Earl Hood

Loosing Petty then Melksham leading up to the finals didn’t help the forward set up. I think we had 35 more i50 entries but still lost the game! After that final series, I never understood why Goodwin tolerated for the next 2 seasons, Viney, Oliver & Tracc bombing balls long to nobody in the forward fifty

I would have thought that horse has bolted, any thoughts of fair compo went out the door when we let it be known we would pay up to half his wage. Clubs know when a fire sale is on.

I think Hird mentioned this saga is a strong message for a team out at Tullamarine. Hird is correct, this is a train wreck, losing 2 decorated, experienced players who in theory should be playing close to their best football, for massive unders. As I have posted before moving on one or the other for a fair price makes sense, moving on both in what the other AFL clubs know is a fire sale is crazy stuff. As Hird & Co point out there was a first round pick on offer last year for Oliver but we said no. After a year in which he showed signs of getting back to his old form and importantly had no off field issues, he suddenly is not required, as the game has passed him by, we have said as much and let it be known we will pay half his wage to boot! Fingers crossed we get a fair return for Tracc.

What we get back for Oliver is starting to like three fifth of FA and we get to pay half his salary to boot! I am reading a book at the moment by Mick Herron of Slow Horses fame, called “Clown Town”! Very apt I think.

I would normally expect a new coach to believe he could deal with that in his first year. If it doesn’t work during the season then you act by dropping recalcitrants to the VFL and then out the door if lessons aren’t learnt. I accept that is old school management.

Must say I am struggling with the idea that King is driving this purge or is it more that the new coach has provided the opportunity for Guerra & Richardson to act? After all King does not know the history but he would have observed the strengths and weaknesses of both Oliver and Tracc and surely if you are a new coach you would back yourself to change behaviours & integrate both into your game plan. I suspect the “non football” corporate manager Guerra is driving a culture change program that will prove to be detrimental to the new coach, at least in the short term. I can understand moving on one of Tracc or Oliver but both in what is basically a fire sale is madness in my opinion.

Does that include voluntarily removing your 2 bishops before your first move?

Viney is the one of the 3 experienced mids I assumed would be depth next season. Oliver and Tracc should be playing their best footy given their age and experience and I expected the new coach to get them working on their weaknesses, while looking to maximise their strengths in the new game plan and giving Viney the bad news. I could understand one of Tracc or Oliver but not both.

They can kick, but they need to take the time to find a target and that should be within 25 m most times. That should have been a team rule with consequences for not doing it. In 2024 I made a habit of watching our replays and freeze framing it when one of these 3 had the ball and running forward, time and time again they booted long burning teammates 20m forward and running in the corridor. They can all kick accurately over 25m. The problem has been in my mind that Goodwin tolerated, if not encouraged the blind hack kick forward from this trio for the last 2 seasons.

Yes that’s what has me thinking this a cultural rebuild. Not unlike some of the organisational restructures I endured at work over the years when the new management team takes over. It is often the experienced, competent, square pegs types out the door first.

So that has me wondering about the discussion with Viney. He is the player that I thought the modern game has moved on from. He is the one I thought would not be first pick and needed a role change, perhaps to a defensive forward role. Looks like he will now be needed full time in the guts.

Because the club wants him out, I suspect. Is this as more a cultural rebuild as opposed to some game style change that can’t accommodate a May, Oliver and (to a lesser extent) Petracca?

And our new coach couldn’t overcome that [censored] to force him into a rethink? King has talked of a reset, more attacking game style, meets McVee who says he wants more attacking role but after meeting requests transfer! The new coach is not having a great impact so far.

Given he is on the list next year and he has wheels, a tank and reasonable disposal, the new coach has got to develop a game style that gets the ball to him and others like him, more often. We need more outside running receivers and less inside experienced bulls just hack kicking the ball forward to no one. Sharp might work in a more attacking game style.

Hey we beat Brisbane remember!

And Father Son!

Umpires keeping the Cats in it.

And that surely gives us hope that King can turn things around. We get enough of the ball and we get the inside 50’s to be competitive, if we start playing modern footy.

Danger!

And if they do, they will win the flag. It’s amazing they can keep playing these high pressure games without incurring injuries.

I hope Viney, Oliver, Langdon and Co are watching this game and how the best sides are delivering the ball into their F50 to the advantage of their forwards! The Cats in that quarter, with their ball carriers in traffic, under pressure, were spotting up targets with 20 meter kicks. You don’t have to be a great kick to set up goals.

It’s outcome based isn’t it? Someone is concussed, someone must be guilty. That’s what happened to May.

It’s a final so there is no such thing as a dangerous tackle.

We definitely need another agile small forward in addition to Kossie. We should have a crack at this guy.

And if that issue is not addressed it won’t matter who we have up forward. I don’t know why Goodwin tolerated that long bombing/hack kicking forward by the experienced old guard for so long after he said he was trying to fix the so called lack of forward connection! There should have been consequences, experienced players dropped if they continued to kick long, burning players closer and in better positions. I hope King is very strong on this glaring flaw in our game style.