Preview Round 1 - changes/preview v. Western Bulldogs

[LarryDavidNeitz]

I just think it's lip service when we talk about connections forward and s**t. I think we still just wanna get it in, lock it in, set up the defensive zone and score from repeat entries.

It's just so bizarre that the reason we were the best side in 2021 was that we broke away from stoppage with ball in hand, pushed aggressively forward and kicked to space as often as we could. We were dynamic.
But the coaching group convinced themselves we won by just getting it inside 50 any old how. Now we're the exact opposite of dynamic.

 

[Bluelegs]

I just think it's lip service when we talk about connections forward and s**t. I think we still just wanna get it in, lock it in, set up the defensive zone and score from repeat entries.

I feel like we want to have our cake and eat it too. Like we say we want to move the ball faster and go through the corridor but don't want to give up anything from our defensive structure so we never have anyone cheating forward. We say we want to fix our forward connection but aren't willing to risk losing a one on one that could give the opposition the chance to rebound.

 

[stEdy]

We should be using Rivers the same way the Pies use Nick Daicos. He won't be nearly as good, but he needs to be closer to the contest rather than sitting 20 metres behind it. He's one of the few guys on our side who can break the game open and is good enough to evade tackles.

Billings is already playing the Nick Daicos role

 

[Toump Ass]

Charles Barkley suggested recently that the NBA is becoming a three point shooting contest. I always wondered why footy teams don’t adopt a similar approach. Melbourne in particular. We’re so horrible at kicking and marking in our forward half, I think we should go for goal from long range every time. Maybe even plant our forwards along the 50m line at every centre bounce.

I don't know who our longest kicks are but I want them in.

 

[Scythe94]

Charles Barkley suggested recently that the NBA is becoming a three point shooting contest. I always wondered why footy teams don’t adopt a similar approach. Melbourne in particular. We’re so horrible at kicking and marking in our forward half, I think we should go for goal from long range every time. Maybe even plant our forwards along the 50m line at every centre bounce.

I don't know who our longest kicks are but I want them in.

Paul Wheatley likes this

 

[Topkent]

Charles Barkley suggested recently that the NBA is becoming a three point shooting contest. I always wondered why footy teams don’t adopt a similar approach. Melbourne in particular. We’re so horrible at kicking and marking in our forward half, I think we should go for goal from long range every time. Maybe even plant our forwards along the 50m line at every centre bounce.

I don't know who our longest kicks are but I want them in.

Genuinely I always thought that's a future tactic in the AFL. Finding 3 or 4 blokes who can kick 60m and playing them forward. Much easier to find someone at that range than inside 40 where it's crowded.

If the oppo team pushes too far up to stop it then you have space inside 50

 

[Toump Ass]

Genuinely I always thought that's a future tactic in the AFL. Finding 3 or 4 blokes who can kick 60m and playing them forward. Much easier to find someone at that range than inside 40 where it's crowded.

If the oppo team pushes too far up to stop it then you have space inside 50

Exactly right.

Always shits me when someone aims to a pack at the top of the square. Just go over the heads and get it in.

 

[Topkent]

Exactly right.

Always shits me when someone aims to a pack at the top of the square. Just go over the heads and get it in.

Now that's ****ing footy mate

 

[LarryDavidNeitz]

That's why we've pushed Trac forward, he can easily kick them out on the full from 60m out.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

In before James Harmes

22

James Harmes

Age

29

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.4

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

10.0

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.4

4star

D

16.3

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

8.9

4star

M

2.9

3star

T

1.6

3star

CL

1.9

4star

D

10.6

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

0.2

2star

and Oskar Baker

13

Oskar Baker

Age

26

Ht

184cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.8

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.7

4star

CL

1.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

16.0

4star

K

10.8

4star

HB

5.2

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

1.2

4star

kick 5 and have 60 between them.

Who's the next ex Dee to shove it up us in round 2?
Frost? Frawley or Fitzpatrick still playing?

 

[PerfectFooty]

Charles Barkley suggested recently that the NBA is becoming a three point shooting contest. I always wondered why footy teams don’t adopt a similar approach. Melbourne in particular. We’re so horrible at kicking and marking in our forward half, I think we should go for goal from long range every time. Maybe even plant our forwards along the 50m line at every centre bounce.

I don't know who our longest kicks are but I want them in.

Bring back 9 points for home and away, this will encourage more scoring

 

[Scythe94]

Howes has played one game and we've already lost him

“We were pretty quick to review the Swans game, and we like to take the learnings out of that and look ahead to our opponents this week, which are the Doggies,” Howes said.

“And lifting at all phases of the game, like our contest and defence.”

A Demon debut | Howes reflects

Demon Blake Howes reflects on his impressive first outing for the club

www.melbournefc.com.au

 

[Bluelegs]

Howes has played one game and we've already lost him

A Demon debut | Howes reflects

Demon Blake Howes reflects on his impressive first outing for the club

www.melbournefc.com.au

Talk about a coaches pet.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Talk about a coaches pet.

They all say it, the Goodwin family, brainwashed idiots doing what a mad man says

 

[Lord Nev]

We should be using Rivers the same way the Pies use Nick Daicos. He won't be nearly as good, but he needs to be closer to the contest rather than sitting 20 metres behind it. He's one of the few guys on our side who can break the game open and is good enough to evade tackles.

I don't disagree, but as mentioned in my post, the tricky part is we play a rebounding style and Rivers and Bowey are our best kicks in the backline by a long way. It's not as simple as saying 'use him like Daicos' given Collingwood's game style and different backline personnel.

 

[CTHORANGE]

We should be using Rivers the same way the Pies use Nick Daicos. He won't be nearly as good, but he needs to be closer to the contest rather than sitting 20 metres behind it. He's one of the few guys on our side who can break the game open and is good enough to evade tackles.

Rivers obviously won't be pinpointing passes through the corridor, but yeah i agree he does have the ability to take the game on with ball in hand, gain 15 or so metres and finish with strong long kicks. could become a good old fashioned line breaker if we wanted to use him regularly in that role, and undoubtly the forwards would love to get a few 1 on 1 contests, they would need to learn what those are again first though

 

[Demon 16]

There was a really interesting conversation with Craig MaCrae on SEN earlier - he was saying that although the stats for contest and forward entries were in Collingwoods favour on the weekend, the game has evolved from ‘frontal half football’.

He was saying that in previous years the theory was that you’d lock it into the forward part of the ground and get turnovers when they tried to get it out and eventually you’d hopefully score. You’re better off having the ball in your forward line for as long as possible type thing.

He said you need to be able to win the ball from more areas of the ground now, including defence because if you play forward half footy now, you are just kicking to density and it becomes very hard to score and you expend a lot of energy.

I just found it really interesting because we all know Melbourne were great at it in 2021 not evolving from there has really cost us - it was like MaCrae was talking about Melbourne! But at least he was acknowledging the issue - hopefully our guys are doing the same.

 

[CTHORANGE]

It's just so bizarre that the reason we were the best side in 2021 was that we broke away from stoppage with ball in hand, pushed aggressively forward and kicked to space as often as we could. We were dynamic.
But the coaching group convinced themselves we won by just getting it inside 50 any old how. Now we're the exact opposite of dynamic.

This was so nice, other teams probably position themselves differently since 2021 to stop us from doing this as well. i dont know if theres any way to measure this, but the last couple of years it feels like the majority of the time we have the clogged up forward line and the opposition have the more open forward line.

we just dont seem to be able to address the issue of getting more open forward line opportunities to get some of those "easy" type goals, so kicking goals so often feels like a grind unless we are getting them straight out of the middle

 

[Lord Nev]

There was a really interesting conversation with Craig MaCrae on SEN earlier - he was saying that although the stats for contest and forward entries were in Collingwoods favour on the weekend, the game has evolved from ‘frontal half football’.

He was saying that in previous years the theory was that you’d lock it into the forward part of the ground and get turnovers when they tried to get it out and eventually you’d hopefully score. You’re better off having the ball in your forward line for as long as possible type thing.

He said you need to be able to win the ball from more areas of the ground now, including defence because if you play forward half footy now, you are just kicking to density and it becomes very hard to score and you expend a lot of energy.

I just found it really interesting because we all know Melbourne were great at it in 2021 not evolving from there has really cost us - it was like MaCrae was talking about Melbourne! But at least he was acknowledging the issue - hopefully our guys are doing the same.

Was a really good chat hey? I also liked how he talked about you need different styles (he didn't use that term specifically), and can't always rely on the one style winning you the game.

Was also interesting his comments around how he doesn't like the 'we should have won' mentality, and simply said you win or you don't. If there's a reason you didn't then you get to work on it specifically.

 

[SugarHealey]

Oli to play as 19th man in-disguise for the doggies, and JUH to play as 19th man in-disguise, for the mighty Dee's.

Becomes official at seasons end.. remember you heard it here last.! or not.
............................................

... sadly, Bowey out, injured from a massively committed tackle. get well son.
In:- his place is obviously Pickett.
............................................

Maxy when you only take one mark for the game, we are odds on to lose.

Marks between the arcs, are Crucial.!

 

[SugarHealey]

I really hope Hore is picked, will be great to see him back in the red and blue.

Couldn't hurt but she may be a little short in comparison. Deeman.

 

[SugarHealey]

I'd very nearly drop Lever for Tmac. That's how bad Lever is going! That guy has fallen off a cliff in form.

He turned a corner from past seasons, in one respect.

He carried the ball across the goal line, instead of dropping the ball at his feet and giving up a free kick inside 40mtrs. That's one point in his favor.
Lets see if he can play with some humility, instead of that huge ego of ignorance, from here on in.
May is the better player by the length of the members wing.

...and by the way, Tommo was fairly good as the 3rd tall back.

 

[SugarHealey]

IMO Fullarton comes in for Schache, was emergency last week, and could see a world where TMac comes in for Tomlinson potentially too.

I don't think Schache warranted dropping from his outing just yet.

And Fullarton needs more time in games imv, before earning promotion in place of anyone.

 

[Crusty Demon]

He turned a corner from past seasons, in one respect.

He carried the ball across the goal line, instead of dropping the ball at his feet and giving up a free kick inside 40mtrs. That's one point in his favor.
Lets see if he can play with some humility, instead of that huge ego of ignorance, from here on in.
May is the better player by the length of the members wing.

...and by the way, Tommo was fairly good as the 3rd tall back.

Tommo was ok. That's all he needs to be.

 

[Lord Nev]

I don't think Schache warranted dropping fro0m his outing just yet.

And Fullarton needs more time in games imv, before earning promotion in place of anyone.

Fullarton was an emergency so he's close to selection, and going by Goody's post-match I don't think there's any chance Schache plays this week IMO.