THE SPIRIT WAS THERE, BUT ...

[rjay 24,185]

Yes, but he gets around it in other ways.

It's called experience.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

The aggression and tenacity showed by the players was good (bar a few dumb free kicks given away), that at least is a big positive. That sort of effrot needs to be the norm with more polish to go with it.

[Harrisonrules 273]

Wellllll, at least we're better than... oh, hold up... no, we're actually that bad.

I fkn love this team but bloody hell. Lucky I have such a self-destructive personality. I hate you tonight Cale Morton.

Why? yes he made a couple mistakes, but who didn't. Cale was one of our more effective contributors. His long kicking is as good as any and creates opportunities. He showed considerable more confidence and self belief. The kid is back.

[Waltham33 422]

My first game for the year. I want to say that was the lowest standard I can remember a game being for a while. Nothing about that game was worth being encouraged about and I mean nothing. If the Dees and Dogs merged the collective list would be lucky to win more than 8 games in the AFL on that showing.

I am not sure what Neeld’s big picture is but it cannot be losing and looking like a predictable shambles doing it.

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

Today sucked for me. I know some on here are sifting through the piles of crap and are attempting to find positives but please we are awful and have hit the reverse gear hard. Our team from 2 years ago would have smashed this bulldogs team today. I don't know what will take longer to build, the wheel at docklands or a good bloody melbourne list. I was one of the positives ones on here " Relax we've got this" Well I am not anymore. Yes we had a crack and for 15 minutes in the third it looked like Neeld had gone to get a beer and the players started to actually play for a while. Then we shut down and died in the ass. It's just not fun to go to the footy anymore my weekend was good until today. I still love the club and i will get over today but there is no enthusiasm for this year from me anymore I haven't got any left.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

Loosing to the heroin dealers. How depressing.

Lol wow that even made me blush. Are you drunk wyl?

[jumbo returns 6,619]

I think the biggest positive to come out of tonight's game was the fact that Mitch Clark got up and walked off the ground - I was seating fairly close to where it happened and when he landed, it looked pretty ordinary.

[Ryan Dee 140]

Trengove is an average AFL Footballer. He has no pace. I am sure he is a top kid, but a pick number 2 in the draft he is not.

Boyd?

Pendlebury?

Selwood?

Goddard?

Mitchell?

none have pace.

[Return to Glory 7,846]

Given the conditions, was anybody else surprised that we played Sellar?

[Sir Why You Little 35,321]

My first game for the year. I want to say that was the lowest standard I can remember a game being for a while. Nothing about that game was worth being encouraged about and I mean nothing. If the Dees and Dogs merged the collective list would be lucky to win more than 8 games in the AFL on that showing.

I am not sure what Neeld’s big picture is but it cannot be losing and looking like a predictable shambles doing it.

Well said...Yes the boys had a crack, but it was in no way acceptable.

[Guest gidon]

Jgnorant of what gidon?

What isn't there to see?

Exactly my point WYL. It has nothing to do with 'seeing' it has everything to do with lack of knowledge, training or information. If your research has only to do with one example of a girlfriend, then ignorance is your good friend

[Harrisonrules 273]

Watts showed a bit but then completely fell away. Dropping easy marks and stopped chasing. May have been tired.

Morton got a bit of confidence from his goal. But I maintain, it is my unqualified opinion he will never be a better than average footballer. Some may disagree and that is completely fine.

Heartbreaking all round. We need a win to get some confidence in the game plan, coaching staff, captains and each other. Might be a dry stretch looking forward.

Cal;e made a considerable contribution. His attitude was considerably better, showed more confidence and self believe. Will not be dropped again this year and will end up in our top ten by end of year. A way to go but so much upside in him

[dee-luded 2,958]

61% eff by foot says it all.

condemned, it's not a true reflection of they're potential. the skills %'s

We haven't played with such intensity for years & tried to play fast play like that, combined with high intensity pressure & tackling..

They will get used to try hurrying their kicks. And with growing confidence, they're composure will return, helping they're thinking & kicking, when they have the space & time to deliver with precision.

This is encouraging that we got away from tempo stuff & just tried to put the opposition off they're games & under pressure.

[titan_uranus 23,177]

Boyd?

Pendlebury?

Selwood?

Goddard?

Mitchell?

none have pace.

Trengove is not just slow. He's not getting the ball and he's not disposing of it cleanly enough. Those players you've named are clean users of the ball and get 20-30 disposals regularly.

It's undeniable that Trenners is having a crap year. I wonder if it's got anything to do with the captaincy. Whatever it is, he's not playing well, and if he wasn't captain there would be far more scrutiny on his position in the side.

[pitmaster 3,155]

What is it about the 'Dogs and the umpires?

Decisions hurt us so badly, but we hurt ourselves as well. Missed so many chances to put scoreboard pressure on in the first half.

It was nonetheless encouraging. Four quarter effort minus about 12 minutes. No luck at all. A flash of Flash suggesting he can refind form

[Sir Why You Little 35,321]

Boyd?

Pendlebury?

Selwood?

Goddard?

Mitchell?

none have pace.

But does Trengove play the same role as those players?

I would say no. (Mitchell would be the closest)

[Undeeterred 2,908]

This was clearly our best game for the year. We tried a lot harder, for longer, and we looked good. In fat, I would say that for more of the game, we were the better side. We just lacked polish in front of goal, and when they had their brief moments on top, they scored goals. We had to play catch up footy in the second half because we couldn't kick easy goals in the first, and that hurt us. If we'd hit the front, with a bit of confidence and the crowd support who knows what would have happened.

Having said that, there are still a lot of problems. Our skills were shocking. Far too many players can't kick or handpass under pressure, and far too many players also can't kick or handpass under no pressure. We still seem to be playing to a rigid gameplan which we're not comfortable with yet, which removes instinct. And too many of our better players are still underpeforming (Trengove, Jamar, Frawley).

Dunn, McDonald and MacDonald were all abysmal, too.

Frawley? We would have been towelled without him and Rivers.

[Return to Glory 7,846]

Cowboy, I think work on the Wheel is to be delayed so could be a close run thing

[titan_uranus 23,177]

Also, I thought the umpiring today was as bad as can be. The Dogs would have scored 4-5 goals from either free kicks that weren't there, or free kicks that weren't paid to us.

I have no idea how the Dogs player caught by Frawley in the goalsquare in the third quarter and dropped the ball was not penalised for holding the ball. I also have no idea how Dunn was not pushed in the back in the third quarter either. And I don't know why they removed that advantage we had which resulted in a turnover and a goal to them in the first quarter.

We didn't lose because of bad umpiring, but for once I think I actually felt like it made an impact on the score of the game.

[titan_uranus 23,177]

Frawley? We would have been towelled without him and Rivers.

Frawley's defensive work is still OK but with the ball in hand he's a problem. In 2010 he gave us drive out of the backline and kicked quite well. This year he's fumbling by hand and not breaking the lines as often as he used to.

[Harrisonrules 273]

Eh. You know what. We have a very young inexperienced list. Bulldogs have been shocking but I still rate them. We were all over them but lacked polish. I'm sure we all would have loved a win, but you know what? We had a crack. Finally. We needed Clark in that last quarter. Add Sylvia in the midfield. Jurrah up forward. We WILL look better.

Ive been guilty of being pessimistic this year, but without sounding like bailey, lets get these kids to 100 games before we hang crap on them.

I saw heart today. That's what we want.

Well said. The negative crap on this forum is of the unknowing.

[Undeeterred 2,908]

I think the biggest positive to come out of tonight's game was the fact that Mitch Clark got up and walked off the ground - I was seating fairly close to where it happened and when he landed, it looked pretty ordinary.

I panicked... One of my mates busted his neck and wanted to just go and 'lie down'. If we didn't convince him to sit still and call an ambulance, he would be paralysed. I'm amazed that they let him run off, to be honest.

[Striker475 696]

Also, I thought the umpiring today was as bad as can be. The Dogs would have scored 4-5 goals from either free kicks that weren't there, or free kicks that weren't paid to us.

I have no idea how the Dogs player caught by Frawley in the goalsquare in the third quarter and dropped the ball was not penalised for holding the ball. I also have no idea how Dunn was not pushed in the back in the third quarter either. And I don't know why they removed that advantage we had which resulted in a turnover and a goal to them in the first quarter.

We didn't lose because of bad umpiring, but for once I think I actually felt like it made an impact on the score of the game.

I thought we did. There were two incorrect disposal ones that led to goals (Cross as you mentioned as well as Dalhaus), there was Dunn ITB, the 2nd and 3rd Dogs goals in the first and the Wallis one in the final term. By me that's 6 - 36pts.

[dee-luded 2,958]

We had our best passage of play in the 3rd quarter that lasted 15 minutes or so where our intensity was the highest its been all year.

Its like they werent thinking game plan too much just willing themselves to win every contest.

But that dropped off in the last and although we were still competitive , we lacked the edge we had in the 3rd.

Coach still finding out about his players.

We really need Grimes,Pettard, Sylvia, Jurrah, Gysberts, coz we lack that class,and these 5 are in our best 22. Also we need either of Blease or Bennel to come on, because we lack speed.

Even Troy Davis i would play ahead of Macdonald. Tapscott and Tom Mc Donald need to find form in the twos.

Bartram is a big worry for me, got killed by Dahlhaus,and to me has been our weakest link, as its always his man that is the most damaging .

But overall i wasnt as gutted as previous weeks.

Yep.

Our intensity was much better, but the players didn't drop off, they looked like they were enjoying it playing with more aggression. The dropping off part did occur late in the 3rd & late in the last Qtrs, but it wasn't the dropping off that I Hate.

The dropping off I hate is the dropping heads type dropping off.

The dropping off late in Qtrs, but still wanting to do more is to me an encouraging sign.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

Today sucked for me. I know some on here are sifting through the piles of crap and are attempting to find positives but please we are awful and have hit the reverse gear hard. Our team from 2 years ago would have smashed this bulldogs team today. I don't know what will take longer to build, the wheel at docklands or a good bloody melbourne list. I was one of the positives ones on here " Relax we've got this" Well I am not anymore. Yes we had a crack and for 15 minutes in the third it looked like Neeld had gone to get a beer and the players started to actually play for a while. Then we shut down and died in the ass. It's just not fun to go to the footy anymore my weekend was good until today. I still love the club and i will get over today but there is no enthusiasm for this year from me anymore I haven't got any left.

Don't look at the fixture, the future is grim.

Tense up, we aint got shi t.

But seriously, we are way too boundry line centric these days. Sick of seeing players in board free and ignored. It's like the centre corridor is seen as a bad thing these days. We were once callled the "transition kings" and that was from coast to coast flashy play. We aint the kings of anything anymore. Well kings of frustration comes to mind.

I can not take sollace in the fact that we shown more fight this week. It means nothing! We were playing an equally sucky team as us and we had something to fight for. Make no mistake about it- Doggies won't make top 8 this year, if we played a final contender we would have been belted like the last few weeks.

What a sad state of affairs. All we can hang our hats on now is sshowing a little fight. Can't even do that for 4 quarters. I don't know what hurts more- the fact we can't fight out a match for 100% of the game or the fact that we have so many spuds on our list with sub-par disposal we are a rabble. Probably the latter. It sucks to be us!!