Macca

Actually, Salem used to often kick 40 metre flat kicks. And he was formerly far more decisive with his disposals In the first half in the 2021 GF, Salem was responsible for 5 x Inside 50 entries with those same 40 metre flat passes We haven't really seen it much since so I don't know what has happened to his game McVee fills part of the void when fit and Rivers isn't too bad on occasions We really need to get some fast drive forward from our half back line. And that's not a new thing either has many of the premiership teams through the decades have possessed that quick drive from the half backline

Goodwin coached the team to a flag as well as 3 other finals series with a game plan that obviously worked The difference between then and now is a new game plan that will need time to kick into gear I'd say we're going to have mixed results for the rest of the season but another off-season (with the deadwood shipped out along with the arrival of 4 or 5 top prospect draftees*) should see the club become more consistent on the field in 2026 And once our young players start to blossom we can make a serious challenge in 2027 We just need to hold our nerve and keep at the players to embrace the new game style Those who can't buy-in may well fall by the wayside So I'm quite optimistic for the future even though at least a couple of our better players may well be looking for greener pastures at seasons end ... but they've got trade value so we might end up in a net gain situation *So how would it be if we were able to add another 4 or 5 McVee, May, Langford, Windsor or Lindsay types out of the one draft? (2025 Draft) On top of what we've already got now And that is not pie-in-the-sky stuff with a genius like Jason Taylor at the helm I'm already getting my head around a revamped & refreshed list

Could be that people just don't like Goodwin's demeaner in the sense (previously at least) he's a bit deadpan and therefore dull But I like that in a coach as one of my favourite coach's of all time is Bill Belichick ... ultra successful in a parity league (NFL) but in his entire coaching career (24 sessons) rarely said anything The bloke could mumble for 10 minutes and give nothing away (see clip below) And I'm with you, when things aren't going well in a club, it's never one person's fault Anyway, here's Bill (via the Colin Cowherd show)

Love? More like a tough love requirement right now! Nice guys finish last (except Federer)

No, that's not going to happen (Dark days again) Still got a stack of talent on the list with I suspect, more talent to come in the off-season (let's give JT 4 or 5 decent picks and let him work his magic) As for the game plan, once we do click into gear, look out!! How long away is that? Well, as soon as the players grasp hold of it all ... so hopefully sooner than we think The future is bright, we've just got a bit to sort out, right now

Well that's a lot better than liking posts that link him back to wherever Can he stop doing that and knuckle down to what we're paying him good money to do? And he needs to stop getting reported for undisciplined acts ... he's no good to us on the sidelines He's definitely a keeper but we need him available, playing well and committed

Gawn had to be able to help a D Grade forward line ... in the Carlton SF, T-Mac was our only KPF (on half a leg) and he was the 2nd ruck as well T-Mac was a totally liability against Carlton so we had zero key forwards. None Max is 6'10" ... you can't tell me he wouldn't have helped The forward line in the 2023 finals was decimated. Even with Gawn forward it was a big ask to win the GF But we should not have shunted Grundy out. And the reason we didn't see Grundy again was he was told his opportunities were slim (with Max not wanting to play forward) So Gawn forward swapping with Grundy could have made a difference considering we lost both finals narrowly But Max didn't want a bar of it. Grundy's rucking around the ground was fine and he was actually playing quite well until we sacked him (with Max not being prepared to sacrifice his own game) Since then we've had to deal with 3 more Prima Donna's acting up. A coincidence? Who knows? To me, 2022 was the one that got away ... injuries wasn't an issue but we ran out of legs. Should have managed our players better

Max should have been prepared to play forward especially with all our marking forwards struck down with injury just prior to the finals in 2023 We were forced to play a D Grade forward line in the 2023 finals If Max had have been prepared to play forward we would have had a better chance of winning the flag that year

If we don't start winning soon the media will rip right into us ... the various shows these days like to highlight high profile players not doing the team things They ripped into already Oliver & Petracca and they won't stop there For the time being, I reckon they will leave Goodwin alone But in Geelong game if any of our players look like they aren't putting in, they will go after them

Hardly the crime of the century, more a slip of the tongue Gawn is letting his coach down by not buying into the new game plan We've seen how selfish Max can be with the whole Grundy fiasco

Has our Captain made any comments about the new game plan? Isn't that a bit odd? He's often on the front foot

Yes there is We may see an admission from Gawn or from the leadership group Do you remember when Green & Jones admitted that they needed to buy-in to the coach's message? It's the same story now. If we turn it around straight away we may not hear anything but if the thrashings continue, the media will probably focus in on the players, not the coaching They have already started doing it highlighting the complete lack of effort by some of our senior players ... that could easily continue unless we pick things up

We're always going to have injuries but our best team with everyone available looks really good. But that best team has to be able to play with the new game plan (to at least a B+ level) That's the issue, not the raw talent

Yep, the stuff in the background has to have an effect, especially in such a team sport. Hasn't gone away either (IMV) As for training, some players just can't transfer that to match day. It's like those who dominate a level down but in the seniors, they struggle

All 5 for mine ... in a heartbeat

I agree Viney can be persevered with as a small forward ... but he'll need to be coached in a specialist way on how to play the position And that means Viney has to buy-in

Yep but the new game plan requires a lot more gut running and sprinting to position so therefore, a lot more work Bombing it long with a follow up of pressing forward and setting up a zone defence is easier on the legs

The main culprits with regards to not adhering to the new game plan are Max, Viney, Oliver, Petracca, Sparrow & Rivers Their kicks aren't pinpointing and are mostly to a contest or long bombs. That's the pattern Yet all summer we practised the new game plan I'll say it again, there is a lack of a buy-in and I'd hazard to guess that the main culprits don't want to gut run to present or sprint to position. They still want to play the old way Old dogs and new tricks? Yes, that can happen at a young age

So we keep hearing that the players love the coach but they refuse to carry out his game plan? (The older players IMV) Why aren't we blaming the players? You did so in Neeld's first year and for the whole of Roos' tenure Actually, the ire then went to Neeld in 2013 until he was sacked ... then back to the players The word 'Spud' was being freely used like prawns at a buffet

Correct but we need players buzzing around him when he gets the ball Most of his kicks aren't very effective

What about Max? Blazing away when he had a man free in the North game was an eye-opener (might have been the GWS game) He's also the Captain working in conjunction in the midfield with the 3 players that you mentioned (Viney, Petracca & Oliver) I wouldn't be leaving him out of the equation

Interesting observation, Kent, and you may well be right But I really hope you are wrong, because if you are right, we've got a mountain to climb

Ha ha! No I'm up for the challenge but I should stress that I'm not a Goodwin fan It looks that way but again, I'm a stickler for fairness. And I reckon it's grossly unfair to lay the blame of these recent defeats on the coach only I'll say it again ... Don't let the players off the hook They are the ones fumbling, not gut running, dropping easy marks, missing easy targets etc etc etc And that's never going to be a coaching instruction Our players are getting handsomely paid so if they don't perform, isn't it their own fault?

Clubs can clam-up when it suits so trying to figure out what is exactly wrong is difficult But something is not right and we're seeing the evidence of that, on field I don't believe the players hate the coach and I don't reckon they love him either. To me, that's just a bunch of nonsense But playing AFL isn't easy and it's damn complicated for many. Could be that a number of our players are just not up for the challenge A new voice could change all that but regardless, I'd be looking at trading a few players out (for value, hopefully)

Yeah, well maybe the Board might react a bit differently if that happened Don't forget that the Board has to ratify the player contracts and they might want to offload (or dump) salaries elsewhere We did try and offload Oliver and Pert can't have been the only one to know ... I reckon they all knew I'm not calling our efforts on the field a player protest just yet but we'll know if it does go down that path Q