Tony Tea

Surprised this post cracked 6 pages. Why ponder something that will never happen. Well, actually, it might happen in 8 years after Brown has played in a flag and is looking for Super.

Saying a team has "no recognisable brand" is the sort of biz speak flannel you say when you have nothing pointed or incisive to say and because you are on television feel you have to say something, anything.

Nerves? Pah. Bennell has repeatedly torn his Achilles. The only way to fix it is to sew the ripped edges together and hope they hold.

Our problems have been evident since 2017. Plenty of possession, plenty of forward entries, rock all reward. Back then it was the better defences who shut us down; now that everyone has had a look at us, all the sides are shutting us down. It's easy. Zone up across our back-to-forward running lanes and because we get too many players behind the ball, we have too few players to take the ball from half back to half forward. The problem is compounded by having appalling disposal, and forwards who cannot find space. The wonder of the season is the number of times we have played dreadful footy, but still stayed close. It's for that reason I give Goodwin a year's grace. If we can somehow find some polish, fitness, cohesion, and above all, confidence, next year, we'll have a good year.

Pyke, Goodwin, no one will be clambering to sign either.

I'm sure the commentators were laughing when he dropped that sitter in the last.

Should be 5 goals up.

We have plenty of grunt and intensity, but we lack the smarts, game style and cohesion to capitalise on our hard work. If we manage to work out how to efficiently move the ball, our grunt and intensity will stand us in good stead.

Zones were supposed to rotate through the clubs, but the clubs who got the good zone lobbied to keep them.

Yes. Everyone* goes on about Melbourne failing to turn I50s into goals, but it's only Mick McGuane who has taken a stab at solving our probs. * Everyone goes on about it belatedly. Our problem has been evident for two years, but donuts from the experts.

Our 2018 wins all came in our late season roll. West Coast was indeed meritorious, but no Darling or Kennedy made our job easier. We should have beaten Geelong every time last year. The Cats were ordinary in 2018. The made it to 5th on the back of their stars. We justly punted then in the Elim. The Hawks also over acheived in 2018, and yet were still in their final against us. That they lost both finals suggests they were teetering. GWS were a soft kill. The key aspect of Melbourne's 2018 - for me, at any rate - was that we struggled against well organised defences, the same Achilles heel we had in both 2017 and 2019. That is where we are at. If Goodwin can't get us playing with obvious cohesion in 2020, with obvious connection into the forward 50, and with obvious improvement against the better sides, he has to go.

How good was Lyon's pickup and hands to Jay Viney for Jako's second?

Flogging a dead horse that's bolted.

Next year is make or break for Goody. What gets me is that we never look the better organised team, even when we win. That we can dominate contested footy and clearances, but still get beaten, suggests our system is flawed. Goody no doubt knows we have weaknesses both in personnel and cohesion. The big question is can he fix them?

Richo's record has a Demonesque feel to it. Balloon goes up. Balloon gos down. 2014 Won 4 Lost 18 finished 18th 2015 Won 6 Lost 15 drew 1 Finished 14th 2016 Won 12 Lost 10 Finished 9th 2017 Won 11 Lost 11 Finished 11th 2018 Won 4 Lost 17 Drew 1 Finished 16th 2019 Won 6 Lost 10 Currently 15th

A combination of 17.4.3 (b) and (c).

1. The decision was technically correct. 2. It won't be paid again this year.

Darcy Moore was a hit and miss forward until Bucks swung him back.

Lachlan Ash Plays like: Kade Simpson So a junior plays like a loose man in defence. Jimmy Toumpas says hi.

Plenty of common sense hung on a farcical central hook. (Well, central headline, anyway.)

We are one Jayden Hunt kick, one T-Mac grubber and one Wingard dropped mark off the bottom. Why aren't we "in the conversation"?

The Melbourne Way is Demonesque.

I'd like to see him given a Darcy Moore role for the rest of the season.

I like.