Positive thread

[low flying Robbo 979]

Quite possibly the only competition we can win.

Havent seen a replay ye but could he be a nomination for GOTY for that snap from the boundary line?

[timD 994]

Get bent, Stuie.

Our first half was great. For a team coming off a performance like last week's, it was inspiring and good to watch. Our midfielders were having a go (we were leading clearances at half time), Clark was leading from the front, and we had a few links from full back to full forward which were perfect. We played as a team, and we looked so much better than the last two weeks.

Yes, our second half was awful, but from watching the game you'll see that our problems this week weren't effort, they were mainly talent. Our bottom 6 is so, so bad (and, in fact, is more of a bottom 12).

If you didn't see any positives today, then get out of this thread, because many of us did.

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

We definitely made progress.
But we are still a long way off.

[Mr Steve 3,820]

The first half was NOT as good as people are thinking.

We had a few good link ups that ended in goals but our pressure was terrible.

Look at the first half stats for tackles, uncontested possies, and efficiency, they will tell you the effort was better but we were still very loose in defence.

What part of Positive don't you understand.

[Young Dee 1,303]

miss Jurrah HUUUUGEEE!!!!!

Yes I just think a team needs a spark player like Jurrah, most teams have them - Buddy at Hawks and Nic Nat at WCE

I think players like this just create such a vibe, not only for the supporters but also the players. They make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck or make you jump out of your seat at the MCG roaring. Its hard to judge just how much of a motivator it would be for the players. I for one think those kind of players stimulate the crowd and the crowed stimulates the players. A player like Jurrah would have been very handy early in the third quarter just as a motivator to keep the players fighting - maybe through bursting through the center and kicking a goal from 50m just when WCE were slipping away (20-35 points).

I guess we just lack a star (Ablett)

Edited April 14, 2013 by Young Dee

[DeeZee 7,445]

Its goingto be another tough year, but i think we will improve as the year goes on.

Next year we will have a forward line of Clark Hogan and Dawes.

Hopefully we will get another couple of mids.

Trengove ,Tapscott,Viney,M Jones,Kent, Evans,Toumpas,Blease,Watts,a year older and wiser.

We will get there.

[Young Dee 1,303]

Positive: Free agency

We need a star or a very good player (midfielder). Someone that would lead us when the chips are down.

Through money at players - wish Marc Murphy/Dangerfield was on the free agency list

[jnrmac 20,154]

Heres a positive. GWS 'best' players only scored the following Dreamteam points

Whitfield 36

Plowman 24

Patton 15

Scully 47

Greene 49

How Scully escapes scrutiny is beyond me. What a dud.

[jackaub 1,402]

Heres a positive. GWS 'best' players only scored the following Dreamteam points

Whitfield 36

Plowman 24

Patton 15

Scully 47

Greene 49

How Scully escapes scrutiny is beyond me. What a dud.

Yes But again we made him number one darft pick another messiah bites the dust I really dont know how anybody can excuse our drafting over the last 10 years

[Demon Stalwart 255]

I watched the game and took the following from it

Our first quarter and most of the second quarter except for the last 9 mins of the second showed endeavour commitment an some skill

The third quarter and fourth were just the same sort of crap we saw in the to previous games .

However in those first two quarters I actually dared to dream and so did the commentators on the game, the signs were there .

Unfortunately the belief wasn't.

At the moment they are fighting their own demons and that is a belief in themselves.

If they had kept up the same pressure and endeavour in the third and fourth quarter the result may not have been different but the score certainly would have been.

Net week is critical for the MFC not just from the clubs viewpoint but also from the players view point

I'm sure Neeld will point to the positives in the first half of this last game.

If they win it will allow them to lift their heads a little bit more. If they loose, then it is not worth thinking about.

I don't think a game has held so much importance or significance so early in the season as the one coming up.

A win will buoy supporters , it will help the players in their own self belief but most of all it will take some of the pressure off.

This game is extremely important lets hope that the Melbourne players take some heart from the first half and can put the last from Saturdays game behind them

[jnrmac 20,154]

miss Jurrah HUUUUGEEE!!!!!

How we dealt with Jurrah was a microcosm of all that is wring with Melbourne.

Kid gloves, different set of rules, no accountability, failed to live up to potential, walked out on club.

[McQueen 17,867]

Doesn't take talent to stick close to your man.

Doesn't take talent to give a 4 qtr effort.

Doesn't take talent to tackle.

Our team needs to attack more like they did in the first half. They linked up well on several occasions.

If they keep in this totally defensive mindset of wearing your opponent like a glove it will most definitely do more damage than good IMO. The boys have to keep taking the game on and backing themselves in as much as being mindful of the opposition.

Gotta keep hitting that scoreboard for the lack of confidence issue to be dealt with. Playing man-on-man all the time and being worried about the oppositions score won't breed the confidence the team needs.

[stuie 7,374]

Our team needs to attack more like they did in the first half. They linked up well on several occasions.

If they keep in this totally defensive mindset of wearing your opponent like a glove it will most definitely do more damage than good IMO. The boys have to keep taking the game on and backing themselves in as much as being mindful of the opposition.

Gotta keep hitting that scoreboard for the lack of confidence issue to be dealt with. Playing man-on-man all the time and being worried about the oppositions score won't breed the confidence the team needs.

There were a couple of nice link ups in the first half, but West Coast were able to link up on nearly every play as we were nowhere near any of them when they had the ball. You can't win games just playing one way. Our average losing margin this year is 107 points, how do you think that is helping the confidence?

[sue 9,126]

Yes But again we made him number one darft pick another messiah bites the dust I really dont know how anybody can excuse our drafting over the last 10 years

I'm not defending our record, but seriously, Scully was on everyone's #1 list. We have plenty of reasons to cut our wrists, but the Scully issue isn't one given what we got for him.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Heres a positive. GWS 'best' players only scored the following Dreamteam points

Whitfield 36

Plowman 24

Patton 15

Scully 47

Greene 49

How Scully escapes scrutiny is beyond me. What a dud.

I don't think he's escaping scrutiny.

Was jeered by the crowd when he got his first kick...I think in the 2nd quarter?

Was subject to a fairly condescending remark by one of the 774 Canberra commentators who was calling the game.

[Longsufferingnomore 1,637]

I loved the attacking, shepherding, 2nd and 3rd efforts, running of the first half. It tells me they can do it but they were stuffed last 5 minutes of 2nd quarter.

[monoccular 17,571]

Big positive was that Cale didn't suddenly bulk up with whatever they use over there and tear us apart, as I seem to recall some posters suggested he would in some preseason posts :-)

[Late Draft Pick 48]

3 positives for me

1/ North Melbourne also took an 11 goal to 1 goal hammering in the third quarter. So it can happen to a team that made the 8 last year

and has an on ball division more developed than ours.

2/ We played two consecutive quarters where we kicked 4 successive goals. That would give the players

a taste of what they are capable of and how enjoyable football can be.

3/ Two of our defeats were to the two teams on top of the ladder who are playing some good football

and West Coast.

[Young Dee 1,303]

3/ Two of our defeats were to the two teams on top of the ladder who are playing some good football

and West Coast.

Yes good point hadn't really thought about that ....however you could argue that we helped them get to the top of the ladder

[daisycutter 29,707]

How Scully escapes scrutiny is beyond me. What a dud.

when the media do get on his case, guess who will be blamed for his poor development