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Id be keeping Tholstrup and Fullarton, they need exposure and West Coast are an appropriate opponent. ie not Collingwood. Rest Salem, HE was good in last 2 games and knows the pace and intensity required so managed. Id have JVR as forward only as suggested above with a licence to roam Jeremy Cameron style. AJ would be in the side to add aggression to forward line and relieve Max. Maybe Disco back to defence. Fritta to forward line. Jeffo to take the role if he doesnt perform, but id prefer he gets up for the bigger games. Chandler a bit unfortunate as he does need to keep his desire and pressure, plays same role as Spargo who needs the extra exposure this game and maybe replaced by Chin for Collingwood after a rest managed again. Rivers rotate with Tholstrup or through mids (Viney) if needed. Sparrow rotates with Tracc. Langford rotates with Oliver and mids. Lindsay rotates with Windsor Spargo. PIckett rotates with this group as well. Langdon goes all day but can be included in rotations with Windsor Lindsay etc. Id have Petty as sub and bring him on as forward or defence if needed to replace injury or identified weakness. Ie Turner, May, AJ, Fullarton, or Fritsch B: Turner, May, McVee HB: Tholstrup, McDonald, Bowey C: Langdon, Oliver, Windsor HF: Petracca, van Rooyen, Spargo F: Fullarton, AJ, Fritsch FOLL: Gawn, Viney, Pickett IC: Langford, Lindsay, Sparrow, Rivers SUB: Petty

Thats the trouble. MFC gets fined for any sign of aggression. Its part of putting on pressure. Collingwood do nothing but aggressively apply pressure and nothing gets done . Pies players bump off the ball and even when you are out of play. makes opposition tentative and release the ball quickly when off balance. Hawthorn and Geelong put on more pressure than any game ive seen for a while. tackles were hard elbows and fists were always backing up a contact. An elbow to the head when an opponent on the ground all part of the pressure. Commentators applaud that hardness at the ball. The opposition are not your mates they are not your friends hit em hard. If we are going to be penalised for that then make the league aware that other sides must also be treated the same.

At Adelaide ground supporters from North Collingwood Hawthorn and Essendon all agreed Max was best on the ground. A couple of them said they wished they had him.

Pressure and intensity.

Watching on the screen in the pub. It looked like Windsor played on the wing or at least further up the ground. Was this a consequence of Bowey playing so well? Also was Riv playing deeper IE off the flank and not in the centre. Was this a consequence of Viney tagging in the centre? What a good win against a side that has always bothered us and were considered a contender. Hope this is the beginning of the return. WE still have a great list and I hope that we select based n opposition strengths. Be confident to reward performance.

oh well off to the Nicholas

Still recovering from the gather round festival of footy and so not tripping down to MCG today. Like others I really dont know hoe this restructured team will perform but am always optimistic . Max Trac Kozzie Clarry Langdon were all good last week Windsor Langford Salem Rivers all good in patches. Windsor needs to be on wing Rivers on HBf. TMac held the back line Petty will need to improve on this years performance Chandler did some good stuff but needed support, tried all day. Viney played with vigour but his disposal has been aplling all year, put him in th middle tagging Brayshaw of the freo mid doing most damage. take them out of the game and he has done his job. JVR and FRitta needed to go back to Casey to get confidence. Jeffo should be rotated with Fritta all season Will be good to see what Fullarton offers but our forward line still looks a little thin. Also looking forward to Tholstrup' More intensity and vigour is needed for a full four quarters. Have abandoned KAyo so tossing up to return to radio or go to the Nicholas in Beechworth on a weekend when the town is packed with Easter revellers. It could be a return to the festival of footy on home site. It so much depends on who turns up to play. Join MAx Trac etc and we can win, GO DEES

Its a club of 43 players and associated coaches and board. Get a room holding 100 people and thrash out a response from Green that they all understand and commit to.

I'm over in Adelaide. Hosted by an Essendon supporter friend who threw down the challenge but included tickets to the Sydney Pies game (from a private Box (thank you Thomas Foods))where the mainly Port supporters were ambivalent about the result. We were all impressed by some aspects of both teams and disappointed with much of it. Personally and my Essendon friend agreed the fact that both teams would easily beat ours. WE are looking for a good game tonight, both probably hoping that our team wins easily. We both agree that on paper Melbourne has more, better players than Essendon. "Stop Merret and they have no other player" he says, He accepts that we will win but would understand with much derision why we lose. Communication has diminished, tension is rising. GO DEES

I think this does show the stength of our list. These players should be used to provide a rest for our prime player , expose these younger bodies to the prime level , rotate them against appropriate opponents. By that I mean our prime players against Brisbane rest some of them against Richmond Essendon. etc

only changes i would make to your side is I would have Petty as sub. he can play forward or back and JVR on interchange, would prefer he only play forward but as i/C can give Max or forward a chop out.Id get Viney to tag and tell Trac Kozzie Oliver Langford and Sparrow to go to work. River to rotate with Sestan and mid

You posted this while I was typing. Have to say i agree with your portrayal

Like most things in life its not simple but the coach does bear the responsibility. Players act or react to the coach. They may love goody and are therefore doing what he is telling them . so guarding space and not covering opponents just allows space for players to run into between the robots marking space. By leaving opponents unmanned they are late to contests which means the tackles do not stick and opponents have plenty of time to get balanced and deliver to many options who have run into the unguarded spaces between the robots. Our forward structures seem to be built on all forwards abandoning space to gather together. Easy to defend and run off as an opponent. This is the bang it forward delivery system outcome. Last night the umpiring was appalling. Our players were called to play on almost as soon as they went one or two steps back or off the line. They did not have time to reset structures , find space , or get balanced for delivery. Geelong were rarely called play on and had time to reset structures , find space between the robots. Also when called to play on our player on the mark did not move towards the player allowing them even more time to balance and deliver. Geelong players closed down our players . How many smothers did they effect, especially early. WE still missed some easily gettable shots at critical times. Danger nails his shot when were challenging. There are so many issues I cannot believe. If I were Green Id be saying to Goody. You are the coach. What you are doing is not working. You must change something and we must see greater intensity and belief. Get the players ( and we have a good list) to perform against opponents , Kick better and think. WE will again point to the AFL that we are playing against the crowd who do influence umpiring performance We will arrange for AFL umpires to came and assist at training to explain how players are moving off lines or tackling poorly and why we dont get free kicks when tackled above the shoulders. They will also explain why opposition players can crowd our players out and we are penalised for similar tactics, (that maybe just a Geelong ground ruling). You can then coach the players to react to those learnings. Oh and we are doing something about facilities Goshs is not ideal but combined with Casey we have some great facilities maybe we need to use them differently. I like the idea of the boys playing with soccer balls but maybe they need to understand how a football bounces so they can react a little more quickly to bad bounces and maybe handball more precisely. Tracs pick up on the run was delightful and does indicate that we do have some elite sjills, more players need to apply those skills more often, its space and structures that affect that as well Rant over .

Id have TMac for Petty with Petty as sub for Melksham. Im a little compromised with my desire to have players return only after coming through the 2's compromise for Kossie and Lever.

maybe im just an old sentimental batard but i hope Trac and Clarry (premiership players for MFC) remain until they both retire (with 4 premiership each). Kozzie can join them for as long as he wants but do hope he leaves with the dignity we gave ANB They can form the transition leadership from Max and JAck and pass on to Langford, Lindsay, Colt and Duke who continue the premiership standard. Its up to the coach to get the right structures, patterns and match ups to use those stars and surround them with the Rivers, Fritchs Jeffo, Lingers ,Chin, Bowey, .etc who will all participate in finals in their time at the club. The defenders Maysie, Lever,Salem will hand on to Petty, Howes AMW, as we concentrate on a consistent structure to reduce opposition scores.