MELBOURNE will look to kickstart its season and build momentum when the club takes on Essendon in Gather Round this weekend.
While the Dees are still searching for their first win of 2025, Simon Goodwin says the belief within the group remains strong, with senior players focused on building momentum in the weeks ahead.
Plenty of belief, plenty of energy
“Obviously, from an outcome perspective, we're not happy where we sit,” Goodwin said.
“But from an energy perspective and a belief perspective, we’ve still got enormous belief and energy that they can turn things around — and that’s the space that we’re operating in.”
A new game style
“We’ve been exploring a new way of playing and we haven’t shied away from that. We’re committed to continuing down that path and finding the right method for our team,” he said.
“It’s been a bit inconsistent… but we feel that we’re making progression.”
Cohesion and urgency
“It’s about getting better every day — that’s what you need to be urgent with,” Goodwin said.
“It’s about maximising our cohesion; training well, preparing well, doing all the little things.”
That cohesion, he says, is beginning to come together.
“We’ve added a lot of youth to our team in the last couple of years. Our senior players have been in and out, so we haven’t had that cohesion as much as we’d like.
“But we’ve got a pretty healthy squad coming together. That’s where we’re going to get our greatest progression — getting guys to play together more often and getting really clear on what’s expected.”
Koltyn Tholstrup's progression
“He’s had a long time out of the game. We’ve just got to get some more match load into him and see how he comes out of that,” Goodwin said.
“But he’s an important player for our footy club… he brings an energy and a toughness. We look forward to seeing him back in the next few weeks.”
A leader on the sidelines
Jake Lever will remain out with injury, but his influence off the field remains vital.
“Incredibly frustrated… last year he had some injury concerns… again this year, missing eight weeks,” Goodwin said.
“That’s a big loss for us but gives us opportunity for other guys to step up. Jake will still play an important leadership role for us.”
Petracca’s passion
After showing raw emotion post-match last week, Goodwin was full of praise for Christian Petracca.
“He wants to win… from a coaching point of view, I loved it,” he said.
“I love that he’s got emotion. I love that he shows that passion about his footy club.”
Fritsch finding form
“We feel he has turned his game around in the last few weeks. He had eight shots at goal, kicked one goal seven — he just needs to finish,” Goodwin said on Bailey Fritsch.
“In terms of what we’re looking for, he’s starting to get back to his best… if you look back at his last two weeks in isolation, we feel like he’s right back into some form that’s going to take us forward.”
Lindsay returns
After an injury scare just weeks ago, Xavier Lindsay is set to return.
“He’ll play. He’ll be available,” Goodwin said.
“There were some nervous times a couple of weeks ago thinking he’d done an ACL, but he’s done a great job in rehab and trained incredibly strongly last week.”
Eyes on Essendon
With the lights of Gather Round shining, the message is clear.
“It’s a big game. It’s a great concept,” Goodwin said.
“We need to start to put our flag in the ground about where we’re at and what we’re doing. We are looking forward to getting over there and getting our season rolling.”
