THE 25 DEGREE SAUNA

[Hardnut 327]

Time to stop knocking Scully and definitely time to lift our expectations of the coaching and the team in general!

[Jaded No More 68,975]

WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SCULLY IN A POST MATCH THREAD?

Ordinary win, ordinary game, but great to get the points. We didn't work overtime, in fact, I think we took it quite easy in the last, so hopefully we can bounce back next week and at least put together a more remarkable effort against a team that thrashes us every time.

Martin was outstanding in those conditions and Trengove is simply superb. Frawley just another day in the office smashing an opponent.

Very happy with Strauss' defensive work, which is really coming along, and Maric made the most of every opportunity he got, so good on him.

Certainly not a memorable match this one.

[Striker475 696]

How good was Stef Martin in the last quarter?

We might've lost the game without some of his efforts when Port looked like stealing it from us. Rucking, following up with the clearance, then pushing forward and kicking the goal while all of his team mates had run out of legs... A supurb effort.

Sensational. Seriously.

[Hardnut 327]

Agree, very happy with Stef Martin over the last few weeks - may it continue - the coaches now need to work out how best to use him.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

Look at how the Tiges fell away today.

The Suns ran them down, because Richmond suffered under similar conditions to those at TIO.

Because the Suns are more conditioned to playing in hot humid weather.

People (although the Melbourne coaching and training group obviously did, with the use of cool rooms etc)need to understand just how difficult it can be playing in 25c + 75% humidity as opposed to 10c at the MCG.

The real state of our team should be judged more by how we play next week, back in Melbourne.

Wrong and wrong, sorry.

The Tigers didn't play in hot or humid weather, they were terrible and outplayed. They didn't tire but kicked into a huge wind in the last. In the 3rd, they should have destroyed the Suns, but messed about with the ball and missed their opportunities. I live up near Cairns and the Tigers couldn't have asked for better weather. You make a fair point about the effects of the humidity, just using the Tigers as an example is an understandable, but wrong example.

I also think it's wrong to say next week will show where we are. Few (if any) teams have won after playing in Darwin. The humidity is stifling, players lose a hell of a lot of fluids and they generally play flat the next week. I reckon we'll get belted next week, but it won't tell me much as history tells me that's what to expect.

[BAMF 4,433]

Pretty hard to take much away from that.

Martin was awesome.

We got a win. Now here comes the hard part. The next 4 weeks.

[BangkokDemon 96]

I did a triathlon last November and about 2 months prior to it I spent some time in Malaysia and tried to do some training there...omg it was tough. I is very hard to pull up again if you're not used to it

Exactly!

That's not to say we shouldn't play games like this.

It's why very few World Records are broken at International Athletic and Swimming events in "tropical" countries. Some of the people I run with, have lived in this sort of climate all their lives.

And, although I think I could match them in a race in Melbourne, they whip me here !

As we are committed to playing more games at TIO and maybe we'll also play in Cairns, we need to know how to deal with it. We also need to realize our outcomes (not losses) might be a lot closer than they should be.

[Hardnut 327]

Understand your comment east gippsland demon, but time to push the envelope!

[w00dy 146]

Agree, very happy with Stef Martin over the last few weeks - may it continue - the coaches now need to work out how best to use him.

I think they have worked it out, or at least Stef has worked it out, he's the swingman... Rucking, filling in the hole down back, pushing forward as a target... He can do it all, coming together now that he has the confidence... It's so exciting to see someone of his potential start to fulfil it, he has come so so far...

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,288]

hopefully we can bounce back next week and at least put together a more remarkable effort against a team that thrashes us every time.

Coming off those conditions to play the Hawks. If we get within 8 goals I will be very impressed. Expect wholesale changes particularly to the kids.

[Striker475 696]

Can I just say with Morton (to try and be fair and balanced, as many of you know I genuinely think he's rubbish but I will try and keep it sensible)

- Initially he was quite good. Laid a bump at one point and generally tried to get muscly in the contests.

- However, whether it was the conditions or just him I'm not sure, he really did start to squib it. It got to a point where he got into a contest, squibbed the handball that he got that resulted, didn't offer an option initially, managed to turn into a runner then squibbed it when he received it - this was in the final quarter.

It's hard - I've judged Watts harshly too tonight, but with Morton I just wonder whether he will make it with those basic sorts of errors.

[frankie_d 1,471]

from melbournefc.com.au

"

The only major alarm for the Demons is a knee injury to Tom Scully. Scully was substituted out of the game but it is unclear how serious the injury is.

"

I thought it was his back???

[Tatu 416]

Maric took the first step to cementing his spot...

[Hardnut 327]

Next week I would be looking for good structure and tactics - if the players are not good enough, so be it - that's part of the learning experience and obviously coming off Darwin conditions.

[Jaded No More 68,975]

from melbournefc.com.au

"

The only major alarm for the Demons is a knee injury to Tom Scully. Scully was substituted out of the game but it is unclear how serious the injury is.

"

I thought it was his back???

It was.

Complete journalistic fail, and not for the first time where Scully is concerned

[Jaded No More 68,975]

Expect wholesale changes particularly to the kids.

We don't have much running around in the VFL though.

Davey and maybe Bartram (if all goes well in the VFL tomorrow) I'd expect will be back, but there is no way that Bate or Dunn, even with fresh legs, will contribute to a smaller losing margin next week.

[w00dy 146]

We got a win. Now here comes the hard part. The next 4 weeks.

Agreed, I feel that not putting the Power away tonight may come back to bite us later in the season... If we're fighting with Essendon or the Saints for 8th then percentage will be important, and we're likely to lose some percentage over the coming month, hope it doesn't but at 40 points up, we needed to make that a 10 goal win...

[BangkokDemon 96]

Wrong and wrong, sorry.

The Tigers didn't play in hot or humid weather, they were terrible and outplayed. They didn't tire but kicked into a huge wind in the last. In the 3rd, they should have destroyed the Suns, but messed about with the ball and missed their opportunities. I live up near Cairns and the Tigers couldn't have asked for better weather. You make a fair point about the effects of the humidity, just using the Tigers as an example is an understandable, but wrong example.

I also think it's wrong to say next week will show where we are. Few (if any) teams have won after playing in Darwin. The humidity is stifling, players lose a hell of a lot of fluids and they generally play flat the next week. I reckon we'll get belted next week, but it won't tell me much as history tells me that's what to expect.

Yes, the Tigers were terrible. They have been so, since we beat them.

That's not my point.

I accept Cairns is not Darwin. But, it was mid-afternoon and quite warm, but perhaps not as humid as Darwin.However, when you've come from a place where the temperature this morning was down around zero, going to a place where the daytime temperature was a very pleasant mid-twenties, it affects peak performance.

The Tigers ran out just like we did - looking like 100 point winners, but after half time they got progressively worse. All their bad habits reappeared. Why ? Just because they are a crap team ? Yes,probably true. But, the conditions started the rot, which brought them back to earth and the usual dissapointments. The Suns to their credit were more used to the weather and also took the opportunity given to them on a plate.

In contrast, under much more difficult conditions, but still hard for a bunch of guys from Melbourne, we didn't implode - because we are not a "crap team". We slowed, but we did not lose.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,288]

Agreed, I feel that not putting the Power away tonight may come back to bite us later in the season...

Losing to North will be the one that bites us later in the season.

[Sir Why You Little 37,307]

Maric took the first step to cementing his spot...

Maric was great tonight. So was Strauss, and i have not been his biggest fan in the past.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

Yes, the Tigers were terrible. They have been so, since we beat them.

That's not my point.

I accept Cairns is not Darwin. But, it was mid-afternoon and quite warm, but perhaps not as humid as Darwin.However, when you've come from a place where the temperature this morning was down around zero, going to a place where the daytime temperature was a very pleasant mid-twenties, it affects peak performance.

The Tigers ran out just like we did - looking like 100 point winners, but after half time they got progressively worse. All their bad habits reappeared. Why ? Just because they are a crap team ? Yes,probably true. But, the conditions started the rot, which brought them back to earth and the usual dissapointments. The Suns to their credit were more used to the weather and also took the opportunity given to them on a plate.

In contrast, under much more difficult conditions, but still hard for a bunch of guys from Melbourne, we didn't implode - because we are not a "crap team". We slowed, but we did not lose.

It wasn't hot or humid here today. Barely even warm.

The Tigers were behind at half time.

To use the heat as an excuse is wrong and takes away from the credit the Suns deserve for their performance today.

[Hardnut 327]

Before I fall asleep, it's time we started to think like the consistently top few teams over the last several decades - we should expect to win and we should be constructively critical when we lose - our future aim should be to never drop out of the top eight (or how many it may be) - we can do it.

[BangkokDemon 96]

It wasn't hot or humid here today. Barely even warm.

The Tigers were behind at half time.

To use the heat as an excuse is wrong and takes away from the credit the Suns deserve for their performance today.

Okay, I accept your local knowledge about the weather in Cairns today.

We both agree the Tigers are not even close to finishing "9th again".

But, I hope you see my point about how the conditions in Darwin affected tonight's game ?

[QueenC 74]

It wasn't hot or humid here today. Barely even warm.

The Tigers were behind at half time.

To use the heat as an excuse is wrong and takes away from the credit the Suns deserve for their performance today.

Wind was a big factor though, wasn't it?

[Fork 'em 7,043]

Wind was a big factor though, wasn't it?

Yep , Richmond didn't make use of it during the 3rd like they should have .