3183 Dee

Probably because they wouldn’t have towed Goodwin’s party line and picked faults in his game plan!

Also, the main reasons that their quick, aggressive game works is: - they have great hand and foot skills. - they have players who will spread quickly from the contest, giving multiple options to the ball carrier. - their midfield runs incredibly hard both ways. This year, they have been off their game but when operating even close to their best, are devastating. We do have the cattle to match them, but until we can tick off the above points consistently, we will be playing a 2nd rate version of their game style.

What?! I’m sorry that you are so cynical.

Very tough mate - my parents in England live next door to my sister and her 4 kids - they haven’t been able to give the kids a hug for about 3 months now. Crazy times - I wish you and your family all the very best.

Ha! No - it was a Melbourne supporter, who was about to go into lockdown away from his grandkids - weird huh?!

Good luck OD - enjoy your evening with the family. By the way - did you call in to SEN today? Breakfast Show?

When can you start?!

I think Clarko is probably referring to list possibilities - truth is, with our list, we should be making finals.

I caught almost all of the interview - have to say, he sounded exhausted! I admire his chutzpah in maintaining the previous commitment to finals this year: he could’ve gone down the COVID excuse line. To add to Lord Nev’s question above, I’d also ask what the ramifications are to the coaching side of things, should we not hit our target? Would it depend upon how close or far away we end up?

Saty, the current group in charge are not doing a very good job. That is a fact. Supporters have every right to air their opinion and suggest changes or ideas. Especially when they are being asked to shell out hard-earned coin on top of their annual membership, to help bail the club out. A club that has given very little the other way, in terms of value for money, over recent years.

Maybe they are ‘yes’ men?

Yes - there is an excuse every year: change of coach; youngest team in the comp (a few times); injuries and now COVID. Other teams seem to rise above these problems or at least look like it. We can’t, as a club, keep looking for the next excuse to validate our mediocrity. We have a core of very good players just about to hit their prime. It really is now or never.

Chandler’s goal was a beauty - also some great pressure by Spargo leading to the last goal.

Goodwin said in his presser that Bennell got on the scoreboard.

Agreed - there’s no point to keep chopping and changing. Keep Lockhart and keep Rivers - both will be key components of our defence going forward. In fact most of the guys from Sunday are the right players, they just need (a) game time together (b) to be played in their best positions and (c) to be given a coherent system.

It must be something to do with keeping the turf in decent condition, otherwise you’d think we could do it. Every single other club has their own training ground, as we are aware! We wouldn’t be to train on it during the summer, tho’.

I’m gutted - I was looking forward to that. Has just made me hate Bombers even more.

That’s a very good way of putting it - both the supporters and players alike! That first quarter was so good - almost like a kid riding a bike on their own for the first time: it goes so well until they realise they’re by themselves, then crash!

We couldn’t have got Green - as a GWS Academy player, the Giants were always going to take him, even if their hand was forced by us bidding on him.

That’s unkind.

http://Last year we would’ve lost that game: Melksham Erm...except we played Carlton last year and exactly the same thing happened! And Gold Coast?!

Fantastic, balanced post. As an Englishman, though, I have to say that the managerial merry go round in the football league (often on the whim of an egocentric chairman) is probably too far the other way.

Take your point, but Clarkson and Simpson have both won GFs and Buckley has gone as close as possible.

I don’t think there needs to be a knee-jerk reaction BUT: - We have a collection of very good players, who are about to reach/are in their prime. - Whilst SG’s man management seems very strong - the players all appear to love him - his tactical ability (most noticeably in-game strategy) appears to be sorely lacking. Motivation can get you so far, but ultimately you need to be able to move the chess pieces around successfully. - SG’s pressers are very corporate speak (so are Buckley’s, by the way) and whilst we are told he is playing a straight bat, I can’t help thinking that this is the same way he talks behind closed doors. I worry that the lack of talk about the game strategy and instead talking about ‘learnings’ and ‘culture’ and ‘brand’ are perhaps masking deficiencies? - I really hope that he does succeed: Buckley and Hardwick both took a fairly long time to click into gear, so maybe it will be the same for SG. However, we can’t be ‘building’ for ever...

Yep, much as I dislike these petty criticisms, I have to admit that I thought the celebrations were OTT for a performance that was underwhelming. It was all a bit of a rabble, which reflected on the pitch for half the game.