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

Why does Melbourne have so many players of "limited ability" after all its rebuilding efforts?

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