THE GAME - PS1

[dreamin' man 0]

20+ years of following this club & they're still finding new ways of breaking my heart.

[Kit Walker 225]

It was the absolute worst thing that could have happened.

1. We have the Youth Summit tomorrow. I sincerely hope this performance doesn't turn people away, it well could.

2. Memberships will certainly suffer. We'll get some really bad press from this, and we deserve it.

3. We need a sponsor. Potential sponsors won't have been particularly impressed with that last quarter performance. It also means we won't have a game featured on television until round 1, and even then, its probably Foxtel anyway.

Don't agree at all.

The story tomorrow will be about Hawthorn's comeback, not about a poor Melbourne performance. And so it should. Even with their players out, Hawthorn at Launceston were very hot favourites. I don't think we rolled over - more that Hawthorn lifted their work/skillrate to closer to what they are capable of, and right now we are nowhere near being able to match that.

And if you think a potential sponsor will reconsider spending millions of dollars based on a NAB Cup match we were expected to lose anyway, I think your demon embossed glasses may be obscuring your vision.....

[joeboy 3,174]

20+ years of following this club & they're still finding new ways of breaking my heart.

It's a fine line between heaven and hell !

If we'd held on for a couple more seconds we'd all be in ecstacy even though we'd only won by a few points .

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,297]

send newton to SIBERIA< whos gona start the petition.

Luckiest person to be on a list in the AFL.

Aside from that, I think a few of you are getting a bit carried away. Its only NAB Cup. OK They had 9 premiership players out but I think many of you are expecting a little too much. Remember, we are the worst team in the AFL by a long way. If anything, I think there were more positives than negatives out of this game (Newton aside). I have no doubt that DB will take them to school on trying to save the game in the last quarter instead of playing the same attacking, hard tackling footy which would have won the game of footy. There are signs that they can play very good footy at times. They will learn to play it more consistently as the season progresses. Only downside for me is missing out on some very handy cash!

[praha 11,253]

OK well I am off for a night on the booze to drown my sorrows. Godspeed, all!!

[angryfijian 25]

Could be our major sponsor with masta (bate) as the face of the product

[ucanchoose 1,816]

If wonna was out there he would have snuck one in the last, we would have won and everybody would be crowing. Fine line between pleasure and pain

[Hannabal 4]

How good was Spencer !

Mr Positive

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,288]

FFS, I am actually enjoying that I care about the result of a game for the first time in 18 months. I got as angry as anyone in the last but anyone that thinks that losing like that is worse than being out of the game in the first quarter and losing by 10 goals needs their head read. Has anyone seen the standard of other NAB cup games thus far? It takes more than a pre-season to change a losing culture to a winning one but maybe I should have the lofty expectations of others. Bailey could have flooded with 3 minutes to go but I think he would have learnt more about some players in that time than he has all pre season (Grimes smother, Bartram's choke).

We may have found a true quality ruckman.

We may have found Bates rightful position.

We confirmed the importance of Mclean to our side.

Frawley and Garland were outstanding and will only get better

Our clearance work and game plan was existent unlike last year

We got through the game with no serious injury.

Yes it sucked but get some perspective.

[Guest JACKtheRIPPER]

still think we can beat the roos in the first round,were [censored] off but there was a few positives,cant wait to we got a good fullforward.

[Gippy Dee 48]

FFS, I am actually enjoying that I care about the result of a game for the first time in 18 months. I got as angry as anyone in the last but anyone that thinks that losing like that is worse than being out of the game in the first quarter and losing by 10 goals needs their head read. Has anyone seen the standard of other NAB cup games thus far? It takes more than a pre-season to change a losing culture to a winning one but maybe I should have the lofty expectations of others. Bailey could have flooded with 3 minutes to go but I think he would have learnt more about some players in that time than he has all pre season (Grimes smother, Bartram's choke).

We may have found a true quality ruckman.

We may have found Bates rightful position.

We confirmed the importance of Mclean to our side.

Frawley and Garland were outstanding and will only get better

Our clearance work and game plan was existent unlike last year

We got through the game with no serious injury.

Yes it sucked but get some perspective.

Too True, I've never cursed or been more upset in the last 5 years about the Melbourne Football Club. But I'm actually glad that I'm being so passionate.

And in perspective, we need to remind ourselves that we were playing against the reigning (in mind a depleted) premiers.

Gippy

[grazman 7,504]

FFS, I am actually enjoying that I care about the result of a game for the first time in 18 months. I got as angry as anyone in the last but anyone that thinks that losing like that is worse than being out of the game in the first quarter and losing by 10 goals needs their head read. Has anyone seen the standard of other NAB cup games thus far? It takes more than a pre-season to change a losing culture to a winning one but maybe I should have the lofty expectations of others. Bailey could have flooded with 3 minutes to go but I think he would have learnt more about some players in that time than he has all pre season (Grimes smother, Bartram's choke).

We may have found a true quality ruckman.

We may have found Bates rightful position.

We confirmed the importance of Mclean to our side.

Frawley and Garland were outstanding and will only get better

Our clearance work and game plan was existent unlike last year

We got through the game with no serious injury.

Yes it sucked but get some perspective.

Good points Red. Unfortunately the question marks about some players just get bigger.

I've got one in relation to Dunn, but I thought he was more composed today than in previous years. Our biggest problem still remains - we still have too many players who just can't use the ball - in any circumstances.

[52k2 0]

The worst part of the game [besides losing ] was at the end of the game the camera panned across the players.

And what do you see? Sylvia laughing, not smiling, but outright laughing. Not 30 seconds after losing the game.

He just dosnt HURT enough, he cant be happy with his game today. He just dosnt have the heart for the club, its a way of playing a game he likes

and proberly gets alot of money for. He certainly dosnt bled red and blue.

And dont know whether it was bad luck or something but every time Millar turned the ball over it resulted in six points to hawthorn.

[Jaded No More 68,975]

How good was Spencer !

Mr Positive

So there was a reason to get excited afterall!

And yes, Spencer was seriously fantastic. He looks like he is going to be your typical awkward giant, but he isn't. Best part about his game for me was the aggression. He has a bit of nasty in him, which is something our other ruckmen seriously lack.

Jamar and Meesen (is he still alive?) should be [censored] themselves right about now.

[angryfijian 25]

I don't have fox - can someone tell me about Grimes' smother late in the last quarter. I recall someone saying that Grimes is a Kirk type player - who you want playing for your life when it matters most - not flashy but all heart. Was it just a normal smother - or something out of nowherre?

[Rogue 585]

It was the absolute worst thing that could have happened.

1. We have the Youth Summit tomorrow. I sincerely hope this performance doesn't turn people away, it well could.

2. Memberships will certainly suffer. We'll get some really bad press from this, and we deserve it.

3. We need a sponsor. Potential sponsors won't have been particularly impressed with that last quarter performance. It also means we won't have a game featured on television until round 1, and even then, its probably Foxtel anyway.

Massive over-reaction IMO - particularly the sponsorship bit.

In fact, I'd be pointing to the performance and telling potential sponsors 'Sure, these young kids are going to be inconsistent, but Hawthorn were struggling a couple of years ago and look where they are now. There were plenty of positives out of that game and we're only going to improve over the duration of your sponsorship'.

I can understand people being disappointed straight after the game, but with some sort of emotional distance there has to be an acknowledgement of the positives, despite a loss.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,288]

It was the absolute worst thing that could have happened.

1. We have the Youth Summit tomorrow. I sincerely hope this performance doesn't turn people away, it well could.

2. Memberships will certainly suffer. We'll get some really bad press from this, and we deserve it.

3. We need a sponsor. Potential sponsors won't have been particularly impressed with that last quarter performance. It also means we won't have a game featured on television until round 1, and even then, its probably Foxtel anyway.

Did you see North play last night? Would you have preferred that to be us?

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Best: Bate, Green, Garland, Martin, Grimes

Better: Whelan, McLean, Spencer, Miller, Petterd, Warnock, Bartram, Bail

Average: Bruce, Davey, Cheney, Bell, Morton, Dunn

Worst: Jones, Johnson, Sylvia, Newton

N/A: Wonaeamirri, McDonald

[Wiseblood 24,637]

Hold on, I thought we were only playing NAB Cup today? Sounds like we just coughed up a Grand Final. We whinge about things never changing with some players, but things never change with Melbourne supporters. Simply content to come in and whinge and look at all the negatives... about a NAB Cup game... in February. Oh NOES!!!! Season over.

Get a grip. I'm hurting just like anyone other Melbourne supporter, but I think we have some real positives to look at. We have a good young group coming through and we saw that today. We still have others to come back into the side, and we already look further advanced than last year. We lost and that sucks, but I think we can look at the season ahead with a little more confidence than we could last year.

[The Great One 99 125]

I was stoked with the way we played for the most part. Good signs. Before the game, i'm certain I would of been happy with this result, and also the way we played. I know he is only a rookie list player, but did anyone else think that we missed Spencer in the last quarter when he went off? Is there any chance this bloke could be elevated?

[Eastie Boyz 0]

At least Bell goes hard, puts his body on the line, tackles, runs, chases.

Newton tries to take one-handed marks, fly for impossible speccies and when he finally gets the ball he does the lazy thing and kicks it around his body. I have never seen a footballer care less. He truly looks like he just doesn't give a [censored], and the worse thing is, he kept Zomer out of the team today.

Someone please hide him away until his contract is up, because if I have to see this guy pretending to be a Melbourne footballer again I might just be forced to poke both my eyes out with a stick.

Thank god for players like Petterd who have so much heart they almost make up for his lack of one!

Though not to the same extent, sounds like what I've known of Trent over the past 4 years lol

[Jarka 767]

How good was Spencer !

Mr Positive

I'm sorry H, I take everything I said back

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Valenti must get a game this week.

[heartbeatstrue 57]

Its only the NAB cup. Surely an expected result before the game started.

No AFL team, 33 points up at 3 qtr time, should ever lose, especially to the Tasmanian Hawks. Doesn't matter what comp it's in. Whatever you expected, at 3 qtr time if we're 33 points up and playing all over them, I EXPECT US TO WIN. That's all.

[ucanchoose 1,816]

At least we looked semi ok. Try being adelaide today!!!