Earl Hood

5 hours ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Hunt stiff if dropped. He did very well on Rioli two weeks ago and again was used a small shut down defender against Pies.

Edit: Just saw your post directly above @Lord Nev, cheers.

I didn’t see Hunt at training or at least all 15 minutes of it before they walked off and I got there at the advertised time 9.30! And Frost looked OK to me he only left a minute of so before the others started wandering off. A few low intensity drills in their respective squads ( forwards, mids, backs ) and some goal kicking. Jeffy running laps. 

56 minutes ago, olisik said:

We got Ben Kennedy in return. We also lost Toumpas in that same trade.

Oh dear, so ziltch for Howe and all the costs to replace him. And don’t start me on the unfortunate Toumpas selection. Never saw what attributes would have made him most pundits pick 3, we were not alone. Not big, not fast, no X factor that I saw but why go on about that typical lost draft opportunity at that time. 

6 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

Fortunately, the recruiters don't rate a player based upon output when just coming back from a long term injury. They will be looking at the next 8-10 years of Lever in our backline. He was seen as the best young defender in the comp when we traded picks 10 and 19 for him. He'll be well worth it, IMO 

Can’t remember what we got for Jeremy Howe when he walked out but the price we have paid for that is Lever and the picks and $ he cost us. I doubt we would have chased Lever if we had Howe. 

13 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I have no idea Hood. But we have to rewrite the Template for training methods if it needs to be done. 

I am hoping this is similar to John Kennedy in the late 50’s

We need Physical Fitness, Mental Strength, hand and foot skills all to improve massively. And then hopefully improve injury management legally!!

it has to be completely revamped, membership will demand it

I agree in theory it should be possible to work on all these areas as they are 6 day a week professionals but I always wonder what they do with their time in the 4 or 5 months of the preseason. At best you see them 2 or 3 times a week out on the field for one or two hours, what are they doing the rest of the time? I don’t know but I hope it is not spent studying a game plan that hasn’t been working.

And from watching training this year it is apparent to me that they do not play how they train anyway. When training we move the ball quickly often switching play to use the full width of the ground always looking for a forward lead up. 

Our training drills have zero emphasis on practicing small forward crumbing skills because our drills have us delivering the ball to a presenting key forward who will often take the mark. Come game day we are lobbing balls high to a contest that gets brought to ground but we have no small forwards positioned to take advantage  but instead the opposition is there ready to run the ball out at high speed to their advantage. So the training drills we do are of limited use if we can’t replicate it on game day with success. 

Let’s hope for a big change out in assistant coaching resources for next year. 

9 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Darren Burgess has an almost blank canvas to work from

i hope he is really looking forward to this challenge 

What do we spend our time on? Physical fitness or foot skills in the preseason? You would think you could do both but I am not sure these days as they will spend 3 sessions a week for 90 minutes  or so at Goschs paddock testing their footy skills and running laps. Is that enough to make a difference to both their skills and ability to run out a game? Not sure given the lack of skills we are dealing with. 

I think the AFL might be going to take pick 2 from us anyway! 

Dees win 57 to 42

Out May injured, Baker

in Hore, Stretch

6 Petracca

5 Fritsch

4 May

3 JKH

2 Oliver

1 OMac

5 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Gawn won't be. Too many good mids and even though it was a bit of a 0-0 draw today they'll give the points to Grundy, call it a split for the year and give him the spot based on games where he racks up a bunch of handballs and uncontested marks on the back flank rather than doing his job and getting down the line.

Grundy seemed to be in Max’s way at every ball up, jumping into the space at the drop of the ball forcing Max to reach over him. When does that tactic become blocking? 

1 minute ago, binman said:

 

His kicking turnovers have nothing to do with up field turnovers. For exame hs kick to Grundy came after he had marked the ball. Had all the time in the world and still miskicked. Poor technique.

Maybe I am being a bit tough on him. But Lever is our highest paid player and he is being killed by mioeck and his kicking is a real issue.

We were set up for the switch too. He is supposed to be looking for that, instead kicked straight down  to Grundy leading to a Pies goal. 

5 set shots from 35 for 1g 3!

GWS totally outplayed. Interesting to see Yze in the Hawks coaches box at the end. Is there anyway we can get him back home next season to help Goody with some Clarko IP? 

Where is the million dollar forward Cameron? Hardly had a touch, incredible bunch of soft talent that can only perform when it suits them it seems. Just a bit too cold it seems. 

Gee wiz these Giants are going to go nowhere in the finals. If I was their coach I would tear strips off a number of them but then you aren’t allowed to do that with these young ones! 

10 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Training Cancelled?? Just like training camp then... Bit too cold and wet for our guys possibly Hnmm 

I went passed on Wednesday but training had been cancelled, then TV interviews happened Thursday, so did they train then? If they did then Friday would be limited  perhaps, although having watched a few Friday sessions, they are no more than a 45 minute stretching exercise with a few kicks on goal. So you could do Thursday and Friday but at this stage why bother? 

1 minute ago, dazzledavey36 said:

What a bizzare and utter joke of a team selection. Collingwood have 1 bloke inside the forward 50 who is over the 190cm mark and we bring in Steven May yet continue to select Oscar!? To play on who exactly? Their 188cm full forward in Hoskin Elliot!? It's going to be wet and miserable and we stack a backline with tall defenders.

Blind Freddy could see we need to bring in an extra runner.

Sums up our year.

Yes I was hoping for Hore and Stretch in for OMac and Wagner. Guess poor Billy’s papers are stamped. At least JKH gets another game. 

36 minutes ago, Redleg said:

“He is one of my best mates and it has been a privilege to work so closely with him.”

The pair have formed a tight relationship during their time together, as McCartney helps bring the best out of those around him.
“The impact that Macca has had on the entire football department, including the playing group, has been profound,” Goodwin said.

“He is an incredible person and the club has been extremely lucky to have someone of his calibre.”

 

Think this puts to bed that he wasn't getting on with the Coach. I also believe that this is Brendan's choice and he is looking for a change, so not a bad move by the MFC at all.

You may be right Red but Macca said to me just 2 months ago that he wanted 2 years with this group to get that elusive flag (see my earlier post). He may have changed his mind but I doubt it. If you read the corporate speak release it goes on about his attributes and his great contributions and relationships with Goodwin but gives no reason why he is going! Not even the usual ones of seeking opportunities outside MFC or wanting to spend more time with his family. In short he has jumped before he was pushed! 

12 hours ago, rjay said:

I think the only way to do a deliberate forensic analysis of all issues is with an external review.

Everything on the table.

The only reason for not doing it is if you have something to hide or if your ego is so big you think you have all the answers.

We've been here before.

I fear Sir Humphrey Appleby is running the club at the moment but hope I'm wrong.

Yes Rjay I agree in principle of course with your approach. I believe any review should be conducted by a carefully selected sub committee of existing football department managers to look at all aspects of the football department and their initial report and recommendations to go to a club steering committee for further analysis and final recommendations to the existing football club management prior to presentation to the Board for examination and future advice on the required action. I think it is doable if we start now, to get a strategic blueprint in place for the 2021 preseason. 

40 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

From what it sounds like the “revs” were not enjoyed by our delicate little flower players. I recall a poster was at training and Macca said I’m going to go give these guys a rev up which he did. Not long after the coaching “restructure” occurred with Macca being demoted. I think our season says a fair bit about the players not coaches like Macca.

Cards I think you are referring to my training report of the morning before the coaching changes were announced. Macca was clear that the group needed to train harder, how you train is how you play! But he said they were young and would learn what was needed to get to the top. At the time I thought (maybe wrongly) that he was signalling a playing group that was content with last year’s achievements and he was trying give them a message that they had a long way to go. When I later heard he was being moved sideways away from direct player involvement I must say the alarm bells went off! The playershappy to Coast along and worse a coaching group happy with what Macca didn’t like. 

Interesting in light of today’s announcement is that he asked me if I was retired and when I said yes he responded that he wanted 2 more years to get that premiership. I can remember responding, give us 2 flags and he responded he will be happy with one. So that interchange back in June tells me he has been pushed out. If you read  the weasel word corporatespeak in the media release that is obvious.

6 Gawn

5 Oliver

4 Fritsch 

3 Hibberd

2 Frost

1 Harmes

4 minutes ago, My name is legion said:

He ran out on a lot of leads but the players ignored him and kicked it to contests instead. Looks like the other players don’t have a lot of confidence in his disposals. I don’t either. He stuffs up a lot of kicks and hand passes.

Had 20 disposals at 80% efficiency so couldn’t have stuffed up too many. First game back so there is potential for improvement and I hope his team mates use him more next week. 

13 minutes ago, bluey said:

So nobody has noticed Maxy can not even carry out the most basic skill, kicking a football, and for all his so called great tap work, we lose the clearances every week, that’s the truth, yeh sure a quirky guy, who has bad feelings about losing every week, built like a matchstick man, that’s the club all over, losers in denial from the President to the bottom, laughable.

Except we won the clearances tonight, but don’t let stats get in the way of your argument. 

How did Weids get the injury, sounds like he got hit by a truck, teeth out, screws inserted? Must have been a big head high hit! 

Great stuff. Interesting to hear Teague and Rodney are related and played in a country league grand final. I believe he is coaching at Saint Kevin’s these days.