GAME DAY - ROUND 1

[demon4eva 109]

Nothing has changed other than seeing Roos in the coach's box. Want to cry.

[KingDingAling 3,612]

Salem instead of Dunstan? another recruitment blunder?

Wait till Salem plays, he buys and sells Dunstan.

Luke Dunstan has a big body - he is only doing as expected.

Dunstan will be a player, but essentially we got Tyson for Dunstan.

Tyson carved it tonight.

[RalphiusMaximus 5,993]

Decent game from us, we just lacked a forward target. Reiwoldt basically took the game from us in a five minute burst when he kicked three goals, which wound up being the margin. If we'd been able to convert the shots you'd expect any AFL player to nail, we'd have won pretty comfortably. I give most of the team a pass for that. It's just the excrable kicking for goal that killed us, and the guilty parties should be ashamed of themselves, even those who were otherwise amount our best players.

[Bang Bang Bang 5,499]

Disappointing result. Could have won this easily. Nick Riewoldt was probably the difference in the end - you see the way he goes about it and then you say down our end, our #1 target Pedo missing shots at goal 10m with no pressure, that's what kills you. Howe was also MIA tonight.

I saw a few positives tonight: Watts being the obvious one. Tyson (after a few early errors) was terrific. Vince and Jones very good. Toumpas had a great first half (unsurprised to see more criticism on here, from the usual suspects).

Bad kicking is bad footy.

I'm not feeling as hollow as I did 12 months ago. The predictable "I'm done with this club" brigade are just getting caught up in the moment. I wonder if we'll get a "Sack Roos" thread tonight??? Will be a long season but if we can get Dawes and Hogan out there, we should win a few games.

[KingDingAling 3,612]

Salem is not ready. Dunstan is. I am sick of these project players.

Salem isn't a project player, he is hard as nails and classy.

Salem will be better than Dunstan.

Wines was our big miss, we were screaming out for him - still are.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

exciting news our % is the highest its been for over a year

2 years. Sadly

[Damo 2,997]

When you look at the players the Saints had unavailable, it makes this win for them a highlight.

I aknowledge our bad luck, but NO other team would have lost tonight.

[Demon Dynasty 15,552]

Jeez you're a bunch of sad sacks. I'd forgotten.

Pot calling the kettle black

[Notorious D 29]

We'll get better, the forward line was missing, Byrnes is no good blah blah blah...

I'm just so so so so so sick & tired of losing.....

But I'll be back again and again cos there is something clearly wrong with me.

[reynolds46 808]

we won't have many better chances for the 4 points this season than tonight that's why it's so disappointing

[Tatu 416]

Well Trengove, watts, Toumpas, M Jones, N Jones and Bernie show a bit... Hate that we lost, but happy with these players... Losing Fitzpatrick in the second killed us, how do you plan for that.... Farout.... How do we win a match now with only Pederson as out tall forward... McDonald playing with injury, pretty much describes our day....

[bing181 8,169]

The lack of any real forward targets, plus losing McDonald and then Fitzy so early was always going to make it an uphill battle. They may have had a lot of mids out, but they were just able to get those few goals when they needed them.

[whatwhat say what 19,059]

i tipped the saints by 20, so sadly it was about what i was expecting.

we had no forward line, and our default chf, fitzpatrick, was crocked from early on in the second. mcdonald couldn't run. dunn was hampered. nate jones kept getting smashed on the scone.

we have far too many passengers: toumpas, byrnes, howe all far too soft.

[watchtheeyes 1,210]

For gods sake, calm down people. Zero forward line means no production, this is something that will be naturally fixed by returning players. Some players were very positive. Watts was terrific through the middle, so much potential over time. Tyson was great, toumpas took the game on. When keys forwards come back and you have targets up the ground the whole shape changes.

I am a lifetime supporter, so I have felt what you have. But some people on here are ridiculous. I choose to look at the positives, do as you will...

[hardtack 10,127]

Have been a member for over 10 years now and only in my twenties. Hardly a fairweather supporter. But enoughs enough. Only so much people can take and this is my limit. Too many passengers in this team and it's not good enough.

And pray tell, how does withdrawing your membership help? You give the new administration and coaching group one game and that's it? Particularly when we still have a few of our major players to come back in. To use your own word "pathetic".

Edited March 22, 2014 by hardtack

[dee-luded 2,958]

And we do need fairweather supporters. We really do. I know im not the only one who didn't just jump on board again this year because of a messiah coach and a practice match win over richmond. Fairweather supporters are exactly what melbourne need right now and a win tonight would have gone a long way in securing that.

your goin off early DD

I'm rejoining in 10 days time, as I can afford it then.

This side is gonna be pushin ahead in another 3 - 5 weeks. Next week against WC_Eagles will be tough, but from there we should start to push our form.

we may be without a couple of talls for Rnd 2, WCE.

Rnd 3 we should be competitive, & maybe, a win?

[GIRO 63]

[censored] this I'm done

[wattsup 470]

Won't catch me at another game this year it's time the MFC win me back has been the other way around for 2 long

[DoreenDee 59]

We have been woeful for years, the players played the game out. Riewoldt was big for them, put A key forward in for us it would have been different.

We had more scoring shots, we choked. If you can't see improvement over the crud we have served up over the last few years, you should give up.

Both teams went hard, something we haven't done for a long time

Sorry mate but this is what I can't stand, if the players really 'played the game out' we would have won the game. Do you really think Dawes or Hogan would have changed the result? We did choke and that's the difference. We choked against an undermanned st. kilda which to me is not an improvement at all so can you really see any improvement? We had not one consistent player all night. Yeah sure plenty drifted in and out but no consistency.

[Demon Dynasty 15,552]

I think Matt Jones has tried hard, he has shown a bit.

Matt gave us some run and class through the middle and outside in parts of the 2nd half.

Has Rohan Bail ever been anwhere near the 50 metre arc and NOT taken a shot for goal. Pass it off, son!

Bail's finish and ability to choose obvious/basic forward options (ie., hit targets) has been his downfall his whole career so far. I think it's time to look elsewhere if he can't turn this aspect around in the first half of this season.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,636]

[censored] this I'm done

As soft as Cale

[Notorious D 29]

...and Dunn is my new favourite, rarely makes a mistake these days.

[Ted Lasso 16,810]

Last year we would have lost that by 10 goals, we have definitely improved.

[Craig Drinker 179]

When you look at the players the Saints had unavailable, it makes this win for them a highlight.

I aknowledge our bad luck, but NO other team would have lost tonight.

Might have had a couple of handy players out ourselves tonight.

For me the 'Norm Smith Curse" continues. Until the MFC makes a public apology to the descendants of Norm Smith our fortunes will remain limited.

[RalphiusMaximus 5,993]

Having a look at our best players, you have to be reasonably happy. Nate Jones with 38 disposals. I think that's a career high for him. Vince we expected, but Tyson was really good apart from a couple of brain fades, and who would've thought Watts would be that good. My only gripe with his game was that he repeatedly declined to tackle when the player was right in front of him. As poor as Spencer's hands were, he won the hitouts comfortably. Bail also got a fair bit of it which is nice. Matt Jones used his speed really well and stood up for us in the second half. Dunn was the best of the defenders.

The big question is of course what to do about the forward line. It's clear that Pedersen isn't up to it, but at the moment he appears to be our only tall forward left standing. We don't have the precision kicking necessary to go with a small mobile forward setup, so we need something up there to take marks. Really hoping that Dawes and Hogan can get themselves back quickly.