40 sec. to go in the first half. We've fought back to within 16 points, and are starting to look confident.

The TV commentators said that Melb. must be satisfied with the 16 pt. margin at half time , so they've pushed everyone back into the back half.

Oh no! I thought. Just when we're on a high, with a chance of reducing the margin to 10 points, and Freo. beginning to look shaky, we go defensive. We get the centre break, there's no-one to kick to, lose possession, turnover , 9 pointer to Freo with a millisecond to go. Heartbreaking, avoidable morale-buster.

What a lesson! Once you go ultra-defensive, you open it up for the opposition, esp. on a big ground like Subi or the G., where there's lots of space despite flooding the backline. The opposition can take risks going forward,with "long bombs", or early "corridor" entrance, knowing a turnover won't be costly.

40 sec. to go in the first half. We've fought back to within 16 points, and are starting to look confident.

The TV commentators said that Melb. must be satisfied with the 16 pt. margin at half time , so they've pushed everyone back into the back half.

Oh no! I thought. Just when we're on a high, with a chance of reducing the margin to 10 points, and Freo. beginning to look shaky, we go defensive. We get the centre break, there's no-one to kick to, lose possession, turnover , 9 pointer to Freo with a millisecond to go. Heartbreaking, avoidable morale-buster.

What a lesson! Once you go ultra-defensive, you open it up for the opposition, esp. on a big ground like Subi or the G., where there's lots of space despite flooding the backline. The opposition can take risks going forward,with "long bombs", or early "corridor" entrance, knowing a turnover won't be costly.

That doesn't sound like Melbourne at all.

Did anyone else notice this? I thought it was glaringly obvious.

The most aggravating thing about the Freo goal just before half-time was not that they scored a goal via a contentious non-call after the siren. Focus instead on the things Melbourne can control. Freo, despite Melbourne's alleged defensive redeployment, were able to find TWO loose players to set up the goal with virtually no Melbourne players in sight. It we had gone defensive (as mentioned in the commentary at the time*) we did a pathetic job of it.

* Use of the word "commentary" in no way implies that Glen Jakovich is a commentator.

Did anyone else notice this? I thought it was glaringly obvious.

I am not sure we went ultra defensive because we left half the side of the ground open.

40 sec. to go in the first half. We've fought back to within 16 points, and are starting to look confident.

The TV commentators said that Melb. must be satisfied with the 16 pt. margin at half time , so they've pushed everyone back into the back half.

Oh no! I thought. Just when we're on a high, with a chance of reducing the margin to 10 points, and Freo. beginning to look shaky, we go defensive. We get the centre break, there's no-one to kick to, lose possession, turnover , 9 pointer to Freo with a millisecond to go. Heartbreaking, avoidable morale-buster.

What a lesson! Once you go ultra-defensive, you open it up for the opposition, esp. on a big ground like Subi or the G., where there's lots of space despite flooding the backline. The opposition can take risks going forward,with "long bombs", or early "corridor" entrance, knowing a turnover won't be costly.

While you may in fact be correct what your not making an assement on was Fremantles ability to apply pressure

This is the first actual hit out against another team and we didnt handle it very well at the opening bounce and for large parts of the game

Frematle didnt play that well either and there were patches where we started to gain some momentum

My only dissapointment was we made too many unforced errors

I took some positives from the game actually

Lets see how we fare against the Bombers

I agree with the thrust of what JJC is saying in this thread - and there were many other examples last night of skill errors and just plain bad footy, eg the defensive kick in the first quarter that went 40 metres backwards and out of bounds instead of hitting the Melbourne player on the chest. I did not see the whole game - just the first 2 1/2 quarters. I am ready to concede that it was a practice match played without a 'full strength' team, but the most worrying aspect for me was something that shouldn't matter whether it's a practice match or the 22nd round of the season. I cannot recall one instance where our midfielders actually won the take-away at a centre bounce. Yes, Spencer was killed in the ruck by Sandilands (as are most ruckmen in the AFL) but our mids should have realised that was going to be the case, or have seen it very quickly in the first quarter, and adjusted their game so that Sandilands was not giving the Freo players first use of the ball every time. Good sides do this - the question remains whether our midfielders are capable of doing it. I hope to get to Visy Park on Saturday and I'm praying that we can show much more skill in the middle of the ground - the place where games are won and lost.