Pates

Absolutely spot on, the one thing our club seems to be consistent with is taking promising players and throwing them around into different roles that don't work for them to the point they lose confidence. Playing Jackson in front of Weiderman on the back of what I'd say was a couple of good signs just smacked of the old Melbourne attitude of "he's a top 3 draft pick so we have to play him", he's raw and got talent but jeez can we just let him develop his body first? And meanwhile I can't actually think of the last time where Weids was just given a simple role as forward target, why does he have to be used in a hybrid ruck/forward role? If we swap JL out for Weids I'd like to see the match committee use TMac and Thomo as the chop out rucks.

Yeah can't see what people are going with on Hunt, he faded like many but he actually did some important things late to help us scrape over the line.

They shouldn't be going to location with multiple other people, I would imagine that this was something made pretty plain and simple to them. It was a silly breach by Spargs and Kozzie, I didn't realise that it was Spargo that initiated it so his higher suspension makes more sense now. That said I also think it's double standards that he gets two weeks and Wines (who is much more senior than either of them) invites media over to his house to do an interview.

There shouldn't be a rule tweak here, the players know what they are not allowed to do. The AFL should be retrospectively be appealing and he should get one week. Honestly such a joke and every player that gets done for it now (what's the bet Viney will next week) should feel rightly p****d off that Burgoyne got away with a suspension.

Would not be against this, TMac really seems to have lost confidence in himself as a forward, perhaps a return to defense may help him. Play Weid as our number one FF target and give him that responsibility. Not as a second ruck or anything else, only play him as a forward. Brown vs LJ is definitely a tough one, experience vs development. Plus some times players just find another gear against former clubs. On form I'd marginally give it to AvB, two games of low output and I don't really recall Gus doing a lot in the pre-season either. On the back up ruck side of things, Thomo has done that in the past at GWS. Just a thought.

Sounds like we dominated, good sign in terms of depth and it puts pressure on the players in the 22.

Not sure if this is the thread for this but Tomlinson is a genuine concern. His run and carry is good, but blimey he can butcher the ball and/or just blindly kick. Hearing the commentary it didn't sound as though the players were using him correctly but can you blame them if the first thing he is going to do is just blindly kick the ball long because he can't think of anything else to do?

May not have been our worst player but he was our most costly defender. We looked more organised and settled in defence against WC with the trio of OMac, May, and Lever because they all play like defenders, Smith plays like a forward so play him there. I don't know if it's the coaches trying to get too cute but they seem determined to take players who have natural positions that work for them and mould them into something else. Fritch, Harmes, Brayshaw, and now Smith all players that they seem to want to turn into something rather than use their natural gifts. I don't mind Smith being played again, but we play Smith as a defender and we will lose games. He makes Frost look like a defensive genius.

My thoughts exactly. Jackson isn’t going anywhere and has a bright future with us, Weids hasn’t had consistency in a single forward role. I’d even be up for TMac moving to a mobile forward role with him being the second ruckman instead of Weids. He kicked 5 goals in the scratch match, he has to come in.

What did Jackson do against the Blues that makes you think he earned another game? For that matter what did he do in the preseason? Weids played ok (not great) in windy conditions at Casey in a main ruck role, right now we aren’t crying out for a second ruckman we are crying out for forward options which Weideman has shown he’s capable of doing but I feel like he hasn’t been given that as his pure role. He’s always been a bit of this and a bit of that, I want him to be given the FF role, nothing else. If he fails at that then fine but so far Jackson hasn’t shown enough as a forward. I get what you’re saying about Jackson but to me what I’ve seen so far Jackson hasn’t earned being in the 22, gone are the days we give out first draft pick games just because the have exciting potential.

Ok lots of changes I can think of but I think we shouldn’t be changing things up too much. I’ll give my reasons below In: OMac, Kozzie, Weids, Hibberd (possible idea) Out: Smith, ANB, LJ, Brayshaw (hear me out) So the first three, Smith is not a backman. If that is what they are deciding on for him as a player than what I saw has him behind Oscar is so many ways. OMac has his issues but at the very least he’ll do the basics expected of him as a defender. Smith cost us goals going for spectacular marks. If he wants to do that send him forward. Kozzie for ANB, harsh but ANB faded like many of him teammates after half time. He has his shot, didn’t do enough. Weids for LJ. I know there will be a lot of opposition for this but simply LJ isn’t ready, he’s got a very bright future ahead of him but now isn’t the time to be throwing in a young body to the forward line when that forward line isn’t producing results. My controversial one, Brayshaw out for Hibberd. Two things on this: Harmes is WASTED in defence. Leave it to Melbourne to take a weapon and turn it into a flower (sadly not of the Robbie variety). His best spot is in the guts, which means someone needs to make way. That someone is Brayshaw who has been poor two weeks in a row. In a match where we needed someone to step up it could’ve been him with Trac getting tagged. Time to drop him. That results in a spot down back opening back up for Hibberd, he got lots of the ball and got himself into good positions. If he can lower the eyes and look for targets rather than bombing aimlessly then maybe just maybe he could become something again. Other change I thought about were Jones for AvB, could well happen as Jones was way off. But I think Jones will be given a bit of grace given his standing at the club, but he’s on thin ice. The other bold one would be TMac for Weids in a shock, but I think Tom’s role needs to change, and we should be pushing Weids to become our main target.

Something I wanted to add, Harmes in defence is failing. He was an attacking, valuable midfielder and now he’s been turned into a useless Half back who has little influence on the game. If it’s because Brayshaw is already there, then drop Brayshaw and bring in Hibberd. Brayshaw has been poor two weeks in a row, his free ride is over. Drop him to regain some form in the scratch match, Harmes takes his place and they compete for that last midfield spot.

Both still had good games, probably harsh for me to say Clarry didn’t have a good game, I only meant I didn’t feel his possessions were effective or damaging. But he did have a good game. Trac also would be in the votes, might even go so far to say BOG in that his first quarter was so good it set us up and what he did the rest of the game was good. But it was still very much like his previous seasons in that he wasn’t able to maintain a high level the whole time (few can). EDIT I am also holding them to a higher standard because they are ultimately two that the club will be depending on becoming more than just good players. They need to be in the conversation for top 10 in the league for us to be anything.

It’s not a bad point about the footy department, they have selected a forward line that they hope will just click. I said it in the post match thread that I feel like we have the weapons but don’t know how to use them (though Fritch, like Cripps, should’ve had more goals to his name). I was thinking that we play TMac as a high CHF, he is aerobically quite mobile for a tall so he should be using it to run his opponent for his feet. I like the idea of sending Smith to the forward line, he doesn’t look like a defender. I would also like to see them try Weids again, as a FF. Not the back up ruckman, a stay at home key forward. Jackson gets dropped to make this happen, I like the kid but he’s got some development needed on his body. The quarters are shorter so Max can have more game time, TMac and Weids share rucking duties. I’d like to Max rested forward.

Ok 24hrs later here are some of my reflections: For once when we got out of the blocks well we put it on the scoreboard, the first quarter won us the game. I wonder how we would feel if the worm was reversed, first 3 quarters awful and run them down. Ultimately we were in front at the final siren. Seeing Bennell get through the game was a massive positive, the little things he did were good and he was silky. He’ll get better and hopefully lift the team around him. He didn’t have a great game but Clarry is one of the few that could claim to have remained in the contest when we dropped, we needed more like him. It was still a typical Petracca game of one blistering quarter, one good quarter, and 2 quarters that had good little bursts. He’s still yet to put together a complete game, but in this instance it was because he got tagged and that goal in the third quarter was massive. What is troubling was how the players responded when Carlton inevitable rise in intensity came. We went into our shells and played conservatively, we looked like we were trying to hold onto a lead in the last quarter rather than win it. Where’s the killer instinct? I’m not going to be too critical of him in his second game as captain but it seemed to follow him, when they started breaking even in the ruck contest the Carlton on ballers lifted. Biggest worry is our forward line, I feel like we have the weapons but we don’t know how to use them. Tommy Mac though....yeesh I just don’t know what to think anymore. I’m starting to think to get him into games he has to be changed in his role to a mobile athletic forward that is leading his player all over the ground because as a target inside 50 he’s doing very little. But that leaves us short deeper. I know some people had good feels about Jackson in the forward line, it just didn’t seem to work for me. I want them to give Weids another shot. I have more musings such as how awful we were from kick ins, but I’ll leave it to that for now. We got the win, that’s what ultimately matters.

Great call, his first win as captain should’ve been celebrated. Poor form from the others, and honestly after giving up such a lead they should’ve have been that excited to sing it.

The first quarter was as good as it could get, the rest of the game was a disgrace. I know people don’t like OMac, well suck it up. Choosing Smith over him almost cost us the game, Smith doesn’t look like a key defender. A floating interception defender perhaps but zero sense of how/when to go for contests and spoil. Before I say this let me be clear, I like the look for Jackson and I think he has a big future with us. But having him over Weiderman just gave us nothing, he didn’t do enough at the ruck contests and didn’t have any forward sense. Give him time but Weids should be in there. But what really concerned me was the middle of the ground, they murdered us after half time and I’d say we broke even in the second quarter. Viney and Brayshaw were MIA at times and all of a sudden our ruck domination with Max went to zip. The other big problem is Tom McDonald, he wasn’t even in the contest today again not great delivery but neither did he create a break even. He should be put on notice that one more game like that and he’s dropped. We got the win, we didn’t deserve it. 1-1 gives us a chance but right now we look right off it.

All those people calling for Smith over OMac, how are you feeling now? He’s been awful.

1st = quarter 2018 So far everything after that = 2019 They are killing us in the centre and this should be closer.

We need a goal to settle

Tomlinson should be dragged for that kick.

Quiet with good little bits, hasn’t really been in many contested marking situations. I’d like to see a bit more from him in the 2nd half.

That last 5-7min was 2019 like, zero poise and they started getting lazy. Need to smash them early in the 3rd quarter to kill the game and kill their confidence. Not a whole lot to like about that 2nd quarter aside from a couple of little bursts.

Well, that was good to watch. Best thing is that it could’ve been better, still wasted a few golden chances going forward. When ANB was picked after Kozzie’s suspension I said he should be given a rev up to make it hard to not pick him. He’s done more in that one quarter than four quarters last week. Hunt 2 goals in a minute was great to watch. Petracca if he can keep this game going is on track for 3 votes. Rivers (apart from his first kick) has been silky. Jackson has been nervy and needs to do more. I really think we should’ve pick Weids. 3 more quarters Dees, keep it going!

It's frustrating we're going to have to wait to see Kozzi and Bennell in the same team. Just so silly.