I have been away all week and just watched the replay.

Let it be said I would prefer to have won, but having read some of the posts prior to watching the game I was expecting to be belted or to watch the worst display ever.

The negatives I saw were our long bombing into the forward line, often when we did not need too.

Also our reliance on not only swithing the play, but kicking backwards 20 metres and putting someone under more pressure.

We also needed to improve our pressure on the ball carrier.

That being said, people were going on about how bad some players were, and how we were smashed in certain areas, but I think there was an overreaction.

We got beaten easily in the last quarter, other than that it was a pretty good game, if you listen to the commentators they loved the game.

Positives IMO were Maric (but still needs to get more touches), Sylvia in the clearances, Grimes and MacDonald (who should not get suspended), Jurrah and Trengove. Others like Bail were OK, I love his run and attack, just needs to work on his disposal (as do a few others). Not sure about the Bate hating, I think he battled well, especially against 2/3 opponents and bad delivery.

I am just hoping the players listen to Bailey, cos at 3/4 time he said we were bombing it too much and not delivering it well.

I have faith they are doing the right thing, we just need a little patience and a little reality check. We are not there yet, as a matter of fact we have a hell of a way to go, so hopefully this game puts it in perspective for the supporters and club. We showed both opur best and worse the other night, obviously we need more consistent efforts of our best, AND it is still pre season, hopefully we dont lose like that in the last quarter when the real stuff comes around.

Positives IMO were Maric (but still needs to get more touches), Sylvia in the clearances, Grimes and MacDonald (who should not get suspended), Jurrah and Trengove. Others like Bail were OK, I love his run and attack, just needs to work on his disposal (as do a few others). Not sure about the Bate hating, I think he battled well, especially against 2/3 opponents and bad delivery.

I tend to agree with your observations on Bate and MacDonald. They have been much maligned after this game and unfairly IMO. Perhaps destined to become regular whipping boys every time we lose this season.

Edited February 26, 201114 yr by america de cali

I think some people like to bag their favourite whipping boys or look to find things that are not there. If you watch the game again you often miss things that happened.

Tat being said, all players need to improve, but I think it was our more seasoned players who let us down and then it was simply our decision making and skill level that cost us. If we used the ball better going forward we should have been up at 3/4 time and then who knows what happens.

And now for something completely different....

Apparently I was on TV during the game!! I went with my workmate who is a Dons supporter and we were on the telly at the fence when Matty Bate was lining up about 50m out on the boundary line. I had a bunch of ridiculous Dons supporters around me banging on the fence and yelling out red-headed crap. I was just there sitting with my arms folded haha.

I'd love to see the footage actually!!!

Martin, Warnock, Strauss, Jones and a couple of others are complete dead wood and I hope none of these blokes get seen in the red and blue this year.

Watts must have read his article 5 mins before the game as he was back to his 2009 perform. I can't believe people actually think we'll play finals.

Not having a crack at Grimes, but isn't it typical that as soon as the club mentions the word finals we go to compete water. Happened in 2007, late last year when people were talking us up and again tonight.

Crap effort 2nite and more work ahead than first thought.

Thank god this game will mean nothing come tomorrow morning.

Vent over!

Agree about Strauss: think he is totally out of his depth at this level. Just too many clangers, and is not hard enough at the ball for a class backman. They say he is a superb kick, i only saw him hit a target once on Thursday night.He should be de-listed at year's end. We would have been better off keeping Bruce.

The rest of the entry above i thought was way over the top.

Edited February 26, 201114 yr by DeesPower

Curry & Beer,

I'm relatively new to demonland, but you really need to lighten up. We are a young side in the early stages of gelling together - this is really only the second or third year our solid group of young kids are playing in the same side and learning the way their teammates play. For example, the fact that you are prepared to simply dump Strauss is a complete and utter joke, the kid showed signs, he's got his body fixed up and was extremely efficient by hand and foot. Along with Watts and Trengrove and the other young blokes, they will go missing at times and they will not be champion twenty-one year olds, it's about how they develop into champions, hopefully premiership players, and they definitely show signs.

Secondly, who the bloody hell cares if our senior players like Davey, Moloney and Jones go missing in round 2 of the prestigious and well respected NAB cup? It's a long season, we don't want them going missing in the second half of the premiership season just because they fought hard and valiantly to win the NAB cup. You need to screw your head on and recognise that there are bigger and better things in front of us, it was practice match!!!!

and oh yeah, um Jamar (our only All-Australian) is definitely "useless". great call.....

Calm down with the venting, or... 'GTFO'

This is Strauss' 3rd year now and he has shown ziltch. Someone said 'Scotch XVIII' and I agree. I think it is completely fair to mark a player liek Watts harshly. He obviously has ability so if he is not producing there is clearly some problem with the player or the way the club is developing him. We are trying to breed champions, not another generation like the last, where we had a side of B+ players who went missing in the big moments.

and on Jamar, I commented on the match, not his permanent status. I don't care if it is a praccy or not, he is clearly a designated marking target and on nearly every occasion the other night he failed to catch anything even when outsizing his opponent dramatically, and this hurt us badly.

I can't beleieve you just excuse those senior players, particularly Davey. They were out to win that match.

Grimes said he was very disappointed not to be progressing into the third round of the pre-season competition.

“It’s another game where you pull on the Melbourne footy club jumper and you represent your club. You go out to win - nothing else,” he said adamantly.

I think it is completely fair to mark a player liek Watts harshly. He obviously has ability so if he is not producing there is clearly some problem with the player or the way the club is developing him.

This is flawed logic.

I think it is completely fair to mark a player liek Watts harshly. He obviously has ability so if he is not producing there is clearly some problem with the player or the way the club is developing him. We are trying to breed champions, not another generation like the last, where we had a side of B+ players who went missing in the big moments.

Without getting into the fact that he was a 19 year old forward with just 35 Inside 50s to 'play' with - you didn't just mark him 'harshly' - you were over the top, calling his effort 'sh!t,' prefering to defend those bagging him than the player himself, and replying to criticism of your bagging of Watts by saying that he plays like a 'woman.'

and on Jamar, I commented on the match, not his permanent status. I don't care if it is a praccy or not, he is clearly a designated marking target and on nearly every occasion the other night he failed to catch anything even when outsizing his opponent dramatically, and this hurt us badly.

By all means jump all over the second best ruckman in the game today after a preseason game.

I can't beleieve you just excuse those senior players, particularly Davey. They were out to win that match.

Grimes said he was very disappointed not to be progressing into the third round of the pre-season competition.

“It’s another game where you pull on the Melbourne footy club jumper and you represent your club. You go out to win - nothing else,” he said adamantly.

In another thread you said that unlike the corresponding PS match last year when we got belted by the Bombers - we really wanted to win that one. But Jack is intimating that they try to win every game - whether it is NAB Cup or Challenge (other than playing at Etihad and TV being there - I don't see a great deal of difference between the two.

But by all means overreact and scorch the earth...

And now for something completely different....

Apparently I was on TV during the game!! I went with my workmate who is a Dons supporter and we were on the telly at the fence when Matty Bate was lining up about 50m out on the boundary line. I had a bunch of ridiculous Dons supporters around me banging on the fence and yelling out red-headed crap. I was just there sitting with my arms folded haha.

I'd love to see the footage actually!!!

3rd Q. 20.25 mins in.

Jones dead wood????? He was one of our best and most consistent performers last year, was promoted to the leadership group on the back of that, was coming back tonight after a very serious back injury in the final round... a bit harsh I would think!!

He has a distinct lack of awareness and rarely looks like he has anytime at all when in possession of the footy.

He was promoted to the leadership group mainly because of his undeniable courage and work ethic.

Without getting into the fact that he was a 19 year old forward with just 35 Inside 50s to 'play' with - you didn't just mark him 'harshly' - you were over the top, calling his effort 'sh!t,' prefering to defend those bagging him than the player himself, and replying to criticism of your bagging of Watts by saying that he plays like a 'woman.'

By all means jump all over the second best ruckman in the game today after a preseason game.

In another thread you said that unlike the corresponding PS match last year when we got belted by the Bombers - we really wanted to win that one. But Jack is intimating that they try to win every game - whether it is NAB Cup or Challenge (other than playing at Etihad and TV being there - I don't see a great deal of difference between the two.

But by all means overreact and scorch the earth...

How old is he again? I don't think you've mentioned it enough times. In my book being 19 is not a gold pass to playing rubbish. Yes he didn't get good delivery into the forward-line, but in nearly every instance he failed to even influence the contest, he didn't know where to go and he didn't even hit his opponent in marking contests, just gave nothing. What makes it even more frustrating is that he was pretty good last week, he didn't need to be defended then, so what was the problem this week?

Yeah I already said I don't care if it is a preseason match. Everyboody has Jamar in their sights as marking target particularly from kickouts, he needs to actually mark a few.

What does your final 'point' even mean? Yes they wanted to win, so no excuses

How old is he again? I don't think you've mentioned it enough times. In my book being 19 is not a gold pass to playing rubbish. Yes he didn't get good delivery into the forward-line, but in nearly every instance he failed to even influence the contest, he didn't know where to go and he didn't even hit his opponent in marking contests, just gave nothing. What makes it even more frustrating is that he was pretty good last week, he didn't need to be defended then, so what was the problem this week?

So a 19 year old (I am going to mention it because it is an undeniably relevant fact) went from pretty good to rubbish in space of one game and you think that he deserves the rubbish that you served up in the past few days?

Maybe more of us should be discussing your performance?

You were pretty good a couple of weeks ago but the last few days have awful so I think you are a woman...

Yeah I already said I don't care if it is a preseason match. Everyboody has Jamar in their sights as marking target particularly from kickouts, he needs to actually mark a few.

Jamar is going to have a harder year this year with other clubs taregetting where he has the most effect. Maybe our players constantly putting it on his head wasn't the greatest idea?

What does your final 'point' even mean? Yes they wanted to win, so no excuses

You put that quote from Jack Grimes as 'proof' that they 'really wanted to win' Thursday nights game when it was just proof that they want to win every game - NAB Cup or NAB Challenge. Essendon has beaten us (easily) in both competitions over the past two years and you know what that means for our fortunes in the season proper?

Very little...

I don't ever want to see Bate in the red & blue again. He's just not good enough. I thought Howe looked ok

I reckon he's gonna struggle as a forward, looking forward, No9, 9/9/9...

AAAANNNNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYWAY

last night 2 things stood out for me.

the first was essendons pressure - not only on the person with the ball, but also his options. inferred pressure. this made it very difficult for us to get the ball out of our backline. it was also telling that we were useless at this. we had 4 blokes running at the man with the ball while he just squirted out a handball and 3 blokes took off with it.

the second is related to the first. our skills and decision making were deplorable. handballs to bad options, not taking the first option etc etc. and i think it took its toll on our confidence as the game wore on as well.

also, essendon wanted it more and were more desperate. but they wont have fletcher around for ever either.

Yep, great point!

I don't really want to go into details on poor player performances. Essendons intensity was just far greater than ours and we were under the pump from the get go.

The thing I want to bring up is how poorly we seem to play Etihad stadium. We really struggle without the wide open wings and flanks of the MCG !!

I think other teams are well aware of this and choke the corridor intentionally . . . . when this happens we turn the ball over so often. North did exactly the same thing to us last year . . . Just a thought, interested to hear others thouhgts on the matter.

We need to work out a way to play this ground period !

So a 19 year old (I am going to mention it because it is an undeniably relevant fact) went from pretty good to rubbish in space of one game and you think that he deserves the rubbish that you served up in the past few days?

yeah but unfortunately last week was the exception, not this week

I tend to get pizzed off when a player demonstrates their ability but then cannot seem to reproduce it. Morton is exactly the same. Dozens of blokes before them at this club over the last decade have been the same.

I tend to get pizzed off when a player demonstrates their ability but then cannot seem to reproduce it. Morton is exactly the same. Dozens of blokes before them at this club over the last decade have been the same.

That's what you'll get from 9-10 out of 10 19 year olds.

That's what you'll get from 9-10 out of 10 19 year olds.

well you probably said the same thing about Bate when he was 19

well you probably said the same thing about Bate when he was 19

And you probably said the same thing about Gary Ablett at 19.

FFS C&B, why don't you have a crack at Jack Viney next, he hasn't even got a game yet, must be useless...

FFS C&B, why don't you have a crack at Jack Viney next, he hasn't even got a game yet, must be useless...

3 years is the same as zero is it, moronic comment

most of you lot hold your criticisms (under the guise of 'support') until about year 7 then you are standing around wondering why Brad Miller never made it

the bar has to be raised higher at this club or we will continue to not produce stars and not win premierships

blokes taken at #1 in particular need to start acting like it

3 years is the same as zero is it, moronic comment

most of you lot hold your criticisms (under the guise of 'support') until about year 7 then you are standing around wondering why Brad Miller never made it

the bar has to be raised higher at this club or we will continue to not produce stars and not win premierships

blokes taken at #1 in particular need to start acting like it

and sarcasm is the same as sincerity is it.... catch up mate

yes, the bar needs to be raised every year as we DEVELOP, and we should expect more as players have more experience and pre-seasons under their belts as part of their PROGRESSION... these are not buzz words, they are a matter of fact as to where we are at in the PROCESS of BUILDING TOWARDS continuable success...

if it was all about #1 picks don't you think Carlton would have won a flag by now? as much as you hate to hear it, Jack Watts is 19 and is being DEVELOPED into a player who can fill a role we desperately need. young players new into the AFL system take a while to hit their straps, key position players even more so, so take a seat, grab a beer, and let yourself get emotional about the game while realising where we (and Watts) are realistically at in relation to where we want to go.

Edited February 27, 201114 yr by stuie

Do you hear that people?

We have to start acting like beligerent fathers telling their kids 'are just not good enough' to make them push that little bit harder...

Because we all know (apparently) that to get the best out of teenagers you have to talk like a f...wit at them.

Do you hear that people?

We have to start acting like beligerent fathers telling their kids 'are just not good enough' to make them push that little bit harder...

Because we all know (apparently) that to get the best out of teenagers you have to talk like a f...wit at them.

haha now it's about fatherhood is it?

a bit like the comment the other day that bagging North Melbourne is like being a schoolyard bully

the finest football analysis brains of demonland

i tell you what I hope our coaching panel aren't as soft and warm and cuddly as you lot, this is a football club

spew

3 years is the same as zero is it, moronic comment

most of you lot hold your criticisms (under the guise of 'support') until about year 7 then you are standing around wondering why Brad Miller never made it

the bar has to be raised higher at this club or we will continue to not produce stars and not win premierships

blokes taken at #1 in particular need to start acting like it

Do you think that Jack Watts has had three full years of development at the MFC?