spirit of norm smith

Bulldogs. Wtf. You are copying the Dees. Handball handball handball turnover !!’

We are hurting an unMelbourne like performance looking like JVR will be fit to go no training loads missed Lever but Tommo and Tmcd covered the prior week ok pride Ourselves on contested footy lots of spin goody lost me with the “lean in” phrase … another new corporate phrase like “Hands-in”’aka a team meeting or “pivot” aka to change something Simon … if you must, please “pivot” the team away from overhandballing overhandballing overhandballing !!! Killing us with turnovers and skill errors and cut off so predictably

Yes I’m not sure that our issues are all effort based. Sure appears some are comfortable in their spots and are not dropped even after 3,4,5 poor weeks. Shows how the demise in depth in the list starts to hurt you as well. BUT FOR ME , THE ISSUES ARE MAINLY Lazy footy - no blocking, shepherds, body contact in contests Execution errors or Poor Skills Poor decision making Slow indecisive ball movement

This weeks primary message STOP OVERHANDBALLING

Watch the highlights of the Dees win in Adelaide versus the Power. Without May. We were 3 goals down with 90 seconds left in the third quarter. Nailed run and positive footy and got the win. 15 goals. Really attacked with more of a run handball kick approach. Not sure why we went into our shell after that. Hubris? Comfort??

Surely you’re joking. He’s injured 🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨

@layzie “No calling for faster ball movement. We tried it, everyone hated it.” We want the fast ball movement. We want the fast ball movement. We want attacking entertaining footy that’s not what we are getting right now Tried it … hardly!!’ our current style is 1- miss target by foot … turnover footy when under zero pressure 2- over handballing until the 4th handball in a row is missed or the opposition predicts it fast ball movement involves kick handball kick handball run handball break lines break tackles etc etc etc. its making quicker decisions it’s not standing for 7 seconds then wondering why all options are covered play on create opportunities

Surely we have a plan for Faicos Surely we have a plan to not kick it high straight to Moore or Howe Surely we have a plan to stop the run off half back by Quaynor and Noble Surely it’s McVee on Hill Surely we know that with Degoey and Pendles and Mitchell out, Crisp is their main ball runner through the centre corridor Even Beveridge knew the keys to the weakest pies line in a while

❤️JT but … 2014. Petracca. Brayshaw. 2015 Oliver 2018 Sparrow Only one midfielder drafted since 2015 across national and rookie drafts. You might include Woey jnr as a father son pick and then Windsor as an outside mid. So perhaps 3. We have had 42 draft rookie and supplementary picks across those 8 years. 2016-2023.

@WERRIDEE are you ok? concussion?? “Petty: The experiment has failed it's over try and get him some form down back” Yet you then put him in as FULL FORWARD in your best team?? Its time to end the Petty experiment as a forward. Premiership winning defender. Return him to where he was starring alongside May and Lever.

Dees need to show more than just one game. If we lift and beat an injured depleted Pies, it shouldn’t be seen as a “All good, happy days” premiership ahead outcome. Theres lots to fix and the next month will determine which path we follow

Watched him on the weekend. Was ok amongst the disappointment of the Casey loss. Hes ok but is more of an athlete than a footballer. We gave up loose change to get him so it was always going to be speculative what he could deliver. He doesn’t seem to seek contact or physical challenge. A forward/relief ruck type. With Petty and Turner giving us nought and BBB on one leg, do we try a JVR and Fullarton combo. Not sure Fullarton is deserving of a promotion but our forward line marking is looking non existent right now. I’d prefer JVR and an inflexible BBB (one last dance) , but not sure BBB can run much beyond the first half.

Actually our game style over the last few games is resembling the 1993 Neil Balme model. Handball handball handball. First and second instinct. Handball. Handball. Run through the middle free. Handball to a stationary player. Try not to kick it. Flick it around. But it comes unstuck with poor disposal or is too eased to read or you handball to a player under more pressure than you. Dees 177 handballs (49% handball/possessions). Freo 35% as they used kick mark run style of play to destroy the Dees “guarding grass” zone. Balme's persistence with a strategic, high-possession, low-impact game plan earned both praise and ridicule. When the style succeeded it was attractive and hard to counter. However, when broken down by intense tackling, the players (and the coach) could look foolish and inept.

Allies on the board after downing plucky Black Ducks Allies 2.1 5.3 6.7 10.10 (70) Western Australia 2.1 4.4 7.6 7.8 (50) Standouts for the Allies were clearly Leonardo Lombard (Suns academy) and Sam Marshall (Lions academy). Both had excellent games as midfielders. Others to watch : * Jobe Shanahan 👍🏻 Big key forward. Lovely kick for goal. Good mark and agile. Definitely a likely first round pick around 14-15. * Oliver Depaoli-Kubank 👍🏻again liked his run through the midfield. Skills were very good. Lovely goal from 40 metres out.

Quick list update and revision key defenders: May, Petty, Tomlinson, Adams tall defenders: Lever, D.Turner, Hore. med/sml/running defenders: Rivers, Bowey, Salem, Mcvee, Howes inside Mids: Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Sparrow outside Mids: Langdon, Woey jnr, Windsor key forwards: JVR, Jefferson, Fullarton , Kentfield tall forwards: Fritsch, Sestan small forwards: ANB, Pickett, Chandler, Throlstrup, AMW, K.Brown Rucks: Gawn Verrell thats 33 End of 24- retirements: TMCD, Melksham, BBB Delist: Schache, JS29, Farris-white Must be delisted ( but probably won’t): Hunter, Spargo, McAdam, Laurie , Billings. Offer nothing.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has promised a forensic deep dive into the biggest defeat of his time in charge and the inconsistencies that are hurting his team. The Demons suffered a 92-point hiding from an inspired Fremantle at Alice Springs’ Traeger Park on Sunday to tumble six spots to 10th They have now lost three of their past four matches, with the sole win in that period to a St Kilda side on track to finish in the bottom four. This result comes a fortnight after a six-goal loss to West Coast. The key statistics told the ugly story for Melbourne, with the Dockers dominating the Demons in inside 50s (68-37), clearances (48-23, including 22-10 out of the centre) and contested possessions (138-96). Fremantle still managed to out-tackle Melbourne by one, and took 46 more marks with an expert game of keepings-off that propelled them into sixth place. Goodwin did not mince his words afterwards, admitting the Demons were “obliterated in every phase”. “That’s about as bad a performance as you can get, and it’s one we certainly won’t tolerate,” Goodwin said. “There are inconsistencies in our game and that trend’s been there for a little while now, and we understand there are elements within our method that aren’t right.“But the inconsistencies, not only from week to week, are concerning, and we’ll look into the ‘why’ because that performance is clearly completely unacceptable in where we want to be as a team – and I know our supporters would want more.” Goodwin was also critical of his players’ execution, particularly the turnovers down back, including a horror Trent Rivers switch that gifted Fremantle one of their five first-quarter goals, after the Demons kicked the opening two of the match. “Our contest was poor, our work-rate was poor, [and] our ability to deal with pressure was poor, so they’re all things we’ve got to work on,” he said. “You put that together with our ball use, and it’s just nowhere near the level that it needs to be … [but] you have got to give Freo credit. They played a really impressive, intense game with high pressure, and executed with the ball incredibly well.” Goodwin said the investigation into what was going wrong would be a “collaborative approach”, but that they would not wallow for too long ahead of a King’s Birthday clash with a Collingwood team equally in need of a win. “We’re a proud team, and that performance will certainly hurt us internally, but footy doesn’t allow you to be hurt for too long,” he said. “You’ve got to hurt, and you’ve got to respond – and that’s what we’ll be looking to do next week. This competition doesn’t wait for you, so we’ll go after what we need to next week. But in the background, we’ll keep looking at how we become better at what we do because at the moment, it’s nowhere near the level it needs to be.” Melbourne 7.7 (49) v Fremantle 22.9 (141)

It’s amazing. All of McAdam Schache Billings Hunter Laurie offer nothing. Nothing. They take spots off other young developing players. If it wasn’t for contracts, they’d all be delisted at seasons end. Surely.

Demons tabled an attractive three-year contract offer for the 28-year-old. WTF. THREE YEARS. He is injury prone. 50 games in 6 years at Crows. That is poor business. Future 2nd rounder. Ouch. Tim Lamb. 🤢🤢🤢Pants pulled down.

Hi all. 2 June 2024. Unbelievably after our 2021 premiership 🏆 and talk of a Demons Dynasty, the Dees have been smashed by Freo (by 92 points). Our 3rd loss in 4 weeks. We now sit 10th. It was a humiliating loss. Beaten all over the ground. Zero winners. Zero. We looked slow and uncompetitive and incapable of successful transition of the footy. Our contested footy and stoppages are embarrassing. Our forward line was led by two defenders trialling as forwards. The loss comes two weeks after being beaten by 6 goals to cellar dweller Eagles. Do we panic? Well we might. But footy can be a simple game. Simple. We forget how sport can be over analyzed and players confident eroded by the lack of strategy and skill. How do we respond ? Here’s some easy thoughts from a humble 48 year supporter and former suburban footballer. Memo to Goodwin. Step 1/STOP THE OVERHANDBALLING Players are scared to kick it. We run it until it’s into trouble. Opponents are sweating on us to make the mistakes It’s so predictable. Backline hardball mistakes are shockers. Easy goals. Players under zero pressure handball to players under pressure Step 2/ KICKING. AUSSIE RULES FOOTBALL. Note to all. skills skills and skills. When free, use you CORRECT kicking leg. Lazy foot skills often on display and turnovers. Our skills under zero pressure have desserted us. It’s horrible. Step 3/ STOP LAZY PLAY STOP SLOW & WIDE & BORING FOOTY Scared footballers take easy 15 metres sideways kicks , even when running through the midfield MOVE THE BALL QUICKLY WITH INTENSITY BE BRAVE NOT SCARED!! Step 4/ STOP TURNING BACKS AND FORWARDS INTO MIDS (RECRUIT MIDS) The engine room is so critical. It all starts in the middle. Real quality mids are the stars. Even with a generation champion Ruckman, our mids are losing big time. No more Riv or Kozzy experiments. We need them doing what they do best. Kozzy kicking goals Riv being courageous and defending for his life Recruit mids. We have enough backs and forwards- talls mediums smalls. Why are trying to turn small forwards into mids. Stop It Step 5/ our Premiership defence. May. Lever. Petty. RETURN PETTY TO DEFENCE. He looks a broken player. He has lost confidence. The forward experience is over. Step 6/ GOALKICKING GOALKICKING GOALKICKING it’s so important but appears worse than ever Players trying screw kicks on their wrong foot … why? why it’s horrendous !!! Step 7/ STOP GUARDING GRASS The zone gets undone by ball movement and run and chip and mark footy Freo destroyed the zone Man up Run to be accountable and responsible Step 8/ STOP RECRUITING UNNEEDED PLAYERS IN THEIR DECLINE Hunter. Billings.McAdam. Schache. Why ? List cloggers. Why? Hunter and Billings were taking salary cap dramas off other clubs Stop now !! We attracted Langdon, Hibberd, Lever, May, Melksham. Find those players again. Find the free agents. Find the players with upside. Step 9/ TACKLING. TACKLING. STOP THE PLAYER. MAKE IT COUNT. Too many games see our players failing to stop Aside from JV7, our entire midfield lacks defensive pressure and shutting down opponents Step 10/ DISCIPLINE AND DESPARATION. Dees have zero smothers zero blocks zero little extra non stats hard work showing out. It’s a comfort zone. The desperation is non existent. Third efforts rare, very rare. The #Freo92 loss hurts. Really hurts. We are now seemingly over the chance of another premiership and one on the MCG. The coach showed little emotion and little plan B. Outsmarted and outcoached. But we can apply the simple things. The fixes that start to rebuild. Go Dees !!!

Yes that was miscalled. Bowey had 3 other shockers including the 15 metre turnover where he missed the player. He was under zero pressure and turned it over. His skills are currently overrated for what’s he is producing. Also missed tackles showing lack of physical ability so it’s compounding. Maybe leftover from his shoulder injury. Rating for Bowey today. 3/10

Actually zero ruckmen on this list. Only Dees having Greg (ripper bloke and Goodys mate) Stafford. He’s got to go NOW

Casey were poor so the cupboard is bare. Only Kolt and BBB are back in for me. Kolt as a half forward and BBB who knows how to lead even on one leg. Sestan can be given a chance as a sub. JVR back 👏👏

No. Tried and failed. Fumbles and slips and is not composed. Little kicks are not him. He’s a HBF position. Let’s no screw up Riv like we have to Petty.

JT. MEMO. URGENT GET DEES SOME MIDFIELD TALENT. THREE URGENTLY NEEDED TO REFRESH AND REBUILD Mids in the draft Finn O'Sullivan - Goes pick 1-2 Levi Ashcroft - Bris father son Jagga Smith - Goes pick 3-4 Josh Smilie- goes probably pick 3-4 Tom Gross - maybe pick 6-7 who could be within our range ? Pick 8-10 Christian Moraes - Eastern ⭐️ Sid Draper- sth Adelaide Pick 11-14 Zak Johnson - Northern ⭐️ Taj Hotton - Sandringham Xavier Lindsay - Gippsland ⭐️ Sam Lalor - GWV Pick 17-18 Kade Herbert - SA Eagles Harvey Langford - Dandenong ⭐️ that’s 9 likely mids that on current draft range, could be within our draft fishing net. We need one of these. I have starred a few preferences Then somehow trade second and third round picks OR a future first 2025 draft pick TO get another 2024 first rounder. LIONS would be interested as they need points not picks. OR find a gem in the second round or third round- like how others picked Chad Warner or Rory Sloane type who goes under the radar. From the oakleigh v eastern game in April , Zane Cochrane or Patrick Retschko ⭐️(oakleigh) are two such players, as well as Cody Anderson (Eastern) Three mids please JT.

Changes. Lots. To the non performers. Out. Out. Out. Out. Out. Hunter. Turner. Petty. McAdam. All to Casey. ins. BBB (one leg), Sestan , JVR, Kolt McVee May tmcd Rivers Tommo Bowey Langdon Viney Windsor Kolt JVR ANB Kozzzy BBB Fritter Gawn Oliver Trac Salem Woey Sparrow Chandler sub. Sestan