BoBo

Yeah you’re right actually. I’ll say 200 slurs before bed tonight instead of my usual 100 as penance.

Stairs aren’t woke, they’re for real men. Escalators and elevators are woke. Anybody that uses them for any reason are just weak.

Too hard to tell without the required players on the park to execute the necessary skills. The last two games are basically null and void as our skills have been so shocking. Waiting to see what Mcvee, Kozzie, Windsor, Langford, Lindsay in the same team looks like before I can even judge what the plan is personally.

The last two games have been awful for sure, give the team some time to adapt. I’ve tempered my expectations a lot, will see how we’re going round 11 or 12. If senior players by then haven’t lifted their intensity/application/desire, then we’ll know where we stand. The only way is through.

Those 2v1 kicks have been doing my [censored] head in.

Yeah ok, if losing 3 games in a row is enough to break some players spirits then I am seriously questioning what is going on at the club. Just found this quote also from Maxy: "[We] probably had a few leaders looking for free kicks at different points. You are what your leaders are. If you're doing that, it can be a slippery slope," he told The Age.

Well encapsulated of what the problem is. Given that… can we have 3 terrible kicks playing in the midfield together given the skillset needed for the game plan ? I can’t see Tracc/Oliver/Viney staying together personally, but I could be wrong. I get that they’re out of form, but considering they are primed for first possessions and also placed to kick into our F50, and transition plays from the opposition back half is the current method of winning, it seems untenable to continue not having a skilled kick in the middle?

Is the lack of spread and run purely a fitness thing?

I guess when you think about how we’ve played over the years, going for percentages, down the line, create and win a stoppage. Not a lot of disposal execution needed especially by foot nor was there the need to have really wide and open vision through the corridor or creative/risky kicking. It was all very safe, controlled and urgency wasn’t a high priority. We’re now (apparently????) asking players to move the ball quickly by foot, probably above the skill level to what’s on the park through the middle (we will be better with Mcvee, Windsor). So maybe, they’re thinking more about what they’re going to do AFTER they get the ball… not thinking about GETTING the ball. It’s the only way I can put it, they don’t look ‘present’ on the field and it’s affecting their decisions. Kinda how when batsmen are trying to fix a technical issue, they can end up focussing so much on that issue, that they forget to just watch the ball onto the bat when playing a match. And it’s difficult to see what the game plan changes are, because we can’t execute basic skills right now, haha. A whole bunch of players look miles inside their own heads.

What can we get for the bath tub also?

Yep, fair call with delivery and Fritsch. And yes, the connection is an almighty [censored] show. The fumbling part is so concerning. Deer in the headlight stuff.

He has work to do absolutely. I think there’s a lot of potential there is all. Played 43 games, kicked 60 goals, averaging 1.40 goals a game. Which is pretty good considering he’s played ruck/up the ground too. He absolutely needs proper coaching like you say. Fair call about Fritsch. Although Van Rooyen is currently 27 more goals than Fritsch after the first 43 games. Van Rooyen on 60 goals whilst Fritsch was 33 goals.

I feel for JVR. He’s trying to learn his craft in a completely dysfunctionally fed/constantly crowded F50 and he’s not 22 yet. How is he supposed to develop properly in this environment?

I feel like it hasn’t been mentioned in the north game thread (unless I missed it), but same as us now, they don’t have a Nibbler or Gus type player that interrupts the tide from rolling against them. Their baseline of effort was they did the grunt work like running their heart out to get into space to be an option, applying immense pressure on an opponent or ensuring they win contests when it matters, consistently. No dropping of heads, just getting the basics done. Which is more about setting an example of work rate and effort when things get tough to inspire other players, than it is about going for glory. They set standards for other players to follow suit to ensure a team performance. Our capitulation against North was evidence of a lack of this standard being displayed on field (IMO) which also applies to Carlton.

Hey @Demonland , a tiny thing, but when I click on a notification (both being quoted and if someone reacts to a post), it takes me to the post above where it should, so I have to scroll down to get where it’s supposed to be. Dunno if it’s just a my phone thing or not and it’s not a big deal, just something that’s happening.

Days of Roman font would be the skibidi in skibidi rizz that’s for damn sure.

‘Clinical and aggressive font’ sounds like an album title for a niche indie rock band from the late 00’s. Would you describe your phone font as sympathetic and demure?

I listened to Maxy talk about this very thing (maybe triple MMM footy or something) and he said in Roos last year coaching us, Goody was effectively in charge and coaching the team and Roos was mostly just taking the heat from the media if things went wrong. He went on to say that the Carr/Hinkley set up is very likely the same deal. Carr is effectively coach whilst Hinkley advises him and takes the media spotlight for this year.

Melk was 7th for average goals (1.0) and 2nd on our list for average goal assists at 1.3 in 2024. So he’s effectively worth 2.3 (same average as Kozzie) goals a game on last years form, which only Tracc gets a higher average between those two metrics. Not a bad return if he can recreate that form this year? I do take your point about him being rushed back… I suspect looking at those numbers and looking at the prospect of being 0-3, selectors and Goody are looking to just get on the board to release some pressure.

Prominent and Red look very similar to me but now I’m typing it out and changing between the two every few words I can see there is a slight difference. Good job on the upgrade and thanks for your hard work.

Is the air con in Brad Scott’s coaching box broken? He is sweating absolute bullets and it’s about 20 degrees

Hope so. There’s a couple Essendon supporters at my work and this week I got reminded that at the core of all Essendon supporters footy soul, there is mostly a dark endless void, but if you squint real hard into it, deep deep down, there’s a little tiny flickering light way off into the distance, which is actually a dense, raging nucleus made of pure unadulterated arrogance. Hate em. Will never feel sympathy for them. Go Port.

There have definitely been times when I’ve seen stories of players for other clubs and thought to myself, ‘If Melbourne had done this, this would be continually mentioned for months after’ Problem is (IMO): We kept on supplying the media with stories to focus on (correctly or not) which easily gave the media a narrative that we were a basket case over a number of years. So when the latest ‘story’ came out about us, no matter how big or small it actually was, it was added to the ever growing list of things the media could mention. And they would mention them all together to validate the ‘basket case’ title. On top of that, we started losing and missed finals which is extra incentive to ask ‘are all these off field issues affecting the players’. That isn’t a question you can ask if your club keeps winning. I do take your point and I actually agree in some part, but, I feel like there’s some confirmation bias happening also? We see stories about us and take notice because we’re supporters, then we see stories from other clubs and might group 17 other clubs stories together, which isn’t an analogous comparison (IMO). I could be wrong and I’m open to being convinced otherwise, but is there another club you could point to that has had the same amount of issues get out to the media, as frequently, as us since 21’?

What’s the rationale as to why he is a forward coach? As in, how does a career defender beat out or demonstrate expertise over other forwards coaches that have played the position?

I don’t even think North played that well which is even more of an indictment on how we played (not taking anything away from their kids dominance) but how many missed kicks, bad hand passes, kicking it to 2v1s, bombing it in to F50 to nobody were there, no communication etc. etc. etc. We couldn’t hit targets and/or players didn’t gut run enough to get into space and hardly anybody looked like they were composed at all.