Has to be one of the most frustrating footballers ever to don a Melbourne guernsey.

Has had a reasonable year but it's exactly in crunch games like this you need him to stand up and be counted. He didn't. Again.

I think I'm coming to now accept that he's never going to reach the heights we had all hoped.

Just can't find the footy enough and seems to lack breakaway speed.

I think he's carrying an injury. Either that, or Bailey thought he was going to kick us a bag tonight. Hard to get involved when you're stranded up forward and the ball is going one way only.

Dumb decision to release Green up and hold Sylvia back. Just one more thing that we did horribly wrong tonight.

Some very very odd match ups and set ups really.

And on a slightly different note, since when is Jack Watts to the backline our new giving up tactic? Terrible!

  On 01/07/2011 at 13:49, Range Rover said:

Has to be one of the most frustrating footballers ever to don a Melbourne guernsey.

Has had a reasonable year but it's exactly in crunch games like this you need him to stand up and be counted. He didn't. Again.

I think I'm coming to now accept that he's never going to reach the heights we had all hoped.

Just can't find the footy enough and seems to lack breakaway speed.

How do you reckon we would have gone without him against Collingwood?

Big fan of Col's but he was really disappointing tonight, like the rest of the team simply was not switched on. Didn't matter where he played, he was ineffectual as a mid and as a forward.

  On 01/07/2011 at 13:55, BattlerBailey said:

How do you reckon we would have gone without him against Collingwood?

I don't know. Perhaps we'd have lost by 70 points instead of 90? Does it matter?

What matters is that he comes to play in winnable matches like this one against the Dogs.

But he rarely does.

I like him, but tonight was no good, unfortunately though my no good assessment doesn't stop at Sylvia.

  On 01/07/2011 at 13:49, Range Rover said:

Has to be one of the most frustrating footballers ever to don a Melbourne guernsey.

Has had a reasonable year but it's exactly in crunch games like this you need him to stand up and be counted. He didn't. Again.

I think I'm coming to now accept that he's never going to reach the heights we had all hoped.

Just can't find the footy enough and seems to lack breakaway speed.

How about it's games like these when collectively the leadership group and senior players need to stand up and be counted in so called "crunch games" ! So too the coaching group and head coach.

He played alot up forward, when the ball was down the other end. Made a couple of errors and was hardly seen, but there were many and many were beaten by a Bulldog opponent.

edit: Agree with Kento08.

I blame the coach for Col's game tonight.

He was unsighted in the first half....Put him on the Ball FCS.

  On 01/07/2011 at 13:49, Range Rover said:

Has to be one of the most frustrating footballers ever to don a Melbourne guernsey.

Has had a reasonable year but it's exactly in crunch games like this you need him to stand up and be counted. He didn't. Again.

I think I'm coming to now accept that he's never going to reach the heights we had all hoped.

Just can't find the footy enough and seems to lack breakaway speed.

In one contest tonight in our 50, both him and Air J went up for a contested mark. Ball spilled to a doggy who took off. Neither of them could be bothered chasing. They both took a stride or 2 towards the opponent and thought about it for a split second....then.....nah

Is the story of many in our team this year, including other seniors too. Moloney and Jones included. No 2nd/3rd efforts often enough. Make the first one, then watch as other players run off with the spillage and/or spread and look to receive for a follow up pass by hand or foot. Same thing happened in the match against the Pies. When the ball's in close and nearby sure, we tackle and harass as hard as any team. In tonight's case unfortunately that was mostly from behind as we watched our opponents play in front and attack the ball/take the initiative. Makes the job to get first touch on the ball pretty hard i reckon.

Serious pressure/run applied and our stomach for the 2nd/3rd efforts seems to dwindle away. Culture/Fitness problem?? The FD and players aren't getting paid enough to sort it maybe? Surely not. Or as Old Dee always says, we just don't have the talent/aren't good enough. I hope not. Maybe it's the fact we had the most rookies (49 games or less) in the team for the year, 14 to be exact vs the Doggies 8. Does this explain the effort though? Especially after losing Wighty. Respect/Honour?

Something is seriously NQR at this club, and hasn't been, for a mighty long time now.

Will "X" number of extra games under our boys' belt, X number of pre-seasons and years in the gym solve the problem?

Why is it that we just don't seem to be able to win when we're expected to in many cases? And we were expected to tonight as we were favorites with the bookies pre match and most tipsters that i heard were tipping us to win.

Seriously, i'm at a loss lol.....thank lucifer for the frothies, i'm off for some Zzzzs

  On 01/07/2011 at 13:51, Jaded said:

I think he's carrying an injury. Either that, or Bailey thought he was going to kick us a bag tonight. Hard to get involved when you're stranded up forward and the ball is going one way only.

Dumb decision to release Green up and hold Sylvia back. Just one more thing that we did horribly wrong tonight.

Some very very odd match ups and set ups really.

And on a slightly different note, since when is Jack Watts to the backline our new giving up tactic? Terrible!

I tend to agree. Had the opportunity to watch the boys preparing in the change rooms before the game and Colin was in a room having his lower back worked on for a good 20 minutes. He looked proppy going into the room and didn't appear to be 100% fit and look restricted in movement during the exercises in the rooms.

  On 02/07/2011 at 00:49, MFC4Life said:

I tend to agree. Had the opportunity to watch the boys preparing in the change rooms before the game and Colin was in a room having his lower back worked on for a good 20 minutes. He looked proppy going into the room and didn't appear to be 100% fit and look restricted in movement during the exercises in the rooms.

When asked by Lloyd on Sen just now Bailey just said Colin wasn't injured at all. Just out of sorts.

If he's out there he's fit to play. No excuse.

Was clearly injured or suffering from some sort of niggle or just fatigued. Could still be the result of the Essendon corkie. We have had consecutive 6 day breaks since Collingwood, which was the following match I think. I sat up on the top level and in the 1st qtr particularly was watching him closely. He was trying hard to get up a gallop but just couldn't on many occasions and looked frustrated by it. That is why he played mainly forward all game. I'm not making excuses for him, just telling you what I saw and I was watching very closely.

  On 02/07/2011 at 02:28, pringle said:

Was clearly injured or suffering from some sort of niggle or just fatigued. Could still be the result of the Essendon corkie. We have had consecutive 6 day breaks since Collingwood, which was the following match I think. I sat up on the top level and in the 1st qtr particularly was watching him closely. He was trying hard to get up a gallop but just couldn't on many occasions and looked frustrated by it. That is why he played mainly forward all game. I'm not making excuses for him, just telling you what I saw and I was watching very closely.

You're calling Dean Bailey a liar then because he was asked point blank about it and said absolutely he was right to go.

Yes, you are making excuses for him.

  On 02/07/2011 at 02:28, pringle said:

Was clearly injured or suffering from some sort of niggle or just fatigued. Could still be the result of the Essendon corkie. We have had consecutive 6 day breaks since Collingwood, which was the following match I think. I sat up on the top level and in the 1st qtr particularly was watching him closely. He was trying hard to get up a gallop but just couldn't on many occasions and looked frustrated by it. That is why he played mainly forward all game. I'm not making excuses for him, just telling you what I saw and I was watching very closely.

Looked to me that a number of them weren't right physically - as well as Col, also Garland & Jamar, and Frawley lacked his usual zip. Not a co-incidence that these guys recently returned after injuries, and maybe these are the guys who really found the successive 6-day breaks hard going. Moloney didn't look well either.

  On 01/07/2011 at 13:49, Range Rover said:

Has to be one of the most frustrating footballers ever to don a Melbourne guernsey.

Has had a reasonable year but it's exactly in crunch games like this you need him to stand up and be counted. He didn't. Again.

I think I'm coming to now accept that he's never going to reach the heights we had all hoped.

Just can't find the footy enough and seems to lack breakaway speed.

Does his OP still flare? 4th game off a 6 day break? I think his body is suspect....