MyFavouriteMartian

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Would love to here some of the reasons why people still have Tomlinson in the team.

Yeah, I've just been reconsidering that now myself.  I had Tomlinson at CHB.

But I think I'd be better off with Brown back there in my team.

I still want Lever forward to general/instruct.  He's meant to be smart.   Well there's a challenge for him.  To make the forwardline function smarter.  A bit like Lewis's role

And i think Smith has a longer career in the back line than Lever.   Smith does have to learn it.   But his attributes I think can/will work, in the longer term.

Tomlinson has to be more physical and contest more bodily,  than what he's shown so far.   Weak effort.

10 minutes ago, P-man said:

Yeah fair call. When I think “playing for the jumper” I largely think effort but there are other aspects.

We don’t get full visibility on what they do off the field so there’s a bit of guesswork involved.

I would have thought that it means being fully committed to the club,  jumper,  everything.   But that's just me I guess.

Giving it all for the club, is playing for the jumper.  Or its how I've always thought of it.

Just now, Lord Nev said:

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.

Well I want your permission, to speak to you. for you to have your ears on, instead defences up.

1 minute ago, Lord Nev said:

Ok good chat.

Well, don't you wanna know why i say that.?

1 hour ago, Lord Nev said:

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,

This isn't right.   He's not the Goodwin prototype.

11 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Most of our players are probably already doing 100km round trips to Casey for training. I don't know Sydney's traffic well enough to know how Manly to Blacktown is but it should be heading away from the city for most of it. The boys have plenty of time up there so shouldn't be an issue.

If they get free access to the beach that's a pretty good result. Certainly seem less locked down than the QLD guys.

Google Maps: Manly to Black Town

3 minutes ago, nosoupforme said:

Vandenberg had a good game played fairly well compared to some and was his second game back and will be improving. You are being picky with who should be out. I see you haven't mentioned Smith, he will be the first to go. Rivers and don't be surprised Kossi you might find they could be managed to be rested.

I'm with you soup.

I thought Vandenberg started to move around better,  and uses his body moving opposition out of the way, and often on the ground.   This helps create opportunities and space for teammtes.

So many times when our team tackles, the opponent is left standing upright.   Put them on the ground, and let them spend petrol tickets.

4 minutes ago, Half forward flank said:

Skills and game plan would have resulted in same outcome.

It might have resulted in 2018 form.

I do not share your enthusiasm for the negative,  of how things might have been in the early part of the season.

Form over the next 6 weeks,  I reckon will show us where we are.

4 minutes ago, CYB said:

Like most on here are saying COVID-19 has basically saved Goodwins coaching career

How can you say that, we had the players cherry ripe fit with the new fitness guru and then a sort of Rnd 1,  under the knowledge of a cancelled season, and then nothing but lock-down and and players distanced and at home.   Loss of fitness and regular contact with one another at training.

And then it gets worse, the AFL shortens the Qtrs of the game we had trained specifically for.

Truth is,  we just don't know how our team would be going,  if none of this CoVid19 had happened.

39 minutes ago, tiers said:

What if, in trying to break through a tackle, we lose the opportunity to score.

It's always better to look to score as efficiently and directly as possible. Tracca played it perfectly.

That's judgement at the time,  as you well know, the player with the ball will make that judgement there and then,  and hopefully they won't burn a teammate in a better spot..

What I'm getting at is, I don't want him to stay in his shell.

I want to see him, (now he is starting to develop), to really take the game on.  Not to just scrap, for scraps on the ground;  because Tracca is capable of using his bulk to the teams advantage.

6 minutes ago, Maybe next year said:

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere but the media has highlighted a new tactic used against Melbourne; hiding.  Seeing Jack Higgins hide behind lever and Max Gawn kick to a nearby player upset me in two ways.

(1)  Max laughing after kicking it in a way Higgins could steal the mark.  Any mistake should not be worthy of a laugh or smile. I’ve seen players pound the ground with their fist after making a mistake. Don’t smile, apologise or act upset even if you’re not.

(2) How can a player be so stationary that another player can hide behind him? Why wasn’t Lever moving to give an option. 

These are 2 senior players and leaders of our club.  This was my worry about Gawn as captain.  Gives the impression he doesn’t care enough on the ground.  We have no leadership and have had none for years.  It is no coincidence our best football was when we brought in senior players to lead on the ground (Cross, Lewis, Vince).   Where is our leadership development. Maybe Jim Plunkett should spend less time on zoom calls and more about developing leaders in our young players. Time to start training Sparrow, Rivers, Jordan on becoming effective leaders. 
 

sorry for tirade. Still really upset.

We had stationary players across the ground numerous times when they could have been presenting.   Backs and forwards.  Disappointing.

2 hours ago, Canplay said:

Gary and Derm both spot on, we can all see the following :-

 -  we’ve a midfield issue -  they can all win contested footy but lack foot skills and footy smarts 

It's true, and i want to say, that when we pump our players heads up 'in comparison to other clubs players or lines',  we end up hurting our players minds. They slowly ease off developing, and stagnate.

Remember all the talk of the best midfield in the AFL, a few short years back. that was our talk, and soon after the media jumped onto that bandwagon.  Well we still have the same midfield group, and look where we're at.

Our disposal issue was there before,  But it wasn't as exposed via opposition pressure.   Now it is,  and we can see we weren't as good as we thought.

Fluffing up young developing players heads for them,  is just as bad as constant negative criticism.

14 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

Lever at CHF?

Meh...why not? Let's try something!

He's messing up the balance in the back half with Smith,  and Hibbo who has just found the go button again.

We need some brains up front, and courage.  Because there aint none up there, between them.

34 minutes ago, Win4theAges said:

Please feel free to add others from other clubs.

etc etc etc....

Not one bit of MFC blood anywhere to be found.  That's why we have no culture other clubs have past players floating around and passing it on eg. Rohan smith, Sam Mitchell, Chad Cornes etc

We've got [censored] know one.

One of these positions should be held by someone with MFC blood.

All our Prospectives are either wearing Corduroy Jackets and plaid pants,  Or they're in the Media somewhere.

8 minutes ago, tiers said:

Looking back I don't believe that he was in a position to kick the goal himself in any of the goals and therefore there is no evidence that he was risk averse.

Maybe,  maybe not.  But if he breaks free thru an attacker, He might be able to do the finishing himself.

I'll be satisfied when he's a well rounded RuckRover and forward.

5 minutes ago, tiers said:

Looking back I don't believe that he was in a position to kick the goal himself in any of the goals and therefore there is no evidence that he was risk averse.

I don't care how he does it - kicks them himself or assists. A goal is a goal is a goal is a goal (repeating).....................................

Yeah, but he's gotta develop further.   And he has plenty left over, to get out of himself. 

Lets not put him up on a pedestal yet again. That destroys young players development by placing a glass looking ceiling over their big heads.   And they feel like they've reached IT.

25 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

Serious question, and I'm interested to see what others think:

Is Ross Lyon really the answer for us as a club if Goodwin were to be sacked or step away?  This is purely hypothetical as I'm not in the sack Goodwin camp right now.

We know what he brings to the table.  We know that he is very good tactically and has taken both St. Kilda and Fremantle, which is a pretty good achievement in my book, to Grand Finals.

However, we also know that he doesn't bring much to the table in terms of attacking footy, and he left both of those above clubs in a bit of a shambles when he left.

Is he the type of coach we really need?  I'm not sold on him to be honest, but I'm interested in what others think.

Without Riewoldt & Goddard, he would have done nought.

And he was never able to get CHF  functioning.  that is what cost him the flag.  Oh, and not enough speed on the wings.

He persisted with milne as the main scorer for far too long, in his tenure.

Ring any bells anyone.?

Now what has he done for Freo.?  Well he got them off the bottom,  and back again, didn't he.

11 minutes ago, GoGetRossLyon said:

Our best player now by a mile.   Hes carrying us on his back.   So impressed by his rise to the next level.   Shame his teammates havent followed him. 

No thanks.

8 minutes ago, tiers said:

Just watched "All of the Melbourne Goals" on the club's site. At least six goals were the direct result of Petracca's play.

Three from direct passes to Hannan, TMac (on a good lead where he doubled back and led towards Tracca) and to Fritta.

Three from indirect play through Fritta to Melksham, through Pickett to Fritta and through Brayshaw to Hannan

Quick choice of best option and good delivery.

Six possessions like that are worth more than a haul of crappy possessions.

Let Tracca coach Clarrie on how to get to the right spots and pick the right option. If taught well, Clarrie could do the same standing on his head. He is that good also.

 

 

There is another, as yet unnoticed side to Traccas stats,  from this game just gone.

They are All assists.

He is IMO, still risk averse, to try to take it on or break a tackle to take a shot himself. 

I am really happy that he has extracted his digit,  and is starting to receive some fruit for his efforts.   Instead of rissoles.

Keep it up Tracca,  and you have a lot more in you,  young buddy     ?

16 hours ago, deanox said:

This is definitely a coaching issue here. 

I know they love Smiths versatility, but he should really be competing with Lever or Hibberd for a spot, and May and Omac should have the 1 and 2 defenders. 

I don't think we can play 3 of Lever, Smith and Hibberd. And there's a 4th in Rivers (who is playing Hibberds "role" too).

But I don't think the defenders are where we are losing games.  That's on the mids.

I agree 'dnx'.

Use Smith,  who i trust will improve as the 2nd or 3rd tall.  Keep him back,  and move Lever out.

Put Lever up front, to be the new ideas man. directing the forwards.  We've got no on-field brains up there,  and TMc is a forward with a defenders head.

Allow Lever to have a crack at being the boss of the 'F' troops.

17 hours ago, jumbo returns said:

No Brown - please

Hunt will make way for Jones methinks

 What about this Jbo.?

Jetta May Smith......

Hibbo Tomlinson Fritsch.....

Langdon Brayshaw Salem.......

Melksham Lever Hannan....... 

Pickett TMc Oliver

Gawn Petracca Viney

ANB AVB Jones Rivers

5 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

And defence could turn in to a problem by taking our best key defender and sticking him at CHF.

We need to see how the tall forwards we have go before we start making these sort of drastic changes.  

Yeah, I agree Wb.  I don't want to move our key position players.  I don't see Lever as a key posi player.

However,  I would like to see Lever inside F50,  a) to get him away from Smith because I think they are too similar, and imv Smith is better body on body than lever these days, with healthier/better legs.

b) Lever is smarter, and imv our forwards are not smart at all.  They could do with some leadership to organise them. And Lever can work as hard to restrict the oppositions exit from our F50.

Worth a look i reckon,  to see what Lever can do in there with his smarts.

5 hours ago, buck_nekkid said:

May is doing well down back.  The Smith experiment is one to question.  Lever is generally good.  If we look deeper the problem is the lack of pressure between the arcs.  By the time it gets to May, it is all or nothing.  There have been half a dozen lazy actions that have led to that pressure.

dont take May from the backline.  Just give Weid or brown a go in the forward line, and give the midfielders who cough it up like a COVID carrier at a trump rally a rocket (or drop them).  Omac is probably better than Smith, don’t know what the FD want?  A racehorse rebounder?

Which mids are you referring to bucky,  coughing it up.?

10 hours ago, joshua said:

Chuck lever in the forward line too for a laugh

I went to sleep thinking this last night.

I don't like Lever and Smith together in the backline.   I prefer Smith back, who I think is good spoiling, and has a healthy body with speed.

Lever is suposed to be a great intercept mark, so he can take that judgement forward with him.

And supposed to be a natural leader.   Again he can advise the forwards where to go.

15 hours ago, President Dee Trump said:

Put him in an elite team and he’d be a star.

In an elite team they would tell him to calm the farm, to direct his disposals better,  or he won't be in the team.

Clarko would not tolerate such slack disposals.