Smokey

I reckon you're right on 3 straight, but I'm still reserved about whether our list and game plan makes us a realistic premiership contender, let alone fav. For all our perceived problems right now, none of them are particularly complicated and I reckon there's a good chance of us clicking soon.

Makes more sense, sorry for the misunderstanding

The FD doesn't owe you or any members an apology over a game plan that isn't working. It's football, sometimes people get it wrong and sometimes they get it right. The entitled attitude of some here is excruciating at times. Not trying to attack you here mate as I often enjoy your posts, but lets get real - the FD is under no obligation to apologize to you every time something goes wrong. They are not your therapists.

Can we just have 1 single thread titled "In hindsight ..." and all of this BS can live in there.

Instead of finding this comforting, it's making me feel more anxious that we will look even worse than we already do if we lose to Sydney.

Am I crazy or should we wait till May strings a few games together before we even consider talking about this? Without recruiting May we would not have had a replacement Omac. Would you rather Omac for the long term?

Simply making a link between the teams you've listed and their previous years performance and relative expectation for the following season. It mostly shows that teams that start with this record are generally expected to do so. Freo, and now Melbourne, are outliers to this. Freo obviously didn't turn it around, and whether we can or not remains to be seen. Of all the teams you listed below, the Freo 2016 team is really the only relevant one worth mentioning as the others were below average teams going into the year in question. 2019 Melb - 13, 18, 18 - Finished 5th in 2018, predicted to make 8 in 2019. 2018 WB 18,18,16 - 13 - Finished 10th in 2017, not predicted to make 8 2018. 2017 Freo 13,18,15 - 14 - Finished 14th in 2016, not predicted to make 8 in 2017. 2016 Freo 18,17,16 - 16 - Finished 1st in 2015, predicted to make 8 in 2016. 2015 Bris 13,17,18 - 18 - Finished 15th in 2014, not predicted to make 8 in 2015. 2014 Melb 14,14,18 - 17 - Finished 17th in 2013, not predicted to make 8 in 2014.

Good post. Did any of those teams finish top 4 the year previous however? Might be the difference worth clinging to at this stage.

Our list. While there are agreed flaws in its makeup, especially around outside runners. The fact remains we have one of the best midfield's on paper in the comp, a fantastic looking backline when all players are available and a serviceable make up of forwards which managed plenty of high scores without Hogan last year. If I were to base our seasons potential on current form then yes, I would predict a bottom 4 finish. But that's a really simplistic view I refuse to take. Form can change, it's really simple stuff. Do I think we have a premiership winning team? Probably not. But saying we are going to finish bottom four is a stretch right now.

Well that's your opinion of of course you are entitled to it. My lack of hysteria on DL is not an indication I haven't fully assessed our situation. We are not a bottom 4 team. Agree we look shambolic right now, but teams don't just go from a prelim to a guaranteed bottom 4 finish after 3 rounds the following year. You opinion may have more potency with me if we had more data to go off right now, but the fact remains we are only up to round 4 and clearly have plenty of ability as a playing group. We just need to get going. Happy to reopen this dialogue with you at round 10.

I'd like to see him on a wing before casting judgement on his capacity over a career

Suggesting we will finish bottom 4 is the most ridiculous reaction to the first few rounds I've heard so far. Make a cup of tea and relax, we are not that bad.

Well he ain’t exactly an unskilled contested bull is he chook. Our recruiting has not been unidimensional.

Love to hear you explain how lever and KK fit into that description

If the thinking is bringing in Pruess is the answer, from what I’ve seen of him so far, we are in very very deep trouble.

Niggle always was and always will be part of a midfielders game. Clutching at straws a bit here mate.

This is a really good post and couldn’t agree more. Its been said before and continues to get brought up time and time again, but we have too many ball winners in our mid and not enough ball users. This would have held up well enough a few years ago (including last year), but the game has evolved this year already and our list hasn’t along current trends with 666. Having said that, I don’t have many issues with our recruiting strategies over the last few years in getting key position players. But the problem is and will remain we don’t have the stock for quality ball users going into our forward 50. Funny thing is, I and many others were relishing the prospect of 666 with our ball winning midfield. I think everyone’s view on this was too simplistic, win the clearance and with a more open forward line we inevitably profit. Oppo teams have figured out that if you put our midfield brigade under any sort of pressure, the disposal turns horrible and because of our lack of two way running, scoring on the rebound is nothing short of a feast. The hardest thing about this is I can’t see many ways to negate this with our current selection of players and I fear our game plan and list is a generation behind already.

Strange wanting to change our current 2 pillars of defence into forwards and wingers and complaining about getting May and lever in the same sentence. Can’t have it both ways, we aren’t exactly rich in key defence player stock without those recruits.

Out - Jones, Omac, tmac, anb in - keilty, pruess, Garlett, stretch I will lose interest in this season without a shakeup like this.

Haha what a typo

I think it’s pretty unfair to have a dig at recruiting over injured players. We recruited the positions we needed, can’t really control whether they get injured or not.

And what was the alternative to this really? Goodwin clearly has an excellent bong with the playing group and he has their respect. You honestly think sacking yet another coach would be a good move? Were all all hurting right now but god damn people drawing some bloody long bows right now.

Can’t agree with this. We’ve had a revolving door of coaches in recent history and some continuity in this area was always needed. Goody is a good coach although I’m worried about his selection of a defensive coach at this stage. Goody can’t stop players fumbling the ball and making wildly poor decisions. At some point it simply comes down to the players.

Over officiating is killing the game. Rapidly losing interest all together.

Anyone here refusing to acknowledge that the umpires indeed gave Essendon silver service at key moments are kidding themselves. Obviously we weren’t at our best once again, but the umpiring tonight was nothing short of putrid.