JimmyGadson

Our forward and backs have also been flakey over the journey with both Chaplin and Stafford at the helm. So do we make a blanket statement about them too? We have no idea the impact Bassett had on their group. Let's not pretend we do.

My suggestions are multi-faceted. I think that Goodwin instructs us to play a style and a method that suits our list's skill set predominantly which lends itself to issues like ball movement, use and efficiency. He puts a premium on playing forward-half football which also plays to our defensive strength given our elite intercept players. This is all well and good if you're turning that forward half, contest dominance into scoreboard dominance. But how many losses would you say come from an inability to turn that dominance into a score? And for how long has it been costing us? It's just not working, no matter how many times you hear his tiresome "we need to get better/we need to connect better forward of centre" post match talk. I actually don't think it matters what kind of key forward we have if we continue to play the way we do. Which is why I'm concerned about throwing the farm at a big name forward if we continue to play the way we are. All that is important to Goody with this plan is an ability to contest in the air and bring ball to ground. Because we don't put a premium on hitting leads and it seems we don't even like leading up. When I watch our ball movement in free play the majority of the time, we are completely conditioned to move the ball in a way that gives us the best chance to keep the ball locked in our forward half at the cost of actually getting a real look at goal. To keep defensive structural integrity yeh yeh. Fritsch leads toward goal to often, Melksham does and T Mac does. Deep entries to lock it in yeh? But I ask again, at what cost? At the cost of losing big games and big moments it seems. No longer can you lot use the 21' flag as proof of our impenetrable game-plan. Because as I've said so many times, our losses during h/a season 21 were all replicas of the losses last year and this year. Yes we're hard to play against. But top teams know how to beat us. Yes we have a lot going for us. But Goodwin has been too stubborn and put all his eggs in. I disagree with the notion that we've made significant change. Even if the likes of DeeSpencer brings his reasons. It clearly hasn't been meaningful or significant given the way we lose games is identical to that of three years ago. Areas of change need to be first personnel and then plan. 1 x midfield addition (draft/positional) 1 x half forward addition (be that a positional change or trade/draft) 1x specialist forward pocket The midfielders that consistently kill us are the ones we're missing. Kelly, Gulden, Walsh, Merret, Daicos. We just don't possess an outside midfielder who has the capacity to break lines, hold space at a contest and consistently use the ball. Langdon is not that because he is a poor kick. Another double-edged sword. He is great for maintaining defensive structural integrity. But he also contributes to the ball flying back the other way due to his turnover rate. For me, McKertcher is a must from this draft for reasons I've already outline. He would free up one of Salem or Bowey to make a move forward of centre and play a Daicos quarter back role in his first year with some pinch hitting midfield minutes. Salem needs the pre-season of his life and he could be utelised in a number of ways at half forward but his biggest asset coming to us was his leg. And we need it forward of centre. I'd get Watson in who is simply a finisher and class user. And given the way we play, you can never have enough class finishes. He can play half forward or pocket and it also would allow picket to play further midfield minutes which I think is also a must next year given his creativity in congestion, vision, ball use. Maybe I went overboard with the key forward comment. I just don't see it as a pressing need given the way Goody likes to play. I think there's just got to be a few additions to this side in the right spots including a new move for Salem and a bit more licence for those with the footskills to work angles and go for their kicks. Goodwin needs to release the shackles a bit for those players who thrive with ball in hand. That is not Oliver, Viney and even Petracca. They need to know their limitations but also get better at kicking to the advantage of a forward. That needs to be drilled into them in the off-season. Kick to the advantage of. They're never going to be consistently hitting targets, it's just not them. We're not far off. It just does my absolute nut in that we haven't addressed this.

All reasonable and fair points. At what stage do your eyes tell you the broader picture for all you stat lovers? For instance, the Gulden one fascinates me. I'd love to know how many of his kicks (when under no pressure) going inside 50 result in either marks/shots in goal compared to Viney, Petracca, Oliver. I mean, my eyes alone tell me he is far better by foot than any of our mids. Clearly that first stat must be a retention post kick stat that takes all kicks into account. I'm happy for others to dig that up. Regardless of any of that, what do your eyes tell you axis? When watching Viney, Oliver and Petracca streaming forward under little pressure, how do you think they fair? And do you think they should be giving us better return? Because I do and many other Melbourne supporters do. Why is that?

Haha. I could honestly pick the ten posters that would rebut this stat, and you're on the list. Out of interest, what is with the defensiveness to this stat? Has anyone actually thought about that? Where's it coming from? "No we simply can't have a midfield stacked with players who butcher the footy too often! That's impossible and that stat is silly and must be wrong!" Here's an exercise for everyone. Go back to all of our losses. Watch our dominant patches throughout those games. And watch what happens when we go inside 50 during those periods of dominance. How did we do? Report back on how we did comparatively to the other side who didn't have the same level of dominance through patches, but were able to kick easy goals, somehow. Remarkably. How many of those games were of similar fashion and do you think we lost due to our inability to convert chances on goal or turn kicks inside 50 into chances at shots on goal? I look forward to your responses.

Who is saying we're no good?! This is the thing about you lot! It's always the extreme! Criticise an element of our game and it's "Ah so we're rubbish are we?!" Haha! It's okayyyy to criticise an element of a team's game whilst acknowledging their strengths. How many times do I need to say that I think we have most of our game sorted? Not only that, I would say almost all of those games you mentioned came down to either an inability to convert inside 50's into shots on goal orrrrr convert shots on goal into goals... Port game, Carlton, GWS... Anyone notice a trend here?!?! Joisus.

It must be a nice bubble that you're in Old!

It's hilarious listening to one poster talk about how well our forwardline functioned when we had both Fritsch and Petty out at one stage and then another use the excuse that we've had no forwards this year because of injury. Which one is it?! Outside of demonlanddddd, it is common knowledge that we butcher the footy far more than a team with this level of 'talent' should. It's an unbalanced list, it needs addressing and so does our method.

Haha. Head in the sand. I've been saying it for years, watching with my own eyes. And the evidence has also been pointed out by many within the media world. And plenty of footage has been shown to back it up. Not good enough for you? Still believe it to be a furphy? Keep believing the earth is flat. We have too many poor ball users in the one side. Fact. And that is what has been the difference in winning the close games and not imv. Would you like to revisit Jack Viney's last effort on the wing against Carlton? That moment symbolised all and everything that I'm talking about. But demonland doesn't want to talk about it. We work so hard and have so much going for us all over the ground but we shoot ourselves in the foot, with our feet. More than any other top 8 side, consistently. Keep arguing though.

We have three of the top 10 worst kicks in the game. Yes.

Explain to me why those stats make me look like a fool?! I'm intrigued.

Yeh. Both ways. Collingwood won because of their 19th man.

Zorko, McCluggage, Neale, Coleman. All have better composure, kicking and decision making than any of our group. They all play majority centre and centre back of forward. Wanna go back and look at the top 10 worst kicks in the comp? We have three. Clearly, it's more than just forward.

I agree I don't think we have a potent enough forwardline. But when it works... And worked, without Petty and Fritsch. What are you putting that down to? I just can't understand how posters don't see that Petracca, Oliver, Viney and Langdon are all massive contributors to wasted forward entries. Like seriously. How do you not see this? It's a combination, but if supporters are really sticking their feet in due to some weird 'elite status untouchable' tag that supporters are putting on our mids, you've got rocks and it's embarrassing because you're overrating our midfield. History has shown that it doesn't matter how much contested football you win if you can't seal games of footy. How can this be argued given the types of losses we've seen from our side? You're all crazy and are drunk on MFC.

Haha. You can't be serious. Elite ball users also equal elite finishes. Compare our forwardline and midfield to Brisbane's and you'll see a big difference in ability to 'finish'. Whether that's a kick going inside 50 or ability to convert shots on goal. Keep digging.

As for your territory argument. Lol. A big part of why we leak goals is because of the predictable areas we kick to on slow play and going inside 50 and where we turn the ball over going inside. We own territory. It's got nothing to do with territory! We've owned territory for years now and yet the same problems have existed for the same amount of years! How can it be our defence when we've gone from having Omac and Frost to Lever and May? You've lost the plot. Our problems are completely to with our inefficiency going forward.

Mate, the nuance missed is you lot completely missing the fact that our players just do not kick to the advantage of a forward or take one more step to execute better often enough. Did you see the stat of the top 10 worst kicks on the comp? Explain to me the nuance? Of course Goody instructs ball movement to a point. But if you think that every kick going inside 50 is to do with Goody's instructio, who is missing the nuance here? It's this place. It's just too pro-Melbourne. The amount of vision shown of players who just completely ignore free lead up players, an extra handball or an angle kick is mind boggling. How have you not seen this? Or do you refuse to watch vision/hear opinion outside of Demonland?

Would love Bucks, also for the aura and respect he'd command. Names like his walking into a club would immediately make the players straighten up and want to impress. You can never have enough of those types of figures at clubs imv.

Sweet Mary jesus please no.

Look at you and binman's PA 'liking' this post. You're all in this little echo chamber that goes around and around thinking we're unstoppable, our list is untouchable and our game-plan impenetrable.. But look at how foolish you look after two straight finals exits.. The main contributing factor being an inability to finish and execute!! Whether that is on goal or entering 50 with a kick under no pressure! Please outline what is a croc of [censored] about this OP given the EVIDENCEEEEE. The arrogance of one-eyed Melbourne supporters is baffling sometimes! Get out of your echo chamber!

Given you've left out the #ETtradewhispers tag, I am assuming you are being serious?

A strong no thanks.

Hardly surprising. I'm a supporter and the msging just gets tiresome. Can only imagine being a player.

You may not like them ol' Binners. But they're genuine questions. I understand you, your PA and your followers dislike any negative feedback on anything MFC. But the second two are genuine, fair, questions.

Agree that keeping both on the list is too much of a risk given their inability to get on the park. But it's similarly risky to force both into retirement.. I'd like to keep T-Mac (regardless of how infuriating his form can be), in the hope that he completes a full and uninterrupted pre-season and finds his best form again.

Appreciate any info! Surely we're in line for a clue after our sensational second straight year's finals exit?