Lord Nev

He's my favourite player, he's also my least favourite player. Something has to change in our midfield though, one of Viney and Brayshaw will be gone next year IMO.

Board challenge jungle drums are starting...

I'm not saying in totality, I'm just saying those particular aspects, the one of one weakness and the back half turnovers, were reasons we leaked goals.

That would be the first option for sure. I think contracts are still on hold due to covid-19, so no one has re-signed yet.

Also Kingy: “For me, they win the flag this year. They’re not wanting for anything. They don’t lack anywhere,” King told SEN’s Whateley. “If Steven May stands up down back, then they want for nothing. “They’re clearly the toughest team in the competition, they’ve been rated the best list this year (by Champion Data), it’s been the perfect build the way they’ve put this list together." "They want for nothing": Why the Dees are David King's flag tip

If Jones retires and Viney goes as a FA I would imagine we have more than enough salary cap space.

Not a subscriber so don't have the copy. But the preview to this makes it sound like we're genuinely making enquiries. Dees Set To Make Play For Joe Daniher

We were the highest scoring team in the league and absolutely leaking goals via poor one on one defending and back half turnovers at the time. Usually love Kingy, but this is an absurd article.

Yep, that's fair, it's more a snapshot of the games so far than an undeniable form predictor.

I've never felt like this group really 'lives it', you know? We sort of got a taste of that once we got the momentum in 2018, but that short period aside, it's all felt like good times, platitudes and the players making the sad faces at the right time. We had a whole mini-series about how hard they were hurting, how it was burning, sitting in their guts, yet they come out a short time later and the skills have gone backwards. It really is decision time for them all. Be remembered, or not.

I think you don't have to separate the two. The classic 'playing for the jumper' means you give it everything on game day, sure, but I think it also speaks to how you spend the rest of your time. Do you study footage of your opponent? Do you work hard on your fitness? Do you work on your skills and craft as a footballer? And I don't mean go through the motions of training, but really, genuinely work (and put in the extra work) into those things. That is where we're failing at the moment. That's why our skills haven't improved. And that's why this question of 'bleeding for the jumper' can come up despite it not being just about effort on game day. Are these blokes just professional athletes, or are they footballers who want to win?

How about just saying it straight up? No one is interested in us going back and forth. I'm happy to leave it at you think he's not, I think he is tbh.

Ok good chat.

How bad is this year? The challenge is coming. Watch this space.

Didn't want to start a new thread especially for it, so figured here was the place. With everything going on for him this year, Hibberd has been absolute heart and soul; and his performance on Sunday was sensational. Desperate at the contest, ran hard both ways all day, backed into packs and didn't sook when things went against him (which is a VERY noticeable trait among his teammates this year). Just giving him a shout out for being a role model of powering through adversity. Hibberd - Heart & Soul

If it's not bias then it's stupidity IMO. A coach that talks weekly about forward connection, pressure and vision who then drops a player after displaying all those things in a victory... Geez, doesn't make sense to me mate.

Yeah, I'm not trying to say he's a great player or he alone is the answer, but I just think as things stand right now he would improve our forward half potency. Would much rather we had better options, but atm I don't see them.

It's just the only reason I can think of for dropping him after the Blues game.

I mean, I love his effort and all, you can't not love the bloke, but I'm probably extra harsh on him because I see him as the prototype Goodwin player who goes hard but doesn't use it well and it hurts us because he plays in positions and roles where we really need skill, the skill we have running around in scratch matches currently.

Isn't it 2020? Not sure what 17 and 18 have to do with anything. Just like I'm not sure what career averages have to do with 2020 either. Pickett has played 3 games, bit rich talking about 'career average' mate. And yes, I would absolutely drop Hunt this week. Sure ANB went missing a bit after quarter time (kicked a goal in the 2nd by the way) but his use going inside 50 in that first half was better than I've seen from any of our players this year. We could do with that right now don't you think? ANB and Kozzy should play very different roles IMO, so I see no reason why both can't be in the side.

This is such an overplayed argument when talking about vandenBerg's value. Gets caught with the ball, his disposals don't contribute much, goes missing for big chunks, OH but he tackles really hard...

This isn't the changes thread so I just stuck to the topic brought up. We all love vandenBerg's intensity, but he's not giving us what we need, which is skill forward of center. Second game back is irrelevant. Why does he get that let off but others don't? For the record, this week I would be brining out all of vB, Smith, Lockhart, Hunt and Melksham and replacing them with ANB, OMac, Jetta, Bennell and Weid/Brown.

Agree mate. Melksham is usually one of my faves but he's played such selfish football this year for some reason. I'm not the biggest fan of them all, but bring in ANB, Bennell and either Weid or Brown for Melksham, Hunt and vandenBerg and not only do we have more skill forward of centre but we get back to a more 'traditional' setup that the players are more familiar with. We need to make it more simple for them.

He's our best for average score involvements. Guess who second best is? ANB. The same ANB dropped after 2 goals and 5 score involvements against Carlton. And Goodwin bemoans our 'connection'. He's as bad as some of our supporters with his bias.

Meanwhile, Melbourne on Sunday night took a group of families to their NSW hub - Jack Viney travelled with his partner Charlotte and nine-day-old baby Mila - while a host of fringe players stay at home. The struggling Dees have reportedly left Wagner brothers Josh and Corey back-up ruckman Braydon Preuss, among others, in Melbourne to continue training with coaches. AFL teams head into hubs IMO, staying behind would be: Hore, KK, Preuss, Nietschke, Petty, Baker, Bradtke, Wagners x2, Chandler, Jordon, Sparrow.