beelzebub

I know we'll possibly not agree on how the starting selection may have been... but Max was incredulously poorly managed. Thats on you know who.....

Early hols ??

Probably takes the combined output of 50 journos to get an ounce of sense though...

Yep... good for geese.......

Id give Maxxy a little slack Jaded...he was mercilessly held, scragged, chopped all game for sfa recognition by the maggots. It was deplorable.

In one respect a 'problem" with the forward line stocks is even with the likes of Milky (retained ) Roo and Petty ( if he is indeed to live forward permanently ) is we're ...imho...still one decent sized KPF short. Whereby we had the likes of Big Benny and Tommy alas I would think those halcyon days are passed. Had we a more mature and experienced Forward I doubt that Roo would have been chucked in the deep end as he was. Other than Fritta we dont have too many who live and breathe forward craft. Smith isnt too bad.. but not what I think we're looking at as being the KEY forward. Petty might get there...but he's still learning imo. It is someone like Hogan (oh the irony ) that we need... Not the Lynchs or the like...just a good solid meat and 3 veg realiable PROPER forward.. Will only likely need for 3-4 years. We dont need a silver bullet...just add to the silver already on hand

Good journalism should lead the way. It shouldn't be dictated to. It shouldn't look like a cheap one size fits all suit. That they are reactive shows they should all give away the quill.

Well... it's a start. Possibly a poor analogy but someone with addiction first has to admit it, own it and then can move forward and upward from that base. All im hearing is blah blah blah bla blahhhhh. At least in "trotting" it out he's verbalising to a public audience. That would be a catalyst for change. Haven't heard him say... "Im the Coach of Melbourne and its my responsibility to oversee the change needed so we dont repeat these unsatisfactory and disappointing results , squandering our talent and opportunity " I dont hear him say ANYTHING near it.

Even worse...of a fashion. We had the game effectively won. Not sure tbh how...as some seemed worse for wear and just hanging on but in the context of that game and with little time left we should have retained the outcome. Our much vaulted End of Game Shut-down was nowhere to be seen. Where was the discipline...where were all the learnings. Why weren't 2 extra behind the ball to completely shut it down..where were the runners ?? Like deer in the headlights.. we got whacked. That's where the vitriol of the media stems from.

Lamentably....yes.. All the locusts swarm. Tbh... not without some merit. We are our own worst enemy. We often dont simply get beaten.. WE lose. Emphasis on the WE. I.e.. It was up to us...and we've stuffed up...and not just once. There's a perceivable trend. So the answer to all that kicking...is to get up and do something about it. I can only suggest something somewhat different....lest we end up right back on the floor.. The word criticism by definition comes from critique. We of course deserve to be critiqued. Now it may well be some have agendas and/or narratives to push but the equally simple ( as such ) solution so as to avoid the kicking. Dont lose the games you've won. It might just help.....

Sorry.. further to this he DEFINITELY answerable to US. The club effectively runs like any stakeholdered company. You have the investors. i.e Member. We invest not just money but so much more. We are literally invested as club fans/members. Like a company it has its board and management. All are tasked , all are accountable to.....its shareholders. The MFC is accountable to US. Thats how it works. They F up...theyre out.

Possibly the most logical thought regarding him. He has his moments...has his fades ( not alone ) Definitely among the elite thinkers with the ball. His vision is exemplary. Doesn't always get the desired result. He might find selection getting even more crowded at Melb. So he might well pull the trigger.

You know what... maybe own it. Maybe some humble mea culpa. He's the bloody head coach... Maybe " we stuffed up... we need to do much better ... " Maybe ... "an opportunity lost etc" He needs to understand its on HIM HE guides the ship... onto the rocks again...and again. 21 is history. He's letting things slip. He totally ballsed up the Grundy fiasco and even when the opportunity to do something a bit maverick presented.. he squibbed. He's an employee...he's accountable... to US !!

Go well and good luck Brodie. I personally think you did your level best in the circumstances. I also believe the club totally stuffed this up from day one...and right through. Not Melbourne's finest hour(s). This could have played out much better. Certainly shows which camp has no capacity for lateral thinking. We're not that clever at times...especially when we think we are.

We stuffed up

All very good... And all too late. If you dont think he's not answerable to 70k odd disenchanted ... well...

A good 3 to 4 years probably. Ideal.

Grundy wasn't si much a mistake...though i can only agree an argument can be made ( a la rpfc ) that we never should have entertained it...better other options/deals. But , imo, where we truly [censored] up was not reappraising where we were and the talent on offer and rethinking how to use. Exhibit A .. the last game .. We needto be far more astute and inventive.

They were argy bargy from the get go. We dont have nearly enough mongrel . We get dudded every single time. No prizes for being nice

exactly

as would I....but is it a peculair scenarion then.... Dew was set to get the top job until nobbled by Colless...

I think there was a period of greater delegation but not so much into the finals and /pr esp this year I guessing.. Not saying the OOze isnt professional but he's human.... Might not have been 100% focused on us...what is...is.

As such good. Doesn't guarantee him anything. Will still have to earn spot. Just means he's one of a pool to draw upon. I read it as nothing more than that tbh.

For those that have not already done so I highly recommend, ne implore you to read @george_on_the_outer report "Learning or Burnings" @Dr. Gonzo et al Defence. Without doubt the standout quality of our teams playing. Has kept us in many a game where quite possibly we should have already been put to the sword. Yep , we're getting this right. We need to groom replacements for down the line. A++ Midfield...Here I have a quandary....as the talent on hand ( brilliant ) when combined imo simply doesnt equal the results we get...or should get. We should be clearing oput of the middle like we did in that Granny far more often than we do. For all of Max's work and the abilities of the mids.. I just don't get it..Something NQR about us there.. but thats possibly just my take.. We do well , but are we getting it right ?? Give it a C..it passes..thats all.. Forward line.... I'm seriously tempted to simply reply...WHAT forward line. We have any number of Forwards though lack a few key elements there. The composition and effectiveness is somwhere between abysmal and adequate.. Anyone who sees this as anything far short of a dogs breakfast half the time has very powerful red and blue glasses on. We need a new coach here, we need an entirely different approach ...I can only suggest actually playing attacking forward footy instead of employing fwds to be defenders in our own arc might be a start. A lot of work here. I concur Tmac ( disappointing ) and Benny should probably concentrate on their futures. We thankyou for all youve done. Be proud Forward Line F We have a coach who did indeed leaad us to a flag. Thats to be appluaded and yep, thankyou very much. That was then , this is now......right now we're trending backwards. Many a selection ,gameplan etc has left more than me just a little perplexed. For someone who seemed active in thinking and doing outside of box tactics he ()SG) seems firmly rooted inside a very limited design. There is practically NO team more predictable than Melbourne.. I disagree with how sound our gameplan is... it once worked quite OK... it is now used AGAINST us...What made us inpenetrable now can be our achilles heel. Our accuracy is a steady line declining through the year. We HAVE had the opportunity....ahh but that barn is elusive eh... Something I think needs to change is the total bias on defence. Thats all we do really defend. Doesnt matter where on the ground we seem focused on defending...defending space, territory. Don't let there back get the ball oout etc etc. Ostensibly there is sound rationale to this, but it ought to be the second string..not the first..Once you pass teh square on to the goals is about ATTACK, it's about forward patterns, skills,craft. In short it's about kicking GOALS...... nothiing more really as thats the whole point of the game. Ouur game needs to flow, it needs to transition fromnegative to positive as it moves down the field. We need some line coaches. Only defence is working. Will be interesting to see who does , or wants to come on board. Will we be pragmatic enough to let Stafford go?? I do wonder...I have to think that Simon is quite ok with him....otherwise surely there would have been many changes already...but we still play mainly as we always do. A major concern for me. It worries me that glaring in abilities seem to go on unchecked/unchanged. It is easy enough to suggest that we are there or there abouts having only lost by small margins. That to me only masks over the cracks . We've had ample opportunites. All four finals were there to be one...and we managed to LOSE all of them. It's often rolled out that we have the ideal gamestyle for finals footy.. guess what ; we DONT. I would have thought last years debacle was sufficient lesson to spur us on this year.....and now they're saying exactly the same...for next year. Meh.... It looked like we choked..If thats the case...then why...and thats another thing we aren't getting right. Off field. Memeberships up..Fantastic...and maybe a home...well when that becomes a definite...another 'Fantastic' Yes it is arguably hard to finish top 4 ...or win multiple Premierships.. but..if we look at the Cups just this Century: 2000 Ess 2001 Lions 2002 Lions 2003 Lions 2004 Port 2005 Syd 2006 Eagles 2007 Geel 2008 Haw 2009 Geel 2010 Col 2011 Geel 2012 Syd 2013 Haw 2014 Haw 2015 Haw 2016 Dogs 2017 Rich 2018 Eagles 2019 Rich 2020 Rich 2021 DEES 2022 Geel I think it's fair to say that some clubs took full advantage of 'windows" being open Not us, but we are getting very good at just staring out of them.

You've nailed it