GAME DAY

[leucopogon 1,519]

I can't understand how Harvey and Wells can manage to run free as often as they do. What the hell is wrong with our taggers (apologies to Bail who got injured)?

[hardtack 10,627]

oh im sorry, I thought this was a forum, not the quiet room

What was that about potshots?

[Shadow_S13 0]

I think the players need to have a serious look at themselves. Bailey and coaches arent to blame for this, all of the players are adults and if they cant stick together and let an average team put a 70 something point turn around on them they are the ones who need to do the soul searching and deserve the pressure. The coaches and staff can only tell them what they want them to do, you can lead a horse to water, but you cant force it to drink

[bing181 9,330]

However, questions should still be asked when the chips are down, where are our senior players? We do look good when we could play on our terms but when it gets tough, our champion senior players dissolve under pressure.

I thought Sylvia tried, as did a few others ... Frawley, Martin, Maric late in the game. I don't know that Davey was as bad as some people are making out, or as his WCE game. We were just killed through the middle - no Scully, Trengove, McKenzie, Grimes is perhaps just a step too far, and once the rot set in ...

More changes for next week, will give a few young'uns a chance, which must be about the only positive from a disappointing day.

[BAMF 4,387]

While on the face of it the loss is disappointing it is not unexpected.

Thats right. It was a loss. But it wasn't the end of the world like one or two of the posters on here are taking it.

This was never going to be our year. And once again we were beaten by norths midfield.

Add Scully, Trengove, Jamar and McKenzie and you can see that we are on the right path.

[Shadow_S13 0]

Juice showed why he was delisted........he will never make AFL level

[Striker475 696]

The only point I will make is that after the WCE loss the club fired up. After last Sunday a number of posters on here did say 'Adelaide isn't what matters, North is, and with the pressure off it depends on how the club performs...' - while I'm aware that JT/Jamar/Frank do hurt, at the same time...

[hardtack 10,627]

Unfortunately Davey made some poor decisions early on that directly contributed to opposition goals. Sylvia and Jones (and Davey to an extent) can hold their heads up, but the rest of the leadership group may as well have not turned up.

[Jaded No More 68,974]

I don't know what was worse today, the umpiring, the horrid injury luck or the absolute friggin morons I had to sit around today. Shite game.

[Laurance 0]

Six days ago, I kicked off the Game Day thread as follows:-

Eerie, isn't it?

I'm going to be careful this time and won't name any players in this post because I clearly owe them a duty of care to prevent injury and unwanted tribunal appearances but I will say that today's game has equally important implications for the Melbourne Football Club.

Last week, it was all about the team's capacity to come back after an unsatisfactory performance and the response from the playing group was everything we could ask for and more.

Today, it's more complex than that. The club has been under the microscope because of a combination of the Jack Trengove situation and the injuries to some key players. This poses a different test for the group but it also gives it an opportunity to demonstrate its mental resilience and the capacity of players to step into the breach when injuries occur.

We've always been regarded as brittle and flaky. Now's the time to prove to the football public that this reputation is wrong.

Nope.... brittle and flaky it is:(

[MikeAlphaTango 150]

and Dangerfield 23 disposals and 6 goals.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Awesome isn't it. Apparently he's been unreal in the VFL, so maybe we shoulda had him in earlier.

It feels weird saying that

Come on, lets not go from chalk to chocolates. He's going well thats all. He's not the messiah, so lets not hoist him up so he's ready to be worshipped or Crucified. He's just one of the honest boys.

[dee-luded 2,959]

he is indeed he must be working very hard on the training track to get it right cos there was once a time when he struggled with kicks... could never doubt his hardness though but he seems to be getting to a point where he becomes a complete footballer cos he can kicks goals too... one very fantastic one last week

...he's never been a bad kick, he just used to miss, lacking bekief and confidence. And put himself under too much personal pressure. Composure is being able to stay relaxed under pressure. Maturity helps enormously with this, if the person has the ability first.

He's going well so needs to be given time to grow into a role. Then and only then will we know the answers to the this future.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Moloney has been quieter than normal.

Davey does one really good thing followed by a really bad thing.

Dunn suspension doesn't matter because he will be dropped anyway. Needs a massive 2nd half to redeem himself

Brad Green needs to lift as well. Not enough from our leaders.

Leadership adjustment, learning to adapt without Junior.,,,,, and Trengove,,and Jamar. et al

[dee-luded 2,959]

those sh!t kicks are more common than people think, he has lost his way...

Ther was a whisper I recall on this forum I think, that some players didn't particularly like green? I hope that wasn't true, and would hate it if it were and was having an effect on the other leaders. Don't know any more than this, just a thought. But there something NQR with Aaron this year, and some others when the Chips down.

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Ther was a whisper I recall on this forum I think, that some players didn't particularly like green? I hope that wasn't true, and would hate it if it were and was having an effect on the other leaders. Don't know any more than this, just a thought. But there something NQR with Aaron this year, and some others when the Chips down.

Jimmy was asked that question on radio before the game are there any rumblings between the playing group...he sighed and said na its all fine but didnt seem surprised by the question.....

[dee-luded 2,959]

I think the players need to have a serious look at themselves. Bailey and coaches arent to blame for this, all of the players are adults and if they cant stick together and let an average team put a 70 something point turn around on them they are the ones who need to do the soul searching and deserve the pressure. The coaches and staff can only tell them what they want them to do, you can lead a horse to water, but you cant force it to drink

Their physical adults. But you take 3 or 4 topline players from any young side and you'll find they'll struggle. Especially when you take out 2 or 3 players fduring the game on top of whats happened through the week..

We just need to keep growing out team, in the Gym and onfield with Maturity. One week @ a time.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Jimmy was asked that question on radio before the game are there any rumblings between the playing group...he sighed and said na its all fine but didnt seem surprised by the question.....

I didn't leave the house this afternoon till half time on the radio, then went for some lunch. I had nothing left with the pathetic AFL decisions this week and our lack of effort to go in hard from the start with the Jack Trengove defence. Should have had a QC right from the start for this one. Now we are without this gun kid for 3 weeks. And he has a real smudge on his record now for the future. I've listened on the radio when I could and am now reading the peoples thoughts and am about to watch the replay, to form my opinions, as well.

Im hindsight: I think we shopuld have kept Junior as No 1, with Beamer as his understudy.

Be patient people, we are ontrack. And there will be the Ups and the downs.

[Kento80 83]

Come on, lets not go from chalk to chocolates. He's going well thats all. He's not the messiah, so lets not hoist him up so he's ready to be worshipped or Crucified. He's just one of the honest boys.

Have a look at the time I made that comment DL. It was in the first quarter, maybe you saw it. It was the quarter where Juice got 84 SC pts (a lot of higher regarded players don't even get that in a whole game) and was seemingly everywhere. I am not and never was predicting any messiah. From what I have heard he has been very good in the VFL and I made a statement that maybe he should have been given a game earlier. Thats all. No need to be melodramatic. It's not like he would have been replacing a gun, just someone who has been underperforming massively. If I am willing to cirticise a player, then I will also give credit where it is due. And in the instance of the post I made in the first quarter, it was due.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Have a look at the time I made that comment DL. It was in the first quarter, maybe you saw it. It was the quarter where Juice got 84 SC pts (a lot of higher regarded players don't even get that in a whole game) and was seemingly everywhere. I am not and never was predicting any messiah. From what I have heard he has been very good in the VFL and I made a statement that maybe he should have been given a game earlier. Thats all. No need to be melodramatic. It's not like he would have been replacing a gun, just someone who has been underperforming massively. If I am willing to cirticise a player, then I will also give credit where it is due. And in the instance of the post I made in the first quarter, it was due.

No Kento, I'm not having a go at You, but just trying to send out a sort of warning to all to not hoist him up, as we'll then see people will want to lynch him while he's up there. So I used your piece to illustrate. We all are in this together. He's not "Buddy", nor Roughy. He's just someone who can help whilst our Youngs forwards grow.

[old dee 23,872]

would have thought Davey was one of our better players today, not that the bar was raised that high by the rest

His kicking is usually his best feature but today he did 3 shockers that cost us goals as well as two terrible hand passes that let to turn overs and goals.

[Sir Why You Little 37,151]

It was good to see Juice have a real crack in the first Quarter, when the ball was delivered to him properly.

All is not lost with Juice. He does take strong grabs.

[old dee 23,872]

That is not an excuse, if it was the Melbourne Football Club should cease to exist.

They went in hard during the First Quarter and got Rewarded. This team continues to be soft away from the MCG.

If Bailey & Co do not address this problem very quickly we will have new coaches next year.

I thought that today we went hard at the ball all day.

We did not lose because we were soft like earlier in the season.

I thought we lost because 3 - 4 of our senior players contributed little eg Green, Dunn,Davey and Petterd.

On top of that injuries cost us early in the second quarter, Garland. Then Bail and I am sure Jones was hurt early in the first quarter.

Add to that poor games from Wona, Bennell, Jarrah (good first quater then went missing), Gysberts etc.

We sure as hell missed Jamar and Trengove.

[old dee 23,872]

It was good to see Juice have a real crack in the first Quarter, when the ball was delivered to him properly.

All is not lost with Juice. He does take strong grabs.

And he kept throwing himself into the fray, as a back up ruckman he is average but then who else is there?

Best Game he has played for a long while.

A keep for next week for me

If Green played half as well I would be happy.

[Sir Why You Little 37,151]

I thought that today we went hard at the ball all day.

We did not lose because we were soft like earlier in the season.

I thought we lost because 3 - 4 of our senior players contributed little eg Green, Dunn,Davey and Petterd.

On top of that injuries cost us early in the second quarter, Garland. Then Bail and I am sure Jones was hurt early in the first quarter.

Add to that poor games from Wona, Bennell, Jarrah (good first quater then went missing), Gysberts etc.

We sure as hell missed Jamar and Trengove.

Sure those players you mentioned above went missing or quiet...(a different word for soft)

if you mention all those names who did not stand up it is close to half a side!!!

I do not rate Nought Melbourne, so where does that place the MFC??