TGR

With the demise of Melbourne over the past month, it is interesting to hear Roos' take on it. He never ever ever brings up the lack of outside speed. Matthews had to state the bleeding obvious to him on AW yesterday. If he was to refer to our achilles heel, it would actually make him a touch more responsible for the current plight. So he doesn't. He will refer to anything but including: elite effort, pre-season conditioning, and anything else. He will bring up May, and the way the group returned from pre-season. He will bring up that the 'team isn't obviously doing what Goodwin wants them to do', rather than questioning the coach and the brand...because obviously Roos was king-maker. I am a big Roos fan, and I often lauded his handing of trades. But gee wiz, Howe is the best intercept defender in the game; yet Goody sells the farm in a super-draft to get a bloke that basicallly did what Jason Cloke did in his first years. Dunn was a solid KPP, which forced us to trade for May (who I think will be good anyway). Roos refuses to question the Josh Kelly for Tyson/Salem, which I could understand at the time, as Neeldy decimated our list and we probably needed 2 B+'s rather than 1 A grader. Roos has repeatedly said that Melbourne look better with Garlett, Frost and Kent in the team; yet 2 of these were clearly under-valued by Goodwin in the latter part of last year. Trading out of the super-draft was crazy. Stack didn't even make the super-draft! That's how good the draft is. Adelaide have a future thanks to good old Melbourne. Roosy took the bows after the MCG finals in 2018, but I think he has to be a tad more accountable. He single-handedly chose Goody, who has made some weird decisions including the worst coaching performance I have seen versus the Saints in the past fortnight. If we wanted leadership, a slow team needed a leader with speed. I said at the time that if leadership was so poor at Melbourne (which I think was overrated and self-fulfilling), don't get the slowest player in the game in Lewis, but rather go for Brent Harvey. We have had some horrible sliding door trading under Goody, and have seen the worst coaching performance in my time. [Insert positive] Surely, it is all trending up from here. Roosy had a big hand in making us a slow team, off-loading some valuable talent; as well as the choice of who will be king. In times of gloom, I don't think you will hear or see Roosy with dirty fingers. I like the man, but gee he is a tad teflon.

For those of you that knock Viney's penchant to take on the tackler, FCS the alternative is play ultra safe with quickly handball off-load (ala Oliver) or just kick it to an outnumber. Oliver is in the highest percentile with his hands, so Viney can't match him there. Melbourne lacks pace and overlap...the so-called footy experts have finally realised this. Viney is actually doing the team thing, and copping physical pressure and the ignominy of a few more holding the ball frees against, by taking it on himself to break a line.

He had a millisecond mate. He didn't see him until the last split second as he did what most MFC players wouldn't, and that is keeping his eye totally on the ball. Extremely poor football? No, extremely poor commentary from you. Viney is bloody tough considering he just got up and didn't even grimace. I have whinged more about a biting my tongue.

Jones is better now than where Lewis was 4 years ago. Jones isn’t our main problem.

No idea. When a team is so slow, Frost stands out like a beacon. His tackling has gone up a notch too. My only criticism of him is to run and take them on more.

Hibbo - Overdue new role Lockhart - Persist persist persist Smith - Persist persist persist Frost - Proving simpletons wrong Lewis - Hawthorn Farewell Game ANB - Good before injury Viney - He is human Garlett - Caused perceived pressure Petracca - ignore the doubters Hore - Like his courage Stretch - Maybe another week Oliver/Brayshaw - Still carrying side Gawn - Earning his money Weed - Needs more intensity Melksham - Connected with Gawn Salem - Graceful not deadly Jones - Time to adjust Goody - weeks too late Harmes - Better last week

Swans were 0-6 and made finals? Simpleton comment.

I want to thank Demonology for inspiration: Put relative speed on the wings (not Lewis and Jones). Jones HB Lewis hiding as the anchor Hibbo up the ground. TMac defence. Spargo and Wagner out. I finally found the angle-grinder to get the magnets off the whiteboard.

"We didn't play the way we usually play" or "we didn't' bring out game today"

Can we blame Gold Coast for putting him back on the park after he clearly injured his groin?

So did Mark Neeld at Collingwood. Big deal. Ask Kobe Stevens about how he managed his milestone game. There's a bit of smoke, but you can keep playing with daddy's fuel can.

I think newly appointed coaches grow and learn on the job. Bux, Hardwick, Richo??? But the decision to put 1.5 old slow players on the wing of a big ground, when our speed has been questioned (smart posters questioned this 3 years ago), was absolutely mind-boggling. He is picking and placing on reputation rather than current capacity. Then when the penny dropped he hides Lewis on the bench for the first 8-9 minutes of at least 2 quarters. But he puts Fritch on the wing. Treacle gets replaced by grace. Goodwin wants slow perfection into our I50. When a team ain’t perfect (at least 6 short easy 20 metre passes missed their target) GIVE ME bloody CHAOS. The wings need blitzkreig chaos. Hibbo and Frost should have been tried when we needed the Hail Mary at 3/4 time. Pathetic coaching by Goodwin. He will learn, but the signs have been there. Not reviewing the PF when it was a clear sign of what we band-aided, and what was to come? Finals wins against Geelong and Hawthorn were against relatively slow back-half to front-half teams. Saints beat us last year, who were THE fastest back-half to front-half team in the comp in 2018. Maths doesn’t lie. I said when we recruited Lewis, “he will make a slow team slower”. He has, unquestionably. I can’t think of a worse recruiting decision by a club in my memory.

The predictable story of the last 3 years.

Jones OK first half. Can’t compare him with Lewis IMO. Not Jones’ fault that Goody does not respect the wing position, like you said. Frost and Hibberd had to go there when we were at Hail Mary at 3/4 time.

Stretch is a chook with his head cut off.

I was laughing my head off at the game when they lined up on the wings. Coaching staff are in denial. Not surprised when Jordan started pointing the finger at teammates when he got beaten back. He is a beaten man, but still proud. But I don’t blame Lewis. I blame our decision to recruit him, and 95% of the simpletons that absolutely applauded the decision. Lazy dumb decision. Inward looking. Self-defeating. Clarkson has Hawthorn in the window...wonder why.

Reminds me of a non-descript or unmemorable player of the early 80's that played 12 games. Yes he may have kicked 2 (joe the gooses) when we had a 4 goal breeze against the lowly Fitzroy at the G on a sunny day, but ....meh. Hope I am wrong.

Smashed again in relation to uncontested possession in a decent win. This is not structural surely....gotta be personnel. Renovation rather than rebuild inevitable IMO.

Our wings got slaughtered in the 1st half; and Florent was BOG really. If you look at most of their centre clearances (1st half in particular), their mids were pushing us under the ball and wings were vital. Good midfield changes (one mid started 10-15 metres away from the centre bounce) in the 2nd half allowed us to start clearing. My issue is our wings on most grounds bigger than the G. Roos wants TMc their and floating forward. I still think Jones will be exposed on the wing for most of this year. Last night shows that he might be able to do something forward...but it needs to be a trend not an event.

Why stop there? Why not add in something about the coaching staff, medical staff, dieticians and psychs? Our first tier midfield (Broliver) has been carrying the side. Full-stop. Gawn has had a decent 2 weeks, with Scott admitting he pantsed Stanley. As Barassi would say "give me GPS and I will shut up'. The media and many posters just look at the scoreboard and then conclude that A, B & C are lazy selfish and disorganised. The media and many posters look at 0-3 and THEN start questioning recruiting and selection. Generals after the war is just lazy with non-existent thinking. The figures don't back you up at all; but I would say our 2nd tier midfield utilities (ANB etc...) could be seen as lazy with a preference of being first to the front half having a shot at goal, at the expense of implementing instant defence and running hard back to help and fill dangerous space. Any criticism of Broliver in the media and here is a joke. 44 hard-earned possessions aint enough in hostile territory against the hottest side in the comp?

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/melbourne-s-emerging-mids-aren-t-keeping-up-with-the-joneses-20190409-p51ci4.html Seriously, Angus Brayshaw would be leading our B&F; and Clayton Oliver's nose would be touching his backside. Brayshaw and Oliver have carried the side in the first 3 games, and couldn't do any more.

I rate Jones more valuable onfield now compared to Lewis even 2 years ago. That said, reputation has counted for more regarding these 2 in relation to selection (Lewis) and position (Jones).

The only place he can hide is half-back like Jordie Lewis over the past 2 years. Footy world (Lloyd on FC) has worked out the bleeding obvious. MFC get out-run in terms of speed and spread. Jones can't play wing on big grounds anymore. Go to half back and stiffen us up, and Jordie retires after the Hawk game.

6/6/6 has hurt no other club like us. Ironic that satin's number will hurt the Demons the most. You now need speed, line-breaking ability and a thirst for one-on-one footy. We were an inside team that lacked speed on the outside and line-breaking ability to begin with. Then we recruited Lewis, who played +1, who lead our zone defence. According to Bartel, Brisbane's defence has been ingrained with one-on-one learning since he stepped foot in the place. Geelong got taught a lesson by us in September 2018. But they transformed, and injected speed into their line-up. We didn't even review the PF, because that wasn't us. Maybe in retropect, it was us in the most important game of the year. Clarkson has got rid of slow old legs in the past 3 years, and brought in running power amongst other things. We were a bit hamstrung. We sold the farm with Lever, and missed out on injecting the list with speed/talent in the superdraft. We can't re-write history, and don't deserve to, but there are some things that can and must be done pronto. Goodwin must put TMac (who I rate as a forward) back to provide some assurance down back. He will take marks in D50 and hopefully work well with his brother. Frost and Hibberd particularly, must be freed toward the wings. Jones must re-invent himself down back or retire this year. Lewis should retire in the upcoming Hawks game and get chaired off as a courageous skillful player 3 years past his prime. Goodwin must think about Preust, especially if Weed's defensive efforts remain average. Goodwin must persist with Lockhart and Hunt. Think I might start looking at June snow-deals and September holidays. Will the small SCG favour our penchant for inside footy? Maybe, but Essendon and Port showed the footy world to be daring with ball-in-hand and take us on with speed..and dare us to chase and tackle. pTGR

Didn’t notice a limp on Saturday night