drdrake

Half right, didn't pick Spencer to come in.

This to me says Dawes will be out Tom will be the CHF back up ruckman

Fremantle

Maybe the negativity stems from our negative game plan for the past 4 years. We have no flare no excitement, we just don't score, we don't play positive football. I loved watching Melbourne through the Neil Danners era, we took the game on we had the mentality that if you kicked 14 goals we will kick 15. Now we have I will stop you kicking 10, it hasn't worked in 4 years, Dean Bailey 2010/11 at least our guys took the game on. Our players over the past 4 years have looked hamstrung by the negative game plans of Neeld and Roos. That's what is negative and he is right it has flowed through to us because we are sick of watching crap football, losing I can cop if we are not good enough but not giving us a chance to win is unforgivable. Every game we lose is because we have lose players behind the footy as soon as I see this I know we are done.

Its time to structure our side that has some talls rather than mid size players playing on talls Jetta Fitzpatrick Garland Grimes MacDonald Salem Vince Jones Stretch Howe Watts Cross Gawn Hogan Garlett Jamar Viney Tyson ANB Brayshaw Michie Newton In Jetta, Fitzpatrick, Jamar, Tyson Out H, Dawes, Dunn, Harmes Dunn or Garland either or Dawes for Howe if fit

Ideally we want mobile mid-tall forward bit of strength and strong leading patterns. This guy seems to fit that profile. It then lets you play a second ruckman in the forward pocket, would like to see a forward structure like this Garlett Hogan Second Ruckman Kent Lynch Watts 2 tall mobile targets that work from 50-50, speed a good strong forward close to goal and the long get out with a tall ruckman. We need someone that can be that second ruckman, using dawes is a waste of time, we are now robbing our backline by using MacDonald as that second ruck.

Hawthorn, I heard last year about this time from a person that has some links to Hawthorns Recruiting that Frawley will be a Hawk followed by Dangerfield in 2015, his last comment was Hawthorn always get who they want. If Dangerfield gets to Hawthorn, free agency will be changed. I reckon the point system for free agency similar to what they are bringing in for Father/Son and academy picks. For example Dangerfield is worth x points, Hawthorns Pick 18 is worth y, if it was a point system Hawthorn would loss its first 3 picks in this years draft and Adelaide would secure those picks. If the AFL doesn't the top 6 teams will remain on top as they will get good players through free agency and also keep getting kids through the draft

It is easier to have who we keep rather than who goes. Based on this years performance, guys that are AFL standard in best 22 Backs: Jetta MacDonald Salam Mids: N Jones, Vince, Viney, Brayshaw, Watts, Vanderburg, Tyson(this year has been disappointing) Forwards: Hogan, Kent, Garlett(although would like to see more from and square rather than cheap goals out the back) Rucks Gawn Young and Developing Petracca, King, ANB, Stretch, Harmes, JKH, Hunt, O Macdonald, Frost, Toumpas, White Injured Trengove Need to Keep for mature heads Dawes, H, Dunn, Garland, Grimes, Pederson Borderline Newton, Michie, Riley, Spencer I think the rest are gone

We basically get 5 new recruits next year with this Bloke, Trengove, Kent, Salem and Frost, all 5 if fit will slot into our best 22 in 2016

I think you are referring to the club he coached before us. Take his record at Sydney out, if he was a 2 nd year coach we would be calling for his head. I can't believe we have a bloke dominating the ruck hit outs but the last two weeks we have been smashed in the clearances, this is structure, we are predictable at stoppages particularly Center stoppages, just Palm it backwards right behind you. If you don't get the ball the back side is opened up for a deep inside 50. It's the same spot we have hit the ball for 2 years, every stoppage

Is he now or was he a better coach 8 years ago. Most of us sitting in the stands can see our structural flaws yet we see it time and time again. We have a potential star forward that is getting bashed up at the moment because every time we go forward he has three to beat, as soon as I see a loose man in our forward 50, I know he are stuffed.

No it isn't, Geelong we went one on one, to the point at one stage we had an 8 man forward line, everytime Geelong push one back we push one forward.Geelong was about accountability, old fashion beat your man. For some reason Roos doesn't want us playing that way, he wants men behind the footy and allows loose men in our forward half. We don't man up we zone and we don't have the skills to keep the footy off loose players. We have a rookie being smashed 3 on 1, what coach in their right mind lets this happen

I reckon what we are seeing is the game plan, when things happen over and over again it has to be pre- meditated or you would fix it. Skill errors are coach killers but allowing loose men in our forward 50m, protect space rather than manning up, allow your nan to always have a 5 m gap on you, if it was isolated you say players but this is how we play each week. Then we man up one week like we did at Geelong and we are a different team. That is my issue, our best game in 8 years and the very next week we revert back to the Roos gameplan and we are garbage

Tend to agree, pay premium membership each year, be lucky to go to 4-5 games this year and have little interest. I would rather watch the local club then head into watch rubbish

Garbage, just garbage, week in week out, how can full time AFL players not hit targets between 20-35m. That is all you do is train if you can't execute the core skill of the game you are stuffed, we are stuffed

Totally agree with this post, is trying to play a brand that is 10 years old, we smash Geelong playing one on one, every since that game we have allowed loose men in defence and it has smash us. Our players are always 5-10m off their opponent it is every time so this is a directive or our game plan. Enough is enough

Yep, same

Agree, at some stage you need to give yourself a chance to win the game, I said this on Saturday both teams played not to lose rather than trying to win. It was two teams scared to take the game on, the issue is once we go into that mindset we lose, i do blame that on the coaching staff, our players looked beaten early, our ability allowed us to claw back but even in the first half Essendon looked to have us covered, until we gave in during the 3rd which every team expects will happen when they play Melbourne, all you need to do is stick with them then they will open the window for you to win the match

I don't buy into this fragile state of mind, but the rest of your statement is spot on, to many want someone else to make it happen. On another note, The heat is on Howe but his other mate that hasn't signed isn't much better. Garland is woeful and has been for two years

The lions have pushed Fremantle and Sydney over the last 2 weeks, they will get us on the weekend, expect a 5-6 goal loss

Two games ago we went one on one, if Geelong push a number back we manned them up, I think at on stage we had a 9 man forward line. This week it seemed we allowed Essendon the spare Man and then two spare men I couldn't believe this, as soon as we allow a spare man in our forward 50 we are done, our mids don't kick the ball well enough. Three blokes I trust with ball in had Watts, Kent and Salem, you would add Vince but he is bag it 50m each time at the moment, the other is Jetta he never misses a target but usually kick 25-35m kicks. Kent only because he kicks with such power he can get over the loose men. He has the ability to kick low and hard.

How about Tommy getting back to being the key defender he was until Cloke got hold of him. Our key backs have been smashed recently.

Need a tall forward or tall forward/pinch hit ruckman, then 2-3 mids or defenders

Out two blokes that dropped chest marks 20m out. Plus Brayshaw In JKH, H, Grimes

Correct, just like we did with Frawley, we put him somewhere he could show a bit of versatility, was Frawley worth pick 3 no way in the world he should have been second round pick 20. Look at Howe same same Hbf, forward creating value by showing that he isn't a one position player. Don't be supprised to see Howe in a Purple jumper next season.