Adam The God

I agree, and if TMac hangs them up this year, so be it, but as we've seen over the last few years, good AFL KPPs are hard to find. If TMac retires, if May keeps getting injured, all of a sudden we are struggling to fill some of those key tall posts. It's why I think we should definitely go after Wright as he fills 2nd ruck need too. And I wouldn't be against Taylor Walker either if it gets the right sign offs.

Completely agree with this. We regularly went corridor, particularly in the first half, and either stuffed the kicks or our forwards failed to get the job done inside 50. These failures may have resulted in less corridor use in the second half, where we reverted to safer ball movement up the line. But the central ball movement definitely got us some scores in the first half.

It completely depends what the financial outlay is. He's a veteran who would not command big dollars, and since he is with us, we don't need to pay an inflationary wage in order to woo him over. You can't have it both ways. If he gets another offer, I'd be offering two, otherwise he'll likely accept the one year deal from us.

I'd be quite happy to offer TMac two years on a vet wage to stave off competition for his signature. Not sure we'd be freeing up a huge amount of salary by moving him on, and he knows our system and football club. Makes no sense to move on IMO.

I'd be staggered if 1) TMac wasn't offered another deal and 2) if he went elsewhere. Why? Just do your rolling one year deals, that way if you want to move on or the club does, there's no pressure. TMac has been pretty honest about being near the end and looking to a post footy life. I think he stays with us for another or two potentially or he retires.

Bye bye driver! Bye bye! BYE BYE! BYE! BYEEEE!

I don't always agree with you, but have always liked you as a poster, and most of the time you're constructive. I also think there's acknowledging factors that put together are not head in the sand, but legitimate for any analysis, but we've been there before, so I'll park it here.

Wanted to give some kudos to Petty. Thought his tackling was really good, took some great marks. Well done, Petts.

JVR was quiet in the first, was sighted slightly more in the 2nd, and then pretty much nothing after that. Subbing him or Kolt were my preferred options. I love JVR, but he had a poor night. He took two marks in the second, otherwise no marks for the night. Statistically, Turner wasn't much better after half time, but we couldn't sub both of them. Turner played second ruck. Turner had some burst about him for the night and JVR looked tired the entire game to me.

If we don't get continuity with those guys, I hope Petty goes back, because I'd be trusting him to intercept too. It's more about allowing/trusting guys with experience to intercept, that may be Houston and/or Cumming as well. That enables our running backs like Bowey, AMW and even Howes to get up the ground, and Rivers and McVee when they're not in the midfield.

Yep, pretty much. I have the flu and had an operation on my toe and I was there, ready to be [censored] on by 6,453 seagulls.

I actually thought we were pretty loud for 17k, but in better news I got [censored] on three separate times.

If TMac hangs them up, Petty goes back, and there's a forward spot alongside JVR and Turner for the taking. But if TMac plays on, Jefferson will need to get games ahead of Turner. And Turner is very good in the air and is nimble and agile at ground level for a big guy. Jefferson shares similar traits, but Turner has him for physicality at this stage.

@wizardinoz must be a @picket fence burner account. So do you see a role/spot for Jefferson moving forward? Because let's be honest, I doubt we're trading a guy that consistently kicks 40+ goals a year. Unless TMac retires, I don't see where Jefferson plays next year, except many games at Casey.

I also don't want to hear any more Melbourne supporters saying Goodwin can't coach an aggressive offensive team. The way these teams are playing is Melbourne 2018. We still have bloody good personnel behind the ball. Back them to win contests, and go super aggressive at stoppage with +1 and even +2, and more of some of that ball movement from last night, which was straight down the corridor, and straight to 30m out directly in front. Get contests from at least 2 talls in that 30m danger area, get smalls and mids to the foot of the contest. In 2018, it was TMac and Weideman. Neither were superstars, but gave contests, TMac did hit the scoreboard well, but Weideman competed, and Melksham was alongside them. In 2025, it could be JVR and Petty/Turner. Add a Wright or Walker that could kick 30+, alongside Fritta, Trac and Kozzy. I think Spargo needs to be ahead of Chandler, but another small needed in there. The model we went for in the first half of this year is probably Richmond 2017, which was either win perfect clearance or lose clearance with post clearance pressure applied and maintain defensive stability behind the ball, and then quick and long to contests in the forward half. Unfortunately, no Riewoldt, Martin or a fleet of smalls in our forward half. Trac could bring Martin's dominance, Koz and Fritta are class, but when Trac went down that game style was always going to be an uphill battle. The main hopes for me is we fix our stoppage work and philosophy around contest, and our whole game will flow from there. Let May, Lever, TMac and Salem gamble a bit on intercept, and get our half backs up at and through stoppage.

Yeah, @adonski, if our TPP can afford it, I'd take Macrae.

A good runner, but IMO a turnover merchant of the Sam Frost school of chaos.

Sorry, should have been clearer. We wouldn't need to offload a first rounder for Houston, if we packaged one of those guys with a 2nd, for example...

Sparrow or Chandler, although I don't like writing that on a public forum, where I want to be supportive of Melbourne players. They're both young South Aussies, so I think a player like that may lessen our outgoing pick. Houston is a good player, but he's a role player. That's what we'd be offering. Farrell, for example, is a more important player to Port's back half because his kicking is even better than Houston's IMO. Houston would be great for us though. As would Cumming.

BPA's 2024 off-season wish list: * Houston (PA) - mid to late first 2024 * Cumming (GWS) - FA * Wright (ESS) - 2024 3rd round pick * x2 top 20 picks in the 2024 draft (split pick 6 or 7 with Freo, trade one for Houston and then somehow convert our future 1st into the first round in 2024, be open for trading a player to get it done) * nicking intellectual property from @Ted Lasso, if Indigenous players give their sign off (yes, important) and Lever, I'd be open to Taylor Walker too. Free agent, two year deal, one likely at VFL as forward development coach. Best 22 for 2025 becomes: Bowey May Lever Cumming TMac Houston Windsor Oliver Langdon Trac Walker ANB Koz JVR Petty Max Rivers McVee Salem Wright Viney Fritta Sub and depth comes from Turner, Spargo, Chandler, Sparrow, Howes, AMW, Kolt, McAdam, Melksham and x2 2024 first rounders. I'd hope our first rounders would be plug and plays, but if not they'll be depth in the first year. If Walker isn't a goer then Turner comes into the 22. I reckon Turner has great attributes to be an excellent mobile CHF. If TMac doesn't go around again and we land all these guys, Petty takes TMac's spot. Plenty of ifs at this stage. We'll know more in the next few weeks RE TMac and Melksham.

Remember you said you weren't going to play the man on return, Jimmy? This is a completely unnecessary post. Things change. Last year you were needlessly neggy when we where a whisker away from a PF twice. Let's park the attacks and have a bit of constructive analysis. Apart from getting some kids through the draft, how would you improve the team next year?

Is Riak in our NGA though? He has to be, right?

Suddenly reckon Houston is a great idea.😜

We also went back to +1 behind the ball at times. I'd much prefer us go more aggressive and play +1 at stoppage, particularly as the likes of Clarry are struggling. Maybe that's a dangerous move though without May.

The last or second last point Port got they got inside 50 by Rozee winning a clearance on our half forward flank. He was left goal side of the stoppage, all by himself, and sure enough, they tapped it straight to him, hegets the clearance and pings forward for an inside 50 for them. It's like WTF are we doing? 10 mins left in the game and it's either scores tied or we're a point down. Whatever we're doing at stoppage, it isn't suiting our best clearance player in Clarry, so it needs a rejig. Enough of this playing Clarry as a defensive mid every week. One thing I was really excited about was starting McVee in the centre square and then he disappeared from there. Clearly, just wanted to give him a small taste. He needlessly rushed a lot of his disposals tonight when he had more time. It'll be good for him to watch the tapes though. Rivers seemed to have a different role, a bit more back of stoppage, which is where he plays his best footy IMO, but he wasn't able to have a huge bearing on the game. We need a new midfield look next year.