Dee Viney Intervention

Don’t entirely disagree but Petty spent most of the year in the backline and Melksham a fair bit of time at Casey coming in when Fritsch got injured. Petty looked great there and Melksham a strong back half of the year but the both weren’t exactly first choice forwards. The fact is Goodwin never knew what our best forward line looked like all year.

The Melbourne Blower-vacs it is then

1/ New Forward Coach that has had some experience as a forwardline line player (not as a resting ruck) 2/ New midfield coach. Sorry Oooze loved you as a player (forward) but for a team with a generational ruckman and the talent at your disposal we don’t dominate clearance like we should and our connection with forwards is putrid. 3/ Recruit / draft for the front half of the ground. I want to balance our list up with some outside speed and silk. We have too Much inside and not enough outside. I do not want to see any defenders added to the list this year. Defence is not our problem this year or last year for that matter. 4/ Put some value on offence. Recognise that defensively we are strong, we are a good inside team but please put some value on offence and give ourselves the best chance to score, not play to protect your back line because quite frankly to me that is anti football. We looked good this year when we have an attacking focus and are capable of scoring big. 5/ Do not put all of our draft bounty into the one player, although he may be a great player, one player will not fix us.

This Friday will be a real banana skin game. Carton have a fair bit of momentum going into the game while we have had a few hurdles to overcome. However, if we get over Carlton then the pressure dial goes onto the Lions to win at The Gabba. It could be good for the group to get away together having got the monkey off our back of winning a final at the MCG. We have the talent to do it, the big if is sorting out connection and forward half efficiency. There is still a pulse.

I know what you mean. Supporting Melbourne is kind of like bondage. Deep down you know it’s going to hurt but in some sick kind of way you still love it and go back for more.

I see what you did there Emerald. Suitable in more ways than Maynard being a human frisbee. Pretty sure a few years ago Jeremy Howe had a mystery injury that he attributed to playing frisbee with his dog. I like the idea, frisbees hurt more than marshmallows.

Yet you still want to go, that’s commitment

To answer your question about Watson being an elite tackler currently no……because more often than not he has the ball in his hands but in an AFL environment would be a good pressure small forward. He is quick and very elusive but it’s his footy smarts, knowing where to be at the right time and working hard to get there. His ball use and decision making is very good. He also has a good set of hands and is lethal around goals. With all due respect I think he would be a significant upgrade on Spargo and put pressure on Kossie and Chandler. Love to have Watson as our first pick with either McKercher or Duursma. Reid alone will not fix our current problems.

Using their time in the exercise yard at sport Phillip Prison wisely, each to their own.

Makes his effort last Thursday night even more Herculean than it already was

Why would we not even try, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by at least contesting it. Everything about us is conservative. No stone will be left unturned they say, the forward line is the least of our concerns they say. Well our dysfunctional forwardline could see us eliminated in straight sets at the MCG again!!!! You can’t help injuries but at least show some fight Melbourne. Show some passion, play like Demons off the field and on the field FFS. Good on Carlton and no doubt Collingwood for showing some intent. We may have 70 000 members which is outstanding but we are not a big club yet.

Pre game luncheon at Entrocote might help. If that’s what it takes then Bonjour I’m all for it. # nostoneunturned

This is the part that is so frustrating because it’s not new. If we are to have “learnings” why can we not have them during the game and adjustments made during the game. Unfortunately this method of forwardline entry is our default. I don’t know if he has been asked or would even be interested but would love to have Mick Stinnear as a part of our coaching group (forward coach) our AFLW teams ball movement is fantastic. Two less players on the field which does create more space but their ball movement and forwardline craft is fantastic. It is a coaching issue. Either our method is wrong or players are not being held accountable if they are repeat offenders by dropping them back to Casey. But we keep hearing “learnings” and “no stone will be left unturned” Time will tell, but time is running out.

At least it would give Kossie a licence to jump

If their lawyer doesn’t win their best and fairest he’s been [censored] robbed.

Thanks, I think.

Kev, firstly thanks for all of your training reports and the detail you provide. Would you mind elaborating on the above “this delivering into a clump” I know it’s an open session and they may not want to give too much away. I hope we have something else up our sleeve as it sounds like more of the same.

Absolutely agree, the pressure is all on us now. Carlton are playing on a wave of emotion and have momentum as did we in 2021. I just hope we get off to a good start breaking the shackles a bit by playing some positive, attacking football.

If you were to sit Fritsch, JVR, Kossie, BBB, Chandler or any forward worth their salt down in a dark room with a tap dripping in the background some truth serum, shine a light in their eyes and ask them if they prefer the ball coming in slow into a mass of bodies I am tipping they will say no. We don’t get clean looks in good areas often enough to get value for our forward entry. It absolutely is the method. I don’t want to be the ungrateful kid on Christmas morning I am glad that we are playing finals compared to where we have been for most of my life. I am happy but not content, I want more. Our forward line and connection has been an issue for far too long. We should be better than we are, we are not. We don’t play to our forwards strengths it absolutely is the method. I hope I am wrong but I don’t think we can win a premiership playing the way we currently play. Not enough emphasis on offence for mine. Footy is a pretty simple game, if you score more than the opposition you win. I don’t think we give ourselves the best chance to kick a winning score.

Agree with everything you have said here. Watson plays with a chip on his shoulder almost. He is short but height or lack thereof-is not an obstacle for him and I think that internally he just wants to prove the doubters wrong. He is a star, he knows it but plays with a “healthy arrogance” that the true greats have. Genuinely hope we will call out his name as he will become a cult hero and immediate difference maker for us or wherever he goes.

Would be a great story to have him back and would fill a need but I think he is revelling in the relative anonymity of playing for GWS. Genuinely wish him well.

If we insist on continuing to play slow ball into a congested forward line then a player like Watson who is lethal around goals and creates something out of nothing should be our number 1 target. Followed by a Duursma/ McKercher I’d we can make it happen.

Inclined to agree, doesn’t have enough tricks for mine. Not slow but not quick either. If you are going to be an outside player you need a point of difference, don’t know what Laurie’s is yet. But in fairness hasn’t had a great deal of opportunity or continuity to show what he can do.

Not sure about Oakleigh but plays forward for Caulfield. Watson is a dead set star that can play midfield, could play back pocket but is lethal around goals. Quick, X factor, forward pressure, makes good decisions with the ball. Has a bit of Brent Harvey about him but I think with more tricks. For mine he is exactly what we need. Not ready to play AFL midfield now but would put him straight into our forward line. Would play front and square and compliment Kossie or allow Kossie more midfield time to give us a more dynamic look. Could allow Chandler to maybe play wing and put pressure on Langdon / Hunter who I think have been underwhelming this year until Howes and Woey Jnr are ready or the latter two could maybe transition into the backline.