Melb16

Unbelievable hypocrisy or just a slip up from Simon? Andrew Brayshaw comments in Feb 2025 (4 months ago!!): "I do know 'Kozzy' and we would love - if he's listening to this - we would love to have him next year," Brayshaw said. He joked he would have to engage brother Angus, a premiership teammate of Pickett, as a middle man. "I think Kozzy knows how good it would be over here. So if he's ever considering it we would definitely have him," he said.

The football department have to know it’s an issue and the main reason cant be anything other than fitness. I just don’t think they can say it publicly. Perhaps they might at the end of the year, but declaring we aren’t fit enough to run out games in season only gives our opponents more confidence. A deeper dive into our quarter by quarter stats over 9 games: Melbourne: Q1 22.25.157 Q2 21.28.154 Q3 36.24.240 Q4 14.22.106 Opponents Q1 25.33.183 Q2 28.24.192 Q3 25.19.169 Q4 44.22.286 Differentials Q1 -26 Q2 -38 Q3 +71 Q4 -180 An interesting pattern here is also accuracy. We already know we waste so many chances, but the data is clear how much of a difference it makes. We only convert >50% in one quarter, while our opponents only convert <50% in one quarter. If games ended at 3/4 time (yes, they don’t), we would be 4-5 with a percentage of 101.2.

Does it feel salvageable? We’re going to have a new president, CEO and likely new Footy Manager and coach. Does that change things for the better or worse for those two? If any of them and/or Kozzy do go, we can’t be getting pick 16 and a second rounder.

I was skeptical even after last week. Majority of our goals were scrappy rather than system. If our 1 wood of contest is smashed like today then we are nowhere. I just can’t see how we can play the game the way the good teams play it. We can’t score from the defensive half of the ground, we’ve improved a little on turnover but still don’t look confident. I’ve always backed Goody but I just don’t think he knows how to attack, and/or doesn’t have the players to do it. Do we start over?

What would be the reasons he can’t play predominately as a midfielder? He received Brownlow and coaches votes this year in games in the midfield. He has size, pace, power, defensive awareness and can kick. We need new options in the midfield and he’s the most obvious choice for mine.

Has Kozzy put in his request yet?

Had a look at that thread and…wow. They reckon after we get pick #4 from Adelaide for Oliver we’ll give them 4 & 7 and that’s the fair rate. Or Kozzie and #7. They also think Houston is worth more than when we traded for Lever and May based on the fact he’s already an AA. These are just what they think is fair, not actual whispers. Did I miss when Dan Houston became 23 year old Chris Judd?

Yep agree. Hopefully I just picked him incorrectly with the VFL group in the vids. He was actually quite clean in close last week. We need to give him time to see what he can do.

Hard to be certain from the videos, but changes looked like: In: Hunter, Tholstrup, Sparrow Out: Windsor, Billings, Laurie

Does anyone know how many goals they got over the back? It must’ve been a record. I genuinely want to understand the reason why but assume no one will ask in the presser. Having 0 clearances in a quarter is also surely a record.

Yeh I wonder if they mean when he plays forward? He’s clearly played more than 7 games since R10 2023.

That is not correct

We should absolutely enquire about Chol. He kicked 44 goals last year and is a solid backup ruck. Ideal role player we need.

Can anyone give an example of another team in history that loses the way we do? Sure, you can lose the odd game due to poor kicking, but to dominate games and lose them so often isn’t something I’ve seen before. We were set this year too. Fit, match hardened, on our home ground…and we crumbled under pressure.

Gee how disappointing is that. He absolutely deserved weeks. There’s no point throwing the toys out of the cot as a club. The players role is to play 4 quarters Friday, our role as fans is to turn up and be louder than we’ve ever been. Control what we can control.

Need to wait for official confirmation McKay is in concussion protocols. I’m sensing a Port style ‘mistake’ on the cards…

Are you certain? I’ve only ever heard his first injury described as a mid foot sprain. Lisfranc is 12 months. Which is the Mitch Clark injury.

Plenty of narrative going around that 2 rucks don’t work. How many rucks did we play in 2021?

Which of the below options do people think Chris Fagan would prefer: 1. Kossie plays for Melbourne this week 2. Kossie plays for Casey this week

Personally, I’m constantly baffled as to why people care what ‘the media’ says about their club. Why does it rile people up so much? It also seems contradictory. ‘Luke Darcy has no idea what he’s talking about’ but I want him to think we are the bees knees. Who cares what Luke Darcy thinks! Form your own opinion as a result of hearing different views and analysis. Do people just want an echo chamber to confirm their view? We’re currently 4th. Do supporters want to hear each media personality say we’re the greatest to to ever exist and we won’t lose again for 15 years? Even if they said that, it doesn’t mean anything. Then we have an example of a former club legend (Lyon) who openly states he and his kids barrack for the club, and some people thinks he ‘hates us’ because he critiques how we play (his job). Mind boggling.

He’s going to bail with 1 year left on his contract?

GWS has Richmond’s 1st pick

Ultimately there will be a few factors contributing to the fade outs in some way, but for mine, it just has to be fitness. Whether that is due to injury, not getting the program right (my belief) or the game plan is too demanding, is up for debate. But all of the other reasons thrown up here, such as not kicking straight, missing TMac etc. don’t pass the eye test in my opinion. We were chasing tails in the second halves of games and it was clear the opposition got the game on their terms relatively easily. We looked gassed, helpless and could never turn the tide. Stating the obvious but it must be rectified. We can’t go into games next year with the mindset ‘if we don’t convert at 80% we’re stuffed’.

This was actually the R2 game vs GC that Goody said this and I agree. I thought at the time it would come back to bite us. Even if you don’t need to score, practising doing it doesn’t hurt!!

Our record at the MCG since round 10.. 2-6. We should’ve lost the Carlton game too. It’s been an issue for a long time now, even in 2018. Not sure we can defend the ground well enough and our scoring conversion rate is very poor.