Weren't they shocking on Saturday!!. I felt sick when Johnno had to walk back and concede the (ultimately)winning point, because their zones left us with no options. Admittedly the long thin ground makes it hard, but Geelong seemed to have no trouble pinpointing a target at 50m-plus and launching attacks.(especially after Jamar's disallowed mark).

We'd have killed them if our kick-in tactics(in attack and defence) had been half as good as theirs.

We should study other sides' tactics and attempt to emulate them, since it's a glaring deficiency of our game.I'd prefer us to be innovative, and be trend-setters in this vital part of the game, but I've been harping on this for years and it falls on deaf ears.

Maybe i'm being biased, but Melbourne seems to be one of the few sides that has actually been able to take advantage of the new quick kick in rule.

Plus our zoning when we've got a behind is certainly not full proof, quite often, throught laziness and poor marking, they have been able to get the link man with no troubles.

I must say, over the years bizz and brownie have helped as link men carrying the footy out of the oppositions 50m zone. They are both no longer in the dees back 6. I agree that the dees are having problems with this ATM. I can't put my finger on who is responsible, perhaps lack of defensive coaching, or perhaps poor options to help carry the footy out.

On a positive note our back six seems to be standing up better than it has in the past.

Are you mad Pates? I'm dismayed at how a supposed running team like Melbourne hasn't utilised the quick kick in rule to advantage like some other teams have. We seem to have played our football this year as if no rules had even changed.

I get so [censored] off when I see someone look up for the quick kick in only to put the ball on the deck and wait for Travis or Whelan to slowly trot back to the square and take the kick. I swear about half of our kick ins take that long the AFL are going to probably start pushing for 15 second ad breaks when our opponents score a behind.

every time whelan goes down injured we lose all drive out of the backline. he's the best ball carrier in our back half by a country mile.

The reason other teams do it so easy is because our boys barely give a stuff about manning up or playing a decent zone. when we man up on the kick ins, we have more often than not forced a turnover or atleast stopped their easy access out of the backline.

Too often this year Melbourne has conceded the first 2 kicks, we need to be given a lesson on how to play against the kick in. We are shocking at it

Travis Johnstone may be a very talent user of the ball, but he is disgraceful at clearing the ball out of the backline.

He stuffs up more than anyone else when taking the kick-ins.

Still the worst in the League, despite new defence coach. No change in tactics in kicking in, or in defending opposition kick-ins.

we are terrible at bringing the ball in from a set shot, or having to wait a few seconds for the ball

we seem to be already in position before the guy kicking it in is ready and then they all stand there

Maybe i'm being biased, but Melbourne seems to be one of the few sides that has actually been able to take advantage of the new quick kick in rule.

Plus our zoning when we've got a behind is certainly not full proof, quite often, throught laziness and poor marking, they have been able to get the link man with no troubles.

That is interesting, because a stat in the paper claimed us as the worst converter from kick ins, in the AFL.

It has also been one of my bugbears for several years. What is so hard about practising some variations over the preseason?

No-one seems to disagree with this except "Bomber". You're off the hook ,now,mate!

I watched Coll. play Freo tonight. Both sides kicked in quickly, and usually ended up in attack after opposition points.

Players on both sides also played on at every opportunity. They didn't stop, go back, and take ages to seek an option upfield. I guess it's a matter of confidence. We'll never regain confidence by playing "carefully", the way we do.