poita

Sharp has been dropped 3 times in his past four games. Sure, we know he's not an AFL standard player, but lets give him yet another opportunity because he kicked a few goals in the VFL. Culley should have played last week, but better late than never. Hopefully he avoids the sub vest. Lindsay should have been rested a month ago (probably against Port). Hopefully he actually does sit this week out, instead of playing at Casey. Spargo should have about five mates playing with him at Casey - Sparrow and Salem for starters. I assume he'll get his standard 15 touches and come back in next week, probably for Sharp. And Viney being selected this week when injured is the dumbest thing I have ever heard, and this club has made plenty of dumb decisions this year.

Super footballer, absolutely yes. We should have gone after him even harder about 3 years ago when Collingwood last tried to stuff him around.

That's great news, and something that should have happened last week (if not earlier). But ... having sat out last week as the carry over emergency, Jai now hasn't played for two weeks. How is that optimal preparation for playing your first game? Surely we should be rewarding players for good performances when they happen, not several weeks down the track. Do we actually consider the consequences of the decisions we make, or just throw darts at the wall and see what comes? I agree that a debut for Adams also makes sense (and should have happened last week). Brown is the other one who deserves a game this week.

Don't worry too much about the crowd. There was clearly no more than 15K at Sunday's game, but the official attendance was 22,570. Even with 10K this week, the AFL will still report 15K-16K.

If this wasn't a Judd McVee thread I would have sworn you were talking about Christian Salem. That sums up his contribution over the past three years perfectly. No wonder the younger players are in two minds about how to play.

Surely they can rule Lever out for the season. What benefit would there be to bringing him back in this year instead of having a look at Adams?

Did we really mount an appeal on the grounds that May was denied procedural fairness? That's weak, even for this club. No wonder it only took 15 minutes for them to deny the appeal. Don't get me wrong, it was a terrible decision and he should never have been suspended, but we had to come up with a better reason to appeal.

Yes, clearly the lack of team first actions from our supporters caused the team to give up a 46 point lead on Sunday. What penance or self flagellation do you propose that the supporters undertake to ensure that doesn't happen again this week?

We'll win this game by 10 goals plus, take it to the bank. All those players who went missing in the last quarter will be up and about, the coach will be upbeat and adventurous and we will kick straight when it matters least. The media spotlight will move elsewhere next week and we'll revert back to our usual form for the remainder of the season.

We have several very good wingmen in the team, yet Sparrow spent half of yesterday's game wandering up and down the wing by himself doing SFA in front of me. He was (nominally) opposed to Brad Hill for most of that time, including when Hill kicked the grubber goal in the last quarter. Sparrow got unnecessarily sucked into the contest at a boundary throw in, Hill stayed out and was in perfect position to receive the ball and kick the goal under a minimum of pressure. He and Spargo are two nothing footballers who have gone miles backwards since 2021, yet are picked each week on reputation alone. They'd be the first out if I was in charge.

Except there is absolutely nobody at the club who could do better. Gawn basically acknowledged that on the Front Bar last Wednesday. And that's not because Gawn's a great on field leader, it's because there is a significant leadership void at the club. Losing Brayshaw and Neal-Bullen in recent years has hurt in many, many ways. We need to do what Adelaide did and parachute our next captain into the club.

Which players folded? You can't pin that on individuals, it was a true team effort to collapse in that manner. It is on every player and every line. That said, the midfield group should never play together again.

Not a comment on Lever, rather the group as a whole - if he had that kick now, the first instinct would be to look inboard for a kick backwards or sideways to a loose player, rather than looking for Gawn in the hot spot. There is no positivity or flair in the way we play and it shows in our results.

The key aspect of all of this is the following. Did anyone realistically think that we were going to win, even with a five goal lead midway through the last quarter, once St Kilda had all the momentum? Goodwin has coached all the dare, all the flair, all the creative thinking out of this group. Everyone is scared to take the game on, scared to go outside the defined limits and structures. That's why we always revert to safe, conservative football, even when we are completely in control. It's also why the players didn't question why we only had three players in the centre square when it was blatantly obvious to everyone at the ground. What moves did we make in the last quarter to try and win the game, or to try and stop St Kilda's momentum? We didn't even have our best players on the ground as the game slipped away because they were scheduled to have rests at specified times. Goodwin has to go because he no longer has the ability to get this group to win games of football, and that is his ultimate responsibility as coach.

I'd be amazed if there were more than 2000 Melbourne fans there today. We might get the entire crowd in a couple of corporate boxes next week, boycott or not.

Days since this football club last embarrassed itself and all its supporters: zero

Yes, yet another player who has been parachuted back into the side on reputation without having any form or fitness. Same goes for Lever, Spargo, Petty, Viney, May and others. Surely Judd can also see that not making a decision on his future is having a negative impact on his football.

Plus a permanent forward should contribute more than one goal every ten weeks.

Can't run out quarters, can't run out games. We're clearly not fit enough, despite a miniscule injury list all year, to play the type of football we want to play. That's on the conditioning staff and the coaches. All can go.

There were plenty of people prepared to defend Mark Neeld and who wanted him to get more time in charge, even after the axe fell. Goodwin is clearly viewed differently because of the premiership, but some people are so one-eyed that they will never see reality. His time was done by round 5 and never has a player group spoken as loudly and clearly as they did tonight.

Absolutely F'ing Atrocious x23

If this club stands for anything, careers will be ended tonight. Actions speak louder than words, and the players have spoken loudly and clearly. We won't get 8K to next week's game and nor should we. Why would anyone bother buying a membership or sponsoring the club next year when this is what they get? The cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of carrying on as though everything is okay.

This was inevitable once Gawn and Salem started kicking backwards 2 minutes into the last quarter with an 8 goal lead. If you don't play to win, you are playing to lose.

Pizz off Goodwin, take your garbage game plan and your lazy, unfit players with you.

At the ground it is so noticeable that our work rate drops off late in quarters. We must be so unfit. Fritsch is the only forward who plays in front and leads at the football. Van Rooyen has completely lost the ability to lead and take a mark. He and Petty must be so easy to play against. We're doing a lot right for the first 20 minutes in each quarter, but St Kilda are closer than they should be. This is a long way from over.