WHITE

[Demonland 66,977]

WHITE by The Oracle

I find it difficult to believe that Melbourne's weak, lifeless and uninspired performance at AAMI Stadium yesterday was better than its average at that venue over the course of the past decade.

Coming off a draw against a top four outfit in Collingwood on Queens Birthday, the effort was totally unacceptable - as insipid as its white guernsey which, from the outset, signalled the team's surrender of the four premiership points on offer.

Mick Malthouse's sneering assertion that the Melbourne's Round 12 blockbuster encounter is the club's Grand Final was vindicated by the sheer lack of any heart, spirit or purpose. Apart from a brief period in the third quarter, you could barely detect a pulse.

The attitude of the playing group seemed more like that of a group of blokes having a meaningless hit out on an end of season football trip to Adelaide than playing in a game where a win would have kept its season alive. They showed no signs of preparation for this meeting, no focus, no run, no purpose.

There has been so much made of the club's hoodoo at this ground that one expected this young team to come out switched on and ready to play. Instead, it began in the now customary fashion of surrendering the initiative from the very beginning. The team was smashed at the clearances from the first bounce. By half time, the Crows led in that department by a massive 30 to 13 and this was reflected on the scoreboard when they led by 41 points.

After the main break one or two of the players decided to put their bodies on the line and a comeback of sorts was mounted. As usual, it was all too little too late.

The team was outcoached and outplayed and, given Casey's miserable defeat last week, I'm not sure if there's anything more that the match committee can do but meekly surrender again because that is exactly what the team did at AAMI Stadium.

Melbourne 1.3.9 3.5.23 8.6.54 11.7. 73

Adelaide 4.6.30 9.10.64 10.19.79 16.21.117

Goals

Melbourne Bate 4 Bruce Dunn Green 2 Jetta

Adelaide Tippett 4 Jaensch 3 Walker 2 Dangerfield Griffin Henderson Johncock Maric van Berlo Vince

Best

Melbourne Bate Trengove Bruce Grimes Green Scully

Adelaide Goodwin Johncock Tippett Vince Sloane Symes

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Adelaide Mackay (ankle)

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Adelaide Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Adelaide Nil

Umpires Ryan Armstrong Jeffery

Crowd 34,422 at AAMI Stadium

[armstrong35 262]

there's definitely not much good things to say.....

[big tuna 0]

Bate did well to kick 4 from limited opportunities.

That is all.

[heycosta 0]

there's definitely not much good things to say.....

Well ... 29 inside 50's for 11 goals 7 points isn't too bad. Just don't focus on the other stats and you can be have a positive outlook.

[Buzzy 966]

Horrific.

What a nightmare.

Pass mark to Bate, Grimes cleaned up his mistakes after the 1st qtr, Scully tried hard but turns it over.

Nothing else really.

Not worth watching the Dees anywhere but the MCG where 30% of the time they may be competitive.

But seriously, what bunch of pansies today.

Goddamnit.

[praha 10,575]

If you want a review for this game, try and find a review for Sex and the City 2. You'll find many reviews fall in-sync with today's performance. Including all the stuff about feminism.

[Geddy Lee 582]

First time this year I've turned a game off. 10minute mark second quarter; see ya later!

I was at my folks house visiting my old man and found that I was swearing a bit much.

Slow start, no pressure, over handballing, no forward line, bad kick outs etc etc. I gave up.

[Red Sox 2]

WHITE by The Oracle

I find it difficult to believe that Melbourne's weak, lifeless and uninspired performance at AAMI Stadium yesterday was better than its average at that venue over the course of the past decade. 

That's right, we improved on our average losing margin by 2 whole goals! A positive? Hardly, as we were flattered by the margin once again.

I write this today to express massive disappointment that lingers from yesterdays game. I can handle losing, hell I've become accustomed to many a shocking performance. I can even handle poor disposal to some degree as the opposition pressure can dictate this.

What really disappoints me is the pressure and urgency where we see 4 opposition players desperate to gain possession while 3-4 of our boys hang back waiting, lay ineffective tackles that are too easily slipped and watch the opposition run to assist when both in possession and hunting the ball.

What are the reasons for these insipid showings? These horrible slow starts? How many times do I have to watch a 3rd qtr thinking 'if only they showed this urgency in the 1st qtr'? Is it as simple as only being as good as the opposition allows us to be? Very sad if this were the case.

What are the excuses?

We are young? Young bodies too easily pushed off the ball? The week's break was actually not good for us? We just don't travel well? Our poor forward line? Our coach?

Are we doing better against the good sides because they don't apply as much pressure and back themselves to go one on one and beat us, where the teams at our level apply pressure in the right area's and we just cannot cope at this stage? Not an excuse IMO.

Yesterday's result stunk of what this club have been about for far too long, simply rolling over and taking what was dished out. Through the majority of this year I still don't see enough one percenters where we block, shepard and make space for team mates. We can look damaging when over lapping through the middle, why are we not running back to support as fiercely when we don't have the ball? Teams move the ball far too easily.

Where is our ability to simply lock down on opponents and create contests?? Simply starve the opposition of the ball for a period of time?

29 inside 50's is probably the most glaring stat for me, shows that Adelaide simply controlled the ball all day. Don't be confused by our "little come back' in the 3rd qtr as they still had 10 shots at goal and could have won this game by as much as 80 - 100 pts.

Easily.

Some of our senior players seem to enjoy the "the kids are exciting, future is bright" rhetoric, it's a pity so many of them were shown up by Scully and Trengove yesterday. Yes both turned the ball over at times, mostly because they were under pressure when they had the ball as a result of putting their heads down and going in to get the thing. It's a pity so many senior guys could not lead in this same way. (I don't name names to cut players down as they should damn well know who they are and yes Cam Bruce is excluded!)

The coach? Well, I have never been convinced about Bails, but everyone deserves time so no point laying it all at him. Why can't he get these players up for a 1st qtr though? Is it him or the players? Hard to tell. I know many people thought Daniher left us in not a great state but I loved Neale and so far Bailey IMO has not even touched the surface of proving to me that he is going to take this club anywhere.

I will add that I did like his move of Grimes to the midfield. The only problem with that is who takes his spot as the loose ball carrier in defence? Morton, Bruce and MacDonald all turn it over far too often. Strauss perhaps?

Yes the glass is very much half empty today and I am one that usually keeps it well topped up to half way!!

Very, very, very disappointing Demons.

[Bitter but optimistic 21,580]

Great post "Jack". I would also like to know why we go sideways or short so often when a kick on goal is on.

[Red Sox 2]

Ok....I've had my rant and rave and yes I am outraged...but moving on, there was one big positive from the game yesterday and that was seeing Jack Grimes start the 3rd quarter in the midfield.

As far as desperation for the ball goes there is not many finer in our current squad than Jack, even when losing his footing he seems to bounce up pretty quickly and looks to go again. Granted, he has made a few errors with the ball of late but this comes more from the lack of options given to him upfield and his want to make something out of nothing. (Just go the first option sometimes Jack!)

I would expect the same desperation out of the middle from him and as proven yesterday he is very quick to get away from a contested situation. Having him pump the ball out of the middle more often than not is looking to me as something that could be of a real advantage to us.

Who would replace Jack as that sweeper in defence? Out of the current team you could look at players like Morton, Bruce and MacDonald but these three IMO turn the ball over far too often when not under pressure. Out of the three I would like to suggest Morton being a spare man more often and using his height and agility to advantage but there is still are fair bit of doubt in my mind that he could play this position with confidence.

Aaron Davey I would like to see used as the sweeper across the half back line permanently. His best games over the past two years are from here when he can cut through the half back/middle and set up plays by hitting team mates in positions most other players cannot. Davey simply is not a player for the cut and thrust of stoppages and we should look to exploit his great skills as best we can. Many have mentioned Strauss in this position, this is a decent possibility also but Strauss has yet to be given further opportunity and has a bit more to prove.

Grimes would add a new dimension to the midfield. Grimes to a midfield/stoppage position permanently.

Davey to a half back position permanently.

Strauss to a half back position through the remainder of 2010 as much as possible.

Bartram has been great this year and I am loathe to mention him but IMO we need to look at half back types that can 1 - beat an opponent (Bartram has done this well this year) and 2 - use the ball effectively as it is from here that our forward thrusts start and we are getting no momentum currently. (Bartram will not improve in this area). Morton, MacDonald, Bruce could all beat opponents but they let themselves down when they take possession. Strauss has this area covered but does he have the ability to also beat his opponent one on one? Not sure and no one is until we give this a go.

Players such as Gilbert, O'Brien, Shaw, Maxwell, Enright, Mackie can all do both and we need to find players that are damaging both ways. I would suggest that having Davey off a half back flank would 1 - see an opposition forward almost wasted as they would look to tag him and 2 - Davey applying enormous tackling pressure as a hunter in the opposition forward line as his pressure is better in this area than in contested situations.

3 things that IMO we really need to do for the remainder of this year.

We can all continue to put the boots into Watts and Miller but IMO we really need to start moving the ball better on a more consistent basis and this means getting it to the better users of the ball.

[Crackers 67]

I like your thoughts about Davey playing deeper but you must remember that the opposition would then try to target their play through Davey to make him accountable adn maybe even drag him to teh goal square i.e. where he would be a liability defensively and too deep to hurt teams. That is where Grimes has a better defensive and spoiling game and doesn't get beaten too often. They just need to keep teaching Strauss to compete better one-on-one in te VFL against men and then hopefully his more natural attacking game will come out once he gets the confidence