END GAME by Whispering Jack

I debated with myself for several weeks on the subject of whether or not I should book a flight to Adelaide for Sunday's historic Adelaide Oval clash against Port Adelaide but, in the end I decided: why bother?

I had liked the idea of viewing an AFL match from the outer one more time and there were some real traditional values in attending a game at this venue especially given that they're going to spend squillions on turning this charming old ground into just another concrete cauldron by 2014. 

After all, Port Adelaide is a proud old football club whose initial incarnation happened circa 1870 which makes them almost as old and as proud as us. 

However, any  thoughts I might have had of going interstate for the final game of the season were obliterated when 186 happened. 

The club fractured (yet again), more players were injured and others appeared to be going through the motions. All of a sudden, the end of the season couldn't come quick enough and I put an end to thoughts of a cheap flight and a cheap hotel and decided instead that I would watch this last game of the year in exactly the way in which the AFL wants us to watch it - live on television (unless you happen to be situated in parts of NSW or Queensland where you watch a delayed telecast or please yourself).

When I made the decision to stay put and watch this spectacle from the comfort of my own home, I also realised this clash had more to offer in terms of traditional values than I first thought. 

Looking at ladder positions and a future for each club of no finals with nothing to look forward to but the draft combines, the trade week and ultimately the national draft, I knew that there was indeed reason to go back to the traditional values of a few years ago to reintroduce that famous match day tactic - the tank.

Would Port go for first round national pick # 4 ahead of # 6 ahead of avoiding the wooden spoon or would Melbourne opt for a spot close to the top eight ahead of pick # 12 in the event that it lost?

In the end, these vexing questions were made irrelevant as the matter was taken out of the hands of the combatants by one of the most diabolical displays of pathetic umpiring ever seen on an AFL/VFL ground. You might think I'm bitter and twisted at the final outcome. Clutching straws at a traditional default position of the typical angry, beaten football fan so I'll simply quote straight from that staid old newspaper, the Melbourne Age, whose correspondent stated in muted tones:

"For the record, the final free-kick count was amazingly one-sided, 28-13 in Port's favour."

This understatement describes the sort of thing that you might expect when a highly partisan crowd is packed into a ground like sardines helping the adjudicators make decisions but surely it's not too much of an ask to expect consistency in decision-making from the umpires on simple holding the ball and marking decisions?

Of course, Melbourne can't blame the umpires alone because it's own incompetence had as much to do with the outcome as anything else. 

The Demons kept the Power down to 43 inside 50s against its own 54 which usually heralds a win of significant proportions. Instead, the scoreboard tells a story of inefficiency in front of goal but that's only a part of it.  

The failure of the midfield to win the ball is demonstrated by the fact that the rucks dominated the hit outs 55-37 but the clearances were lost by 41-43. Earlier in the year, this sort of thing was killing the team against the stronger sides but now it's happening even against the lower ranked clubs. 

 

Melbourne was dominant in the early stages of the game but was wasteful in front of goals. By halfway through the opening term, the game should have been blown away from Port's grasp but instead, through poor finishing and some inept decision-making, Melbourne led by only 2.6.18 to 1.0.6. 

The telling blow was the innocuous free paid late to Port's Travis Boak right on the quarter time siren. He took his kick from well outside 50 but you just knew, as he lined up for the torp, that it would sail through right over the goal umpire's hat and that this was exactly the lift that would propel the home team to a handy lead by halfway through the second quarter.

The Demons rebounded well after Brad Green's first goal and the goals came more freely but the team was still unfortunate not to have been further in front than a single point at the main break. 

There was definitely a smattering of déjà vu in this game as umpire Schmitt, who should have been sent no further west than Bordertown to umpire this week after what he served up against the Demons last week when they took on the Suns (why do we get the bozos two weeks in a row?), robbed Jeremy Howe of what should have been mark of the round and a certain team lifting goal at a telling point of the game.

And so it went on. Port regathered the momentum, Melbourne responded and almost got on top before a soft free or two or a Demon fumble and turnover changed the tide for the last time and, even in the dying moments, they were spraying their shots at goal. 

Melbourne finished with more of most things in the game but not the four points. It was exposed in all of the places where it has been exposed for most of the year. The leadership was poor, the midfield inadequate and without any guns up forward. This was expected perhaps, in the light of the number of players missing but even with Brent Moloney, Jack Trengove, Jordie McKenzie and Nathan Jones working their hardest, the team lacked the polish necessary to get the ball cleanly out of the stoppages.

The defence held up well in the circumstances. James Frawley and Jarrod Rivers kept their opponents in check and were their usual reliable selves. Unfortunately, Sam Blease copped a knock on the head and couldn't replicate last week's rising star heroics before he was subbed off.

The season that promised so much in February when the Demons last ventured into Adelaide and beat both of its AFL teams in the NAB Cup opener is over. 

That it turned out to be something of a disaster is also an understatement.  I certainly never expected things to pan out so poorly and my only hope is that it was an aberration - a darkness before a brand new dawn. We took five first year players over for the game. Jack Fitzpatrick is raw but I sense will one day form part of a very formidable ruck/forward combination with Max Gawn who was left in Melbourne where he put in an impressive solo ruck effort in the VFL. The young talent is there but it needs a Svengali-like coach and strong on-field leadership to take the next step forward.

 

The lessons of 2011 need to be learned. We started the year believing we would be improvers, that the finals were waiting for us but, in the end, the scenario  was reminiscent of this saying:

"If everything is going well, you've obviously overlooked something."

In the optimism and euphoria of February, it's clear that so much was overlooked and the year's end game gives the ultimate proof to that proposition.

Melbourne 3.6.24 7.11.53 10.12.72 15.14.104

Port Adelaide

Goals 

Melbourne Green Jones McKenzie Martin 2, Bate Fitzpatrick Howe Jamar Jetta Morton Trengove

Port Adelaide Westhoff 4 Ebert 3 Boak Rodan 2 Banner Gray Lobbe Motlop Salopek Schulz

Best 

Melbourne Moloney Trengove Bate Rivers McKenzie Frawley Jones

Port Adelaide Westhoff Ebert Gray Motlop Carlile Trengove  Boak

Injuries 

Melbourne Blease (slight concussion)

Port Adelaide Carlile (thigh) Butcher (back) Surjan (ankle/cut leg)

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Port Adelaide Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Port Adelaide Nil

Umpires Stewart Ryan Schmitt

Crowd 29,340 at Adelaide Oval

Happier with Howe than I would be with Darling.

Next year!

Next year!

Coach anyone

Or is it a case of ...."..don't mention the c.... word"?

Can't wait for my optimism to increase over the next 5 months, only to have it crushed in the space of hours...

Next year!

How many times have I heard that in the last 50 years? F==== I'm over it!

Coach anyone

Or is it a case of ...."..don't mention the c.... word"?

Theres a c word I want to use however I like this website and I can't be bothered getting blocked.

But that particular word sums up our game plan/ selection/ heart and captain's goal kicking.

A Dee-scrace.

Farcical rabble. How can we lose the contested possessions and clearances to Port?? Are you JOKING!

Viney - gone. Rest of the coaching team - gone.

ARE YOU JOKING!! I cannot believe exactly how P****ed off I am at the moment. The only good thing is I dont have to sit through another HEARTLESS bag of [censored] for the rest of the year. A few players excluded in this rant.

Umpires - none will get a gig on the finals. Woeful performance. Not sure I have seen worse for a long time.

Well, that was the 'year of promise' 2011. Do we really have the ability to do any better next year? PAH!!!!!

I could not see anything today that gives hope for next year. Jack Trengove excepted.

We played the bottom side and thrashed around and stuggled.

Malthouse can't be coach next year because that's a waste of money for a non talent (see his FD backup and $$$).

Get Mark Williams here to kick some ass in 2012.

Desperate for us to learn composure in traffic over the summer. The number of times we win the "in and under" ball, on to handball it to an team mates knees, or a foot above their head/behind them, or better still to an opponent, is shameful. If we happen to tick that box, then hopefully we could squeeze in kicking to the advantage of our forwards in our front half, which would probably help a little too!

Have your say here ...

What can we say now? The players have no passion or urgency. Time and time again we see them waiting for someone to pick up the ball. Kicking sidways and handballing to someone who is between two oponents is not going to get us anywhere. Hope we will get some respect next year.

I hate playing in Adelaide. No excuses, but does the no betting on games include umpires? Surely there will be an inquirey into a shocking performance today. So frustrating to watch. Not least of all, not paying a mark of the year contender to Howe, and is Motlop allowed 3 or 4 chances to get rid of the ball before it is called?

Loved Trengove's game, but Martin was my biggest positive. Field kicking has improved dramatically and had the composure to go back and kick a late goal.

All in all, it's been a very disappointing season. Peaked with our win against Essendon but it's just petered out miserably since. To think that not long ago, I even gave us a sneaky chance of making the finals.

A microcosm of a season in 1 game.

Kept an ordinary team in the match with woeful kicking at goal in the first half...wilted as soon as the opposition put a bit of pressure on us....showed glimpses of good footy... got beaten by a team who had previously managed just 2 wins. Almost predictable end to a woeful season.

And to think there were people banging on about how we`d win the last 3 games!

I`m relieved it`s finally over!

I hate playing in Adelaide. No excuses, but does the no betting on games include umpires? Surely there will be an inquirey into a shocking performance today. So frustrating to watch. Not least of all, not paying a mark of the year contender to Howe, and is Motlop allowed 3 or 4 chances to get rid of the ball before it is called?

Forget the umpiring. We were p=== poor. If we cant beat sides like PA then we have a long way to go. So far in fact that we need to rebuild on our rebuild. We are miles away from being a contender.

Forget the umpiring. We were p=== poor. If we cant beat sides like PA then we have a long way to go. So far in fact that we need to rebuild on our rebuild. We are miles away from being a contender.

Quite true, but the umpiring was very bad, too.

A microcosm of a season in 1 game.

Kept an ordinary team in the match with woeful kicking at goal in the first half...wilted as soon as the opposition put a bit of pressure on us....showed glimpses of good footy... got beaten by a team who had previously managed just 2 wins. Almost predictable end to a woeful season.

And to think there were people banging on about how we`d win the last 3 games!

I`m relieved it`s finally over!

Until the Geelong game, it seemed like a formality to me. I was looking at which one of Geelong, Carlton or West Coast we were most likely to beat to sneak into the top 8!

I havent watched the game yet, should I bother to?

One positive out of the season is that we got rid of the coach. Gotta look at some positive from a dismal season.

Bring on the cricket!

I havent watched the game yet, should I bother to?

One positive out of the season is that we got rid of the coach. Gotta look at some positive from a dismal season.

Bring on the cricket!

Australia beat Sri Lanka on their home turf - maybe a sign of revival.

Melbourne defeated by PA on their turf! Maybe a sign of reality.

Australia beat Sri Lanka on their home turf - maybe a sign of revival.

Melbourne defeated by PA on their turf! Maybe a sign of reality.

One positive out of the season is that we got rid of the coach. Gotta look at some positive from a dismal season.

Still can't see what was positive about this. Under Viney we won one game - a fairly uninspiring effort against GC. We managed to lose to the worst team in the comp and get beaten by Richmond. We'd have been better off letting Bails see out the year and then making a considered judgement rather than the knee jerk stuff that went on after the Geelong debacle. I know most here won't agree with this but I am finding it hard to see what was gained over the past 5 weeks other than confirmation that Viney won't be the next coach.

I havent watched the game yet, should I bother to?

One positive out of the season is that we got rid of the coach. Gotta look at some positive from a dismal season.

Bring on the cricket!

Umpiring was frustrating, but there was enough in this game for me to get some enjoyment out of watching.

Some of our players showed something. Too few unfortunately.

Time for a HUGE preseason.

Still can't see what was positive about this. Under Viney we won one game - a fairly uninspiring effort against GC. We managed to lose to the worst team in the comp and get beaten by Richmond. We'd have been better off letting Bails see out the year and then making a considered judgement rather than the knee jerk stuff that went on after the Geelong debacle. I know most here won't agree with this but I am finding it hard to see what was gained over the past 5 weeks other than confirmation that Viney won't be the next coach.

Good call

Some woeful kicking at goal early cost us the opportunity to take control of the match and subdue Port. The Power were always going to be a chance with a crowd like that and we kept them in it with our kicking.

Don't like putting the umpires in the frame but they were horrendous today. Counted at least 4 occasions where poor decisions on their behalf directly led to a Port goal. Extremely poor umpiring decisions in critical areas of the ground, coupled with our goal kicking cost us.

Was generally pleased with most of our groups performances today based on their intensity at the contest and their general 'in play' skills. Even Morton showed some good signs early, however mentally subbed himself off again in usual fashion later.

I think I speak for everyone when I say it was a year to forget. I currently hold little to no expectations for next year, as I don't wish to have my hopes and dreams shattered like they were this year. I am just glad the footy season is now over for me and them. I'm sure by the beginning of the 2012 my excitement will again reappear albeit in a more tempered state. There are events in the coming weeks however that will definitely go a long way in shaping this clubs fortunes for next year and probably every Melbourne supporters sanity.

Forget the umpiring. We were p=== poor. If we cant beat sides like PA then we have a long way to go. So far in fact that we need to rebuild on our rebuild. We are miles away from being a contender.

Correct we need a mini rebuild, we just don't have the players required to in the centre clearances and get the ball to a team mate. Midfielders, Midfielders, Midfielders, the recruiting department should have a good hard look at what we've got and see if they think it's good enough; if they do then they aren't.