Adam The God

I reckon we need to improve our system and recruit players who compliment what we're trying to do with that system. That's how we'll bounce back IMO.

Last year we converted more chances and were better structured in our forward half and we hit targets inside. Now that we're not converting our midfield dominance and failing to put scoreboard pressure on, we're losing games. As simple as that. Having said that, I agree with your call RE game plan having always been suspect. I'm over it and we need to adjust.

It's pretty clear that the players and coaches have no idea why we're not winning. Gawn is still banging on about defence. Yeah, it'd help us if we were better defensively, but what's killing us is our forward connection and our ability to hit the scoreboard. It worries me that he and the rest of the coaching staff apparently don't see this. We're second for clearances and CPs and third for tackles inside 50, but last for efficiency inside 50 and DE. So it's blatantly obvious that if we were more efficient in our attack, this would cover our weaker defence (as it did in 2017 and 2018). Further, if you're attacking, it means the other team can't. Whatsmore, scoreboard pressure seems to be a dangerously underrated factor here. Whenever we fail to convert our forward half dominance and eventually leak a goal out the back, it's like a psychological knife through our hearts. Are coaches and players on the same page here? It seems Goodwin is saying it's forward connection and Gawn, the representative for the players, is saying it's defence.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/melbourne/jordan-lewis-puts-melbourne-players-mind-on-the-job-after-bing-win-against-west-coast/news-story/eae39a2f331e99ecd0288957c0e4bfd3 https://www.google.com/amp/s/coupler.foxsports.com.au/api/v1/article/amp/afl/afl-2018-james-harmes-lifts-the-lid-on-the-email-that-set-the-tone-for-melbourne/news-story/c9d87c489445df79dcbd8ff942601927

Whilst I think we'll finish in the bottom 3 or bottom if our form continues, it's fascinating going through the league-wide statistics. We're in the top half on most stats and are second for CPs and clearances (and third for Inside 50s). Conversely and tellingly, we're dead-last for DE and Efficiency Inside 50. It may seem like an easy solution. Clean up forward entries and disposal, and we start to look like a top 8 side again. However, the question really is, how much is our system enabling our dominance in CPs and clearances? Because if our system is the reason for that dominance, time in 2019 won't help us when we look for ways to change our downward momentum. But if we can change system and maintain our CP and clearance dominance, we would stand a chance of playing finals, especially with May and Lever returning, along with half forwards Hannan and VDB. I have no faith that the system will be completely revamped mid-season, nor do I believe it can be. That said, the example of Clarkson shifting gear in 2010 gives me some hope. And a few other points. - Fritsch needs to play on a wing. He's hopeless anywhere else. - Incredibly we'll be third for Tackles Inside 50 by the end of the round. This is majorly influenced by the forward half game we play. - can we maintain solid team defence with 6-6-6 and attack with weight of numbers on the press and use the ball better entering forward 50 on the slingshot?

That really depends on whether we can bounce back next year or not.

We'll lose by a similar margin that we did on ANZAC Day Eve. I've fallen pretty quickly to 7, but I oscillate between 7 and 2. That's part of the MFCSS crap, following Melbourne teams every week for 30+ years.

I can't seem to find a link to support this, but I could have sworn since signing May, the Club had said we've still got money in the cap to target another FA at the end of 2019. I'd say Jones' 2014 contract is almost certainly heavily front-loaded and I doubt his retirement will free up much coin, nor would Lewis' likely front-loaded contract.

Absolutely. We had a bit of a reputation in 2017 of being trash talkers (ala GWS - notice they haven't made a GF either), hence Goodwin's constant calls in 2018 of being humble. I reckon we got ahead of ourselves at the back end of 2017. That's cultural and the fact that Lewis has to send an email around to the players to ensure they stayed on target, that to me, speaks volumes for the rest of the leaders and the culture inside the club. It follows that not a great deal has changed. Let's be clear though. This is not the only issue at play with our poor form.

The fact Jones is experienced is what's kept him in the side. Not his leadership. He's an incredibly poor onfield leader. His head drops immediately, he doesn't rally the troops and in fact, often contributes to a rot setting in. Or like in the case of the St Kilda game, starting the rot, with the first clearance, he kicks long into the arms of a waiting defender. Yep, this was trotted out at the end of last year by Fifty-5 and co, whose nostalgia clearly got the better of them. He's past it. Most keen footy observers would concur, except for a few Melbourne supporters.

We couldn't really hide him in the second half of the season either. Those of us who watched him without the rose coloureds on were saying he should have hung them up at the end of last year, because he no longer had a place on the field.

It's funny how many Collingwood and Carlton mates have said to me in the last few days, 'what the hell is ANZAC Day Eve'. Are you [censored] serious? We're completely out of sight, out of mind. Those two clubs are pretty bloody arrogant though.

Agree with this mate, but there is a line. He doesn't have to be negative by simply admitting facts or reality. 1-5 is not a good place to be in and there's reasons for that. Supporters are trying to examine the reasons for the marked drop in results. You can't just stick your head in the sand and call yourself a loyalist. Well, you can, but it also devalues your opinion, or it should. And being loyal is fine, but to whom? The club or to some players or staff who Saty may think are his mates? I'd much prefer loyalty to the club and that sometimes means calling it how it is. It's always rose-coloured glasses with Saty.

I reckon we'll struggle to just under 45,000 next year.

I completely agree with this, because they're not going to drop the captain and Jones has a hardened body, but his form is embarrassing and as I said for most of last year, he shouldn't have gone around again in 2019. But because he has and we're no longer in finals contention, we may as well let him play in the guts. That's his go.

He's a turn over merchant with one gear. Get ball and kick long to a contest. The single most overrated player to ever wear a Melbourne guernsey. And I agree with a lot of what you say mate, but to say he carried our midfield last year at any point in time is laughable. But any post questioning Nathan's ability is always shut down on here and on any of those ridiculous Facebook groups. A protected species.

Well, I wouldn't pay it.

A first rounder for Langdon? What a waste of a pick. You want elite talent with first rounders.

I'd throw a heap of cash at Conigilo or Kelly and draft the best available in the ND.

Ah yes...

Yep, thought so. Hawthorn have enjoyed beating up on us for years. Apart from their soft as butter supporters from all the success they've endured and become used to, the reason I hate them the most is the disdain they've shown for us over the years. So many times we've been pummelled. And my wife is Hawthorn, so there's that too. At least, these days she only watches Melbourne games and always tells me 'Go Dees' before I head out the door to the game. She'll only change sides if Melbourne beats Hawthorn in a Grand Final, she says. Bizarre rule, but at least there's a chance. You watch us get absolutely murdered next week by Clarkson's control game. Even without their midfield, their slingshot and zippy forwards will be, as usual, our kryptonite.

Yep, agreed there.

I think an easy to follow, strong and reliable system makes a team seem like they have more depth. What you want, IMO, is to have any role player come into the system, know the system and be able to implement a basic function within it. Our system is shot and therefore our 'depth' looks more ordinary. In some ways, Hawthorn's lauded control system is a tougher system to play than our own, because foot skills are king. However, it appears our easier system requires a greater work rate in bursts, while the control system is more about aerobic power. I'd like to see us develop some new systems that either blend control v chaos or provide something entirely different. I was hoping we had the brains between Goodwin and Jennings to come up with something like this. We'll see. This is completely wrong. The zone was relaxed markedly in comparison to most other weeks. Thanks for this post. It's very heartening to think we have Lewis internally saying that they'd been here before at Hawthorn. Even that great Hawthorn side that evolved over the coming years. I had completely forgotten they were 1-5 in 2010. I would have loved that. Their only win was probably against us.

Nope. Not aggressive at all. We played a longer zone and occasionally when handball was used by Richmond through the back flank and along the wing, the middle of our zone pressed more aggressively, but still had cover behind them. It was an interesting tweak, which within 4 days was surprising, but they clearly knew they had to. Particularly, against the pace of the Tigers. It did get a little more aggressive in the last quarter, but it was still a deep, long zone for the most part.

I reckon this lets the club and players off a bit. We're not a bottom 4 worthy team with our midfield. We constantly break even / win the midfield battle. This group of players is not a 1-5 team. This is coaching, fitness and now a total lack of confidence. This is clearly why they've played Melksham in the midfield over the past two games, to improve our connection between mid and fwd. He was the leading assister in the league last year and remains our best ball user. Unfortunately, the move hasn't paid off as much as they would have hoped, because Melksham has less time in the midfield to ensure his kicks hit targets.