Lucifers Hero

Some people seem to be laying the ground work for a 'pre-season, injury based excuse' in case we don't do well in 2021. And at first glance the injury list doesn't look good. But on closer inspection: 7 of our best/better players are 'Test'. . 4 of those: J. Smith, Salem, Oliver and May have completed all the pre-season. The other 3: Brayshaw, Hibberd and Melksham have many pre-seasons under their belt so match practice may be an issue for just the first few games but not a reason to derail the season. Brayshaw last week played and is playing in the VFL this week. Those 7 players and Viney are highly experienced and have played together for years so if they don't know and practiced each others games or know the overall game plan by now we are in a world of hurt. Picket, Weidemen and B. Brown have missed the second half of the preseason. Picket will take some time to get into the season and we will miss Weidemen and Brown for quite a while. The others are depth players who probably wouldn't get a game unless there were multiple injuries in their role. So, imv the injury list size and some players not practicing together in this preason are not a reason to start thinking of excuses for the year. Some perspective is required.

Thanks. I can no longer edit the post so will fix it with the next update.

Latest update for Daw and Smyth We have a complete list: 36 senior players, 6 A- rookies and 1 B-rookie. My understanding of the mid-season draft is that if there is a LTI a player can be selected to replace them. So we can do that with Hore and Nietschke, if we choose, particularly if there is a player we like that missed out in the draft.

Yay! Really happy for him. Thrown in the deep end when he first joined us and I'm not sure it did him any favours. In a fresh environment where he isn't expected to be a 'save the defence' he can settle into becoming a very good, reliable footballer.

Did anyone notice that TMac was competing with Max when May was kicking in? Spoiled him a few times and one time ripped the ball from his grasp? iirc it was primarily in the first quarter. Did I hear someone say they would play 'selfless' football? Hmm, I wonder what TMac thinks that looks like. Another example was when Baker took a low % shot for goal when there were players in better positions. Maybe some players need reminding of what 'selfless' looks like.

We may have had our best midfield out yesterday but the game was almost a replica of the 2020 game: we won the hit outs but lost the clearances; they waltzed the ball out of defence and sailed down the ground often for repeat goals. We kept up until half time and in the third quarter they put the foot down and took off. The game was done. That 2020 game was a critical, critical game. It was before the demanding travel schedule to NT and Carins. There was no reason to be lethargic. Had we won we would have made finals even with the same results at the back end of the season. The bulldogs know how to beat us. I'm not sure we learnt much from that 2020 game. And tbh even with our 1st choice midfield yesterday I really doubt we would have won or come close. The scoreboard flattered us: 31 scoring shots to 18. If yesterday is what our new game plan of 'front half play, keep the ball in' looks like, it failed against a team that move the ball out of defence well. It failed last year against teams that hold onto the ball in our fwd50 ala the Geelong game. It is a practice game but I'm hoping there is a lot more in our kit bag than getting our midfield back - a midfield who regularly won the hit-puts last year but lost the clearances.

Year 5 of Goodwin's reign and the talk from the club is still about 'attitudes' and 'selfless''. These are are mandatory in a team sport. It is an indictment on club, coach and players that we have yet to 'walk the talk'. What happened to our 'Esprit de Corps' of 2018!!! Was it just talk. Was it just for show? Two aspects of the article stood out for me: "They will have a different game plan, built around the team’s strengths". Isn't this coaching 101? A game plan to get the most from the cattle you have (ie to "maximise player strengths"), was the fundamental base of a Roos' team. "In 2021, teams will need some of their mid-sized or small forwards – and potentially even defenders – to expand the number of midfielders who take their turn to 10; some teams already do so". When Roos joined he made his priority to rebuild the midfield and he talked about 8 - 12 'on-ballers' who rotate through the midfield. Until late last year we relied on a few to spend most of the on-field time in the midfield. The result was players played out of position and frustrated players who couldn't achieve their best. I'm beginning to wonder whether Goodwin was paying attention to Roos. Here we are 7 years after Goodwin joined and he is now adopting Roos' game fundamentals. I recall Pert saying late last year that we have the list and put the heat on Goodwin to create a game plan that makes the most of player strengths. I really hope Goodwin fully adopts this and not just play lip-service to it.

We are 6th on %. The top 4: Freo, Pies, Lions and Crows are a lock to stay there (in some order). 5th and 6th for finals will be from: (Likely wins in Green) 5th: North: 4/2, 165.9%. Will play: Bulldogs @ Hobart, Brisbane @ Gabba, Freo @ Arden St. 6th: Demons: 4/2, 125.7%. Will play: Crows @ Casey, Freo @ Freo, Lions @ Casey 7th: Bulldogs: 4/2, 107.3%. Will play: North @ Hobart, Crows @ Norwood, Richmond @ Whitten 8th: Blues: 3/3, 112.3%. Will play Freo @ Ikon, GCS @ Metricon, Giants @ ?? My thoughts: There is a big 8-point between North and Bulldogs which will impact our chances of finals. North have a good enough % that if they beat the Bulldogs they are in. We need to win at least one game and maintain % to keep Bulldogs out and stay ahead of Carlton. The last two games should give Carlton a % boost. They have had a dream (imv a manipulated) easy run vs lowly and newbie teams, to try to get them into the finals. It will probably work. Could well be at our expense as it was in 2019. I don't think we will make it. ?

As this follows my post is it referencing my comments?

I'm a female member and am not losing sleep. The choice of venue is up to the coterie. As long as it is a mixed event I don't have much of a problem with it. Sure the optics aren't great: male member only club, stuffy establishment types etc etc. but are the optics enough for our leaders to refuse to attend? Should they refuse to attend a fan function at a female member only club? Most would say they should go to be inclusive and help support the female fan cause. I simply do not feel comfortable for decisions based on 'optics' without considering the substance, especially if based on an article which doesn't give the full picture and to me implies exclusion of and a lack of respect for women.

I was referring to the title. I know the difference in the types of clubs you mention but many people seeing the title would not even be aware of the Collins st clubs.

Not openly. But it is baiting such. eg The title infers it is at a strip club, there is no attempt to provide info on the inclusion of females at the event, no attempt to mention the role of the coterie and its contribution and lastly the very ridiculous link of our club to violence against women. So being 'outraged' depends on which oblique message is being taken in, if any are. I think it is very poorly researched and written as if the writer had a particular 'slant' he/she wanted to create.

It seems the event is hosted by the Melbourne Coterie not by MFC. It is worth getting more info. Does anyone know if the Coterie allows or bans female coterie members and whether they have been excluded from attending the function, albeit as guests because of the Australia Club rules. And, have female Board members been excluded from attending the function. If any of those apply I would be very concerned, much more concerned than where the function is held. Until we know more I will withhold judgement. What I am concerned about is using the Coterie story as an intro to a piece on violence against women. Its a really important topic but I feel the scribe has drawn a long bow to link it to the Coterie function and mfc.

Update for Lever and Gawn extension to 2024 and 2025 respectively. Now for the ones we all want to see: Oliver and Salem! And I would add Weideman. Thanks to @whatwhatsaywhatfor his pick up of Lever details.

In an interview discussed here: Goodwin said of B.Brown and Weideman: "They're both on track, pretty much in line with each other..."we'll have to manage that as a team. They'll both obviously come back through the VFL, so we'll get a good indication as to when they're ready to play AFL footy." So whatever the time frame is it applies to both and we may not see them in the seniors for quite a while..

I'm pretty sure he signed a 5 year deal to joint the club ie till end of 2022. 'Another three seasons' would included the remaining year of his current contract being 2022.

I wasn't suggesting we should use all 4 spots. I was responding to a poster to say there are 4 spots, rather than 3, so there is room for all 4 players currently training with us IF the club wanted.

Was contracted until the end of 2022 so it is a 2 year extension. The 2 years suggests salary cap management is part of the rationale for extending. Hope he can find his AA form again or at least make it into the top 5 of the B n F.

I think it is four. Two carryover post draft plus LTI: Hore and Nieta. So additional players could be Majak, Deakyn, Farmer jr and Declase. Not sure we need another defender unless a current one eg Petty/Smith is to play fwd. But would trust Choco's judgement of talent.

Don't give up on your mate just yet, od. Maybe Tom's privacy is being respected by the media as this would be a non footy health issue rather than an injury. If there is an impact on his training or playing we may hear about it otherwise nothing may ever be known. Lets hope that if there is a health issue he recovers quickly, regardless of the impact on our games. Maybe the track watchers this week can keep an eye out for him at training.

I would suggest that list management decisions, trades, recruits are very much influenced by the coach in the AFLW. So if we don't have the right or good players then in a large part it comes back to him.

It will be a miracle if we make finals now. Top 4 teams (not order) are set. Not only did we lose the game we lost about 30 percentage points - critical in a cut throat, short season. Bulldogs and North have either a game or % better than us so they are the most likely for 5th and 6th. The really disappointing thing is that while players have changed the way we play has not. That is on the coach!

Again...still...

About 6-8 years ago a room was dedicated to the game at the Bentleigh club. The pull down screen was fuzzy but I doubt if it would cost much to upgrade it. There was a bar in the room and free nibbles at half time. A nice sized crowd would usually be there and it was a good experience to be among only dee fans barracking loudly and as much as we liked. Gradually each of those disappeared to the point where for the last few years, games are shown in the sports bar (with the races etc) or on small 32cm screens in a corner of the pokies room. It was like they wanted us out of there. As a result I now subscribe to Foxtel. Needless to say very few demon fans go now. In fact you wouldn't even know it was connected to mfc except for the odd bit of dated paraphernalia. There is a decent sized fan base in SE Melbourne, a carryover from the days when parts of it were in the mfc zone. No-one at the club seems interested in incorporating the Bentleigh Club into a fan experience and a marketing tool to help build memberships. The last mfc related function there was in 2014 when the players of our last premiership had their 50 year anniversary celebration there. It was there own initiative and I didn't see any mfc staff there. Tickets sold out in a day. So the demand is there to use the Bentleigh Club more creatively. It is much more than a pokie venue which seems to be the perception of current management - I doubt if any of them has been there.

BTW, his dad reads and for a while posted on DL. Ess wouldn't poach him if he wasn't very highly thought of. PJ promoted him to the role so that says something and I think it is churlish to blame him for all the communication issues people perceive about the club. While I think he is a loss, it is good for his career to get experience somewhere else. I wish him every success