Little Goffy

Got to love those hard leads, soft hands and long straight kicks. What is amazing is that only a couple of those marks were contested, he was just getting that much separation.

Yeah, I can't bring myself to have hard feelings. Got to let things go. At the time he left it was painful because it brought us all face to face with the questions of 'Do we really believe this club will turn around' and 'Why are we still with them ourselves?' I'd rather take it as a reminder to send a respectful nod to Nathan Jones than invest much effort in being bitter at James Frawley.

It's all very well saying Bombers will get over-compensated with picks, BUT, just I had hoped, their hubris and reluctance to rebuild means they are openly declaring that they want to get players back in return. Lol, probably think they'll end up with Curnow. Quite likely they'll also be trying to grab a superstar marquee la la la player (remember when the Demons were going to be turned around by a hail mary grab at Jonathan Brown? Or, perhaps most precisely relevant, the Judd trade) because that's the kind of decision clubs are pressured to make when impatient rich supporters poke their nose in and insist they know the answer. So relax, they might get two top ten picks, but then they'll probably trade them all for Jordon De Goey or Josh Kelly on a $6m / 5-year contract.

Based on corrections in this and other threads, and a quick check of an Albanian dictionary, I would like to confirm a crucial fact - It's Y'ze, not Yze.

The only thing better than watching them bottom out would be to watch them hover just on the edge of the bottom four and constantly trying to reload based on Hubris alone, only to burn draft picks and salary cap space for no greater benefit than to keep hovering on the edge of the bottom four.

Ah, Coq. Coq, Coq, Coq. 'No premiership means failure' and 'Success under John Northey' was a beauty. Got to also wonder what these 'many commentators' must think of the AFL Hall of Fame. Anyway. Back to Yze. We've established that he's a loser player unworthy of consideration as a coach. But tragically neither Steven Armstrong nor Chris Heffernan have put their hat in the ring. So we might have to just accept this guy, who not only is a loser but has a loser as a mentor. I mean, if that lumpy shortstack Clarko was any good we would've nailed the 1998 Premiership for sure. @Demonland I swear, the facepalm is helping but a good eyeroll reaction option would have been enough to stop me writing this rant! Just a little sarcasm button to press, that's all I need.

I had a little chuckle at the surprise headline revealing that development is key for a teenage key forward/ruck. While all those other young ruckmen are focusing on salmon farming or bocce. The purpose of the article is of course to remid us that the kid exists, so job done. I wonder how the 'Dogga' nickname came in? I like it because right from his first game, with the floppy hair and the mad enthusiasm and clearly needing to grow into his own body, I was comparing him to some kind of St Bernard puppy. ?

I'm only quoting this so the haters have to see it twice.

I think we all need to calm down and accept Coq au vin's point. Definitely no debate - Steven Armstrong is a better player than Adem Yze and anyone who disagrees needs to be able to demonstrate how they would solve all of the club's problems. Clearly we let the wrong player go to the Eagles. (Another mistake by Goodwin/Mahoney/Pert)

I rarely, rarely mute anyone because even cranky or unreliable people can sometimes contribute. So if it turns out that one day Coq au vin does say anything fun, informative or in any way not just a tent-fart, I'm relying on the community to quote it. Thanks in advance. Wait... where's the mute button gone? Did we lose it in the software update? Noooooo.

I always rated Brett Ratten right from when he had a great effect on our midfield waaaaay back in the day. Possibly even under Daniher! He has also clearly done great work getting St Kilda organised and focused and competitive, making the most of a list with few stars but I'd argue reasonably even quality with a short 'tail'. BUT Before starting at St Kilda he had a six year term as a senior coach, and for all that he clearly was a good coach it still took him five years to win his first final. His winning percentage over those six years was coincidentally almost exactly that of Goodwin's so far at Melbourne. So I would argue it is perfectly reasonable for Goodwin to have 2021 to prove he has learnt more about this coaching caper. I'd also say that based on our (and Simon's) known/apparent deficiencies, Adem Yze would be a sublimely well-matched assistant/sparring partner for Goodwin.

Great signing. 188cm defenders with good mobility, game sense and kicking do not grow on trees. I don't know if Rivers will be the 'best' of the three 2019 picks, but I'm not sure 'best' will be a sensible way to look at them when they are three such completely different types each very suited the role they will be expected to develop into.

Don't forget Dom Tyson.

Basically, what @Lord Nev said. From kicking/goalkicking specialist, to versatile line coach, to match day strategy. Is a legitimately desirable target. https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/710789/yze-promoted-to-assistant-coach "Yze played a key role in harnessing the Hawthorn players' elite kicking skills as they developed into the AFL's deadliest team in front of goal over the past two seasons. Since 2010, the team's accuracy has soared from 48 per cent to 57.1 per cent." https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/227910/adem-yze "Yze was promoted to Assistant Coach at the end of 2014 after establishing himself as a respected teacher at Hawthorn. ... After four years as a line coach, Yze shifts into the role of 'Head of Match Day Strategy & Opposition' in 2019."

Wouldn't be the first time that has meant coming to the Demons!

??????? Look at all those chickens! Although even if they do all hatch, I'm worry we'd be feeding a couple of cuckoos int here to. And that's my quota of bird metaphors done for October.

I just showed my wife some highlights videos of Yze and she quickly noted, "Oh, he is in Fritsch's spot" because of all the close-to-the boundary 40-out beauties Yze was slotting. A theory is born - Yze is coming to Melbourne specifically to sort out Fritsch's kicking. Worth noting - in his third season Yze kick 9.16, so he knows how to miss and knows how to correct the problem.

It would be acceptable to me if he left to refresh his career, and I'd expect only minimal trade return, but can people not throw abuse at the guy? Seriously, act like adults. There would be a question on our defensive depth but who knows, maybe the plan is to send his brother back there. T.Mac had a couple of seasons in defence almost as good as his 2018 in attack. Maybe being relieved of the pressure thanks to May and Lever being the 'stars' will freshen him up.

You didn't say it had to be real! You said 'real or fake I don't care!' And now the experiment is ruined, unless Sam McClure has already tweeted it...

Darcy Fogarty may do better at a new club and Adelaide is considering letting him go; Pick 23 (with some decorative swapping) and Neal-Bullen are a possible start point of discussion but perceptions of his value are highly variable, both positive and negative. If Essendon lose Daniher as expected, compounding their problem of aging talls at both ends of the ground, they may opt for a single trade to acquire both McDonald brothers. My understanding is the Bomber's and their supporters aren't willing to bottom out completely for a rebuild cycle so they are willing to bring in mature 'meat and potatoes' to help with depth and competitiveness. (Behavioural economists call it the 'sunk costs fallacy') Possibility of a pretty complex three-way trade involving Brisbane's Alex Witherden coming to Melbourne and all kinds of junk late picks flying around for Academy points etc. Melbourne is seriously considering 'opting out' of the draft if they can't manipulate a way well inside the first round and just keeping very late speculative picks given the chaos of the year, with the focus on known 'natural footballers' rather than finessing the athletes and potential. Already a lot of effort invested in 2021 where we are hoping to use fewer but 'better' picks.

His dramatic improvement thanks to manifestly superior coaching certainly is notable. In just one year he's gone from 9th B&F in a bottom four team to 7th B&F in a bottom four team. Best of luck to him and there's every reason to believe he'll crank out three or four more seasons of respectable football, but there's nothing of great importance to Melbourne in this. Just be happy that Frostball didn't propel Hawthorn back up the ladder and we've now got (Hawthorn's) pick 23 in this draft thanks to the trade.

Maybe I have an aversion to North players, but I thoroughly don't want either of Brown or Polec. Both would be on far more coin than their real value and both have the real potential to stink it up and in the process break morale at the club.

Slightly surprised at the sheer volume of movement from Weideman. At least we know total workrate isn't a problem. No doubt he still needs to find that last aggressive step more consistently but it is of intetest to note that he's ahead of Ben Brown on basically every stat in 2020. Salem is starting to build a case as the consummate all-round professional. If you got six Christian Salems from the mid-first round of six drafts you'd be laughing.

Even if WA has gone a bit neurotic asking people to quarantine when they have been isolated for months AND constantly tested AND only been in low-risk states... Hogan still is accountable. Just glad the matter itself seems very minor. It ought to be handled as any other breach, and that actually seems to be how it is going. Be funny if the restrictions are lifted a bit for new arrivals the next couple of days but Hogan still has to spend another week+ getting cabin fever.

I've always liked Nibbler and he played a non-trivial part in our 2018 surge but he is in the clutter group where we have numerous options. I think his presence on the fringe creates too much tempation to give him a run in a role where we actually need 'fewer but better' rather than 'lots of okay'. While acknowledging the 'Steven Armstrong rule', Neal-Bullen isn't going to make or break our 2021 finals campaign. Would happily and respectfully welcome a trade that suited him.