Practice Match - Melbourne v Hawthorn @ Casey Fields

[Guest]

God I hate the preseason

[DeeSpencer 23,417]

Thanks master. Was the wind a factor? Executing our game plan is gonna be a problem in windy conditions.

It was a moderate breeze at least at nearly a 45 angle towards a wing and slightly favouring the end we kicked to 1st and 3rd. Was strong but pretty consistent and not blustery. The Hawks didn't have any trouble with it.

[Redleg 38,016]

I am shocked and appalled that the worst team of last year (minus a forward line) couldn't compete with the premiers of last year.

This is a disgrace and I call for a Royal Commission into this.

That is not what worries me. What worries me is getting those forwards back into the team. Injuries have just killed any chance to improve structure in the last few years.

[Bitter but optimistic 21,546]

The tortuous narratives on a thread like this make me strangely comfortable and at home on Demonland.

[mjt 640]

I saw Clark at half time reving the boys up the guys worth every cent of his $800,000 a season contract, he's the best off field player Iv ever seen, FMD it's amazing how people hold there hand out and take the money.

[dees189227 10,994]

I left at 3/4 time. Its a reality check of where we are at end the standard we have to get to. It gives Roos something to work with until r1. Im not mad. We were playing the premiers who had 3 key quality forwards to kick to. Roughhead, Hale and Gunston as opposed to our forward line which had Fitzy and Howe as main targets. Cant really compare.

Shows how important it is having your 3 talls in.

But again Vince played well and is going to be a great pickup choice.

also no major injuries and my heart sank when I saw Jones go down and not get up straightaway but it turned out to be nothing major.

Edited March 8, 2014 by dees189227

[rpfc 27,633]

I saw Clark at half time reving the boys up the guys worth every cent of his $800,000 a season contract, he's the best off field player Iv ever seen, FMD it's amazing how people hold there hand out and take the money.

You are kidding right?

He has fallen on his head in sickeningly fashion playing for your club, he has dislocated his lisfranc a few weeks after that playing for your club, he has come back too early and had complications with it playing for your club, and he has had soft tissue issues in his latest ill fated return to play for your club.

Now he might not play much more for your club due to the things he has endured for your club.

And you are here having a go at him for having the gall to be paid for all this?

[monoccular 16,381]

I have heard a bit about Howe - did Fitz do anything? Who else was on the forward line?

Disgraceful! Wooden spooners. We will struggle to win a game.

And so it begins... yawn

I knew it wouldn't take long

[DeeSpencer 23,417]

I saw Clark at half time reving the boys up the guys worth every cent of his $800,000 a season contract, he's the best off field player Iv ever seen, FMD it's amazing how people hold there hand out and take the money.

I bet you didn't say that half way through 2012. Seriously [censored] off with your mindless drivel.

[skills32 229]

if you put your head over the ball and get the footy first the umpire will always reward you.

A myth. If you do that you have a 50/50 chance of getting the free if one is to be paid.

However you are correct in that by doing so you earn a lot of unpaid free kicks.

That's my experience any way.

[DeeSpencer 23,417]

I have heard a bit about Howe - did Fitz do anything? Who else was on the forward line?

I knew it wouldn't take long

Fitz was Fitz. 30m out directly infront set shot - behind. Marking contest, fails to get his hands out and on the ball, spoiled by Kyle Cheney. But it's very hard to be a forward in a game like this and he was deep forward. He actually seemed to go ok when in the ruck and took a couple of grabs around the ground. No exciting runs or anything.

Maybe some of the biggest worries again today were the high draft picks expected to improve under Roos. Trengove, Toumpas and Grimes.

And probably most concerning Watts. Under hard physical pressure he offers nothing.

[DeeSpencer 23,417]

A myth. If you do that you have a 50/50 chance of getting the free if one is to be paid.

However you are correct in that by doing so you earn a lot of unpaid free kicks.

That's my experience any way.

I'll say one thing. Umpires are reluctant to pay frees for holding the ball when players get the ball and try to escape congestion even with incorrect disposal - happened a lot today for the hawks. Compare that to getting the ball under pressure and getting trapped, the ump naturally wants to ping you. Umpires are also unlikely to pay free kicks against forwards in marking contests but are always looking to ping defenders. If you give your forwards a lot more chances they'll get more free kicks. Thirdly getting in the right position to get the ball - leading up at it in front, first to the contest, escaping pressure is also makes you more likely to get a free.

[Demon Disciple 11,109]

Hopefully this thumping makes Roos realise how far off it we really are, and that 3 years simply won't be enough!

Put a 5-year contract in front of him, after today's performance, he'd sign it.

[Bitter but optimistic 21,546]

Hopefully this thumping makes Roos realise how far off it we really are, and that 3 years simply won't be enough!

Put a 5-year contract in front of him, after today's performance, he'd sign it.

Or maybe he'd rather just tear up the one he already has!!

[What 18,810]

An expected result

Loving all the meltdowns LOL

Edited March 8, 2014 by hogans_heroes

[dees189227 10,994]

Thankgod it was free and the bbq and the gelati from MR whippy were the highlight of the day.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

An expected result

Loving all the meltdowns LOL

oh yeah you genius you saw it coming

after doing very well against last years #3 and #5

and we all deserve your ridicule for being upset about it

arrogant, stupid post

[Whispering_Jack 28,089]

I have the perspective and don't place much store in the result but it's nevertheless disappointing even given the lack of any forward line or forward structure whatsoever.

Bottom line - beaten for skill, endeavour, class, football brains etc by a vastly superior combination and since I bagged Brisbane a few weeks ago for showing no ticker against the same opposition, I'll add that we were just as bad.

ON top of that the umpires were cr@p..

[DeeSpencer 23,417]

My highlight of the day. Parking along the nature strip outside some crazy housing development (who buys these things) whilst some nuffy from a private security or something waved his finger and shook his head at everyone. No ticket and got out of there in no time as well. A much improved parking situation for the unplanned Casey fields, good job!

Low light of the day. Seeing so many overweight, unwashed, tattooed and plain ugly Hawthorn supporters. Clearly not the genteel people of Hawthorn but some part of the overfed masses. A saw a few women wearing Hawthorn jumpers that were modeled on Stewie Dew early 2008.

[Scoop Junior 3,038]

Anyone that tries to sugar coat that performance must not have been at the game.

Yes, it was last year's premiers who are a fantastic team and yes it was a practice match.

But the difference between the sides was simply enormous - it was like watching an under 16s team taking on the senior side.

I thought the first quarter effort was good but it dropped away pretty quickly after that. The ease with which they moved the ball to free players was quite surprising - I know they are a highly skilled team but our defensive pressure after 1/4 time was really poor.

As for game plan, well you simply cannot draw any conclusions from that. We simply had no control at all in the game and when you don't get your hands on the ball no game plan can work. Hawthorn monstered us around the stoppages and they don't very often give the ball back. When we did manage to get it off them, we were under constant pressure (it must be said that Hawthorn's pressure was tremendous) and just struggled to control the ball.

As a result we really struggled to get the ball forward and, when we did manage to get it forward, we had absolutely no one there to take a grab (this is understandable though given the injured forwards). By contrast Roughead, Gunston and co. were dangerous every time Hawthorn went forward. Then in the last quarter Gibson went forward and really made a mockery of us by taking contested marks and kicking goals.

To me it felt every bit a 100+ point defeat, they were absolutely fantastic and we were pitiful.

Not one positive for me.

I really hope that's the worst performance we will see this year because that was simply unwatchable. Hopefully we don't lose too much heart from that and can push on towards Round 1 with a positive attitude.

[Ted Lasso 17,084]

just curious how a few players went today as i couldn't watch the game

Jack Trengove

Jack Watts

Jack Viney

Jimmy Toumpas

any info would be greatly appreciated

[Maldonboy38 6,028]

1) It was a huge class difference, defined by cool decision making under pressure, and amazing kicking skills by the Hawks.

2) Roos' two way running mantra is yet to get full purchase with the players. Trengove and Vince seemed to get it but Tyson, Jones and Michie were all at sea.

3) We need a forward line. We will be dysfunctional up forward until we get at least two talls who understand forward play, who can be the structure around whom we place Howe, JKH, Byrnes, Trengove etc...

4) Spencer was actually quite good but we need 2 active ruckmen.

[Bombay Airconditioning 5,966]

Fitz was Fitz. 30m out directly infront set shot - behind. Marking contest, fails to get his hands out and on the ball, spoiled by Kyle Cheney. But it's very hard to be a forward in a game like this and he was deep forward. He actually seemed to go ok when in the ruck and took a couple of grabs around the ground. No exciting runs or anything.

Maybe some of the biggest worries again today were the high draft picks expected to improve under Roos. Trengove, Toumpas and Grimes.

And probably most concerning Watts. Under hard physical pressure he offers nothing.

Since we now have different training regimes for different players it's now time to modify Watts. During pre season he should have built up a base level of fitness. I think Watts would benefit greatly from two, 1 on 1 boxing sessions a week through out the home and away season. Not only will boxing help maintain his fitness levels it will hopefully give him/teach him some courage, self confidence and find some inner aggression. He is blessed with extraordinary skills but is constantly held back by his fear of the contest. His training should be held away from the rest of the players and should include supervised sparing on a weekly basis. I don't see how this could be seen as a bad thing and we are basically running out of options.

[DeeSpencer 23,417]

I have the perspective and don't place much store in the result but it's nevertheless disappointing even given the lack of any forward line or forward structure whatsoever.

Bottom line - beaten for skill, endeavour, class, football brains etc by a vastly superior combination and since I bagged Brisbane a few weeks ago for showing no ticker against the same opposition, I'll add that we were just as bad.

ON top of that the umpires were cr@p..

Brisbane were missing many more than we were today as well.

We are right to be disappointed by the margin and ease of the loss. It's 22 men on 22 men. We had arguably the best key defender on the field in Frawley. We had the better ruckman I thought. We had a range of reasonably talented players. Yet we got walked over. These are the blow out losses we feel we don't deserve anymore.

It was a practice match. Experimenting with some things etc. You can't blame Roos and you can't hold it against the players in preseason. But everyone should feel disappointed about the result regardless of the oppositions talent.

[Maldonboy38 6,028]

just curious how a few players went today as i couldn't watch the game

Jack Trengove

Jack Watts

Jack Viney

Jimmy Toumpas

any info would be greatly appreciated

From where I sat:

Trengove was ok, but better in the first half.

Watts was very poor

Viney was a sub and only got a few touches before I left at 3/4 time

Toumpas was poor.