Strategy If you were coach

[Topkent]

I think its pretty s**t that we havent taken an assistant coach from another club since **** knows when? Seems like a circle jerk of yes men

Turns out we took Max Rooke from GC in 16', we also took Matthews in 14'

Other than that Plapp, Egan and Chaplin are at their first AFL jobs.

 

[demondavey]

Correct. I mean, injuries happen sure, but it seems to me that our list this year can't have been that unlucky. Even for us, pretty much the unluckiest sporting franchise in the world.

There has to be a management element to it, I'm convinced.

It was no coincidence that tigers were so good during the period they barely had any injuries. Clearly there was some luck there, but just the same as I think with us, there was probably good management in there contributing to it as well.

Decisions like what we did to Joel Smith should make everyone on this board furious. Not to mention Viney and now TMac. From the outside is just seems like utter incompetence. And if there is more to it than that, then tell your members what is going on.

Either way it is a farce.

Basically every Melbourne supporter I know is sick to death of the injury excuses. I get injuries happen but they are far far too frequent and this club is on the brink of something big IF we get some basics right. I feel Goodwin really needs to drop this nice guy persona and just get really campaigner like. I mean he would know, he was a 2 time premiership player. Blight wasn’t exactly a cuddly koala bear.

 

[schmuttt]

Goodwin also needs to decide which of his assistants are worth keeping beyond this year or even beyond a certain point.

I think its pretty s**t that we havent taken an assistant coach from another club since **** knows when? Seems like a circle jerk of yes men

You'd hope Goodwin is absolutely sure about who he has around him because contract or no contract if we miss finals this year and next year he is gone.

 

[demondavey]

Turns out we took Max Rooke from GC in 16', we also took Matthews in 14'

Other than that Plapp, Egan and Chaplin are at their first AFL jobs.

The wraps on Egan are good but he only coached at Essendon didn’t he? Chaplin gets heaps of flack.

 

[Topkent]

You'd hope Goodwin is absolutely sure about who he has around him because contract or no contract if we miss finals this year and next year he is gone.

Well you have Matthews who came from the Swans ( struggling with the 6-6-6 )
Jennings and McCartney from the dogs which is an outdoubted game plan

Then a handfull of first time AFL coaches. He probably needs alot more help.

 

[Topkent]

The wraps on Egan are good but he only coached at Essendon didn’t he? Chaplin gets heaps of flack.

Chaplin gets heaps of flak for being a s**t player lol its weird that people assume he must be a s**t coach aswell. For all we know he might be an amazing coach but going into a premiership window wouldnt you want more experience around you

 

[demondavey]

You'd hope Goodwin is absolutely sure about who he has around him because contract or no contract if we miss finals this year and next year he is gone.

In a macabre way I almost want to miss finals this year or if we do play get hammered by an old enemy; Hawks, Pies or Cats. Because that might just be the stimulus to force change off field and propel us to a GF next year. I genuinely think with some smart changes we win it next year.

 

[ponsdale]

Yeah this is a deal breaker for me. I always maintained we would have a down year this year and then next year deliver. This has to be the season to weed out the final areas of weakness and that’s got to be Misson. We’ve just got to throw huge $$$ at the best. Even if it means getting someone from overseas, we need an absolute pro.

You can’t be competitive without your guns. Geelong & Hawthorn always had their guns fit and firing when it mattered. Always.

Misson has already resigned - finishes up at the end of this year.

 

[Dark Avenger]

In a macabre way I almost want to miss finals this year or if we do play get hammered by an old enemy; Hawks, Pies or Cats. Because that might just be the stimulus to force change off field and propel us to a GF next year. I genuinely think with some smart changes we win it next year.

Club has been supplied more than enough stimulus in the form of beltings over the years (shitting the bed against the pies in 2017 & prelim final last year) I hardly think that is what it is going to take to make big changes.

 

[demondavey]

Misson has already resigned - finishes up at the end of this year.

Really?

 

[demondavey]

Club has been supplied more than enough stimulus in the form of beltings over the years (shitting the bed against the pies in 2017 & prelim final last year) I hardly think that is what it is going to take to make big changes.

Then what is? What will it take for players to pull it together? Petracca in his 5th year now and continually fades in and out of games. Brayshaw displays some god awful skills for a top 3 pick. Viney is struggling, it might be time for him to either get over a niggle or just work 3 times as hard. Hibberd and Jetta have done nothing all year.

Goodwin has no plan B. We are at risk of losing our season totally over the next month. Time for things to get better and changes to happen a lot quicker.

 

[Tempy Tiger]

Play Salem in the guts. Tell Jones to play Lewis’ role at HBF and to lay a ******* tackle. Play Preuss as Ff to rotate with Max and give TMAC time to get right. Bring Maynard in for Viney if Viney is not 100%. Remind them that we were starting to get a reputation as a tough side, time to bring back the campaigner.
Tell crazy frosty to run like forest gump every time he takes possession.
Drop Watts and Tyson.

 

[stEdy]

Bring back Jake Spencer

 

[saj_21]

Defensive efforts at the stoppages please, we let opposition run forward of the stoppage and it makes our defenders chose between pressing the ball carrier or rolling back. And at the moment they can’t do either so end up in no mans land.

Secondly when we win the ball, short kicks, hit the lead up target and control the game by foot. If we do that we play our best footy.

 

[Cannon82]

Chaplin gets heaps of flak for being a s**t player lol its weird that people assume he must be a s**t coach aswell. For all we know he might be an amazing coach but going into a premiership window wouldnt you want more experience around you

Hasn't he been our back and/or forward coach for two or so years now? The fact he can't get the team playing any semblance of structure at either end is more likely what people are judging him on rather than his playing ability.

 

[demondavey]

I’d be working my backside off until Tuesday night to before the ANZAC eve game. Simons kids will have to do without him for the Easter Egg Hunt today. Sorry kids, dad’s employment is under some scrutiny.

Just look at why it hasn’t worked. Look at 4 games in 2019 and bring in all the coaching staff to analyse why we are underperforming. Start back and go forward.

Backline:
Severely undermanned with our two KPD injured. That’s unavoidable. We’ve had 24 more entries on average into our backline which means we need height to mark and we need serious midfield support. Frost can’t go alone. It’s not fair. There needs to be another KPD and OMac isn’t working. Keilty or Petty to be included.

Let’s work out what’s going with Hibberd & Jetta. They’re off and it’s showing. Hore is doing well but he is getting not much support. Fritsch and Salem are great but that’s only 3 performing small defenders.

Midfield:
I am going to go hard on my midfielders if I was Goodwin. We can’t fix their speed but we can fix their output. They’re just not doing enough. They’re all in need of a rocket. Structurally we need pace. Hunt has to play wing and Baker needs a run. We’ve got to start the thinking around SPACE. Space outside a contest. Why aren’t we there? We win the ball on the inside and just handball around to one another until we get pressured into a turnover, then there’s nothing wide so we get flogged. Look at the diagram I’ve included.

The circular symbols are Melbourne players and the squares are opposition players. The full squares are opposition players staying wide. Note we don’t have any! The squares inside the opposition 50 are the players that push into an open forward line and score!

We’ve got to really start addressing those deficiencies.

Forward Line:
We might just have to go small for a while and use Weidemann as a one out KPF with Petracca at FF. Unless something happens down back we are going to get freely scored against so TMac might need to swing. I wonder what our tackle count is like in our forward 50?

I’d start by focusing one instructing players to win one on ones, working harder and adding speed.

 

[Cannon82]

I’d be working my backside off until Tuesday night to before the ANZAC eve game. Simons kids will have to do without him for the Easter Egg Hunt today. Sorry kids, dad’s employment is under some scrutiny.

Just look at why it hasn’t worked. Look at 4 games in 2019 and bring in all the coaching staff to analyse why we are underperforming. Start back and go forward.

Backline:
Severely undermanned with our two KPD injured. That’s unavoidable. We’ve had 24 more entries on average into our backline which means we need height to mark and we need serious midfield support. Frost can’t go alone. It’s not fair. There needs to be another KPD and OMac isn’t working. Keilty or Petty to be included.

Let’s work out what’s going with Hibberd & Jetta. They’re off and it’s showing. Hore is doing well but he is getting not much support. Fritsch and Salem are great but that’s only 3 performing small defenders.

Midfield:
I am going to go hard on my midfielders if I was Goodwin. We can’t fix their speed but we can fix their output. They’re just not doing enough. They’re all in need of a rocket. Structurally we need pace. Hunt has to play wing and Baker needs a run. We’ve got to start the thinking around SPACE. Space outside a contest. Why aren’t we there? We win the ball on the inside and just handball around to one another until we get pressured into a turnover, then there’s nothing wide so we get flogged. Look at the diagram I’ve included.

The circular symbols are Melbourne players and the squares are opposition players. The full squares are opposition players staying wide. Note we don’t have any! The squares inside the opposition 50 are the players that push into an open forward line and score!

We’ve got to really start addressing those deficiencies.

Forward Line:
We might just have to go small for a while and use Weidemann as a one out KPF with Petracca at FF. Unless something happens down back we are going to get freely scored against so TMac might need to swing. I wonder what our tackle count is like in our forward 50?

I’d start by focusing one instructing players to win one on ones, working harder and adding speed.

View attachment 658958

You're making good points but that diagram is a bit too Beautiful Mind.

 

[demondavey]

You're making good points but that diagram is a bit too Beautiful Mind.

It’s very simple to follow my friend...

 

[demondavey]

Hmmm. Can we recruit McKay from Carlton?

 

[Cannon82]

It’s very simple to follow my friend...

Yes, its not complicated.

 

[HANDSOLO]

I’d be working my backside off until Tuesday night to before the ANZAC eve game. Simons kids will have to do without him for the Easter Egg Hunt today. Sorry kids, dad’s employment is under some scrutiny.

Just look at why it hasn’t worked. Look at 4 games in 2019 and bring in all the coaching staff to analyse why we are underperforming. Start back and go forward.

Backline:
Severely undermanned with our two KPD injured. That’s unavoidable. We’ve had 24 more entries on average into our backline which means we need height to mark and we need serious midfield support. Frost can’t go alone. It’s not fair. There needs to be another KPD and OMac isn’t working. Keilty or Petty to be included.

Let’s work out what’s going with Hibberd & Jetta. They’re off and it’s showing. Hore is doing well but he is getting not much support. Fritsch and Salem are great but that’s only 3 performing small defenders.

Midfield:
I am going to go hard on my midfielders if I was Goodwin. We can’t fix their speed but we can fix their output. They’re just not doing enough. They’re all in need of a rocket. Structurally we need pace. Hunt has to play wing and Baker needs a run. We’ve got to start the thinking around SPACE. Space outside a contest. Why aren’t we there? We win the ball on the inside and just handball around to one another until we get pressured into a turnover, then there’s nothing wide so we get flogged. Look at the diagram I’ve included.

The circular symbols are Melbourne players and the squares are opposition players. The full squares are opposition players staying wide. Note we don’t have any! The squares inside the opposition 50 are the players that push into an open forward line and score!

We’ve got to really start addressing those deficiencies.

Forward Line:
We might just have to go small for a while and use Weidemann as a one out KPF with Petracca at FF. Unless something happens down back we are going to get freely scored against so TMac might need to swing. I wonder what our tackle count is like in our forward 50?

I’d start by focusing one instructing players to win one on ones, working harder and adding speed.

View attachment 658958

What you say makes sense but that is an appalling attempt at an oval and 50m arcs. I’m pretty sure Stevie wonder could have done better

But I agree

I’d almost just strip everything back and focus on defense for the next month (around the ball and in back half)

 

[demondavey]

What you say makes sense but that is an appalling attempt at an oval and 50m arcs. I’m pretty sure Stevie wonder could have done better

But I agree

I’d almost just strip everything back and focus on defense for the next month (around the ball and in back half)

Well mate you get the idea...

 

[CWaffles]

What you say makes sense but that is an appalling attempt at an oval and 50m arcs. I’m pretty sure Stevie wonder could have done better

But I agree

I’d almost just strip everything back and focus on defense for the next month (around the ball and in back half)

It's not an oval, its an Easter egg.

 

[demondavey]

It's not an oval, its an Easter egg.

 

[Daemon]

No change thread so I'll put this here.

If I was coach I'd do the following changes this week:
Tmac down back. He's doing nothing up forward and we need another decent defender down back until May and Lever come back. If he does poorly after 3 weeks, he can join his brother and they can bring in Keilty.
Ask Lewis to consider retiring immediately and give him some sort of coaching gig for the rest of the year. Drop him this week and hope he gets the message.
Bring Gartlett back and give him three weeks. If he does nothing, thanks for your service mate.
Drop both Wagners. Bring in Stretch and Lockhart. Play Lockhart forward and put stretch and hunt on the wings.
Be ruthless. Viney on notice, Petracca on notice, Hibbered on notice, Spargo on notice.

I'm no good at tactics but agree with a lot of other posters here, fix the defensive structure, spread more in the middle, stop over handling the ball, lower the eyes into forward 50, and apply more pressure everywhere especially up forward.