DEATH BY A THOUSAND KICKS

[Demonland 72,128]

DEATH BY A THOUSAND KICKS by Scoop Junior

It was the same old story against Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night, with the Dees ending a bad week on a low with a thumping 79-point loss.

Although the score may have created a feeling of de ja vu for those unfortunate enough to have witnessed Hawthorn treating us like a bunch of schoolboys over the last five years, the manner and pattern of the thumping was different this time. In fact, while the Hawks have totally dominated us since 2007, what is interesting is the fact that it hasn't always been the same modus operandi - it hasn't always been the same type of kill.

There have been games against them when their bigger bodies have smashed us around the stoppages and in the contested parts of the game and there have been others where they have applied manic forward pressure to force us into repetitive turnovers in our back half. In this respect, I'm sure I'm not the only one with recurring nightmares of the third quarter of last year's game against them where we could not get the ball out of defence and had they kicked straight could have put through 15 goals in that term alone.

This time, however, it was death by a thousand cuts, or make that kicks. Other than probably the first half of the first quarter when we were blown away, I thought we matched the Hawks in getting hands on the footy at the stoppages and were relatively even in the contested footy stakes. However, the difference in composure and ball use was almost comical, with Hawthorn kicking the ball around the ground to unmarked players in what looked like a training drill while we struggled to string together more than two or three uncontested mark chains.

The other notable difference between the two teams was in ball handling. I lost count of the number of times a Melbourne player would try to pick the ball up and either fumble or fail to dispose of it effectively, and then a Hawk would swoop, pick it up cleanly and clear the ball all in one motion. Part of this was excellent pressure by Hawthorn around the ball, but this doesn't excuse a really poor execution of one of the most basic and important skills in football - clean hands.

However, what was even more disappointing was the defensive side of our game. The way the Hawks shrugged our tackles made it look like men against boys and the way they cut our zone to pieces with their precise chip kicking was really disappointing. Space just seemed to open up for them to run into and we were constantly caught out by their spreading and speed of kicking.

It was pretty obvious to anyone that was at the game that on this ocassion our zone was not working and that something needed to be changed to try to prevent the uncontested possession chains that were not allowing us to get near the footy. Perhaps man on man may have helped, or even pressing further up the ground to try to pressure their backs into making execution errors.

But if we mug supporters can see this, then there's no doubt the coaching staff are well on top of it. And in this respect I liked Mark Neeld saying after the game that he wanted to stick with our structure and game plan and take advantage of the fact that this was a NAB Cup game where you can afford to try different things. I like a coach who is strong with his game plan and confident in his methods and he is trying to get us to play a brand of footy that he thinks will be successful.

I don't think there's any doubt that had this been a home and away game, we would've seen a change in tactics fairly early on (perhaps even from the start of the match given Hawthorn's 'chip the ball through the zone' tactic was one they employed successfully last year). We also woudn't have seen our best tall defender subbed off at half time and we wouldn't have left a 19 year old second gamer on a rampant Hale who was marking everything in sight.

And that probably leads me into the only positive of the night, that it was only a pre-season match and that things will be done differently once the real stuff starts. But apart from that there wasn't much else you could take out of this game, other than the Hawks showing what a strong, talented and committed team they are and Buddy Franklin displaying freakish athleticism and football skills. It was just a good old fashioned shocker of a performance from Melbourne and something we can only hope we don't see too often again.

As for the players, I don't believe that there were any winners out there. I'm going to take the unusual step of not even naming a best - while some like Lynden Dunn and Nathan Jones worked hard, I just don't think that performance warrants players to be named in the best.

I was disappointed with Brent Moloney, who again failed to perform to his best against an A grade midfield. His vision was poor and he blazed away a few times when there were other (better) options available. Colin Sylvia was also disappointing, another who has too often followed up great games with an anonymous performance.

Jack Watts was lively and handy in the first half but didn't have much impact after half time. Mitch Clark competed well and was a good target but he really should have taken at least 4 or 5 of the marks he dropped. He had a size, weight and experience advantage over his opponent but could not dominate his position (unlike Hale up the other end). I also thought he was selfish on two occasions - one where he snapped for goal over his head and another where he could have dished off near the boundary but instead chose to attempt a near-impossible shot at goal. After the second one, Hodge let him know that it was a selfish decision, pointing to the top of the square where the kick should have gone. But he did show promise by getting to the right spots and three goals on a night where he didn't play at his best and the delivery was terrible at best is a good effort.

It was a pity James Magner was injured early as he had probably been our best player over the last two weeks. I was keen to see how he would fare against an elite opposition midfield. He appears to be the best rookie midfielder available at present. Tom Couch is honest and has a dip but the question is whether he has the pace and class, while I haven't been impressed with Dan Nicholson this pre-season as his ball handling and kicking have regularly let him down.

Anyway,  strangely enough I am actually looking forward to when we play Hawthorn in the home and away season as I think from a tactical perspective it will be fascinating to see how we try to combat their game style. It would also be nice if we don't give them a five or six goal head start which is what we usually do against them. 

With the game in Adelaide this week, the next time we see the boys run around in a competitive match will be at the MCG in Round 1 against Brisbane. So what I'd like to hear from the game this week is a real solid effort, a much improved defensive performance and (obviously) no further injuries. The scoreboard is irrelevant this week but I do think it's important that we put in a solid four quarter effort to allow us to build into the new season with a bit of confidence.

Melbourne 0.2.3.15 0.4.6.30 0.4.7.31 0.6.8.44

Hawthorn 0.6.2.38 0.10.4.64 1.12.8.89 1.17.12. 123

Goals

 

Melbourne Clark 3 Watts 2 Dunn 

 

Hawthorn Franklin (supergoal) Hale 6 Franklin 4 Breust 2 Bruce Hodge Lewis Puopolo Sewell

Best

 

Hawthorn Franklin Hale Suckling Hodge Birchall

 

Injuries

 

Melbourne Magner (dislocated finger)

 

Hawthorn Nil.

 

Reports

 

Melbourne Nil.

 

Hawthorn Nil.

 

Umpires McInerney Kamolins Orr

 

Official crowd 10,600 at Etihad Stadium

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,165]

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 except at Casey.

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

[Dee-licious 1,949]

Outclassed, but expected. I was hoping to see it get within 10 goals.

I thought Davey chased well early on...not so towards the end.

Fitz needs a lot more time in Casey but he's a big man give him another 2-3 years before we judge. Some of the tap work wasnt too bad.

Really happy that Neild kept Davis on Hale even though he was getting killed, some great lessons.

Also great for Garland to have to play 2 different games (loose in first half and on Buddy in 2nd).

Frawley is truly a great backman.

Lots to work on but thats the NAB cup.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

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

Fairly dismissive - where was the passion to COMPETE....what did Malthouse call it???? To run with AMBITION. To show the footy world that we can't be pushovers anymore!!!!!!

One bump all arvo/evening.....and Hodge still got up even though he was hurtin'

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,165]

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

Fairly dismissive - where was the passion to COMPETE....what did Malthouse call it???? To run with AMBITION. To show the footy world that we can't be pushovers anymore!!!!!!

One bump all arvo/evening.....and Hodge still got up even though he was hurtin'

I think its a fair summation. I'm not going to state our season is over just like I didn't think we would be top 4 after last weeks effort. If you want to get lathered up about it best of luck to you. You're in for a long year.

We struggled with their game style and we lacked intensity at the man. Winning the contested possession is a fair indication of competing but our ball use was rushed even when it didn't need to be.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Magner has apparently suffered a dislocated finger and is ok. Got that from Demonology.

[Guest Dr Who]

What happened?

NAB cup game - no big deal. If we really cared would we have

a/ Taken Frawley off

b/ Left Davis on Hale for so long

c/ Started Jones as the sub

etc, etc, etc

No need to panic. Chill guys its the NAB cup FCS

[dee-luded 2,959]

Outclassed, but expected. I was hoping to see it get within 10 goals.

I thought Davey chased well early on...not so towards the end. totally agree. disappointing attitude shows

Fitz needs a lot more time in Casey but he's a big man give him another 2-3 years before we judge. Some of the tap work wasnt too bad. Yep also agree needs work & time as all big giraffes do, I like him, has the raw talent & will develop.

Really happy that Neild kept Davis on Hale even though he was getting killed, some great lessons. Yep, also glad. A big learning curve for him tonight. I thought he'd get a flank job for starters, so the fact they played him straight up as a Key tall speaks volumes, a big lesson tonight.

Also great for Garland to have to play 2 different games (loose in first half and on Buddy in 2nd).

Frawley is truly a great backman.

Lots to work on but thats the NAB cup. Yep.

[Ned 156]

We lack class. It's weird that we had all those draft picks and there's no real star power in the team.

The good news is I think we have a great coachingpanel and hopefully the young blokes can be crafted into a good honest football team.

[stranga 328]

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 except at Casey.

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

Agreed. Ball carriers like bail are pretty much obsolete under our new bang it long without looking game plan. The lack of run really worries me. Our skills are abysmal.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I think its a fair summation. I'm not going to state our season is over just like I didn't think we would be top 4 after last weeks effort. If you want to get lathered up about it best of luck to you. You're in for a long year.

We struggled with their game style and we lacked intensity at the man. Winning the contested possession is a fair indication of competing but our ball use was rushed even when it didn't need to be.

Okay, good response but how long can this club and its supporters survive without lathering up? Another passive acceptance??

I agree with the long year ahead.

[Pipefitter 2,159]

Guest appearance by dean bailey in the coaches box. Hawthorns zone bamboozles us again. Our midfield is so average. Thanks scully!

[McQueen 17,864]

Hawthorn have been playing together for several seasons under the same coach. They fielded a strong side today.

I'm not trying to make excuses here but the hawks played with confidence today. Their skills were great and all of their players performed well and as a team.

I personally would like to thank them for the reality check. Our lads have a considerable gap to close between where that are now and where they need to be to challenge for the top 8.

Edited March 10, 2012 by McQueen

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Guest appearance by dean bailey in the coaches box. Hawthorns zone bamboozles us again. Our midfield is so average. Thanks scully!

That's true - thanks Scully, we got Clark who intimidated the Hawthorn backline - the only one, mind you.........

[whatwhat say what 22,732]

the worst thing is that you knew it was going to happen. we're just not good enough.

it's interesting that so many people say we're lacking class, and that all those top round draft picks have been wasted. we're not the only ones; some clubs just draft better.

the big problem is development, and hopefully that's something that neeld and company will address. he's clearly not impressed by our drafting - two top 15 picks are playing at casey, watts just wants to dispose of the ball as soon as he gets it, and sylvia is just a dumb footballer.

our high-end drafting has been shocking for years. morton disappoints or is injured as well.

[Choko 493]

I just thought we played a side with a very good, well developed game plan that is far superior in every way to where we are at. I would have liked to think we might have had more composure and more of a plan when we had the ball, but I think we very much reverted back to old habits and kicked the ball haphazardly. I think the "lack of run" is an issue, but hey, we all know we have a midfield problem. Hawthorn don't have that much "run" - they play to their strengths.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Hawthorn have been playing together for several seasons under the same coach. They fielded a strong side today.

I'm not trying to make excuses here but the hawks played with confidence today. Their skills were great and all of their players performed well and as a team.

I personally would like to thank them for the reality check. Our lads have a considerable gap to close between where that are now and where they need to be to challenge for the top 8.

Well....yes and no. They have plenty of players that only have a couple of years under their belt. How come the players they've unearthed are classy, tough and unrelenting FROM DAY ONE!!!!!!!?????

Sorry caps lock, didn't mean to lose my cool

[whatwhat say what 22,732]

Well....yes and no. They have plenty of players that only have a couple of years under their belt. How come the players they've unearthed are classy, tough and unrelenting FROM DAY ONE!!!!!!!?????

that comes down to development, retention, and ability to draw players leaving other clubs to ours.

hawthorn have done a remarkable job in the last decade or so. plus their drafting has, clearly, been superb, and astute.

so far we've drawn clark to the club, the starting 21+1 is dominated by players picked up late or in rookie drafts, now the drafting and the development need a heap of work.

it will be interesting to see whether the club chooses to utilise the two additional picks granted for scully - the issue of retention is one that plagues us, and has done as long as i can remember, with players regularly leaving the club, probably right back to the most infamous of them all. the curse of #31!

we need players who can perform as part of our midfield, and they say this upcoming draft is chockers with strong mids.

if we're truly as terrible as we looked at times tonight, we might even be in with an outside chance for whitfield, but i somehow doubt it.

[Pennant St Dee 13,171]

FFS it's NAB Cup an have you all forgotten last weeks game, people were talking Top 4, welcome to reality, we are a fair way off the Hawks but we are not as bad as some are stating. As I said in other posts you don't just flick a switch and turn things around, it will happen at some stage but really we have played 2 full games and as some even said in the game day post we did not play the style they have seen in training.

Take a deep breath it's pre season when we try things the real season starts in three weeks time, then we can see were we are at.

Edited March 10, 2012 by Pennant St Dee

[mrtwister 652]

Well....yes and no. They have plenty of players that only have a couple of years under their belt. How come the players they've unearthed are classy, tough and unrelenting FROM DAY ONE!!!!!!!?????

Because their draftees have quality and experienced players to learn from.

Ours haven't had that at all.

[Guest deedeedee]

It's not wrist slashing time but I really can't see our skill level and decision making changing anytime soon.

Davey's chase on Schoenmakers was absoluting disgusting, he shouldn't be in the team. I would prefer Blease.

[McQueen 17,864]

Well....yes and no. They have plenty of players that only have a couple of years under their belt. How come the players they've unearthed are classy, tough and unrelenting FROM DAY ONE!!!!!!!?????

Sorry caps lock, didn't mean to lose my cool

Success breeds success. I know it's a bulltish line but when you've got blokes like hodge and Mitchell and franklin going around for a few years you automatically walk a little taller straight up.

We will get there.

[jayceebee31 760]

Showed how far we are off from being a top class team.Many gaps and looked terribly unskilled and even slow agai net a classic top side.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Success breeds success. I know it's a bulltish line but when you've got blokes like hodge and Mitchell and franklin going around for a few years you automatically walk a little taller straight up.

We will get there.

2013 - Top 8... 2014 Top 6... 2014 - 5+...

[monoccular 17,418]

our high-end drafting has been shocking for years. morton disappoints or is injured as well.

......and please don't tell me we could have had Cyril ahead of Morton. Please don't.