DV8

... stopping all stations, and picking up more passengers ! Its time to change trains... and we need an express, to find some one on one players with some decent run. I'd like to send sparrow back for 2 matches whilst we sort this structure issue out... then bring him back in onto a wing. Hunt has to play forward, in Traccas place for me. Start him from the pocket. Moving up to the ball, creating space behind for some small players with speed and smarts, even Melky. Weide needs assistance, and I do not like TMc deep. Weide should be playing high. And we need TMc playing his best between the 50 arcs. The deep forward setup needs to be sorted, but not with Weide or TMc.

Yes, he has. He read the writing end of last season. It's (666) that has undone our defensive press... and our tempo work, via creating stoppages & blocking of space in front of the opposition's ball.

Absolutely nothing to do with caring,,, being nice, or any of those things. Its all about his perception, of where he's at within footy... and where he wants to be. .................. If he's genuinely slow and has no tank, then why is he being picked, and why is he on our list, at all ? Lets just give up on him then. No, he has to change the things in him, that are failing him... and that starts upstairs for him, with his footy makeup. & his work-rate is not OK.

he's been comfortable with his level, for a couple of seasons now. He has received accolades and a nickname, which he didn't have to fight his way to Earn... to receive. He's had it easy at Melbourne... even been gifted games at times when he didn't deserve them. He's become attitudinal'y, Lazy and soft under our guidance. We, Mfc... tend to spoil most of our early picked talents, with unearned adoration. .

That's what we need to change... how we take of the ball out of the centre, and the direction we take it inside 50. It's our coughing the ball up inside the square, that hurts us the other way... and with (666), there is more man on man and less of the blocking of space. We need more runners to close down on opponents with the ball... and to find space to receive and carry.

He needs to go through this and come out the other end with a more honest self appraisal and new attitude towards his footy. this shows in his physical preparation. It is of one who thinks AFL is just a game... as did watts. note watts physical build for a 10 Year player. where is the muscle for a 195cm tall ? Tracca needs to be reborn in attitude, IF he is to rebuild his career. He needs to unpick his old mindset and rebuild into a Pro. He can only do this Via a new total commitment to his footy. its all in his mind, and it will take his decisions to improve. # let us all stop with the "Truck" rubbish... built like Tarzan, plays like Boy George. Let's all reboot 'our minds', to allow him to reset With Casey Demons.

So he should have. and undeserved false dawn swagger, for a cameo type player.

I think we'll turn things about fairly quickly, but lack of form coming into season has hurt a bit. not as much as the pain to the faith. Rnd 1 Beez was a worse loss. Rnd 2 loss appears worse, but its not. We did pick up some momentum during the course of the game with effort , but the gamestyle needs a tweak now, to suit the rule changes. The wider Mcg ground will help us to some extent, but also expose our 'close the space' gamestyle, which does not work anywhere near as well, under (6.6.6.)

I disagree Red. The AFL has Changed the game with one big decision. W have recruited smalls rinning players. Just not early enough. We did more smalls last draft. Our wingers haven't come on so far, eg Stretch. etc What we haven't done enough of is foot speed. to break from an opponent. Last draft we recruited Sparrow who has some off the mark speed and we recruited Chandler Bedford, and now Lockhart. Garlett has been a disappointment, apart from one committed season with us. I wanted us to go for more speed over the past 3 or 4 drafts. But better players than Hunt & Baker.

Too soon on may with the groin. May I think, isn't used to training and running so hard during Preseason. so his body will like adjust slowly to the extra intensity. He also might need to trim, just a little.

We need more running players in the 22... run & carry is bigger now, to support teammates, and to deliver forward. We are missing both Vandenberg's pressure, and Jimmy Hannan's mobility/agility, and smart open play. A time to Stretch our boundaries.

The mental preparation so far is terrible... the players thinking must have been, its 'just a matter of course'. This is the trouble with over-confidence in pre-season, and the over optimistic support, from all of US, going into this season. Combine that with so many surgeries, so a latish Prep, compared to past season, and combined with a big change in AFL game structures (666) around defensive structures, has caught us out. We'll need to change the balance of our side, to adjust. We need that extra speed and running Power, that I've been calling for for the past 4 Yrs or so. Both forward, and in the Mids... Sloths beware. get elite running fitness, or get out.

He sounds interesting, 'JD', But have they got any young speedy skilled running Mids, below the Kelly's and Whitfield's ? Maybe we could trade a future 1st Rnd Pick & a half-forward to them, for a Whitfield type and young tall forward.? There will be someone who wants a change of venue from them and there will be something the GWS would like ?

Yeah, exactly.

He's another Russell Richards.

That's right... last year they told him halfway thru, to just go out and work hard on the defensive things, and the rest will come. I have a feeling he is very hard on himself. Which is not a good attitude. Just work hard Tracca... play him in the back half at Casey, and run some hard work and fitness into him. He should be a R/Rover, not a flanker. So IF he plays off half-back at Casey, he can learn to be responsible, and run, run, run, and use his sights and skills to set up some plays for us. Then slowly bring him forward from there, running him thru the middle with Casey, and get him fitter and lighter. So he can run. really run.

He has got an attack of children's mental conservative-ness. Kids suffer like this and some adults. I have some friends that are still afraid of the dark. Or rather he hasn't grown up yet and decided he Will become a man, yet. He is currently a slave to his inner fears... he needs to let them loose, cast them away. and just not care anymore of his fears ! ... and just go out and play loose and hard. On-Filed tho. Rediscover the fun, and work his Fffffin arze off, for the side. like he's never worked before. He does tend to be a tad lazy, easily satisfied.

Hibbo is off form, Jetta as well. And I also agree that OMc should not have played in the conditions, but we needed Keilty in for him. Keilty to play forward in tandem with Weide, and help Max on the ball... and TMc to play high, up around the arcs. We need TMc's marking in the midzone. and we are missing Lewis.

Pull the bath plug first... = drop a few players, so they can reset their minds back to Zero again, and reboot.

Not dropping Weideman. I haven't seen anyone suggest that.

Coach needs to make a statement as too many are lethargic from all the over-the-top hype... its mucked with their minds. Its mostly the kids who thought they were shoe-ins. The oldies like Jones is just lacking some miles into him. and trying too hard in desperation. I would not drop any leaders. But those who aren't working hard enough should be let down. Starting with Tracca. He needs a wake-up call. Not professional enough for the game today. too soft in too many ways and it shows in his physique. Compare him to Harmes... and Harmes body shape, over the past 2 years. Harmes woke up, and is now super-fit and a leader.

No, not for one week... 3 or 4 weeks or until he decides where his commitment is. He needs to go back and practice loosening his shackles with Casey... and rediscover footy again. Learn to have some fun... and discover full commitment to his game. he is passionless at this stage of his career. Last season as well. He was better last year, in parts, but he is playing introverted/inhibited football.

Petracca and Fritta dropped. Sparrow back to Casey to continue his development. I'd like to see Keilty in for either OMc, or maybe Frost. Stretch in. Wagner in. Hunt forward. I wish we had another nippy rover to bring in to pair with Lockhart, like a chandler or bedford. But I don't think they'd be ready yet.

Thats was a commitment act. And he is not totally committed, and so is not fully focused, because of it. He will never get any better as long as he does not fully commit to the team and to the game. Tracca thinks far too much about tracca. Mind you, he has a few mates doing similar this season. Fritta is disappointing so far. I think Fritta needs a spell at Casey. He is well off his own standards. I would persevere with Hunt, but push him forward. I would drop Petracca now with Fritta, so they both can sort themir heads out with the VFL. Its time for Keilty, and Stretch again. Keep Lockhart in. Sparra back to Casey. I want to see a quicker running Mfc team next week, against the Bummers.

HaHaHa, at least you have your priorities right. ?