nutbean

I'll use a "two way running" analogy - old school coaches like Neeld ( I know we can debate whether Neeld was a coach at all) are one way runners - their way or the highway - can work well for an established side full of stars but not for a team that needs to be developed. Roos was among the first of the modern day coaches to really nurture and take feedback from players. From what i understand Goody is even more embracing of two way relationships or two way running with the players. I like it as it does put much more responsibility on the footballers for how they play and at the end of the day they are the only ones who can kick the footy. It can be uncomfortable when it seems that you get a mass revolt of players to a training camp but that's the price you pay for allowing the players so much input and feedback into what they are doing . It doesn't surprise me that someone like McDonald would gel better with Goody than Roos. I get that this coaching approach is not liked by all but i am a fan of making the footballers much more accountable for how they play ( I thoroughly detest when the coach gets blamed for the players "not turning up to play")

Not this year at least ( too soon ?). I think Angus Brayshaw is one of those rare commodities that is more appreciated by their own supporters ( and Roos and umpires) than outside watchers. I think he is an absolute gem and by seasons end will not be all that far behind Viney in value to our team ( big call, I know !)

I know the thread is about who we think but i will suggest whom I think we need to take the next step to improve further this year. Lever and May will really shore up the back line. Given that no one goes backwards, in my mind, if The Weid can kick around the 35-40 goals this season we will prosper. T-Mac is a good forward - we need a second big man in the forward line. I'm not sure he will but this is my hope.

same same - ( you do get a scarf !) - i get pleasure from the club and it i see it as paying for that pleasure..

JKH is too small for an AFL footballer...Lewis towers over him...

Whether we like it or not, money rules sports. Professional teams overseas leave no stone unturned ( read spend copious amounts of money) in an effort to get an edge. Some of these innovations will work some won't. AFL coaching staff don't visit 3rd division soccer teams in Greece to get an edge - they visit professional gridiron, baseball, English soccer teams that spend squillions on improving what they do. Hence the reason we go and visit them. The thing overseas coaches could learn from our game is how we produce world class athletes on a shoestring budget.

and 84 kg and a forward pocket/half forward flank goal sneak. If TMac or Weid go down we need a key position player to replace which Townsend definitely isn't

free biffen

My advice to her is to start taking blood and bone and she could get promoted to the tree department...

talented but quite easy to shut down - aerogard...

I'm visualizing a 168 cm 62kg nippy goalsneak. edit: he needs to be drafted on his name alone

The cricket vs Pakistan has had one of the funniest sport moments in a long time

Tyson ? really - I liked Tyson's ball winning ability but his disposal and decision making - patchy. He was our second best midfielder when he arrived behind Jones. Oliver's gone past him, Viney's gone past him, Harmes has gone past him. So he is 5th in the pecking order at best. Not hard to replace him.

Before you pot Mahoney's negotiation skills you do understand he doesn't work in a bubble ? He has input from the CEO ( salary cap for present and future) and the coach (who he wants and who he doesn't want) and recruiting staff ( picks and the possible selections). There is input from all covering the scenario's. Sooo.. The pants wasn't dropped on Watts. They wanted him gone and going to Port with a contribution was the cheapest option. ( the mistake on Watts was the contract amount he got initially). Do you think he would have got a game this for us ? So we cleared cap space and a playing spot. You can arguably Hogan all you like over Lever - Lever made the all Australian squad - Hogan ? Learning to manipulate ? Hogan was going next year and wasn't a free agent so we have no compensation like GC was going to get for May. Big picture is we got two players we wanted now to give us a serious push further up the ladder for one player who didn't want to stay ( how would it effect his playing next year if he stayed ?) and was out the door next year for an unknown draft pick.

And as you ridiculous as it may seem to you, this has always existed for some footballers. It may be ridiculous but there is a big enough body of evidence to tell you that it well and truly exists.

and he was not half the footballer he was at Melbourne. The way i see it is he has never really been settled in Victoria - some footballer adjust here - he was always one contract away from going home.

just as an aside - does anyone truly believe that Mahoney came out said the things about being open to Jesse being traded and also what final deal was going to be acceptable without input from others at the club ? This a Mahoney decision and no-one else's ?

Because we would have picked the one that does turn out to be star ? Not sure I understand this thinking ?

I love my MCC membership but recognise that the reason I go to the G is to watch the Dee's so I buy the MCC/MFC membership so the club gets money from the pleasure they provide me (well,the pleasure they sometimes provide me).

Simon Godfrey played at a time where you didn't get slaughtered for turning the ball over like you do now. We saw last week what happens when you miss easy handballs or kicks. Scully is good by hand but average at best by foot. Skills is now king.

fixed... (Don't get me wrong - I like what I am seeing with Weid but he is still a work in progress - Hogan kicked goals from the first game he played. If I could only have Hogan or Weid for the next 10 years, based on the current body of work - it would be a no brainer)

Come back to me when he kicks 40 plus goals in 3 out of 4 seasons. I agree that Hogan is more a CHF than a stay at home FF but to me citing the Weid in this story is folly. Weid could be absolutely anything and absolutely nothing - the jury is definitely still out on him.

I have always said that Dom stays in the side until others go past him. But he is limited to where he can play. Last year - Jones, Viney ( when he played) and Oliver were ahead of him. Brayshaw always had more talent but was struggling to get on the park. Harmes was behind him. This year Tyson is 6th in the running brigade. Harmes and Brayshaw have well and truly leapfrogged him. Even Jones has another string to his bow as he played a bit at half back and sometimes tags. Tyson cant do either. He cant play half back flank like Lewis or Salem - he can't tag like Harmes, Jones and Viney. I would think he should /may see the writing on the wall.

I like the way that youngsters like Spargo and Fritsch are not expected to be our saviours. They are the icing on the cake and will continue to develop. The players we expect to do the heavy lifting are doing it.

I am surprised by how blase posters are getting about plays like this. There is a very large gulf between what is expected of an AFL team and the reality. Players train hard to get plays correct but it is the ability to execute under pressure that will show you how far you have progressed. I am under no illusion that we were executing skills over the last month against teams that were down the ladder and the litmus test will be how we execute against the better teams who exert much more pressure. However it is not too long ago that we could not hit the side of a barn with a 2 metre handball playing against the Manangatang 4ths.