The heart beats true

Bartlett just can’t catch a break. Everyone trying to steal his thunder.

Never thought about kids and older people (or anyone else but me really). I believe that’s what the kids call ‘privilege’.

Is it really that hard? I hate the process of trying to get tickets due to the allocation of areas, but the issue for me is not paper. Can anyone tell me why this is so hard for people. Not being facetious, just curious.

I’m not angry, I’m just very, very disappointed.

Nope. He’s been incredible in defence this year. He’s a very talented reader of the game and an excellent mark, so being behind the ball suits his strengths, and minimises his weaknesses. Whether folks like it or not we are a process driven team. You can want to swing Petty forward, put Gus on the ball, and try Weid in the backline all you want - but the club believes strongly in consistency of role. Last year when we struggled in the middle of the year did we swing the magnets? No, we gave players time to develop their craft and learn how to get better.

In shocking news ultra competitive people are ultra competitive. Watch the Bulls doco series. It’s been 30 years and those guys are still annoyed at each other about who was more important to their success. It was dumb, but it’s part of the territory.

Weid has been gifted one last opportunity to make it. I hope it’s the making of him. He needs to be told to play with some visible intensity. Don’t let players out mark you. Hurt them if they do. Play like someone playing for their career, because you are.

This is a good point. JJ has been terrific, but he does move the ball very slowly and kick to a pack often. It’s just the next step for him, to trust himself to make the better decision.

There’s 2 ways to decipher information. One is you look at all the data available, even if almost none of it is relevant. The other way is to look at the most relevant recent data. So when the threads title asks a specific question in relation to a specific time period I know which theory I’d use. Or we could talk about 1965 some more? 32 years before Clayton Oliver was born.

#facts Why be at your best in June when you can train to be brilliant in September. We might not like it, but at least we have history to reflect on to make us feel confident.

So… Norm‘s curse? I’m running out of ethereal concepts here.

Yep, mostly from me.

The consistency with which we kick it long to the forwards in the air is clearly the game plan. It’s in order for stoppages in the forward half (and set up behind the ball). If our big blokes don’t compete in the air the small guys have got no hope. Tom McDonald is a massive out for our crumbing players. The other issue is that, possibly because of training loads, it’s currently 95% of the way we move the ball forward. It’s way too predictable - meaning it’s easy for defenders to drop off and kill us in the air. What makes this more interesting is that Goodwin said Weid wasn’t in the team because he wasn’t playing a ‘big man’s game’. This very much suggests that the club wants competitive marking talls as the targets (not lead up forwards) and isn’t going to adjust that plan. So the small guys aren’t getting much of a look because of the way we play, and the lack of aerial competitiveness from their team mates.

Or we lose that game, find some form, bring it home at the end of the year and win the flag? Its never as bad, or as good, as you think it is.

I think during a 9 week period last year we won 4, last 4 and drew the Hawks game. Also, we had literally zero injuries during that period in game. I think that is impacting us badly on top of the training intensity - and when I say ‘think’ I mean ‘hope like hell’.

I feel like this makes a very good argument for training loads. I’m sure people will see it differently, but does that not prove we don’t have the legs during this period?

Well said

I don’t really understand why people come to this site and try and pick imaginary fights with other imaginary supporters, saying things like ‘anyone who thinks…’, or ‘I called this and was shouted down….’. If it makes you feel better knock yourself out, but it’s weird. I’m disappointed, but this team is owed some support by us. You can’t go taking pot shots at the players for not being hard enough if you’re going to fall apart as a supporter when the going gets tough. Show up after the bye, show the team you care. Stick with them. They’ve earned that.

I never truly understood the importance of Tom McDonald until that quarter of footy.

Our boys looked absolutely gassed when the siren went then. Every single one of them hands on knees bent over. 🤔

Clayton is the best Melbourne player in my lifetime.

I thought we weren’t at all clean enough with ball for the first 6-7 minutes of the game, and then tidied it up a bit and looked better.

I thought it was bizarre that Bevo said ‘…essentially any player with a clinically diagnosed mental health challenge will never be exposed to the policy anyway’ (from news.com.au) So now we have someone on record saying that he knows where the loophole exists in the policy. The same coach whose had how many players take ‘mental health’ breaks in the last 6 years? It’s about 7 isn’t it? Maybe a football journalist wants to report on this? Anyone?

I reckon JVR sniffs blood. I love that. Put your hand up young fella!

I've noticed Hunt's enthusiasm and energy. Those are the kinds of things that make us a good club, and make me still have a lot of faith in his future.