spirit of norm smith

Nailed it. Goody talks about learnings and connection into forward 50. He’s been talking about focusing on an improvement needed for 3+ years. So what’s been done ? Nil. Poor strategy. Poorer coaching. Other clubs rarely mention it. Hardly surprising. The Dees are the masters of finding ways to turnover the footy. That last kick or that last poor handball or that fumbles and slip over. We astonish ourselves with ways to give up the footy and then have to defend as the opposition rebounds. Forward pressure is seemingly now also non existent. Forward tackles are now at an all time low. That is a definite disappointment.

The eminently sensible Phil Davis Thoughts on the Christian Petracca and his emotional reaction after the Dees loss. Davis says It’s a non event … move on the constant media show pick up this and running different agendas on what Trac is thinking and what it means without really knowing and thinking the worst Trac clearly wants the club to be better Footy is an emotional game so what’s the issue. He’s clearly disappointed Davis says the most important things is for Gawn and Dees teammates is to check on Trac and ask “ Are you ok”. Davis is an intelligent commentator who thinks then talks and has interesting non sensationalist insights. 👏👏👏👏😊

12 players are already under academy programs , out of 28 youngsters. This year will be another big lift for the northern teams Swans, Suns, Lions & Giants. They need to be gifted some of the very best elite youngsters… don’t they? Ffs.

3aw. Lloyd’s callout to have Goodwin make a statement this week and drop Fritsch. So Jacqui Felgate simply asks who they’ll replace him with as a goalkicker. Lloyd’s reply (as unprepared and uneducated as ever) was … “someone from Casey”. Well that’s a bold claim. He has no answer He offers no understanding of the who and how. He simply says oh well “Ross Lyon dropped Milne and Desanto once” !!! What a tool!!!

In. Fullarton Out. JVR Fullarton needs to be rewarded for his VFL form. Our team needs a player who can mark the footy plus gives Gawn a relief in the ruck. Fullarton deserves a go. If he fails (must get at least 2 games), then at least we gave him a shot. JVR sadly is lacking any confidence. His oven mitt hands and trampoline chest have dropped too many marks. Get him to go to Casey and clunk 10 marks and kick 3-5 goals per game over the next two games. He needs to be carefully managed and he’s really gone backwards in the last 12-15 games.

it’s probably a No from me. I’m still prioritizing players who can hit a target.

Crowe preaches the Love mantra. It is deficient in the sports team performance. Let’s cut the Love. Bring back the Respect and Hard work ethos. Winning breeds Fun. Enjoy the winning is the goal.

Agree with the comment that last week we saw a cowardly coaching style 3 clear boring defensive tactics v Cats GOODY. Zone defence - guard the grass. THAT didn’t work as the Cats controlled the play with uncontested marks and working the ball easily, with zero pressure. Man up and apply pressure should be a non negotiable. GOODY. Stand back the 5-8 metre after they take a mark or a free kick. THAT backpedaling style allowed the cats to compose or run or mark decisions with again zero pressure. It was so evident that when I watched other games, it stood out that the Dees used this non pressing style. GOODY. Use Sparrow on Holmes and also get an extra to the contest. Allow the Cats two players behind the ball. THAT created no room in our forward50 as the cats sat back and waited for our errors and turnovers. Zac Guthrie 17 marks. O’Sullivan 13 marks. Often uncontested. 50 inside50s for 6 goals. 12% conversion from an inept game plan. It’s frustrating as we are Watching other teams run and create and move the footy with positive clean handling and decision making. Watching other teams pressure and stick tackles and man up to squeeze their opposition. Goody. Less love. Move smart tactics. Get the excitement back. We lose. We are boring. Give us run and run and quick movement and give us pressure and tackling to stop movement. FFS this week if possible.

Jay Clark suggested that “Fritsch tunneling” was “extremely dangerous and could have put Stewart in a wheelchair. He takes out his legs and flips him”. Tiger Riewoldt calls it outrageous and says Fritsch should be suspended for 2 or 3 weeks. Typical media bashing of anything to do with the Dees. Now Fritsch was frustrated and should have tried to contest albeit too late given the shallow kick. But he didn’t take Stewart legs out, nor did he flip him, nor did Stewart land on his neck or head. Fine was warranted and Fritsch will do better in the future. It’s another “Ridiculous oversensational” talk from footy journos behaving as blood thirsty vampires.

Just to confirm. I am not 💩Tom Morris💩. McClure. Morris. Barrett. And now add JayClark. All are Gutter merchants !!!

To clarify my position in starting the thread The club through 2016-2020 targeted players that could come in and make the team immediately better. They were playing 1sts senior footy at other AFLclubs. They were part of our premiership team in 2021. It proved successful. Blend early draft choices and add in senior ready to go requirements. We then from 2021-24 have recruited players on the wane or who were failed players at other clubs. Why? Some say because of salary cap. If a tight cap was the reason, I’d rather have taken the punt at the draft and let JT weave his magic & pickup quality kids (yes even in the 2nd and 3rd rounds) or give some VFL players the chance, like we did with Fritsch (2017). I think JT has done a great job in drafting in talent. Lots of 1st rounders and he has done a great job barring a few misses. There’s no knock on him. Sometimes I think we didn’t give him more chances in the 2nd and 3rd round to pickup gems.

Viney to move to a tagging role ? Thoughts. Get him to Merrett early and see how that goes. Has he got the tank ? I think so.

@adonski Not bemoaning our recruiting by JT through the draft. It was the recruiting of recycling failed players what was the issue. I guess we tried to go back to our successful ways with getting in Dan Houston that ended as a clusterf@&@k.

Love the story. There will be some promising NGA recruits coming through. The Dees future ?? Langford Lindsay Throlstrup Turner McVee Pickett Windsor *Kalani White *Toby Sinnema There is a future!! Add a new coach at the Dees as well

Longmire. Hird. Buckley. Simpson. Brad Green must be having a coffee with these blokes. Surely!!! If he’s not, then he is not doing his job.

In our build up to the Premiership, the Dees recruited strongly. The recruits were players who playing AFL (not VFL) and at the standard. We were attracting players who either came home to Victoria or saw opportunities. Hibberd Lewis Melksham May Lever Langdon Brown All were players who were regulars. But since 2021 premiership… VFL grade only Dunstan Hunter Schache Billings McAdam Fullarton Sharp Campbell Enough evidence!!! As we watch the Hawks rise, they followed the recruiting blueprint. Don’t bring in players who are below par. Attract the players who are at the standard and make your team better. Memo. Cc Tim Lamb, Simon Goodwin.

Stats that matter 💩Geelong 12.13.85 Melbourne 6.10.46 But there’s other simple stats that are worth looking into 💩Inside50s. Dees 50 Cats 49. Dees 6 goals from 50 entries. Horrible. Tells a story. Panic. Poor disposal. No target. Lazy forwards. 💩Conversion (shots per inside 50) 32.0%. Horrible. Dees are lowest in the league. Goal efficiency 12%. That stinks it up 💩Marks inside forward50. “5”. Very poor. 💩Cats marks 165. Uncontested 148. Dees let Cats sit free without any pressure. 💩Tackles in forward 50. “7”. Poor. 😀one percenters 47 much much better effort 😊clearances 32-32 dees won centre clearances 10-6

Easy !! Lever in. Fullarton in Let’s see what he can do Sestan in (Need to see what Sestan can do and he can’t, then at least we gave him a go ) Woey jnr (Give him a go and as a starting role Tell him not to stop just run run run at all times If he’s not up to it, then at least we gave him a go ) Petty out !! Get his confidence back JVR OUT !!! See above Spargo out Can’t run Can’t tackle Can’t jump. Melksham is done Please no more games to Billings, Spargo or Laurie V bummmers Lever May Salem Bowey McDonald Riv Windsor Viney Langdon Chandler Turner Trac Kozzy Fullerton Fritsch Gawn Oliver Langford Int. Sparrow Sestan Woey jnr Henderson Sub. Sharp.

Media are scum. Love ripping at our carcass!!

Is this a joke ! Execution and skill was horrible again. He is gaslighting us.

Agree. Handballed at times when he was running and free and could hit up a target !!

6 goals. 50 inside 50s. Forward 50 connection Straight lines into the 50 or mark just outside, … stop. Stop. Panic. Stop stop panic oops play on then kick it to no one or no one's advantage or straight to a Cats defender!!!

Gawn. 7 x one percenters. Team of 23 players had 30. His intensity and desire was miles ahead of his teammates. 5 clearances. 12 contested possessions.

Easy 6 Gawn 5 May 4 McDonald 3 Bowey 2 Pickett 1 Oliver Apologies to Chin. The rest were average to very poor -1 Sharp -2 Petty -3 JVR