Adam The God

Not sure what we're going to go with next year. Are we going to focus on winning the contest and moving the ball quickly, or are we going to continue with the slower chipping game? The more outside pace we add, the more our game style changes. Not necessarily for the worse, adding that to our inside grunt is a good thing, but I'm not convinced we know how to harness that game style. There's still far too much learning on the job for my liking. We never settled on our team and we appeared to make constant tweaks throughout the year. Will be fascinating to see which element we favour (inside or outside) and whether we go more attacking or more defensive.

Watching the way Freo set up and their rising midfield, it shows you how past it Ross Lyon is.

Yeah, you''re right.

Not sure we want him though, mate. Thinking on it further, I'd absolutely take him back for a future first, so effectively it's May and Hogan for the future first. ;)

Yeah, agreed.

Indeed.

I think we have to be very strategic as we've got very little currency to play with at the moment. Both McDonalds will go and so if we can get picks for them, we might be able to package a deal.

Well, I'd very much back this plan then. It would also hopefully have a flow on effect to ensuring he brings physicality at ground level. If Fritsch had the tank to play wing, he'd be perfect. Particularly, if we think Baker can also play there, and perhaps the two can rotate between half forward and wing. Obviously, Langdon is a lock on the other wing.

Nah, I doubt either McDonald will be at the club next year. Agree with the small lock in forward to compliment Kozzie.

So then we have Weideman, Jackson, Gunston and Fritsch in the one forwardline. I don't think it'll hold up, unless we want to change the way it functions and accept it won't bring ground level pressure.

We need balance in our forwardline. I wouldn't be going for Fogarty. We need ground level pressure and speed. He offers neither. If you're going to play Fritsch as the third tall, we needs speedy smalls to compliment the three talls.

So he may have cost the club $50k? That seems to be what's being reported...

I rate Carlton's list. The one area of the ground I don't rate for them is their midfield. It's basically Cripps and the rest are triers. I think it'd be dangerous to give a competitor like that one of our gun mids. I rate McKay, but he's not a bonafide A grader.

Absolutely. This has been a massive problem IMV. We've picked forwardlines that don't tackle consistently, yet our game relies on forwardline tackle pressure. Our selections of Melksham and Fritsch this year has meant we're always down two tacklers every game. Spargo is up and down, Hannan is up and down, Kozzie's pressure is great, as is Trac's and then you might get some solid effort from ANB and that's about it. You might be able to have a forwardline where the big talls don't tackle (this is our situation), but you can't also have a forwardline where two of the mid-sized players never tackle either (this is our situation). It's not conducive to consistent forward system. I'm glad they've made the move with Melksham into the midfield, because he wasn't doing enough up forward. If Fritsch doesn't clean up his kicking, not only does his lack of defensive accountability undermine our system, but his goal kicking does too. I think we need to play Weideman and Jackson, with Fritsch has the medium, Petracca resting, Kozzie pressure forward and a more consistent Spargo. We need to add another lively small that knows where the goals are and in the meantime, that's probably Hunt, but he needs to be far more consistent with his pressure. Dr Jekyll's indeed. I have ADD and I don't spend my time fingering my work colleagues. It's not an excuse. He's an adult, not a child.

Sure, I'm with you on this mate, but hypothetically, what would you say if the strong review suggested we needed to clear out all the assistants and bring in a new coach? I'm all for stability, but to paraphrase/butcher Minsky, stability for stability's sake could lead to instability.

I wouldn't be keen to give them one of our mids, so unless we could broker something else, then we wouldn't have the currency.

I think this is a feature of the modern game though. Very few forwards can impact the game unless it's kicked to them 'on a platter'. Some are better at pressuring the ground ball and making defenders panic if they don't mark it (Petracca has become increasingly good at this), but most of the time, defences are set up this way and the game style is about creating beautiful goals through hard running. Completely agree with all of this.

This is pretty much the go for a lot of teams though. I disagree on Tomlinson. He's no world beater, but he's solid enough for mine. Lockhart hasn't had an extended chance and I'd be playing Petty back and Tomlinson beside him. Meaning May, Lever, Petty, Tomlinson, Rivers and Salem. I've never had the biggest issue with Wagner and would keep him for depth, but it depends who we bring in. I'm not of the view that we need to inject Salem or Rivers into the midfield. I'll be perfectly happy if we play Oliver, Petracca, Harmes, Brayshaw, Viney and then throw in Bennell and Kozzie occasionally.

His kicking throughout 2017-2018 was vital to our ball movement. He even showed this at times this year, but Fritsch plays a very similar role and it's a non combative one that draws the footy and then connects play. I think you're underrated his previous output, but I'd agree he's been ordinary this year.

He's an intriguing player. A real enigma for mine. Would love to see him succeed off half back, but I can't see it. I hope I'm wrong, but despite a funny looking set-shot kicking style, it's very effective. It seems to me, a different way to how he kicks the ball around the ground.

Melksham may show leadership off the field, but he showed very little on it this year. I've been a fan, but he struggled this year and it looks like the game has passed him, which is worrying since he still has two years running on his contract.

Would be poor list strategy from the Blues IMO. Curnow is no certainty to get back to his early career form. Trading out another legitimate KPF would be stupid. So what do you think we'll have to give them? ;) I don't like the idea of helping the Blues midfield brigade.

Just on this. It'll be interesting to see if our list strategy changes at all if Mahoney moves on this year.

I rate McKay. Reckon he'll break out in a good side (ie next year or two). When you say expensive, do you mean contractually or trade-wise? Would love a forwardline of Weideman, McKay and Jackson.

I'd hold on to Petty, but would much prefer Brayshaw in the midfield over Sparrow.