Dean Bailey to promise a better showing.

[Supreme_Demon 3,916]

Well it seems that Dean Bailey is promising us that the Demons will put in a better showing against the Magpies this week.

Here is the link about the news story: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/91325/default.aspx

All I can say is that actions speak louder than words.

Let hope the Demons really have a real red hot go and do their best to WIN against Collingwood!

[praha 11,253]

Talk talk talk.

I won't be there on Saturday, have a wedding.

But I see it this way:

1 quarter of fierce, great play (either 1st or 2nd), then the Pies will come out in the 3rd and kick 5 straight, going up by 5-8 goals, then the last quarter will be a tussle, but we'll still let the Pies kick 4 goals to 1 to eventually win by 9-12 goals.

[Keyser Söze 0]

I'll be there for my first match of the season.

Can't wait.

[dees 1858 0]

oh ok so it won't be a 100 point thrashing it will only be an 80 point thrashing then if he thinks we will Be more competitive!!

[Jack Jack 415]

Yes, yes, promises promises. But did he pinky swear?

I'll be really interested to see if Bailey can instill a bit more agression/physicality in the team this week.

[drdrake 3,203]

Love to be in the press the first question I would ask

Dean, this is a given, but are you going to back your players in one on one or are you going to limit the damage by playing 18 men behind the ball?

If we play a loose man in defense the Pies will carve us up. One on One let our players match up and apply pressure that way not by zoning and the hardness then will be running hard off your man to create then working harder to get back on him.

[furious d 472]

oh ok so it won't be a 100 point thrashing it will only be an 80 point thrashing then if he thinks we will Be more competitive!!

What are you talking about you FOOL, what 100 point thrashing? 9 goals is a long way from 100 points. You should write for the Herald Sun with that amazing gift for inaccuracy.

[Guest oldman emubitter]

Love to be in the press the first question I would ask

Dean, this is a given, but are you going to back your players in one on one or are you going to limit the damage by playing 18 men behind the ball?

If we play a loose man in defense the Pies will carve us up. One on One let our players match up and apply pressure that way not by zoning and the hardness then will be running hard off your man to create then working harder to get back on him.

I don't think our blokes are fit enough to run with the Pies.

Being at Subi watching the Dockers pre season game they ran all over us.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

What are you talking about you FOOL, what 100 point thrashing? 9 goals is a long way from 100 points. You should write for the Herald Sun with that amazing gift for inaccuracy.

well said

2 other, more experienced sides lost by 9 goals playing lesser opponents than Hawthorn this week. It happens.

I have never understood our own supporters' tendency to exaggerate how shizen we are

[stevenDEMON 0]

well said

2 other, more experienced sides lost by 9 goals playing lesser opponents than Hawthorn this week. It happens.

I have never understood our own supporters' tendency to exaggerate how shizen we are

Sorry i forgot we won the last 2 spoons and are likely bottom 3 this year.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Bailey: Bailey was pleased with the opening five minutes of the second half, but said the results of the rest of the post-game review were disappointing.

Me: How could he be when Hawthorn kicked a goal at the 1.55 mark of the third quarter and another goal 23 seconds later.

Were we at the same game or has one of us mixed up the quarters?

I remember remarking at the start of the final quarter when Hawthorn kicked a goal at the 1.54 mark that they had improved by a second.

[burn in hell 0]

This week will see if he has lost the players faith.

A big game for MFC, a huge game for Dean Bailey.

If we are pathetic again, and then again against adelaide, He wil be gone before we play Richmond.

Look out Todd Viney and Co.

[drdrake 3,203]

I don't think our blokes are fit enough to run with the Pies.

Being at Subi watching the Dockers pre season game they ran all over us.

how can we not be fit enough we started training 1 week into October, if we are not fit enough our fitness staff should be sacked. You will find that our players are very fit, it must take a lot out of them to run the full length of the ground to defend then run the other way when you attack, reminds my of under 8 footy before auskick and zones.

[Felix 92]

Lets hope DB does not play Spencer in the forward line again... or even play him at all. Would have been better seeing Martin in there!

I will be there this Saturday with my mate (Colling-[censored]) supporter GOD help me that day!!!

[Forest Demon 4,681]

well said

2 other, more experienced sides lost by 9 goals playing lesser opponents than Hawthorn this week. It happens.

I have never understood our own supporters' tendency to exaggerate how shizen we are

We were clearly the worst team of the round...richmond and adelaide were in their respective games a lot longer than we were.

But I still think we are much better than we showed week 1 and am expecting an improved showing against collingwood.

[flog 20]

This week will see if he has lost the players faith.

A big game for MFC, a huge game for Dean Bailey.

If we are pathetic again, and then again against adelaide, He wil be gone before we play Richmond.

Look out Todd Viney and Co.

So if Bailey is out by round three should we throw the players out with him? Maybe we can spit on on them as we toss them out!

Why is it any more important for Bailey than the players? The players are just as accountable as the coach

[dees 1858 0]

What are you talking about you FOOL, what 100 point thrashing? 9 goals is a long way from 100 points. You should write for the Herald Sun with that amazing gift for inaccuracy.

Numnuts I was talking about this weekend you TOOL!!!!

[Grand New Flag 3,227]

I seriously can't believe what I am about to suggest.

In: Newton & Syliva

Out: Spencer & take your pick

Spencer gave us absolutely nothing and is not yet ready for AFL football. He was a asset to Hawthorn in our forward line.

The weather is going to be warm and dry perfect for forwards so I think we must give Newton a go. At least he will make a contest. Newton is a dud of a footballer and should be off our list however, there is a need for a power forward and with injuries he should probably be given a go. At least he can mark and make a contest, which is more than any of our faoward bar green could do last week. He can ruck in the forward line and leave Jamar to take the rest of the ruck contests.

Dirty days indeed.

[H_T 3,049]

I seriously can't believe what I am about to suggest.

Excuse me, whilst I pick my jaw off the ground.

The weather is going to be warm and dry perfect for forwards so I think we must give Newton a go. At least he will make a contest. Newton is a dud of a footballer and should be off our list however, there is a need for a power forward and with injuries he should probably be given a go. At least he can mark and make a contest, which is more than any of our faoward bar green could do last week. He can ruck in the forward line and leave Jamar to take the rest of the ruck contests.

Sorry can you elaborate a bit more on what I've highlighted. I cannot get my head around the power forward thing...

[ICU2 Jerry Jerry 257]

I don't think our blokes are fit enough to run with the Pies.

Being at Subi watching the Dockers pre season game they ran all over us.

How could we possibly not be fit enough? We had a 6 month pre-season. Damming on the FD if that's the case

[burn in hell 0]

So if Bailey is out by round three should we throw the players out with him? Maybe we can spit on on them as we toss them out!

Why is it any more important for Bailey than the players? The players are just as accountable as the coach

The fish rots from the head. Cut the head stop the rot.

He may do enormous damage to the mentallity of the playing group, the supporters and the club.

I said it before and I'll say it again, We need Todd Viney.

Bailey is in trouble.

[45HG 1,559]

The fish rots from the head. Cut the head stop the rot.

He may do enormous damage to the mentallity of the playing group, the supporters and the club.

I said it before and I'll say it again, We need Todd Viney.

Bailey is in trouble.

Good thing we're not a fish.

[bing181 9,424]

Bailey: Bailey was pleased with the opening five minutes of the second half

It would appear to be more an example of sloppy journalism than anything else. Reading through the whole article it's clear he meant "the opening 5 minutes".

Sheesh.

B

[Lost Highway 31]

I seriously can't believe what I am about to suggest.

In: Newton & Syliva

Out: Spencer & take your pick

Spencer gave us absolutely nothing and is not yet ready for AFL football. He was a asset to Hawthorn in our forward line.

The weather is going to be warm and dry perfect for forwards so I think we must give Newton a go. At least he will make a contest. Newton is a dud of a footballer and should be off our list however, there is a need for a power forward and with injuries he should probably be given a go. At least he can mark and make a contest, which is more than any of our faoward bar green could do last week. He can ruck in the forward line and leave Jamar to take the rest of the ruck contests.

Dirty days indeed.

I seriously can't believe it either, so I won't agree with it. Nor with your observations about Spencer. I'd give him another go or three before even mouthing the name 'n-e-w-t-o-n'.

The players to drop first would be Dunn, Jones, Bate and Bruce. You could give Bate the benefit of an injury-related doubt, but I'd rather see him regain some form in the Casey team. Bruce is useless. The team should be Bruce-less. Whatever mojo he had, he's lost it; this has to be faced up to. I won't even begin to can Dunny. Horrible, just horrible. Jones tries, but I've never seen him deliver the ball without an opponent holding him. He can only play OK when running in a straight line towards goal.

But the main requirement, ahead of any changes to the team, is that the whole side must run much harder, more often, and together.

Someone has suggested it's lack of fitness, but I doubt this very much. It's a failure of endeavour, really, and an absence of disciplined coaching and drilling.

1. Ahead of the ball and the play, RUN hard to make position. Note, run does not mean jog. It means getting decisively ahead of your opponent, which is, at present, much more difficult for a Melbourne player than ANY other AFL player with a Melbourne opponent. But it has to be done or the team will never be any good no matter how many 'young guns' it claims to have gained.

2. The player with the ball has to RUN hard and deliver it neatly to a player in a better position, either by foot or hand. Melbourne players look like spot-lit rabbits when they get the pill, and immediately hand off to someone, anyone, who is usually in worse position. Jones has made this an art form. The only players who seemed at all likely to break the opposition lines last Saturday were Scully, Trengove, Grimes and Davey on occasion.

3. The players near or around the ball-carrier have to RUN with him or past him and be ready to support, protect and shepherd. Melbourne players have for years stood still to receive handballs. It's going to be really hard for Scully to excel with his lightning vision and handball skills if the players are not where he expects them to be.

When playing Melbourne, any side, no matter how mediocre and regardless of their ladder position, seems to be doing these things; they have loose players everywhere. Absence of RUN in the Melbourne team makes any opposition look good.

These simple tactics, above, require hard running, gut running. This has to be kept up even if or when the opposition has kicked maybe three goals to zilch in the first quarter - our usual point of capitulation. Without it, no 'game-plan' in the world is going to make a scrap of difference. We need tactics rather than a strategy at this stage. Unless Bailey realises this and has already begun to drum it into the players, his promise won't be worth a pinch of whatever, and we'll get another thrashing.

A few suggestions for player placements now:

1. Green to FF

2. Bennell to the wing

3. Trengrove, Grimes and Scully in the middle; they can RUN.

4. Davey to HFF

Let's hope Sylvia comes back. I'd try him, plus Maric, Cheney and Jetta if fit, in place of the four I mentioned earlier for the guillotine.

But, really, it's up to Bailey to make his promise seem less than hollow, and the players to bust their guts.

[Skipper3 7]

Its about time the players took some of the blame for how we play. A coach can tell & show players how to play - but they are ones who cross that line with the MFC jumper on. They are the ones who have to chase, tackle, show some application, some heart & some bloody brains!

Senior players (read Miller, Dunn, Bruce) are the ones who have to pull their heads out of the coights & show something FFS!! At least some drive & G&T would be a start.

It starts this Saturday boys. I dont care if we dont win (well, I do actually - it's the Filth), but I do bloody care that we show some application, some brains, some heart, some gut runing (and not just with the ball - run to position & run to man up!!)

Forward line players - do not get sucked up the ground, the ball is been kicked to you (not the defenders!), stay where you bloody should! Maybe just maybe then when a ball is kicked into our forward 50 somebody might be in position instead of having to run back with the flight of the ball at 100 miles an hour to maybe take a mark. Forwards are meant to lead to the ball FFS.

Also, dont all start near each other - isolate the bloody backmen, move away from each other - makes it hard for a backman to become "3rd man up" in a marking contest.Start deep some of you, the others out in the pockets & some up at CHF - not all together in a huddle.