buck_nekkid

If TMac is too important as a forward, why do we start him on the wing?

Questions that should have been asked at the presser: if there was a lack of defensive effort, why did you not change this up during the game? You know, the quarter and half time breaks might be good for that, right? what was your message to Petty after the match? Did you apologise for selecting him before he was ready? when did you decide to start your best forward on the wing, and push the other key forward so far from goal he needs a myki card? Did you learn anything when you put Hogan deep forward and he kicked 3 goals? if inside 50s are such a problem, why don’t you fix it?

Lets see if Goody’s presser was blah blah. If it was, no change. If he is serious, then I can see several changes. Any player that either can’t run two ways is out. Any player who is down on form is out (if there is a replacement at Casey). We have to structure up better. Out: Petty, Hannan, Tyson, ANB In: Frost, Baker, Spargo, Stretch Spargo into the forward line, Baker to hold a wing, Stretch on the other (rotating in to the middle) Hogan CHF, TMac FF. They dont go past the middle. We have to hold our shape in the back 6 much better. About 12 other players have to pull their fingers out

Well, that was shyte. My review under 4 points. Skills, Effort, Strategy, Umpiring. Skills. SImply poor in general skills across the day. Kicking to targets, overusing handballs, not taking marks. All well below par. One on one skills were a real low-light. Effort. We simply looked flat. the Saints spread faster, got to more contests and in more numbers more often. Only big Max seemed prepared to apply himself all day (he wins a gold star). What, couldn’t they be bothered? Thet corralled rather than tackles, were second to almost every contest, allowed to be turned inside out way to easily and wandered around with their hands on their hips. If you dont want to be out there, dont be. Giving away 119 points is unacceptable Strategy. Big issues here. Inside 50 was terrible. St K simply jammed up the 30 metre space directly out from goal and we couldn’t think of anything else but kicking it to them there repeatedly. Having everyone fly at the ball is amateur. Our start setup with TMac on the wing and JViney as a tagger. Forget it! Better off to have Jesse on the wing. We were smashed in clearances until Viney was allowed to be proactive. Our exits from the back half are poor. Our discipline with tiki touchwood umpires needs to improve. Harry Petty Was a bust. The last quarter 1:1 where he didn’t even put his arms up to contest shows he just isn’t ready. Umpires. 3 goals from 50’s and 2 more from soft as free kicks in the first half. The push in the backs that weren’t. How did Oliver get knocked to ground off the ball and not one umpire saw it? They were so substandard today, they appeared biased. The first 3 things we need to fix, the last is beyond our control. Until we are the glory team, we will keep being the umpire’s biatches. I think up to 3-4 changes this week.

One thing I noticed was Baker always held his width off the contest, to act as the loose side winger. This meant he spent a lot of time between these zones, as he was the widest player for both teams off the contest when it was on the opposite wing. He would then run to make space wider, or be a target on an angle. When was on his side, I didn’t see who held width the other way. He got involved, some of his disposal was less than polished, but he looks highly likely. A good game. I note the Bummers had a couple of very fleet footed runners, which absolutely suits their game style to break lines and rebound off half back. One or two of these might be valuable at Melbourne. F50 entries seem to be our Achilles heel.

Really liked the games of Baker, Stretch, Vince, Smith and Kielty. Lots at the next level, Frost good amongst them. DJ goes hard. Not much of JKH or Bugg today. Need more from Balic. Garlett not on form today - not sure if it was because it didn’t go right for him, or he just didn’t go enough? Kent was way off the pace, but probably better for the run.

How often did we pump it straight to Francis? Didn’t even make it hard for him. Lots of intent, just needs a fraction more polish. Need to stop the uncontested possession chains that the druggies get off half back.

Rusty would be a kind description so far

Usual process- a board sub committee involving board members and external specialists define the role need, then identify candidates. They propose preferred candidate(s) to the board. Board as a whole decides. My assumption is a process like this was followed. the current CEO has no role in the process, unless he is invited onto the sub committee. There is so much p!ss and wind in Caro’s article. For a CEO to stay in the one job for 11 years is remarkable. Usual tenure is 3-5. Perhaps he has the ideal skill-set for the next phase of our organisation. All the rest is froth and bubbles. I assume appropriate due diligence was followed. After that, asking every toothless idiot and their dog for an opinion is a waste of time and effort. Good luck to Pert in his new role.

In a way, a super academy player is a great way to trade back into the first round. Match a pick on our academy player with a series of lower picks to get a gun.

Yes, I echo the senitiments here. Wish him well in getting back into the AFL. Must admit, I didn’t see it coming. Thought he looked slow when he came back into the Dees side last year, and unless he has found a yard of pace, may be found wanting at the higher level. Got plenty at VFL level. Very happy to be proved wrong, as he did nothing but his best to serve at the MFC.

Nah, not a groupie. I didn’t like the way he sooked or carried on last year, and thought he struggled to kick over a jam tin with his hip hop run in. Seems to be past all of that. Love his effort this year, and see a really valuable young forward with a range of elite traits emerging. Brereton is a [censored], and there are many others I would have counsel Jesse before him. Plays a different role to Tom, and agree he engages opponents more that he has to, but you can be sure that other teams are putting a heap of work into him. He is a match winner when he is on.

All fugazi Hogan at his best is everything, covering more kms faster than opponents, being stronger than them, crashing packs, marking and kicking goals. He is not one ‘type’ he is his own beast. he is still young, and his form will fluctuate. He will be back in form and all of those who want him traded or dropped can rejizz on the oldjizz. Because there was plenty’o’that when he was dominating. Brereton is a stain, Jesse is an easy target. I would not let Brereton anywhere near him.

Nah. Why trade up? We are out of ‘rebuilding’ and looking for the next great hope phase. We have Bradke arriving as a category B rookie. We have a chance of landing a free agent now we are not a basket case. Our ‘window’ is emerging now. I would take highly selected, targeted players through trade (Jason has pulled some outrageously good Smokeys from the barrel...) or free agency, then us the picks we have to secure best available talent. We will be on the verge of a number of retirements, but have a strong and fairly deep list already developing. On this basis, I would think we would take the draft as it comes. And as for trading out Petracca or Hogan? Thank you for your opinion. These guys are absolute GUNS (might have misfired the last couple of weeks) and NO WAY we do anything other than keep them.

This is an interesting point - what if our 'bottom 4' were significantly improved? I think all teams are carrying about this many 'workers', if you like. Do we use these 4 spots for development of future stars (means we bring in Weeds at the expense of Smith), or do we stopgap with the best available? All teams are looking for the magic / perfect 22, but there is a need to get games into some, and to get others to play a role to support the 'matchwinners'. The Tigers bottom 4 were made to look good by the team plan - they have premiership medals and 12 months earlier you couldn't trade them for a bag of chips. We will continuously need to adjust our list, and develop the assets that we have. At the moment our gameplan calls for more outside speed and finesse to cap off the great development around the contest. If we cant see it developing from within (Baker?? a fair way to go) - then recruiting it in seems like good policy. We have to get more games into some of the young ones on the list and see that they can play the plan. If they can't, then they don't suit this team. Think JW4, a really high quality player, but just not the player for our plan. It is all about the team and the plan. That's what will get us a flag.

And here is the problem : how do we know when he is ‘on’? He didn’t look nearly ‘on’ in the VFL. The idea that we gift players a run should be so 2012. But I have no idea what the coaches wanted from him, so maybe he meets the secret criteria. He was way down the list of performers at Casey, and posed almost no ‘threat’ around goal. conversely, Weed looked assured and composed, and threatened every pack and contest he flew at. Stretch looked a class above, JKH moved nicely and did some good things. Petty wasn’t sighted a great deal. Frost was busy, but some of his exit choices and disposals were poor. think weed and stretch would be looked at, Frost before petty. Not sure Garrett’s name even comes up yet. I know he can do great things, but what if he doesn’t, and what does it say about our culture?

Just watched Goodies presser. Top notch. Asked about the free kicks - turned it back with ‘what did you guys think?’ Perfect for the journos to say one sided and avoid a fine. Strong, positive messaging and you can see where we are headed. Yes, we lost. But Goody says it is a game built on behaviours and the behaviours we displayed will bring plenty of wins.

So Tyson to the midfield, maybe Salem or Fritzer to play more half forward? Tyson is not a replacement for Spargo. Smith is like for like for Pedo. Dees by 23 points.

We gotta win the midfield and be hard at the contest. We don’t want to be playing this from our back half. That is a recipe for disaster.

I think it is a super location. We are the MELBOURNE football club, after all. Lets be as close to MELBOURNE as we can be. We can still have outreach to Casey and the Cranbourne corridor, but lets own the brand MELBOURNE and live it. In reality, it is a very short walk from RIchmond station, a tram or train ride out from Flinders St, and on the Punt Road corridor for buses.

A short stroll up the hill to celebrate a flag. I like it

I’d reckon Frosty would be #4 in the queue. Smith = Weids> Pedo> Frost. Frost has played 1 1/2 quarters forward. Not enough of an audition for mine.

Old “Reacharound Rance”! Glad he’s not just in it for himself...

The trick is finding the guys who are about to emerge, rather than have emerged (big bucks) or never will (Carlton’s GWS retread strategy). what if Pat McKenna is that ideal player for outside run? If he can get on the park, maybe we will find out.

Shame the weather has cleared. Would love to see cats v tigers slog it out in sub zero sleet for a nil-all draw.