Lord Nev

He's signed up til end of next season.

And of course you would be aware Burgess totally changed his training philosophies after about 2017 yes?

Google it mate. Might I suggest listening to some of his online lectures and/or podcasts, I'm sure he drops a mention of it somewhere. Not fussed if you choose to believe we're just all of a sudden super tired in the exact same period we were last year.

Yeah we're a bit stuck hey? Personally I would drop him, has had enough of a chance, but I can totally understand the argument for not dropping him given the other options and Goody's thoughts on Weid.

The main reason I'm not so worried about him kicking bags in the VFL is I think his main problem at the moment is his lack of movement. Not sure if he's carrying an injury or sore or whatever, but he just plants himself in a spot and doesn't lead. Earlier in the year he was getting around the ground more, wasn't rare to see him up on the wing taking a grab, but seems to be less of that now. He was really labouring around the ground on the weekend, more than I've noticed in recent weeks. Just reckon at VFL level it's easier to manage the game time and easier to focus on one or two specific things at a time.

Bit of everything mate. Things I've been told, patterns in performance with clubs Burgess has been involved with, anecdotal evidence based off watching our running and skills at games. I'm not saying it's the sole reason we've lost a couple of games, there's pretty obvious other problems as well, but it's just meant I'm not in a panic as I'm expecting us to lift after the bye.

Go speak to people from our club or Port mate. Burgess doesn't post his whole fitness program online.

Will be interesting. Heard some goss this morning that makes me think Weid is not much chance of being picked this week and even a chance to not be with us next year. So you could be right.

Doesn't have to kick bags IMO, but atm he's giving us literally nothing. You can't keep that in the time and cross your fingers, it's just a terrible look for culture as well as harms our performance.

What a bizarre thread. If you want to make the Dee Army bigger and want them to listen to your suggestions, then join. Simple.

100% need an in form Ben Brown for finals, even more so now with TMac likely out. That's my reasoning behind dropping him though, not as punishment, but as a way to find form. He's not finding it at AFL level atm.

Yes, it's been talked about a lot in AFL circles since his Port days. The resilience piece was something he came around to, it wasn't always his philosophy, but that was definitely something he brought to us as well. You can choose to believe whatever you wish, I can't factually tell you it's 100% happening, but I'm basing my opinion on evidence and not just making it up.

TBH just basing the decision on form, rather than faith. Brown deserves to be dropped, Weid deserves a shot. Just that simple for mine.

The same forward who hasn't hit the scoreboard for 3 weeks? Nah, drop him to find form, he's not finding it at senior level atm.

For reference... Contested marks - Brown 0.8, Weid 1.3 Marks inside 50 - Brown 1.4, Weid 1.5 Tackles - Brown 0.6, Weid 1.2 Contested possessions - Brown 4.2, Weid 4.7 But tell us more how much worse we'll be at the moment with Weid instead of Brown (who hasn't kicked a goal for 3 weeks).

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/1142949/rd-12-simon-goodwin-post-match?videoId=1142949&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1654350204001 https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1142954/goodwin-not-panicking-but-eyeing-improvement

For sure, but there's a real chicken and egg thing going on there. The forwards are barely moving to make leads or create space so it makes it hard to deliver well - but maybe they're not working as hard on that because so many kicks just get bombed to a pack 35 out?

Aside from personnel changes, also think we'd benefit from Gus getting back to the wing (Rivers or Hibberd in), and Kozzy attending a few centre bounces again. Reckon we need to shake up the clearance setup a bit.

There's not one answer, but you don't just continue with out of form players when others are performing at VFL level. We've been down that path as a club, it didn't go well. Absolutist answers are pretty lame.

Nope. But Burgess is famous for his belief in it. We went through a very very similar flat patch at the same time last year. And looking at the players the last 2 weeks they are looking tired, skills are flat, ability to cover the ground is diminished. You could also make a case for that being part of why Salem came straight back in. So no, don't know it as a fact, but going off evidence it's what I believe.

You pick on form. Weid had 3 goals and 10 marks, Brown is badly out of form. Pretty simple decision really.

We'll lose next week. Finish up the training loading during the bye. Then we'll get better every week from then out until we romp home in another Grand Final.

Neither Tommo or Daw are playing in the team next week. Weid is the obvious answer rather than all these wild ideas IMO.

Jacko needs to sort out his leading patterns as well though, was watching him closely tonight and he runs straight towards whoever the other tall forward/s is.