Is 0 and 11 at the Bye so surprising?

[PaulRB 5,985]

Coming into this season I looked at the first half of the season draw and saw

• two wins (Brisbane and Richmond) from teams we easily beat last year
  
• a couple of maybes (Doggies, Swans, Saints and Dons) where they may slide we may rise
  
• and at least half a dozen spankings (last years top 5).
  

Lets take the two games I expected to win:

Round 1 - Brisbane - A week before the season Jimmy dies, the week of the opening match his funeral. We lose. Upsetting, but given the circumstances not unexpected.

Round 3 - Richmond - We all expected to beat them, but we lost. THIS is the only game based on last years ladder and results we should have won.

The rest of the games based on the last season and/or recent results I expected to lose.

Yet we are so surprised, appalled and upset every week, when logic and form from recent years suggests we actually should have been ready aware and honest about where Melbourne actually sits in this competition.

Not saying I like it, or accept it, or are not [censored] off by it every week.

I just don't think any of us are really surprised.

And if losing the one game we had a reasonable expectation to win (Richmond) has sent us in to this frenzy of self analysis and despair imagine if we can't win some of the 6 winnable games in rounds 13 - 23.

We are the Melbourne footy club and we have a lot of work to do before we warrant the expectations we all take into every season and game. That's where we are at. The coach knows it, the players know it and now we know it.

Carn the Dees

Edited May 22, 2012 by PaulRB

[P-man 13,239]

Understand where you're coming from, but it's more the way we've lost rather than the raw stats in the W/L columns.

Richmond was a thumping for instance.

Richmond.

[Footynut 302]

Melbourne.

[olisik 4,060]

Its a training year anyway. Bunch of practice matches as far as the club is probably concerned. I wouldnt stress to much.

[Sir Why You Little 34,705]

It is not a suprise....But it is unacceptable.

What other club supporters would take our last 5 years?

Time to wake Demon Followers....

[Footynut 302]

It is not a suprise....But it is unacceptable.

What other club supporters would take our last 5 years?

Time to wake Demon Followers....

Richmond have been taking it for years.....

Carlton almost went out of existance and were a disaster for a long while.

Its not time for the followers to wake.

I have seen more passion from followers on this board in the last 8 weeks than ever.

Its time for the players to wake. Simple as that.

[Sir Why You Little 34,705]

Richmond have been taking it for years.....

Carlton almost went out of existance and were a disaster for a long while.

Its not time for the followers to wake.

I have seen more passion from followers on this board in the last 8 weeks than ever.

Its time for the players to wake. Simple as that.

Yes. And it is up to us to wake them.

[Footynut 302]

Yes. And it is up to us to wake them.

Why do professional AFL players need supporters and members to wake them?

Surely if they need us to do that they simply shouldn't be playing AFL football full stop?

[Macca 16,173]

Not according to "The First Half Draw" . A few voted last week btw . A tad late . I noticed how many they picked too !

http://demonland.com...irst-half-draw/

Edited May 22, 2012 by Macca

[Sir Why You Little 34,705]

Why do professional AFL players need supporters and members to wake them?

Surely if they need us to do that they simply shouldn't be playing AFL football full stop?

I agree. But that is how low this club has fallen. If we the supporter do not do it. Who will?

[Footynut 302]

I agree. But that is how low this club has fallen. If we the supporter do not do it. Who will?

Its a really sad question to have to ask....

[Sir Why You Little 34,705]

Its a really sad question to have to ask....

It is isn't it. The soul of the club has been missing for to long.

Jimmy knew it. We gotta keep that part alive.

We are sitting under 2 Franchaises for God sake.

[Guest Jackie]

PRB, this looks like meek excepting of excuses and short selling of us. There is nothing surprising. It is an unacceptable outrage that demands answers and rectification.

[Footynut 302]

PRB, this looks like meek excepting of excuses and short selling of us. There is nothing surprising. It is an unacceptable outrage that demands answers and rectification.

Oh Jackie - welcome to you and your negativity....such a pleasure as always..

[praha 10,315]

I think there was always a possibility of starting 1-11. Of all the loses, the one against Brisbane is probably the most frustrating because they do not have a better list than us. You can drill home all you like about our players, but I won't accept that their list is better. The difference was Black and senior midfielders, and they spanked us.

However, we have being downright spanked from the word go in almost every area.

0-11 is one thing, but to be so far off the mark is truly awful. We are the worst team by a country mile.

[Guest Jackie]

Oh Jackie - welcome to you and your negativity....such a pleasure as always..

Thanks and "nuts to you".

[jumbo returns 6,515]

I think it'll be 0-16 or 0-17 until structures, discipline and (real) fitness kick in.

Our season officially starts after the last game this year.

Edited May 22, 2012 by jumbo returns

[titan_uranus 22,659]

I get what you're saying, but you're so far off it's not really worth bothering.

The fact is, it's not the results of the games that matter, it's the way we've played, and that's not something you can look at the wins and losses to measure.

We've been absolutely insipid and devoid of effort in a few games (Sydney, West Coast, second half vs Hawthorn), and our skills have been deplorable in all eight. If we'd played with passion/intensity/even just a normal amount of regular freaking effort, we may still have lost every game this year, but we wouldn't be half as worried about our future.

[JT9 104]

its not losing, its how we are losing. Not turning up and losing to a Sydney side by 100 points when they hardly manager 80 a game is unnaceptable, 10 goal thrashing to Richmond and Brisbane...its all just unnaceptable

[JT9 104]

And I can see us losing to GWS, not in anyway because they are better than us, but their kids want to win, and want to play footy. Ours havnt won in so long theyve forgotten what winning is and dont really see any desire to fight for it anymore

[praha 10,315]

They will start the season 0-11. That's the reality. All we can do have faith in improved performances.

However, if this is the case, they may go into the GWS game as underdogs, depending on how they perform leading up to that match.

If they lose to GWS, Neeld will lose his job.

[PaulRB 5,985]

To know how much we need to improve in order to win the flag we first need to honestly accept where we actually are at right now.

Neeld has been hosing down short term expectations and talking about the rough road to improvement since arriving.

This week we've been discussing removing most of our senior players for lack of spine and application.

Etc...

That said things can turn quickly.

[CHAMP 347]

Understand where you're coming from, but it's more the way we've lost rather than the raw stats in the W/L columns.

Richmond was a thumping for instance.

Richmond.

But most of the thumping went on in the 3rd quarter, was it 9 goals to one, the balance was kinda promising.

There have been a couple or few of these "lapsing" matches. The alarm arises out of the games where there is no apparent input or interest for 4 quarters.

[olisik 4,060]

right now a good fight and a loss is better then a pissy effort and a win

I would rather see the team lose in a solid good game like against st Kilda then to see them win in a boring low skilled game like they did last year against Brisbane.

I wouldn't be upset if we lose to GWS as it means we can take Viney with a 2nd rounder end of the year. I for one wont be calling for a storm if it happens. Im happy to see them train for the next 14 matches so that they can get back on par with the rest of the league.

[olisik 4,060]

I will be far more dissapointed if we beat GWS whie running around like a bunch of headless chooks bullying GWS with no structure then if we lose in a close match which we hold up our structure n get a solid effort by all players.

Right now it seems that the media is overcooking things and its making me lose respect for many journalists. You can tell they are desperate for some stories and dont mind throwing there integrity away with it.

It is quite obvious the administration and coaching panel are doing everything in there power to get things back in line with AFL standard so I am not sure why the coach is copping so much criticism.