Vent Your Spleen

[Sir Why You Little 36,938]

Beaten 75 to 35 on the forward 50 entries really tells the tale. Our forwards didn't get enough opportunity and our defenders saw far too much of the ball. Midfield was deplorable - Jones and Moloney cannot play in the same side. Leadership group is looking shaky too. Of the onfield leaders only Rivers fulfilled the role description tonight.

75-35 really.....Jeebuz. Well it means a lot of hard work between now and next sunday.

Good thing the Scorps won...We must Dismember the Bears next week.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,090]

Can someone who can be bothered tell me how many players we had out there with over a 100 games experience? I think they had 13.... We will get beat up by sides with mature bodied midfields. Our only mature bodied mids (exclude Colin) are B grade at best. Our clearance work was poor, as was our will to run to space (hello Brent and Nathan) and our brainless kick in strategy (or lack thereof). Our next three games are against sides we should beat up on. I will reserve my judgment on where we are at to post Round 6.

[titan_uranus 24,963]

Can someone who can be bothered tell me how many players we had out there with over a 100 games experience? I think they had 13.... We will get beat up by sides with mature bodied midfields. Our only mature bodied mids (exclude Colin) are B grade at best. Our clearance work was poor, as was our will to run to space (hello Brent and Nathan) and our brainless kick in strategy (or lack thereof). Our next three games are against sides we should beat up on. I will reserve my judgment on where we are at to post Round 6.

All true. We were always going to struggle against their midfield, especially without McKenzie and Scully.

But as I've said in basically every other thread, I still want to see commitment and hunger. I didn't see that today, and that's both disappointing and worrying.

[Guest Gotzy15]

Losing to Hawthorn is excusable.

Not developing any sort of plan to get the ball out of kick-ins is bearable (just).

Rolling over, not giving a yelp, is totally unforgiveable.

Far too many players looked like they weren't trying. No gut running. Weak tackling. Non-negotiables were lacking. They lifted, sure, and they would have beaten us if we'd tried harder, but the lack of effort was appalling.

Mate i dont know who the hell you are but its almost like you and all the other blokes on this are speaking my mind for me. I dont need to say anymore as its all been said and i just couldnt agree with you more. If that endeavour and effort continues our footy club will be in crisis again before you can say see you later bails

[Dockett 32 1,239]

old dee, on 03 April 2011 - 10:50 PM, said:

Could not agree more Jaded.

I came home had something to eat and a single malt so I would let the anger flow out before I turned on the computer.

What I saw today:

I saw a team that was total out classed

In saw a team that should have been out of the game by quarter time.

I saw 22 melbourne players none of whom I can say beat their opponent the majority of the time.

I saw a team that could not clear the ball at kick ins and we had plenty of them to get it right.

I saw a team that will not make the finals this year.

I saw a team that is unfortunately a long way from being a power side.

I saw a game plan that I do not believe our players have the skill to implement against good opposition.

I saw 5 out of 21 players that could hold their heads up tonight, Tapscott, Bail,Martin, Rivers and Sylvia

I saw a coach that is so composed it makes me puck.

I saw My dream slip out by an additonal year.

So back to the single Malt and dreams of 2015 before we can cut it with the likes of Hawthorn.

Unfortunately have to agree with most of the above. Our blokes just have to learn to 'die for the cause' for 100 minutes and to do anything else is unacceptable. Bail ,Tapscott,Silvia seem to understand and are prepared to put their head over the ball and take what comes.Backward step tonight but not the end of the world.Lets hope the big lesson from tonight was that we were monstered in the second half and allowing ourselves to be monstered must not happen again for the rest of the season. Over to the coach and players to massively improve their engine room clearance work. We got smashed in the midfield. If not corrected immediately we'll get the heavy physicall pressure in this area dished up to us every week.

[trout 385]

What happen's if we lose next week, which could happen on our second half form.

Boy I feel sorry for the backline, all ways under the pump thank's to our midfield.

[Sir Why You Little 36,938]

All true. We were always going to struggle against their midfield, especially without McKenzie and Scully.

But as I've said in basically every other thread, I still want to see commitment and hunger. I didn't see that today, and that's both disappointing and worrying.

Yes the Passion of Round 1 went walkabout and i would expect the FD to be onto this during training.

That area was totally unacceptable tonight.

[old dee 23,704]

Yes the Passion of Round 1 went walkabout and i would expect the FD to be onto this during training.

That area was totally unacceptable tonight.

You know I would like to see a bit of passion from the FD

[Jaded No More 68,855]

You know I would like to see a bit of passion from the FD

I agree.

I WANT YELLING. I WANT EVERYONE TO YELL LOUDLY ALL THE TIME ABOUT STUFF. YELLING FIXES EVERYTHING. RAAAAAAAAAH

[heartbeatstrue 57]

I've got 3 big beefs to get off my chest before going to bed tonight (& hope I don't have nightmares about the game).

1. Jetta dropping that regulation mark from Davey's kick-in - turnover and costly goal. If you don't have the concentration, or skills, or determination to hold marks like that, then don't pull on a Demons guernsey again until you get whatever it takes.

2. Whoever is responsible for our kick-in strategy has lots of work to do, or more likely needs replacing (because it's been a perennial problem culminating in today's kick-in debacles - how may opposition goals resulted from inept kicking in?).

3. This one's probably a criticism of Bailey, why did MFC turn defensive immediately after half time, defending a 20 or 30 point lead? The change in style was obvious, and presumably on instruction. Why not continue the attacking footy that got us the lead during that exciting 2nd qtr? If it wasn't done on instruction, then the players responsible need a rocket.

But to add some balance, here's 3 good memories that hopefully will ward off the nightmares.

1. That 2nd qtr.

2. Jack Watts' improvement.

3. Jamie Bennell.

[H_T 3,043]

Can someone who can be bothered tell me how many players we had out there with over a 100 games experience? I think they had 13.... We will get beat up by sides with mature bodied midfields. Our only mature bodied mids (exclude Colin) are B grade at best. Our clearance work was poor, as was our will to run to space (hello Brent and Nathan) and our brainless kick in strategy (or lack thereof). Our next three games are against sides we should beat up on. I will reserve my judgment on where we are at to post Round 6.

Answer: 5 (Five).....I said 5.

• Davey 141
  
• Green 222
  
• Moloney 110
  
• Rivers 110
  
• Sylvia 104
  

Probably were our better players, too.

Our ability and confidence to spread was very good in the second. First to the ball more often, spread well and kicked confidently. Our work rate and clearance work in the third was almost non existent in comparison, whilst the Hawks led by the extractors in Mitchell, Rioli & Sewell carved us up having lifted some notches. Hale's ruck work was significant after half time too.

Clearly our midfield: -

Bail - 10 games

Bennell - 37 games

Jetta - 23 games

Jamar - 97 games

Jones - 94 games

Moloney - 109 games

Sylvia - 104 games

Trengove - 20 games

Martin - 31 games

Maric - 14 games

were inferior to the Hawks midfield rotations: -

Bateman - 159 games

Burgoyne - 175 games

Hale - 131 games

Hodge - 174 games

Ladson - 117 games

Lewis - 127 games

Mitchell - 176 games

Renouf - 47 games

Rioli - 66 games

Sewell - 124 games

Young - 88 games

Suckling - 8 games

less experienced too.....

Also our backline still needs more games together: -

BACKS: RIVERS (110) FRAWLEY (62) BARTRAM (82)

HALF BACKS: GRIMES (28) GARLAND (42) TAPSCOTT (2)

*Two players who kick out are Grimes & Tapscott, whilst talented they have only had 30 games between them.

[3Dee 1,153]

3. This one's probably a criticism of Bailey, why did MFC turn defensive immediately after half time, defending a 20 or 30 point lead? The change in style was obvious, and presumably on instruction. Why not continue the attacking footy that got us the lead during that exciting 2nd qtr? If it wasn't done on instruction, then the players responsible need a rocket.

It actually happened about five minutes before half-time!

[asco86 9]

The third quarter was an absolute disgrace. I don't disagree with comparisons with the GC game, for that quarter. It was boys against men. I reckon we probably had about two inside 50's for that entire quarter.

For a club leading by 19 points at half time to concede a turnaround of 50 points in one quarter is disgusting and inexcusable, regardless of who the teams are.

I hope that the players feel disgusted with their effort today because the majority of them did not deserve to be wearing the red and blue today.

[Fork 'em 6,983]

1. Jetta dropping that regulation mark from Davey's kick-in - turnover and costly goal. If you don't have the concentration, or skills, or determination to hold marks like that, then don't pull on a Demons guernsey again until you get whatever it takes.

Couldn't agree more .

[Guest Thomo]

3. This one's probably a criticism of Bailey, why did MFC turn defensive immediately after half time, defending a 20 or 30 point lead? The change in style was obvious, and presumably on instruction. Why not continue the attacking footy that got us the lead during that exciting 2nd qtr? If it wasn't done on instruction, then the players responsible need a rocket.

I don't think Melbourne went defensive, I think it was that Hawthorne put more pressure on the Melbourne back half, they were not switched on in the first half. 16 other teams in the comp play this way, but according to Bhima who does great training reports, Melbourne did not spend much time in the off season training against this.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I really, really hate Cameron Bruce now!

But yeah....we were terrible today! Not good enough MFC players and coaching staff!

That Woos, why waste the energy?

[Swampfox 190]

I saw what we are capable of and how bad we can play all in the one game

If we are still playing like that in 2 years time then i would be worried

Think we needed to hang onto Junior for another season to be honest

Think we have found something special in Tapscott but still think he is a half forward flanker

Bailey's future will be a club decision at the end of the season so crying about it after 2 rounds means squat

[dee-luded 2,959]

Hang on , that can't be right , Lord E25 thinks Trengove is up there with the quickest blokes in the league .

Trengove would be quicker than Bruce, but won't yet have the same engine. Nor miles in his legs.

[Sir Why You Little 36,938]

You know I would like to see a bit of passion from the FD

Such as Old Dee??? Got any examples?

[Legendsinc 2]

Let's just face the facts: We are Hawthorn's [censored]!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DemonDave 1,089]

Trengove would be quicker than Bruce, but won't yet have the same engine. Nor miles in his legs.

But this is two weeks in a row now where he's been completely blown away down that same wing.

Last week it was Jetta, which is excusable, and Gary Rohan who is reasonably quick. And he purportedly

had an excuse in that he'd just made a long run the other way.

But tonight, against Cameron Bruce? No excuses. He's not quick, of that much I'm certain.

Which tells me a chink in the kids armour is he's not got enough pace to play outside on the wings.

[DemonDave 1,089]

One of the most disappointing players for mine tonight was Jurrah, he continually tried to sit on opponents heads to take mark of the year, needlessly giving away free kicks or eliminating himself from the contest. Yes he got two goals, but had neglible to no impact on the game. I'd hasten his worst game for us for his career, alongside that game at Subi where he got niggled all day.

Bail continues to improve, and remembering from a post above he's played less than 20 games, I think he can play a role into the future, hes got great pace and equally balanced on both sides of his body.

At least one of Jetta, Maric or Bennell have to go next week, maybe two of them. Probably for Gysberts/Wonna and or Morton.

Jetta has horrible endurance, a couple of times tonight he could barely get out of a slow jog when the ball was right near him, and I'd suggest that dropped mark was a result of his lack of stamina. Was glad to see he got subbed, however Maric wasnt really on long enough and it was junk time by then anyway so hard to guage how he went with any substance.

Other Plusses:

Martin continues to improve and gain confidence

Rivers much improved over last week.

Tapscott. Obviously.

We got 100 minutes of game time into Chip to get him closer to full match fitness.

Sylvia's superb second quarter.

Negatives:

Our inability to shut down Sewell & co at stoppages.

Moloneys inability to handle a tag.

Brad Greens continual decline, he looks noticably slower right now.

Grimes kicking out and disposal under pressure.

Jack Watts continues to go missing for large stretches of the game. Yes he took a great pack mark

early on but barely took another decent contested mark for the rest of the game. I dont care how

many games he has or hasnt played, that kind of contribution every week is not enough.

Bring on the Bears

[H_T 3,043]

Let's just face the facts: We are Hawthorn's [censored]!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the indicators were there in the first half. Hawthorn led the same stats and indicators as they did in the second half. Expect one important stat. Scoreboard pressure stat. 3.13 to 8.2 (or 16 shots to 10) at half time. That's why they are considered and recognised as top 4 aspirants and we're not.

[bing181 9,193]

By the looks of it, some of you are in for a long season ...

[Diablo Deemon 220]

Embarrassing Capitulation of the highest order to concede the way we

Did was disgusting midfield had their Pants pulled down and were spanked

Relentlessly no one stood up after half time