Little Goffy

Shopping list to complete the perfect Demon 22: 1x peak Jesse Hogan 1x peak Paddy Ryder 1x peak Neville Jetta If Jackson stays, obviously remove the Paddy Ryder requirement. Actually, you could take the best available discount brand version of those three and our list would be all set.

There's still a week off between the end of the home and away season and finals. I feel like that could be a hugely important week for us because right now there's a feeling like we are straining mentally, resulting in overthinking and underthinking and lapses of concentration. For all the frustration with the flaws and the bitterness of throwing away what would have been a guaranteed top-4 spot had we beaten the Magpies, really we're not playing bad football. We now must win against the Lions and Blues to secure a top-4 spot, and we 'should', and then when that 'if' goes our way the mood is a little better going into the pre-finals break, and we can go back to anything is possible.

Rivers hasn't rediscovered form and we really need some more dedicated small defenders. Not sure Bowey is the exact need but closer than what Rivers is giving. My feeling is that Hunt is not effectively limiting his opponent, at the same time as not delivering any counter-attack. So my gut says we have to push Brayshaw back to half-back and bring Harmes back to our midfield. Melksham has been given his tryout and not delivered. His consistency tells the story. Where does that leave it... Out: Rivers, Hunt, Melksham. In: Bowey, Harmes, and whoever has a solid body and wants to prove they can fight and scrap in contests up forward.

This is a hard one. Many players worked as hard as ever but the composure wasn't there and there were a lot of blots on their pages. 6. Petracca 5. Brayhaw 4. Viney 3. Oliver 2. Gawn 1. Jordon - think he deserves a mention because he made a lot of repeat efforts in really difficult situations with respectable results.

Yep, I'm nervous. I hate when there's enough of an pattern to bring superstition and hoodoos into the conversation. But the opportunity is there to guarantee our spot in the top 4. Rationale: Puts us out of reach of Freo & Carlton. Meaning all three of Sydney, Magpies and Brisbane would have to finish ahead of us with at least 15 wins and percentage. Collingwood's percentage is showing off the fact they've won their last five games by a combined total of less than 5 goals. They could only then pass us by winning both the remaining games (16w total) while we lost the lot. Sydney play Collingwood next week. Obviously only one of them can get a win which means only one of them could get past us. So I'll reaffirm; this specific win would guarantee our spot in the top 4, even if we botched the final two rounds.

They're a one trick pony. That's a pony with one trick. They're a good pony. It's a good trick. They're a good trick pony. They're a one trick good pony. They're a good one trick pony. Their trick pony is good. They have a pony and it does good tricks. They do tricks at the Pony Club. They're a tweaked peony. Their good pony twerked once. Only Grundy's tricked ponytail is good. Right, I think I've put as much serious thought into that as it needed.

I can see it happening, looking over the side of the roof of the 'G one day. Alas, our league has no filthy English k'ni'ghetts.

I'm coming to the end of a project that has involved reading 28 different major primary sources, basically a global collection of the greatest military-strategic thinkers ever to put pen to paper. From Musashi to Clausewitz to de Saxe and even Rommel, do you think a single one of them went in for this sort of boo-yaa posing?

Losing Ablett to Gold Coast for salary cap reasons may have been a turning point for the culture; those who remained had this clear imprint that for a team to be successful the money had to come second. Following that up with the third in the string of premierships in the very next season would have been a real 'learning'. Another perk of so many mature players is they take very little looking after. In the era of soft caps on footy department spending, every wise head not only doesn't require so much attention, but will also help the younger players find their habits and set standards. Just like what we recruited Cross and Lewis for, for example. They've got 15 of them! I also wonder how it affects a culture to have, year in year out, the majority of your weekly team looking at the season as if it could be their last roll of the dice. Anyway, they are looking very good right now, and they'd want to, because it is surely their last roll of the dice this time!

If he can't make up his mind he could just leave it to fate - advise the club that if Freo can find a suitable trade then he will go, but otherwise happy to add a one-year extension so we can hold on to him until we pick up both the McKay twins as free agents at the end of 2023.

I have a strange soft spot for Weideman because I think he has a chronic bad luck condition. Unfortunately that also means I watch him closely in constant hope that it will turn in his favour. The luck isn't turning and I'm finally losing faith that he is going to force it to turn, too. I really think he shouldn't be playing as a key target forward, but that is where he is so seriously needed.

@binman You must have been chuckling and feeling very, very correct during some parts of our third quarter. There was a stretch there which may actually be the best three or four minutes of continuous team and zone defence I've ever seen. Freo switched the ball three times, went backwards, tried anything, and it just kept getting snuffed out. It was an absolute masterclass.

Uur contract discussions are like a yum cha spinning table. I've had far too many rice paper Jacksons already, time to slide the sweet corn Brayshaw around... oh dear it is already all eaten. Well, those deep fried Pickett wings look good. Hmm, nobody wants any Harmes-to-Essendon dumplings?

Together forever. Hopefully this convinces their best ever Gus & Gawny guest to come back on.

Any time the ball actually made it to our forward 50 we did pretty well, particularly from the two talls despite neither of them being a classic beast forward. Our game failed because we appeared to specifically drive towards mud to get bogged in any time we were coming out of defensive 50. Little patience, little vision, almost no switching of play. Basically frightened, timid, self-defeating attitude. And then the one time May tries something a little tricky it is to Petracca (who should never have called for it) 10m away with two opponents around him and the kick is flawed, giving away a goal and momentum. I actually think there's more than a bit of mental fraying going on at the moment and it is really damaging our play. Big test of leadership.

#successionplan Everything is going to be fine. 🦄

In the past Fritsch has been pretty good at setting up teammates - he's one of our better inside-50 delivery agents. I wonder if there's a factor of feeling the pressure to be 'the goalscorer' when there's so much talk about our forwards not kicking goals. People often make their worst mistakes when they are over-correcting something else.

Spinal is such a scary word. Immediately shifts thoughts more to 'I hope she is okay' rather than 'how will this affect the team'. Of course, since we already have confirmation that she is 'okay' (relatively), well, this is going to suck for the team because she is a real spark. I mean, she is practically a human spark on field and socially! Get the feeling she'll hate not being able to bump around for a while. Fingers crossed for a speedy and clear recovery.

Due to both form and injury reasons for each of them, Ben Brown and Tom McDonald only played 11 games together in 2021 and they've only played 4 games together in 2022. What could be pointed out is that when our forward line is fully available, it works pretty damn well. With Brown taking marks for shots, McDonald providing both connecting marks and pressure (like no other tall forward in the game, by the way), Fritsch playing a smart team game with movement that gets him out of the way of others and forces the opponents to spread awkwardly, and a bunch of small forward going hunter-killer all over the place. Everyone knows their job and knows how to do it. Can't ask much more of a line coach.

Based on the name I'm quite surprised he wasn't tapped to become the new Tory Interim Prime Minister. If we could swing a combo of Lloyd Meek and Hayden Mclean this trade period, that would go a long way to stabilising our ruck/forward stocks at relatively low salary cap demand.

The only time Gawn and Grundy on the same list would be a good idea is in Supercoach, and even then it wouldn't work if they were at the same club. Most Urgent: Big bodied forward-ruck to support Gawn and any successor. (Like others, I lean to McLean) Most important: True long-term successor for Gawn. Would be a real tragedy to lose Jackson given how well he fits our needs, but the trade value and salary cap space would likely get us through the distress.

I showed this to my wife and she went on a five minute annoyed football rant about predictability and the need for variety even if that is still our '80%' option. It was beautiful. Relationships need these lovely moments and I for one thank Steven May for giving us this to share.

Some scenarios; Jackson stays. In a few years he succeeds Max Gawn in the ruck, supported by some carefully recruited bigger-bodied forwards doing some ruck bashing sessions, and thereby providing a dynamism to our midfield that keeps us in premiership contention for a decade. Jackson goes to Fremantle at the end of this season. Harmes trades out to Gold Coast and Andrew Brayshaw comes to Melbourne. Melbourne wins all the premierships for 4 more years because in the history of the VFL/AFL there has never been a midfield as quality or as balanced as Oliver, Petracca, Brayshaw & Viney. Jackson, being the lovable young man he is, realises that Fremantle aren't able to offer a reasonable trade this season so agrees to a one year extension. At the end of 2023 the trade is made successfully, with the draft bonanza being traded for a solid worker ruck and grabbing a top quality kid. Melbourne also use the salary cap space opened up to lure both of the McKay twins as free agents, playing them forward together and ensuring we are never short of a contested marking target for the rest of the decade, going on to win multiple premierships. I keep turning all kinds of scenarios in my head but I can't find one where we drop out of premiership contention, so, it is all fine.

This will be only the second game Goodwin has coached without Oliver and the other one he was coaching Essendon. #$^#%#$ you Selwood. Wasn't even a close to the ground kick.

Seems like two main stories to tell; Rucks: Gawn, zero marks. Jackson, one mark. Got the hitouts but clearances didn't come from them. Small forwards: All three of Pickett, Bedford and Spargo were very limited. Damn those long kicks down the wing look stupid when there's nobody in place for them.