The issues at Melbourne are:

[mjp]

I think we've all been watching what's been happening at Melbourne since the 2021 flag with a fair amount of interest. They had a great season last year...but for the 2nd year in a row exited the finals in straight sets.

What I'm curious about is whether people think they have a FOOTY issue that can be fixed or a CULTURAL issue that can't, and what the impact will be on their side during 2024.

[hujsh]

I guess it remains to be seen if they're the same issue. There's clearly a cultural issue and you could easily argue a lack of commitment to football first in the wake of their success is finding them fall short of more committed teams in finals but I suspect it's not actually related. The closest they got to being challenged in 2021 finals was probably by us and we fell apart too quickly to really force them to grind out a game.

[mjp]

I guess it remains to be seen if they're the same issue.

I mean, I KNOW it remains to be seen...but what do you THINK it is??

[Grantysghost]

I went cultural and they'll not make top 4.

Theyve always had issues with their heads wobbling too much these guys.
Being petulant children re Freed from desire, May and Melksham punching on at Entrecote etc etc, even the president saying the players won't feel like they've won a flag until they do so on the MCG (totally agree btw; fake flag) it's a just a place that has a huge crush on itself and enjoys inhaling their own emissions.

Also I don't care about Melbourne and I hate Max Gawn and hope he gets that ridiculous beard and goat eyed head caught in a combine harvester.

[hujsh]

I mean, I KNOW it remains to be seen...but what do you THINK it is??

I guess it remains to be seen if they're the same issue. There's clearly a cultural issue and you could easily argue a lack of commitment to football first in the wake of their success is finding them fall short of more committed teams in finals but I suspect it's not actually related. The closest they got to being challenged in 2021 finals was probably by us and we fell apart too quickly to really force them to grind out a game.

Please see above. They've probably been figured out a bit since that run in 2022 and they aren't clutch masters so they're vulnerable come finals time.

[GVGjr]

So, it's a massive distraction but they can still put a very competitive side on the park because they are so talented.
If they can overcome it will be a true test for the way the coach and captain can rally the balance of the group.
I think we can safely assume this isn't just isolated to two players and it will run a bit deeper than that.

They could still make top 6 or 8 and they could still win a final but their season ambitions will need to be reduced.
We know how our team fell away after 2016 and how long it took for them to get back on track with distracted players so this might not be a quick fix.
We also know how Hunter negatively influenced other players in 21/22 so once a few in the group aren't fully committed or onboard it spreads quickly.

[Happy Days]

I think they’ve had cultural issues the whole time, so it’s not that. It’s more that without Oliver (forgetting why he’s absent and focusing more on the fact that he is) I don’t think they’re as good as the top 2-3 teams anymore.

[mjp]

I think they’ve had cultural issues the whole time, so it’s not that. It’s more that without Oliver (forgetting why he’s absent and focusing more on the fact that he is) I don’t think they’re as good as the top 2-3 teams anymore.

Why do you think that HD?

It's the absence of Oliver alone that drives that thinking? I would have thought the end of the Grundy distraction and the recruitment of McAdam to play side by side with Pickett would offset that...

[Happy Days]

At the start of 2023 I had Oliver as the best player in the AFL, and still think he’s responsible for the majority of what they can do at stoppage. More than Petracca, Gawn and certainly more than Viney. He has the most burst out of any player that would play regular minutes in there and I think, if he actually misses time, they will have to force an ill-fitting substitute into his role.

Further, their back six looked more gettable last year than they had at any stage since 2020. May just seems lesser, Lever didn’t fire a shot for a pretty extended stretch, and the combined weight of their form slips exposes their third tall to more than they can handle (particularly if Petty is playing forward).

And none of this is to mention that their most dynamic forward for a lot of last year was Jake Melksham, which firstly lol and secondly is a guy who we won’t see in 2024. Does McAdam, who is already what 28 and was far from a Crows regular, really improve them?

They’re still a good to top 4 level side, but between some not insignificant personnel issues and the worst vibes at a football club maybe ever, Brisbane, Collingwood, maybe even GWS have cleared them.

[mighty_west]

It has to be a bit of both doesn't it? I mean the issues with Oliver are constantly plastered all over the media, same goes with Smith and now his possible 2 year ban, then they have Hunter, how has he fit into their culture, as a player he looks fine, playing as well as he did with us.

Then you have the coach and the Elephant in the room with the talk of his issues away from the club, or are they? Plus to come out and be so disappointed in what was going on with Smith to say he hasn't bothered talking to him about what was going on because he was too angry to me, lacks leadership, in fact i personally think that was piss weak especially as the coach of the side.

Add in losing Burgess i reckon a massive loss as their fitness was off the charts in '21, plus other teams working out how to play them, cut off their run from the outside, they don't have the big dominant forwards who can bash and crash so again, teams may have worked out how to stop the mid and smaller forwards and not allow them to spread as easy as they did in 2021, the backline still as good as ever, as long as May and Lever are up and running, no drama's there.

[MrMahatma]

I think they'll make the top 4, but I hope it's a really bad cultural issue that will see many good players leave and them miss the finals for the next 3 decades.

[ledge]

If Melbourne beat us in the first round they will take over from Geelong as our Achilles heel.
Bevo has made statements about us being ready for round 1.

[Testekill]

It's cultural and it'll derail any chances of going deep into the finals.

The issues are easy to ignore when they were travelling well and winning but Melbourne's dynasty never came to pass and they went out in straight sets two years in a row. Their best player has gone off the rails, their captain publicly talks shit and the issues with the coach have been bubbling up as well.

[Happy Days]

Jesus sorry for starting a paragraph with “further”. That’s what happens when you post while you’re at your fake email job.

[Go_Dogs]

Jesus sorry for starting a paragraph with “further”. That’s what happens when you post while you’re at your fake email job.

You’re slipping.


I hope it’s cultural. I’m not sure it is though. A few bad eggs but most sides probably have them. Perracca / Gawn etc seem like strong leaders and while we may think a lot of their team are dickheads, they’ve generally been pretty hard to beat since 2021, aside from their finals disappointments.

I think they’ve lacked a quality forward, their get the ball moving forward and stay front of centre stoppage game has been worked out to an extent and the backline isn’t quite as formidable as it once was.

Still peg them as top 4.