DARKNESS COMES EARLY

[grant 10]

Watched the game a second time and it is very disturbing the constant long kicking to a contest when numerous times there were uncontested Melbourne players available in the corridor. Surely this is not the gameplan...and kicking long to a contest is available every time as a last resort I hope.

Otherwise, Trenners/Watts/Howe/Jamar had very good halves that were overshadowed by the entire teams poor second half.

I think we're definately better than this but the gameplan (or how it was executed) really left us with little chance of winning.

We will improve if a logical game plan is executed.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,064]

I finally got around to watching the first half and I was honestly surprised by how well some of our boys played. Listening to the fire and brimstone on these boards I had expected diabolical. The truth is that in the first half we looked ok. Not great, not a premiership contender, but not bad either. There were some very nice bits of play from a number of players and it wasn't all the long bomb down the line.

A couple of points.

Watts - He was certainly one of our better players for the half. Noteworthy to me was a contest in the middle (which ultimately ended in a ball-up) where he came in on his knees, took possession, fended off a tackler one-handed while still on his knees, and almost got the ball out of the pack. I loved seeing that on so many levels. It showed desire for the ball, physicality, poise and ability. I'll also note that his one goal showed just how fast he is. He looked to be jogging, but burned off a guy who should have had him, took a bounce and turned it into an easy finish.

Trengove - I can really see why people compare him to Bartel. He has a similar approach to contested marks. Bartel once said that one of his junior coaches told him the harder he went at the mark, the less likely he was to get hurt. You can see the same sort of attitude when Trenners throws himself into the air and/or his opponents to bring in a mark. He marks well above his size and can win some good ball around the ground.

Magner - I am so glad I saw this half from him. I can't believe it took so long for someone to take him. The guy isn't only a clearance machine, he can kick and for some reason the umps seem to love him. The second free was soft, but it wouldn't have happened at all if he hadn't slotted a difficult shot from a sharp angle to start with, and all after a great tackle on a guy who has made a career from getting out of tight spots.

Martin - Not a lot to crow about, but that one contested mark in the square is something I've been wanting to see from him for years. He has always been able to get to the ball, but usually he can't get it into his hands and winds up fumbling to the boundary or a ball-up. If he can control the ball like that more often he will become what we all hope he might. Incidentally, I was listening to SEN today and they were adamant that he should have been traded to the Hawks for Ellis and Young. Interesting notion.

Davey and Blease - I think they can both have the same comment. They were really involved in the first few minutes, then vanished. I don't know if that is an endurance thing or a concentration thing. If one of them can keep that level of play up for the whole match they will be doing well.

I'm beginning to feel the Tynan Vibe. The kid is fearless. He doesn't have the poise or polish yet, but he has what so many of our draftees lack - appetite for the contest. Imagine him in a few years when he's got a bit more weight on his frame. He'll be the new Wheelan.

So yes, very unhappy with the way we folded in the third, but there are positives for me in the first half.

[rjay 24,950]

We'll trade those who have shown their best is behind them or have never had the right stuff .

No one will take them if their best is behind them, you only get one Carlton in a lifetime.

[Craig Drinker 179]

This post is the most depressing part of today. A soul-crushing performance to the extent that it has drawn a pessimistic and frustrated post out of our resident optimist.

All parts of our club need to face the reality that our midfield is disgusting. This is not new information. It needs some serious fixing, and whether that comes from trialling other players like Watts in there, through the draft, trading, differing styles or other means, it needs a complete reboot. I kept muttering "Win a clearance" today like a deranged man, and realised I've been saying the same thing for years, but little has changed. The game plan was utterly predictable, but I need to see it in action when we aren't getting skewered like a pig in the middle of the ground. Our limited and stagnant forward entries certainly didn't help.

I can't believe it's still only March and my post-game attention went straight to the November draft. Depressing.

Not sure Watts into the midfield is the answer as he currently doesn't seem that keen on physical contact. My take is that the players are still struggling with the game plan especially under the pressure of a 4 point game.

For most I think it is a decent game plan and I understand what Neeld is trying to do. I'm not sure the offensive part of the game plan is ideal though. Bombing it in to the forward line is too predictable and too easy to defend. The forward game plan needs to be tweaked IMO and I wouild prefer to see forwards leading to space and leads honoured.

To say the players didn't put in is just hysterical BS! To say they struggled to carry out the game plan is closer to the mark.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,853]

I actually thought Brisbane couldn't have played any better after quarter time. Everything they did turned to gold yesterday. I would say that will be their best win for the year.

[Jordie_tackles 354]

I finally got around to watching the first half and I was honestly surprised by how well some of our boys played. Listening to the fire and brimstone on these boards I had expected diabolical. The truth is that in the first half we looked ok. Not great, not a premiership contender, but not bad either. There were some very nice bits of play from a number of players and it wasn't all the long bomb down the line.

For me this was it though, we were in the game but we were still bombing it long all the time ect......got some goals from frees to stay in it ect

Then in the second half [censored] just went down, I thought the first half was pretty terrible all in all

[Sideshow Bob 2,386]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/death-of-stynes-drained-demons-20120401-1w6nl.html

Finally some sense on the subject, although Malthouse does take it a bit far - absolutely I impossible to shield the players from he events.

[Weedster 174]

27 taps actually.

most of which were neutralised. I thought he was killed in the ruck, and we were dominated in the clearances.

[jnrmac 20,104]

We have very few players with composure. Players that can get the ball and hold on to it while they assess the best option....then deliver it.

Watts definitely has it. That's why Neeld had in in the midfield I am guessing.

Frawley has it.

Davey used to have it but has totally lost the ability to win the ball and run and carry 20m before dishing off - he now dinky chips it around 5m to a stationary target.

Howe has it.

I reckon that's it. Consequently we make dumb, hurried decisions. Regularly.

[rpfc 28,527]

Cannot believe the haters are still having a go at Watts...

Hands up if you relaise that our senior players are the problem?

So stop blaming Watts' average progression and Cook's existence and put the pressure on Green, Davey, Moloney, Jamar, Jones, and Rivers. That's where it belongs.

We won't be a decent team until they collectively pull their fingers out, and we won't be a top 4 team until Grimes, Watts, Trengove, et al take their place.

[DemonWA 3,936]

I agree that we deserved most of what we've copped from the media after such a limp effort but I must say that some in the media must have agendas against the Melbourne Football Club. 1. I heard Leigh Matthews on radio discussing Jack Watts with a caller and Matthews bagged Watts mercilessly and unfairly. He was by no means anywhere near our worst player - in fact I had him in our best three or four. 2. The SEN commentators describing the Bulldogs as brave after losing their game today. I thought they were as pathetic as we were yesterday but their 49 point loss was apparently a brave defeat.

WJ we lost to the Lions, they lost to the Eagles.

Lets see how the boys go next week

[old55 23,616]

Saturday was a special form of torture. We played contested and stoppage football and got murdered in the stoppages.

The midfield was the big problem. No wonder Neeld was tearing his hair out, his premier mid got pantsed by his last year 6th rated mid's kid brother. We were smashed in the clearances - not just the numbers but the cleanness of them. There's no Pendlebury, Swan, Ball, Thomas or even Wellingham.

I thought the backline looked well structured early until the avalanche from the midfield started. But I want to see Sellar in there, we're just not big enough.

The forward line was mixed. Clark's not Travis Cloke but played an anchor role. So Stef got to a heap of contests but just cannot take a contested mark - but Brisbane's key defender was in their forward line. Green just can't play that role any more. Howe can't just go for mark of the year all day. Davey and Blease were not dangerous.

Moloney, Green, Davey and Rivers got ditched from the leadership group and some are worried about Neeld's judgement?

If Simon Black played for us and Stef held a third of the marks he got to we would have been very close.

Should Neeld change his plan to suit our personnel or develop the personnel to suit his plan? We going to get the latter first and then some of the former. Hardwick started out with umpteen straight losses 3 years ago and we're probably on a similar path. I think Rohan Connolly is on the right track in today's Age. Buckle up.

[old55 23,616]

Watched the game a second time and it is very disturbing the constant long kicking to a contest when numerous times there were uncontested Melbourne players available in the corridor. Surely this is not the gameplan...and kicking long to a contest is available every time as a last resort I hope.

I think we're definately better than this but the gameplan (or how it was executed) really left us with little chance of winning.

We will improve if a logical game plan is executed.

I think you're in for some pain

[4JacksandaKing 52]

'bomb long to a one on two'...says it all. What a game plan.

and all kick ins always to the same side...

[4JacksandaKing 52]

Im going to give neeld the year to show what he has because if we dont win more then lastyear we have failed and all the great work jimmy has done for this club could very quickly be gone. So lets hope our board and co have got the right man not just the man who says the right things. Today was the worst loss i have seen at the M.C.G after so much hope and building to be beat by a team who should be well below us is a shocking result. All player should have a good hard look at themself. We made this club look like crap in 2010. What has gone wrong?

What happened.............sad death of our beloved president after battling a terrible disease, (the boys all saw his decline)

funeral and still feeling the pain.

Also, dare I say, woeful umpiring decisions. A Brisbane supporter dared to ring and complain on Garry's radio show.

But, only about the 1st half re: Magner. As another poster said not only "Black" threw the ball, The usual Dees tackle player holding the ball, we

get pinned for holding the man, or in the back. Many more examples, but 'sigh', too painful.

[4JacksandaKing 52]

I think so. The look on his face said it all. I think this year was always going to be a year of sorting the wheat from the chaff as far as Neeld & Co. were concerned re: who they wanted to retain from here and who/what type of player they would need to look for going into 2013 and beyond.

I don't think even he expected the serious sorting to start happening quite this early though

Didn't he come to Melbourne because we have the best list? I'm sure I heard a few so-called

experts say as much.

[4JacksandaKing 52]

Perhaps not, after all, he was the one subbed off. In fact, if my memory serves me well, Blease now has the dubious distinction in his last 3 games of 1 Rising Star followed by two consecutive subbings off after having hardly touched the ball - he was subbed in the last game last year against Port I believe.

Wild swings and roundabouts.

He might be missing his mate HWSNBN

[4JacksandaKing 52]

What has happened for too long in this club is that 'potentials' have been given endless time to reach there potential - but unsurprisingly they never actually get there because they know they'll get a game either way. And the other problem has been too many years getting rid of the wrong players.

Think about it in terms of a team like Hawthorn - 'Look Col Sylvia, we know you've got talent and your close to a break out game, but you've been given two years, see ya later.' 'Look Wattsie - your just not up to scratch mate, see ya later.'

We continually accept mediocrity because we endlessly hold faith in players that have never quite got there.

Gone for mine: Davey, Green, Morton, Jetta, Watts, Joel Mac, Bartram - close Col Sylvia. Think about it - would other teams trade for these guys? Time to get cut-throat. If your not up to scratch see ya later.

Mitch Clark is here for one reason - the coin. Tom Scully went probably for more reasons than the coin. I still sit wondering how different things would have been if we'd picked up Nat instead of Jack and Trengove/Dustin Martin instead of $kullduggary.

I have faith in Wattsy, watching him in previous games, he has done as much as Nat, but because Nat is much bigger and stands

out more, with that mop of hair, he is elevated to a 'god-like' status by the commentators. They pick their favourites and gush all over them.

Watts needs to get bigger, and he will - watch some of his previous games he's taken fantastic marks every inch as good as

Nats, as well as taking so much flak. I'm surprised he has any confidence at all.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

IMO we lost because we didn't work anywhere near hard enough. In the third quarter, many players became spectators; even rabbits caught in the spotlight. Players did not gut run to give their mates a target, or to cover an opponent, or help out. I watched Garland not run to assist on at least one occasion FHS.

This is where I thought Bartram and Tynan (and Trengove and Jones to some extent) where really good. When Frawley looked up for an option, too often there was none if Tynan or Bartram didn't make the effort. And the 3rd qtr kickouts descended into a Bailey type rabble.

Yes, we got smashed in the clearances, but that doesn't mean you stop running. We are supposedly fitter than ever; no point if the players are not prepared to run and work hard. Neeld is on the record as saying that each player has a role to play; if they can't or won't, then back to the VFL.

Interesting week ahead.

This is an obvious but nonetheless critical point Mono

I was saying all through that third to bro..."Most of them just aren't working hard enough when we don't have the ball". But that's been a common theme for quite some time now. Usually we get away with it, to some degree, against lessor lights like Brissy. But against the big boys you normally get shown up big time in this area if you don't put in the 2nd and 3rd efforts and intensity. Unfortunately the 2nd half was so bad on Saturday, we even allowed a lessor light team to show us up in this area.

This comes back to the "hunger" factor and how badly many of the established crew really want to be successful or are just happy to swan their way through the year and get their juicy pay packet.

If they aren't wiling or able to step up to the plate, and the next 6 to 8 weeks will hopefully show who's up to it and who isn't, then we just have to ring in the changes with those that are as hungry as hell from below such as Magner, Couch, Strauss, Dunn, Sellar and others if they've earned it.

And not just a 2 to 3 match opportunity either. Unless they totally bomb, we need to offer incoming players a fair string of matches to find the pace of the game, a little confidence and hopefully cement their place in the team. It's time to put a rocket up many of the established crew, some of whom are way too comfy and sitting nice and cosy in their regular spots week after week but just don't have the passion/desire for the contest (or maybe the ability/agility to get there often enough...whatever the factor is) any longer.

I'm sure Neeldy & Co. are on top of all this. The big broom's a comin' me thinks!

Edited April 2, 2012 by Rusty Nails