Lord Nev

Risking my head a bit here, but we lost Hogan, Kent and Watts from a forward half that was already on thin ice skill-wise. Hogan - Great at using his tank to create forward half space and separation from the 2nd key forward which obviously benefited TMac tremendously. Also his contested marking was a big plus too. Can understand why he's gone, but that doesn't change what we lost. Kent - No superstar, and injuries a worry, but imagine having a genuine line-breaking goal-kicking speedy forward (with Burgo to look after him) in our team now. Plus, his delivery inside 50 was highly underrated. Always been my opinion it was a toss up between him and vandenBerg as far as contracts go and we blinked when Sydney came knocking for vB. Watts - Skill and goal kicking. Simple as that. Could also pluck a contested grab. Reasons for being booted aside, we miss those things. Just like we got sucked into over-investing in the backline, I think we also over-invested in the contest to the point where we have some of the worst users going forward in the competition and nothing we can do about changing it.

This is the problem though. This gets said EVERY year. Just reckon the majority of the supporter base have had enough of that mentality. Make no mistake, if things don't get better this could very well end up being a turbulent year for our club.

We've had about 5 years to work on it and it's only gotten worse.

They are.

ANB Round 2 2 goals, 9 disposals (8 effective), 1 tackle, 4 inside 50s, 5 score involvements. vandenBerg Round 4 0 goals, 7 disposals (5 effective), 3 tackles, 1 inside 50, 0 score involvements. ANB was dropped after that game. I'm interested to see how he justifies picking vandenBerg again next week (which he likely will) and not picking ANB. Particularly, if (as he has stated) we stick with a 1 key forward setup. Goodwin clearly plays favourites. It's not just his tactical failures that are hurting us.

Actually that's a good point. If you compared ANB's game against Carlton and vandeBerg's game today.... Hoooo boy.

Perhaps watch the second half mate, it may change your mind like it did mine.

Thought Hannan was ok tbh, but maybe I need to watch it again. I'd have vandenBerg out for Jones. (Personally would pick Bennell but the post-match from Goody sounded like he wouldn't be picked)

Goodwin pigheaded about poor decisions? Colour me shocked...

If that was any of OMac, ANB, Lever, The Wagners etc that go caught holding the ball 3 times and joking around after giving up a goal on the siren this place would be in meltdown. No more selection favours. Lockhart out.

Talent was what kept it close, not Goodwin's coaching. That's the point.

Jobe Watson summed it up perfectly: 'One team came in with a plan and that was the difference today'

It was injury/soreness.

Marks so far: Total - Gee 25 Mel 12 Inside 50 - Gee 3 Mel 1 Contested - Geel 4 Mel 1 Lucky we picked a short team with a bunch of players coming back in rusty.

Melbourne football right there. Repeat rubbish forward entries, goes the other way defence a mess, easy goal to the opposition.

Have we put someone else on the front now or just moved Zurich?

Hoping the players have re-watched 'To Hell And Back' for a reminder of all the things they said and promised.

No, you've either completely misunderstood it or are purposely playing dumb despite it being already explained. This wasn't on twitter. It has to do with one of our players. Yes, I do appreciate the irony in you continuing to post things like 'if you don't like it, don't look' in a thread you obviously don't like.

Nothing to do with left and right and to try and suggest so is completely transparent.

This is rubbish and has already been explained here a few times. You blokes who keep trying to minimize this to 'an emoji' are just nowhere near actually understanding the situation.

Again you pull this kind of BS with "perceived slight". You're really out of touch with this, you don't "get all that" at all. Not even close.

Mate, it's really really poor when you keep trying to reduce this to 'an emoji'. What response do you think you would get from Neville if you asked him that? Have a think about that and then think about if you should keep posting that on the internet when you wouldn't ask that in person.

From looking through the thread, it doesn't seem to me that Hardtack said Nev is missing the game because of what happened, seems more like he's saying it's possible something like that could effect his mindset this week, and in AFL footy, even more so at the moment, if you're off just a fraction then it has a big impact. I know on all forms of social media, including a forum like this, we all often go with the short answers, because of impatience usually, but so many things are more complicated and nuanced than that and this is one of them. I don't pretend to relate to Nev's experiences of racism through his life, but you could imagine how frustration would build up over countless incidents regularly over the course of your life. To you, it's 'just an emoji', I can understand that's how you see it, but (I imagine) for Indigenous people it can be just another kick in the guts in a life of copping them. Eventually it's going to get to you, even if you're a tough as nails AFL footballer. I'm not trying to say what has and hasn't happened, I don't know, but what I'm trying to say here is we need to try and imagine how this feels to the people it effects rather than relate it to how we would feel. Failing that, just listen to how Indigenous Aussies say it makes them feel. To me, that's the way forward, rather than projecting ourselves into situations we don't understand.

Do you think Neville is a sook? Does he strike you as that sort of person?

Parish is yet to really prove himself and I don't really think he would add much to our mix personally, Fantasia I like, but I don't think the cost v need analysis weighs up right now.