THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR by the Oracle

Let's be very clear. The team that Melbourne put onto the ground for its Friday night clash against Carlton was undermanned and bereft of class. From the team that represented the club during its last foray onto the MCG when it thrashed Adelaide by 96 points just three weeks ago, ten players were missing; eight injured and two out suspended. The missing players included an All Australian ruckman from last year, several first round draft picks and a couple of others who were very much in form when the team lashed the Crows. Another player who would have been handy is Tom Scully who plays his first game for the season for Casey this round after sustaining a knee injury during the pre season.

The situation was desperate.

With that as the background, coach Dean Bailey approached the game by adopting the negative tactic of playing Jack Watts, recruited to the club to fill a key forward role, as a spare man deep in the back half - a tactic that remained in place for much of the first two quarters.

The objective was to enable the team to get its hands on the football and to create options for quicker ball movement into the forward line.

Of course, this strategy was always doomed to failure because Carlton had an edge in class and the players Melbourne had lined up in its own attacking half (when they were thereabouts) were inept, ineffective and played with such apparent disinterest that they brought their club and themselves to shame.

The lack of pressure on the ball coming out of Melbourne's forward half was the subject of much discussion even earlier this year. Against the Blues, there were far too few tackles laid in the forward half and too many easy possessions given away to the opposition defenders. The forward set up was a shambles.

Bailey was quoted as follows after the game:

"Unfortunately, our kick inside 50 found them rather than us."

There was nothing "unfortunate" about that at all. It was inevitable given the personnel in place, the way the forward line was set up and the manner of delivery into the forward line.

One wag sitting near me suggested we would have been just as well off with Olivia Newton John playing up forward against three defenders than her namesake. The formula was a recipe for disaster at any time, let alone when players of limited ability were put in such a situation. And that just about sums up Melbourne's night.

That they stayed within sight of the Blues as deep into the game as half time was a bonus but most of the 47,464 on hand at the MCG knew exactly what was coming next.

The situation has almost certainly settled the futures of a number of players whose places on the list going forward must be decidedly shaky. Some might not get any more chances in view of the impending return of some regulars over the coming few weeks.

Without detracting from Carlton's superiority, it would be remiss of me not to mention the inconsistency and the poor standard of the umpiring. Since the majority of the players on the field (from both sides) had bad nights, it was only fitting that the men in green would perform at the same abysmal level. Unfortunately for the Demons they were on the wrong end of a few umpiring bloopers early in the game that didn't help the confidence of the young group which collectively had two years less experience than its counterpart.

Still Melbourne had few good players. The best were honest triers like Stef Martin who battled hard in the ruck and could have done with some assistance rather than the failed undersized back ups the club continues to field in the absence of so many of its tall timber. Jared Rivers, James Frawley and Joel Macdonald worked hard against the tide in defence and Nathan Jones, Colin Sylvia and Jordan Gysberts were overshadowed by a Carlton midfield that had Judd and Murphy but still they gave their all. Gysberts will one day be a real quality player.

After ten rounds it's time to start looking towards the future and to follow the lead of teams that finished below the Demons last year but which have adapted to the realities of the game as it is being played now.

I'm making the call early - there's always next year.

Melbourne 1.2.8 3.4.22 4.7.31 6.10.46

Carlton 3.4.22 5.8.38 8.12.60 13.15.93

Goals

Melbourne Green Jurrah Newton Petterd Rivers Sylvia

Carlton O'hAilpin 3 Betts GarlettWaite Walker 2 Armfield Murphy

Best

MelbourneMacdonald Martin Jones Sylvia Gysberts Frawley

Carlton Murphy Judd Gibbs Yarran Robinson, Jamison Scotland

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Carlton Russell (hamstring) Laidler (knee)

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Carlton Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Carlton Nil

Umpires McBurney Nicholls Armstrong

Crowd47,464 at the MCG

Thanks for the opportunity to relive it all.

I want to know one thing.

Did we go out there to win tonight?

I ask the question because we were flooding our backline from very early on and the way we picked the team and the way we played was never going to get us across the line.

I want to know one thing.

Did we go out there to win tonight?

I ask the question because we were flooding our backline from very early on and the way we picked the team and the way we played was never going to get us across the line.

Would a more attacking style have being acceptable with a 100 point price tag?

Would a more attacking style have being acceptable with a 100 point price tag?

yes.

I want to know one thing.

Did we go out there to win tonight?

I ask the question because we were flooding our backline from very early on and the way we picked the team and the way we played was never going to get us across the line.

I would say they went to stop as much opposition score as they could. To minimise damage. Thats what I would do with that team tonight.

To try to play with as much 'Face', as possible with the TV, 'Live'. Couldn't expect anything better than to defend heartily.

The question should be,,, whyich players displayed the Heart & Passion to represent the Jumper. Who chased till the lungs burst? Who through the bodies into tackling? Who showed guts under physical pressure?

Would a more attacking style have being acceptable with a 100 point price tag?

So tonight was acceptable for you because we didn't lose by 100?

The problem with playing to limit the damage was that we were never going to be able to put any pressure on them; the pressure was all on us, the whole game. What about attack being the best form of defence? Do you think we need to play in that total-defence style? We're certainly not capable of it at the moment; we certainly haven't been trained to play total-defence. And I wonder how many of the players were convinced that the "limit the loss" mind-set was the way to go?

Would a more attacking style have being acceptable with a 100 point price tag?

You have got to be kidding!

With a lot of players injured and a young team on the ground, you start off with the premise that the size of the loss is what matters more than the need to teach these kids how to play attacking, winning football?

IMO a negative game plan was the last thing we should have gone into the game with. There's no doubt in my mind that players like Jurrah and Petterd do much better when we try to attack rather than when we push players behind the football.

Football crowds and viewers of the game on television crave a spectacle. If we come up with more rubbish like last night next the AFL will be justified in keeping us off the Friday night stage in the foreseeable future and we'll deserve it.

Oracle your report is spot on.

We were out classed.

The injuries / suspensions have reduced us to a team that is way below the level that produces results at AFL level.

I went last night and got close to what I expected.

One thing I had confirmed last night that I doubt will be fixed when our better players return.

Our Forwrd line is one dimensional

They are all lead up type forwards.

We have no one who can stand and deliver.

No one who can hold their postion in a pack and mark.

Yes Oracle there is always next year.

But I am just a little tired of that idea.

I have seen two many "next years"

I think I have only one more next year left in me.

I certaintly do not have another rebuild in me.

You have got to be kidding!

With a lot of players injured and a young team on the ground, you start off with the premise that the size of the loss is what matters more than the need to teach these kids how to play attacking, winning football?

IMO a negative game plan was the last thing we should have gone into the game with. There's no doubt in my mind that players like Jurrah and Petterd do much better when we try to attack rather than when we push players behind the football.

Football crowds and viewers of the game on television crave a spectacle. If we come up with more rubbish like last night next the AFL will be justified in keeping us off the Friday night stage in the foreseeable future and we'll deserve it.

I agree and I do not want us making fools of ourselves on friday night TV.

Especially when we run around in Pink jumpers.

I had 2 sms last night asking if we wore those jumpers to help out O.N.

If we are now in looking to 'next year' mode, the first three picked next week should be Gawn, Cook & Howe with McDonald & Blease also chances.

At least we could start getting our structure looking like an AFL team rather than something from Snow White.

Oracle your report is spot on.

We were out classed.

The injuries / suspensions have reduced us to a team that is way below the level that produces results at AFL level.

I went last night and got close to what I expected.

One thing I had confirmed last night that I doubt will be fixed when our better players return.

Our Forwrd line is one dimensional

They are all lead up type forwards.

We have no one who can stand and deliver.

No one who can hold their postion in a pack and mark.

Yes Oracle there is always next year.

But I am just a little tired of that idea.

I have seen two many "next years"

I think I have only one more next year left in me.

I certaintly do not have another rebuild in me.

I too am completely sick of this as well. I'm am starting to think that the MFC are simply making up numbers and are about as relevant as North Melbourne.

I too am completely sick of this as well. I'm am starting to think that the MFC are simply making up numbers and are about as relevant as North Melbourne.

Sad but probably true.

There are days when I think it might have been better to become the GWS demons.

At least I could have walked away in peace.

This way it is a long drawn out death by a thousand cuts.

We've been served up the value of getting games into young players for the last three years,( which upon looking at how things stand appears to be a bit of a croc) so bring it on with the next batch. At least give the supporters something to get a little excited about. They can be no worse than what we have recently been subjected to.