THE BELL TOLLED

[demon3165 2,846]

Too easily pleased.

Yes we ran out of legs, but we also make dumb decisions with the footy (or have a dumb coach!), we can't hit targets and we refuse to man up.

Once again we got ripped apart on the run. They broke away and spread while we sat and watched.

And for as long as our midfield fails to compete I will keep asking where the [censored] is Gysberts?

Why are Bennell and Petterd getting a game ahead of him? And how can you justify playing Bate in the middle when we are already lacking run?

We weren't unlucky to lose. We got smashed for about 30% of the game.

If you knew something about the game you could answer that yourself.............

[Ron Burgundy 8,588]

Knew we were stuffed when Jamar was subbed out at quarter time. Prior to that, we were simply smashing them in the contested possessions and clearances.

Strauss was only intended to play the last quarter - had to play three.

I expect Grimes will be out next week - he is a trooper. Hope Bennell is not out for the rest of the season.

As to fitness - anyone who knows ANYTHING about AFL fitness knows you can't turn an unfit list into a super fit list in one pre-season.

This doesn't reveal the incompetence of Misson or Craig - rather it reveals the absolutely drop dead ignorance of the posters posting that mindless droll.

[Macca 17,120]

Losing Jamar killed us . A double blow was to lose Bennell and with it , our ability to rotate properly .

Some terrific , positive signs though . Our backing up and our attack on the ball was very good when the game was on an equal footing .

Obviously , we fell away , but this time there were reasons , not excuses .

[Pennant St Dee 13,415]

Really well said. So much dumb football all day. Also Petterd and Bate just play schoolboy footy. Just yelling kick it to me standing still is terrible. Howe besides a specky isn't all that great. Bad kicking at goal and turnovers.

We really lack a key forward when Clark isn't there, Jamar going down really hurt us.

Howe was moved to Hill ealry in the first quarter and did a good job on him after that, agree with you though really needs to improve his kicking for goal

[binman 44,713]

Team is totally unfit, can not run out a game, those that are not unfit are injured.

The high performance team is anything but that.

Misson and Craig were meant to resolve fitness and injury issues, money not well spent thus far.

Very american to like yourself - you're not a septic are you?

[Outside fifty 967]

One player I thought would have been handy today was Sellar. Once the Russian went down and Martin went into the ruck we looked seriously undersized in the forward line.

[olisik 4,060]

I think thats the end of bennells career

[Dr. Gonzo 24,460]

Was pretty happy with the effort today - yeah we didn't win but I thought we fought it out OK for 3 quarters and without Clark and Watts and then losing Jamar early and Bennell shortly after at that. Was happy to see Couch, Blease & Strauss out there, Tommy Mac continues his good form and Green found something. Petterd is in trouble though needs to make an impact, Bate hasn't been killing it but doing OK.

Also lol at Richmond hopefully GC can get a win even though I'd love Richmond to make finals.

[Dee Landing 9]

This is my take!

We are the poorest performing Victorian club!

We have gone backwards dramatically from last season!

We have not had a successful coach in 50 years!

We have recruited very badly for years!

We cannot seem to recruit superstars...!!!

We always have long injury lists and dont have depth!!

This list is very poor given that previous half decent lists had less coaches, shyte facilties and so on!!!

As a club - we are irrelevant in AFL circles. Our list is simply bad. AND THE CLUB DRAINS IT SUPPORTERS OF ANY ENERGY LEFT TO SUPPORT YEAR IN YEAR OUT. IN A NUTSHELL - ABSOLUTE GUTSFULL OF LOSING!!

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

Good effort by Stef he is showing he is a genuine forward/2nd ruck. Jamar was smashing them in the clearances in the 1st. Just ran out of legs and the hard pre season is taking it's toll but I believe we will see more injuries next year until ultimate fitness is reached by the group. There will be casualties along the way but we will get to an a grade fitness.

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

This is my take!

We are the poorest performing Victorian club!

We have gone backwards dramatically from last season!

We have not had a successful coach in 50 years!

We have recruited very badly for years!

We cannot seem to recruit superstars...!!!

We always have long injury lists and dont have depth!!

This list is very poor given that previous half decent lists had less coaches, shyte facilties and so on!!!

As a club - we are irrelevant in AFL circles. Our list is simply bad. AND THE CLUB DRAINS IT SUPPORTERS OF ANY ENERGY LEFT TO SUPPORT YEAR IN YEAR OUT. IN A NUTSHELL - ABSOLUTE GUTSFULL OF LOSING!!

Suck it up princess No good coach's in 50 years I believe Daniher would have something to say about that. Our facilities have been reported to be pretty good unless you have been down there lately maybe you could give some in depth knowledge into that instead of spewing up rhetoric you have probably heard from Greg Denhim. I could go on but like trying to explain the holding the ball rules to my wife THERE IS NO POINT!

[Jerry Lundergard 420]

I am suprised by the love of our team on Demonland.

If we ever want to be a decent team( or club), or a respected one, we wouldn't accept injuries and rotations for a 9-0 goal rout to end a game. We would stand up and fight. We don't though, we just find excuses.

[olisik 4,060]

Why on earth dosnt trengove ever get a good run in the gutts. His always left out on the flanks where he has minimal impact.

[Jaded No More 68,976]

Jaded your lack of understanding of the game is unbelievable. We lost Jamar early, then Bennell, then carried Strauss and Couch in their first games at this level for the year. We got killed on the spread because we had nothing left. We made skill errors because the simple options dried up because of lack of run.We refuse to man up because we had nothing left.

You want bring to Gysberts in who is renowned for having no tank to improve our spread? Replace Bennell (small forward) and Petterd (lead up forward) with him, they dont even play the same role.

Were we perfect today no but get a grip.

We always get killed on the spread.

When we lost Bennell why didn't they rotate Petterd through the centre to ease the pressure on the midfield rotations?

He has played there before.

Why not push Rivers back in the last when it was obvious the backline was under siege?

It's never ideal losing players early in the game, but it doesn't lead players to give away dumb 50meter penalties, or not manning up in the goal square.

And our spread would be aided enormously by someone like Gysberts who can win the ball inside. As it is our best runners like Howe, Blease and Bail can't win their own ball so their spread doesn't help us because we struggle to win the contested ball.

Besides we are currently playing lots of imperfect players in an effort to expose them to game time. Blease loses his man in just about every contest. Bennell can't get a touch. Tappy is too man conscious and not ball conscious enough.

Developing Gysberts sure as hell does more for us long term than persisting with Bate for example.

Why is it no ok to expect more from this team? Why do I not understand anything about the game because I am not pleased with players constantly turning it over? Running to the wrong spaces? Not manning up?

FFS I get that being optimistic is all we have left, but I doubt Neeld was happy to get destroyed in the last quarter, and we shouldn't be either.

P.S.- being a condescending [censored] doesn't make your point anymore valid.

[jane02 3,784]

Good effort by Stef he is showing he is a genuine forward/2nd ruck. Jamar was smashing them in the clearances in the 1st. Just ran out of legs and the hard pre season is taking it's toll but I believe we will see more injuries next year until ultimate fitness is reached by the group. There will be casualties along the way but we will get to an a grade fitness.

I agree - Stef rucked well and tried hard all day. He really is a super athlete.

I was at the game and thought we were competitive until 3/4 time but fatigue caught up with the boys.

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

Great post Dee Landing.

Just the sort of ordinary response from supporters we need right now - particularly given that your 'analysis' seems to be based entirely on irrational emotional responses, rather than clearly reasoned evidence based thinking.

Neeld, Misson, Craig, Rawlings, Brown and a few others have brought a professionalism to this club that it's not ever seen before. That, to me at least, is clear.

Doesn't mean they can transform the joint (and the list) in one season though. To suggest otherwise would be naive in the extreme.

I feel very confident they will though. All the signs are there IMO.

and BAM!!! some logic just entered the building.

[bing181 9,436]

We don't though, we just find excuses.

Reasons. Which aren't excuses.

Big differences is that you have to think a bit before you find reasons.

[beelzebub 23,390]

3 word summary :

Freo were lucky !!

[Ron Burgundy 8,588]

This is my take!

We are the poorest performing Victorian club!

We have gone backwards dramatically from last season!

We have not had a successful coach in 50 years!

We have recruited very badly for years!

We cannot seem to recruit superstars...!!!

We always have long injury lists and dont have depth!!

This list is very poor given that previous half decent lists had less coaches, shyte facilties and so on!!!

As a club - we are irrelevant in AFL circles. Our list is simply bad. AND THE CLUB DRAINS IT SUPPORTERS OF ANY ENERGY LEFT TO SUPPORT YEAR IN YEAR OUT. IN A NUTSHELL - ABSOLUTE GUTSFULL OF LOSING!!

Great post Dee Landing.

Just the sort of ordinary response from supporters we need right now - particularly given that your 'analysis' seems to be based entirely on irrational emotional responses, rather than clearly reasoned evidence based thinking.

Neeld, Misson, Craig, Rawlings, Brown and a few others have brought a professionalism to this club that it's not ever seen before. That, to me at least, is clear.

Doesn't mean they can transform the joint (and the list) in one season though. To suggest otherwise would be naive in the extreme.

I feel very confident they will though. All the signs are there IMO.

I think you will see a very different team in 2013. It will be a Mark Neeld moulded team. And I reckon it will perform pretty well.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,460]

I am suprised by the love of our team on Demonland.

If we ever want to be a decent team( or club), or a respected one, we wouldn't accept injuries and rotations for a 9-0 goal rout to end a game. We would stand up and fight. We don't though, we just find excuses.

Rubbish. We had some key players out today, were two down on the bench for most of the second half, were playing a side fighting for a finals spot and are a bottom four side. I'm not happy we lost either but it was a marked improvement from last week,

The most disappointing thing about today really was the size of the crowd. 13K bloody pathetic, pull your fingers out. Apparently we have 35K members were the bloody hell were they today??? Suck it up princesses and realise you support your team wherever they play not just at the G. Claiming it was due to MCC members is just such a bloody soft excuse I don't even know where to start. If that is true then these yuppies need to get a grip and support the club and the team, just because they're playing down the west end of town is no excuse not to turn up to the game it's not like we were playing in bloody Ballarat or something. PATHETIC!!!!

[Hardnut 327]

Knew we were stuffed when Jamar was subbed out at quarter time. Prior to that, we were simply smashing them in the contested possessions and clearances.

Strauss was only intended to play the last quarter - had to play three.

I expect Grimes will be out next week - he is a trooper. Hope Bennell is not out for the rest of the season.

As to fitness - anyone who knows ANYTHING about AFL fitness knows you can't turn an unfit list into a super fit list in one pre-season.

This doesn't reveal the incompetence of Misson or Craig - rather it reveals the absolutely drop dead ignorance of the posters posting that mindless droll.

Please define fitness Ron, and relate it to our particular form of pre-season training.

[BIG JIM 508]

I just hate this crap about good 3 quarters.

We were all over freo today.

But i just know that we are not going to win all day.

That just means our side is weak. and dont know how to win.

Well done to stef Martin.

Very sad again

[Jerry Lundergard 420]

Reasons. Which aren't excuses.

Big differences is that you have to think a bit before you find reasons.

So having rotations down stop your ability to get your hands on the ball at a stoppage does it? Our midfield sucks, and the fact that so does Freo's and we got pantsed by them in the last 40 mins of the game, doesn't sit well with me. So, if it helps you feel better by using a couple of injuries as an excuse for the loss, then so be it.

[beelzebub 23,390]

Guys... Had Russian stayed on..Bennel as well we would have won.Simple. We couldnt stay fresh or maintain our thrust forward . A brave effort.

Some of you lot..fair dinkum bunch of whingers !!! Its getting better ffs.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,339]

We always get killed on the spread.

When we lost Bennell why didn't they rotate Petterd through the centre to ease the pressure on the midfield rotations?

He has played there before.

Why not push Rivers back in the last when it was obvious the backline was under siege?

It's never ideal losing players early in the game, but it doesn't lead players to give away dumb 50meter penalties, or not manning up in the goal square.

And our spread would be aided enormously by someone like Gysberts who can win the ball inside. As it is our best runners like Howe, Blease and Bail can't win their own ball so their spread doesn't help us because we struggle to win the contested ball.

Why is it no ok to expect more from this team? Why do I not understand anything about the game because I am not pleased with players constantly turning it over? Running to the wrong spaces? Not manning up?

FFS I get that being optimistic is all we have left, but I doubt Neeld was happy to get destroyed in the last quarter, and we shouldn't be either.

Its not about being optimistic but being realistic. Did you enjoy our play in the first quarter when the game was on an even keel?

You say we lose the game due to spread but then go on about contested ball WTF? We lost the contested possession count by 13 (we were down by 2 at 3 qtr time),we drew even at the clearances. and won the tackle count by 16. I dont think that was our issue Bennel was not playing midfield so how does rotating Petterd through their help. You want to push Rivers back. Did you note how many times we bombed forward in the last to Bate and Green, yet you wanted to remove the only tall target we had as well.

You argue with no logic.

Am I happy that we got slammed in the last no but I also stated at 3 quarter time to the people sitting with me that we would not get within 5 goals of Freo. It was an expected outcome.