SLEEPERS

[DeeZee 7,363]

Upsides for me were Sylvia and Tappscott. I enjoyed their games. Bail, Howe and Nicholson's kicking was terrible at times. Ive never rated Bail and have been waiting to be proven wrong. Trenners is just gawn this season for what ever reason. A shadow of his former self. McKenzie did ok in his role. Otherwise not much to say.

Which one of Tapscotts 4 kicks did you enjoy the most?

[P-man 13,366]

You can quite easily imagine the match committee playing a game of "pin the magnet on the whiteboard".

I'm seriously sick of getting monstered in the centre at the beginning of games. Not sure what the clearance stats were for the first quarter but I'm guessing very ugly. There's no excuse for being lethargic and disorganised from the outset.

Bate, Bennell and Dunn will be first to go next year surely. Bennell disgraced himself and the jumper with his efforts today.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,197]

I'm just about ready for them to pack it in and out us all out of our misery. When you continually see players give half hearted chases/tackles/efforts and continually see players who are paid professionals butcher the ball under no pressure, handball to players under pressure and kick it on top of teammates heads instead of to their advantage you just think what's the bloody point? That's without even mentioning the clearances. I've had enough of this utter rubbish and I don't care that Clark and Jamar weren't playing either that is no excuse. I don't even hold out any hope that we can get some decent players in through the draft look at Trengove, Watts and Morton all high draft picks but it means absolutely nothing if you can't develop them into A-grade players. So you can stick your Stringer/Toumpas/Wines/Viney talk because I want to see players do it once they're wearing an MFC jumper not when their still playing juniors FFS.

[Gorgoroth 12,924]

Sack the skill coaches. Sack Royal, our mod set ups are very very poor.

They need to fine players who miss targets when under no pressure. For supposed elite footballers they can't handball nor kick.

[Pates 9,660]

I'd like to think I'm a positive word but I thought we were smashed all day, the scoreboard is extremely kind. The second quarter we had about 5-10 where we were somewhat on top but again that time they missed some very getable chances.

At the moment I feel Neeld is pushing sh!t up a hill, he can implement the greatest game plan ever, but there are players in our team that simply do not have the skills. We made VFL reserves grade mistakes that simply cost us goals.

I'm glad we fought I out, we didn't get smashed on the scoreboard and that's something, it was one of the most frustrating games I've ever witnessed.

Some points though IMO:

- Garland forward works, Rivers and Magner don't

- Bate (good on him for getting to 100) is not up to it

- Spencer needs more time, thank god Jamar will be back next week

- the game plan and thought patterns revolve around us having a power forward to can take grab, we don't have that any more so the players have to shift their thinking, Jones was the only one spotting up targets

- sheparding, sheparding, sheparding!!!!! It's what the best teams do and I saw Grimes so the first genuine one all year from us!!!! That is basic.

[Hannibal 5,814]

So you can stick your Stringer/Toumpas/Wines/Viney talk because I want to see players do it once they're wearing an MFC jumper not when their still playing juniors FFS.

Look, I agree with you, but if you take that hope away from me I've got absolutely nothing.

[Gorgoroth 12,924]

Let's hope Bate has good kids cos he wont offer us much for the rest of his time at Melbourne (how ever long that is)

[DeeZee 7,363]

Remember those fantastic courageous marks Grimes used to take in defence?

He was continually flat footed today no spark at all.

and Macdonald is such a dumb footballer, at one stage the ball was at his feet,and instead of picking the thing up, he actually ran away from the ball to pick up his man.

[Moonshadow 17,675]

Hate to say it, but Spencil looked 1000 times better today than last week. Tried hard, got in front, tacked hard. Considering how shite we were, he showed more effort than many on the list. Still has the appearance and coordination of a startled giraffe on the run. Can't see him making the cut.

Not wanting to compare, but Big Cox's last quarter against the Roos shows how a champion ruck can win a game on his own, just about. Spencil would do well to watch that tape.

[The Demon 2565 28]

Ah. Jaded has arrived. Did you have a pleasant day at the footy, then?

Truth hurts, we were absolutely horrid today. If the tigers could hit the side of a barn we'd have been done by 15 goals, and deserved to be. For a football team we have a truly embarrassing lack of players that can execute that most basic skill of actually kicking the ball

How long are we going to persist with both rivers and garland forward? I'm well aware that the year has been written off for development, and I'm fine with that, but it's no coincidence that since sending the two of them forward, teams have scored at will every time they have sent the ball inside our defensive 50. fwiw I would persist with Judy up forward, but we NEED big rivers down back, especially if like today McDonald and Sellar (who has been much better back than forward) are out. As maligned as Dunn is, at least he can mark and kick a long goal, not to mention provide a bit of forward pressure, and if I see watts line up on another key forward I'm going to scream

And can we please just rest trenners and let him get over whatever injury it is that he's carrying? Poor bloke can hardly move out there. Drop Beamer too while you're at it, no impact when he was subbed on

Finally, how pathetic are our supporters? Outnumbered 4:1 at our own home game.

Yeah, suffice to say I didn't have a good day at the footy

[Hardnut 327]

Football is a simple game. Place players where they naturally play best and let them play. Plug any temporary gaps with the next best available player for that position, but NEVER ‘rob peter to pay paul’ and NEVER collectively blame players (as ‘only a poor tradesman blames his tools’).

Fine tune the team and the tactics as required (the so-called, but wrongly named, game plan). Take it as a given that discipline, fitness, endurance, etc are essential and non-negotiable. However, one key non-negotiable (but often missed in modern football) is skills training – skills training should be the number one priority which should dominate training, assuming the basics as above.

All of the above is part of the coach’s job, and it requires a very skilled and personable communicator. A good assistant coach may be very good at their own specialty, but mostly they won’t be able to do all of the above.

Coaching aspirants, be ambitious, but put in your application at your own peril. (Yes, I believe MFC should have an immediate vacancy – that should please those who defend the status quo at all costs.)

[DeeZee 7,363]

On todays efforts i would drop Martin ahead of Spencer for Jamar

[Forest Demon 4,681]

Hate to say it, but Spencil looked 1000 times better today than last week. Tried hard, got in front, tacked hard. Considering how shite we were, he showed more effort than many on the list. Still has the appearance and coordination of a startled giraffe on the run. Can't see him making the cut.

Not wanting to compare, but Big Cox's last quarter against the Roos shows how a champion ruck can win a game on his own, just about. Spencil would do well to watch that tape.

Spencer was definitely better today, bar that one shocker of a kick from the goal square. But that was just one of a never-ending amount of soft turnovers.

[DeeZee 7,363]

When players like Bachar Houli and Shane Tuck look better footballers than anything we had to offer you know you got problems.

[Undeeterred 3,123]

We were an out and out rabble today.

Even when we were well in it, in that first quarter, there were so many stupidly basic skill errors that cost us. It just kills us when we have a player on, and someone kicks it over their head, or into the man on the mark, or gives away a dumb free kick. It was just constant all day, and it is no wonder we don't score when we just BUTCHER all our opportunities.

And I'm not usually one to complain about umpiring, but wow. That was probably the most ridiculously umpired game of football I have ever seen. They should have been wearing clown suits, not green t-shirts.

[Forest Demon 4,681]

I find it hard to fathom those calling for Neeld's head. He cannot be held responsible for a group of players who can't execute the most basic skills of the game. The game plan is impossible to implement if the majority of the team find it hard to hit a target from 20 metres away.

And this is not his list, so he can't be blamed for the fact that these blokes are in the side in the first place. Whenever you replace a coach, unless you are in premiership contention and are just refreshing like Nathan Buckley, you have to be willing to give them 3 years at least to mould the list with players that suit his play and can execute his plan.

Do any of you numb nuts think if Mick Malthouse was sitting in the box Rohan Bail would be all of a sudden hitting targets left, right and centre.

[jumbo returns 6,740]

Doesn't Jordan McKenzie look like Neeld?

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,119]

Upsides for me were Sylvia and Tappscott. I enjoyed their games.

Which of Tapscott's 9 possessions and 0 tackles did you enjoy?

Today was possibly the worst skilled game of football I have been to. Time to get rid of the goer's. Who cares if they learn the structures if they will not be there next year to use them.

I agree Trengove is heavy in the legs.

[Damo 3,344]

Macdonald is such a dumb footballer, at one stage the ball was at his feet,and instead of picking the thing up, he actually ran away from the ball to pick up his man.

I saw that. I reckon he did that because the ball wouldnt come up and he had chased it for 10 meters already. He is happy to contest the man but he is confounded with an awkward bounce.

He is a hard doer but I still remember how "lucky" we were supposed to be when we got him Pre-season from Brisbane. They must think we dont do our homework...

[Jerry Lundergard 420]

Truth hurts, we were absolutely horrid today. If the tigers could hit the side of a barn we'd have been done by 15 goals, and deserved to be. For a football team we have a truly embarrassing lack of players that can execute that most basic skill of actually kicking the ball

How long are we going to persist with both rivers and garland forward? I'm well aware that the year has been written off for development, and I'm fine with that, but it's no coincidence that since sending the two of them forward, teams have scored at will every time they have sent the ball inside our defensive 50. fwiw I would persist with Judy up forward, but we NEED big rivers down back, especially if like today McDonald and Sellar (who has been much better back than forward) are out. As maligned as Dunn is, at least he can mark and kick a long goal, not to mention provide a bit of forward pressure, and if I see watts line up on another key forward I'm going to scream

And can we please just rest trenners and let him get over whatever injury it is that he's carrying? Poor bloke can hardly move out there. Drop Beamer too while you're at it, no impact when he was subbed on

Finally, how pathetic are our supporters? Outnumbered 4:1 at our own home game.

Yeah, suffice to say I didn't have a good day at the footy

It's woth noting that it was an extra home game for the Tigers as well. They also have about 50,000 members and are challenging for the 8.

We have 2 wins for the year and play disgustingly stupid, pathetic football.

I wonder why I go myself most weeks, as it is quite a stressful experience watching us play. I would hate to be Neeld.

[tonatopia 278]

Who is responsible then. The buck stops with the coach. He is responsible for this crap.

[stuie 7,374]

I find it hard to fathom those calling for Neeld's head.

I don't know how many are actually calling for a sacking, but I'm pretty worried by the fact we look just as disorganized after 15 rounds than we did at the start of the year.

[Forest Demon 4,681]

Who is responsible then. The buck stops with the coach. He is responsible for this crap.

Well, for me, the problem is our list and the lack of AFL quality footballers on it. Whether that is drafting, development, culture, I don't know, but it ain't Neeld's fault. If we are going to sack coaches who have half a bad season, we are going to be in a vicious cycle of sacking coaches every year. We have to select a man we think knows what it takes, and we back him in for the long haul.

[DEELIRIOUS 156]

Lucas Cook has to come in next week. You don't just draft a key forward, and then when your main one goes down for the season, don't play him! Green, Davey and Jamar in next week should help the boys out I reckon but we really should've lost by 20 goals

[Moonshadow 17,675]

My god, Bail and Nicho's kicking are appalling. What the hell do the players do at training? Prance around like prize stallions? I've seen the Filth look far better on Goshes Paddock than we do on a Sat arvo at the G.

Too many times players managed to f**k up great link work with TERRIBLE disposal. Bate and Howe were also cringe worthy.

Not many positives from the day, Tigers poor kicking excepted