Sydney was not a better team than us today. Consider they kicked 3-4 goals that were instigated by free-kicks 1-2 possessions ahead of the kick at goal. We made a lot of immature, silly mistakes, most of which were punished with free-kicks against, particularly in the first half. We got to the ball more than Sydney, and we were a lot harder at it and better in the air. We just didn't capitalise. There was nothing wrong with our structure today, and everything wrong with our maturity as a team. That will come.

Absolutely agree DD. Love the bloke, but he was very costly, especially early on. We can see the potential, just want to see it come to fruition.

+1

There is actually nothing wrong with Jack's kicking per se.

He just needs to learn the difference between a high risk difficult kick and a low risk kick to advantage

Aaron Davey he aint (and even Aaron overcooks them too)

For those who say we didn't deserve 4 points for 1.5 quarters of football. Rubbish, football is about taking your opportunities and winning (not getting "fair" results). We need to tighten up and learn to win in a flourish

Yep, 3.6 to 1.4 for the quarter is what killed us... too many missed opportunities from set shots - those 4 Swans points were mostly rushed in the final minutes.

To be honest, it was a good ending. We lost the game with wayward kicking, but overall you have to be proud of such a young team missing some key players for managing to claw their way back into the match.

We have come a long way from the 100 point thrashing we suffered last year in Round 1.

I was surprised with the midfield, and the fact that we broke even.

I thought Martin was very very good, especially in the ruck, and without Sylvia, Davey or Moloney staring for 4 quarters (each were good in periods of the game), we still managed to get the 2 points.

Jurrah had a quiet game by his standards and we definitely could have done with Frawley (Rivers got done in the first half by a freakin second gamer! ), and Ricky for a whole game.

Jamar, Green, Trengove and Jurrah on goal kicking duties this week.

Bennell midfield.

I have said it before, and I will always say it again.

TOP 8 TEAM BABY!!! B)

Edited March 27, 201114 yr by Jaded

Have been watching the Channel 7 broadcast. When will the "free to Air" stations wake up.. Not only was it delayed (a mate text me the result at 3/4 time) Great last qtr, really exciting.... siren goes then straight to the news. No highlights, No breakdown of play or analysis from the commentators.. Soooo frustrating... Phew.. feel much better now.

To be honest, it was a good ending. We lost the game with wayward kicking, but overall you have to be proud of such a young team missing some key players for managing to claw their way back into the match.

We have come a long way from the 100 point thrashing we suffered last year in Round 1.

I was surprised with the midfield, and the fact that we broke even.

I thought Martin was very very good, especially in the ruck, and without Sylvia, Davey or Moloney staring for 4 quarters (each were good in periods of the game), we still managed to get the 2 points.

Jurrah had a quiet game by his standards and we definitely could have done with Frawley (Rivers got done in the first half by a freakin second gamer! ), and Ricky for a whole game.

Jamar, Green, Trengove and Jurrah on goal kicking duties this week.

We must bring on our kid, tall defenders, this year, as much as possible. McDonald, Howe, Davis. I'd like tosee them have a couple of games each by the end of the season to give them a taste & too see howe they handle things.

Next year's the year for us to start to settle our Spine! And to get games into that lineup.

Happy with a draw against a team that will finish above us at the end of the season. Waisted opportunities by both teams throughout the game. We played a 'C grade' game in my opinion and done well to snatch 2 points. We can play much better than we did, and with Scully, Morton, Frawley, and McKenzie (among others) to come back, there is so much better to expect. Tappscott was brilliant, a major positive from today.

One thing to come out of today that no-one seems to have picked up on and that probably makes the resulting draw a fair result... neither team had won a first round match since 2005 (I think it was) - and one thing that has me a bit unsettled... the lack of doom and gloom posts we usually get after the first round.

One thing to come out of today that no-one seems to have picked up on and that probably makes the resulting draw a fair result... neither team had won a first round match since 2005 (I think it was) - and one thing that has me a bit unsettled... the lack of doom and gloom posts we usually get after the first round.

Well, put it this way - if the rest of the season improves by the same amount that our Round 1 effort has improved ...

And it's always been the sign of a good team to get a result against good opposition despite not playing well.

And when was the last time we had a percentage of 100?

Edited March 27, 201114 yr by Akum

Happy with a draw against a team that will finish above us at the end of the season. Waisted opportunities by both teams throughout the game. We played a 'C grade' game in my opinion and done well to snatch 2 points. We can play much better than we did, and with Scully, Morton, Frawley, and McKenzie (among others) to come back, there is so much better to expect. Tappscott was brilliant, a major positive from today.

Don't be happy we did not win when we should have.

Do not except second best.

Only winning Counts the rest is a below required performance.

We have been excepting honourable losses for far too long.

Well, put it this way - if the rest of the season improves by the same amount that our Round 1 effort has improved ...

And it's always been the sign of a good team to get a result against good opposition despite not playing well.

And when was the last time we had a percentage of 100?

improved on what!

barely six months ago we beat this mob by 70 points.

improved on what!

barely six months ago we beat this mob by 70 points.

Lacked Frawley in defense. It is a shame that Rivers who can mark a ball seems to lack any ability to kick. McDonald was horrible,

Tappscot was great, tough and hard working and Watts did the small things that seem to go noticed.

Negatives,

Forwardline just does not work hard enough. Our forward coach should have worked on this area.

Bailey picked the wrong player as the Sub. Not sure what he was thinking. Having Petterd on the Bench for three quaters was ridiculous. The positives, Petterd was the only player who looked able to pull off a mark down forward.

Don't be happy we did not win when we should have.

Do not except second best.

Only winning Counts the rest is a below required performance.

We have been excepting honourable losses for far too long.

Nonsense... we went in with a well below strength side, with a lot of inexperienced youth, and we came out with a draw after trailing by 25 points at the final change over. Be happy that we didn't lose when we should have! No pleasing some people.

We should have won.

We absolutely dominated that last quarter. Area behind the goals was rocking.

As good as he was today, Jamar's miss from 15 metres in the last quarter was just awful. We've seen ruckmen miss a lot of easy goals this weekend but I rated Jamar higher than that - maybe I expect too much for someone to run straight at the goals when having an incredibly important shot instead of veering off to the left and kicking that way too.

What made it worse was, I dropped the mark behind the goals! Would you believe, the sun was in my eyes? FAIL.

LOWLIGHTS:

- Maric. Goodbye again for now. Butchered what should be an easy snap for a small forward. Can't handle the big time yet.

- Petterd not playing the whole game. Didn't he look great.

- Grimes kicking.

- Jones. Hmm. If you're going to be slow and can't kick too well, at least be a good handballer.

- Davey was down a bit I thought. Just has no desire to chase any more, what's with that?

- The guy in the cheer squad that tries to start the 'Melbourne' chant year after year. Now he sits down after about 3 seconds. Maybe try something new.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Stef Martin. Nice hands, did a bit.

- Tappy debut was nice and hard...

- Moloney was possessed. Leading the way.

- Bennell is improving. I like.

Frustrating day. I felt it was us losing it, not them winning it throughout the game.

Hawks are going to come out steaming next week, hope we lift!

Edited March 27, 201114 yr by TheBuzz

Nonsense... we went in with a well below strength side, with a lot of inexperienced youth, and we came out with a draw after trailing by 25 points at the final change over. Be happy that we didn't lose when we should have! No pleasing some people.

Hardtack all the above means nothing. we did not win!

end of the story. stop justfying our inability to win.

By the way I will never be pleased with "not loosing"

Can't argue with that.. and I would think Bennell came close to best on ground; he had a great game.

loved his goal when he burnt his opponent off, he is getting better and better. Flash 2.0 maybe!!

Hardtack all the above means nothing. we did not win!

end of the story. stop justfying our inability to win.

By the way I will never be pleased with "not loosing"

Melbourne of a couple of years back would have been destroyed, the last quarter showed a whole new MFC, a team that will fight until the end.

Forgive my ignorance, but why didn't Petterd start. And Tappy, will there be any doubters now, I can't imagine so.

So Hollow

Shaw coming to the bench 'what the hell just hit me out there, a russian tank'. Trainer 'no you've just been tapscotted!'. Kid played an awesome debut game. Where is curry and beer now. Quote 'I have never seen him play but he is just a one trick pony'. C and b sorry mate but you've jist been tapscotted!

Hardtack all the above means nothing. we did not win!

end of the story. stop justfying our inability to win.

By the way I will never be pleased with "not loosing"

I am NOT justifying our inability to win... rather, I'm justifying our ability to fight back from what twelve months ago would have blown out to be a total drubbing! Finally, we are showing some fortitude and I am confident we will now go from strength to strength.

One thing to come out of today that no-one seems to have picked up on and that probably makes the resulting draw a fair result... neither team had won a first round match since 2005 (I think it was) - and one thing that has me a bit unsettled... the lack of doom and gloom posts we usually get after the first round.

And still haven't.

By the way I will never be pleased

OK, a misquote, but one that sums you up.

There are always positives, and there are always negatives, no matter the result.

After the preseason we had, the players we've lost, the players out injured, plus the way Sydney came to play (they certainly haven't forgotten last year's drubbing), to have come back from where we did and scramble a draw ... all fine with me.

To those wondering about why Ricky was the sub, my view is that Maric completed 90% of the preseason and was rated by the club as one of the top three trainers. Ricky had a reduced preseason due to a slight tweak in his hammy. It's entirely fair and reasonable in the first match of the year to reward consistency and effort. Ricky will probably start next week after today, that's also fair and reasonable.

Overall, I'm not unhappy with the result. Half way through the 3rd quarter we could have been 7 goals down looking at a shellacking but we fought back to 14 points behind at the last change and then managed to almost win the thing. Not bad for a team that butchered the ball out of defence and made stupid errors for 2.5 quarters. Jamar never should have missed that one in the last though, my nan could kick that... and she's dead!

Positives:

1. We ran out the game well. Did well in the clearances and had a better no. of inside 50s than usual.

2. Tapscott - Loved it!

3. Petterd, started where he left off last season

4. We didn't give up, there were several games last year where we looked like we were coming back and then fell off, this team wouldn't say die.

Negatives:

1. Kicking out of Defence/Clangers in Defence/Stupid free kicks in Defence

2. Umpires, the holding the ball decision against Maric in the 1st quarter was a sign of the apocalypse

3. Goalkicking (yes both teams were shizen, but I like to think Sydney missed due to my frenetic "Chewy on your boot" so Melbourne had no excuse)

4. Kicking through the zone at kick ins, or at least maintaining possesion enough to not turn it over in or on the defensive 50

All in all we're still undefeated for 2011, there's some solace in that, now lets [censored] those Hawks!

Edit/ spelling

Edited March 27, 201114 yr by deejammin'