Adam The God

Then you also hear from Champion Data that we're top 5 for ball movement this year and top 3 for fastest ball movement, which then contradicts someone like David King who doesn't have us anywhere near the top because he takes out variables to suit his own argument (that better ball movement equals ladder position). It's typical from King, but it's really, really dishonest journalism. And it's why I stopped watching them all. They have a thesis, which they then go and support with data. If the data fit, they remove the variables or use a narrow set of stats to prove a point.

If we go away from Goody, I'd go with Cam Bruce and Justin Leppitsch as the senior assistant. But what would I know?

This exchange from 2020 is very interesting to read again. Particularly, the selection issues and the lack of defensive transition. This part of the thread also discusses how we would move the ball long to the central hot spot to get contests from our talls in the air and our smalls at ground level. Hitting up the central hot spot is also what Richmond did so well during 2017-2020 (get a contest from Riewoldt or Riewoldt and Lynch, and their smalls would go to work). And like us across 2021-2023, they turned defensive intercept into attack. Reading back over the early part of this thread is fascinating. It seems our problems and Demonlanders' critiques are cyclical.

To be fair, we did this all last year. They're cherrypicking plays as usual. There's plenty of plays to the hot spot that result in nothing every game in every round. We either didn't have the guys to bring the ball to ground or we didn't have the crumbers. We would set up a five man anchor behind the ball just as this video intimates. Again, it is my view that we've overcorrected and should be reverting to what works for us. Even an aggressive press that is anchored by a five man defence. Playing Windsor and Lindsay behind the ball, with Langdon on a defensive wing, we could defend breakaways. The play Longmire describes in itself is a tweak on the kicking it long to the pockets that we did for two years, but as with most things on the footy field, the most dangerous position to hit is the corridor, or in this case, that central hot spot. Back in 2023, Collingwood would often hit that central hot spot, while we were still hitting the pockets. It meant their shots were easier than ours, and I remember at the time hoping we'd be more aggressive with that kick to a central hot spot, rather than a pocket, but we obviously felt we could defend the pocket better and then get a reset for a stoppage that we'd win 50% of the time resulting in a scoring chance. At the start of 2024, as I say, we made the change and looked more central. There is nothing particularly enlightening about this exposition when you think about it, but I'm glad there is some stuff in the press about tactics, although unless it's posted on here I wouldn't watch it anyway.😆

I'm taking young Edward again. My poor 4 year old is going to learn resilience through the Melbourne Football Club like his father. His first full match was the North game and his second full match was the Suns game. He's very lucky.

Mine too.

Sorry Ghosty.

I'm trading Clarry, Fritta and Kozzy unfortunately. I'm keeping Trac.

I think it's pretty obvious that our best players are suited to this style and not suited to the fast offensive, precise ball movement game. You coach to the list you've got and you tweak the game style as you evolve your list.

We did this last year minus a brilliant Trac and a half fit Clarry. We lost to eventual prelim finalist Port by 2 points. We lost to eventual semi finalist GWS by 2 points. And we lost to the eventual premier Brisbane by 5 points (in Brisbane, where very few away sides win) after a dodging free kick was awarded near the death. We've overcorrected. And the way to beat the modern game will be the defence first game that is able to slow ball movement and beat up teams at the contest. We were experts at this for 2-3 years. IMV, we need the play the game style that is something akin to the start of last year, but with more aggressive forward handball (see Round 1), and play to the strengths of our midfield bulls (and our defenders), and help out those poor ball users by having good ball users around them (McVee, Salem, Bowey, Lindsay, Langford, Windsor). Fitness has a huge question mark above it, because to play as well that way, we need to be able to run out four quarters, which we show no sign of doing. But this is what we should do. Do I have faith in Goody being able to revert to this and get the players playing to this vision? That's a different answer.

A good Melbourne supporter is Rob.

Well, here's the thing. The best administration we've had in the last 50 years is the one effectively led by outsiders in PJ and the president that was installed by the AFL around the same time. We haven't had any other brilliant administrators to compare, but I distinctly remember the constant infighting with boards and poor appointments (sometimes to outsiders like McNamee), and I was very grateful when the AFL stepped in and basically ran the show for 5 years, giving PJ almost free reign over reconstruction of our club. He then put in place good governance, good structure and good people, the club then proceeded to abandon what he'd built and went out and hired Pert. It's been downhill off field ever since.

I also found it interesting that he spoke strongly of defence. I just wonder if they're going to tweak things to be a little more defensive. I'd be favour of this. We can't score, so we may as well try and restrict the ball movement and score of the opposition. That will be the next trend in the modern game, we know we're very good at this, let's lean into it. But when we get the chance to slingshot, let's make it count.

But we certainly had it in Round 1. It was the most bang, bang, bang our mids have been since the GF IMO.

Appointing our own has been a boon for this club.

I said something like this 10+ years ago on Demonland, but the less Melbourne people involved in the CEOs chair and the FD, the better. I understand Nicho is well rated, but [censored], we're so prone to groupthink at our football club. Administration after administration.

If it were a choice between Leppitsch, Bruce or Simpson, I'd choose the unknown in Bruce. Would love Leppa as a line coach though, maybe the senior assistant to Bruce...

Lyon would also know. He's got the ear of a few.

It helps that their midfield and half back is stacked with good ball users...

I doubt they have. "Hi Josh, now I know we passed over you for Gary Pert, but would you be interested in putting your hand up again to steer this club?"

JUH was a free hit for the Bulldogs though, got a number one pick for a bag of crisps, and Lachie Hunter anyone...

I did wonder how long it'd be before Luke's name was proffered. I have a feeling Caro is just joining dots here, rather than leading with any real insight. I wouldn't be against Luke taking the role, although as @BDA says, I'd be wary given Luke has never made the top 4. He's made two GFs though, which makes him probably the greatest Bulldogs coach ever.

I don't think retaining players that want to go is a good enough reason for keeping Goody. Why are they trying to leave?

We're terrible moving the ball partly because the players aren't on the same wave length. In 2023 we didn't have Windsor, Lindsay, Langford or Kolt. All much better users of the footy than Viney, Oliver and Petracca.

Maybe, but had we kicked straight in 2023, it could be a very different story. Playing our old method, minus Trac and half fit Clarry, we lost to Port by 2 points (prelim finalist), GWS by 2 points (semi finalist) and by 5 points against the eventual Premiers in Brisbane after a soft free was paid to hand them the winning goal. Put Trac back in that team, a fitter Oliver (apparently not), allow our guys to play the contest game they've honed; add the ball use from Langford, Lindsay, Windsor and McVee; and exploit the greater pace on the list from Lindsay, Windsor and Kolt, and away we go. This is why I was buoyant going in 2025. I thought we'd play essentially the same game style with a greater emphasis on being able to score off turnover. We've gone away from this trying to play something that has clearly killed the instincts of the players, to the point where there is no identifiable brand or game style on display now and the players appear confused. We should return to contest, stoppage and defence. We should even consider playing a hybrid of the territory game. The next evolution of the game will be defensive and that is what we've built our success on and built our list for.