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DeeSpencer

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Everything posted by DeeSpencer

  1. If the Bont is chasing ANB in to the back pocket then it’s not a matter of fitness or second effort. He’s more than done his part, where’s the Dogs half back that’s meant to track ANB’s forward run?Youd be annoyed he didn’t do it but getting up and manning the mark is effort 3 or 4 for a superstar mid to run with Nibbler.
  2. As long as you’re still coaching defensive skills and effort I’d much rather prioritise attacking because you’re coaching hand balling and kicking skills, flair and getting the ball in young guys hands to make decisions. Got to be easier to add a couple of role players to help stiffen a side that has skills than go the other way. But it’s all a balance. Roos ball set the table in terms of defensive effort and contested work for when Goody added a much more attacking system. Then they got the defensive stuff right. Now it’s time to go more attacking again and get Windsor, Howes, McVee, JVR some footy in their hands.
  3. I don't agree with all of this. It was Luke Beveridge as the Hawks backline coach in 2012-2014 who really bought the zone defending in as a style. Josh Gibson was a huge part of it. But Goody saw it fairly early and one of the signature games was round 23 2015 where I'm convinced Roosy gave him the reigns against GWS at Docklands in front of less than 9000 people. Mitch White debut and are backline just changed it up after 2 years of Roos ball. 2016 when Goody had the reigns and it was all out attacking zone. The Dogs won the flag with it that year. Then 19/20 Chaplin really started tinkering with less all out zone and a more sophisticated mixture of covering off whilst still intercepting up the ground at times. Bevo now can't seem to find the right balance and mix, but he also doesn't have the cattle down back. Alex Keath was a very good player who then had his body break down. Ryan Gardner injured a lot. Cordy fell off. They've draft a young player for the future in Busslinger, they've had little choice but to take Darcy, JUH, Croft. In the same way that we haven't fixed out forward line they haven't fixed their key defenders, that's the reality of how hard it is to assemble elite talls in their prime and keep them healthy and well supported with depth. Goody, who led the league in scoring in 2018, can't find the right mix up forward when we don't have capable talls fit and available. Can Goody suddenly not coach attack? Or is it the forwards are often ordinary and we prioritised midfield bulls and have struggled to recruit the balance without losing the strength. Tactics are important, but there's too many good coaches across the league looking for holes and prodding at weaknesses. Fitness, health, talent acquisition and development of young players, all of which the head coach has some responsibility for are all vital.
  4. The kick will be a fine or a week, I'm not really fussed. Dumping McGrath was well worth it. You run at someone looking for trouble and it should be open slather. Players agitating a defender after kicking a goal and as blatantly as McGrath did don't deserve any protection, it should be an immediate free kick against them, failing that, a body slam.
  5. McGrath went at Sicily. Sicily sitting him on his backside should be rewarded for efficient self defence. The kick was a little bit naughty, but he should get off.
  6. Round 1 of the vfl season proper on Sunday and with some luck we can play the sub and carry over emergency (likely Woey and Tholstrup) both at Casey. Which means along with Laurie with K Brown and AMW/Sestan rotating they’ll have a good supply of mids so even up against a strong Box Hill team (they’re always strong) Petty will have a chance to get on the end of a few.
  7. I’m more than aware they didn’t do it for free but they were adding an extra round and travel for 16 teams, the afl snuck it through cheaply. They should’ve held out for more than they got
  8. The players were all over the idea of gather round. I didn’t hear any pushback or bargaining from them. If they go to 24 home and away games the aflpa should just fold.
  9. Geez this place bounces wildly back and forth on Sparrow. I said this after the 2021 grand final and I'll say it again now. He's a great role player who has limitations with his disposal but absolutely busts his backside and always cracks in hard. He had 0 CBAs today so naturally his disposals are down. 6 score involvements is solid work though. And his effort is all over the tracker sheet. 2nd in sprint distance. 2nd in average speed. 4th in total sprints. 2nd in average speed in attack. Stop with this madness that he'd get dropped for a kid.
  10. Yep I thought he was very strong, whilst he had a couple of Lever moments it's really good to see him working on his attacking game. That goes for all our key backs, I just hope May finds his kicking and decision making radar some time soon! But for Lever especially as the chief interceptor to be a 2 way player would provide so much for our team that's been missing the last couple of years.
  11. I've got no issues with it. For one Billings needs frequent reminders that defense and contest are part of the game, didn't see a lot of that from him against the Swans or in the preseason. He's a potential offensive weapon but no player should be above the teams defensive needs and effort. But the biggest reason was match ups. Spargo was in for Pickett, a mistake throwing Charlie out but Billings would never have provided that pressure role. Then they wanted ANB as the 3rd winger because the Swans have genuine weapons on the wing in Gulden and Campbell. Players you can't give space, same with Lizard, Florent etc at half back. The Dogs wingers being who knows and who cares were much better match ups. It was a mistake but Billings 2 touches in 38% game time at half forward against the Swans suggests it meant very little.
  12. How did the Collingwood attacking style go in 2 of 3 finals last year? They fell across the line playin defensive footy clinging to leads for most of those games. Against GWS they broke every rule in the book for 10 straight minutes scrumming the ball around. How did their accuracy go last week? If social media is anything to go by their fans wouldn't mind if they won games by 1-0 for the next 100 years. Sure, we need to find a more attacking brand. We got close to it in a number of games last year and then rolled out a forward line of nothing and midfield down on zip for the finals. I don't know where you sit but in the MCC members and the northern stand there's a whole lot of nervous disappointed fans and not a whole lot of noise and that's the bulk of our crowd. The next step is the club doing something proactive to increase engagement but I don't mind at all that the fans are challenged as well. At least they're half way there by recognising the fans are exactly fired up. Even if we drop away and miss finals this year it's still the best collection of talent we've had in 50 years. The team isn't complete and has a bad attacking game right now but we have to appreciate the physicality, defensive effort and flashes of attack the guys are putting out there.
  13. I don't get why people are offended by this. But at the same time simply asking is unlikely to achieve anything. Step 1 is playing with more dare, dash and confidence and hoping the crowd notice that shift and get behind it. But there's more to be done to fire up the fans so they feed in positive energy too. They took away Howies/Hogans Hangers because someone concussed themselves. Soft if you ask me but fair enough I guess. Replaced it with an impossible kick to a paint tin. They've experimented with a former AFLW player screeching at us. Thankfully that's done. As much as we shouldn't need them the 'get loud' signals on the tv screens seem to work. Why not put a camera on the head of the cheer squad after goals and have the crowd do 'Mel-bourne clap clap clap'. In the NFL the SeaHawks raise a flag before every home game. In the NBA the Philly 76ers ring a bell. Richmond honour a home coming hero for every home game, it's a great tradition. There's a lot more that can be done to encourage positivity in our fans, cut the nervous tension and get a better connection between the fans and players.
  14. Whilst we will always be outnumbered and less vocal than Coll/Carl types of teams I don’t think we’ve matched the same energy at games since 2018. That year was special with the joy of crucial wins and finals for the first time in forever. We were robbed of seeing a flag in 2021. And increasingly over the last 2 years our crowds have lacked that joy and intensity as much as noise. We skipped the fun afterglow of a flag and as the team has struggled to score in many games you can feel the tension in the crowd.
  15. It would stop if our crowds weren’t so quiet and depressing, full of anxiety, negative energy or lack of interest. I’m a pessimist when it comes to our chances most of the time but come game day I turn up to barrack. Most Melbourne supporters don’t.
  16. If BBB is an option have we also considered Neitz? Anyone checked on Allen Jakovich? How about Fred Fanning, what’s he up to? Fullarton or if desperately needed I’ll accept Tom McDonald. But not BBB just weeks from knee surgery with little to no preseason.
  17. You really think because it’s not in the media the Melbourne list management team have just decided to have no interest in perhaps the best young key forward in the game? When he kicks 6 on Tomlinson this weekend they might be asking who that guy is? Good clubs don’t leak trade plans in March.
  18. They trained Rivers, Bowey, Howes, McVee all bursting from the back all summer. Personally I think Riv is excellent at breaking through traffic but in terms of designated kickers Bowser was the one I was most excited to see. Howes now takes that role I hope (in preference to Salo). A lot of our players don’t seem convinced to give the quick handball though which is needed to get the footy to attacking flankers. Sydney had no qualms - especially as they are never pinged holding the ball - firing handballs in the backline. May is paralysed if he can’t turn on his left and kick. Tomlinson needs an hour and a traffic management crew to change direction. Gawn will consider it before deciding to hold play up and bomb it 60 to the opposition ruck. And that’s without the next piece of the puzzle which is midfielders and half forwards who provide options that reward attacking backline play. We dumped it to Langdon and Hunter all year last year because they were always open (deep and sideways, but open). Midfield Salem is so vital because he can work in pockets of space to attract the footy. ANB is always on his bike. Tracc and Clarry demand the pill. But we need more and with more cohesion.
  19. And undersized and not physical or quick half forward isn’t a great package but we don’t know why he was subbed. There’s a chance it was more that he ran his backside off. He was first in speed in attack and 3rd in speed of defence and when he came off our pressure only dropped. He has to cut down on errors but there has to be an understanding that it’s an inexperienced player in a team with no team chemistry and few targets in the trickiest role to play. Every half forward makes errors. Every Melbourne half forward makes multiple errors when there’s no forwards to draw the ball, create space and make kicks look good. Im fine with Laurie getting dropped but I wouldn’t write him off entirely just yet.
  20. If you think the small forwards that we've won a stack of games with over the last 3 years are a reason for us to be cooked you aren't being fair dinkum.
  21. First game of his AFL career was it?
  22. FWIW I thought we defended Sydney’s switching and rebound game for 3 quarters then ran out of puff once our pressure dropped away
  23. With Bowey, McVee, Howes, May, Tomlinson we have a number of a quality kicks in our back half. Even without Bowser. One very fit winger and one very fast winger too. Salo folding lback from the midfield. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t switch, switch back and try all sorts of methods to retain possession, alter tempo and change the attack. Plan A should always be a quick rebound out, but there’s no reason why from things like kick outs on deep intercepts after a brisk passage of play that we shouldn’t move the ball around.
  24. The SCG is 8m wider than Giants stadium and only 5m narrower than the MCG. It’s condensed end to end but absolutely a ground where you can and should switch.
  25. I'd dial expectations back significantly. The Kings aren't going anywhere. No doubt we'll throw our hat in the ring like 16 other clubs for JUH. But I doubt he makes a move across town for a regressing side. But we don't need superstars, if we had a pair of Brody Mihocek's to straighten us up, or even just one at CHF to compliment JVR we'd see so much less confusion and panic by the mids and flankers and suddenly a lot of our ball movement issues would be sorted. We'd still have to convert but I think the struggles with finishing are mostly down to pressure building on guys who don't know when there next clean look inside 50 is coming.
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