Lucifers Hero

Absolute gold! Gave me a big LOL!

One of Petracca's best games that I can recall was vs Ess 2017. He took Hurley out of play by leading him away from the corridor then doubling back. Far too smart for Hurley and kicked 4 goals. Like others have said play him deep in the forward line, make the opp put a good defender or he roams free if they don't. If he can beat Hurley, he can beat anyone. Right now he isn't fit or fast enough to play as a mid so play to his strengths as a forward at least for a few games.

I'm hoping for a win. But I see this as an ideal opportunity for all to bed down a game plan, for the personnel available that gives us a fair chance to make finals. As well as 18 player effort we need 'smarts' in key spots, players in their best position and we need experience - there is no time left for more experimenting! Do that in the next off-season.

Another very good post. Is it not possible to play the long game (strategy) but still have short-term adjustments (tactics) in the game-plan for a change in conditions? I'm all for blooding Smith and Petty in Lever's absence. My issue is doing that simultaneously while two other key defenders are restricted by recent injuries and while our forward line isn't functioning well. I feel there needs to be a balance between the long game and the short term. There are a lot of stakeholders (sponsors, board, future members, FTA broadcasting opportunities, government ie new facilities, player morale) to consider before we risk 2018 for the long-game. We really need a good outcome in 2018 to get some decent FTA and venue/time slots next year and for all stakeholders not just supporters. Edit: As an aside, Goodwin's contract runs out next year. Ideally, it is renewed this year or in the off season. Otherwise, in 2019 he will be coaching for his next contract. I have little doubt he will be re-contracted (even with Pert as CEO) but it would be much better for everyone if it happens sooner than later. It is more likely to be sooner, if 2018 is successful (especially, in the Board's eyes). President and some other Board members are up for re-election this year so they are under pressure as well and need a successful 2018.

An excellent post. Perfect summary of the issues. These warrant repeating: The game-plan is the game-plan - we're a highly offensive team and we're going to leak goals...it's a tentative and difficult plan to execute requiring a high level of familiarity and defensive cohesion. But with Lever going down, we're now trying to plug gaps or rebuild with inexperienced 'role' players rather than reset according to individual strengths - with not enough consideration for the difficulty of our set-up and need for maturity and cohesion. Lever went down in round 12. In round 13 Oscar was concussed and sat out the last quarter and hasn't been the same since. Nev hurt his shoulder also in round 13. In round 14 Nev had a serious head knock, was very wobbly and hurt his ankle so was touch and go to play last week. Both are playing a long way below their best. To expect 2 injured players, 2 over 30 players, 1 fit AA player and Smith to defend a game-plan that is very highly tuned vs Port (rnd 14) was unrealistic. But to then add Petty (rnd 15) and remove a very experienced player in a very depleted defense, was sheer folly. Realistically, no game-plan should be dependent on one player and nor should it be so inflexible that when a key player goes out that it is not adjusted. Why we insist on being so rigid with a game-plan that is high risk, easily defeated and very taxing on players is beyond me. I totally agree we need to back track on something. I'm torn between: 1)Tom Mc going down back because our forward line structures are breaking down and players seem confused on positioning, running patterns and what their roles are (eg all going for pack marks, all in for the contest). We will be robbing 'Peter to pay Paul'. He is also playing under an injury cloud with bruised lungs. 2) Changing the game-plan to have less risk and more suited to the players selected. I would hope that at some stage we have practiced a game-plan for this scenario Certainly a more defensive forward line and midfield will help but it is a very taxing game-plan and it will be very difficult to sustain it in Darwin conditions without damaging our chances the following week. So, I'm hoping for option 2) and hoping for healthier Oscar, Nev and Tom. Lever going down has hurt but it has been our response to Lever going down that has done the real damage.

No change for nearly two weeks?. Either staff are on holidays or prospective members saw the writing on the wall after the Port game... Just a few weeks till the cut off date. Its good to break last years record but oh, what might have been...

Maybe, with the exception of Max, why the leaders (and players) ignored the coach's quarter and half time 'anger and frustration' at the way they were playing and waited till the final quarter to respond...?

Hope that isn't a 'loaded' question... ...I respect your posts so will take it at face value and say I was against Watts going. ...not sure what Watts has to do with this thread...

Jeffy didn't get any love from Goodwin in his press conf yesterday when asked about possible ins next week. Can someone please remind me what he did wrong to get dropped? He was on track for a 45-50 goal season, had good tackle numbers and reasonable clearances numbers when asked to play midfield. And, last hear he was in the top 3 small forwards for forward pressure. He is our most dangerous small forward, has footy smarts and the experience to go with them. So I don't get the lack of love. Are our players with flair and talent who can impact a game being overlooked for the solid citizens? His possessions weren't high but a small forward is never going to get a lot of the ball (either at AFL or VFL) so if that is what everyone is waiting for, then he may never get back. As noted above his other 2016/17 stats and form showed he was tracking well, given that we lost most of the 2017 games he played in so he wasn't the only one down on form. I hope the coaches aren't trying to make him another vanilla hybrid-forward/mid.

Bringing back Jade won't help. The game plan is driven by the Goodwin/Jennings/McCartney. We had the same game plan (play in our fwd half and rely on converting a high level of i50) last year and it was no more successful than it has been this year. I rate Jade really highly but bringing him back won't help unless our game plan is amended.

I made that observation. It didn't look like it on the foxtel broadcast. Those at the ground would have a broader view. Will leave it to them to comment on the extent of support provided on the field.

Given that 'attitude' seems a perennial problem for our players and Goodwin is so strong on the 'right behaviours' I would have thought prompt feedback on these non-football matters would be critical to a player's development.

This might help http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/15/melb-v-stk scroll down to the stats section or this https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=9637

Not sure what Vince has to do with my post. Nonetheless your points are all correct. My point was it is a leader's job to encourage and support youngsters especially in their early days.

He didn't get to Brayshaw for the first three rounds and only gave him feedback when Jones initiated a meeting - perhaps you didn't read the the article I posted.

But where were our leaders to give the kid a reassuring pat on the back, reinforce to just go for the next contest, reinforce stick to the basics, reinforce what he does well. I certainly didn't see anyone go to him. No wonder the kid was broken. His teammates and our leaders let him down today. Someone should have picked him up physically and euphemistically! Lets hope the scars aren't too deep.

From the horses mouth, the same happened to Brayshaw, early in the year. He said that Jones organised a meeting with Goodwin. In that meeting Goodwin told Gus what he had to do to get selected. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-29/i-wasnt-the-best-teammate-brayshaw No sooner does Goodwin tell him what he needs to do, he puts his head down, changes his behaviours and in no time is back in the team. At the time I was rather gobsmacked that Goodwin had not given Gus feedback but I didn't dwell on it. Now, your post makes me wonder if others (Garlett, Hunt (pre injury), Stretch, Frost) are being given the feedback they need to improve. Its a real worry if what you describe is more widespread.

There is some truth in that but if he really thinks that - he is in denial on how ineffective his game plan of 'playing in the forward half the ground' with flexible hybrid forward/mids is. He needs to do some serious soul searching especially when it comes to his game plan and tactics on the G.

Good call on this subject...you actually started the thread more than a year ago (May 2017) and sadly little has changed in more than a season of experience and learning!

Other journos have written the same stuff so not sure why folks here are gunning for Caro. I'll reserve judgement on the content. At least we know the 5th candidate: Sam Graham - the AFL's candidate it seems. Looks to have a decent CV. One thing in the article that makes me uneasy is if Bartlett is "...determined to take a more active and vocal role in running the club." On my experience that sure ain't a President's nor a Board's job. A Board's role is to set strategy and policies and to establish corporate governance processes to make sure strategies and policies happen and to know when they don't happen. But if a Board has the right people in place it should trust them (CEO etc) to run the organisation; that is their job. The President and the Board getting overly involved in management and football matters is exactly what went wrong at Collingwood. I really hope Caro has it wrong about Bartlett's intentions.

Interesting that you have GWS winning 8 of last 9 games which include games vs Hawks, Eagles, Tigers, Power, Crows, Swans, Demons. I find it hard to see GWS winning all bar one of those games. Tbh can't see GWS making the 8. I haven't done the ladder predictor but I would expect Hawks to be in the 8, @ EOHandA games. Who of the current top 8 will drop out...anybody's guess...hopefully North and not us.

Various organisations would be aware of options. Any one of them could have leaked it. You might have missed it CBD, Bartlett commented on the report in his interview last week. "...the Demons' plan to build a new training base and headquarters, with an area next to the MCG and Yarra Park being considered..."We're really keen and have been working with the AFL and state government to look at all options in that area," Bartlett said...We're working really hard behind the scenes … and making sure we set up the club for the next 30 to 50 years..."It's early days, but it's exciting as well." Hope that fills in the gaps. There are various options out there. My view is nothing will happen at least till after the next election so commentary by the club or others won't mean much.

Last week's shirt front last week really knocked him around, immediately coughed up blood and had bruised lungs. I would imagine that limits lung capacity a bit so his endurance may not be up to his normal lofty heights. It sounds like he is medically fit to play but any sort of knock could really do damage. He has a long flight to Darwin on Thursday or Friday and Freo worries me more than StK. So if there is any doubt on Tom's lungs (capacity or bruising) I would err on the side of caution and rest him this week.

Melbourne squad: round 15 B: Harry Petty, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Michael Hibberd, Joel Smith, Jordan Lewis ? Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw HF: Christian Salem, Jesse Hogan, Clayton Oliver F: Alex Neal-Bullen, Mitch Hannan, Tom McDonald Foll: Max Gawn, Jake Melksham, Nathan Jones I/C (from): James Harmes, Charlie Spargo, Dom Tyson, Billy Stretch, Cameron Pedersen, Bernie Vince, Sam Weideman, Bayley Fritsch In: Petty, Spargo, Stretch, Pedersen, Weideman Out: T.Smith Unless we go in with an extra forward it seems likely that Bernie may not play as he is the only regular defender on the extended bench. While Tyson didn't have his best game last week hope he gets another go as not a fan of a player being dropped after one week when nearly the whole team was down.

Great to hear Petty has been learning from Lever and that he will back his 'footy smarts'. Has done everything right since arriving at the club and I reckon he will accredit himself really well. All the best, young man.