JimmyGadson

Not sure what makes you think it's that easy. MFC are lucky to get 25,000 at the 100k capacity MCG against an interstate side. We don't have the luxury of creating a colosseum-like atmosphere and environment for every home game so already we're at a disadvantage when comparing fixtures every year to the sides you've mentioned. It's the major reason Port have done so well during this compromised year and a huge factor in why Geelong do so well year upon year during the home and away season. And barely a standout team? Joisus. I can only assume you don't watch too much football.

What. Didn't you just use English as your rebuttal? Confusing. As long as you manage young players, it shouldn't be not an issue. Oscar McDonald wasn't managed well. In all ways. The end.

I can't help either of you if you genuinely can't see the stark differences in those comparisons. You've compared two first round draft picks to Oscar, a speculative pick in the 50's. Oscar didn't have the body, or the ability early days. The others you've mentioned didn't have the body but offered a greater skill set. Look no further than our own Luke Jackson. Played this season, doesn't have the body but has serious ability and most importantly, competes with an edge. Oscar had limited ability and nearly always lacked intensity and desire.

Never understood why we persisted for so long with him as our number one or two key post and whilst I obviously don't rate him, it's hard not to show empathy for how he must feel walking on and off the field sometimes given the amount of abuse he cops. I'm not sure how I'd handle that level scrutiny week-in-week-out. What angers me is that the club to some degree allowed this to happen far too often and for too long. It's a complete mismanagement of a young player, not dissimilar to the way we developed Watts early days. To my mind and the mind of many others, Oscar was not only not playing to the level early days, but his body was completely underdeveloped. Yet we persisted with him weekly in the hope it'd fast track him which just simply didn't happen. I'm not sure any Melbourne supporter can honestly say he improved and developed in the manner young key position players should over the course of his career to date? Can they? It's the clubs fault as much as it is his own and now we're trading him. Sometimes it's almost as if our club is run by nuffies. I can't imagine any other side in the AFL who would play such an underdeveloped key position player as a number one key defender for as long as we did. Especially one who had so many weaknesses to work on from both a footballing and physical point of view.

No, if we'd handled our recruitment and list development better, it'd be a win. But we didn't. I was banging on about how we'd be going nowhere with Oscar as our number 1 key defender well before we brought in Lever let alone May. I was howled down constantly by the same supporters who think every Melbourne player will magically make the grade one day. And those including @binmanwho refuse to see glaringly obvious weaknesses in a players game. Why it's taken this long for the club to realise Oscar in not the answer is one of the great mysteries of life itself. I suggested numerous times over that period that there were cheap options who could fill the key defender role for us and provide us with far more stability than what Frost and Oscar were providing. Collins for example, who has since made his way to Gold Coast for chips was one player I suggested we target before loading up on May. Goodwin has no [censored] idea. He has no idea how to develop a system that enables individuals to play to their strengths. Lever is the perfect example. How on earth was he expected to play the way did at Adelaide when he had Frost and Oscar as support? We waited far too long to recruit a big bodied defender. Yeh, we have an amazing one now, but look at every else that needs addressing? We waited until last year to get a quality small pressure forward in Pickett. Why? Butler was there a year earlier. We play Brayshaw on a wing for three years. Dom Tyson. Nathan Jones. Alex Neal Bullen kicks around on a forward flank year after year doing diddly squat. It's enough. The difference between me and many supporters on here is that I now have little patience with the club and it's handlings of these types of things. I understand that may differ from you as you are one of the happy-go-luckies who isn't too fussed either way, as long as we're 'trying'. There's something wrong with the club. Look at Brisbane for [censored] sake. They're now miles ahead of us due to smart and considered decisions across all lines of their club, year upon year since Fagen took over. We are supposed to be ahead of these sides. People need to wake up. Goodwin has made a mess and has one off-season to fix it.

With all due respect, you have no idea. None of it is hyperbole. There is a reason the club has had consecutive entire football department reviews after making a prelim. If we are not a serious player this off-season and if we do not address some serious areas of weakness, we are in major trouble and watch as teams like Carlton waltz right past us AGAIN whilst we fall away to irrelevancy.

Was already in Hawthorn colours during that final year he played with us. Must feel amazing to be given a flag upon arrival.

I'm not sure why you needed to quote almost every sentence as if you're assessing an essay I've written.. The basic point was that it's clear we haven't handled our cap the way we should have. The evidence is everywhere. If we've been shopping Tom Mac around but nobody is biting because of the contract he's on, what does that tell you? Tom Mcdonald and his brother have possibly been the most inconsistent footballers I've ever witnessed play. Josh Mahoney said the club was thrilled when they identified and targeted a 'specialist wingman' in Tomlinson over the off-season last year. Three weeks into a season he's dropped and now plays defence. And he's on a four year deal... We've had ample opportunity over the last three years to address two absolute key needs. 1) our small specialist forward issue which we didn't do 2) our one dimensional midfield which we didn't do We're stuck between a rock and a hard place clearly because the club thought we'd be challenging for a flag by now with the list the way it was.

And [censored] oath we should go all out for Smith. He is quality, hasn't slowed down, has been extremely durable and will instantly make us a better side and increase our chances of making the 8 and therefore a crack at a flag. It's an absolute no brainer. How the [censored] people think otherwise is beyond me.

I've got as much of an idea as you do in your assessment of Mahoney's review. (Which I agree with). They're opinions. We paid Tom Mcdonald a monster contract after he delivered one great year of football. We signed Harmes to a five year deal far too early. We brought in Lever and May on massive contracts a couple of years too late and overlooked our need for midfield attribute diversity on too many occasions. We brought in Tomlinson on a significant contract to play wing. He was dropped after round four and now plays CHB in a very unconvincing fashion. Whichever way you look at it, the way we've handled our list over the last three years has been poor and that is entirely to do with giving Goodwin what he wanted and sticking fat. He was unwilling to change the way we played, change the lineup and therefore the type of players we've brought in over the years. Our core is unbelievable but incase people haven't noticed, Max and May are coming to the end of their careers. I will be absolutely livid if we don't go all out this trade period on quality midfield and forward half options as well as a significant boost to quality assistants around Goodwin. Half of demonland is delusional. Year upon year they think we'll just steadily improve and gradually make it to a GF. We had next to no injuries this year and still couldn't make the 8. Yeh, I'm acutely aware trade period hasn't even started but what I don't like is that Carlton have already been nominated by two quality players who we were interested in. Two players who we are crying out for. Every year missed is a wasted year. The AFL is a completely different landscape and teams can no longer bottom out and expect to rise again with some handy draft picks. If we waste this off-season and don't make serious ground next year, do people honestly think we'll be holding on to players like Petracca, Oliver, Salem etc etc? The last two years have been an utter disaster for our club in ways seemingly invisible to many on here.

Remember that time when Mahoney expressed how happy he was in an interview after bringing in 'the specialist wingman', Adam Tomlinson? And then he was dropped after round four? And now he plays CHB? I remember. The club is broken. The way we've handled our cap. The types of players we've brought in years too late. The faith that Goodwin and co have had in some of the same plodders year after year. It's a genuine embarrassment. The only way we're going to make a genuine stride forward next year is by making some big changes to this list like the Saints did last year.

Big lols.

Seven games in a new system, with new teammates and new midfield and forward setups is not nearly enough to know whether it could work or not. I don't care what he did at North. He is a developing ruckman who is late to the game. Our own supporters bang on about giving players like Oscar McDonald 5 plus years to develop and play half decent football, (still questionable) but apparently seven games is enough to know that Gawn and Preuss don't work together... And if you really believe the bolded part of your post, what say you to Goodwin's win/loss record since our prelim final loss?! Is he onto a winning tactic?

Which means Max is turning 30 at the end of next year. So.. he's turning 30 going into a season potentially without a backup. Jackson is a ripper, but name one other club who begins a home and away campaign with one mature-aged ruckman and the next being a 19 year old kid? If Preuss has decided to seek a trade elsewhere, what does that tell you? He came to our club for a reason which was the proposition of playing alongside Max. There is evidence for that everywhere. Goodwin refused to trial it for long enough and instead continued to play Tom McDonald even though he was offering the side next to nothing.

Genuinely disillusioned with our club. Max is turning 30 and we have Luke Jackson, a second year underdeveloped kid as our only backup. (Bradtke is not backup). Obviously trade period is still a while off, but I can't believe we're not even willing to trial these two for a good chunk of the season. Preuss is coming into his prime and has had two years to learn under Max. Isn't this the reason we brought him in? I simply cannot understand it.

Just shared this article in another thread: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/footys-best-and-worst-attacking-kicks-why-melbourne-mids-should-be-embarrassed/news-story/48a26705d7c39f296539f4e663d45c07 I listened to Jennings on 'Whately' a lot this year and his insight as an opposition analyst and gameplan strategist is fascinating. To my eyes at least, last years exodus of coaches smells more than some would like to admit. It's clear to me that Goodwin got his way in the end and the club decided to move a handful of those who perhaps had differing views to the way we should be playing. I thought it was obvious in the way that Jennings spoke about Goodwin this year. Whilst list, positional changes and gameplan need clear addressing over this off-season, so does our group of assistant coaches. Those speaking about improvement within are absolutely right. But you need high quality coaches in the right positions to continue to develop the list you have as well as hold groups of players to a high level of accountability. For example, I think we miss Macca more than some may think. The way that he would keep our midfielders accountable, the respect he commanded.The little things. It spills out onto the training track, keeps everyone on high alert and helps maintain high standards and good habits. This is one of my major concerns when it comes to Goody. How difficult is he to work under? This off-season is just as important to bring high quality assistants in and around Goodwin to really pick-up the slack. A lot to unpack and address really. Hopefully the board really get to work on this.

Unfortunately, given what's at stake for our club going forward (and Simon Goodwin as coach), overthinking it is a necessity this off-season. If Brown is so valuable as you say, why is it that North are so happy to push him out the door? And why are we not hearing that half the sides in the AFL are after him? And to answer your question regarding North's ability to hit up Brown allowing him to kick bags over the years, my answer is yes. They had a far better balance of attributes through their midfield and ther inside 50 retention rate was far better than ours and has been over the past 3-4 years. I implore supporters to read this article: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/footys-best-and-worst-attacking-kicks-why-melbourne-mids-should-be-embarrassed/news-story/48a26705d7c39f296539f4e663d45c07 I don't dispute that Brown is a super forward when the game is on his terms. My argument is that we'd have to drastically change our entire style/game-plan, personnel through the middle, forward-line setup and gameplan to give Brown the opportunity to play to his strengths. Goodwin has recruited and drafted a team to play a certain way. We have a gameplan closer to Richmonds than West Coast. We have a number of areas we need to address. A key forward is definitely one, but Brown is not the key forward for us imo.

I'd do a Brayshaw/Merrett trade in a heartbeat. Taking the emotion out of it, it's an absolute no-brainer. Never going to happen though.

Firstly, think about the fact that we're just about the worst side in the AFL regarding marks per inside 50. Now think about this for a minute: Brown is an extremely one-dimensional lead-up style key forward who needs the ball kicked to him on the [censored] in order to impact... The answer is an obvious and firm no from me. It makes absolutes zero sense given Goodwin's refusal to shake up the midfield, draft and trade for higher skilled and more composed players or change the game-plan. Having said all of that, no doubt we will trade a second-rounder for him and we'll go into next year with all the same issues, an identical midfield mix, same chaotic blaze-away game style and Brown will do nothing but run around like a headless chook the whole year. I look forward to it. ?

Sounds like your your post hasn't worked out..

I think @binman has some interest in him? He can confirm though.

Unless Pruess wants to go, I just can't understand it from the club's pov. Max is nearing 30 and we have a first year ruck/forward only as backup. (Bradke has done absolutely nothing so far). One of the many gripes I have about our club is how shallow our ruck depth has been for so long. Max becomes noticeably banged up during the second half of home and away campaigns and every year from here on he'll start slowing down. It's playing with fire in my view. We are not as skilled as many sides who play smaller. It is common knowledge that we can be picked off in aerial contests by sides with talls because a) Aside from Gawn, we have limited aerial threats forward of centre and B) Our forward entries are absolutely ghastly under pressure and even when under little pressure. Gawn needs to start playing more game time forward or Goody needs to find more quality talls to give him more breaks. Our gameplan doesn't suit playing one ruckman. This is one of many problems Goody needs to address over the off-season.

The long and short of it is that supporters are rightfully fed up with T-Mac's continuous fluctuation in form over the entirety of his career. One outstanding year as a forward in 2018 and I remember one great year as a defender. That's not good enough for someone of his age and experience now. Injuries are not the cause of Tom's woeful efforts earlier this year. His marking, touch, intensity, contest and pressure were below the level and ultimately got him dropped. Tom is unfortunately the type of player who simply hasn't bridged the gap between his best and worst performances. His worst are truly baffling for someone of his age and experience. A player I'm definitely comfortable parting ways with if it allows us a pick that can be used to help us bring in someone like Zac Williams.

Strange thing to presume.

Don't think they've uploaded it on that link yet. Can see it on spotify though, thanks.