The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - 2011 Season Wrap Edition

[Striker475 696]

The Good

The Dees have found another one... - Where do you start with the legions of kids we've unearthed and had come to the fore? There's Howe, Nicholson, Evans, Blease, Strauss, Gawnius Maximus...the caliber of our recruiting has been absolutely immense.

Development - The blossoming of JW4. JT putting in week-in, week-out regardless of outcome. The (apologies to Supermercado) Stefan Martin Experience. LJ getting a 40 goal season despite being fairly rubbish for a fair stretch.

Sponsors - $6mil over 3 years is nothing to sneeze at.

A clean slate - To an extent really. As of the end of October, we'll have no coaching drama, no Tom Scully drama, none of that. We've gotten lots of the hoopla out of the way early.

Smashings - Always feels good to [censored] Freo.

The Bad

Smashings - Not just referring to THAT game, but also Hawks rd2, North, West Coast. We've been belted regularly.

Murmurings - Beyond the stuff that was plastered across the newspapers, we've had the Sylvia rumours with Sydney, the tragic Wonna situation, Carro firing up the 'old boy's club' burner. These sort of things don't do great for the club.

Losing to Richmond - I'll never hear the end of it.

The Ugly

That Game. - Need I mention which one I am referring to?

The fallout from That Game - Suddenly every tiny little Melbourne rumour was taken as fact and it was the sinking ship. You want a sinking ship, go look for the one painted black, white and teal.

The Tom Scully Situation - Firstly, don't turn this into another TS thread - we have our third dedicated thread in 3 months on it. Nevertheless, it has been a continually ugly part of our year.

Cale Morton - Yes, I know I despise him with a passion, but Jesus H. Christ - never heard of someone lowering their trade value by playing.

The flag raising - facepalm.jpg

Belated Edit - The Senior Brigade - 'Led' by Green and Davey, it has not been a good year for our seasoned echelon. Notable was Flash apparently playing his 150th (could have fooled me) and Green's one-goal jumper grab.

Season Rating - 5/10. It's been a long year. Cheers for reading if you've followed it since I joined the forum - I realised belatedly that it's a format that one of the mods on the Demons board on BF uses for our reviews, but whatever. Here's hoping 2012 proves to be more fruitful and hopefully we return to September. GO DEES

Edited September 4, 2011 by Striker475

[Guest Gareth Keenan]

The vitriol towards Morton is unwarranted and ignorant.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,166]

The vitriol towards Morton is unwarranted and ignorant.

Correct. If he is not at Melbourne next year it will be for a very good offer or he has walked. A full preseason, more kilos and the confidence of a new coach and many will be eating their words.

[Striker475 696]

Look, you may be right. If he stays, bulks and has a great year next year, I'll happily eat my words. Right now though, he's an absolute liability and I cringe every time he touches the thing - and even when he doesn't if he's one-on-one.

[daisycutter 29,613]

Correct. If he is not at Melbourne next year it will be for a very good offer or he has walked. A full preseason, more kilos and the confidence of a new coach and many will be eating their words.

or......you'll be eating your shorts

[old acquaintance 0]

Look, you may be right. If he stays, bulks and has a great year next year, I'll happily eat my words. Right now though, he's an absolute liability and I cringe every time he touches the thing - and even when he doesn't if he's one-on-one.

You might not think he is a good footballer, but you dont know him personally so how can you "despise him with a passion"?

[Striker475 696]

You might not think he is a good footballer, but you dont know him personally so how can you "despise him with a passion"?

I do at the minute. Every contest he shirks, every contested ball he loses, every possession he fumbles just compounds the issue. Natural improvement should have set in to an extent by now, but if anything he's gone backwards. And for a #4 draft pick...

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,166]

I do at the minute. Every contest he shirks, every contested ball he loses, every possession he fumbles just compounds the issue. Natural improvement should have set in to an extent by now, but if anything he's gone backwards. And for a #4 draft pick...

Exaggerate much? He does not shirk every contest however he currently has a habit of not hitting the contest every time. He rarely loses a contest but he does not involve himself in enough contest where he should. If you havent worked it out his body shape, natural tendencies and the way we have played him early on in his career did not lend to an expectation to hunt the contested ball. As far every possession he fumbles I am pretty sure we scored directly 4 times from his ball use last week. His body shape was always going to take time and getting injured at the worst point in the last 2 preseasons has not helped his continuity or the confidence that goes with that continuity. You mention for a number 4 pick yet looking at the top 40 picks of that draft the only players I would trade him for at present would be Dangerfield, Rioli, Ward and Reid.

My point is has he been disapppointing this year? Sure. Does he deserve to be singled out in the manner you have? No. There are plenty more that you could have listed in the Ugly column.

[Nasher 33,613]

My point is has he been disapppointing this year? Sure. Does he deserve to be singled out in the manner you have? No. There are plenty more that you could have listed in the Ugly column.

Exactly. The forum groupthink doesn't help either - people feed off each other's negativity until all they ever see is what they've conditioned their minds to see and not what actually happens in reality. Then the problem just snowballs.

Also, "despising" someone you've never met based on what happens on a footy field is unhealthy at the absolute best. I'd suggest a look in the mirror and an assessment over one's priorities in life may be in order.

[daisycutter 29,613]

Exactly. The forum groupthink doesn't help either - people feed off each other's negativity until all they ever see is what they've conditioned their minds to see and not what actually happens in reality. Then the problem just snowballs.

Nasher, you're not trying to tell us Morton didn't have an 'ugly' year are you? LOL

OTOH there is a certain groupthink element here that says everything is really going to plan and we should all just wait a bit longer and have faith in the football department etc because they know what they are doing and it will all become obvious in time if we are just patient and stay positive.

[Nasher 33,613]

Nasher, you're not trying to tell us Morton didn't have an 'ugly' year are you? LOL

OTOH there is a certain groupthink element here that says everything is really going to plan and we should all just wait a bit longer and have faith in the football department etc because they know what they are doing and it will all become obvious in time if we are just patient and stay positive.

Morton had a very disappointing year by any measure, but the way he is singled out and abused in an oft vulgar fashion stinks.

Yes - there's the "all is going to plan" element, and the "all is turning to poo" element. I don't identify with either group.

[bush demon 2,039]

Morton had a very disappointing year by any measure, but the way he is singled out and abused in an oft vulgar fashion stinks.

Yes - there's the "all is going to plan" element, and the "all is turning to poo" element. I don't identify with either group.

Isn't there some kind of policy on here that footballers wearing the red and blue don't cop cyber-abuse. i don't think that the supporter base is that strong that we can kick own-goals. i read his recent weblog on club site, sounds like a great bloke and a great family.

[7-UP 107]

Watching Eagles make me realize the only difference between us and them is they have senior players that been there and won premierships.

Maybe we should change the policy and have few guys with good experience so we can be the eagles of 2012.

[Juicebox 628]

The frustration towards Morton isn't because he can't play. It's because the way he attacks the footy and his opponent is consistently pathetic. He is the complete opposite to Bartram.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,166]

If anyone player deserves to be named on the ugly list it should be Davey. You could point to the exact reasons provided for Morton and then add that being a highly paid, mature bodied member of our leadership team should create higher expectation. Yet I do not see him singled out anywhere.....

Morton is singled out because he is Morton and for no other reason.

[daisycutter 29,613]

If anyone player deserves to be named on the ugly list it should be Davey. You could point to the exact reasons provided for Morton and then add that being a highly paid, mature bodied member of our leadership team should create higher expectation. Yet I do not see him singled out anywhere.....

Morton is singled out because he is Morton and for no other reason.

you must be blind if you think Davey hasn't been singled out for criticism

[rpfc 28,384]

you must be blind if you think Davey hasn't been singled out for criticism

I think he is talking about just this thread.

2011 has been a poor year.

Looking forward to the fresh start next year.

It's going to be more fun, I promise.

Edited September 3, 2011 by rpfc

[Steamin Demon 392]

The vitriol towards Morton is unwarranted and ignorant.

Hey GARTH yes Garth opinions are a right and Morton has been less than rubbish. Stating that [censored] throw at Morton is vitriol reveals more about you and your 17 a day posting habit.

[Guest Gareth Keenan]

You're a tool, but clearly not the sharpest one in the shed.

Not sure what relevance posting habits holds, but then again I don't think you were really trying to make a coherent argument.

[Steve13 457]

Morton is quickly becoming MFC's version of Brent Stanton, the hate leveled at him is a black mark against Melbourne supporters. Time to lay off the young man.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

If Cale Morton is at Melbourne next year, and I expect he will be, it's because the football department see the talent he has; all they have to do is unleash it and use him in the proper manner.

Edited September 3, 2011 by RobbieF

[Guest Gareth Keenan]

If Cale Morton is at Melbourne next year, and I expect he will be, it's because the football department see the talent he has; all they have to do is unleash it and use him in the proper manner.

Yep, I think that's a good point.

He has talent - we just need someone who can properly utilise it and see it blossom.

[PaulRB 6,362]

I think Morton's only issues are between his ears. By using his skinny body continue to be an excuse for his performance ignores better players with similar physiques. He seems to be unable to will himself into the contests or the right spot in motion, to add the value we all believed he could.

Next year will make or break him at Melb.

I reckon the new coach will allow alot of players remake and/or establish themselves as quality players post 2011.

This would be good given the tragically bad a year we've had from Brad Green and Aaron Davey. These two...?

Edited September 4, 2011 by PaulRB

[Striker475 696]

This would be good given the tragically bad a year we've had from Brad Green and Arron Davey. These two...?

I did belatedly edit to cover this.

[Jaded No More 68,903]

Speak to Morton and you'll realise how badly he lacks confidence right now.

He needs a new coach to be committed enough to play him in one role so he can learn that role and get comfortable.

The ugly abuse of Morton here and at the footy is just pathetic and unwarranted. He is still a kid FFS!