Adam The God

You don't usually want Demonland's answer to 'old man yells at the sky', backing up your arguments though.

Agreed that he shouldn't have been a walk up starter, but it's not like we've been blessed with wingers or outside players in the last few years. I don't really care that Billy was drafted as an inside mid. He won't make it as an inside mid and needs to make it on the outside or in another position.

Yep, Petty did well forward, but I reckon he's ultimately an interceptor at the back.

I'm wondering if the well-connected @Chook in Perth has any news on potential INs for 2020?

I don't think Billy is quite good enough but Goodwin/FD completely stuffed up his development. I remember him progressing in 2016 and then he went back into his shell as he was yo-yoed in and out of the team in 2017. This was clearly an important time in his development, because he's never recovered. Without fail, he holds the ball up and questions his decision making every time he gets it. In 2016, he didn't. Whatever's been said to him during 2017 rocked him and it's probably time he tried a new environment.

I thought you said it did? If it's the difference between Frost and Elliott, it's just as easily the difference between a two year deal with ANB.

Keath would have been a good get as a predictable, solid citizen. Frost is completely unpredictable and doesn't engender trust with team mates and their positioning. May, Keath and Lever playing interceptor would have been great. I wonder if we've got anything else up our sleeve. Otherwise, maybe Petty has to go back a year earlier than I would have hoped.

Because historically a team might win a few more games, but that doesn't mean a team winning less games won't catapult above them the following year. Look at Melbourne and Geelong between 2004-2007. Or Brisbane last year and this year. 15th to 2nd.

Agree with all of that, except I'd add that system is the most important thing to get right over the off season, so it becomes like second nature in 2020.

We caught teams off guard by copying Richmond's style that won them a flag in 2017? I don't think so.

Twaddle.

Goodo.

Surely whatever we're paying Frost isn't the difference between us trying to land Elliott...

Don't worry mate. The club will roll out the red carpet when they re-sign Frosty. Big name player.

With it sounding like we may have missed Elliott, I'd be keen to hear what @Pennant St Dee thinks of the small forward talent coming out of WA this season. Traditionally an incredibly strong state for crumbers and electrifying forwards.

Clearly it is, because he still makes stupid errors that a 26 year old shouldn't be making.

Disagree, but hope you're right mate.

Well, when we were playing effective system last season, Frost was in and out of the team. That's no accident. Despite greatly improving his 1v1, contested play, his spoiling, even his kicking, his decision making is still a liability. I find the idea that losing Frost will have Melbourne supporters up in arms, laughable. No, he doesn't need a run at Casey to get it right. He's been on the list for 5 years and been in the system even longer (8). His decision making isn't particularly better and he's reached his ceiling. To imply that the coaches haven't told him how to work through situations better within game is naive IMO. They would regularly dissect his game and yet he continues to turn the ball over. But to tell Frost not to attack the game is to completely remove his biggest strength. I think it makes sense for him to sign on with us at a reduced contract and play a depth role for us. He'll still likely get games due to the durability of Lever and May, and the fact that whoever our third tall defender is will take time to come on (Petty, Hore or Oscar).

It's a ridiculous comment, really. Just a bit of MFCSS from Bubs.

But is Sam capable of playing to a system? I don't think so. It ends up being Frostball, which is unsustainable.

I'm more concerned with who we pick up and the system we look to play next year. We undoubtedly need pace and pressure all over the ground, particularly forward of centre, but our team has shown it can get to a PF. Tweak the system, get everyone on the same page, add some speed, get everyone through pre season and we can make the 8 next year. The change to system and coaching is what's going to turn our fortune, not the re-signing of a couple of youngsters who have barely had a chance to show their wares yet. (yes, I know about ANB and the Wagners, but get the system right and they will be plug and play contributors)

Pleasure. When Frost sprints out of the backline with the ball under his arm, his team mates move into attacking positions up the ground. He then proceeds to turn the ball over by foot and the ball shoots back over his head, and out-positions his team mates. In an effective team defence, you can't have a turnover merchant like Frost in your back 6. He's a hard trier and I like him, but if we're being serious, he completely undermines our defensive strategy.

Staggering that we re-signed so many ordinary players. Let's hope we improve our system so significantly that we make ordinary players look good.

All well and good, but WTF would you trade in Wines and get rid of Salem? If you're going to trade value, trade in value. Wines is an okay player, but he doesn't address a key need. He's a contested player, with ordinary skills.

I love how people assume that Elliott is the only player we're going after to solve our small forward crisis. The club simply can't win. If they show their hand in a trade, some Demonlanders lambast them. If they keep their cards close to their chest, some Demonlanders question why we're not going after more players.