Maldonboy38

It seems clear that Roos and Goodwin have very similar ideas about personnel around the midfield, all players being able to defend, and the contested ball is the main measure of a game. Tyson, Jones, Viney, Hunt, TMac etc. are not going to be dropped because of this - unless injury or atrocious form. The difference seems to be that Goodwin also emphasises risky, break-the-lines footy with a touch of dare and excitement. JKH, Hannan, Weed, Melksham and others play simple bread and butter footy but they have that opportunist edge. They do the risky kick, the risky third man up, the fly into the air etc... After the Roos era it feels a bit uncomfortable but I reckon we just have to get used to it. To be honest, I like it, even if it leaves me scratching my head sometimes. The over-emphasis on defence is messing up our game.

I picked Richmond to finish 6 or 7, and could not believe so many people talking them down. Their defence is still weak and a good forward line will destroy them. Their skills have been first class - a bit of a surprise really considering how bad they have been for the last few years. I sense a VERY close game, with lots of pressure and therefore errors, with us outscoring them at the end.

I have taken my time to read a lot of Demonland posts, re-watch the game etc... I agree that the loss is very frustrating and it is one of those "we should have won that" kind of game. But I am also reminded of a lot of comments around January that the main hope for many in 2017 was that we would be competitive in every game, that we could go the footy without a knot in our guts knowing we would lose. We are playing good, watchable footy. Not perfect, but VERY watchable. I am genuinely pleased about that and the fact that our two losses have been by small margins. Two things are heavily impacting our games and both are very fixable: 1. Leadership. Viney is struggling and is not showing leadership. Lewis - whose influence is greater that we give it credit for - is a huge loss for us. So this leaves poor Nathan Jones as once again the lone soldier, with a little help from TMac. Vince is not a leader. We need Lewis back on the ground and we need Viney to be given a huge rev up or spray or something. 2. Injuries/suspensions/poor form. Hogan, Lewis, Gawn, Hibberd, Tyson, Kent, Brayshaw, J Smith ... Our best 25-26 players is yet to settle, and it is looking like Weideman & Vince may not be in our best. A bit more trial and error over the 3 next 4 weeks unfortunately. Queen's Birthday is looming as a date when our team might be settled, and we can begin to gauge where our season is going. Or at least I hope so because it is all a bit unclear just at the moment.

We are definitely a more skillful 22 than Freo, but if they play to the Ross Lyon system they will be hard to break down. Our kicking either wins or loses us the game. In all of the 3 rounds so far we have been the better team for most of the day but our turnovers remain our achilles heel. We will either hold on in a thriller or win VERY big. Still a bit nervous, though.

All he needs tobring is aggression at the ruck contests and second efforts at ground level - he displayed both these during the JLT series, and it sounds like he followed up at Casey. I have never beden a huge fan, but I reckon he will surprise many with his presence at AFL level.

Freo were very hard at the contest, and we have to match that at the least. Some of Sandilands ruckwork was breathtaking in its simplicity but enabled Munday, Fyfe etc... first touch, who were able to supply a give-and-go for Hill and Walters who are quick. So, we have to counter Sandilands and I reckon Spencer is aggressive enough to make it difficult. I am not sure we have someone of the size and strength to match Fyfe but we matchup well on all the other midfielders. Player-by-player we are a better team with a greater spread of talent, but Freo gave the Dogies no space and will be champing at the bit to do it again to us. At the moment I would only be bringing in Spencer for Gawn, but our forward line might need some extra help, so wouldn't be surprised if Hannan gets a rest.

Forward - We will really miss Hogan. His forward play is one thing, but some of his work up the ground and st half forward ball ups he was active and influential. With him in our forward line we would have been too strong for the Cats. Midfield - could be a break even, but the potential of Dangerwood doing some amazing inspiring things to lift their team over the line is a strong possibility. will really miss the presence, positioning and leadership of Lewis. Defence - Vince is a huge plus even though he is making a couple of horrible errors each game. If Harry Taylor plays on OMac it could be interesting. OMac, though capable of some slow and error ridden footy will probably cover Taylor whose forward play is questionable at best. Very borderline game - feels like the Saints game.

My thoughts exactly! I am a huge fan of Brayshaw but half forward seems to kill his natural game. He is a midfielder. Go back 2 or 3 seasons and how many of us were constantly commenting on our midfield woes. Now we have talent and depth enough to mean a player like Brayshaw can't find his place there. A good problem to have. In his first year Brayshaw seemed a good (not great) kick on the run on both sides of his body, but he seems to have really gone backwards with his kicking. But the biggest concern is the constant head knocks. I hope head injuries/concussion do not cut his career short or cause long term difficulty.

Our specific need is a quality defender or a silky skilled/quick outside player. But any team would be mental not to chase Fyfe. Once-in-a-decade footballer. Probably won't get him but conversations with his manager must be had.

Goodwin comes across as a relationship builder. That was not the charter offered to Roos. He was asked to implement a culture of excellence in an organisation that was totally stuffed. Roos' work was built on people trusting his experience and record. I can understand if some players did not like him too much, but that should be expected. But then I see who wrote the article - and I know for sure that this article is about muck raking and nothing else.

Throughout the preseason we were talking about our improved depth. Well this will be truly tested now Lewis and Hogan are gone for a while. Vince comes straight in, not sure about who else. We don't have an immediate replacement for Hogan so we might need to go sma,lish with Petracca, Kent, Garlett, and also aim for midfielder goals. The big risk is Dangerfield and Selwood reading it off Gawn - they are really good at getting into position A or running through the right spot at a ballup at full pace. Hunt on Dangerfield could be interesting.

This is not a new idea. From memory Barassi did it on occasion at North in the 1970's with Rantall and others. And maybe even Adelaide also tried it with Andrew McLeod. It relies on really good kicking. It gets totally stuffed up by poor kicking and poor decision making, just like any other gameplan.

I've enjoyed a lot of players over the past 5 decades, but only a few have totally captured my interest and "devotion": Hardeman was the first, Flower the next, Brett Lovett, The Ox. I now put N. Jones up there with them. Maybe not for talent, but for honouring the games founding club and our revered jumper. From a young bloke who tried to break every tackle, to a consistent, focused, inspiring leader who pesonifies CLUB football at its best. And he should be the stand alone skipper - by the length of the Flemington straight.

6. Salem 5. Garlett 4. Jetta 3. Jones 2. Oliver 1. TMac

The potential suspensions of Hogan and Lewis will determine ins and outs. But I am not going to complain. This is Lewis at his best at unsociable football, and he has always played on the very edge. Vince does the same thing. It flirts with danger but also produces results. Hogan will likely get a week, but the bloke he tapped needs to take up knitting - it is a contact game and he went down quicker than Cale Morton when he ran away.

I have had time to get over the knot in my gut after watching a disoriented, reactive Dees team win while being flogged by Carlton in the midfield. We lost the game coming through half forward. Well done Bolton for being able to read how we move through half forward and totally mess with our heads, and well done to his experienced players for sticking to the plan of how to keep messing with our heads. They successfully made us second-guess decisions, do dinky pathetic little 14.5 metre kicks, and trapped us within our dependence on the 45 degree kick. Our backline were outstanding today.Take a bow, Nev Jetta. Our midfield looked disorganised and predictable (I know these sound impossible together but it describes it well). Some moments of strength but the only full time contributors were Oliver and Jones. All the others fumbled the ball when it was on the ground, while Cripps, Murphy and Gibbs were VERY clean. Gawn v Kruezer was the battle I thought it would be. With the excpetion of Garlett, our forward line was disgraceful. Dropped marks, ran to predictable places and refused to lead more than once, made slow poor decisions like 50cm handpasses to stationary team mates, and tried stupid fancy little things that lose key moments in a game. 4th quarter heroes: Well done Harmes - I am not a fan but he was important. Well done Watts - you redeemed a shocker of a game through a very strong effort. Jeffy - show the replay of your chase-down goal to all the other forwards because they deserve to be embarrassed by it. Jetta, I hope the big fella you ran into is sore from your amazing effort. Brayshaw, Petracca, Viney, Weideman and ANB I hope you are ready for a horror review on Monday. You all deserve it, alomg with others. But we won. Just.

Tyson is not giving first option and Viney's decision making is bog-ordinary. Salem having an absolute blinder. .

We had so much play, but our kicking and decision making through half forward is atrocious. Strangely enough, the Mac brothers are kicking well! Composure through half forward is needed, play on more, and maybe a spray from the coach to correct the attitude in their heads.

The umpiring is being heavily influenced by the Laws of the Game committee, or whatever they call themselves. The heart of footy should always be that any of the 36 on-field players can attack the ball, or the player with the ball, at any time they choose., from any direction. The rules are suppopsed to favour the player with/going for the ball. We now have no third man up at ruck contests, and having to nominate ruckmen at ball-ups, We have the no sliding in rule that has evolved into players deliberatley taking impact below knees to recieve free kicks, and not focusing on getting the b ball. We have the ridiculous mangle of rules about how to defend near goals. No throwing the ball used to mean the hand holding the ball for a handball had to be relatively still and the ball punched off it; now you can hoik it over your head like a throw. The rules now favour the look and feel of the game rather than the ball players. I love modern footy but it has moved its emphasis away from the ball player too far. As for the Mills free kick - he percieved presure that was not there and made an error. But the rule is totally flawed if Picken does not have to chase, just waves nis arms in the air and gets a free kcick from the goal square. Bit of a rant this, but it is annoying the hell out me.

I do get sick of the constant success of Swans, Hawks etc... but Buddy is seriously a once in a lifetime footballer. Match-winner. And jake Stringer can be a total [censored] but love his mecurial nature.

A great game being spoiled from very one-sided umpiring. Lots of little pushes asnd throws being missed, and that free against Allir - horrible.

Great game of footy. Two teams going full-on physical at each other with great skills to finish off their work. Tippet's injury will cost the Swannies dearly.

I was a huge fan of Dean Bailey. I used to attend a fair bit of Dees training at Casey Fields, and watching them practice attacking running patterns under his eye was an amazing thing to behold. What could have been! The Neeld era was another matter. I remember the wooden spoons and failures of the 1970's but the Neeld era was the entire club failing, from playing list to President. I remain indebted to PJ, Bartlett and Roos for the MFC salvation.

Working until 9pm so hope to login as soon as I am home.

Just about the type the exact same thing. Kruezer has been cruelled with injury, and also had long streams of poor games, but at this best he is a very good footballer whose around the ground play can swing a game. Max will beat him at ruck contests but around the ground could be a genuine battle.