Adam The God

Great post mate. It's an interesting discussion because the l wonder whether it comes down to a black and white decision in list management terms. You either try to do what Geelong has done and keep your club around the mark and hope to challenge. Or, you draft a group of players together like we did and go really hard for 5 years and see if you can win 2 or 3 flags and then bottom out and load up again. The more time goes on, and having won the flag last year, my view on this is we should be aiming for the latter strategy. With the Grundy chase and the long term deals everywhere, it would appear the FD is of a similar view.

My point is it's not over and if we beat Brisbane, we're a big shot against Geelong...

You know it's possible that LJ has said no to Freo, so Haselby, a former Freo man, plays some media games to downplay LJ.

It'll be interesting if LJ stays. I wonder, could we play LJ, Max and Grundy? Play LJ as a midfielder..

Surely that's the thinking.

Sounds like Clarkson doesn't want to rebuild. He wants to hit the ground running if this is remotely true.

And yet we'd be two wins off a flag and a big shot against Geelong on the MCG.

It's the pressure up the ground. Our half forwards and mids didn't do enough to ensure Sydney's entries were dirty or wide. They went pretty centrally because there wasn't enough pressure on the ball carrier. I'd love to know our post clearance pressure ratings over the last two months.

I don't think the club rates them, otherwise I reckon they might have changed things up earlier in the year. But perhaps the FD made the decision to try one more year of what worked so well last year and then re set in 2023?

I think we're kind of saying the same thing here. We're allowing more room for our slingshot. We haven't been effective because we've been heavily loading, which affects transition. But you could well be right with it not being second nature as loading should not have been impacting us in the last few games. Are you saying we've only just started sitting the zone deeper?

I think 2023 provides us with the opportunity to chase some pressure smalls. That's what Richmond built their side around until they landed Lynch to compliment Riewoldt. They need to be clean and hard at the ground ball. It seems a ready made KPF won't be on the market, so I'd prefer we go small. It may mean changing our ball movement or it may not. Having quick and dangerous ground level players everywhere will frighten defenders and make it easier for any talls we try to anchor around forward of centre.

Also, the idea that we can't get it done in front of big hostile crowds, yet we travel brilliantly, is real big brain stuff.

If it's in aid of trying to score more (by sitting our zone deeper, allowing more room for our own slingshot), then I don't see it as arrogant. But our game style revolves around post clearance pressure, which brings our interceptors into the game. Whilst we haven't seemed to be as good at that in the second half of the year, we were definitely solid enough in the first half of the year. This is why Goodwin rates the post clearance pressure stats and they are not readily available to the public, so we've no idea where we sit in those numbers. Match that with our ability to win CP being -1 or even -2 at contest, IMV, there's little arrogance about it. It's trying to maximise our strengths (our intercept game and just about the best midfield in the game). I do think there are times where we let -2 happen at contest when we shouldn't, but that's a philosophical position and I get that's a hard thing to implement - knowing when to send an extra up to the contest. It basically has to be player driven.

You've been pretty much absent except for coming onto the boards last year and this year to pot our current president.

The idea that we need elite users is a complete furphy. If we bring the pressure around contest (in particular post clearance) and win ground balls, finesse is irrelevant.

I think the big problem is the gun KPF we need isn't available or willing to come to Melbourne. Therefore, we're looking at trying to maximise our strength in the ruck. IMV, we need to look at a different forward make up entirely next year anyway.

I just love him. He is one of a small few who can hold their heads high tonight.

I gotta say, I don't think there is a smarmier supporter base in the league. Both games this year against them at the G has seen their supporters getting right up in our faces and just being generally ungracious wankers. Is it because their Melbourne based fans lost their club to NSW?

Mitchell clearly doesn't rate him. Interesting nevertheless.

We showed interest in Ham before his move to Essendon didn't we? And he chose them and now can't get a game. See ya later.

Hang on. You want Oliver Henry because the Kings and McKay aren't available? Nevermimd the fact he's not a KPF. What a bizarre post.

The majority of the their midfield is from Victoria, including their emerging star ruckman. I agree with you, but Peter Bell seems not to be a reasonable.

We've come a long way, haven't we?

I'm not so sure...

I think we'd be professional enough to say, Brody, if LJ leaves, we'd love to have you on board, otherwise we won't have the cap space. And he goes, I'm happy to stay at the Pies, but if a deal eventuates for LJ, I'm happy to nominate Melbourne too. This is a perfectly reasonable position. Clubs have to be able to plan contingencies and with players nominating at season's end, clubs have to do some alternative groundwork before this time so they're not left hopping.