THE TEN GOAL BLUES by George on The Outer

The 10 goal Blues …

No it’s not a new rendition of a song from the Delta, just a reflection of the gulf between a side that barely makes it into the 8, and where the Demons are at the moment.

Yes it’s wonderful to think that the other results from the weekend had similar margins, but those results were between similarly based sides…..So where are we going to find 10 goals to bring us just up to a pass mark in the competition?

We certainly won’t without any suitable forward. No Clarke or Dawes and the Melbourne forward line is suddenly bereft of any real talent. Jeremy Howe has to show more than a capability to stand on opponents heads if he is to be serious about an AFL career. Six touches in a game is not enough.

Our mids were simply overwhelmed … again! Dunn did a fantastic job of curtailing Judd, but while Jones X 2 certainly battled manfully for the whole game, it was an easy job for the Carlton taggers to shut down any meaningful drive from the middle. Meanwhile Murphy and Simpson had a party and drove the Blues into attack relentlessly. They certainly got good feed from Warnock with 44 hit-outs.

But if Jake Spencer doesn’t learn to try to tap the ball instead of jumping into his opponent, this type of one sided outcome will continue. We can only hope that Max Gawn continues his climb and good health, because he WILL be the No.1 ruckman at Melbourne by year end.

Failing to score a major in the first quarter put the side in an unwinnable position early. How often does this have to occur? There were some courageous efforts in the 2^nd to bring us back to a competitive position, but squandered opportunities in front of goal failed to provide any scoreboard pressure when needed. Luke Tapscott, while reported, showed a good amount of mongrel and attack at man and ball. He continues to improve week by week, and along with him, Matt Jones, Jack Viney, Tom McDonald and Michael Evans are showing some of the older heads the grit and determination required at AFL level.

Thank heavens for our backline who again were under relentless pressure. Garland, Frawley and McDonald performed well considering the barrage coming from upfield. Pity the smalls who were supposed to be minding Garlett and Betts had kept to their jobs in the same way. The 8 goals they kicked between them was really the difference between the sides.

It was another depressing day for the Demons supporters. Are they ever going to have something to be proud about or to hope for? Not the way the team and too many individuals are playing at the moment. There is a faint hope of success next week against Gold Coast. But that is a sad reflection of where the club is today, is it not?

We truly have the Blues ...

Melbourne 0.3.3 3.7.25 5.9.39 8.12.60

Carlton 5.1.31 8.4.52 12.10.82 18.13.121

Goals

Melbourne Sylvia 2 Bail Dunn Garland M Jones Kent Tapscott

Carlton Betts, Garlett 4 Murphy 3 Armfield Waite 2 Curnow Robinson Walker

Best

Melbourne: N Jones Dunn M Jones Garland Frawley Gawn ... no one else after that….

Carlton Murphy Betts Garlett Scotland Walker Henderson Waite Hampson

Injuries

Melbourne: Grimes (left shoulder)

Carlton Nil

Changes

Melbourne Grimes (left shoulder)

Carlton Nil

Reports: Luke Tapscott (Melbourne) reported for rough conduct on Kade Simpson during the third quarter.

Umpires Leppard Wenn Mitchell

Official crowd 35,286 at the MCG

Let's all appreciate the umpires shall we?

110 possessions less again this week, since Neeld took over as Coach I doubt there's be more than 3 or 4 games where we've had more than the opposition.

But there are some on here who reckon it doesn't matter that you have a 100 or so less than your opponents.

Well to all the tipsters here who had us getting done by over 100 points... There's a slight positive.

Reality is we were second rate with disposal and spread but we are at least not laying down.

I can see us getting better down the track.

I desperately need some good news. Please Melbourne do something or sack someone.

As a team Melbourne are putrid. That's the problem, they don't run to space, shepherd or work for each other in general. A lot of the problems have nothing to do with talent, it's all in between the ears. We crave a "star" player or two but even they wouldn't have an impact this group of players that play nothing like a team.

Today Carlton had 110 more possessions yet somehow also had 30 more tackles. 30.

Before today we averaged 94 less disposals and 4 less tackles per game.

No question the effort lifted for a little while today, but why is our defence so bad when we've brought in an apparently defensive minded coach?

Never been so frustrated with the club I love. If 186 was the players telling us something, what has this year been so far?

Let's all appreciate the umpires shall we?

I do, because Melbourne certainly got more favourable decisions today.

Another game - another [censored] upon. Nothing new. Nothing to report!

110 possessions less again this week, since Neeld took over as Coach I doubt there's be more than 3 or 4 games where we've had more than the opposition.

But there are some on here who reckon it doesn't matter that you have a 100 or so less than your opponents.

Did you see the Blues spending a fair amount of time chipping it around cheap possessions, St Kilda really took it up to the Pies the other night and were well down on possessions 70-80 odd. Meth Coast and Doggies are even possession wise at the moment but Eagles are making them look like boys.

Let's all appreciate the umpires shall we?

Would beat talking about the game.

There was a period of 15 minutes in the second quarter where I remembered what it was like to enjoy footy. The rest was same ol same ol. Best thing I can say is they were having a genuine crack for longer than usual.

I'm not sure the almost total lack of comradery when Dean Kent kicked his first AFL goal (an absolute ripper at that) can be just swept aside either. Not good.

Any news on Grimes?

you wanna build a culture? Trengove needs a spell in the VFL either he's not fit or he is out of form, either means he shouldn't be in an AFL team others had to earn a spot in.

Well I don't think it's all doom and gloom, I take some positives, Carlton's a much better team than Port and we didn't get blown away. Positives: Garland, Frawley, N. Jones (ist half), Evans, Kent, M Jones, and as Dennis says I liked Tappys game.

To come in with so many players under 20 games, I think they had a real dip. I never saw players just jogging like the first three weeks.

Negatives: Howe (what happened to the Howie the midfelder?) Tommy Mc (tries really hard and boy does he let himself down), Gawn was a bit ordinary today, but that happens to guys who are playing their first 10 games or so.

We keep playing the guys who fail. Nicholson, Trengrove, Bail are not up to it. Turn them over and leave them in the twos. Byrnes only has a left foot, gets caught all the time. Tom Mac, what is he doing, the worst decision maker in the side. Lets give Tynan, Fitzpatrick, Dawes, Toumpas and Davis in next week.

Well to all the tipsters here who had us getting done by over 100 points... There's a slight positive.

Reality is we were second rate with disposal and spread but we are at least not laying down.

I can see us getting better down the track.

Well it would be hard to get any worse, so I guess you're right.

We were dreadful today and even when we did go forward and even when we did kick a goal or two, it was all scramble and persistence. There seems to be no flow or cohesion we are so poorly skilled I wonder just how these guys ever made it to draft camp let alone an AFL list.

Positives:

* I can't say the boys squibbed it. There are still issues with them getting their hands on the footy but it wasn't you standard MFC game where the opposition charges into their fifty unimpeded. The opposition was miles better than us and we didn't give up.

* Colin Garland and Chip Frawley. Under siege all day, they held up as well as could be expected. Chip at least seemed to have gotten his football smarts back.

* The new kids: Matt Jones, Michael Evans, Dean Kent. They aren't the cream of the crop but they try. That's what I ask for.

Negatives:

* Run and spread is still non existent but improving a little. That isn't really saying much... Jonesy gets in for the contested ball but where the bloody hell are the outside runners? There is no trust.

* Skills are abysmal. There were chances today to stay in the game but horrible finishing plagued us.

* It's perhaps not his problem but something is up with Jack Trengrove. Perhaps he is injured but this must be killing the kid. CS is no longer at the club. The two Jacks gimmick can end and should end in my eyes.

Out: Grimes (ughh), Trengove, Strauss, McDonald, Bail & McKenzie

In: Dawes, Magner, Blease, Sellar (for McDonald only because i can't think of another tall defender to replace McDonald), Rodan & Jetta

Any chance we can skip the voting today?

with the injuries mounting whos confident next week?

Carlton's a much better team than Port

Don't know if I agree with that. Maybe if Carlton find some form, but so far this season Port are way better.

with the injuries mounting whos confident next week?

Guy McKenna.

Why the hell don't we ever handball and link up coming out of defence? Its just kicking, all we do is kick. Run the bloody footy! Neeld what are you doing?!?!

Why the hell don't we ever handball and link up coming out of defence? Its just kicking, all we do is kick. Run the bloody footy! Neeld what are you doing?!?!

And the opposite goes for the midfield...

Did you see the Blues spending a fair amount of time chipping it around cheap possessions, St Kilda really took it up to the Pies the other night and were well down on possessions 70-80 odd. Meth Coast and Doggies are even possession wise at the moment but Eagles are making them look like boys.

What I did notice was the Blues chipping it around until they got it to a player in position to kick a goal. When we get the ball we hack it forward, if we are lucky or kick it sideways to the opposition. For every chip I'll see you with a misdirected hack.

Give me cheap possessions over none any day, give me a kick to a team mate over a hack to the opposition. I just can't understand how anyone can defend today's debacle, it looked to me as if Carlton were just going half pace.

Poor disposal under minimal pressure. Can't keep our feet. Make poor decisions. Kick to the opposition and 30 m of grass. Sigh.

No I don't like losing, but seen a few decent things today,

Tappy is developing well gives us some hardness we desperately need,

Garland has had a good season and is playing well,

Sylvia looks like HGAF, Jones is a champ,

Trenners seriously not right brave but needs to get himself right,

Dean Kent is a good kid honest footballer,

Evans, Matty Jones & Terlich all showing positive signs and will develop further IMO with further exposure at this level.

Lynden Dunn kudos to you for your job on Juddy today, you were a quality tagger around 2010/11 & we need you to do that again.

Dawes, Clark and/or Watts needed just for forward structure to make opposition defenders accountable and bring the ball to ground

Greater effort brought today and intensity, just not up to it but something to work on. Need to go out next week and destroy Suns not on the scoreboard but physically make them hurt the way we have been hurt for several years by sides