I simply cannot believe how many throws there have been in this game tonight so far. Finals pressure + umps wanting the game to move on at all cost = an unwatchable (if hectic) 36 man scrum. Something must be done!

the whistle's been put away I reckon

Unwatchable? I'd give anything to see our club playing that high intensity stuff for even 5 minutes during the game. That's what finals football is all about.

Unwatchable? I'd give anything to see our club playing that high intensity stuff for even 5 minutes during the game. That's what finals football is all about.

Unwatchable in the best sense of the word. As in "a great game ruined."

"Holding the ball?" You wish. "Knocked out in the tackle, play on." What a joke!

High intensity footy - I would love to see that.

How absurd was that deliberate OOB - the guy ? Gibson was thrown as he kicked, it landed 20 metres inside 50 metres downfield and bounced sidewards. Absolutely clueless. Geishen of course will say "perfect decision"!

Watching this game makes me weep at how far we have to go before our club becomes even competitive.

Two teams doing all they can to win a game of footy.

Desperation and hard ............ (sounds like my private life, unfortunately)

Rule of the Week: no rules.

Keep watching & see how far behind the MFC is...it is a disgrace what has been allowed to go on for decades.

We'd be 10+ goals down by now. The pressure in the first quarter particularly was remarkable.

Geez, Collingwood get away with everything. Several throws again this quarter, and a blatant deliberate OOB.

Loving watching finals footy..... the step up in level. Hard tackling. Fast decisions. Inspired play........

Eats me up that my team is now disbanded around the planet, getting plastered, chasing fluff, probably getting their hair braided on a beach.

MFC players should watch this wherever they are and feel like there is something major missing in their life, something unfulfilled.

I agree with the original poster.

i know you guys have seen a lot more footy than me over the last 12 years as i live overseas now but doesnt anyone see how the game has degenerated in to a scrappy affair compared to the hard free flowing footy linking up a series of tough one on one contests that was 1990s footy. that was fantaastic to watch. desperate, tough but players had enough space to show their skills. now its like an under 12s footy game on steroids. i think it has gradually evolved to this over a decade so you guys that have witnessed the last 10 years may not notice it as much as me but i really feel something must be done. people overseas used to love the spectacle but now its much less watchable to the uninitiated.

remmber when a contest in the fwd line consisted of 4 blokes, now there can be up to 14 bodies around the footy. i think perhaps an option is to allow each player only 3 or 4 rotations a game. this will slow the game a bit and ensure that players wont be able to make every contest, this having the effect of spreading the players out more

in addition to my last post, if you can, get hold of the nth/WB home and away game late 1999 season. FOr me the pinnacle of footy. that game was brutal but very free flowing with long kicking to one on one/two marking contests, with players crumbing packs. very few stoppages and long sweeping series of hand passes out of the backline. they were the days of greast footy

Maxwell yells like a girl.

Maxwell yells like a girl.

He really does look like a baboon.

He's a serial blocker, that's his role and he got pinged...and sooked

Anyone else notice Mick Malthouse in the commentary box wearing a navy blue stripped tie? Looks like it could easily be a Carlscum tie. Or am I reading too much into it?!

in addition to my last post, if you can, get hold of the nth/WB home and away game late 1999 season. FOr me the pinnacle of footy. that game was brutal but very free flowing with long kicking to one on one/two marking contests, with players crumbing packs. very few stoppages and long sweeping series of hand passes out of the backline. they were the days of greast footy

Collingwood know their best bet in winning tonight is to play a contested brand of footy. If they allow Hawthorn time and space they will get run over, as would any team. You can't discount the fact that the modern player is much fitter and stronger than in eras gone by, which coupled with rotations means they will inevitably cover more ground and get to more contests. The skillful players still rise to the top, it just tends to be later in the game.

umpires - horrible due to HOW they have been told to interpret.

MFC players on twitter saying how jealous they are - IF YOURE JEALOUS, PUT THE BEER DOWN, GO AND DO SOME WORK AND GET THERE YOURSELVES

I was about to come in at half time and start a new post.

If anyone at D'LAND has any complaints about where the Football Department / Club is heading.

Just have a look at the intensity the real game is played.

Melbourne could not compete at any level with the Pies or Hawks.

P_man quoted we would be 10 + goals down at 1/2 time.

I would think that 186 would be tested on what I have seen tonight.

Anyone else notice Mick Malthouse in the commentary box wearing a navy blue stripped tie? Looks like it could easily be a Carlscum tie. Or am I reading too much into it?!

nah you're getting carried away

its a royal blue tie with thin navy or black stripes

MFC players on twitter saying how jealous they are - IF YOURE JEALOUS, PUT THE BEER DOWN, GO AND DO SOME WORK AND GET THERE YOURSELVES

Abso-bloody-lutely!

Collingwood know their best bet in winning tonight is to play a contested brand of footy. If they allow Hawthorn time and space they will get run over, as would any team. You can't discount the fact that the modern player is much fitter and stronger than in eras gone by, which coupled with rotations means they will inevitably cover more ground and get to more contests. The skillful players still rise to the top, it just tends to be later in the game.

i definitely agree thats collingwoods game plan tonight but im really talking about the way the sprt overall has evolved. I didnt see a game of footy from 2000 until 2008 so it was very noticeable to me on how the game had evolved. had i been watching footy over that time the change would not have been so noticeable. but it has definitely evolved in a negative way. i love hard contested footy but watching a 1 on 1 or 2 on 2 contest is much more entertaining than 9 ON 9 scrum.

This game shows me that our list does not yet deserve to be paid 100% of the salary cap. I know the PA rules, but where is the incentive to work at least 10-20 % harder.

Tough for the coaches.