layzie

It relies on getting that early lead. Our game style is extremely taxing and you almost knew towards the end that if we didn't nail every opportunity that we'd left the door ajar. That brings me to the next point, ok so we didn't take a lot of chances early but our best footy this year came when we were able to generate scoring chances in quick succession. When we went long periods without even a shot at goal we really struggled. We would get it into our 50 and even lock it in for a stoppage on Fri night but in that second half it seemed extremely difficult for our small forwards to get the ball with a smidge of space and get some kind of look at goal. So forward conversion rates are definitely one thing, I wasn't super annoyed with the early inaccuracy as long as we kept creating chances which after half time we inevitably didn't. We need more guile in front of goal, there is a reason Sydney have made it this far.

When I look at the Pies and Swans back 6 I see one thing in common. Dash. They have some serious dahs when it comes to rebounding the ball out of 50 and while some would look to the skill in which they can hit targets it is the run out of the back that really gets things started through the middle with 1 or 2 guys riding shotgun. With Collingwood in particular it has been so hard to stop especially late in games when they have hung in there and then turn the burners on against and already tired opposition. Looking at our rebound from defensive 50 (when we aren’t kicking long down the line from a mark), I can’t remember many times where we’ve just gotten it and gone. Yes there are a handful of times when Jayden Hunt takes the game on but those are almost novelty plays. I know this doesn’t really sound like a speed of ball movement thing but I feel like these sequences are started at the moment with run and carry, drawing opposition in and then using quick chains to break away. I’m not sure but I feel like this is only going to become more of a thing as score from transition becomes more apparent again.

It might be unpopular but these are the conversations list managers have. I personally wouldn't trade him but you gotta give good to get good and the stakes are high.

When is the ceremony? We could use a lift!

Yep, starting to think along these lines too, we needed competition for spots. I don't know if we did any favours and possibly let some complacency creep in when some guys knew there was no threat on their spot in the team. We had no change going into this game, maybe a tough call needed to be made? I'm not sure these are just suggestions.

Is it the MCG or is it fitness? Or something else completely? We're very keen to find an elephant in the room when it could just be a chicken or the egg scenario. I don't have the answer but we need to focus on the controllables being our fitness program, gameplan tweaking and personnel. This will hopefully translate to better home form.

I guess we're getting nothing and have to like it.

You're right DemonWA, it was a good year. It doesn't feel like it right now nor does it feel like a pass mark but we finally have a football team that is in games consistently and never blown out. It would have been a pretty Melbourne thing of the past to fall off a cliff and finish outside the 8 but in the long run we are on track. We'll be back next year. Will we win it? No idea. As long as we do everything we can to give ourselves the best possible shot then that is literally all we can ask.

The music between goals was gross. Something bottler teams like St Kilda do. Doesn't belong in AFL, maybe an NRL thing but not AFL.

Good surf I guess..

Just another manic mad Monday..

EO that is pretty much it, you can't put your finger on one thing and literally every one of those things you've mentioned could be discussed when it comes to contributing factors. Obviously some will carry more weight than others but we as people are all so keen for the one thing to point to and I just don't think it's going to happen. A few words about each one: Loading - The most air time of anything this year. It was frustrating, we all thought there were rewards coming from it and that wasn't the case. The theory I believe does work but there may be questions over how it was executed. I've said in the past that I didn't think Burgo was the be all and end all for this and that maybe it was only the extra 5 to 10% but maybe that is the difference? I don't know. Fitness - In defence of the people who tell you that loading was the cause of the mid season slump and believed this would bear fruit, they were probably not banking on so many niggling injuries and structural issues. Again, it's frustrating and I was certainly hoping to see us run out games better at this time of year but we were up against it, especially on Fri when nearly everyone coming off either looked gassed or were hobbling. Culture - Mostly a very sound culture. I think there is one incident we all think of though and if certain comments were said then it doesn't sit well with me. May have contributed a little when it came to the psyche? Again I think our culture is strong but maybe another 1%er that wasn't working for us this year. Defensive Structure - Kept us in most games again. The chink in the armour is quick delivery when the ball comes to ground. On Fri night the Lions had 51 I50s, few backlines can stop scoring from that. A lot of positional shifts and interruptions but we came through very well I thought. Goodwin - Generally coached well this season, I don't think we lost many games at selection. We know without a shadow of a doubt that Goody is a system coach who sticks fat, I admire this about him as he doesn't waver and give in to outside numps ideas. Hopefully one day people see this as a major positive. The one thing I'm not 100% sold on is his matchday decision making. I think that the game went very much towards the 'in game' happenings of coaching this year and we're seeing the Chris Scotts and John Longmires of the world excel with adjustments made in game. I think Melbourne needs a few extra gears and a few tricks up the sleeve when things aren't working. Bathwater - Possible and a natural thing. Watching on Fri night I marveled at how much more Brisbane seemed to want it in the second half, first to almost every ball. Maybe a case of full bellies, it is extremely hard to manage this. Hunted - Again, a natural thing. Teams had all summer to study film on us, it was there for all to see. These rocket science coaches have found the way to play us and succeeded. Extremely hard to succeed when most teams were playing their grand final against us each week. Forward and Mid Pressure - The big one. What happened here? Was it just fitness? It was just not there for long enough. Is this a big ask to require this for the whole gameplan to work each week? Running is hard, no two ways about it. After the 2017 Grand Final I honestly thought Richmond would fall back into the pack because their pressure was so immense that year and I just find pressure a real difficult thing to keep going long term. It is just impossible to sustain 100% of the time and maybe the only way you can is by having one of the best fitness coaches in the world who doesn't just get you fit and breaks your mindset down until you are literally a machine. It is extremely hard to rest on your laurels when you rely on this for your gameplan to work, you have to be 100% or not at all. That's the fact. Whipping Boys (ANB/ Spargo/Sparrow) - Whipping boys may be a little harsh but we simply needed more out of our small forwards. I love ANB and Spargo but a goal a game was probably what was needed from them. The difference between last year and this year had a lot to do with the bottom 6 players. Not only did we have so many guys in career best form but we had a bottom 6 chipping in each week, this year we didn't. Selfishness - Came into the game a few times this year. There may be people who would call the many times we didn't see or kick to open men as selfish but I have my doubts on whether or not this was selfish. I'd be more inclined to think this was players trying to follow a gameplan and not wanting to overthink things. I don't know what the answer to that is but that's why we have our coaches. We know about the Fritta moments that were magnified but I don't think our team suffers from selfish syndrome. So that's it, not sexy and not the magic bullet everyone wants but that's my take. I thought about putting percentages of blame next to each one but then I thought why open myself up to potential ridicule and spear throwing.

What a player he's been, outstanding.

It's the nature of the beast really. A tough competition, even when we won last year the reality was we were only marginally better than a few other teams and that goes for most years. We weren't that much better and we aren't that far off now, that's the reality. As far as Salem goes, get his knee 100% right over the off season and come back raring to go next season. The guy is quality and we all know it, plenty of players have 'forget' seasons.

While I don't 100% agree with the original post and idea of a wasted season, I've got no problem at all with you making the post. No-one has any right to tell others how to feel and although I've made some jokes that might have said otherwise please know they are just jokes. It's been a total whirlwind of emotions for a lot of us. Going out in straight sets after following a while season of us looking at top 4 is very new to me and I do understand the people that do think it's a waste. For example, yes the Kozzie winning goal against Carlton was an amazing moment, but the fact that it didn't really lead to anything after that apart from a brilliant last game of the season was a shame as that moment still feels very recent. We're still right in the middle of the emotions, it's going to take time to process. It's going to be hard to see another team lift the cup and again this is all going to be new territory for a lot of us. Don't apologise for speaking your mind.

Players are going to leave, it's inevitable. We just have to make sure we retain as many as possible which we've done and make sure our list decisions from here on out are good ones. I think we're doing a good job in that area.

It has, bottom line really.

We need some positive remedy oil or something.

If the trade ended up being essentially Jackson for Grundy would you be happy or kick tailgates?

I'd say it's the gameplan before saying it's the culture.

Need to try and get Griffin Logue

Till next time nob-jocks.

A couple of arrogance moments crept in but I don't think it was the overriding issue.

Well the important news is we're out.

We need players forward of the centre who are clinical in front of goal. Last week the Swans finished off half chances, we need more of this because space in our forward line is just not going to be there.