Adam The God

Good call mate. Add the run of Langdon (don't rate his disposal, hopefully he can improve) and Whitfield, and we're a vastly different side. If we can get out forwardline right with some natural crumbing smalls and work on our stoppage set ups, with a healthy Lever and May playing back there, we should be making finals.

He's an ordinary tackler. Needs to get a lot better. Thought you'd know that @Thehardtackler.

Interesting reading your comments mate on Gus and Clarry. I'd thought Gus' downturn in form this year was back-related, but maybe I was too hopeful. Off little pre season and a double shoulder-surgery Clarry managed to get into the right spots enough this year to amass more of the ball than he had in previous years. Why not Gus? You've obviously heard things that I haven't, so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Clarry is the only player that I'd pay over top dollar on our list. Probably my favourite all-time Melbourne player already. If it came down to Clarry, Gus or Petracca, I think I'd probably be more open to Gus being traded, but ultimately I want all of them to stay and I think our 'inside dominance' is overstated. It's an absolute strength if we get our stoppage set ups right and get the game going on our terms.

I'm with you on the needing more genuine leadership on and off field. Likewise, I think Gawn should be made sole captain too, but my expectation is Viney will remain co-captain. This will really highlight the favouritism that I keep hearing about and boys club that has grown up around Todd Viney. I hope I'm wrong and he relinquishes the captaincy and focuses on being a contributor. The problem with the two players that you've highlighted is that neither are leaders, Higgins slightly more so, but they won't offer what we're looking for and unless they come cheaply, we risk sacrificing development of younger kids in our system whose list spot would be taken by their recruitment. I hate what I'm about to say but I can't think of anyone who would be gettable from other clubs and offer us genuine leadership for an affordable price. You're on the right track, I just don't think you've identified the right players. Incidentally, I'd be interested in getting someone like Roughead down to the club in a forwards capacity.

I'd agree with this too but it's very easy to forget just how influential he was in that finals series last year off an injury-riddled season.

I reckon he'd be handy on a wing. In terms of a trade though, I wouldn't be parting with anything more than a second or third rounder.

I'd keep Gus, but part of me agrees with the ruthlessness needed here. I just think that Gus, Oliver and Harmes/Viney are our go to centremen. Get our stoppage set ups fixed, get miles in the legs and two-way-running back, and I believe we have the strongest young midfield in the competition. The least flexible out of those guys is Viney, but I'd be trying him as a small defensive forward with midfield bursts next year. I'd have Harmes on a wing with centre bursts and floating forward. And I'd have Oliver and Gus in the middle 90% of the time. Harmes/Viney and whoever else plays with Clarry and Gus should be very much the defensive midfielder in most set ups, because Clarry is an excellent tackler. Therefore, Gus needs to improve his endurance and two-way-running. The element that throws all of this up in the air is the Petracca x-factor. I believe he should be in there too, but only if he greatly improves his endurance. That probably then pushes Harmes to the wing and Viney to half forward most of the time. Only problem being we become very see-ball, get-ball, with little defence given an Oliver, Gus and Petracca centreline. Those stoppage structures will be so vitally important next year.

One of their better players. That'd be quite incredible if they traded him.

This is a fair call mate. Let's hope he does what's required.

For me, it was a similar feeling at the Hawthorn game too. We thoroughly outnumbered them in the EF and the SF.

Good post mate. We absolutely need to change our list profile and if we don't, we will fail. I now suspect Goodwin will be sacked next year because we won't make the hard calls and draft/trade shrewdly, but this may be in part to the veil of negativity you mention. I hope we can forge a new Melbourne, something that I was so excited about towards the end of last year, where there seemed to be a tangible growing mateship amongst the playing group. I don't think it's dramatic at all to say the club is on the precipice, one way or the other. If we really struggle again next year, everything will plummet (membership, our young core will request to be traded etc) and all the hard work we'd been building to under Roos and Jackson for the last 4 or so years will be for nothing. The turnaround from last season really has been quite incredible and I can only hope we reverse our fortunes next year.

I would have kept Lewis for one more year and retired Jones. At least Lewis played a decent role as a reinvented forward this year. Jones offered very little.

Mate, he was top 5 in the competition for a lot of stats, including #1 for contested possessions. Let's not start [censored] on the brightest, most talented player we've had through the doors in many years. Clarry is a star and although he could be the best player in the competition if he used his beautiful right foot more effectively, he is still a genuine A grade midfielder and he had another A grade season.

Well done, Max. Clarry was bloody stiff, but Max deservedly and comfortably should sit in that team.

I like the idea of targeting coaches with Clarkson IP. The fact he was one of my favourites is just an added bonus.

I think Lockhart is potentially good enough as a role playing half forward but he's no crumber. Wagner isn't good enough IMO although a hard trier.

What a muppet. Back under your rock, spidey.

Mate, you thought it was all rosey in the JLT until a few of us told you otherwise. Revisionism it is coming from you, given your chat at the top of the year.

Surely we couldn't go through another off season without addressing the glaring crumbing issue in our forwardline? Particularly, now that Jeffy has gone.

Good on you mate. Thanks for posting and come back soon. Besh wishes to you and your bro.

JKH and Stretch have to go IMO. Neither are good enough. ANB is borderline and Wagner is a role player for another 2 years.

Incredible there are still those out there that thinks Jones can contribute consistently. Classic rose-coloured glasses. Wouldn't get a game for many other clubs and that goes for his last 4 or 5 seasons. We don't actually owe him anything. We've paid him a bloody good wage for a long time. Decent servant in hard times, nothing more.

Good talent but isn't quick enough or a natural crumber for mine.

He's 198cm. He hasn't looked interested at the Saints since part way through his first season with them. Big no from me. We don't need anymore KPDs.

Some pretty good pick 3's over the journey. Alternatively, I hope we go hard for Ben King.