beelzebub

I'm not thinking the players are the go-to re blame in the minds of those exiting membership. I just don't. This is often more a message aimed at the Club itself...and those charged with running it, on and off the field. Message would read " you're stinking it up, you're failing ... better do something about it" I don't think the players are coached well nor instructed/empowered with a sound game plan. End of the day it's the coaches ( one especially ) whose job it is to get them firing and playing the very best footy they can. That's the job.... Also incumbent upon the club to ensure that that position is best filled. If not, rectify. As to how they play, well, I do tend to agree. Not at their abilities.

I really would have thought the first half of this year was more than enough . It's a failure. Why do people not want to call it as it IS !! Or do we continue to stuff around another 2-3 years to find ourselves still failing ?? Possibly right up until now Goody and Co have been able to pick who they wanted, play them whereas they wanted and instructed them as to how. They've had all bloody off season . The acid test has come and gone

And why isn't that ? Seriously . I was always taught/ coached/mentored...even YELLED at to lead, to find space, create a target , break off my defender ( even when they seemed obsessed with wearing me like some piece of clothing ) .. that was my job as a forward. Yes there were times you would be 'frolicking' in among a pack but that was very last choice stuff. Across a number of teams it was always a very similar approach to forward craft. Get off/away from opponent... make space.. ( except the pocket... that was naughty at got you a rollicking ..unless you were decoying .... and just kinda accidentally ended up with ball 🙄🤔🙄😉 ) . You worked as a unit. You had practiced who 'went' who went which way and when. The whole point was to open up their defence and allow a weighted kick to your ( or someone's ) advantage. Pack marking was frowned upon...schoolyard stuff. There were sessions in creating paths, leading/reversing , when to push off ...on and on and on . All about giving yourself the best chances, your team mates the best targets ; essentially playing high % footy. Never was i asked to play the way we ( Dees ) do. Quite frankly it's dumb clumsy footy. So why do we play this way. It's not how most learn it. So someone is telling players to play this way as it's just not natural for forwards to make it hard for themselves let alone the ball deliverers . Other teams don't play like us.. they have a forward delivery system. You can see the good teams . You can see practiced routines. Then there's us. I really don't get it

Thanks Macca. I'm suspecting if you're going to be paying someone a similar coin then that tax mayn't be such an impediment with the soft cap lifting next year. I get your gist however. For the greater good of winning... it's not insurmountable or prohibitive to my thinking.

If we let him go eos.. that's only one year to pay. No one's sacking him before that. ( no one's got those cohunas ;) ) Not sure why we'd be paying anyone's tax. Their problem surely

We pay him out for 26.. that's not 2.5 m. I did the maths

It's also always the head coach who's game plan is the template. Yes you will get better echelon assistants who's inputs might not just enhance his area of responsibility but also drive change of overall game styles/plan but it's the head coach's vision that's implemented. We could probably go better ( even as we are ) if there was a properly sorted and educated forward line. That's down to effectively 2 people and ultimately one. It's the same dumb 💩 week after week. I honestly can't remember a time when intelligent forward craft was ever a priority under Simon's charge. Last time I looked the backline doesn't hit the scoreboard yet we just pig-headedly persist with Neanderthal footy. Does my head in.

How on earth do you arrive at 2.5m ?

Not to diminish the value of the rest of your post but I'd like to zoom in on this aspect. This is my biggest gripe really. Immediately after ( or possibly during ) our GF win opposition brains trusts were dissecting and plotting our downfall. What worked ( and might I suggest...only just ) in 21 faltered and became less problematic for other teams subsequently. I'm not alone in noticing it and commenting upon such as this occurred. But here we are the backend of 25 going nowhere fast. We've had 4 drafts/trading and the better part of 4 seasons to arrive at our current malaise. We need new blood and better ideas together with ppl ( assistants and other FD ) who can actually achieve. The path we're on and current guides aren't taking us to the summit.

Wont happen but I like the idea.

It isn't if you can't hit the side of a barn. Our abities to finesse play with nuanced pace are little to non-existent sadly. We resemble headless chooks at times. I'm sure many of these players didn't grow up and come through the ranks in this manner. ( the clue to understanding the cause is to understand this premise)

And therein lies a problem. If there was no one in the wings just biding time he ( BD) might have some currency in his belief. Whether he likes it or not, he is the interim President. And he acts like it Walks like , sounds like..... Couldn't really give a 💩 what he or others at the club 'loathe' as personally I loathe being a club struggling to tread water in 14th with stuff all prospects. If he wants to be taken seriously... do serious stuff.

Hopefully he brings "Different"

I agree... need to prune this club like a rose bush...

And isn't this a good example imo of why stats are essentially rubbish. Yes , he's all of those things.. and yet effectively a non impact player !! A bit of an enigma as he doesn't put a lot of feet wrong but the speed, dynamism and creativity he once brought to the table is now replaced by beige.

Mr Tower , your Highness 😉 .. good to read your post 👍 At times it is hard to know where to start isn't it though I think you're right in bringing the spotlight to development. Or in our case.............. From my cheap seats I can only agree. We've failed to perpetuate our motion and we're falling off a cliff. Some might suggest we've a perfectly paired strategy whereby we team a plan that's not working with players not equipped to do so. Got to feel for the kids that get Melbourne'd !! Post more H_T 😀

Something in what you say there 👍

That's encouraging. He can't start quick enough. Need to get out of caretaker mode .

The point is we've made an artform of ignoring talent under our nose ... but kudos to us we can pick obscure players who live on our rookie lists then fade into the ether. I think his point has merit. If we keep [censored] up.... many here will keep pointing it out. We need to do so much better, be much cleverer. Oh I'm sorry... you're right... zipping along under the radar , in fact under most clubs ... that's where it's at 😉

Thanks SONS .. exhibit A Exhibit B Paply You could go on 🥴

Hopefully not tripped over

Keeping things as they are.... absolutely

For many a year Salem was a more than competent and clever Marshall in the backline. Something has changed. Has he simply mellowed or has his role been redefined. Either way the zest and verve of his game has gone. Very meat and 3 veg now.

Quite frankly there is NO captain in waiting. Again I don't see it as a problem or priority. Fix the fd first. Max ought to be OK for a couple more seasons and by then the picture might be clearer. This ain't the most pressing issue at the Dees

I'm wondering, in a well let's drag in some left field thinking, might it not be a positive that the bloke taking the reigns isn't over indoctrinated in the ways the footy world thinks ? By this I'm hoping he brings to bear a broader more "industrial strength" no nonsense approach to the metrics of direction and application. I often feel the footy world becomes a little inbred with its thinkings and operations. I.e. variations on a theme but what if the theme is flawed ? The outside world isn't as accommodating to incompetence. Maybe a more clinical approach might be just the panacea. Where things are stalled, give it resources to move its [censored]. Where things are faltering gather the people who can do it better. That would be a huge difference... outcomes driven v some incarnation of a Boyz club.