Vent your Spleen

[bandicoot 1,395]

No doubt losing 3 of your top 10 players didn't do us any good.

To compound the issue we had the worst ruck duo in 30 years. Martin and Newton. Unfortunately we don't have anyone else.

To make matters worse we played on a group that we cant play on. Etihad is the easiest ground in the AFL for the press... Baily has no idea how to combat this and only has 1 game plan.

And lastly we didn't have any big utilities. Tall, strong bodies are worth their weight in gold... We didn't have 1 today.

I tipped North Melbourne to win and I am not surprised that we lost.

We are going to really struggle over the next 5 weeks without Jamar.

I just hope that we don't see triple figure losses.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

THIS week was the major test for the club. We had to prove we had really made an effort to improve by backing up last weeks performance with a win today. Sure we had a few players out and injuries during the game hurt us but we had to show we had some fight and that we could lift... but we just rolled over and died.

We all praise Maric but his stats were padded in junk time. He and Jetta needed to stand up and they didn't this week. Petterd and Watts had little influence and Moloney was shut down. It's hard to win games with too many players down and/or injured.

Any criticism of Newton is harsh as he was FAR from our worst. Thought he gave a real contest in the forward line and around the ground - did more than Bate would anyway.

[frankie_d 1,471]

, it's left up to the players to get themselves out of trouble, because the coaches aren't capable of doing it.

It looked like Watts took himself down back in the third quarter and I thought contributed. Wonder if it was his idea?

[tonatopia 278]

Bailey is a dreamer. We need a general. Try viney.

I dont mind losing as long as the boys are giving their all. How can we be great one quarter and pathetic the next? Leadership.

[Sir Why You Little 37,149]

Look at it. Garland is effectively rooted end of Q1 cos of his injury. Bailey takes the punt to leave him on there injured, because he knows Bennell isn't going to offer anything defensively. Swaps his matchups to put Garland on the weakest of the Roos forwards - Aaron Edwards. He is, but he could get space because Garland was injured. Bailey took a punt and it didn't come off, I understand where it came from and can accept it.

Then we lose Bail in Q3 to drop us to 20 men. Doesn't help that he's our primary tagger.

Footy is a tough Hard Game. Nought Melbourne are garbage, & we let them walk all over us after getting a 5 goal lead.

Jim Stynes has a massive job in front of him to turn this club around, and i am sure he knows that.

Once again most of our leaders let us down.

I will accept patience from this club, but not excuses.

Our Captain is not a natural leader, that is one fact we learnt today.

[Akum 2,660]

It looked like Watts took himself down back in the third quarter and I thought contributed. Wonder if it was his idea?

Well, if it was a Bailey move, he undid it again just as it started looking good.

[Toorak 108]

No doubt losing 3 of your top 10 players didn't do us any good.

To compound the issue we had the worst ruck duo in 30 years. Martin and Newton. Unfortunately we don't have anyone else.

To make matters worse we played on a group that we cant play on. Etihad is the easiest ground in the AFL for the press... Baily has no idea how to combat this and only has 1 game plan.

And lastly we didn't have any big utilities. Tall, strong bodies are worth their weight in gold... We didn't have 1 today.

I tipped North Melbourne to win and I am not surprised that we lost.

We are going to really struggle over the next 5 weeks without Jamar.

I just hope that we don't see triple figure losses.

Unfortunately I agree with you 100%. This might be stating the obvious but we must ensure we retain Scully and Trengove. They are the nucleus of this team.

[Akum 2,660]

No doubt losing 3 of your top 10 players didn't do us any good.

To compound the issue we had the worst ruck duo in 30 years. Martin and Newton. Unfortunately we don't have anyone else.

To make matters worse we played on a group that we cant play on. Etihad is the easiest ground in the AFL for the press... Baily has no idea how to combat this and only has 1 game plan.

And lastly we didn't have any big utilities. Tall, strong bodies are worth their weight in gold... We didn't have 1 today.

I tipped North Melbourne to win and I am not surprised that we lost.

We are going to really struggle over the next 5 weeks without Jamar.

I just hope that we don't see triple figure losses.

Oh for god's sake!!

Still don't expect them to give up without a yelp.

[bandicoot 1,395]

Oh for god's sake!!

Still don't expect them to give up without a yelp.

Agree... I was about to write that I wasn't surprised to lose but was devastated by the lack of intensity after quarter time.

Edited May 14, 2011 by bandicoot

[BAMF 4,387]

You know what we are at Melbourne? We are premiership quality excuse makers.

If points were awarded for the quality and quantity of excuses we come out with after crappy performances we would be sitting 12 points clear on top of the ladder.

This culture has to end. I'm sick of it!

Knew it wouldn't take long for you to pop up.

You should just change your name to Chicken Little. That way everyone will know your opinion before we have to read it.

[Eth 4]

I don't really know where to start. I feel worse than two weeks ago.

Green showed again why he shouldn't be captain.

[censored] the umpires.

Watts is a legend.

Martin is a legend.

Goldstein and Harvey are free kick hunting [censored].

I don't know what else to say.

Edit: [censored] Dangerfield. Knew I forgot something.

Edited May 14, 2011 by eth38

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,234]

This was players unsure of themselves, players who either just aren't good enough being thrown in (Jetta) or too full of themselves to actually work hard (Bennell).

I would love never to see Jetta play a game for the MFC.

Do I watch the same game? On one hand you say players (Bennell) does not work hard enough and on the other hand you say you would love Jetta to never play again. Jetta laid 12 tackles and Gysberts aside was the only player relatively clean in close. Would love to know your issues with him and why you do not lump Wonna in the same who for mine was useless and lazy today.

We were beaten today not because the effort was not there but because we still have too many players that make too many skill errors and turn overs kill you at Etihad. We also without Jamar struggled to get a clean takeaway which is crucial at that ground. It is going to be a tough time without the Big Russian.

[Pipefitter 2,168]

Ease up guys. Today reminded me of some of the shocking injury luck we had the last 18 months of neale danihers reign. Hopelessly undermanned before the bounce then further cruelled throughout the match.

We talk about the obvious omissions but i think we missed grimes and rivers the most. Those quick inside 50s that Dunn was forced to zone and become that 3rd man, dismally I may add shows how much we missed them.

Moloney will learn from today. When you start getting rated highly then cop the attention you have to work harder. Thought Moloney would have thrived in that circumstance but obviously needed to work harder.

Newton is frustrating because I think he has ability but obviously not the fitness to be an afl player. Just look at his body. For someone who has been in the system for as long as he has, he should be a man mountain, but he's not. Shows he doesn't have the hunger to be the best.

Go easy on dean. It was really rearranging the chairs on the titanic. Robbing two forwards (Dunn and watts) to play defense showed this.

It's gonna be a tough few weeks.

[Striker475 696]

Do I watch the same game? On one hand you say players (Bennell) does not work hard enough and on the other hand you say you would love Jetta to never play again. Jetta laid 12 tackles and Gysberts aside was the only player relatively clean in close. Would love to know your issues with him and why you do not lump Wonna in the same who for mine was useless and lazy today.

We were beaten today not because the effort was not there but because we still have too many players that make too many skill errors and turn overs kill you at Etihad. We also without Jamar struggled to get a clean takeaway which is crucial at that ground. It is going to be a tough time without the Big Russian.

Yeah, he works hard. But he's not good enough - my original point. He continues to try, yes, but if the skill ain't there, it ain't there.

Wonna is different - it's more of a tank issue. You say he's lazy, but he was buggered by halfway through the third quarter. I'd say he needs a heavy enduro run next preseason.

[Jaded No More 68,974]

No doubt losing 3 of your top 10 players didn't do us any good.

To compound the issue we had the worst ruck duo in 30 years. Martin and Newton. Unfortunately we don't have anyone else.

To make matters worse we played on a group that we cant play on. Etihad is the easiest ground in the AFL for the press... Baily has no idea how to combat this and only has 1 game plan.

And lastly we didn't have any big utilities. Tall, strong bodies are worth their weight in gold... We didn't have 1 today.

I tipped North Melbourne to win and I am not surprised that we lost.

We are going to really struggle over the next 5 weeks without Jamar.

I just hope that we don't see triple figure losses.

I agree completely, except for the comment about Martin, who was very good and tried his absolute best to not only win the ruck contest but also get the clearance. He was excellent, especially when he was injured last week, thrown into a first ruck position this week with no support and copped a hit to the knee during the game. He is the least of our problems.

I think everyone needs to remember that in today's game, being down on rotations kills you. We lost a very important part of our structure in Garland early on, and we then lost Bail who gives us so much run and has great endurance. We played more than a quarter with 2 players on the bench, one of which was Jurrah with a sore back, and Jones with a corked thigh, and the Roos ran us into the ground. We were also missing our single most important player structurally in Jamar and when you combine that with Beamer having to battle with the best tagger in the comp, it was always going to be hard to win.

Yes, it is inexcusable that we still have guys like Jones turn the ball over under no pressure, that Davey still chooses too many risky options at critical times in the game, that we got caught several times during a quick switch and that we turned it over too much up forward. Chippa said after the game that we "gave up", which is not good enough, but everything that could go wrong this week (and today) did.

I have no idea how we are going to win the next 4 games without Jamar, Bail, Trengove, maybe Garland and Grimes. That is a chunk of talent from a young inexperienced list that can barely afford to lose a single player in their structure, especially when only McKenzie looks like a good replacement in the not too distant future.

[stuie 7,374]

At least this week we'll get another rev up by the only thing that seems to work... The media.

Bailey just doesn't not have "it". He's solid, he's ok, but that's not enough is it.

To lose to North today, and in the way we did, just looked and felt like 3 years ago. We were a messy, unorganised, headless, directionless rabble.

NOT ACCEPTABLE ANYMORE.

[Demon Disciple 12,274]

Willing to let a loss to Nought Melbourne slide???

Sorry i am not. I have had enough of feeble excuses. Watch the first Quarter again.

Attack the Ball, you tend to win the contest.

Yep, agree with all of it.

And why oh why do me muck around with the ball by kicking it sideways and backwards before we try and kick into our forward 50? Why not just get it in there quick? Sure no ones there, but if we get it in there quick several times, surely it will click with those in the box to have someone in there at all times!

There were only 2 positives today from our perspective today. Juice and Martin in the first quarter. Other than that it was a crap game on our part.

Umpiring was woeful, both sides got some rough calls (thanks ump round my ass). Crowd was woeful too. 23,000 for 2 Melbourne teams on a Saturday arvo and indoors. There would have been no more than 10,000 Melbourne supporters there, probably less.

The next month will get very interesting. We verse Saints, Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood. The way we're playing, they will be 4 loses. I reckon Bailey will be a dead man walking after this and good riddance.

Not one player on our list has the ability to stand up and grab hold of the game. Jurrah needs a rocket sent up his arse, so too Watts, so too half the bloody players on the ground today. It's not that we lost, it's the way we lost. We gave away some stupid free kicks, we turned over the ball way too often, we just did the bad things bad, and the good was few and far between.

Sure that 96 point win was great, hopefully it just doesn't cover up the cracks that are obviously there. Things need to happen, or else our list will simply only be seen as one that has potential. Bailey is not the man to get the best out of our team. Move him on come season's end, and question the player's commitment to this once great club. Too many passengers, with only one man driving the train (and he is ridden with cancer ffs).

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Last week we papered over the cracks this week the wall fell down, we are downhill skiers and as weak as [censored] once the pressure is applied and that's the reason Norf beat us, they know it.

Edited May 14, 2011 by RobbieF

[DEELIGHTED 16]

2-3 blokes had a dip. Jones who i have become a fan of made some terrible skill errors but he had most of his team mates doing the same. Twice we tried to handball over the top and were intercepted. If we cant do that we are in strife. Big steph battled hard but goldstein was much more effective. Not having the big russian is a much bigger issue than most think.

If we cant beat them with a few out our next month, these forums will be bad but the idiot media will be having a feild day

[Webber 10,538]

Today was our chance to prove something REAL after last week's redemption....but we were outclassed, outmuscled, wildly outrun, outgutsed and outcoached. For me, it was truly the game to show us where we are going to be this season. Somehow, up until now it's been hard to get a handle on our true status.

Now it is true to say we are absolutely at the same level as Brisbane, Port and Adelaide, who would be our competition for the spoon if it weren't for GC. Anybody who believes we are at the Richmond and North Melbourne level is kidding themselves. Both are simply clearly better sides, who have had a tough intro to the season. They will slip above us on the ladder shortly and with very little trouble.

It's a sad reality, but WE JUST AREN'T ANY GOOD, and most disturbingly, we have NO CONSISTENT HEART to compensate for that fact. It's tiring and frustrating to keep looking for reasons why this is so, but whatever they are, it's just the truth. We are going to get some serious thumpings this year, and for better or worse it's hard not to believe there will be some big changes in the coaching and playing personnel as a result.

Today was NOT about personnel, it was about the TEAM, and they wilted in the worst way. I literally shudder to think what the rest of the season holds....2 or 3 more wins will be see our season out, and by any estimation, that is a massive disappointment based on the draw, and all of our most fervent wishes for improvement.

It's tough not to be able to offer anything constructive or hopeful, but today there is nothing to offer.

[Striker475 696]

Look, I'm still willing to cut some slack. Why?

1) No ruck. It hurts. No matter how well Martin did, he was never going to be able to fill those huge Russian shoes. You may remember - think it was last year - Hawthorn played against North in Tassie. Renouf got injured in the pre-match and Roughie had to go into the ruck for the game. They were terrible. A non-ruckman up against a ruck always makes things very one-sided.

2) We were genuinely missing seven, possibly eight if you include Dunn (which, after today, I doubt) of our best 22 by 3QT. Scull, JT, Jordie, Rush, Garland, Rivers, Bail. Add to that that we had 20 vs 22, as well as those games that Dunn and Green had, and you see struggletown coming on.

[Akum 2,660]

Today was our chance to prove something REAL after last week's redemption....but we were outclassed, outmuscled, wildly outrun, outgutsed and outcoached. For me, it was truly the game to show us where we are going to be this season. Somehow, up until now it's been hard to get a handle on our true status.

Now it is true to say we are absolutely at the same level as Brisbane, Port and Adelaide, who would be our competition for the spoon if it weren't for GC. Anybody who believes we are at the Richmond and North Melbourne level is kidding themselves. Both are simply clearly better sides, who have had a tough intro to the season. They will slip above us on the ladder shortly and with very little trouble.

It's a sad reality, but WE JUST AREN'T ANY GOOD, and most disturbingly, we have NO CONSISTENT HEART to compensate for that fact. It's tiring and frustrating to keep looking for reasons why this is so, but whatever they are, it's just the truth. We are going to get some serious thumpings this year, and for better or worse it's hard not to believe there will be some big changes in the coaching and playing personnel as a result.

Today was NOT about personnel, it was about the TEAM, and they wilted in the worst way. I literally shudder to think what the rest of the season holds....2 or 3 more wins will be see our season out, and by any estimation, that is a massive disappointment based on the draw, and all of our most fervent wishes for improvement.

It's tough not to be able to offer anything constructive or hopeful, but today there is nothing to offer.

Lots of good points here, for now I'll just take one. As a group of players, I think we are pretty good, which is why we do well against sides that don't bother to tag, like Adelaide & even Collingwood. We're just not good as a TEAM, and it's this lack of team structure that clubs with inferior players (who have to do the team things better to cover for the inferiority of their playing group) are able to exploit.

That's why I'm so critical of the coaching - it's the coach whose job it is to turn a bunch of good players into a good team. North & Richmond are examples of inferior group of players making a better team. We won't improve on this sort of display until we play better as a team.

Edited May 14, 2011 by Akum

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,765]

Does Davey have a hammy? He doesn't seem want to kick it over 30m. He was great today in getting the ball, but his disposal was the worst I've seen.

To any other player in the comp todays game from Davey in terms of disposal would be called brilliant. He didn't kick it over 30m because he wasn't allowed the space to look further afield. Aaron was ok today.

[Guest watts04]

im glad dees suuporters are agreein today wasnt good engh

70 pt turnaround over 3 qtrs

bllsht

we need a new coach - attitude isnt good enough

sick of goin to the match and puttin up with one week win and another flogged

pss poor

[titan_uranus 25,045]

Look, I'm still willing to cut some slack. Why?

1) No ruck. It hurts. No matter how well Martin did, he was never going to be able to fill those huge Russian shoes. You may remember - think it was last year - Hawthorn played against North in Tassie. Renouf got injured in the pre-match and Roughie had to go into the ruck for the game. They were terrible. A non-ruckman up against a ruck always makes things very one-sided.

2) We were genuinely missing seven, possibly eight if you include Dunn (which, after today, I doubt) of our best 22 by 3QT. Scull, JT, Jordie, Rush, Garland, Rivers, Bail. Add to that that we had 20 vs 22, as well as those games that Dunn and Green had, and you see struggletown coming on.

Slack can be cut, clearly, given the personnel that were out.

But North had personnel out too.

North were 1-5 for a reason.