a mismatch somewhere forcing the opposition to reconstruct their team and game. However these strategies are too Gawn centric and mismatches should be explored using other players. Playing Clarrie in the forward line does have merit so long as he is replaced in the midfeild by a tagger type who can run eg Harmes who filled this role in 2018 with flair and excitement. Let the opposition worry for a change. Clarrie is the best tackler in the team and if he doesn't win the ball no one else does. Playing as a ball "holder" also has merit because he creates his own mismatch for most defenders - a strong mark , ferocious tackler, speed and strength and a player who has to be taken by defender 1 or 2 thereby freeing up opportunities for others. One of the weaknesses during Northey's reign was that we tried very hard to match our game to the opposition's game so that we were always chasing. I believe that we should focus only on our game plan and, if it is good enough, let them be forced to chase us. We do have the talent. If only the coaching and game plan could match our talent we should go far.

Not impossible but on current exposed form not probable. Happy to wear egg on face.

It is a truism of footy that teams can often emerge from extended periods of poor performance and go on to great success. Think of dees in 1987, leos in 2001, catties in 2007, doggies in 2016, toiges in 2017. This however relies on starting with a good squad and the right impetus for the "click". Typically teams emerge after tinkering with their personnel and game plan. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that the coaches are doing either in any controlled and planned manner. Too much seems to be reactive (team changes) or just not happening (game plan). I also believe that we have a strong list and that the weaknesses identified can be overcome with the right game plan. There are times in games when we show that we are capable of much better but they are too few. The fact that we are challenging in games means that we can be competitive but for not long enough. 16 min quarters and a shortened season gives reduced scope for us to emerge in 2020. Sad.

Part of a forward's craft is to be able to anticipate when and how the ball is to be delivered into the forward line. It takes only a little doubt in a forward's mind for him to miss the best opportunity to lead and to receive. Last week TMac was leading away from Tracca when he suddenly reversed and lead towards Tracca and was rewarded with a perfect pass and subsequent goal. My guess is that Tracca is the only supplier who can be trusted to get it right and honour a good lead. Also Hannan was rewarded. Would TMac have led the same way and been rewarded by any else? Perhaps Salem but who else?

1. 1965-1986 - lost years 2. 1987 - cruelled by a siren 3. 1990 - a winnable year (beaten by a draw that cost us momentum) 4.1994 - a winnable year (beaten by an AFL created super team) 5.1998 - a winnable year (we beat crows by 48 points but couldn't get another chance) 2020 doesn't rate in this group.

David is correct when talking about our influence and impact on the competition. It is a statement of fact that has to be thoroughly absorbed by us all and by the club. Garry's opinions are directed elsewhere at the skills and performance of the playing group and the seemingly lack of direction and planning by the coaching group. The players' effort is as good as anyone but their efforts are being squandered and wasted by poor off field direction ie coaching and implementation of a game plan that will make us competitive. To address David's point we first need to respond to Garry's cry of anguish. I have stated in another post the I believe that Goodwon is not a Goodone. He desperately needs help. I call on the board to find that help for the betterment of our club. Fix it and we become relevant. I have waited 56 years to attend another premiership. The time is now. 20?? Go dees

What if, in trying to break through a tackle, we lose the opportunity to score. It's always better to look to score as efficiently and directly as possible. Tracca played it perfectly.

The free kick against him was a disgrace and an insult to the spirit of the game. The umpires' advisers need a good hard look at themselves and learn to get out of the way. Changing interpretations so easily destroys the intent of the game. No prior means just that. It shouldn't matter how he tries to dispose of the ball when the opponent effectively had more control of the ball than Tracca did.

Looking back I don't believe that he was in a position to kick the goal himself in any of the goals and therefore there is no evidence that he was risk averse. I don't care how he does it - kicks them himself or assists. A goal is a goal is a goal is a goal (repeating).....................................

Just watched "All of the Melbourne Goals" on the club's site. At least six goals were the direct result of Petracca's play. Three from direct passes to Hannan, TMac (on a good lead where he doubled back and led towards Tracca) and to Fritta. Three from indirect play through Fritta to Melksham, through Pickett to Fritta and through Brayshaw to Hannan Quick choice of best option and good delivery. Six possessions like that are worth more than a haul of crappy possessions. Let Tracca coach Clarrie on how to get to the right spots and pick the right option. If taught well, Clarrie could do the same standing on his head. He is that good also.

It's not just the poor kicks. It's also the poor choices. What as summer training all about? Looking good or playing good?

Good kicking to advantage is a function of both the kicker and receiver. If the kicker can't kick reliably well to advantage, that's bad enough. If the receivers can't, or won't, run to receive to advantage, then that's worse. When both kicker and receiver don't play the game as they should, then you get the dees. Jesse knew how to receive but we couldn't deliver. No wonder he got frustrated and wanted to leave. Same with Jack Watts. How often was he stranded on a lead. Too often for the good of our team. They were two natural forwards who knew where to run to receive and could convert but they were ignored and we lost the opportunity to score and have success. The writing has been on the wall for years - how many times can we have many more forwards entries and still be outscored and lose? And nothing changes. The time to fix it is NOW. If its too expensive to replace Goodwon, then get better assistants who can help. But just do something. Resurrecting kanga might be a good starting point.

How did they get their first goal? Over use of stupid handball and then we [censored] it up. One, two and then move it on so at least if we give it up, which we will given our forward entries, we give it up down the field.

Clarko built his team with the shrewd and cunning trade to get a high first round pick for a bunny player in the early 00s (was it to draft Hodge) and then had the guts to select both Franklin and Roughead in the same draft and build a team around them. Remember it took years and it was only the catties stumble and fumble in the 2008 GF that they should never have lost that set the dorks on their way. The threepeat took over 10 years to arrive. There is no quick answer. It takes time. A coach needs to pick, choose and coach his team for success.

Weed and Tmac for me. Start with them and leave them to work it out. It's obvious the coaches can't.

If he doesn't play or coach, leave him alone. The board should provide additional match day coaching support for goodwon. He needs it badly. It seems that there was no tactical response to the catties go slow tactics. Such a lack of response is a serious failure and needs to be purged from our coaching panel. Who was it who said "don't think, do". Get him to coach from above where he will at least get a birds eye view.

Now playing toiges. What next, playing freo on Rottnest Island? Or filth on French Island. I hear Fiji is clear of covid and looking for tourists. A lightning premiership as outlined above is surely more and more appealing by the day. The constant changing and adjusting of the draw is harming our great game and messing with my mind. Better to have an exciting, if somewhat different, lightning premiership season played in Tassie (or NT) than this farce happening every week where we are the mercy of politicians and false positives. Gil, bite the bullet and show them who is boss.

Lever suffers from a poorly organised team defensive game and a fear of relying too much on those around him. For him to play the game we want he needs to know that he will be backed to attack the intercept and that he will not be embarrassed by his opponent getting free. It is also true that he has not played much in the past 2 seasons and he is still finding his role. It worked for him at crows and it worked for swannees in 2005. Goosy, ask Roosy.

All midfielders. It seems we can't stop a goal or score a goal. Gawn to ff.

And we lost by only 3 point with more scoring shots, more inside 50s, fewer clangers, more clearances, more hit outs, more contested possessions and more frees. Hate to think what would be said if we lost by double the margin. And what if the last shot a goal had been a bit more to the right. It's not the players, it's the lack of a coherent reliable system. Dock the pay of the coach until he works it out.

In another thread, I suggested the following player management system. They are now talking about recovery times and turn around times for the players. If it is to be a problem (as Zorko says) then change the format/concept. Each team has a squad of, say, 36 players and their respective game times are rationed by quarters. For example, over five games in three weeks no player can play more than, say, 16 quarters, the equivalent of four matches each calculated as 22 x 4 quarters per game x 5 games = 440 available quarters/36 = 12+ average. Does this mean that players will be rested for whole games? Yes it does unless there is another way to manage the loads. Perhaps play some only 3 quarters in a game, rotate by quarters, pick a side as horses for courses (eg. stack with defenders against high scoring opponents). Rationalise positions - who needs a ruckman unless playing against Maxie? Who needs a permanent full forward if dusty or danger play in the goal square? Inside players v outside players - think of the choices for the coaches. Get rid of 666. Think of the excitement in each game as these moves are played out. Mcgoose and dwayne would soil themselves. Bruce would spend the whole game asking silly questions like doesn't he, wouldn't he. For 2020 season only with a self destruct button. But when 2020 is the asterisk year, let it be for the footy not the virus.

With all the dramas about positive tests, hubs, quarantines, self isolating, forbidden movements etc etc etc I think it is time to revisit a plan from early April. Managing multiple teams in multiple states with flying and travel issues, I propose again the following. Build a hub in Tassie. Tassie which was already socially distancing itself from the rest of the world, seems like a good starting point. 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. Top eight teams make the finals and an express final series to be played for the premiership. If the virus is under control, play the GF on the G on any day of the week so as not to upset the precious cricket crowd. We will of course be gentle with the surface of the drop in wickets but all those studs would only aerate the soil. Non-stop footy every night on the telly, saturation coverage in the media and around the bbq and cooler (if we are allowed), the locals can attend in club colours (they will also have been in quarantine) and a season to remember. Who would go back to the old ways? It's yours Gil. I'll let you work out the details of times, duration, number of players in the squad and on the bench, payments etc. But no change to 18 on the field although, like in the old days, the forward and back pockets are for rest and the resting players cannot chase the ball but can only attack the ball if it comes to them (they will need their rest). Royalties welcomed. 10% of my cut to the MFC so long as I get my 2020 MFC/MCC scarf. I got my scarf so 10% donation to MFC gladly donated.

If we win, its legit. If not, then it's an asterisk.

With the changes in personnel over the summer its too early to know. Picking up two hard running wingmen and possibly a rejuvenated Bennell to add to a midfield of Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Jones, Harmes, Salem, Brayshaw and others, the promise of Pickett, Rivers and Jackson as well as the return of Hannan and AVB, gives me heart. Plus all are fit and, apart from Jones, none are old. The window is ajar and we have to find the way to fling it open and climb through. 2020 is almost gone due to too much disruption against WC and drons. Go dees.

It used to be called a walkover. Take the four points and move on.