THE BAD AND UGLY CURSE OF THE SLOW START by Whispering Jack

This year's curse seems to be the slow start - it's bad and it's ugly and it's not good!

In round one against the Sydney Swans, Melbourne was slow off the blocks early, spent most of the game playing catch up football, overcame a 25-point deficit late in the third quarter and hit the lead late in the game before allowing a couple of points through to finally register a tied result.

In round two, the Demons conceded the first eleven scoring shots to the Hawks in the first half of the opening stanza. That they were able to recover and, at one stage managed to hold a 27-point lead a little more than half an hour later, was due in large measure to the opposition's poor kicking for goal. In the end, they were blown away with ease.

Finally, Melbourne managed its first win for the season over the Brisbane Lions at the MCG but the result was unconvincing and came after it allowed the Lions the luxury of a five goal start early into the second term. Brisbane got away to a flyer with a five-goal-to-one first quarter in which the visitors' dominance was there to see in the statistics. They had 30 more disposals for the opening term, had more than double the marks (40-19) and led the clearances by ten to six. It should be remembered that this was a team that one week earlier had meekly surrendered by 78 points to the Western Bulldogs, who had themselves been thrashed a week earlier by an emerging Essendon team.

A great deal of desperation and the fear of humiliation in front of their own fans then drove the Demons for two very productive quarters leaving them 14 points to the good at the final break but, even then, they simply couldn't allow their fans to breath easily. Another goalless 20 minute period left red and blue hearts pounding away nervously before a long kick from Brent Moloney was safely shepherded through by Liam Jurrah for the team's only final quarter goal and they prevailed by 12.10.82 to 11.5 .71.

Moloney was the star of the day picking up a game-high 37 possessions on his way to his best start for the club since early in his debut year with the club of 2005 after crossing earlier from Geelong. He led a much maligned midfield division that was completely smashed in the final half last week and for the first quarter or so this week. Nathan Jones was strong with 27 disposals and fourth games Jordan Gysberts took up where he left off in mid season last year with 25 touches.

The on ballers were given an armchair ride by Mark Jamar continuing on from his stellar 2010 and now very ably assisted by Stef Martin who is fine when allowed to play ruck or defend and not so crash hot whilst up forward.

Their ascendancy came at an important time because early in the game the team was being carved up by a couple of old stagers in Simon Black in midfield and Luke Power up forward. Having lost skipper and experienced power forward Jonathan Brown after the opening round, I don't know what Brisbane will do if it loses either of these two as well.

Liam Jurrah was the most important forward line in an attack that continues not to do enough on a weekly basis. Jurrah snagged five goals for the day. He was devastating in the second quarter comeback and the last of his goals came early in the third term. Ash McGrath then had him seeing stars with a questionable head high bump and Jurrah faded a little allowing others to do the work for the third term but he was back in excitement mode late in the game when he shepherded Moloney's rolling long bomb which became the match winner.

The club goes into next week's groundbreaking game against the Gold Coast Suns with some problems that need attention and of course, the brains trust will be trying to work out what to do about the slow starts. Then there's the problem of the midfield still not performing anywhere near as well as it should especially given that, for the most part, it has been playing to a winning ruck.

Then there are the leaders, particularly Brad Green and Aaron Davey who have failed to stand up for a full 120 minutes. Green has been pedestrian this year in comparison to the lofty standards he has set in recent yeares and uncharacteristically has missed some easy shots at goal including one that could have sealed the game in the last quarter.

Hawthorn had it worked out last week and once again, Aaron Davey had a tagger in Andrew Raines who wore him like a glove and kept him out of the game. There are creative ways to break tags and hopefully, the football department will concentrate on helping Davey through close tagging situations and if this doesn't work, then have a strategy to put the taggers out of business (legally of course).

The forward line set up is also an issue as Melbourne lacks a strong forward who can be relied upon to contest marking situations and to keep the ball inside the 50 metre arc. The return of Austin Wonaeamirri will help things at ground level but we simply cannot afford to rely predominantly on Liam Jurrah's heroics every week. The way the Demons play the game, returns of 11, 12 and 12 goals are not enough in today's football.

Above all, the team needs to be persistent and consistent with its attack on the football. Even against an inexperienced outfit like next week's opponents, the Suns, the team must play four good quarters of good football together. This is what Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett is demanding of his team heading into this weekend's fixture against Melbourne at the Gabba and it is no less what is to be expected of the Demons at the same time... right from the start of every game.

Melbourne 1.1.7 6.3.39 11.7.73 12.10.82

Brisbane Lions 5.2.32 7.3.45 9.5.59 11.5.71

Goals

Melbourne Jurrah 5 Bennell Dunn Grimes Gysberts Moloney Sylvia Wonaeamirri

Brisbane Lions Power 4 Banfield 2 Clark Leuenberger Polkinghorne Redden Rockliff

Best

Melbourne Moloney Jurrah Rivers Jamar Jones Gysberts

Brisbane Lions Clark Adcock Power Rockliff Black Leuenberger

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Brisbane Lions Nil

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Brisbane Lions Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Brisbane Lions Nil

Umpires Schmitt Chamberlain Keating

Crowd 24,380 at the MCG

Overview of today's game:

GOOD

Perseverance. We stuck at, and out attack on the ball at stoppages was really strong.

Jurrah. MCG superstore had no Jurrah badges left after the game. Any wonder? Freak.

Stoppage work. Big improvement. We would be lost without Jamar's class and Moloney's grunt work. However, if Lions did take possession at a stoppage we were weak in stemming their forward spread.

Ticker. Really good today

Watts' leading inside 50

Welcome back Gys. Gun.

BAD

Kicking skills into half forwrd line.

Frawley's short passing (at least 5 went to team mates' feet instead of chests)

Team mates not honouring great leads from Watts, Jurrah and Wonna. Inexperienced midfield the probable cause, but too many great leads missed or ignored.

First quarter. Embarrassingly bad. Our pre-game must change, our 1st quarters are poor almost every game. How many 1st quarters have we won since 2008?

UGLY

Dunny with that horrible head, foul lip fur AND damage to the nose. Dingo ugly.

Backline fumbling at ground level.

Non-existent half forward line. This was excruciating to watch today, especially in the last quarter

Morton - as rusty as you could possibly be from a sore finger. Very bad sub choice.

The amount of times the Lions had free players in the middle of the ground after a turnover on a wing / halfback. If their forward line wasn't worse than ours, they would have slaughtered us. Either our structure has a gaping hole in it, or some players are not playing to team rules. Full of holes at times today.

Watts intensity at a contest. SPRINT boy!!!!!!

If Davey is tagged, someone legally block or bump the tagger. Get stuck into him and let him know that Martin or Jamar or Chip will run through him if he keeps it up. Someone stand up.

By the way, I 've never enjoyed a win less. I wrote during the week that a win is a win is a win. When the siren went I just rested my head in my hands. I did the one thing during the game today that I hate doing, and hate other supporters doing - I spent the last quarter whinging. Never done it before and hope I don't again. It was hard to stomach.

.

Edited April 10, 201114 yr by Maldonboy38

GOOD

Our work at stoppages

Jurrahs return to form

Martin's development

BAD

Watts' work rate

Our disposal and deceision making going forward

Our captain - where is the 2010 Brad Green?

UGLY

Jamar kicking for goal

The umpiring today - for both teams

our 1st quarters

GOOD

Our work at stoppages

Jurrahs return to form

Martin's development

BAD

Watts' work rate

Our disposal and deceision making going forward

Our captain - where is the 2010 Brad Green?

UGLY

Jamar kicking for goal

The umpiring today - for both teams

our 1st quarters

Lack of supporters showing up. That was ugly.

Let me add to the Ugly an incident I have seen repeated far too often lately. Three players led out into space on our left wing giving different length options for the kicker. His kick went into the space BEHIND them right to the three Lions' players who were trailing their men. This is something most coaches stamp out before they hit their teens. Why is it that our players seem to do it more often than not?

What to do about Watts? He is struggling big time.

God I hope we haven't wasted a number one draft pick on this boy.

Hurley blitzed this evening for the Bombers and really looks the goods.

Jones was the good, bad and ugly all rolled in to one today.

Watts I agree is a big worry. His homework for the week should be to watch replay Dons Vs Saints 100 times for the week.

Edited April 10, 201114 yr by america de cali

GOOD

Watts' leading inside 50

Good call Maldonboy. Pity others don't see what we see.

Sure, he's not setting the world on fire. He goes missing for long periods too. But his off-the-ball work is still good.

Good call Maldonboy. Pity others don't see what we see.

Sure, he's not setting the world on fire. He goes missing for long periods too. But his off-the-ball work is still good.

Wasn't he playing on the wing though?

Wona's fwd pressure was outstanding.

Jurrah's defensive work was first rate as well. Clearly got a rocket fm last weeks performance.

Lack of supporters showing up. That was ugly.

It was just under 25k wasn't it? I didn't expect too many more on a rainy Sunday afternoon against an interstate side.

I was listening to the commentators stick the boot in before the game saying there would be 10-15k max, so I was glad we beat their estimate by another 10k.

Good

The Jurrah-cane, both goals and agressivness towards Merrett & McGrath

Gysberts' first game back

Moloneys ownership of contested ball

Jamar's ownership of the ruck

Perseverance

Bad

Our tackling

Grimes & Garland shirking contests

Our inability or unwillingness to provide Davey a chop out.

Ugly

Our starts

Umpiring (disgusting, just watched the replay and hove lost count of the times I've heard "melbourne unlucky not to get a free kick there")

Wona's fwd pressure was outstanding.

Jurrah's defensive work was first rate as well. Clearly got a rocket fm last weeks performance.

Reckon Jurrah still has to put some more work into that side of his game. Davey being tagged out of a game again, Green slow out of the blocks for 2011. Not enough head over the ball stuff for my liking.

Jamars kicking for goal let him down but was otherwise a leader as usual.

Gysberts was outstanding, Rivers much better and Frawley looking good which is a huge plus. Grimes looked good/better when pushing further forward.

The Great: My 3 year old son's debut at the 'G today. Loved singing the Grand Old Flag.

Edited April 10, 201114 yr by Demon Hill

GOOD

Our work at stoppages

Jurrahs return to form

Martin's development

BAD

Watts' work rate

Our disposal and deceision making going forward

Our captain - where is the 2010 Brad Green?

UGLY

Jamar kicking for goal

The umpiring today - for both teams

our 1st quarters

i think he's started to lean back?

I noticed as he ran in and started to drop the ball he twisted his upper body to the left, dropping the ball poorly to the boot.

Good

The Jurrah-cane, both goals and agressivness towards Merrett & McGrath

Gysberts' first game back

Moloneys ownership of contested ball

Jamar's ownership of the ruck

Perseverance

Bad

Our tackling

Grimes & Garland shirking contests

Our inability or unwillingness to provide Davey a chop out.

Ugly

Our starts

Umpiring (disgusting, just watched the replay and hove lost count of the times I've heard "melbourne unlucky not to get a free kick there")

Good

The Jurrah-cane, both goals and agressivness towards Merrett & McGrath

Gysberts' first game back

Moloneys ownership of contested ball

Jamar's ownership of the ruck

Jones 2nd half

Rivers last 3 Qtrs

Perseverance

Bad

Bennell

Our tackling

Dunn

Grimes & Garland shirking contests

Bennell

Our inability or unwillingness to provide Davey a chop out.

Bennell

Ugly

Did I mention Bennell

Our starts

Umpiring (disgusting, just watched the replay and hove lost count of the times I've heard "melbourne unlucky not to get a free kick there")

The complete lack of intensity early.

Good

Liam Jurrah - looking more and more like a case of form is temporary, class is permanent

Moloney

Jamar in the ruck

Jones

Rivers

Gysberts

Watts when he was involved

Intensity - showing some ticker and getting involved

Bad

Watts not getting involved

Kicking into forward 50

Jamar kicking at goal

Green

Morton

Hardness at the tackle

Ugly

The goddamn UMPIRING, I was furious by the end of the first quarter

The players starting to kick it about in the backline at the 10min mark of the 4th quarter - always seem to do this even though it's only a 2-3 goal margin

Lynden Dunn - useless.

Our starts

Umpiring (disgusting, just watched the replay and hove lost count of the times I've heard "melbourne unlucky not to get a free kick there")

Glad someone else noticed this, and that is not including Flash getting completely flattened when trying to come to the bench. What was that emergency umpire being paid to do? Was 25m away from him.