Obviously a huge problem this year is that we aren't running nearly enough but I still think we aren't going hard enough for long enough.

If we were ever going to declare a line in the sand game it would have to be against Carlton.

Mitch Robinson openly called us soft. This is the same bloke who alledgedly had a cheap shot in the VFL behind play.

We could set an absolute standard for how we approach footy this week.

Magner should come in with Clark out for an extended period. Viney should be back in. He can take anything given his way. Tapscott isn't backwards in coming forward. Jones and Trengove aren't afraid of contact. It's time for Maxy Gawn and Chip Frawley to pay the iron price for those beards. Not to mention its time Jack Watts got some mongrel in him, otherwise if he's playing as the third tall Jesse Hogan will thank him for warming his spot in the team. Serial pest Lynden Dunn will be back.

Hawthorn were half a team of kids when they did it. And the other half were duds like Campbell Brown. But how many Hawks have you seen squib a contest since.

I'm not talking about big hits off the ball. But I'm happy to concede some free kicks for tackles that got a bit nasty. For spoils that came hard and unrelentingly. The benefit of drawing a line in the sand isn't about dishing out the punishment but learning when it comes back at you that you can take it and play through it.

Carlton have a few tough blokes, McLean and Robinson head the list. But theres a few who could be put off as well. Yarran, Garlett, Kane Lucas to name a few. Judd and Murphy will kill us if we sit back and play nice on them as well. And I'm not sure we've got a guy who can do what Taylor Hunt did to Murphy by running off him.

Am I out of touch with the modern game? Or is time our players took a step up and decided they didn't want to be known as a battling young side who were happy with a 5 goal loss on the road.

We've made so many lines in the sand we're contributing to coastal decay...

No more gimmicks, just get out there and bloody well play your guts out.

  On 30/04/2013 at 06:34, the master said:

If we were ever going to declare a line in the sand game it would have to be against Carlton.

Essendon was a line in the sand game. The playing group made a pact that they would never play so badly (as they did against PA) again.

No more line in the sand games please. Just a little effort and professionalism.

  On 30/04/2013 at 06:37, stuie said:

We've made so many lines in the sand we're contributing to coastal decay...

No more gimmicks, just get out there and bloody well play your guts out.

Have we. When was the last time you watched a Melbourne game and though wow today they are just being ruthless. The last time I saw one was probably in the Daniher days when we were beating up a young Hawthorn or some other struggling side.

  On 30/04/2013 at 06:37, stuie said:

We've made so many lines in the sand we're contributing to coastal decay...

No more gimmicks, just get out there and bloody well play your guts out.

Agreed, though I see where the OP is coming from.

Unfrotunately "line in the sand" tends to have lost all meaning. Right now, every game needs to be approached with a "line in the sand" mentality. We are fighting to gain back respect and that fight is ongoing.

  On 30/04/2013 at 06:44, the master said:

Have we. When was the last time you watched a Melbourne game and though wow today they are just being ruthless. The last time I saw one was probably in the Daniher days when we were beating up a young Hawthorn or some other struggling side.

We've made lines in the sand countless times, we've just never ended up on the right side of the line. That's why I'm sick of that mentality, don't talk about it or announce it, just do it.

Last year Carlton averaged two more tackles than us... however so far this year that has increased to four.

Magner was #5 last year in tackles so that would be interesting to see what impact he would have if he came into the side.

Jordie McKenzie averaged the most last year with 6 (1 more than Davey, Jones, Trengrove and Magner), but also averaged the most frees against with 2 per game.

Trengrove is on fire so far this year with 7 tackles per game, Jetta is second with 5 + Grimes has lifted to #3 (was #6 last year)

A few players have dropped off a bit, Jordie, Watts and most of all Tapscott was averaging around 4 last year to 1 this year per game.

Nugget has dropped considerably but that fine considering his workload

  On 30/04/2013 at 06:48, PJ_12345 said:

Nugget has dropped considerably but that fine considering his workload

I'd like to see us hit the ball to Sylvia or other midfielder out of the middle more. Hey if we are up and winning the taps (Especially with Max Gawn in there) I'd like to see him shock everyone and hit it to the tagger on one of Carlton's midfielders!

We seemed to have largely replaced the hit it to Moloney tactic with the hit it to Jones. And whilst I like Jones much more as an around the ground player if we are putting it down one guys throat all game I'd rather it be Moloney actually.

That would see Jonesy get a few more tackles and some other players get involved in the game.

I don't see why we shouldn't do something similar to the Hawks did. I ouldn't care less if a few players were rubed at if it meant sides started to take notice of our aggresion as a side. Coz at the moment we have zero. Besides Tapscotts bump on Zorko that was great.

forget that we should just want to be competitive and have a win without trying to prove who is the toughest, forget being noticed for aggression, fair dinkum let's just get the footy and kick some goals without getting reported, we need everyone on the ground, some of you blokes just want to see guys hit each other

  On 30/04/2013 at 06:55, Lordweaver said:

forget that we should just want to be competitive and have a win without trying to prove who is the toughest, forget being noticed for aggression, fair dinkum let's just get the footy and kick some goals without getting reported, we need everyone on the ground, some of you blokes just want to see guys hit each other

Nope. We just want to see players tackling more because at the moment that would look, feel and be alot more competitive than the spectating that happened against Brisbane...

I don't think we are soft anymore, just rubbish

  On 30/04/2013 at 07:14, Django said:

I don't think we are soft anymore, just rubbish

MFC 2013

Ranked last in contested possessions

Ranked second last in clearances

Ranked last in team vs opponent contested possessions

Ranked 14th in tackles per game

We are still soft.

  On 30/04/2013 at 07:34, stuie said:

MFC 2013

Ranked last in contested possessions

Ranked second last in clearances

Ranked last in team vs opponent contested possessions

Ranked 14th in tackles per game

We are still soft.

I don't think we are physically soft/bruise free as in the past, we are just terrible now or lazy or unfit and simply not good enough.

I think the image of softness has been forgotten now that we have a few players who play tough like Jones, Sylvia, Magner and Terlich and have jettisoned the weight (albeit there wasn't much of that) of one Cale Morton.

  On 30/04/2013 at 07:46, Django said:

I don't think we are physically soft/bruise free as in the past, we are just terrible now or lazy or unfit and simply not good enough.

I think the image of softness has been forgotten now that we have a few players who play tough like Jones, Sylvia, Magner and Terlich and have jettisoned the weight (albeit there wasn't much of that) of one Cale Morton.

We ARE still soft, but you have a point, this year it seems more through laziness and confusion about the zone rather than general softness.

We were very soft in round one against Port.

Nicholson/Gillies/Pedersen ducking/Frawley, Watts and Garland not really comitting. Every time the ball went forward it was a matter of who'd jump out of the way first.

It's got better. Tapscott has done a couple of brave things. Garland and Frawley are going much harder. Even Watts backed into a one man pack. I wouldn't have been surprised to see Davey drop his head when Tappy sat the ball up on it against GWS.

But there is still so far to go. The tackline and the attack at the ball in and under (baring in mind the slide rule adding confusing) still has miles to go. Melbourne players seem to tackle because they have to. Besides maybe Sylvia (when he's in the contest), Tapscott and Trengove I don't know who actually enjoys a good tackle. It's a shame Jetta was suspended. Tell you one thing about our clearance work though, when big Maxy Gawn is buttering up for second efforts on the ground and the midfielders aren't its pretty horrible.

  On 30/04/2013 at 06:37, stuie said:

We've made so many lines in the sand we're contributing to coastal decay...

No more gimmicks, just get out there and bloody well play your guts out.

Couldn't have put it any better 'stuie'.

After some of the efforts I saw last week I'm convinced that there's a psychological barrier that needs breaking through. Our blokes just don't run like the other teams do. I just can't accept that the coaching staff don't remind them of this; the cast of thousand coaches can't possibly all be that inept (can they?). Be farked if I know what to do about it though.

the master... I think there is a lot of worthwhile sentiment in what you are saying. If only we had the sort of player that Hodge, Lewis, Roughead, Osborne & Guerra are. Last weekend we were monstered by McGrath, Merrett and even a few of the Lion kids! (Only Davey, our slightest player, flew the Grand Old Flag) I would love to see N Jones, Frawley, Jamar, Tapscott, & Dawes make a physical statement. Supporters need to see the players FIGHT for MFC honour... Just do it! We couldn't be held in lower esteem by the competition!

It all depends on whether Neeld is going to fight for his job, Because if we get thumped he might be gone by Monday mid morning.

I really hate everything that Carlscum stand for...to look at that jumper for 3 hours on Sunday will be very hard...to beat them would be akin to a night with Claudia Schiffer when she was 22.

If you wish to be a senior coach Mark...Get your team fired up for 4 Quarters...Tackle hard Tag their Visy Midfield

It's up to you...

enough metaphors.
just concentrate on the bloody game and play your guts out every damn time.

  On 30/04/2013 at 08:41, The Song Formerly Known As said:

enough metaphors.

just concentrate on the bloody game and play your guts out every damn time.

Song, agree with your sentiment but also suspect 'play your guts out' is also a metaphor.

  On 30/04/2013 at 08:39, why you little said:

It all depends on whether Neeld is going to fight for his job, Because if we get thumped he might be gone by Monday mid morning.

I really hate everything that Carlscum stand for...to look at that jumper for 3 hours on Sunday will be very hard...to beat them would be akin to a night with Claudia Schiffer when she was 22.

If you wish to be a senior coach Mark...Get your team fired up for 4 Quarters...Tackle hard Tag their Visy Midfield

It's up to you...

Why limit yourself to age 22 WYL?. There's about 20 other years that would make me die smiling

  On 30/04/2013 at 08:48, Bitter but optimistic said:

Why limit yourself to age 22 WYL?. There's about 20 other years that would make me die smiling

I was peaking....but yes she was still an absolute Goddess well into her 30's

Probably still worth a serve today...!

  On 30/04/2013 at 08:44, Return to Glory said:

Song, agree with your sentiment but also suspect 'play your guts out' is also a metaphor.

ahhh yes, yes you are right.

Play your hardest? Play your best? Play your guts in?

I don't bloody even know what i'm talking about anymore (if i even ever did!)