The Cattle

[Jerry Lundergard 390]

It's taken me a while to snap into reality, but today I finally concede we just aren't good enough.

I thought our first half today was possibly our best half of the year, but due to our lack of conversion and polish with the ball, to go with basic skill errors and defensive lapses we were still down 27 points.

We really only have ourselves to blame for years of ineptness.

Instead of having a finals midfield of Moloney, McLean/Gysberts, Sylvia, Jones, Morton, Scully and Trengove. We somehow have the mismatched group of players that are consistently getting destroyed every week.

Whether we have drafted or developed poorly doesn't really matter, because it is all our clubs fault regardless, and we supporters, are the ones left to sit in the outer and watch the smashings.

[Chook 14,602]

Moloney, McLean/Gysberts, Sylvia, Jones, Morton, Scully and Trengove? None of those guys are up to it, with the exception of Nathan Jones.

[Jerry Lundergard 390]

Moloney, McLean/Gysberts, Sylvia, Jones, Morton, Scully and Trengove? None of those guys are up to it, with the exception of Nathan Jones.

That's my point.

We had top end picks in the draft.

We have no excuses.

With the picks we have been handed in the draft over the last decade, we don't have 1 A-Grade midfielder on our list. Pathetic.

[Scipio 5,868]

That's my point.

We had top end picks in the draft.

We have no excuses.

With the picks we have been handed in the draft over the last decade, we don't have 1 A-Grade midfielder on our list. Pathetic.

Thank Baz for that. Good with the late picks, absolutely no idea with the high picks.

[az_tec 41]

Thompson would have been handy too...

[Striker475 696]

Tis not just cattle. How about some continuity?

Look at Sydney. While they've turned players over, who have been the staples? Goodes, McVeigh, Mumford, O'Keefe.

Geelong? Chapman, Bartel, Enright, Kelly.

Hawthorn? Mitchell, Hodge, Franklin, Roughead.

Collingwood? Pendlebury, Swan, Maxwell, Cloke.

The sides that are top right now, or are rolling over, have had a solid core of players who have been around for a number of years who are trusted to show the younger guys the way.

Take an example, Collingwood. Their side has changed since 2010. But there are players who are the same and who are constant. Maxwell, Swan, Pendlebury, Thomas, Cloke, O'Brien and Jolly are all picked assuming they're fit. It's been a staple. The same can be said for a bunch of the sides at the top.

You can't just strip out everything and expect it to change. The problem is we stripped out everything under Bailey and then Neeld realised that not only did it not work, but he had to find something to replace it with.

[Axis of Bob 10,283]

Tis not just cattle. How about some continuity?

Look at Sydney. While they've turned players over, who have been the staples? Goodes, McVeigh, Mumford, O'Keefe.

Geelong? Chapman, Bartel, Enright, Kelly.

Hawthorn? Mitchell, Hodge, Franklin, Roughead.

Collingwood? Pendlebury, Swan, Maxwell, Cloke.

Mumford?

Anyway, the important part about each of those teams is that they've built around a core group of high quality players (that they've developed themselves). The tinkering that they did has been at the edges of those stars.

I thought we were OK today, but we played a style of game that required big forwards but we didn't have the big forwards in the team. That's a problem in the short term, but long term we are well covered here. Clark, Dawes, Hogan has a different threat to it than Howe, Gawn and Tapscott.

[DeeSpencer 23,292]

The problem is years of neglectful recruiting and development has made us bad. And nothing since Neeld has taken over has suggested to me he knows how to make them better. We continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.

Jake Spencer hasn't got any better in 4 years. Tom McDonalds confidence and kicking with the ball just gets worse. Dan Nicholson continues to fumble. Worse the players continue to play on at stupid times and do things like kick into the mark. You'd think by now coaches would've stamped some of that out.

[Deano74 156]

Finally we are on the right track and guess what it aint a quick fix.

[stueyspencer no12 73]

Mumford?

Anyway, the important part about each of those teams is that they've built around a core group of high quality players (that they've developed themselves). The tinkering that they did has been at the edges of those stars.

I thought we were OK today, but we played a style of game that required big forwards but we didn't have the big forwards in the team. That's a problem in the short term, but long term we are well covered here. Clark, Dawes, Hogan has a different threat to it than Howe, Gawn and Tapscott.

That is exactly the point! Why were there no tall forwards? Because someone forgot to pick one! I accept Pedersen was poor last week but either he or Sellar was needed today so a player under pressure in midfield could kick it long. A tall probably would not have marked it, but there would have been.a contest. Much of the mucking around in midfield was due to players looking up and realizing there were no tall targets. When Gawne or Spencer was there it was better but much of the time there was no-one of 190cm on the forward line. Trengove at FF! For heavens sake. The game was lost before it started. We would not have won but there would have been a structure to play to

[michael collins 49]

I thought Carlton really showed up Melbourne's poor performance of some basic skills. Like kicking to a man, (and actually kicking), hitting targets with handball, kicking goals.

For a professional footballer, a kick for goal from within 50 metres should be like a PGA golfer putting from 2 metres - they occasionally miss, but you really don't expect it.

Perhaps we need to spend less time on game plans and more time on what might be seen as fundamental skills. This isn't meant to be demeaning to the players - to go back to golf, when they aren't playing they're practising.

[Deano74 156]

All you can do in sport or anything in life is to get the best out of your ability.

Thats all we can ask of the coaches. Get the best out of the talent available.

[DeeSpencer 23,292]

I thought Carlton really showed up Melbourne's poor performance of some basic skills. Like kicking to a man, (and actually kicking), hitting targets with handball, kicking goals.

For a professional footballer, a kick for goal from within 50 metres should be like a PGA golfer putting from 2 metres - they occasionally miss, but you really don't expect it.

Perhaps we need to spend less time on game plans and more time on what might be seen as fundamental skills. This isn't meant to be demeaning to the players - to go back to golf, when they aren't playing they're practising.

Basic ball movement drills executed under pressure, repeat time and time again and we might get somewhere. Problem is the guys putting on pressure in these drills are the same ones who can't keep up with their opponents come match day.