Davey is finished. Although that isn't news, hes' been finished for years.

I only have one comment. I really do hate umpires. Is despise worse than hate ?

Remember many of the training reports from earlier in the year mentioned that the players were training with AFL umpires. At the time I had a theory that this may well end up benefitting us enormously and finally getting on the right side of the "frees for' ledger.

Apparently not

We lost the free kick count 23-10 and the inequality in that department has been fairly constant and telling over the three weeks of the NAB Cup programme. Of course, there's no law that you have to get the same number of frees as your opponent but if it happens often enough, then there is a problem with the way we play. The coaches need to work out what it's all about because these figures suggest we're playing one man short over the ground every week we play.

Agreed!

Free kick count over the NAB cup

51 79

Sick of hearing people blame the umps. They say it like theyr is a conspiracy to make the dees lose by giving frees to the other team.

The reason we get less frees is because we are always 2nd to the ball. If our players were always first to the ball those free stats would look completely different.

Edited March 9, 201312 yr by olisik

Free kick count over the NAB cup

51 79

May not sound like much but that is like 60% more free kicks than us (by my bad maths)

We lost the free kick count 23-10 and the inequality in that department has been fairly constant and telling over the three weeks of the NAB Cup programme. Of course, there's no law that you have to get the same number of frees as your opponent but if it happens often enough, then there is a problem with the way we play. The coaches need to work out what it's all about because these figures suggest we're playing one man short over the ground every week we play.

The umpires love getting involved with soft frees and we give them every opportunity to be involved because we have a lot of dumb footballers.

Davey is finished. Although that isn't news, he's been finished for years.

I only have one comment. I really do hate umpires. Is despise worse than hate ?

What is wrong with me, I keep agreeing with you lately.

Davey is great as long as it isn't hard, when it is, he disappears.

Remember many of the training reports from earlier in the year mentioned that the players were training with AFL umpires. At the time I had a theory that this may well end up benefitting us enormously and finally getting on the right side of the "frees for' ledger.

Apparently not

Maybe they didn't like the way we trained.

If Davey, gets a hard tag, game over for him.

In his final year, he might get a final with Casey because he'll certainly qualify.

Maybe they didn't like the way we trained.

Maybe we wrecked their "culture".... Hopefully Gawny didn't spew...

I just got back from the game.

A few comments, I was on the grandstand side and most of the play seemed to be over the other side so I probably missed a lot.

The bad:

• Basic skill errors and fumbling of the ball. Inexcusable for AFL footballers to not be able to hit targets over 20 metres.
• Umpiring. Yes, Melbourne players still love nothing more than jumping into the back of their opponents but to be honest I was surprised the free kick differential was as close as it was as every 50-50 contest seemed to result in a St Kilda free kick.
• The contrast between how St Kilda play as a team (players linking up and thinking two, three or four moves ahead) compared to Melbourne was stark. The old handpass to a flat-footed teammate was back again. We are all crying out for a star, but we also need to be crying out for a team.
• Toumpas looked overwhelmed. Really needs to back his instinct and go with the first option. He looked to be really struggling with the heat which is understandable, no doubt will improve with experience.
• Watts still doesn't quite go hard enough at the contest.
• Hogan was always going to struggle as the main target up forward, it just looked to lack structure without Dawes there.
• Lack of small forwards was a big concern (as many of us have been saying), the ease at which St Kilda cleared the ball out was scary.
• Do we have anyone on the list capable of getting 30+ possessions per game?
• Garland still has handful of brain fades or not thinking moments.

The good:

• I thought Terlich and Matt Jones did a few nice things and got involved as the game went on.
• Sellar looks to be holding his marks better.
• Pleasantly surprised to see the overall possession count was even.
• Melbourne started off well, looked sharp early kicking with the wind but that soon faded.
• Dunn's torpedo.
• Gilles looked composed down back, best that I have seen of him so far. A much better kick than McDonald.

Overall, I left pretty flat, mainly with the basic skill errors and lack of team play.

Edited March 9, 201312 yr by Clint Bizkit

Just got home from the game .

Not disastrous .

Positives: Rodan - lots of class , speed , creativity and strength

Byrnes - knows where to go; understands the fall of the ball

Nicholson - showed nothing to suggest he deserves a game ( this IS a positive )

Dunn - continued his resurgence ; easily our best player and kick

Sylvia - started to get some touches

Best : Dunn, Jones , Rodan, Sylvia , Jamar ( dominated the hit outs against no opposition )

I reckon we are tanking

We are not this bad!

I reckon we are tanking

We are not this bad!

Just trying to get our 500k back....

Just got home from the game .

Not disastrous .

Positives: Rodan - lots of class , speed , creativity and strength

Byrnes - knows where to go; understands the fall of the ball

Nicholson - showed nothing to suggest he deserves a game ( this IS a positive )

Dunn - continued his resurgence ; easily our best player and kick

Sylvia - started to get some touches

Best : Dunn, Jones , Rodan, Sylvia , Jamar ( dominated the hit outs against no opposition )

Dunn our best player? What has the world come too!

Did we get anything out of Jeremy Howe today?

List of those who gave us little , or nothing , today :

Hogan,Watts,,Toumpas, Garland,Pederson, Nicholson, Macdonald,Evans,Tapscott,Davey,Howe,

Just got back also.

I thought Sellar was good again, at this stage would have to be in front of Pedo for the 3rd tall forward / back up ruck position.

NJones, Magner & Grimes all tried hard, Sylvia to.

Dunn was probably our best back.

M.Jones is still trying to comes to terms with the pace of AFL but I think after a few more games will adjust and may become a handy player, same with Terlich.

Tippy did some nice things also.

We need to improve our pressure as last two weeks were good but dropped off today hence the poor tackle count.

List of those who gave us little , or nothing , today :

Hogan,Watts,,Toumpas, Garland,Pederson, Nicholson, Macdonald,Evans,Tapscott,Davey,Howe,

That Hogan! How dare he!

Score out of 10 for those who played :

Hogan - 3

N.Jones - 6

Watts - 3

Toumpas - 3

Frawley - 6

Byrnes - 5

Sylvia - 6

Dunn - 7.5

Rodan - 6

Garland - 3

Pederson - 2

Magner - 3

Nicholson - 2

Gillies - 5

Macdonald - 3

Sellar - 5

Grimes - 4

Evans - 3

Tapscott - 3

Davey - 3

Howe - 3

Jamar - 6

M. Jones - 3

Terlich - 4

Looking at the stats, Magner looks like he has carried on his good form from last week. Did he play on the ball?

That Hogan! How dare he!

Think he should be put into VFL for the year playing how he did today.

I reckon we are tanking

We are not this bad!

Lol OD

A tad early isn't it. Don't pinch me just yet mate...i want to dream a little longer. At least till round 6 or so anyway

It's a pitty we can't go and snatch Ablett to bolster our mids (& the whole team!) and teach (mentor) the likes of Viney/Magner/Kent, and even the Jones boy over the next few years.

I realise it's like the pot-O'-gold rainbow stuff for us and will never happen given his contract, but to me he's the ideal fit right now given where we are at.

Mind you he's probably the ideal fit almost anywhere!!

Anyone think that Pederson will eventually show something?

Watching the Kangas and the Cats at the moment, I can see why he didn't get a game.

Score out of 10 for those who played :

Hogan - 3

N.Jones - 6

Watts - 3

Toumpas - 3

Frawley - 6

Byrnes - 5

Sylvia - 6

Dunn - 7.5

Rodan - 6

Garland - 3

Pederson - 2

Magner - 3

Nicholson - 2

Gillies - 5

Macdonald - 3

Sellar - 5

Grimes - 4

Evans - 3

Tapscott - 3

Davey - 3

Howe - 3

Jamar - 6

M. Jones - 3

Terlich - 4

All minus scores. They were bad!