D4Life

Goodwin will be coach next year, so hopefully get his opportunity with a fit team and normal season. Successful clubs typically stick with coaches for Quite a while, so I’m not in the dump the coach after every lose mode! I can also appreciate things that Goodwin has done well over time! However after the Freo loss, Binman, George & Andy, On the Podcast (thanks for the time, effort & entertainment provided gents, much appreciated) highlighted a number of fundamental flaws, and if three wise keen supporters can see it, I would expect at least the same from our FD, including the coach! Goodwin might make It, but he needs someone who is a better analyst of opposing teams, a match day tactician, and better assistants. But we could run a competition of the five obvious flaws in how the Demons play, and most would be pretty close! The playing list is close, probably 3-4 improvements on what we have to make the difference!

Goodwin obviously has a good relationship with the players. However tactically he is ordinary. After four years our kick out strategy is kick it to Max or Salem, that’s it! The opposition go to Max, last night GWS won the ball back nearly every time it was kicked to Mac! After four years ourbackline still lets the like of Daniels this week, Walters last week get a free ride - look like we finally addressed it with Lockhart Mid season and he hasn’t been seen last three weeks! There are many more examples!

Who played on Daniels? Lockhart played the role on oppositions forward pocket / small forward earlier in the season, and I thought was improving and the guy you could rely onto stay down! So for me ins: Lockhart for Jetta Hibberd if fit for Smith

I’m wrapped we won and great to see Rivers & Kossi give a lot! But can we stop doing stupid things! Kick out strategy, not selecting Lockhart to pick up opposing small forward! Weideman down, so why not move him for 10 minutes! We have some top players, Gawn, Petracca, Oliver, May, Langdon and I think Viney is a fun if used the right way, so there is potential, but. Coaching has to improve

Change the kick out strategy! Giants swarmed Gawn and picked it off us so many times!!

Lockhart to play on best small of opposition

We had a settled backline, had just worked out Weid straightened up the forward line structure, and since then we’ve pulled the team apart, totally Screwed it!Lockhart actually Stayed down, versus play Smith and every backmen goes for the punch! Lockhart plays against Swans & Freo and easy roved goals probably don’t happen, we get a lot closer! Similarly with Viney / Brayshaw in middle and Petracca blend mid to forward, looks like getting it right then goes back to old structure! FD can’t seem to recognise success and what works Vs what fails! WJ you’ve done a better job than the FD, and the gents running the podcast also could easily identify what was wrong after Freo game! If Goodwin doesn’t go they need to make 2-3 other coaching changes!!

Selected an unbalanced team against Swans and even worse against Dockers! Had been settling backline Against Crows, Roos & Pies then swung Smith back in, Lockhart out, can’t see the logic. Similarly with forward line, 2 talls, 2 mediums, 2 smalls works, then gets thrown out! Seem keen to keep experimenting, when something starts to work, why screw it up? Jones also led to team imbalance! Hard to understand what the Demons have been doing at selection!!

New coach required Just not Ross Lyon

Unfortunately being thoroughly out coached again! chaotic team selection! Lockhart should have been picked, at least he stays down!

Looking at selected team on field, and ANB isn’t a crumber!

I don’t understand how Lockhart can’t get a game in the backline! Team just feels unbalanced. One key forward, only one crummier in the pocket Zero confidence! Just hope we can manage a win! Go Demons!

Can live with the ins and outs, would have selected Lockhart. I’m hoping they don’t line up as selected, as you need at least one of Spargo or ANB in a pocket to play crumbing role! Playing four HFF hasn’t worked when we have tried it before! Can live with Fritsch or Melksham or Jones in a pocket! Don't like Jones on a wing, would have Tomlinson, Harmes or even Smith in that role ahead of him!

I don’t think he is up to it, you want him to play the next four with shortened breaks and then two finals. His performance nearly cost us the game last night! Maybe you can sneak him in at position #22 in the team, but he is slow, his skills not great nor his judgement. Is making the finals and winning a few, or Jones getting to 300, most important for the team?

Eight Demon players from the above team won’t be playing. Swans look weaker this year. Still need to go in full bore this Thursday, and run like hell, to shut Swans down.

Oliver - lifted in last Viney - stopped Steele influence Spargo - some tackling pressure Wagner - better than usual Tomlinson - some good things

As the siren sounded they went to Goodwin on the boundary line, on the bench were: - Pickett needs a rest and also could do with a game in scratch/twos to get more of the ball, he will make it, but needs development. - Jones a Demon warrior! Now slow and making critical errors, the miss in the backline with just over a minute to go before half time cost us two goals and nearly the game! A player of his experience should have made sure we killed the last 80-90 seconds of the quarter! - Hannan, his good is very good, but it’s 1 very good game, 1 average game, 3 poor games in every 5, he needs to improve his worst performances. - Wagner played okay, but always makes you feel nervous, there are 4-5 other players I would select ahead of him in a half back role. I felt it was telling they were on the bench when the match was on the line! I’ve been very frustrated with Goodwin this season, particularly lack of moves against the Dogs, but credit where credit is due, the Demons won the strategy battle against the Saints. So for me the definite outs: - Pickett In: Bedford like for like, give him a go! - Hannan In: Fritsch - Jones In: Harmes get him to play forward and tag Swans back half playmaker - Wagner. In: Lockhart not sure why he was out On the edge:, 5 changes on a four day break is acceptable, so possibly one more: - Oscar, helps the structure, both May & Lever seem to play better when he is in the team, but he is a worry, slow running and slow to get rid of the ball, all bar his first game back last time, when he actually just went for it. Anyway I think his place will be dependent on Swans structure! - VDB, another warrior incredibly courageous, but disposal ordinary at best, can accept as number 22, but a weeks break wouldn’t hurt his body - Hibberd out only if ankle sore - Spargo low possession game, but had most tackles of the forwards, and also ball only went into forward 50 30 Times! A little like Weideman just give him 4-5 games in a row as long as he is doing the team things. If you look at forward pocket type role across the league, only the best play we’ll week in week out, tough role to play! If one of the above is out, you have a range of options to select from: - ANB - Runs and puts pressure on, but feels like top VFL player, needs to step up to make it at AFL - Hunt was playing very well until he knocked himself out on the Crows ruckman hip, two years ago never been the same since, I would try see if he can do what Langdon does - Smith to me could play as a defensive forward, has closing speed, can mark, can kick, just doesn’t have great football nous! - Bennell would just let Him keep building in the practice matches Game plan - rotating Petracca and Viney in and out of the middle would make it tough for opposing sides to continually match up against!

Sorry it was a crap kick, lucky to reach it with one hand stretched to height of his reach!

Don’t blame Goodwin! Jones fatal mistake from a guy who has nearly played 300 games - just terrible. He is slow and skills not good enough - can’t pick him!!

Jones again slow and poor disposal he is finished

Kicked it over his head!!

Jones error goal

Feeling of dread building, thinking 3-4 goal loss pre to team selection, post thinking as ugly as ten. Richo highlights speed so we go: Gawn for Preuss - Max quicker Brown for TMac - haven’t seen Brown play this year, but anyone quicker than TMac Rivers vs Harmes - Rivers slightly quicker J Wagner vs Lockhart- speed similar, J Wagner decision making awful & slow Jones vs Sparrow - Jones very slow OMac vs Fritsch - slow slow slow When I way it all up team definitely a little bit slower, when I’m thinking we should definitely have picked quicker team, why none of Bedford, Hunt or Smith given a go, I’m not sure. Also as quite a few people have highlighted Lockhart has been solid, why drop him when Saints have Butler, I don’t understand! Anyway I’m expecting to lose by 6-8 goals on reflection, really hope I’m wrong in this weird season, Saints are probably due a stutter, having lost to North & Freo having been well up in both, but you never know!! Go Demons, and while I’ve hardly had a drink during lockdown, a few cans will definitely be required to settle pre match nerves! Go Demons!!

I understand the frustration, but at least he typically kicks a goal or two and creates a couple. Hannan has less impact and gives nothing in his poor games! Pickett also needs a week off, not hitting the scoreboard or creating goals.

First five minutes the warning bells were on high, as Demons looked flat. As bad as we were for the day, some points to consider: - Melksham touched set shot, Fritsch missed everything in 3rd, Kossie two points from early shots, generally poor goal kicking. Make 3 of these shots and maybe a different game - mids flat for the day, other than Viney, the rest no chasing, went back to dinky football, rather than bold of last week and last quarters of preceding two weeks - Melksham and Fritsch had opportunities and poor conversion, Weideman made most of limited opportunities, Pickett, Spargo, Hannan didn’t do enough, their opponents seemed to have a free reign. AVB also fitted into this bucket. TMac little influence. - Bontempelli running free and starring, nothing done, just let go - team probably played 10 minutes of reasonable football in later part of 2nd quarter Add all of the above shockers and only lost by 28 points! Makes me think all isn’t lost. Most teams bar Geelong have had at least one if not too underwhelming performances in this season, as Hub life, different game breaks, never getting home games, adds an additional challenge into the year. The good, the defence under attack for a lot of the game, Due to little or no forward/midfield pressure held Dogs to only 12 goals. May, Lever, Tomlinson, Lockhart, Salem All pretty solid. Really up to Oliver, Petracca, Brayshaw to lift consistency, take the game on every week, and forwards to chase like their careers depend on it!