CHF

If I am honest, I was not overly impressed with Gawn's captaincy last season. iI my opinion he needs to drive the on field performance lot more, not just by his actions but also by giving timely, critical feedback to the players. I hope that he is getting guidance in this area. Having said that, I would still have him as sole captain this season but make sure that he had a strong and clearly defined support group under him. In some ways I think we have made a rod for our own back by having Viney as a leader so early. It is a difficult thing to demote him without demotivating him. I would have him as a VC but as VC I would also include May. He is a general in defence and was in great form last season. Three others to round out the formal leadership would be Lever, Langdon and Petracca.

Each year around this time in mid-January I begin to look at the list of players we have, read whatever training reports are available and take in the rehab group and their likely recovery times and I no matter how hard to try I just cannot keep optimistic monster from raising its ugly head. I know…. I know…. Each year we tease a bit, Madam Optimism winks at me and gives me the come on only for the lights to come up to reveal a laughing old hag spluttering “I got you!”. I hate that. It has happened so often over the years. BUT… This year is going to be different. This is THE year. We will sweep all aside and march to the flag. I am sure…. Really sure. This year our key players will step up and shine brightly. Our young players will be fearless and skillful and will look like they are enjoying playing game and getting paid for it and the rest will stick their tackles and hit their targets. Across the ground there will be competition for all positions, and we will play hard footy and be consistent all four quarters every game. Ahh, this season is going to be so good. Hope springs eternal. The minimum I can hope for is that the early results allow this optimism to carry on through a few rounds.

"All for one, one for all"...... short, catchy and well used....

I believe that Goodwin will improve in a few ways this year. He has a team around him that he just has to listen to. First thing he needs to do is to work out where the players play their best footy and then coach and train them during the pre season to give them the best chance to excel in those positions. Next he needs to do better at selection. Select a team to play to a plan against that week’s opposition. No favourites and no selections on what they did last season. last, plan your game day coaching. Be prepared for a number of eventualities and be flexible and proactive. I can live in hope...... can’t I?

I would accept getting into the finals and playing at least a couple. I would also like to see a development in Goodwin's coaching. As a basic step I want to see him playing players in positions at which they excel. Example is Harmes. Get him playing the tagging role that he was so good at. I don't want to see him as a wing/HBF/ medium forward. Play him where he is best. In the recent past there has been a big move to have flexible player that can play multiple positions as required. Not every player has the ability or natural talent to do that. Coach and develop the players to their best position.

I am looking forward to seeing exactly what happens with TMac this coming season. We might get some insight into what the plans are on where and how to play him from our track watchers in the pre-season. I will be looking for all the usual posters doing their much appreciated work to keep us all informed. Personally, I do not see Him changing his role very much. I do not see him moving back into the back half of the ground and taking up a defensive role. I just do not see him as nimble enough. Lose a few kgs, re-build the tank and get his feet/ankles right and I could see him adding to the forward mix quite well. Playing second fiddle to Brown would give him a chance to get a second or third defender and that may help his form and confidence. While I want to see Weideman develop his game I think with TMac on the list as well a Jackson it will give us plenty of options to structure our attack to suit the different circumstances that opposition teams will present. I could see TMac also as backup for Max in the ruck.

Not heard anything to date re Jordan and OOC players or possible DFA's. I think we might let the dust settle on the trade period and see what the future might hold re list numbers. Personally, I would look at contracts for Jordan and possibly Bedford ( I am not sold on him) and OMac on to the Rookie list. Lockhart moved from Rookie list to main list, M Brown not offered a contract and no idea what to do re Chandler.

The trade period this year was as much about positioning ourselves for next year's trade/draft periods as it was about looking to improve our list for next season. I think there is a strong belief internally at the club that we have the list to do well next year as long as we do not have injury problems and that we can get some incremental improvement into some of the players. I expect us to play finals next year and would not be surprised to give it a good nudge. Our trading and our attitude to players wanting to move on is a strong indicator to all in the competition that we are a good place to ply your trade and expect this to be reflected during the next trade period.

Personally I hope we retain Oscar in some way. He is very good cover in defence and I think would be better as cover than the other big mac.

I have to agree that we did very well this trade period. I think we managed to do almost all that we wanted to do except for moving a couple of players on. I do not mind that we have still got TMac on the list. he cannot be a bad as he was last season and he can serve as back up forward and in the ruck. Expect us to upgrade Lockhart, take a DFA and Look to trade further up the draft. My big take away from this trade period is that clubs need to invest much more in list management and contract structures or face a Pies future. I like the way Josh did his work.

My reaction as well. may be we are clearing the decks for next season.

I think so. But I am hearing that it might just be a strange one from left field. Personally I have trouble thinking it might happen but I will put it out there for reaction. TMac paying 150K pa plus pick 18 for Phillips.

I think there is one more player trade to be done in the next hour. 50/50 in my book.

I think it will just be one or the other. Not both.

I am confident that this will get done. As I understand it, just haggling over the price. I think it will be pick 31 or 33 that goes to Norf.

Not a rumour, just a thought..... TMac and pick 43 to Carlton for pick 30?

Still hearing that we have not given up hope on Tom Phillips. Less than 50/50 in my book.

One further comment I heard was that MFC are in this as a long game. What they are doing this off season will be part of a much longer term strategy that is in place for the next few seasons. I note the positive, supporting comments made on the exits of both Preuss and Hannan as a marker to other players in the comp as to the respect the club has for the players. (This is my comment, not something that ha been passed on to me)

I heard the Swans are nibbling again. Chances of it happening as far as I am concerned and in a basis of what I heard are around 1 in 4.

Brown deal to be done tomorrow. I would not be surprised to see TMac move in a give away last minute deal. AvdB is a possibility to move and there is movement for a further pick swap to move into the first round. A couple of days to go and still a bit to play for. If we can make the move into the first round a well as the player trades we have made then I think we will have executed our strategies exactly as we wanted.

I do not think Treloar will end up a Dee. I would give it less than a 1 in 20 chance. Phillips of the Filth variety is still a better than even chance. A few things need to get done to unblock the logjam. I think tomorrow we may get the Hannan and Preuss deals put to bed.

There have been a few good players taken at 43. · Adam Goodes – 372 games · Lindsay Gilbee – 206 · Mark Williams – 115 · Breet Peake – 118 · Andrew Swallow – 224 · Easton Wood – 173 · Esava Ratugolea – 40 · Corey Wagner – 19

We are looking at a few avenues to do this both during the trade period and during the draft with pick swaps. Best chance of it happening would be during the late stages of the trade period when there is a lot more clarity. If we do not get into the first round during the trade period I would not be surprised.

I would rather not at this stage as I have witnessed how others have been jumped upon and have had to defend themselves. I will post further if anything more solid that a whisper comes up.

I am hearing a lot of whispers about a number of players. My last post was the most solid I have heard from a usually reliable person. I will stress that it is still only A RUMOUR.