- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Gathering an identity is a long process. In 2013 The Melbourne Football Club’s board was in shambles, coach Mark Neeld got fired, caretaker coach Neil Craig moved on to Essendon, and they finished second last on the ladder with as many wins as 100-point losses.
You can’t have an identity crisis if you don’t have an identity.
In the wake of this, Paul Roos was hired in October on a two-year deal with the option of a third.
Demons president Glen Bartlett has said things are, “back on track” for 2014. Roos has taken a more considerate approach saying it will be a “bumpy road ahead” for supporters.
To paraphrase this Paul Roos has said, don’t listen to Bartlett, we may be f#*$ed for awhile.
After finishing second or dead last in stats that matter, Roos certainly will have a task on his hands.
He is an innovative coach and brilliant with personnel. His game plan has always been what sets him apart, defence, defence, defence. And he is taking over the worst defence in the comp.
He has spread his seed all over the league.
The last two grand finals have featured his former assistants as head coaches. Remember this is the guy that the CEO of the AFL voiced concern over having an ugly game style in 2005!
Melbourne were 11th in the league, averaging 61 tackles a game during 2013 (don’t be fooled most of the time they didn’t have the ball). In his 202 games, Roos coached sides only dropped out of the top eight in tackles once, in 2010, his final year.
The game has changed a lot from 2010 through to now, can his coaching philosophies hold up?
A tough challenge will be which end to sure up first, the defence has too often been spread too thin. Under manned and overworked, James Frawley and Tom McDonald could do with some help.
Or take the forward half. Averaging 9.5 goals a game (the lowest in the league in 2013) can Roos get cohesion out of Mitch Clark, Jack Watts, Jeremy Howe and Jesse Hogan?
How about the midfield? At 32.8 a game they were dead last in clearances for the year.
Even when they got get their hands on it, they consistently torched the ball, running last in effective disposals as high possession winners Dean Terlich, Matt Jones and Jack Trengove turned the ball over too often.
Whether it was injuries, captaincy or the gumboots he was running in, Trengove will look to rid all three in 2014.
They have added experience in the middle with the inclusion of Bernie Vince from Adelaide and highly fancied Dom Tyson from GWS.
Vince is a hard nut and will help Nathan Jones and Jack Viney at the bottom of packs, but he does lack polish.
Something tells me the Dees aren’t going to be the most attractive of teams to watch this year. Then again, Paul Roos doesn’t care about pretty.
When it comes to pretty, nothing seems more impressive than Jeremy Howe leaping at full flight.
The club’s leading goal kicker in 2013 will hope to get some much needed help up forward as long as Mitch Clark stays healthy, but I’m backing that won’t happen as he hasn’t played a full season since 2009.
And it’s D-Day for Chris Dawes, he must justify his contract this season.
Mention Jessie Hogan around any Demons supporter and you’ll see their eyes light up among other things.
Hogan was drafted as a 17-year-old and was ineligible to play an AFL game until 2014.
Although Roos will be reluctant to put him into the mix straight away, he may very well have to show the members their future cornerstone.
Jack Watts one of the most maligned players in the game had a solid season last year.
Once thought of as a foundation player, Watts is not a big power forward in the vein of Wayne Carey, nor is he a super athletic type like Buddy Franklin.
But he could be a great swingman upsetting opposition line-ups in the fashion of a Brendan Goddard.
Whether you believe Paul Roos has magical coaching mystique that turn teams into powerhouses or Sydney were just due for a premiership.
Melbourne supporters will accept a season of as many losses as 2013, what they won’t do is accept the efforts of 2013 and here’s where Zen, General, Master Roos will earn his dollars.
So why don’t they finish last this season?
It’s too easy to throw them bottom of the ladder again, they have got a coach of legendary status and whether or not he brings finals or not in the two years he is at the helm is irrelevant.
What he will bring is identity.
Lad-view Preview: 17th
Individual Predictions
Best and Fairest: Nathan Jones
Goal Kicking Award: Clark, Howe? A tie maybe?
Most Improved: Tom McDonald with a little help from his friends.
Thing Most Looking Forward To Seeing In 2014: Jack Viney, Jessie Hogan
In the Hot Seat For 2014: Any player who has played more than 50 games.
Novelty Blog Award: My reaction to reading this entry at the end of the season.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Apart from one five-goal game, GWS forward Toby Greene has only kicked six goals from the other eight games. He's traditionally had success against the Western Bulldogs.
Bayley Fritsch should become an even more important player from a structural perspective, given key forward Jacob van Rooyen will be unavailable due to concussion.
Disgraced former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas is once again at the centre of a police investigation, after being accused of harassing an ex-partner.…
In Round 2 of last season, Jeremy Cameron took on Carlton at the MCG and nearly beat them singlehandedly. Fast forward a year and…
