Win or Lose

[Pello 1]

As much as I would like a win this week and understand how good that could be for morale, I think this win we need is at least a week away.

If WCE win, they lose the the PP and it locks Scully to us in the draft. Its brings our 2nd pick closer to pick 1 and to us. The outcome of this game is too important to our list for next season.

Yes, Yes and Yes! We all would love a win. But find something to bite down on and take the loss this week. Then we are free to chase down a couple of wins before the seasons end and not worry about losing draft selections. Look at the big picture!

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I agree RR but at the same time our performance against the lions was just so unacceptable. We have gone Backwards this year & that concerns me. Our Mid field is just so slow, which is wierd considering we have the Quickest player in the league in the Backline. Davey has been Great this year, but most of his work is not hurting the oppositions as he is too far from goal.

Bailey should be more bold in these later rounds. Move the team around- Give the Boys some Challenges. They looked so predictably Bad last week.

Stefan Martin was good-he could be a total Gun with Jurrah..

C'mon Bails Go Bold in the last few weeks-get the crowd involved please.

I share your frustration WYL.

However as glum as the past three weeks have been, we are definitely better than last year. Our midfield is and has been a concern for some time.

Davey has been good this year but the issue is with his possessions is that he does not hurt the opposition enough with his disposals and he cant win contested ball in traffic. But a midfield of Beamer, Brock, Jones and even Sylvia is just molasses combined with an invisible and useless ruckman in PJ then we look less than third world.

The team also lacks on field leadership and none of our senior players impact the game and most of the senior list should be pensioned off at year end.

This leaves an intolerable burden and pressure on young bodies and young minds. And its been a hard season and its taking its toll on players like Morton.

I think once we are over the WCE hump then Bailey needs to instil some confidence to back their ability and run and use the ball. The impact of the losses and lack of leadership is that player have a a defensive mindset and are not prepared to take risks. Many senior players are doing safe things under pressure not the things that inspire and change momentum in games.

There are signs of optimism. Keep the faith.

[Sir Why You Little 37,119]

I share your frustration WYL.

However as glum as the past three weeks have been, we are definitely better than last year. Our midfield is and has been a concern for some time.

Davey has been good this year but the issue is with his possessions is that he does not hurt the opposition enough with his disposals and he cant win contested ball in traffic. But a midfield of Beamer, Brock, Jones and even Sylvia is just molasses combined with an invisible and useless ruckman in PJ then we look less than third world.

The team also lacks on field leadership and none of our senior players impact the game and most of the senior list should be pensioned off at year end.

This leaves an intolerable burden and pressure on young bodies and young minds. And its been a hard season and its taking its toll on players like Morton.

I think once we are over the WCE hump then Bailey needs to instil some confidence to back their ability and run and use the ball. The impact of the losses and lack of leadership is that player have a a defensive mindset and are not prepared to take risks. Many senior players are doing safe things under pressure not the things that inspire and change momentum in games.

There are signs of optimism. Keep the faith.

I think we should play Watts in the Backline for a few weeks to get him into the game-get him chasing so he reads the tempo better.

At the Moment he is like a rabbit looking at headlights.

He will be a Gun but is not reading the AFL Tempo yet.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I agree RR but at the same time our performance against the lions was just so unacceptable. We have gone Backwards this year & that concerns me. Our Mid field is just so slow, which is wierd considering we have the Quickest player in the league in the Backline. Davey has been Great this year, but most of his work is not hurting the oppositions as he is too far from goal.

Bailey should be more bold in these later rounds. Move the team around- Give the Boys some Challenges. They looked so predictably Bad last week.

Stefan Martin was good-he could be a total Gun with Jurrah..

C'mon Bails Go Bold in the last few weeks-get the crowd involved please.

Think just for a minute a little sideways, what has the last couple of heavy losses in fact delivered. It's in fact given us a % gap we can use as safety net a little later as we (hopefully start to win a couple) of games.

Imo, not this week, please.

[Sir Why You Little 37,119]

Think just for a minute a little sideways, what has the last couple of heavy losses in fact delivered. It's in fact given us a % gap we can use as safety net a little later as we (hopefully start to win a couple) of games.

Imo, not this week, please.

West Coke beating the Tasmanian Hawks has saved us from that dilema i believe. We need a win on the 'G to put some pride into the Jumper this week, otherwise all the Draft picks in the world will not save us.

We are allowed 3 more wins & this could be one.

West Coke will win again in perth before the seasons end-i am confident of that.

[beelzebub 23,382]

We arent actually that good to enable us to dictate any real outcome this or following weeks , not unless a great improvement is around the corner. Make no mistake.. who wins this game is up to the Eagles, if you get my drift

[hayz 27]

I hope we thump them by 10 goals!!!! Our young guys need the confidence and us supporters need something to smile about.

West coast will win another game for the season one of the essendon, north or tigers games at subi. We wont win more than 2 so we will get pick 1 & 2. Dont worry scully is ours!!!!!

We can win and we must win!!! I am looking forward to going to the game and seeing us win for a change!!! Go Dees!!!!

[beelzebub 23,382]

Being realistic, other than a 5 minute Ra-Ra what does winning actually achieve for us at present ? We need to learn how to implement the process of playing good footy 4 quasrters week in week out, not some 'by the seat of your pants' faux achievement in defeating a team who's just as likely to gift us the game anyway.

Though stirring the come from behind wins again Freo and Brisbane last year whilst pleasing in a fashion showed that we really have not got any closer to 'getting our act together" by carrying on in this mode and cementing those efforts. We're still a hodge podge of a train wreck at present.

But honestly...theres no use ignoring the elephant in the corner, we simply cant afford to win.

[Zarate Kid 20 0]

Jack Bauer is a moral buster.

I think you meant morale booster.

What is it with people on this site always correcting other peoples grammar.

It's a spelling mistake, your not his/her teacher, get over it

[e25 5]

What is it with people on this site always correcting other peoples grammar.

It's a spelling mistake, your not his/her teacher, get over it

Mate, if someone can't understand what the fu%& you are saying its a waste of time.

Take a second and get it right.

[rpfc 28,729]

What is it with people on this site always correcting other peoples grammar.

It's a spelling mistake, your not his/her teacher, get over it

E25's right.

The poster just above you - BB59 - has cleaned up his grammar significantly since he started and now you can actually understand what he is saying. And he says some good things.

We wouldn't know that if he didn't fix the way he posts.

[Late Draft Pick 48]

Poor old West Coast.

Someone forgot to tell Natanui that they were tanking.

but with 4 teams just above us on the ladder with 4 or less wins there is no way I am looking for a win this Saturday.

And as for our form over the last month. If ever there was a team that was going to hit a brick wall in the last month

it was Melbourne, who started the pre season so long ago and who put every thing into being competitive

over the pre season and the early matches with such a young team. I just don't think it is the time to be evaluating

every player and every piece of play. No one is going to look that good with very little going on about them.

And don't forget, there are other teams apart from those four above us who could quite easily decide to put the queue in the rack.

It is not just up to Dean Bailey to decide to list manage and everything will be fine.

[Dexter23 2]

PLEA TO PLAYERS:

HARD EARNED WIN! Thats all we need to put weeks of pain to an end.

The excitement leading up to the game, The week ahead, what we are going to do to overcome our opposition. The IN's, The Outs, The WHY's and WHY NOT's. Then the "Bounce" The most anticipated time of my WEEK, then it hits....... Some positive UP's lead by Down's, I stay positive telling myself we'll be like hawks in few years.

Then the FAT LADY sings, and i have some anger yet i understanbley accept the fact that our side is regularly made up of 16 or so players that have played under 50 games, and will only get better. (Morton, Grimes, Watts, Jurrah, Bennell, Cheney, Jetta, Garland, Frawley, who can forget Wonaeamirri, with the likes of Strauss and Blease and others to come, I'd say we're on the right track).

ENOUGH ABOUT PREVIOUS WEEKS:

THIS WEEK, JUST WIN - Hard Earned, give it 110%. Run Hard, Tackle Ferocious, honor leads; he has beat his man, reward him. In turn you'll be rewarded. RUN that extra step to SMOTHER the ball, we'll know what that is, It can TURN a game. Shows his team mates he wants to be on the field. Reward running with smooth hand passing, accurate kicking and a pat on the back for the ONE PERCENTER'S; a Shepard, a smother a third man up. Going 110% of the time at 1% can help win games.

Don't ever think your too far away from a player, go over, help your team mate. Create Pressure which create errors, poor disposals which leads to turnovers, which leads to opportunities at GOALS.

If your 60 out and running into a crowded forward line, have a dance run in and slot it through, EXECUTE. Be positive that you will kick the goal!!

Run Run Run, Create SPACE on the field. Corridors GREAT, but be QUICK, KNOW what your going to do and EXECUTE. You ALL have the ABILITY to be among the elite in the competition, you have your opportunity. Its YOU or someone else............(interesting, when i put it like that..)

Don't Drop your Head's, be proud to play for your club. If the other team scores, learn, regroup and get one back. This may take patience, But it'll be worth the while.

The Ball Is yours, go earn it and show us your Skills. Why YOU have been picked to showcase your skills for the MelbourneFC in this great game of AFL.

Consistently do them for FOUR Quarters and you will be Stars, potential Premiership Players.

Good Luck, And GO DEES!!

[Sir Why You Little 37,119]

Poor old West Coast.

Someone forgot to tell Natanui that they were tanking.

but with 4 teams just above us on the ladder with 4 or less wins there is no way I am looking for a win this Saturday.

And as for our form over the last month. If ever there was a team that was going to hit a brick wall in the last month

it was Melbourne, who started the pre season so long ago and who put every thing into being competitive

over the pre season and the early matches with such a young team. I just don't think it is the time to be evaluating

every player and every piece of play. No one is going to look that good with very little going on about them.

And don't forget, there are other teams apart from those four above us who could quite easily decide to put the queue in the rack.

It is not just up to Dean Bailey to decide to list manage and everything will be fine.

Its only west Coke we need to worry about with wins as they won 4 games last year, so they are the only immediate worry to our picks.

[Doggo 32]

The rule to qualify for the PP is to have 4 wins or less (i.e. equal to, or less than 16 points on the ladder), for two seasons in a row, correct?

Unless i'm wrong, then the very best result we could possibly hope for this week is a DRAW!

A draw would put the Eagles above the 4-win/16-point threshold with 18 points, hence robbing them of their eligibility for a PP. AND we don't lose!

It's win/win really. B)

Or is that lose/lose? lol

[titan_uranus 25,041]

However as glum as the past three weeks have been, we are definitely better than last year.

This is debatable IMO. We could well end up this year with less than 3 wins. I think we've played more competitive quarters this year than we did last year, and I think we've seen improvement in a few players (Davey, Sylvia, Grimes). But on the other side of the coin we still aren't winning, we still have plenty of players giving the team little to nothing (Miller, Bell, Whelan, McLean) and we still don't have a game plan that looks like it will work going into next year.

Sounds pessimistic, I know, but the next 9 weeks will say a lot. Easier draw, should mean many more competitive matches. If we continue to get wiped off the park then the whole '2009 is a step up from 2008' thing might be redundant.

I think once we are over the WCE hump then Bailey needs to instil some confidence to back their ability and run and use the ball.

I don't think it will be easy enough to bring confidence into the team once they have lost to a team that hasn't won on the road for 2 years and typically puts in abysmal peformances in Melbourne. The media will come down on us hard if we lose on Saturday, and if we don't play a brand of football that doesn't make you want to walk out of the ground. That's why I think we need to win this week.

[Pello 1]

The media will come down on us hard if we lose on Saturday, and if we don't play a brand of football that doesn't make you want to walk out of the ground. That's why I think we need to win this week.

[heartbeatstrue 57]

Would I like to see a win against West Coast? YES

Do I think we will win? no, I think Naitanui will kill us in the ruck, plus he'll be too skilfull up forward and kick the winning goal (I've followed us long enough to know how perverse fate can be for MFC)

Do I hope we win? ABSOLUTELY! In fact, I think it's so crucial to the team that I'll be doing everything I can to help them (which involves shouting myself hoarse, at the umpires if necessary, and waving my scarf at every bit of magic).

GO DEES!

[heartbeatstrue 57]

And don't forget, there are other teams apart from those four above us who could quite easily decide to put the queue in the rack.

Golly, is Carrrlton one of them??!

[heartbeatstrue 57]

As much as I would like a win this week and understand how good that could be for morale, I think this win we need is at least a week away.

If WCE win, they lose the the PP and it locks Scully to us in the draft. Its brings our 2nd pick closer to pick 1 and to us. The outcome of this game is too important to our list for next season.

Must admit, I was letting my heart rule my head. Your logic is impeccable, Rhino. Now I'm hoping for a very tight loss (a few behinds would suffice), and just to sweeten it a bit, for Watts to run down and tackle Naitanui in the last qtr (showing us some of the legendary pace that they say he's got). I would leave the 'G happy with that...

[old55 23,687]

It's painful to prefer losing - however one comfort may be that if we lose this weekend then that should be the bottom of the bottoming out and we should not have that ambiguity in future - we can always hope and barrack for a win from then on. If we lose this week I don't think we can win 5, it would mean four wins from Port, Richmond, Freo, North and Sydney and that would some sort of turnaround. I'm looking at just one more week of pain ...

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Well if we dont win this one in light of whats happened since Sat night, we wont win another game this season...Im all for a win and a good one over this lot...i dont think it will make any difference if we get picks 1&2 or 1&3 in the long run....

[old55 23,687]

Well if we dont win this one in light of whats happened since Sat night, we wont win another game this season...Im all for a win and a good one over this lot...i dont think it will make any difference if we get picks 1&2 or 1&3 in the long run....

I don't think it's a big difference either, what I'm talking about is stitching up pick 1.

If we win this week there's some possibility that we'll win 3 more and WC will lose every game.

I want that out of the equation.

[rpfc 28,729]

The Demons will not lose this game.

[Deano74 156]

After the news of Jimmy, If we dont get a emotional, body on the line type of game, Ill be very disappointed.

They should come out on a mission and hopefully get the points