I watched the Pie's play and their game plan is no different to any other teams.

What they did on Saturday we didn't do last night.

1/ The most important thing is to run - Collingwood players never stand still and never stop presenting options - constantly giving an out for their mates. Our inability to clear the lines is so apparent when we stand still. When we were prepared to run hard in the 2nd quarter look what happened - we broke the lines.

2/ Push up to the contest - also a noticeable. Every Pies player on Saturday gave the opposition no ground what so ever. No standing off, no corralling, no 3 metres. We were not prepared to do that.

3/ By gut running and pushing up to the contest, Collingwood always seemed to have 2 more players at every contest.

4/ However hard your opposition goes at the ball - you have to go harder

You can keep your game plans - Football is not a difficult game - commit - run harder, go harder to the contest, want the ball more than your opponent. Do these things and the results follow.

If this was Facebook I would have pressed the like button.

They have shown many times what they are capable of, but I think this young side just do not have the tank to do that for 4 quarters every week.. Not yet anyway.

Agree with nutbean on all counts.

Stagnancy is our biggest problem. When we lose our mojo we stop moving, as in the 3rd quarter. We try and play safe, which ironically is the most unsafe way to play.

Not enough leadership yesterday and too much fear.

I watched the Pie's play and their game plan is no different to any other teams.

What they did on Saturday we didn't do last night.

1/ The most important thing is to run - Collingwood players never stand still and never stop presenting options - constantly giving an out for their mates. Our inability to clear the lines is so apparent when we stand still. When we were prepared to run hard in the 2nd quarter look what happened - we broke the lines.

2/ Push up to the contest - also a noticeable. Every Pies player on Saturday gave the opposition no ground what so ever. No standing off, no corralling, no 3 metres. We were not prepared to do that.

3/ By gut running and pushing up to the contest, Collingwood always seemed to have 2 more players at every contest.

4/ However hard your opposition goes at the ball - you have to go harder

You can keep your game plans - Football is not a difficult game - commit - run harder, go harder to the contest, want the ball more than your opponent. Do these things and the results follow.

I agree completely!!!

Melbourne are not committed enough, strong enough, fierce enough and dont all play hard foot ball at the same time

The scarey thing about the Pies is their evenness across their team

Either our players are not up to that or the coach isn"t encouraging that type of play

Football is very simple

You have to beat your opponent at the ball more often than them and you need more of your side beating more of theirs

Last night neither happened in either half of the game. Our players were exposed once again as considerably weaker in mind and body than their opponents

On the whole it is our attitude and desire that need the modifiaction not some schame plan or some coaches idea of a game plan.

I agree completely!!!

Melbourne are not committed enough, strong enough, fierce enough and dont all play hard foot ball at the same time

The scarey thing about the Pies is their evenness across their team

Either our players are not up to that or the coach isn"t encouraging that type of play

Football is very simple

You have to beat your opponent at the ball more often than them and you need more of your side beating more of theirs

Last night neither happened in either half of the game. Our players were exposed once again as considerably weaker in mind and body than their opponents

On the whole it is our attitude and desire that need the modifiaction not some schame plan or some coaches idea of a game plan.

Lack awareness. I think the slowness of the forwards to get back down the ground is the belief that players up the ground wont win the ball.

I'd be happy if two forwards stayed back in the fifty zone to lead for the ball. You are only ever going to be fifty fifty chance running back to take a mark.

Agree players do not work hard enough of the ball.

Excellent post! Its these fundamentals that the coaching staff are not instilling in our players.

Agree with nutbean on all counts.

Stagnancy is our biggest problem. When we lose our mojo we stop moving, as in the 3rd quarter. We try and play safe, which ironically is the most unsafe way to play.

Not enough leadership yesterday and too much fear.

I know we can butcher the ball from the fullback area but can you imagine if you are a Grimes/Frawley/Garland and all our players are doing these half arsed half paced leads further up field or worse still, not moving at all. You must think to yourself - how the hell are we going to get the ball out of our defensive area.

A good lesson to all our forwards - watch Chris Dawes last Saturday - certainly not quick - his commitment to keeping that ball in the Pies forward zone is fantastic.

The making of the team will not be about when we have the ball in hand - it is what we do when we don't have the ball in hand.

It's all about work ethic.

I know we can butcher the ball from the fullback area but can you imagine if you are a Grimes/Frawley/Garland and all our players are doing these half arsed half paced leads further up field or worse still, not moving at all. You must think to yourself - how the hell are we going to get the ball out of our defensive area.

A good lesson to all our forwards - watch Chris Dawes last Saturday - certainly not quick - his commitment to keeping that ball in the Pies forward zone is fantastic.

The making of the team will not be about when we have the ball in hand - it is what we do when we don't have the ball in hand.

It's all about work ethic.

Good thread NB.

Conversely, what makes it so much easier for forwards to keep the ball in the forward 50 is if a defender with the ball looks up & can see none of his midfielders free because they're all covered by the opposing midfielders, so they hesitate. It's impossible for forwards to keep it in if a defender looks up & can see 3 of his mids on their own in the middle of the ground.

Good thread NB.

Conversely, what makes it so much easier for forwards to keep the ball in the forward 50 is if a defender with the ball looks up & can see none of his midfielders free because they're all covered by the opposing midfielders, so they hesitate. It's impossible for forwards to keep it in if a defender looks up & can see 3 of his mids on their own in the middle of the ground.

Thats it exactly.

It killed me to watch the first two Collingwood games. Just take a look at Harry O. He gets the ball in his back half and whats the first thing he does ? he takes off at a million miles an hour. And then he looks upfield and his teamates have spread just as quickly. He takes the game on and works harder than his opponent. It is not a worry that Collingwoods midfield kicks goals - the worry is their backline kicks goals ! Collingwood have twice as many men at every contest - it is not an accident - it is work ethic.

Can only agree, with 99% of the above, if we turn over the ball isn't it better that its 50 metres further down the park,

Cannot think of another game that I have seen where we were beaten so comprehensively in that second half.

and I have seen a lot of losing games on the last 45 years, We were done with speed ability and strength.

Both physically and more importantly Mentally. Don't doubt they were trying but just lost the plot completely.

Took all my persuasive powers to keep the boss seated after 5 mins of the last quarter, we eventually left just into time on.

Bugger of a game !

They cannot play like that next week...........can they ?

go dees..BUGGER it GO DEES !!!!!!! Come on Give em HELL !