Hot as Hell

Roos on the radio correctly pointing our we have been weak in defensive set ups 4 games in a row. Can't argue this attacking defence play has failed us. Over to you Goody.

Nostalgia has a way of being forgiving CBF. When we look back at those late 60s and 70s years there was very little to cheer. Individual performances from Townsend, Groom, Hassa Mann, Dillon, Parke, Hardeman, Alves, Wells, Biff as both a back and forward, Tulip just to name a few, we're all we had to enjoy and hold on to. I wasn't there the day when Hudskn went down but l remember being bitter/sweet about it. He was such a capable player with so much skill at being able to find and protect the drop zone and then convert kicks into goals. There was bugger all coverage of MFC on TV in those days (and nothing earlier) so we are mostly left to our individual recollection of events. They were dark years, interrupted by magic moments. Still not quite sure whether l remember the Hudson incident for the right reasons but it sure commanded front page of The Sun (News Pictorial) the following Monday.

So taking your standard of measure binman: if a player is regularly selected by the coaching staff, he is a good player. It's just the "fans don't see how good they are"? Your thoughts on recent players Rohan Bail, Matt Jones, Jordie McKenzie, Daniel Nicholson and Jack Grimes? These players immediately come to mind as being regularly selected by the coaching staff for years prior to their delisting. They were each creditable players worthy of a list, but were they "good players". Let's be straight here, Wags is a good depth player. We need all our depth players. Let's not talk them up to be higher than their station and skills deserve. Where MFC is at, we need the Wags and the Billy's to be firing and ready to go, if our best 22-24 suffer injury and that is their role. Playing AFL games is good for all in the top 23- 30 mark to ensure they all know the standard being demanded at AFL level and possibly lift them into the Top 20. It makes them better players and us a better club.

So Max does not rate. Mmmmm. I guess this is what happens when the media scrum is so large, that it includes and publishes opinions with even LESS common sense than some we see here on Demonland.

I don't agree with Lyon saying that Oscar has been particularly out played. He is just under weight and under experienced. Remember he is roughly the same age and build as Lever who is arguably in a different league of AFL quality and skill. I would not expect any recruiter of another club to offer more than a 2nd round draft pick for O Mac. Those here that continue to insist young O Mac belongs in the company of the game's best defenders are equally as one eyed as G Lyon. In my personal view. Just on the other side of the same coin. Lyon is fair to comment that Oscar is relatively untouchable, but that has little to do with Gus being left out of the side and should not have been raised. Lyon is clearly make the point that the coach has favorites. As we all do.

Wags and Bugg and Salo all having been questionable, have absolutely earned the right to retain their spots for next week. Salo was particularly aggressive today and a great distributor. All accolades well earned by the side on this day, after a lacklustre opening 15 minutes. Will take this win gleefully, now removing all remnants of our recent inglorious past.

And loads of footy smarts. This kid is a real value add to the forward line.

And loads of footy smarts. This kid is a real value add to the forward line.

Best and worst of a couple of players on display. All in 30 minutes

Yep. That was dumb

Just a gentle nudge and a stronger body. We are do lucky Sideshow only has 3.

Another let off for us and for Oscar.

Good on you.

The Weide will probably make it. Like Stefan Martin who took 6 years to become a footballer amongst many others. Too long for Melbourne supporters and one of our previous pig headed coaches. I hope Sam stays with us, but suspect our "brains trust" have no time for him. We'll most likely trade him out for a spud and steak knives, and watch him mature and develop for another club. He will not be the first in this comp, to be given those cards. Many clubs have made this mistake born from impatience not denial of talent. Good luck Sam. l hope for all our sakes, you can show us what you have got, during the course of this year.

North are in rebuild and are in the bottom 4 of the comp. I expect to win comfortably today in the back of our best 8 to 10 players. Hoping Nev, Hibbo and Lever can find some form and cohesion down back. Our mids, in particular ANB, Dom and Harmes must be more accountable defensively to minimise the easy inside 50 opposition teams have had in the last 2 weeks. Hoping Trac, Bayley, Jeffy and Jesse get to Eee a lot of the ball today. On paper, we win by 46 points. On the field l will take a win by 1 point just to break this humiliating losing streak.

What SWYL said! So bloody true.

One thing that can be said is that in the real AFL for points world, our defence has been very poor. Unlike the Just Like Training comp.

The best coaches have always been those able to develop a methodical, repeatable game plan built around the list of players they have at their disposal. No plan on its own will guarantee a win, and neither will a team of champions without a plan. Success demands that special sort of chemistry between coaches and players matched with skills and determination. I don't expect Goody to be a coaching genius after a whole 25 game coaching career. Nor do l expect him to be bloody minded that his way is the only way. From the underlying pre-season furore, it seems self evident that there remains some doubt that the players are as unified behind the unproved Goodwin as they were behind Roos, a premiership coach. The future is not yet written, so l remain hopeful that over this year and next, Goodwin can broaden his mind enough and the players buy into his game plan enough, to get the coach/player chemistry right. Beveridge and Hardwick managed to get their players to die for them and had some luck with few player injuries. Goody and his game plan is a long way from that, after his just 25 games. Open minds are needed from both groups if we are going to be more than just a "good, ordinary football team". Every other side works on improving themselves just like us, so a "break out" ahead of the pack demands ongoing fine tuning of all the ingredients of success.

Rodney, I will simply say that we see the speed and strength of young Oscar matched against Brown very, very differently. If that's the way the coach plays it l have no problems with that. Although clearly l would use Frost to cover Brown and allow Lever to play his natural game. At the moment Lever is all at sea playing one on ones and trying to plug holes simultaneously. He ends up doing neither well and is copping a bath on this site.

6. Garlett 5. Hogan 4. Oliver 3. Hibberd 2. Gawn 1. Petracca

Ummm. That would be both teams, not just us.

My God. A team choc full of talent. Is that the same AFL Lions team that surrendered meekly to a second rate Saints team? No wonder we fail to achieve greatness. Being satisfied by a win against the worst teams provides the platform for being satisfied with a loss against a good team. I thought we had left that mindset behind us.

They were last year's wooden spooners and we struggled. Hardly something to celebrate if we think we deserve a spot in the 8. Yes we will all take the 4 points happily but we clearly have a lot of leaks to plug.

Imagine our other big defender trying to match up on Brown. It is almost unthinkable. Frost is no match winner but he us a courageous competitor with height and speed and the only player we have capable of even looking Brown in the eyes.

Our backline is all out of wack. Hunt needs to be at half back where he can break the lines and run forward. Rotating 3 old fellas in that spot is not a winning play. Lever needs a big body near him to free him up from the unprotected barage he has to cope with. Bring in Frost for god's sake just tell him to lower his eyes when kicking. Bugg is what he is. For those that forgot, tonight you were reminded. Harmes has has no impact as many have said and Salo is not a mid. Maybe Gus comes in for one of them. We have much to worry about with North.