Season 2019 and beyond

Lets get LOUD!!

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Good business by them then, heā€™ll be a senior coach one day. If Sydney donā€™t offer him a list spot and someone else does then heā€™ll go I reckon.

Judging from the way we develop players (we havenā€™t been able to develop a finals winning list for a decade and a half) and seeing the success of the SSS trade I wouldnā€™t be opposed to trading picks for players and outsource our development to other clubs.

I agree, to a point, our list of under 25ā€™s (which we have drafted in) are among the best in the competition and will be the basis for genuine depth for years to come. But, because of that success, I think we now have the ability to recruit some older and more established players for a more immediate impact whilst our Hurley/Hooker window is open. I donā€™t think that missing out on a few drafts will have much of an impact in the future, such is the talent of our 25 and unders.

Players like Gaff, Shiel and Beams would walk into our team as Top 3 midfielders and each of them would give us something our team doesnā€™t have.

Then there are players like Wallis, Dahlhaus, Hall and Elliott who would all come cheap/free whilst having some decent upside, adding to our list and allowing us to either hit the draft or pick up a more expensive trade - like those mentioned above.

So the two finals so far have been high pressure and the big bodies have been getting the job done.
If we played a final against Tigers or Melbourne would we have handled the heat?
We need to get bigger to both take and receive it and be able to dispose cleanly while taking the bumps.
Richmond showed efficiency can win with ease while Melbourneā€™s inefficiency has prevented them smashing Geelong and kept them in it until the last 10 minutes.

Long time Blitzers will remember a certain series of posts called the Mal Pascoe Awards. These were given to the biggest goon/hoon of the week. Pity they have lapsed, because this post would win 2 Mal Pascoe awards. Worst post l have read on here in years.

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Sounds like we need a fitness guy whoā€™s focussed on weights. I know just the guyā€¦

Maybe he has aMate who can help with supplements

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I think a tackling coach is imperitive tbh

You mean the big tough guy that cried on television

It was only because the twins were stepping on his toes and the sunset was blinding him while on the pier.

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I think Geelong have more big bodies than Melbourne and Melbourne won easily because they won clearances, (against bigger bodied mids), were too quick, smashed them for inside 50ā€™s, and used the ball very well (Except for goal accuracy)

Also donā€™t believe Richmond won because of big bodies but more due to being a better team who win virtually every week due to their style.

IMO we need more competitors. Especially when things arenā€™t going right for the club.

Now that Goddard is no longer at the club, I have concerns about players dropping their heads and falling back into bad habitsā€¦ and not having someone in the playing group that will tell it, how it is.

Hopefully Devon Smith steps in to Goddards role, and is not afraid to offend his team mates. We need that relentless leadership.

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Richmondā€™s mids really arenā€™t that big. Like us, they have a lot under 182cm and a few bigger guys in McIntosh, Martin, Cotchin and Caddy when in there. Similar to us with Heppell, Myers, Langford and Stringer when in there. Similar heights but their guys a bit more solid maybe. Lambert, Prestia, Graham, Conca, Higgins, Edwards etc are all very similar heights to Merrett, Parish, McGrath, Smith, Zaka, Fantasia, however they all just look bigger to me and handle contested footy a bit better. Iā€™d be hoping Parish and McGrath really add some muscle to their frame this off season. To me both are excellent first touch players but would be more dominant being a bit bigger, especially McGrath.

I donā€™t think the size of our mids are an issue at all, especially with a bit more muscle on a few guys. Need to keep working on contested footy, tackling and pressure and thereā€™s no reason we canā€™t match it with the best and stand up to finals footy.

Howā€™s Shiel go in the contest? Heā€™s a solid looking unit and 182cm. Didnā€™t get to see much of him in 2017 in his AA year and have barely seen him this year. Would he improve us in that regard or is he more of a Merrett where youā€™d prefer him to be more of the second touch player?

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Played a slightly more outside game this year. But can win his own footy, and most importantly has break away strength, power and speed. Exactly what we need.

I agree with how they stayed true to their style but the catalyst to both games was both Melbourne and Richmond being strong enough. Contested situations were won by strength, deflections put both losers off balance and created errors and turnovers, the winners broke tackles.
What I found interesting in both wins was how the outside was used. Both winners moved it forward instead of sideways to get it to players in space. Both broke that first wall of defensive midfield line.
Viney, Jones, Oliver, Harmes, Vandenburg, Tyson were way bigger than Geelong and then you add Brayshaw whoā€™s just as hard as Selwood. They monstered them.

If you are counting Viney, Oliver and Brayshaw as big bodies, then every single Geelong player is a ā€œbig bodyā€ compared to Melbourne who guys like Fritch, Salem, Spargo, Melksham, Neil-Bullen arenā€™t.

You donā€™t have to be a big body to be strong and win contested posessions, although i agree it does help.

Geelong completely butchered the ball when they had it and Melbourne didnā€™t and they were way to quick for them in both pace and the way they moved the ball.

Finals are always more contested than H&A games but i donā€™t agree that the winners won because of their big bodies or strength but we can agree to disagree.

My mistake, misinterpretation of bigger bodies. Strength, inside contested forte was more that I alluding to. Iā€™m struggling to define lol.