Dee Viney Intervention

They can but will it. At post game press conferences we keep hearing “learnings” and “all 3 phases of the game” yet in one of these phases we have been dysfunctional for years with no signs of improvement. Hope I am wrong but I have no faith that this current set up will turn that phase around.

I understand that and absolutely agree with you and that is exactly my point. If we were to leave say for example JVR, Kossie and Fritta in our 50 there is no way an opposition is leaving them unchecked. That is 6 less players clogging up the field leaving space for Rivers, ANB, Bowie, Salem, McVee, Windsor etc etc to run and carry thru the space being created and being the quarterback of you like designated kick into an open manned forward 50. Fast attacking transition football with less overuse and margin for error. Hiding our weaknesses and playing to our strengths.

Couldn’t agree any more. We may use the corridor a bit more but there is no fast ball movement. Why??? Because our forwards all push so high up the ground to help out the backline that when we do win the ball we have very few options ahead of the ball. So we wait while our forwards who amble back into position. There is no sense of urgency or spread. It’s chip, chip, chip and turnover the ball in dangerous positions exposing our backline. We don’t have the skill for overuse of the ball or precision slow ball movement down the ground. People used to bemoan JJ for slowing up play. JJ was not the problem. It’s our structures!!! I know it’s the modern game but FFS Simon be a renegade. Have some stay at home forwards creating space up the ground for line breaking runs, run and carry and long direct kicks into an open forward line giving our players a chance one out in dangerous spots and higher percentage looks at goal.

Thanks for posting notes Bluey. Genuinely interested in your last line “failed meeting”, how so? Seems to be pretty positive dialogue from reading the notes where most of the concerns of the local group are actually going to be met. Seems to be good compromise to me between all parties.

Waugh What is he good for Absolutely nothing. Seriously hope this doesn’t cost us out title of the worlds sporting capital.

Any danger they could apply the incorrect disposal rule.

Happy 29th Birthday Smacca. Speaking of birthdays during the Kings Birthday game if you could please fly for a mark and knee Maynard really hard in the process I will stand and cheer really loudly. You’re right WCW, I do feel good.

Absolutely correct. It was great to watch, probably fun to play and very effective. Here is the frustration. Why don’t we play like that more often? Quick ball movement, changing angles, overlap run and options a plenty laterally and ahead of the ball. In other words an attacking mindset. We do have the talent and ability to do so much more often and consistently. Needs to be more accountability around this.

Don’t disagree that Angus is a massive loss and we are effectively currently two players short on our list. I don’t think the balance of our list is all that great. We have a whole heap of talls that are either finding their feet or banged and gone on a year too long or one that has been sent to play b grade in the ammo’s to get some game time. We haven’t drafted a pure midfielder in quite a while. Who are the pure midfielders at Casey? Casey can’t run out games because they are too too heavy.

Agree with everything you have said Dazzler. Don’t worry about the stats, the naked eye tells you everything. That first half against Richmond was utter garbage. Couldn’t hit a handball under zero pressure against a bog ordinary side. Then that effort against West Coast. Backline has been great and has saved us. Midfield has gone backwards and our forward line and mids to forward connection has been a construction zone for years. We have regressed this year. Be less pressure on us and I believe better chance of success if we finish bottom half of ladder and have to play a final away from the MCG which we are every chance to do. We have failed the test there over the last two years. Unfortunately teams are going past us, not necessarily giving us windburn but I genuinely can’t see us challenging. Genuinely hope I am wrong there though. I will always love the Melbourne Football Club that will never change.However I really struggle to enjoy watching our game style. I seriously question whether the players actually enjoy executing or attempting to execute it on a weekly basis. If it’s not fun to watch, is it fun to play.

Anthony Ingerson and Peter Vardy from the crows. Although I will never forgive them for getting Scott Thompson from us.

I would love to see this for no other reason other than to see if May and Lever would still argue with each other at opposite ends of the field.

Geelong “not quite themselves” two weeks in a row. That’s a shame. Might need more funding down at kitty litter park.

Hope it’s big enough to fit Dangerfield’s head in it and really HD.Should be nice for them to watch the Commonwealth Games on.

5/ Lever 4/ Windsor 3/ Petty 2/ Gawny 1/ Langdon Sincere apologies TMac and Clarrie.

Thanks for posting. This journalist has absolutely nailed it. Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!

I do understand where you are coming and they are outstanding leaders but our forwards constantly push so high up the ground that they are standing next to Mr Lever and Mr May. That is not leadership that is structure.

In my lifetime I have never been so meh about a 43 point win. I guess it is a good thing because for most of my Melbourne supporting life we have been poor. I don’t want to be the supporter that is just satisfied, I want more. I don’t want mediocre I want great. Defensively outstanding as a unit and occasional howlers aside individually Lever, May, McDonald were good and I thought Rivers was outstanding. We started to win clearance in the middle in the 3rd 1/4. As we should though. We have a generational ruckman and AA midfielders we should be winning the clearance battle more often than not. But I am losing faith in our structure forward of the ball. Until it is sorted out we are not troubling the best teams in the competition. After years of this relatively stable coaching group we still do not know what our best forward line looks like. But more importantly for me is the structure. Our forwards all push so high up the ground eg Fritsch taking marks at Centre Half Back and the Back Pocket. He is a crafty forward one on one that is also our best shot for goal. We win the ball thru turnover and we can’t go quick because we literally have nobody to give it to so we have the go slow,chip, chip, chip it around. Why can’t we structurally have two talls and a small stay in our front half to give us a quick release target and beat congestion in our forward line and give ourselves the best and highest percentage chance to score with clean looks on goal. There is zero urgency in the offensive side of our game. We switch the ball and there is no urgency to spread and work to the fat side of the ground or spread for a quick transition into our forward line which should be relatively open. Yet the work their arses off to set up defensively the second we are not in possession. Our commitment and work rate to defend is absolutely outstanding.and I cannot be more effusive in our praise there.I had hoped with Mcqualter coming in that we would see a change in ball movement and a more connected attacking game plan. That first half last night was garbage littered with skill errors and I believe that it is because we overuse the ball and I think it is the way we are set up that forces the overuse because of the congestion we create structurally. It has been the same issue for years connection and forwardline. This group has had more than enough time to sort it out, they haven’t and I am started to get a bit over it. Can this coaching group please put some value on the offensive side of our game because until we do we are just making up the numbers. Our brand or gamestyle is not enjoyable to watch but the most important question is our brand or gamestyle enjoyable to play. If you were a forward at Melbourne I would say no. Nice that we got the win against a bog ordinary Richmond side but Meh.

Absolutely [censored] disgraceful half of football. No skill, no awareness and so vanilla. Structurally putrid. Any danger of a stay at home forward. What the [censored] is Bailey Fritsch doing taking marks at centre half back.

The only two concerns for me are in this order; 1/ Slippery conditions / weather 2/ Shai Bolton I don’t believe we are a great wet weather (or slippery ball team). We chronically overuse handball. Shai Bolton is a star. If we can overcome both challenges we have too much talent to drop this game and should win comfortably. Would love to put them away early and take away any hope they may have and silence the tiger faithful.

No need to worry about that there is already a tunnel to access the inner part of the track. After all we do love a tunnel here in Victoria.

You would need to move Caulfield Grammarians Football Club who play in the VAFA first. Or share with them.

I’ll say they are. It’s not even their [censored] money to pay for the appeal. They are bankrolled by the AFL. It’s a free hit for them.

I would start Woey as he deserves a run at it and has been good and have Billings as sub. Not worried about the missed goals as he is normally a reliable kick more so a few poor tackling efforts. Needs to be much better there.