Well, I caught the second half after work, which appears to have been our better half.

The thing that is really getting to me at the moment is our complete and utter unwillingness to shepherd. It's a basic skill that every player on every team should have and know how to use, but time after time we see our players give off a little handball and then rather than putting their body in to create space for their teammate they run away to try to get another cheap possession and leave their teammate to be tackled. I haven't seen a single player do this properly this year.

I remember one instance in the third quarter where bloody Pederson blatantly couldn't be bothered laying a shephard for Terlich (I think it was) on the members wing. Couldn't believe how bad it looked and was disappointed that the commentators didn't pick up on it.

i have calmed down already

Roos will cut the dead wood and develop the real players

Wholesale changes this week

We are another draft/trade period away from being a good side but we will cause some upsets in the second half of this season

Whilst things can change fairly quickly in footy we are still more than another draft/trade period away from, yes we have plenty of key talls out but bad drafting/development whatever you like to say over the last few years has left us with a serious lack of depth and for us to be competitive throughout a season we really need the rub of the green in regard to injuries. We have been down for so long it is just heartbreaking and whilst we have seen some improvement over the pre-season and last week, games like today just make you feel terrible.

It's hard to be positive and I really don't know when we will turn but I'll be red and blue till I or the club die. It's no point in us looking at bad choices made in the past they are done and we are paying for them now, pre expansion we could have recovered in a year or two from those mistakes but long haul now.

Meth Coast copped the absolute hiding of all hidings from the Bombers at Windy Hill in 1989 25.10 vs 1.12. The following year they made the prelim in the first of 10 successive finals appearances with 3 GF'S and 2 Flags

In 2009 Freo went down to Adelaide 19.16 vs 1.7 and played finals the following season.

The Meth Coast side of 1989 & Freo of 2009 had the developing nucleus of good sides, which were far better than ours but I take solace in believing the right trades and the players buying in will see us back to being competitive fairly quickly. I need hope and this gives me some perspective

Edited March 30, 201411 yr by Pennant St Dee

"...their ability to play to a plan was confounded by the absence of a forward line to accept the ball, or to run deep and searchingly to be there to link the play. It meant they hung on and waited and had nowhere to go. It was confounded by the abject lack of skill shown routinely through the game, in part this was lack of confidence, in part lack of vision, in part lack of ability, but 11 Eagles goals came from turnovers."

Fair assessment I'd say.

With no forward structure coming in the foreseeable future, the club desperately needs to invent some kind of creative approach here. We can't just be flogged until we get forwards back. Especially when most of our "winnable" games are in the first half of the season's fixture.

Picks 1 2 and 3.

1 (PP), 2 (Last on ladder) and 3 (Frawley compo) I would say.

Goddard, McCartin...trade for a mid and buy one in.

Who knows what will happen with Clark???trade with Freo?

Happy with the improvement

They beat us at the MCG last season by 96 points

This time it was only 93

Great effort boys

Ok it wasn't great on scoreboard but we had 53% of the ball and more possessions. Last year we would have had 200 less posessions so l think that is the improvement. What we need to do now is get our forward line up and running then teach the guys to kick it to them.

Looks like 2-3 weeks until the return of Dawes with Hogan looking indefinite and Clark....who knows. Long season ahead.

Gee, that 2-3 weeks never changes. I'm sure I read 2-3 weeks 6 weeks ago. What is the real time frame?

Dawes said 4 to 5 weeks tonight apparently.

No messing around on AFL.com, let's start sinking the boot in hard and fast

BTW who saw this moment, Howe was going for an uncontested mark inside 50 and that's how he ended up

Only at Melbourne do you see this garbage, you wouldn't see it in a junior footy match

Honestly my sons under twelves side has more skill and thats no joke.

I suppose Roos is over the moon now the team have delivered a new record for him.

Biggest ever losing margin for Paul Roos as a coach. Well done boys!The team other than a few seems to lack the desire to win. Maybe that is the cultural problem that Jackson was talking about pre-game

I think Roos post game presser said it all. Maybe for him the reality has absolutely dawned. I was previously of the view that perhaps our list wasn't as bad as the previous few years suggested and by getting a coach that the players respected and by whom a chance was given to these guys to enjoy their footy again, the upside would be greater than the downs this year. Seems I was categorically wrong. OK, we're only 2 rounds in, but you would have to be the ultimate optimist to think we can turn this around in a matter of weeks. Tall forwards or not.

What worries me the most is I cannot think of any precedent where a side is so consistently inept and gets whacked so consistently. Maybe not since the Fitzroy days or for that matter, ourselves in the 70's and early 80's.

Sorry for the bleakness of my post, but I feel pretty gutted this morning. Just waiting for my mates' usual condescending emails to hit my inbox this Monday morning

Edited March 30, 201411 yr by iv'a worn smith

THE GOOD.

terlich last year was a kick chaser and turnover king.he has now improved,well done im rapt for him.

THE BAD

3rd preseason of misson and we expected to run out games and have an injury recovery rate improvement.

dawes,mitch,max,jamar,garland and viney.

THE UGLY.

i dont normally assinate a players career,but in the first 20 mins when all players are up and about,michie watched 3 times as wc players ran past him to be forward options,while the ball was on the other side of the ground.he didnt even bother to put in an effort to chase ,run with or assist down back,unfortunately weve just found out he is lazy,and no amount of coaching can fix that.

Goddard, McCartin...trade for a mid and buy one in.

Who knows what will happen with Clark???trade with Freo?

I am pretty certain that's what's going to happen at the end of the year RJAY, if we can snag their first pick for him it might be a decent result all things considered.

I think Roos post game presser said it all. Maybe for him the reality has absolutely dawned. I was previously of the view that perhaps our list wasn't as bad as the previous few years suggested and by getting a coach that the players respected and by whom a chance was given to these guys to enjoy their footy again, the upside would be greater than the downs this year. Seems I was categorically wrong. OK, we're only 2 rounds in, but you would have to be the ultimate optimist to think we can turn this around in a matter of weeks. Tall forwards or not.

What worries me the most is I cannot think of any precedent where a side is so consistently inept and gets whacked so consistently. Maybe not since the Fitzroy days or for that matter, ourselves in the 70's and early 80's.

Sorry for the bleakness of my post, but feel I pretty gutted this morning. Just waiting for my mates' usual condescending emails to hit my inbox this Monday morning

walked into work this morning and this early 20's loudmouthed female colleague who goes for collingwood as soon as i walked in the door at the top of her voice says "well done melbourne...beaten by 88 points huh?"

I snapped back "It was 93 points. If you're gonna bag someone make sure you get your facts right!"

FML today.

Edited March 30, 201411 yr by 13thFlagIsComing

If Roos and Jackson cant resurrect this basket case of a club we may as well fold. Surely alarm bells are ringing at AFL headquarters. Disgrace we werent given a priority pick last year. I fear we may be Tassie bound.

If Roos and Jackson cant resurrect this basket case of a club we may as well fold. Surely alarm bells are ringing at AFL headquarters. Disgrace we werent given a priority pick last year. I fear we may be Tassie bound.

They won't do it in 2 years, time to commit or we're gone...

Picks 1 2 and 3.

1 (PP), 2 (Last on ladder) and 3 (Frawley compo) I would say.

More likely:

Pick 1 - bottom of ladder

Mid/late round 1 pick for Frawley (if he goes)

Mid round 1 pp (if other clubs don't kill the idea again)

Lets get real folks. Lets stop hoping the draft will save us even if we trade good picks for a few good players. It won't!

More likely:

Pick 1 - bottom of ladder

Mid/late round 1 pick for Frawley (if he goes)

Mid round 1 pp (if other clubs don't kill the idea again)

Lets get real folks. Lets stop hoping the draft will save us even if we trade good picks for a few good players. It won't!

It is real, if we can't make the draft work for us we're gone.

It is real, if we can't make the draft work for us we're gone.

I agree.. It is just a MFC perception that the draft does not work, given how poorly we've drafted the past decade - I see why our supporters have little faith in the draft.

A priority pick this year would definitely help.

To be frank, we probably need a first and second round PP.

The AFL owe it to MFC supporters, opposition sides can go up in arms over it, but MFC is in very bad shape.

The AFL owe it to MFC supporters, opposition sides can go up in arms over it, but MFC is in very bad shape.

they owe us nuffink.

if we cant get out of this mess,we deserve to die.

regeneration starts at the top,new prez,coach,gm,nobody except the players owe us anything,

you either love the club for better or worse.

help build the club.

or just want to be there for the good times.

me generation rubbish,really bugs me,

we have to get off our blurters and do it ourselves.

Edited March 30, 201411 yr by jazza

THE GOOD.

terlich last year was a kick chaser and turnover king.he has now improved,well done im rapt for him.

THE BAD

3rd preseason of misson and we expected to run out games and have an injury recovery rate improvement.

dawes,mitch,max,jamar,garland and viney.

THE UGLY.

i dont normally assinate a players career,but in the first 20 mins when all players are up and about,michie watched 3 times as wc players ran past him to be forward options,while the ball was on the other side of the ground.he didnt even bother to put in an effort to chase ,run with or assist down back,unfortunately weve just found out he is lazy,and no amount of coaching can fix that.

Don't recall that but its his 3rd AFL game. Good to see you write him off. Even if it is something youdon't normally do...

More likely:

Pick 1 - bottom of ladder

Mid/late round 1 pick for Frawley (if he goes)

Mid round 1 pp (if other clubs don't kill the idea again)

Lets get real folks. Lets stop hoping the draft will save us even if we trade good picks for a few good players. It won't!

There is no way Frawley won't get a 4 year deal and big pay rise, can't see us getting a free agent either so i'd say we will get band 1 compo which would be pick 2, we also may get a priority pick which after another bad year would be justified i think

picks 1,2 and 3 is not an out of the question result at this point

The AFL do owe us. They get a fortune for broadcasting rights and it would do their image no good if one of their iconic sides would go under or vremain chronically non-competitive. Attendances are down so something needs to be done. I am sure under the current regime we would use the draft much more effectively. A pox on the house of Prendergast!

Don't recall that but its his 3rd AFL game. Good to see you write him off. Even if it is something youdon't normally do...

yep,not a normal thing ,but it was very transparent and while most watched the pill on the other side of ground,.i glanced at the next position ball was going to,he does have some good qualities,but laziness is a problem hard to change.wasnt in the mind of it being his 3rd game and expected to be knocked for my thoughts.dont think laziness is repairable.