binman

A big yes from me

For those of us interested in game plans, tactics and all that jazz a couple of really interesting articles about the teams fighting out the finals this weekend. Both have relevance for us though too in terms of where we need to get to and how we might do so: Another excellent article from Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-15/tigers-cats-lions-power-afl-preliminary-finals-premiership-gabba/12764676 And one from Scott Heindrvih, who has written some terrific stuff about the AFL this year: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/15/modern-day-coaches-win-hearts-before-minds-in-bid-to-reach-afl-grand-final EO this article has some relevance to the quote (and article) you reference above: "Players become familiar with a manager so his words lose their power; an intensity that once was motivational begins to grate; opponents work sides out – and in the age of detailed data analysis that is a process that has accelerated significantly." Personally i think this is a huge challenge for Goody and i really wonder if he is where Hardwick was in 2016 and Hinkley last year in terms of struggling to get a message across and being too insular and hard.

Yep. Simply does nor get enough of rhe ball. Which wouldn't be such an issue if he was averaging a couple of goals a game. But gets not.

Each club would be different, but as general rule no. That said i think goody made it clear with jack it was his call. And i suspect a driver was him making a statement about his minimum standards, the sort of players he wanted in his team - hard at it, uncompromising players who never shirked a contest - and the culute he wanted to build at the club. And as i said at the time i totally respect goody's call. Don't agree with it, but respect his right to make it. And i fully get the argument then and now why it was the right call. On a related note i find it hard to square the decision to trade jack on cultural grounds with the decision to not only continue to select Melksham this season but have him be a stand in captain in the crows game. Barely laid a tackle all season, shirked contests all season (can barely recall one hard at contest and certainly can think of at least 5 where he pulled out) and showed zero on field leadership.

At the risk of going over old ground, i disagreed with the goody's decision to trade jack and even with the benefit of hindsight i still think it was a mistake. The gist of my argument was (and remains): We were (and remain) a woeful kicking side, at a point in time where it has never been more critical and he was by far out best user of the football (and still would be) Makes zero sense to trade a player that helps address our biggest weakness - our appalling kicking Jack was by far our best 'assist' and last kick inside 50 player , so again it makes zero sense to trade a player that plays such an important role in the team - it is no coincidence that since he left we have ongoing 'connection' issues with our forwards The idea that was oft floated at the time that fritter adequately addressed the issues noted above was a furphy - we still could have drafted fritter and and had two decent kicks in our forward line (though it has become apparent fritter aint in Jack's class when it comes to kicking) Sure jack was not never as physically committed to the contest as he could/should have been and sure he had a reputation as bit of a party boy but every great team has such players Every great coach finds a way to get the best out of super skilled, but perhaps not 100% committed players, when required - it is no coincidence Jack's best season at the dees came under Roos, a coach famous for his ability to harness the talent of different cats You don't need a team full of jack viney's, myopic, driven players who want to run though walls - and history has shown that goody's desire to build such a team has put us well behind the eight ball And i question how strong a teams culture really is if it can't manage to incorporate players with different approaches and mindsets In any case Jack was by all accounts a pretty good trainer and barely missed any game though injury, which suggests he looked after himself pretty well and had the required professionalism (questions over his 2017 rehab notwithstanding) Jack was a heart and soul player and his team mates loved him as did most fans - beware unintended consequences trading such players All that said I fully acknowledge i have no idea what was happening behind the scenes or the factors that drove goody's decision (though I'll hasten to add most others don't either, despite all the gossip and assumed knowledge) and i fully respect his decision, as evidenced by the fact i have not banged on about it (much) since or bagged goody for it Leaving aside all of the above my response 'not in my opinion' was only in part about the merits of the decision to trade jack. It was as much about the flawed logic, in my view, of the idea his time at Port is proof we made the right call. The fact is we will never know what might have happened if Goody had stuck with Jack. Who knows he may have found a way of getting the best out of jack, just as his mentor, Roos, had. After all the best coaches get the best out of their players. And it is worth noting that jack was playing some pretty good footy in 2019 under Hinkley off the half back line (including a terrific game that helped bury our 2019 season) before his terrible injury. By the by same applies to Hoges - another player who was apparently a party boy and was accused of being bad for the culture (and another player who I'd love to be still at the dees as, like jack, he has a skill set we are in desperate need of). His travails at freo are not proof we made the right call to get rid of him.

Not in my opinion.

Omg - now you are just baiting me! Ok I'll bite. NEED AN IRONY EMOJI !!!!

Need irony emoji

I was ambivalent about yze coming. Now that he is i think it is fantastic. I can feel my dormant pollyana syndrome rising. Looking forward to the articles crediting yze with our top 4 finish.

He's going to leave dl and assess the lion's players? Can't say I blame him.

bbbbb.....baaby

Actually the bombers have almost moved from my hate them column to the don't care, irrelevant, almost pity them, column. One of the few (only?) teams we have had more success than in the last 20 years. Hawthorn will never leave my hate them column. Never. Ever. I hate them.

I guess you played at CHB. I say that because i remember reading the half back line was : Bachman Turner Overdrive

This is the only thread I've ever read that has got to 2 pages with not a single dissenting post or cross word to another poster. Hate of the bombers. Bringing dees fans together since September 2000.

Who dat?

A truly trumpian level of debating skills.

Assuming we keep viney (who is much much more consistent) trading brayshaw is on the cards. As it should be. Im probably in a minority but this period is my least favourite part of the year ie straight after the season and prior to official trading. So much gossip and palaver. And I dislike our players being shopped, bagged etc etc. I get invested in them. But putting my trading hat on we have too many inside mids in our best 22. With more in the wings in Jordan and Sparrow. If viney stays Brayshaw is the logical bloke to trade. His only top shelf footy is in the middle and there are two ahead of him, three if you include viney. And perhaps as important outside trac, Maxy and Oliver he is the only player at the dees with any decent trade value whatsoever. Who else gets us say a first round draft pick? A team like the suns or even the blues would love another good inside mid.

Didn't age well.

Oh wrong thread. I thought this was Brad Crouch thread.

Not keep daniher im guessing. Some money to spend.

Great post JG. I listened to Jennings a few times in the ladt part of the year. I found him really engaging and interesting. Good ability to explain things simply. He made a really interesting comment about us after I think the freo loss. Basically that our current game plan is now very defensive (implying, at least that was my sense too defensive). and default play is down tbe line and slow movement. The model players to be clear about their role and play it to the letter. Not much scope for individual creatvity and flair and natural football. Ironic then for goody to criticize his players of boring. To be fair to goody his game plan reflects where the game is at, though there is a question if we have the required skill level and players for thst model (and my answer is no). Leaving the game plan aside though i share your concerns about how easy he is to work with. I'd add i wonder how he goes managing syers who perhaps are a bit different or don't have total buy in to his approach (which every team at every club had). I know he us big on relationships and I've read on here that his players love him. But - and I'll hasten to add that I've never met him so perhaps this is unfair - my feeling is that he may not have tbe highest EQ and may not manage conflict or dissenting views very well. He has always struck me as a my way or the highway sort of person. Which is an outdated 1980s style management not suited to such a big group of people who make an AFL football club in 2020. In his public speaking he struggles to relay a strong message and connect. Whilst pressers etc are a different forum than communicating to his players, i do wonder how effective his messaging is to his players. On this last point many pundits and indeed dl posters have noted that players have often looked confused about their roles. And then you get the strange messaging around his scatter shot approach to selections. I may be wrong, but if not if goody is as committed to learning and personal growth as he says he us then I hope he addresses this opportunity for improvement.

I'm happy to bundle up the ice cream maker my wife bought six years ago (which has yet to be used), the shorts she bought me yesterday and a half eaten jar of Spreewalder pickled gherkins.

What about mine? I got a good ALDI catalogue today

Totally agree LH. I actually think the whole break out narrative is a complete nonsense and has impacted how his career thus far has been viewed, which is by and large he hasn't fulfilled his talent until this year. Even some die hard dees fans on this site underrate both his output and consistency. Part of the issue is that he is obviously super talented and people want to see break out games. But he is the ultimate team player and often has looked to give off goals rather than go for glory himself. If he was less team focused he would have a lot more highlights (and goals) which often is all the peanuts commentators notice or opposition fans see (think Degoey early on). I thought he was close to our best player last year, loved his consistency and i put a big store in players who play well in losing sides so my respect for him grew a lot. And he was terrific in his other season too. He has been amazing this year. Arguably the best season from a dee in a long time. An AA lock a long way out. Obviously that was on the back of the work he put in to get super fit, but even that is sometimes framed as a negative. As in great he did it this year - why hasn't he before? Well for one thing, as you point out Luci he had an ACL in his first year and an interrupted preseason the next year. Also he has the build of a power athlete, not a runner, so i'm sure it takes longer for him to reach peak fitness (i remember reading Burgess saying it can take a player three full preseason of work to get to peak fitness).

Could not agree more. Her fellow 'experts' should be totally embarrassed how much knowledgeable and switched on and verses in the modern game she is. Beyond the knowledge she has developed from playing, it is evident she actually does research about the game in general and the game she is covering, which makes the complete lack of research by peanuts such as Darcy, Ling, Carey and Richardson shamefully obvious. How much do they get paid? Of all the people involved in the coverage of footy across fox and 7 she is by far the best, with Bartel and Hodge the best of the rest (which really is no great compliment). Channel 7 should make her a main caller, not sideline her as boundary rider.