Macca

What an impressive individual is Jordan Dawson. A top player as well as an excellent leader Might be one of the best acquisitions the Crows have ever made On top of that, acquiring Neil Balme has been a masterstroke. On their Board but more importantly, his position as a football director is all important Crows top of the ladder with 2 home finals beckoning, who'd have thought!

Apart from all the FD positions that need to be looked at, we need to trade aggressively to improve the list The thing that stands out to me is that we don't play as a team like we once did Players have an obligation to bring their teammates into the game. It's a non-negotiable even at suburban level. But it's something we don't do (aside from 3 or 4 games in the first half of this season) In 2021 and for the most part of 2022 & 2023 (Finals losses aside) we played team football and our team defence was excellent. Selfless football for the most part Our record over that 3 year stretch was 52/21/1. Lots of joy but that ship has sailed Since the 2023 finals we have lost our way John Longmire* is the man to chase. He's just what we need. Down the track maybe even a succession plan *If the Board makes a move on Goodwin

Exit, stage left (Hawks)

Crows have got stagefright Still, there's a fair bit left in the match

I'm thinking of the new coach as we need to surround him with the best possible FD ... a new team And I'm not baying for blood re Goodwin, but it's hard to see him surviving into next season now, unless we finish off the year with a flourish (unlikely) And those who will know the above to be true are none other than the players themselves. They are quite literally playing for the coach's future What's been forgotten is that we played very well in the first 3 quarters against the Saints. And there's been another half a dozen games this season where we could have won if we possessed some killer instinct* *Another factor sadly missing from our team this season (and last year as well) Another error of judgement that stems back to early 2022 has been our inability to crush teams when in a commanding position at 3/4 time We've often gone into cruise mode and then it became a habit (in my view)

Tomorrow night's Pies/Lions clash is shaping as the match of the season Their rivalry stems back to the start of the 20th century*! And even further back if the 19th Century VFA days are factored in *In the first 34 years of the VFL, the Lions & Pies shared 16 Premierships. Side by side suburbs Smith St would have been a fascinating sight way back when. One side of the road Fitzroy, the other side Collingwood

I'm not sure that the Board will make many changes sp it's a bit academic. What should happen comes down to what could happen then what might happen then ... It's about the Board recognising where we sit with an accurate appraisal. I don't have a lot of faith Goodwin will probably go first you'd imagine, but if we go with an experienced coach like Longmire for instance, then he'll need the right support staff A rookie coach? Good luck with that

The Board is now talking tough but let's see if they're fair dinkum There's is nothing wrong with a cleanout and an overhaul and we've seen that happen with PJ from early 2013 onwards The difference between then and now is that the current list of players (although underperforming) are a lot better than the list of players in 2013 What we need to accept is that there is short-term pain involved when you go down the track of overhauling all the positions (player personnel as well) ... but is that any different to what is happening now anyway? We're not in flag contention anytime soon so we need a decent plan that will see the team prosper, down the track And there are any number of would-be candidates to fill the other roles within the FD I just hope that the existing positions aren't tied to people on long term contracts

Drain the Swamp!! All those involved in the FD need to be looked at! Probably the worst is Jones as our midfield schemes are non-existent. Worse than Brian Royal's 4 years of nothing I can't remember the last time we had a clean clearance (with all that talent) Richardson overseas it all ... massive Fail What does Williams do apart from pat players on the back? Development? Develop what? He's a Cheerleader Lamb's list management is a complete disaster. Lengthy contracts everywhere with very little wriggle room Handed out the $$$$'s like confetti Our defence leaks goals - Bassett is a failure Our offense stinks to high heaven. Chaplin has failed The team is unfit and can't run out games. Selwyn Griffiths is responsible The Board overseas all of the above. Fail Jobs for the boys!!! What about the list? Issues everywhere! I'd bring in Longmire as coach and ask him to hand pick his own team (as it's looking like the club will probably move on Goodwin sooner or later) Jason Taylor - Keeper PJ? Forget Smith, PJ for President! (Smith can be a Board member) Do we have a skills coach? If so, sack him!! If we haven't got a skills coach, why not? Our skills are woeful Drain the Swamp!!!

Yeah, it's always really difficult to put a value on a player when there are so many variables But you may be right especially if a club has cap space and there's some competition for his services. And a club could over-pay or believe that he'd be a better player in a different environment And another factor is if Oliver has been a standout player against a would-be suiter

What if Clarrie doesn't want go because he wants all the money? We gave him the contract It's going to be really difficult to move him on without it still costing us a lot of $$$'s or as you said, giving the club he goes to some sort of pick. Fire Sale I'm wavering constantly on this one but if we end up with a new coach we might have to hope like hell that a new coach can get him playing match-winning footy again

That's all well and good but the coach isn't instructing JVR to go for marks with one arm only He also doesn't relish the front position as good forwards do. He's often invisible up forward much like Watts & Weideman. Doesn't impose himself in games Has had 4 years in the system now and is still a long way off Might make it in the backline and we've over 4 years to find out as he's contracted until the end of the 2029 season We've got a stack of players who are way below their best but Gawn, Chandler, Bowey, Rivers, Kozzie and even T-Mac & Melk have bucked the trend Why is that? The Coach?

Yep, but that ship has sailed, Frankie Let's hope that Guerra is up for the task. He's got a huge job ahead of him as many will want tangible outcomes immediately PJ's first 6 months was utterly brilliant so there's a lot to live up to for Guerra

Yeah I noticed that too (leading) But what about overall? In the last 2 years all I've seen JVR do most of the time is wave his arms around like a traffic cop One swallow does not make a summer Perhaps he was read the riot act and has finally responded. But again, his body of work says otherwise I'd trade him if we got some value for him. But he's not Robinson Crusoe

It all smacks of a jobs for the boys scenario right now (boys club) Many getting their nice fat pay cheques but no accountability The Board stepping in right now is a tad too late ... as early as midway through last season when the Eagles & Freo embarrassed us might have been more appropriate Where's the foresight? Us supporters can only watch on And this is not with a focus on Goodwin per se. On everyone

The events of the day are eerily similar to early 2013. But this time without AFL intervention We have to trust the Board to get it right but are they capable? If we get a new coach at seasons end, my preference would be for an experienced one, otherwise the players might walk all over a rookie

Scapegoat? What does he actually do to justify his huge salary? The FD & the list needs an overhaul & a cleanout We actually need a PJ type so it remains to be seen what Guerra can do

So there's no connection between the players form and the tenure of the coach? And players jump ship when they get found out. In other words, they can no longer bludge and get away with it with a new coach And jumping ship means they won't cop the wrath as opposed to staying with the focus suddenly changed from the coach to the players. Rats deserting the ship Back in 2012, Mark Neeld* was exceptionally well protected in his first year on this site Why? Because the punters here had turned on the players after they laid down against the Cats (186) Bailey copped it but then it was the players turn. And not many of the players back then survived Roos cut a swathe through the list over 3 off seasons. 30+ players went *Neeld also got us Taylor so silver linings

Our players are lazy freeloaders And if they want to jump ship, mercenaries If they don't perform under a new coach, they'll really cop the wrath

It's also incumbent on the exceptionally well-paid players to get the best out of themselves That's not happening, not even close Especially so for the senior players and the so-called leaders All along I've stated that when things go bad in a club it's never the fault of one individual Even in the short-lived Neeld era we had a myriad of issues with the AFL needed to step in. Wholesale changes followed including at Board level So for those who think it's just about the head coach, take a re-think Having said all that, it looks like the Goodwin era is coming to an end. At a guess, I'd say he'll coach out the rest of this season

Welcome back, Bobby!

I'm reasonably sure that the whole contract is guaranteed And the Soft Cap tax applies for every dollar over the threshold (up to $750k) But I've also heard that the soft cap rises by $750k next year so the payout may not be that excessive And I'm not calling for Goodwin's head but it's just not working out. Sometimes one has to be a pragmatist

You'd love to be a fly on the wall listening in to the list management meetings and such like Think it was @old55 that has made mention that list decisions are made as early as the first week in June. Might even be earlier now with the salary cap rising the way it is What's also noticeable is that clubs aren't concerned about contracting the lesser-lights for 2 or 3 years. I suppose plenty get traded now even if under contract And there isn't an abundance of AFL standard footballers available anyway

Trouble is that what's done is done and we can't bring it back I'm now coming to terms with Goodwin probably being moved on* sooner or later so maybe a new voice can spark the players into action. The whole FD needs a skake-up anyway. As does the list But again, the payout for Goodwin would be $1Million+ along with the soft cap tax of $750k ... that's for a full year At a guess, I reckon he at least gets the first 6 or 8 games next year but the club might have different ideas But lose to the Eagles and all bets are off!

I honestly chucked the caps in there to see what it looked like and for a bit of a laugh ... NEVER AGAIN (oops) If we're thinking of trading Clarrie or Trac then we need them to play well. They won't be dropped They are not playing that badly it's just nowhere near elite My inner wish is that they both come good (for us) And yeah, bring on the NFL! There's a pre-season game on Friday 10am