We would have lost last night's match against Adelaide by 60+ points twelve months ago

[Biffinator 2]

Comrades - the title says it all.

Yes, I know, a loss is a loss. Even so, we fought it out against a very well drilled side that boringly always had additional men behind the ball.

Incidentally, Adelaide under Toothless is never going to get anywhere if that is how they play week in week out.

[MikeyJ 60]

I've seen a lot of comments about how bad the game was, but I'll venture a different view.

I live in Sydney and I watched it on Fox and it was one of the most interesting games of footy I've seen in a long time.

Wet weather footy, a tactical challenge against a well-drilled opponent and conditions that made hitting a target nearly impossible. It was enthralling viewing.

I think you tend to find out a lot more about players in those sorts of games than you do in a free-running, high-scoring, visually attractive goalfest.

Thus, plaudits must go to Frawley, Davey, McLean, Moloney, Junior, Petterd and Bennell. All showed the requisite skill, thought and courage to excel in patches during the game. The Meese also showed plenty. I'd written him off before this season but he may yet show something.

Michael Newton was god-awful and Brad Miller is Brad Miller: limited but effective at his role (which is not, and should never be, playing deep forward).

It was just about Paul Johnson's worst game for the club and Nathan Jones was exceptional in close, but the composure he showed with his disposal last week was mysteriously absent. He's good enough to learn from that but Johnson, I fear, is not.

[Redleg 37,720]

Comrades - the title says it all.

Was thinking the same thing on the way home. We were awful for a lot of the game yet but for the miss of two simple close in shots and a couple of others could nearly have won the game. That wouldn't have happened last year. We have now got a good backline. Time to rebuild other areas.

[Yze_Magic 3]

Correct, comrade Biff.

After 5 rounds last year, we were 0-5 with an average losing margin of 62 points.

After 5 rounds thgis year, we are 1-4 with an average kosing margin of 40 points.

Baby steps!!!!!

[Ghost 0]

Too true.

The same can be said for the Port Adelaide game a few weeks ago. We won the last quarter. Yeah ok, so what? Last year we would've gone down by 15 goals instead of 10.

And last night was the same. I thought early in the last quarter we were going to go down by 11 goals to 1. But despite being knocked around by a more physically mature team in trying conditions for three quarters, the guys fought it out and made it half interesting.

The point is, we're getting better.

[beelzebub 22,225]

I've seen a lot of comments about how bad the game was, but I'll venture a different view.

I live in Sydney and I watched it on Fox and it was one of the most interesting games of footy I've seen in a long time.

Wet weather footy, a tactical challenge against a well-drilled opponent and conditions that made hitting a target nearly impossible. It was enthralling viewing.

I think you tend to find out a lot more about players in those sorts of games than you do in a free-running, high-scoring, visually attractive goalfest.

Thus, plaudits must go to Frawley, Davey, McLean, Moloney, Junior, Petterd and Bennell. All showed the requisite skill, thought and courage to excel in patches during the game. The Meese also showed plenty. I'd written him off before this season but he may yet show something.

Michael Newton was god-awful and Brad Miller is Brad Miller: limited but effective at his role (which is not, and should never be, playing deep forward).

It was just about Paul Johnson's worst game for the club and Nathan Jones was exceptional in close, but the composure he showed with his disposal last week was mysteriously absent. He's good enough to learn from that but Johnson, I fear, is not.

A rather interesting perspective and I somewhat concur with your evaluations. I do sort of miss the old fashioned mud wrestle ( but how can you argue for clash jumpers when everyones a nice shade of brown!! lol )

We certainly werent good. And we were at times definitely bad, but we werent consitantly terrible and we did find some sort of pride and gusto to keep at it and nearly steal the points. As MJ alludes...you see the real character on days like this...even if not the real abilities hehehe.

It could have been much worse...and was last year. We've come so far havent we..I think !!

[stevenDEMON 0]

Correct, comrade Biff.

After 5 rounds last year, we were 0-5 with an average losing margin of 62 points.

After 5 rounds thgis year, we are 1-4 with an average kosing margin of 40 points.

Baby steps!!!!!

Who were our opponents last year? hawks, dogs, cats roos and carlton. This year we have played north, pies, port, tigers and the crows. We have not improved much by that analogy.

[45HG 1,539]

[censored], I knew we were bad last year, but we'd have scored NEGATIVE 9?!?!

[praha 10,287]

Who were our opponents last year? hawks, dogs, cats roos and carlton. This year we have played north, pies, port, tigers and the crows. We have not improved much by that analogy.

This.

We'll see how much we've improved after we've played the Saints, Cats and Hawks.

[Chook 14,573]

This.

We'll see how much we've improved after we've played the Saints, Cats and Hawks.

Trust me. The Hawks are no good this year. I'm not talking "outside the eight" bad, but they're no Geelong or St Kilda. In fact, come to think of it, they may as well just play the Grand Final next week between the two obviously best teams in the competition. And then we can get on with getting our priority pick and get ready for next year.

[bjgc 0]

If we can take something out of the game it is that it doesn't matter how bad you play as long as you have a dip you still have a chance. We have thrown in the towel too often over the years. I'll take an ugly game over a 10 goal belting any day of the week.

[Sir Why You Little 34,600]

Totally agree-if it wasn't for some terrible kicking for goal that is totally unacceptable. The Melbourne Boys should have pinched that game in the 2nd Half.

I thought it was a Good effort. Not Good enough but still a good effort.

As Y.M. Said "Baby Steps" Adelaide will win nothing in September playing like that.

[praha 10,287]

We've seen St. Kilda burst out of the blocks like this before. Weren't they 10-0 in 2004? And they were super good then.