DeeSpencer

I don’t think any new CEO in the world wouldn’t have extended Goodwin. The measure of the CEO’s value will he if the contract has out clauses for the last 1-2 years. A 4 year deal and a pay rise deserves to have some protection on the back end of the deal.

Tomlinson is NOT a forward. Didn't we see a glimpse of that on the weekend? He can't jump. He isn't quick off the mark. He doesn't hit the aerial contest hard. If we want a lead up forward we have Mitch Brown on the list. But we don't need a lead up CHF - we have Tom McDonald in that role who is starting to find a bit of ball and confidence. We need another tall inside 50 or for the alternative down the line option when Tom is elsewhere and we've tried going smaller with Hannan/Hunt/Fritsch and Melksham. It hasn't worked but it has bought time for Weideman to get a bit of confidence in match practice games and now he'll get his go. The awful ball use is still the biggest issue. Tomlinson either gets another chance on the wings if we want to bring more width and slower ball movement. Or if we're honest and decide he's ordinary then we'll look elsewhere. Clearly changing up some of the half forward and on ball mix starting with Bennell back in is a start. Fritsch and Hannan higher up the ground and either Melk or ANB/Spargo/Jones part of the shake up too. Pressure doesn't necessarily equal effort: Round 1 was poor. Round 2 started very well but then everyone stopped running and attacking the game as the game went on. Round 4, we make big changes to ensure more run and the run and effort was huge to keep the Cats score low, but the pressure was bad because we were disorganised and sagging back to help the backline rather than getting up in a good organised zone. Round 5 - effort certainly there against Richmond and plenty of pressure when we kept our structure. Unfortunately all kinds of turnovers from awful skills and decisions cost us ability to get that pressure on. If you have 3 open team mates short and bomb it long to a 1 on 3 you aren't going to get any pressure on! Disorganisation is the key theme, not so much lack of effort.

Only those at the club will know, but I always saw it as the club thinking Tom McDonald will be a quality CHF capable of 50 goals for the time we were in the premiership window. Tom fished 5th in the B+F on the back of 20 games, Hogan was 11th with the same amount of games. Obviously the club thought Weid would be a decent best 22 regular and hopefully more - which in time he still could be. They didn't have to think he was going to be a star because we already had a star. If McDonald was still the kind of guy you build a forward line around things could be a lot different for Weid right now.

Trading Hogan whilst he still had currency wasn't a gamble. It was the safe move. Taking a very good full back rather than a skinny kid in King wasn't a gamble. Again, the safe move. We needed a full back, we got one rather than a skinny kid. Jackson's certainly a gamble. I do wonder if they saw the King's a year after the draft and thought lets get a guy like that even though he's not the same type of player, but I guess we have to give them more credit than being victim to such recency bias. I saw it as basically Nic Nat over Rich and I'll stand by that call for now. Weid not coming on is a problem. But the more Melbourne problem that this club recreates time and time again is a player like Tom McDonald who was fringe AA quality as a key forward in 2018 is suddenly very ordinary. Time and time again whether it's James Frawley, Brock McLean, Cameron Bruce and plenty of others we have guys who have amazing seasons then fall in a heap. Brayshaw and Melksham the 2 others from 2018 who have gone from hero to zero.

Ahhh we could've bid on him with pick 3 and there was strong mail that the Giants would pass him up to get Jackson. There was no reason not to bid on Green if we wanted Green. GWS no the academy rules as well as anyone. Anyway, Green wouldn't help us all that much right now. He'd be whacking away at half forward and fighting for on ball time and we'd just have a bigger log jam of contested ball mids with average kicks. That's no reason not to draft him but people upset we didn't based on his current form aren't watching our team play! That doesn't excuse the Jackson pick if it was for needs and the recruiters talked themselves in to Jackson being a key forward when his forward craft looked a long way off. He's a ruck and will be ready to play as a ruck quicker than a lot of people think and he might be very good very quickly. But he might also be a good example of why you don't draft for need.

My frustrations with the Weid's development are: 1. He's never really had a consistent run in the VFL to become 'the man'. He had a good stretch in 2018 when he started to find consistent form down a level and that translated in a really nice end to that season. Last year was clearly a disaster. But now that he's healthy he could've had a really strong patch of form in the VFL and convinced everyone that he's a proper goal kicker and reliable target. 2. Apart from runs in the ruck with various success (average in ruck contests, good around the ground) he hasn't had a lot of variety in his development. He's never had a go down back and rarely has been asked to do much of anything particular as a forward as far as I can tell. Usually it's just be the 2nd tall and try to stay out of the way whilst the main tall target and a dangerous (in theory) Melksham type get the forward targets. Now he's out of VFL or scratch matches so the idea of a consistent run of good form down a level won't happen. Hopefully he gets a consistent run at the top level and a role to play that actually can develop his game.

Most of our players are probably already doing 100km round trips to Casey for training. I don't know Sydney's traffic well enough to know how Manly to Blacktown is but it should be heading away from the city for most of it. The boys have plenty of time up there so shouldn't be an issue. If they get free access to the beach that's a pretty good result. Certainly seem less locked down than the QLD guys.

Would love to here some of the reasons why people still have Tomlinson in the team. Apart from the idea his familiarity with Giants stadium could come in useful. Might know where the change rooms are for half time. He has to be one of the most awful recruits in recent history even for us. Can't catch an opponent. Takes an eternity to deliver the ball and his kicking efficiency has been as bad as any of our mids. Can't get off the ground to compete in the air. Hits the contest with Jack Watts level apprehension. 193cm of waddling waste.

17-19 is relevant because the coach who had a bias for ANB for 3 years now has a bias against him? Maybe ANB hasn't improved at all and the competition has. You're talking seasons average for 2 games for ANB! And one or two good kicks after years of being a poor kick with no vision or creativity. We've just come off a season where the entire list pretty much got a game. We've played 3 kids. We've played a guy in Bennell off a 3 year break and half an intraclub. Nev Jetta - every coaches favourite player I'm sure - has been dropped. There's really not a lot of evidence for this claim of bias. Goodwin certainly has loyalty to senior players, most coaches do, but we snuck over the line against Carlton and he made 5 changes, I don't think he's doing selection based on some kind of immature pettiness.

There was a clear change in Vander's game when he moved to the wing and on ball in the 2nd half to replace Ploddlinson. He's not a forward, never has been, but if we commit to up tempo crash and bash as a poor mans Richmond like in 2018 then Vanders is a crucial part from the wing. Combine it with the right forwards and more inside mid skills and we might even start to score again. But yeah, he's not a forward, doesn't get to the right spots at all.

Wait Goodwin is now biased against ANB? Despite ANB playing nearly every game in 17 and 18 and then getting 3 different cracks at it last year despite never looking any good. Career score involvements: Melksham 4.9, ANB 4.8, Hannan 4.7, Fritsch 4.6...Pickett 3.7. If Picket played in 2018 he'd average a stack more, he'd have score or set up goals for fun in that side. Hunt kicked 3 goals against Carlton and has been quiet since, should we not drop him? Hunt deep and Melk as the second tall aren't working out so I'd make changes there, but I'd pick Fritsch, Hannan (if healthy as he appears to be) and Kossie over ANB until there's some indication ANB stops fumbling, attacks the ball with conviction and can use it. A good quarter against Carlton was hardly a strong case, he still spend most of that game looking utterly inept.

The time between Petracca grabbing the ball and getting tackled was a split second. Then Nankervis who's 105kg and strong as an Ox latches right on to the ball. Was Petracca giving it his full attempt to knock it out - probably not. But why should he? He's been set upon as soon as he's gathered it and has a big man holding it to him. If Nankervis wants the ball to come out then: 1. Win the hitout or contest himself. 2. Don't tackle Petracca or don't tackle him arms and ball in all. The rule is 'holding the ball'. It was designed to penalise players caught holding it when they had options to move it on. If you get tackled right away you aren't holding the ball at all. I remember when Davey really revolutionised forward pressure he would sweat on opponents and give them enough time to gather the ball and take a few steps so he could run them down. It was beautiful to watch him lure defenders in to a trap. Now there's so much congestion and tight checking that guys are getting tackled before they even have the ball. It's crazy to reward tackles when with 10 guys around the ball you can pretty much fall in to a tackle at any chance. The only good thing that came of this round of nonsense was the Hawks were the biggest victims of it. 10-1 holding the balls against the.

Yeah Smith is the problem. We definitely lost because he kept his man to 9 disposals and 1 goal and had 1 turnover after a team mate handballed to his feet. Absolutely the team will be saved by replacing him.

So you missed Tomlinson going forward for the second half yesterday? Fritsch coming up the ground. Vanders going wing/on ball and Oliver forward. Goodwin makes a couple of moves in most games that we are struggling in, but he's got limited options given how many guys just play one position.

Keep your door open and Don't Carry the Stress are the 2 you missed there and probably the 2 that apply to Goody the most right now. The hub might be the best thing that happens. Goody gets a chance to have dinner (and breakfast and lunch) with players every night now and should take full advantage of that to sit down and just dive right in to making sure he's as tight as ever with his players. Even if the players aren't sold on the game plan or coaching they should still love the coach as a person if he's the right guy. And then the stress. I said preseason we'll know this year will be better if we see a new Goodwin in press conferences. We haven't so far. He's getting more wooden and despondent. Relax, take a deep breath and be the Simon Goodwin the players get to see, the former player who played great footy and had a heap of fun doing it.

I guess the point is there isn't really a we, just the latest collection of brave souls who climb on board for a turn. When Eddie blows a giant hole in the Collingwood hull at least you know who they are.

It absolutely can hurt. May has flat hands, he's not a great mark, he is an elite defender at using his body to get position and spoiling. He's also a very good - not great - field kick with penetration. He can find the ball and link up. He's starting to get the balance right between coming up and sitting back and having the ball come to him. In a zoning defence cohesion and experience matter. Tommy has started to turn the corner with his marking and his movement over the last two weeks. At least some of our players were looking for him across half forward today. Why unsettle that and move him back where we've got years of evidence that his field kicking will give up goals and some signs in 2016-2017 down back and since up forward that his movement will see him struggle to turn and chase opponents. Elite tank, clean sets of hands, good shot for goal, turns like the queen mary. He is a CHF these days. Oscar - no. Unless he's suddenly found a whole lot of fitness to move at CHB the man is a witches hat who trails opponents over and over and provides little in rebound or at ground level. Unless we want to take Lever out and move Smith and May up the ground we can't get slower and safer just to be different. Smith is spoiling and using the ball to the same level Oscar did and he has a heap of upside, we've had years of Oscar without improvement. Unless his body was completely broken last year and he's now a whole new athlete with a whole new mental composition - faster, meaner, more aggressive - there's no reason to go back to him.

Seems harsh to leave up to 8 fit guys behind given after the 5 games in the hub we'll only have 8 games (possibly in 7 weeks) left. And now they don't get to play any matches unless...could other clubs combine left overs and create a scratch match schedule in Melbourne? And if lists are due to shrink we've almost declared time on some guys careers?

I think Hunt is at the end of his lead. Had Viney played on right away Hunt was probably open, he's now creating space for the next guy coming across behind him. The deep blokes in the goal line are holding space and pointing to the open men - something smart, as is Max as you said. Langdon was open all day today. The Brayshaw shank after the long kick out to Max - Langdon is on the members wing in a paddock of space. We finally have a proper outside runner who gets to all the right spots and our players don't even look for him

Hot take: Brisbane don't really play like Clarkson's best teams did at all. They play like Daniher teams. Fagan was a great Melbourne find who then went out with the bath water when Daniher reached the end. How did Brisbane end up with Fagan - they first had the AFL give them David Noble, the best administrator in the game. We chased after Roos, sure a good idea, but surely better is to get someone like Noble who will be there for the long haul. Roos says he'll appoint a senior footy administrator knowing it's importance. Then he and the club decide Mahoney is up to it - based on what? Neil Balme - failed Melbourne coach, successful administrator at 3 other clubs. Brett Ratten, wow what a great job he did with our mids for a season before Carlton snapped him up, why didn't we store that information away and get him back at any time since? Sean Wellman developed our backline under Bailey. Ran back to Essendon then left footy. Peter Jackson - a great hire. Yet there never seemed to be a long term commitment to him and a plan to have him stay or at least develop or pick his successor. Pert, I still feel unwell about. Some of that's waffling, but the point is we don't seem to ever have any continuity. New board comes in, new CEO, new people in the footy department. Plenty of first time coaches do a great job - it's really hard to get experienced guys back in for another go in their prime. I've got no issue if we think the best man for the job is a first timer. I'm sick of the club being a first timer. There's just no institutional knowledge in the place.

Backline: One more chance for Lever. Hopefully Hibbo has developed match fitness and keeps hitting his targets, slide him up to half back Out: Rivers In: Jetta Mids: Tomlinson is a turnip. Just far too slow and ineffectual. Won't ever have the mobility or contested ability to keep up with Richmond or any other quick moving side. He's ok at the stoppages with the ball but can't pressure without it and he provides no drive and no aerial ability despite his size. Why don't we try Baker again? The shorter quarters should mean he only has to play in short bursts, he and Vanders can pretty much share a wing. Out: Tomlison In: Baker Out: Hunt In: Bennell Forwards: Melk has to go, that opens a spot for a 2nd tall. May as well try Brown as he's more likely to hit the scoreboard from deep and Tom is actually doing ok across half forward the last two weeks. At least has some movement back. Time to try Viney at half forward coming up for stoppages and plenty of rotations from the mids and forwards. Out: Melksham In: Brown (vom) FB: Jetta May Smith HB: Hibberd Lever Salem C; Langdon Brayshaw Baker HF: Viney McDonald Petracca FF: Fritsch Brown Pickett Foll: Gawn Oliver Bennell Int: Lockhart Vanders Harmes Hannan

Agree on Bennell. But he was dropped because of the 2nd half against Carlton where our forwards didn't move or defend. Combined with the Eagles game and preseason we needed changes to get some defensive effort. Defensive effort was obvious against the Cats even if the structured leaked. Defensive effort was very good for most of today, just the ball use was abysmal. I don't really agree on the need for a 2nd tall. Tigers intercept marks: Balta - 6 Higgins - 3 Vlastuin - 2 Caddy, Chol, Nank, Broad, Grimes - 1. We didn't lose because we couldn't bring the ball to ground due to talls outmarking smalls. Tom McDonald's direct opponent was the one who took all the intercept marks! No other defender took more than 2. We lost because we keep kicking it where our forward aren't! A second tall could give another reference point to kick to, but right now it's not a reference point that our mids need but a new set of eyes and a compass. The good news is we should get a 2nd tall anyway because Melksham has to go and a 2nd tall will come in for him.

Smith got caught out by one of the smartest forwards in the game with an eternity of time and space to work with to double and triple lead in to space. Still kept Riewoldt to 1 goal and far less influence than he normally has against us. And his one bad mistake with the ball came after Oliver for no good reason handballed to his toes. Given the season we are having why would we go back to Oscar who we've seen for years now is incredibly limited by lack of physical capabilities and lack of desire at the contest? Going taller and moving May or Hibberd up the ground might be an option but are the Suns the right match up? Does Jetta have the run in the old legs to play on a back flank? Does Hibberd? It seems very much one or the other right now. Maybe Jetta comes in to the back pocket and Hibberd takes Lever's spot and we give Lever a week off. It's clear Lockhart and Rivers are struggling, but we also saw Hibberd struggle big time in round 1 and now he's staying deeper and getting more rest he's starting too look good. I'd say we try Jetta and Hibberd again but I'm very prepared for it not to work. I'd also note just how often Rivers and Lockhart are out running for the handballs and switches and not getting used but that's not going to change any time soon it seams. Chandler, Wagner (one last hurrah) and different mids through half back - Oliver, Gus, Vanders - have to be considered as well if the Jetta/Hibbo combination isn't up to it. Melksham has to go, but his direct replacement should be a key forward given that was his role. If he's doing the defensive work then Bennell is the first in for the mid/forwards. Jones in a role that doesn't involve midfield time is just asking for failure IMO, the guy just doesn't tackle, the old legs struggle to find space and he lacks aerial ability or forward craft.

He traps himself on his left side and from there can only see the long options and maybe Hunt - but can't get the ball to Hunt with the man on the mark and defender in the way. McDonald and Langdon may as well not exist. We have this refusal to go back over the mark and look up and hit targets. Constantly playing on yet rarely ever getting a chance to see the field in front of us. Everything is so rushed because we are desperate to get the ball forward quickly not trusting our forwards.

HE WAS!!! Smith took Riewoldt, May took Lynch and for the time that Nank or Chol were off - which was a lot pre injury and all of the time after Nank's injury - Lever didn't have a taller opponent at all. In fact that was part of the problem. He can't keep up with small guys and couldn't get in a position to intercept. Teams are not just letting intercept defenders sit down the line like they use to. Especially not with out pressure. If Lever wants to be at more contests then he should play on the best key forwards who draw the ball. Smith has taken the 2nd tall against Carlton and Richmond, it was only against Geelong that Rohan was deemed more suitable than Esava. And Lever got plenty of chances to intercept against the Cats in a much improved game, then was dreadful today.