Abyssal

You can try to Spin it what ever way you like, the fact is , if his form was acceptable last week he wouldn’t have been OMITTED this week.

“Grundy OMITTED”. Bitter pill to swallow I would imagine 😆

Quote all the stats you like, Grundy was poor, Gawn was a long way from his best, Pickett was a passenger and MFC were unimpressive winning against a side who lost 3 players to injury early in the game. If We lost in the same circumstances as StKilda, everyone on this Forum would be bemoaning how Unlucky we were. GCDee’s original post was completely reasonable and certainly NOT Dreadful. PS. Do you get “paid by the word” ?

Why was it a “Dreadful post” ?

Apologises for being slightly of topic but I need help, ‘Social Media Speak’ has finally got the better of me ! What the hell does “I really for him” mean ? Was it written by an imbecile, a typo perhaps, deliberate social media clickbait or just yet another example of the destruction of our vocabulary due to the Internet ? If I am in fact the [censored] here, I await the response from the usual crowd, no names mentioned.

Genesis 1:1 The beginning of the End of Mr Goodwin, perhaps.

So you’ve finally changed your tune on ANB 🤣

“finished 2nd in 2022” ? Stretching the truth to suit your argument ? The vast majority will remember 2022 as going out in straight sets and the year being a great disappointment.

Throw in Sam Weideman, Oscar Baker and Toby Bedford !

Such a disappointing performance can be attributed to numerous factors, ie. questionable selection, too many players down on form, lack of team resolve when challenged, etc. However Goodwin’s game plan was more instrumental in the loss than anything else. The concept of trying to lock the ball in our congested forward line not only makes it more difficult to create good scoring opportunities, it leaves the us exposed by a team prepared to run it out. Geelong burnt us ( aided by some critical MFC errors ) by taking it from D50 using run and dare into their extremely open forward 50 where we were totally exposed. Over the last few years we are as good, if not better than the rest using the same tactic yet as time rolls on it’s appears to be used less and less. Thus we are content to rely on Goodwin’s well used, stale and rigid tactic of contested ball/ stoppage game that every other club sets up for. You have to wonder does he have anything else to offer tactically. No wonder it’s been downhill since September 2021.

Judd McVee, the best hands at the club.

Agree, Petty is the better player, but you CAN play both, and forward.

Absolutely, I well remember Southby, Dench, Moore, etc, not only keeping their direct opponent goal-less but also winning the ball and clearing it with great effect. However, a defender who has had little or no disposals himself yet kept their opponent goal-less IMO would have needed to beat his opponent “one on one”which would have required many effective spoils. I include that in the definition of “winning the ball”. Has a defender who has kept H. McKay Goal-less , 8 behinds and 20 disposals had a Great game ?

Neal-Bullen You are correct. I don’t understand what he does for the team. It’s been said on this forum he has a ‘great tank’, also you need to be ‘at the ground’ to appreciate his worth. Ultimately however a player should be judged on their ability to win the ball and what they do with it. That is the essence of the game since it was conceived.

Firstly, I wasn’t comparing Smith to Neal-Bullen. I’m saying Smith can do Neal-Bullen’s role and much more, ie take a contested mark, add another target, give a point of difference and add flexibility if needed. I believe Smith makes us a better team than Neal-Bullen. Also, if as you say, a hole needs filling down back, who better than Smith to do it? The fact that Smith has played on “ Charlie Cameron” and , from recollection, did a reasonable job, should you know, 1. He has the tank. 2. He can play an important defensive role 3. He can adapt to any position on the ground, something Neal-Bullen cannot do.

Cute, but shallow. Maybe try making a case with words than silly little pictures. IMO Smith can play a defensive forward role as well as , if not better than Neal-Bullen. In addition Smith provides another target inside F50 and can take a contested mark, something that Neal-Bullen doesn’t do. Furthermore, Smith gives the team more flexibility should there be an injury, especially down back, again something Neal-Bullen cannot do.

Out: Spargo In: Bowey , small forward Out: Chandler In: Oliver Out : Neal-Bullen In: Petty, if available, Smith to play ANB’s role. Chandler Sub

Neal-Bullen Sorry Dee Zephyr, but no amount of hard running, corralling and ‘trying hard’ would make up for the fumbling, poor disposals, inability to win a ‘one on one’, inability to take a contested mark, as well as being below par for disposals and hitting the scoreboard. If he is such a defensive beast why haven’t we seen him in a ‘run with’ role ?

Conductor to Neal Bullen ”Ticket please”.

Quasimodo would have been More forthcoming at said enquiry rather than our ‘Emperor’. Actually, they could be out of the same litter.

As Key Forwards, Brown, McDonald, VanRooyen, Gawn/Grundy all lack mobility and agility. Having any three in the starting set up is all too predictable to the opposition plus our midfielders are almost compelled to bomb it in long. We are also exposed defensively. Therefore, key forwards = J.Smith and either VanRooyen OR Brown. Grundy to ruck around the ground, Gawn to take the majority of the centre bounces then drop back a ‘kick behind the play’ which would be particularly helpful in D50, especially this week if Curnow, McKay and De Koning are all forward.

Oscar Baker and Weideman have risen to another level now they are at a new club. Quite possibly they have renewed belief in their own ability due to the attitudes of their new coaches. Instead of being fixtures at VFL level they have been given the opportunity and are repaying that faith. Perhaps Simon Goodwin could broaden his outlook and consider backing in the likes of J. Smith, D. Turner, Schache, D. Smith, Moniz-Wakefield and Dunstan ( when available ) instead having blind faith in McDonald and Neal-Bullen who are all too often Net liabilites or anybody else who is consistently out of form.

Gears, gears !

But his ‘running ability’ is good 😆

Neal-Bullen ?