This seems like a decent place to vent my frustration, so here goes:

I'm with Clint Bizkit 100%, just like I was all of last year. We cannot move forward (pun intended...) until we ditch this notion of moving the entire team into the defensive half when we don't have the ball. It doesn't work. How many times last night (and last year) did we see a Melbourne player get the ball on half back, look up, see no one, and proceed to turn it over as he looks sideways/backwards. It's pointless. What was worse last night was the fact that, in the opening quarter of the first round of the NAB cup, with the breeze going our way, we chose to put, not one, but two loose men behind the ball. Of course, this meant that when we got the centre clearance and a quick kick forward, we were outnumbered and we turned it over. End result: we have less inside 50s than the rest of the competition, and we score less.

It is time for Bailey to recognise that this gameplan just isn't working. Even if we were to use a 'run and carry' type of plan, we have to leave players forward of the centre. Flooding back and trying to run it forward with our skills will never work.

You wouldn't have thought we'd had a massive pre-season judging on last night either. Same players making the same mistakes. We had Miller failing to present, Maric kicking badly and getting caught with the ball, a shambolic midfield set up, and we managed a grand total of 6 goals.

I know this is only Round 1 of the NAB cup, which is meaningless, early, and a place to experiment. But we can't ignore the fact that we played last night basically exactly like we played last year, and that is going to get us nowhere. If we play like that during the home and away season we will finish on the bottom with about 4 wins. Sticking Scully, Trengove, Watts, Jurrah, Grimes, Strauss and Blease in the side isn't going to overcome basic skill errors from the rest of the team, nor will it fix the problem of having nobody forward of the 50.

Oh, and of the clubs a lot of us thought were beatable, or that we could finish above them on the ladder, all of Fremantle, North Melbourne, West Coast, Sydney and Port Adelaide won, and all of them except Fremantle beat finalists from last year.

I don't think it's silly to praciSe anything you do badly. But each to his own opinion.

C or S are both acceptable nowadays.

I think it's reactionary and wrong to think the problem is chest marking, or to say that we 'do it badly' after a few missed marks.

No cause for concern. I'd even put it down to first-game-back jitters.

We had Miller failing to present,...

Really ?

Pretty sure he presented a fair bit, when it WAS kicked forward. What game were you watching ?

Easy scape goat for some, Miller.

I think that we got so touched up in 2008 that everytime we get under pressure our team just clickis into we don't want to lose by 100 point mode. We have enough talent to let them take the game on, lets face it we are losing by over 6 goals most weeks of 2009, I would rather take the game on be exciting and daring then watch the negative garbage we saw last night. We keep hearing that we have a strong back 6 if we have that there is no need to send the other 12 players down to assist. Win the midfield contest, back you defenders run hard forward, at least have 3-4 players in our half at all times.

C or S are both acceptable nowadays.

According to whom? One is a verb & the other a noun.

is it the coaches job that players can't hit targets?

Freo to their credit were very hard at it all night. Didn't give us any time at all.

I'm worried.

is it the coaches job that players can't hit targets?

Freo to their credit were very hard at it all night. Didn't give us any time at all.

I'm worried.

Yes.

What we saw last night was that our skills were not holding up under pressure. The way to improve this is to change the drills our players are doing to include more pressure while they execute. Why don't you look at what the Bulldogs do with their skill drills? Last time I checked they did everything with a tackler breathing down their necks. I haven't been to many training sessions, but those I have seen featured a lot of kicking/handpassing with absolutely no pressure on either player aside from being jeered when they dropped the ball. If we want to improve our disposal on match day we need to train under match conditions, and that includes being grabbed, pushed and generally pressured while trying to execute the basics.

C or S are both acceptable nowadays.

I think it's reactionary and wrong to think the problem is chest marking, or to say that we 'do it badly' after a few missed marks.

No cause for concern. I'd even put it down to first-game-back jitters.

Agree,

there afl players if they cant take chest marks and need to practice them at training then we are lot further back than i thought.

Really ?

Pretty sure he presented a fair bit, when it WAS kicked forward. What game were you watching ?

Easy scape goat for some, Miller.

I thought miller was decent last night, he was our only decent lead up big sized forwards and when give the opportunity he was solid.

No, we'd only get pick 4 for finishing last even if we get zero wins.

But you won't have to worry - we won't have a pick in the top 10 in 2010.

Pick 4 is for the priority pick (which only we can get)so we can have pick 4 and 6 if we finish. If Richmond finsh on the bottom and we win less than 4 games they can have pick 6.

Last night's game has forced me to join this discussion.

After years of footy watching (including MFC's only win in 1981 at the old Western Oval) and coaching at various levels, it is clear to me that the coach must bear the responsibility for MFC's last two years. Where's the game plan? Where's the development? Where's the desperation in the players? Anyone who watched the North game knows where I'm coming from.

MFC has a group of young kids who want to play footy and enjoy it - that clearly isn't happening with the present negative approach to the game. It's time for Dean Bailey to move on - immediately.

Pick 4 is for the priority pick (which only we can get)so we can have pick 4 and 6 if we finish. If Richmond finsh on the bottom and we win less than 4 games they can have pick 6.

NO... No one is eligible to get a priority pick in either 2010 or 2011, no matter how many wins they get.

According to whom? One is a verb & the other a noun.

I think it's used incorrectly so often that the C version is now generally accepted as being correct.

The use of an S is considered to be particularly British according to some sources.

NO... No one is eligible to get a priority pick in either 2010 or 2011, no matter how many wins they get.

I read it in the herald sun.

There's a quatum leap needed to go from 15th to 14th. Pick any side other than Richmond or Melbourne, they are miles in front of us at the moment. Its going to be another VERY tough year. Don't play the known hacks. Keep playing the young blokes.

Really ?

Pretty sure he presented a fair bit, when it WAS kicked forward. What game were you watching ?

Easy scape goat for some, Miller.

I wasn't watching any game. I was listening to SEN (terrible commentary, Tim Gossage is awful).

He did kick 2 of our 6 goals, so I guess I should cut him some slack.

Would only get a game at Richmond or Melbourne:

Bartram, Miller, Johnson, Dunn, Bell, Messen, Jetta

Gasp

Would only get a game at Richmond or Melbourne:

Bartram, Miller, Johnson, Dunn, Bell, Messen, Jetta

Gasp

Rubbish.

Of the rest, you've given us nothing new. Meesen won't get a game at Melbourne anyway, no chance he'll be promoted of the rookie list.

Miller spent most of his game time chasing marks on the lead. While not a strong contest mark, he does make the contest to bring the ball to ground. I am not sure PJ gives us anymore scope there.

PJ has physical presence to match Miller's and is a vastly superior kick, both in terms of deliberate shots at goal and field kicking. He is also better than Miller as a change ruckman. That is the 'more' he offers.

I am not entirely off Miller because the way he pushes up field does leave scope for others to work in space closer to goal...but that assumes we have anyone forward of the centreline.

PJ has physical presence to match Miller's and is a vastly superior kick, both in terms of deliberate shots at goal and field kicking. He is also better than Miller as a change ruckman. That is the 'more' he offers.

I am not entirely off Miller because the way he pushes up field does leave scope for others to work in space closer to goal...but that assumes we have anyone forward of the centreline.

I agree with you that Miller is limited. But PJ offers neither a phyisical presence in the center or up forward and it is why he is such a lame ruckman. If a player is up forward then he needs to play as one.

And because PJ has a nice kicking style that people assume/believe that he is vastly superior kick. PJ's record over his career is nothing to write home about.

I am not entirely off Miller because the way he pushes up field does leave scope for others to work in space closer to goal...but that assumes we have anyone forward of the centreline.

Agree. Just wish when he leads up and takes the mark, I wish he wouldn't 'telegraph the handball' to a oncoming teammate. Eg. He did it to Jones last night twice. It gives Miller's opponent a better chance to stop the oncoming (Jones) wave, or at least disrupt Jones and the teams flow/attack. If Miller was a little bit 'smarter' or creative he could disguise it better to make the flow on effect more effective and dangerous entering i50 (ie. in this case make it easier on Jones to eliminate and enter i50/ or kick to a target i50.

After ~125-130 games, you'd think this would become second nature to him.

Agree. Just wish when he leads up and takes the mark, I wish he wouldn't 'telegraph the handball' to a oncoming teammate. Eg. He did it to Jones last night twice. It gives Miller's opponent a better chance to stop the oncoming (Jones) wave, or at least disrupt Jones and the teams flow/attack. If Miller was a little bit 'smarter' or creative he could disguise it better to make the flow on effect more effective and dangerous entering i50 (ie. in this case make it easier on Jones to eliminate and enter i50/ or kick to a target i50.

After ~125-130 games, you'd think this would become second nature to him.

This has been a problem with Miller through his entire career. I thought he'd stopped doing that last year, but seems like it's crept back in. If he's within range he should swing around and have a shot.

There aren't many positives for me from the game last night so I'll list them first.

James Strauss looked good of half back first game really showed talent. Grimes, Scully, Trengove all servicable and there is talent there for sure.

Jared Rivers and James Frawley looked the goods last night. Together with Joel Macdonald shining lights. We got game time into players

They played in match conditions.

The Negatives

Tackling 56 to 35 in Fremantle's advantage

Contested marks 12 to 2 fremantle's advantage

Contested Posessions 122 to 100 Fremantle's advantage

Inside 50's 43 to 30 fremantles advantage

We couldnt kick a goal till half way through the second quarter

Without super goals we scored 42 points to 94

Our defence against opposition set plays is the most pathetic i have ever seen Sandilands was palming it

into guys laps who were already 10 metres in space.

It doesn't give me any confidence that we have progressed beyond finshing last

I couldn't sleep last night I was so [censored] with the way we played last night

Rubbish.

Of the rest, you've given us nothing new. Meesen won't get a game at Melbourne anyway, no chance he'll be promoted of the rookie list.

Bartram, Miller, Johnson, Dunn, Bell, Jetta ... would get a game at ... ?

Yes.

What we saw last night was that our skills were not holding up under pressure. The way to improve this is to change the drills our players are doing to include more pressure while they execute. Why don't you look at what the Bulldogs do with their skill drills? Last time I checked they did everything with a tackler breathing down their necks. I haven't been to many training sessions, but those I have seen featured a lot of kicking/handpassing with absolutely no pressure on either player aside from being jeered when they dropped the ball.

Good post. The thing that struck me was that Dees' players almost seemed surprised when they were tackled .... mid-way through exercising routines that they'd obviously been working on at training.

B