Adam The God

Interesting post mate. I'm not sure I agree that chaos isn't dead, but it'll be very interesting to see how we go against quicker sides next year with a fit list. (And yep, we'll need to address our outside run deficiencies) Collingwood blew us off the park last year with outside run, but a good proponent of getting the ball on the outside is a team like GWS, who we managed to pressure in that final game of 2018 and never allowed them to really get going (all those missed shots from Green helped too). There's absolutely no doubt that chaos cannot be played without a fit list and that is something we certainly lacked this year. It's obvious we get exposed on the outside on the bigger MCG, but it could well be merely a fitness thing (rather than a pace thing) that allows a team to bring manic pressure to the ball carrier and never enable them to get it on the outside. It's debatable whether you actually need pace for this or just simply switched on, fit players.

Good post mate. BACKLINE: I agree that Hibberd is done, but Jetta is even further gone. I hope we trade in an experienced player for leadership and to play lock down next year. Don’t ask me who. I like the rest of your back set up. MIDS: Completely spot on RE: the starting mids. I’d play Langdon on the wing and ANB. Just gut run and defend both ways and link up going the other way. A simple role for ANB. Both not great users, but our best bets I reckon (yes, this involves getting the Langdon deal over the line - have no sources on this, but I reckon it’s a done deal). JKH has to go. Not good enough. Absolutely no tools to make it as an AFL player, unless we can turn him into a lock down defender (see Jetta’s spot above). Not sure he’s strong enough one on one, but anyway. He doesn’t work on a wing or at half forward. We have Gawn, Oliver, Bradshaw, Harmes, Petracca, Viney, Melksham and even Hannan that could and should play through the midfield. After the first 4 or 5, we lack real quality. How anyone can say we’re set for mids is beyond me. I hope we target an experienced FA (I wouldn’t snigger at Higgins here) to add quality and rotations through there too. FORWARDLINE: We’ve previously agreed on Viney playing the small forward role (I think he can serve our midfield a little as well). I think we should be targeting Ben King with our Pick #3, because unlike you I don’t have faith in the McDonald / Weideman duo. Not next year anyway. In time, perhaps. I like King’s height and I think he’s a more natural leading forward than Weideman, but maybe the latter just needs a good forward coach who works hard on his leading patterns. I like Petracca playing deep occasionally, but I also like the idea of Oliver playing there too. Frisch, a fit Melksham and Hannan, plus a zippy small from another AFL system and/or even a surprise packet from the state leagues and we might be in better shape. It’s funny how quickly a list can go from such an exciting potential 22 last year (particularly with the addition of May) to struggling to get even 22 solid players in without any holes in the starting 18.

You should know by now you can't say anything against Nathan. All well and good to stick up for our own, but there's also a short ride before you just become a happy clapper.

The innuendo is great everyone but I hope there's some actual news soon. Have you heard anything @Chook in Perth?

Try two years, since the Tigers. You like hyperbole, don't you mate?

Particularly, if they're not convinced they'll be able to keep him longer than next year.

Interesting. Thanks mate. I wonder if it gave them the first three picks in the ND though, would GC entertain the idea...?

Surprised more on here aren't pushing the Ben King line. Has anyone heard anything?

We have no real way of knowing, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's kept a few of his own tricks up his sleeve if he really does want to be a senior coach one day. He was certainly credited with being the innovator a few seasons ago with our Diamond Defence, the no wings etc. I wouldn't say the wings one worked (at all), but the Diamond Defence did for a little bit.

Lol, you're not the messenger, mate. You read it on the BigFooty board and have interpreted a single post as 'they are dead-set convinced' Petracca is gone.

Love Jetts. I fear he may be finished as a player, but I hope he can bounce back in 2020. We certainly need him to.

Harmes and Viney should both be used as defensive mids that run hard both ways in link up and can tag/defend. That leaves Oliver (a very good tackler) and either Petracca or Gus as inside or outside mid. I think it's clear that this should have been our set up for at least the past 12 months and it concerns me that Goodwin has failed to see this. It's the reason I now don't think he'll make it as our senior coach. However, let's hope he learns from this year. I'd have runners on the wings. Langdon it seems and even someone like ANB. I'd also push Melksham through the middle too on occasion. Hopefully he gets himself fit for 2020. His ball use is essential for a dangerous Melbourne forward of centre.

We have problems for the fact he's been re-signed at all. It just wouldn't happen at a club with solid experienced players. We have a dearth of experience, so I can understand the decision, but as I've said, would have preferred Lewis to stay instead of Jones, but let's hope Nathan can play in another final.

Completely agree that our supposed midfield depth is highly overrated and said so only a few days ago. Viney is the only one I'd ever considering trading at this stage, but last year's final series should remind us just how good Jack can be. We need to strengthen our midfield with a couple of good outsider runners and users, and hope that we can pick up a gun free agent mid in the next 2-3 years. Sparrow might be okay, but talking about him as decent midfield depth (at this stage) is plainly ridiculous. You need 10 or so good players that can go through the middle. Collingwood's midfield is a perfect example.

Gresham or nothing, please.

Spot on.

Unfortunately, spot on. That comes down to coaching too. JC, we never play smart wet-weather footy under Goodwin.

I wonder if there's a way of bundling #3 to GWS for Whitfield and a first rounder that would be good enough to get us Ben King. Probably blue sky thinking here. Maybe we have to involve our 2020 first rounder as well.

Not quite the best option given his age at this stage, but I'd be up for trading our #3 for Ben King. Play King as the #1 with McDonald, Fritsch, Petracca, Melksham, a zippy small and Viney. That's your forwardline. Weideman and McDonald contest for that #2 spot.

I think his leadership must work off field, because I've very rarely seen it on field as you describe. Being on the bottom of every pack is not leadership.

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.