Hawthorn v Melbourne: NAB Cup 3

[biggestred 4,420]

who cares cup versus a full strength team that should play off/win flag. their footskills are faaaaar superior to ours. the end.

[monoccular 16,604]

Guys lets not worry yet we could come back and finish strong with the work we have put in over the pre season lets go demons

LOL

They treat us like toys and we rarely put up a decent fight against this mob.

Edited March 10, 2012 by monoccular

[Pates 9,554]

I was in and out of watching the game so I missed a fair bit, but I actually thought I saw some good things from Flash. A few chase down tackles, attempted smothers etc. The thing that I didn't like from him was he missed some pretty stock standard chances that as a forward he must kick all year.

So far everything I've seen of Clark has me convinced he be a sensational pick up for us, Howe looks like he's going to have an excellent year, and again there were some good things from Watts. Our conversion rate is pretty good, but we just need to get it down there more.

Disappointing game from Moloney & Sylvia, two guys that need to step up their game v quality opposition.

[Neeldisournoah 4]

Watts and Mitch need to work better together and I'd blame Mitch more than Jack. Once again there were times when he should have been keeping his opponent out of Jack's way and letting him have a 1 on 1 instead of jumping in trying to be a hero every time.

Good problem to have though and both contested well today. Just need some time to sync and start working together. Jeremy Howe is a freak and will be a break out player this year if he continues to improve like he has. Pick 34 and a surprise pick at that, I thought at one stage I must have been watching his utube highlights. Type of player that sells memberships ....

[red and blue forever 806]

Score?

0.6.8 44 melb

1.17.12 123 hawks

[Guest Dr Who]

186

So its wasn't even close despite your sad case of MFCSS. Give the boys a break.

[Satan 2,819]

So its wasn't even close despite your sad case of MFCSS. Give the boys a break.

Short quarters?

[Matt Demon 1,389]

Was Jurrah Injured?

[Chook 14,647]

Was Jurrah Injured?

No he's already out injured. He's just been kicking it waiting for his wrist to heal. Nothing to see there.

[Face Your Demons 175]

And GWS beat Gold Coast.

NAB whats it good for absolutely nothing. Say it again, y'all

[jumbo returns 6,619]

Didn't give a yelp.

Jack Watts is scared of contact and will not put his head over the ball.

[whatwhat say what 20,327]

yeah, about what i expected to be honest, and in truth what i more or less expected last week too.

i thought we might show some competitiveness like last week, but alas it was back to the sheer ineptitude of 2011. i think this was worthwhile, however, as it at least shows the new coaching department who will and who won't fight when being slaughtered by a vastly superior team, who are only going to get better, and are deservedly one of the premiership chances.

as someone above noted, we don't have a lot of class in the midfield and so rely on grunt. magner's injury is a big blow to the start of the season, as it also poses questions abotu depth, which is something we lacked last year even when he who will not be named was up and pretending to play for us.

also, we know we're not even near as good as hawthorn. they're going to be a great team to watch this year.

bring on round 1.

[mrtwister 650]

Surely Nicholson is not in our best 22. He may be fit and quick but unless he's able to sprint from when he receives the footy all the way to the goal-line then I find him a liability.

Bennell was also close to useless today.

Sylvia was even closer.

Bate's decision making is too slow.

Found the umpiring terrible today as well. Some of the decisions I just could not understand and having the volume up on the TV didn't help either as they were also bemused at times. Can't believe they managed to even up the free kicks in the last quarter after it was 25 - 17 at 3/4 time.

Rant over.

[Chook 14,647]

Yeah, Nicholson might be in the wrong sport. Fast, with great endurance, but can't kick or handball. Not the greatest footballer.

[Kento80 83]

A bit of a reality check after a win against a bunch of boys last week. We are a million miles away from being anything

We were equally a bunch of boys last week, and were missing virtually all of our (alleged) quality.

Not happy about what I saw today, but atm it is still the NAB Cup, so I'm not too stressed. If these sorts of crap efforts are still occuring come mid season, I will be very unhappy, but as it stands the season hasn't even started. And the Tiges flogged the Cats today, so........

I will however, admit that I am sick and bloody tired of not giving a yelp against the Hawks, but what are you to expect against such a team. I should hate them, but I can't help watching when they play, as they are truly awesome to watch. They may not have won the flag for a couple years, but they have still been the team I think is best to watch from a pure football point of view, and they are my pick for the flag this year, by a bit of a way too I reckon.

[DirtyDees DDC 171]

Less that 2 years ago we played Hawthorn in the 3rd last round (2010) and we just got beaten by 21 points - and we were competitive for most of the day.

How have our skills slipped so far behind the Hawks in that time?

I'm certain they weren't that good at kicking the ball two years ago. They seem to have collectively improved their disposal - they are probably the best in the league - so how did they do it? And how did everyone miss Suckling in the draft?

As for us - we seem to fall into the mistake of taking the quick option, instead of trusting our team-mates to set us up into a better position to dispose the ball. The end result - we always look like we are rushing the kick. I hope that's the excuse for the younger guys like Nicholson, but I have trouble explaining such poor disposal from seasoned players like Sylvia, Moloney and Davey.

I don't know how we improve our poor skill levels, but Hawthorn has done it. There must be a way. Perhaps our team needs to develop confidence and trust in each other, so they can receive a pass and know they will not be under the pump when they try to pass it on. They say it takes 1-2 years for a team to adjust to a new game plane, and Neeld's is very different to Bailey's.

I'm trying to be optimistic. Gee it's hard after tonight's match.

[P-man 13,309]

Howe must wonder what the hell he's doing here. Already showing he's a class above pretty much the rest of the team.

What a rubbish, pissweak excuse of an effort. No more posting tonight.

[Matt Demon 1,389]

Had to laugh when somebody puts Watts In the positives section. He had 1 kick in the second half, although he was better than last week but hardly a positive. He wasn't alone tonight, our midfield and defenders just pick It up and hack it up the field without even looking. Constantly turning It over. Howe & Clark showed good signs.

Just wondering how does everybody rate our rebuild through the draft at this stage? Morton, Grimes, Watts, Blease, Srauss, Trengove, Gysberts, Tapscott

[GIRO 63]

Shocking game to watch!! clark, Howe and jones only positives ,Sylvia wasn't as bad as some people are saying

Fitzpatrick spud of the highest order have no idea how he is on a AFL list let alone ours

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

another year, another coach, same old pack of peahearts that seem to lack even the most basic skills and knowledge of the game. Our infinite hell of embarassment and humiliation continues.

I don't suppose anybody is going to talk about Bate and how he has 'reinvented himself as a midfielder' this week

fantastic week to be a demon

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Had to laugh when somebody puts Watts In the positives section. He had 1 kick in the second half, although he was better than last week but hardly a positive. He wasn't alone tonight, our midfield and defenders just pick It up and hack it up the field without even looking. Constantly turning It over. Howe & Clark showed good signs.

Just wondering how does everybody rate our rebuild through the draft at this stage? Morton, Grimes, Watts, Blease, Srauss, Trengove, Gysberts, Tapscott

Had to laugh when somebody puts Watts In the positives section. He had 1 kick in the second half, although he was better than last week but hardly a positive. He wasn't alone tonight, our midfield and defenders just pick It up and hack it up the field without even looking. Constantly turning It over. Howe & Clark showed good signs.

Just wondering how does everybody rate our rebuild through the draft at this stage? Morton, Grimes, Watts, Blease, Srauss, Trengove, Gysberts, Tapscott

you forgot losing Scully and now Jurrah

going gangbusters

[whatwhat say what 20,327]

sylvia wasn't bad, he's just very, very, very stupid.

[Chook 14,647]

sylvia wasn't bad, he's just very, very, very stupid.

Being a bad footballer and being stupid might be different from one another, but they amount to much the same things. Heaps of turnovers and lots of facepalms by me.

[angrydee 842]

At least we won the contested footy 132 - 114. Otherwise we were pretty awful. An almost full strength hawks looked like a well oiled machine.

Howe & Jones were good. Tynan showed great promise.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,443]

I don't buy the leg excuse.

McKenzie has had about 2 weeks of pre- season and was on the bottom of every bloody pack.

You either want to go hard, or you don't.

Sadly, Davey is the only player in our midfield who can hit a target, so he will get plenty of game time. Find me a replacement, and I'll be happy.

The Davey non- chase was right in front of me and he grabbed his leg and pulled up. I guess though he could have chased and tore a hamstring that makes plenty of sense.

Our intensity at the man was not the same as last week but we won the contested possesion count and went down in the clearances by 3. As many have said we seriously lack midfield polish hence we get it and bombed it straight to where they had numbers. Clark, Jones and Howe the only positives for mine. Nicholson is not an AFL footballer, Bail appears to have gone backwards and I cant see Bate playing midfield for very long.

A bad loss against a good side in a game that means very little.