SMALL MERCIES - POST MATCH DISCUSSION

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Yeah Like Mumford right?

That's a start....

More than just tapping the ball.

But, I'll let it just wash over me.

Another year in the life of a Dees supporter.

[Lucifers Hero 39,976]

Roos was prepared for losses but reckon that he is gobsmacked at the very idea that a player doesn't try 100%.

This is a guy who played in the latter days of Fitzroy so has been here (losing to the point of talk of his club's extinction) but he, Pert, Quinlan, Lynch et al never gave up. If Roos looks shattered it is not for the loosing it is for the non-trying.

I just don't get how the players could not see that they have been given a golden opportunity to be coached by a champion of the game both as a player and coach, a guy who has been where they are, knows how they feel. It is the best (maybe only) opportunity to play their pb footy and they don't seem to give a damn. How could they not want to achieve their own pb?

I reckon Roos can accept all human failures but not trying isn't one of them. 'Non-trier' is a worse insult than the slur 'bruise-free'. Sadly, that is what most of our team are.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

The situation (with Dawes & Clark) has been pretty fiercely debated on these forums. Lack of accountability is how we got to where we are (from previous boards down). "Nobody's fault" is no longer something I can swallow. It's well known that Dawes has always had a degenerative knee condition and although other's have suffered the same and still had a career, far more haven't so it was always a risky proposition. There's a reason other clubs passed up on him.

That there's a decision on Clark today is a good thing. Clark deserves the personal support, but if it's time to move on and look forward, it's in everyone's best interests.

Agree on the latter, but the former is more speculative for me.

Doesn't Scully have the same condition, yet........

I think Dawes will play some very, very good footy for us.

[Robbie57 2,022]

I was at the game instead of spending time with my daughter, mistake.

We were hopeless and despite that in the game at 3/4 time. When Chip kicked the goal we should have run on but predicably we didn't.

Too many in the team need to go back to Casey for a win. Trengove would have been an asset yesterday as the game wasn't played at speed however I would like to see him play a few games at Casey before he returns.

The positives:

Dunn is showing signs of what Roos can do with an average player of AFL standard.

Tyson was good but needed help in the centre. (he was a lot better than Kelly who got into the play in junk time).

JKH will be a match winner when he starts to pick up the flow of the game, he needs more game time.

Roos gave Terlich a spray which should ring in his ears for weeks (at Casey).

Negatives:

Howie just blazed away and his goal square defence was hopeless, not a backman.

Grimes was terrible, I noticed he seemed to be injured in the 1st so not sure if he was carrying something all day but even so missing in action.

No clearances. Forget the forward line we weren't even getting first use of the ball. Jones was not right and looked really dejected. Viney just leapt on the ball and clearly needed a week at Casey before he came back. Spencer was a ladder for Mummy.

I could go on but what was apparent was their tackling to disrupted our game plan. We just didnt hang onto the ball and work it around. Roos will have been wild about that especially in the conditions.

Watts is not right and looks like he is carrying an injury in his leg. He couldn't run at times.

If we play like that again we will not win a game this year.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I was at the game instead of spending time with my daughter, mistake.

We were hopeless and despite that in the game at 3/4 time. When Chip kicked the goal we should have run on but predicably we didn't.

Too many in the team need to go back to Casey for a win. Trengove would have been an asset yesterday as the game wasn't played at speed however I would like to see him play a few games at Casey before he returns.

The positives:

Dunn is showing signs of what Roos can do with an average player of AFL standard.

Tyson was good but needed help in the centre. (he was a lot better than Kelly who got into the play in junk time).

JKH will be a match winner when he starts to pick up the flow of the game, he needs more game time.

Roos gave Terlich a spray which should ring in his ears for weeks (at Casey).

Negatives:

Howie just blazed away and his goal square defence was hopeless, not a backman.

Grimes was terrible, I noticed he seemed to be injured in the 1st so not sure if he was carrying something all day but even so missing in action.

No clearances. Forget the forward line we weren't even getting first use of the ball. Jones was not right and looked really dejected. Viney just leapt on the ball and clearly needed a week at Casey before he came back. Spencer was a ladder for Mummy.

I could go on but what was apparent was their tackling to disrupted our game plan. We just didnt hang onto the ball and work it around. Roos will have been wild about that especially in the conditions.

Watts is not right and looks like he is carrying an injury in his leg. He couldn't run at times.

If we play like that again we will not win a game this year.

What about posters stop carping on about this?

Dunn has been above average for a couple of years now....Roos has been coach for 3 games.

[rpfc 28,542]

I can't speak for others but I am shocked every time a player steps on to the field and doesn't show 100% commitment to the cause, including efforts to get loose, to chase, to make body contact and run through someone, to shepherd for their teammates etc etc I will never cease to be shocked by the ineptness and lack of heart shown by a player on the field even if the same player does it for 22 weeks of the year.

Also [censored] lol at "we are a bad team" - understatement of the century. I don't know what you do for a crust but you should consider a career in PR or politics, they appreciate the ability to spin bullcrap in those industries.

Spinning bullcrap?

lol

I have been saying since Roos took over that we will struggle, I have maintained that, and now it is showing to be true.

And if I am in PR - "We are a bad team" - isn't the best slogan is it?

[low flying Robbo 979]

What about posters stop carping on about this?

Dunn has been above average for a couple of years now....Roos has been coach for 3 games.

I'm not saying that Dunn hasn't been ok for the passed few years, but these 3 games (plus the pre-season matches) he has been clearly better than last year.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I'm not saying that Dunn hasn't been ok for the passed few years, but these 3 games (plus the pre-season matches) he has been clearly better than last year.

Dunn rarely got beaten last year.

To say that his first three games are due to Roos' coaching is folly at best.

Roos has a clear head this morning......sharpen that pencil son!

[Maggot 1977 263]

If it looks like sh*t, smells like sh*t & plays like sh*t , then it is more than likely sh*t.

We will be lucky to win a game 2 games this year.

If the following doesn't occur:

* AFL gives us a host of concessions at next years draft( pick 1, 2, 4 & 6)

* if we don't get Clark's $750,000 to try and grab some real quality players in the open market.

* Roos wont commit long term or an attention grabbing successor appointed.

Then I feel that:

* Sponsorship will dry up.

* Membership numbers will plummet (7000 at Sunday's game)

* The AFL will seriously consider a merger with the Kangaroos.

* and I will have followed a club that has never won a flag in my lifetime and have to get my tattoo removed.

[Scoop Junior 3,472]

For three quarters I didn't think it was the worst performance. Early in the last quarter we were 1 point behind with a great chance to win the game. We had defended well, were well organised down back, had only let them kick five goals and had scrapped it out pretty well. Make no mistake we were right in the game and had we finished over the top of them instead of capitulating then people here would have lauded the performance.

So it was a decent three quarter effort for mine - however for me the two big disappointments were our last quarter fade out and our work at the stoppages.

We really should have done better from Frawley's goal onward. To just crumble and let them score 4.6 without us scoring is really poor. We simply don't have a bloke or blokes who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and drag the team across the line. We don't have a Joel Selwood who always seems to win the key clearances (as he did on Saturday night when Collingwood got back to within a kick). We lost the key contests over the next 5-10 minutes and then all it took was a couple snaps from Kelly and a soft free to Mumford and we dropped our bundle.

As for the clearances, I thought we matched them in Q1 but after that it was a domination. Pretty ordinary effort considering some of the experience we have in the midfield compared to the Giants. I know we did well to pick up some midfielders but really you can't go from F grade to A grade in one season - our midfield has improved but it's still well and truly bottom two in the competition. We just need to keep adding more and more talent in there. To top it off you have Spencer getting absolutely mauled by Mumford. I know Spencer tries hard but really, this is AFL not under 9's, tring hard is not enough. He's just not up to task as a no.1 ruckman in the AFL. When your midfield is poor and you get creamed in the ruck...well -25 clearances is the result.

At the end of the day it just comes down to a lack of talent - our recruiting has been diabolical and has left us with a list of so many players with critical deficiencies. You have some players who will put their bodies on the line and are as brave as they come, but they can't kick or lack composure or basic footy nous. Then there are ones with great physical footy talents but either don't win the ball or won't put their bodies in. It's just a mish-mash list of players with some good attributes but some really poor ones as well, and very few players with the complete package.

We are still to play Hawthorn, Fremantle, Essendon, Port (x2), Geelong and West Coast in Perth. Good times ahead!

[P-man 13,366]

GWS beat Sydney. We had no rucks and a forward line that was so good we needed to play our best backs there. Sure the skills need more polish than a million tonnes of Mr Sheen, and we have half a dozen players that aren't up to the mark, but it is really wrist slitting time?

When you play every bounce from CHB and, have zero forwards and a bunch of guys learning (yet another) way to play what are you really expecting?

Don't get me wrong, I don't think any of this is something to take heart from but the half a team we had on the park over the last couple of weeks showed more than the full teams we had under Neeld.

There is a hell of a lot of work to do - a hell of a lot - but there is less to do than this time last year. We need some tall talent and we need this group to trust each other. That won't happen in a week or two and it was never going to happen in a week or two.

It's a fair comment, but those pinning all hopes of a dramatic turnaround upon the KPPs returning are setting themselves up for disappointment. As you say, there is a tonne of work to be done that has nought to do with Gawn or Dawes returning to the side.

[Maggot 1977 263]

Delisting 10 - 15 players at the end of the year and somehow finding AFL standard replacements is the biggest challenge that faces the club. We Demon fans live in a land of year long disappointments and then post season hope. It would be sad but if Clark does retire I would hope that the club would make a statement that " we will be ultra aggressive in the trade period to get the right people to our club, for those currently on our list you have 20 games to prove you deserve to be here and are willing to do what it takes to stop the rot "

[nrc73 77]

Agree on the latter, but the former is more speculative for me.

Doesn't Scully have the same condition, yet........

I think Dawes will play some very, very good footy for us.

Take on board what you're saying - there will be some who can manage it, but how many don't? Also, we should see if Scully is still playing at Dawes age. The thing is, if a player has a degenerative knee and they're having trouble staying on the park, is it going to get better? I'd call 50% games in a year a minimum. The Bombers are happy to get 15-16 games a year out of Chappy and I'd say he's pretty likely to meet that obligation and having a major benefit for the Bombers.

"As many games as possible" sets no benchmark. Injury or not, if 12-16 players don't play more than say, 40% of the season, they'd have to be considered for trade or offload (unless they're 1st/2nd year). Why should Dawes / Clark be any different. especially after 2+ seasons?

[Deemotivated 550]

Watched it again this morning. There's a few going through the motions... The thing that sticks out is we panic with the ball and either give off quickly to a poor option or second guess what our next move is and move the ball so slowly the opposition can flood forward.

Plenty of times slightly better disposal could have seen us break forward and catch them napping.

[Return to Glory 8,443]

Tell em what I said that was wrong?

I am being a realist, but anyway enjoy living in fantasy land I am sure its lovely there

I'm having a gentle jibe at you Hoges. The key word for you is perspective. We are pretty poor but this will eventually change. Unfortunately, you have indicated that the football club is dead so you will miss the good times.

Anyway, what's it matter? Good times, shite times...you follow the football club and that's all there is to it.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,235]

Watched it again this morning. There's a few going through the motions... The thing that sticks out is we panic with the ball and either give off quickly to a poor option or second guess what our next move is and move the ball so slowly the opposition can flood forward.

Plenty of times slightly better disposal could have seen us break forward and catch them napping.

Yep and even given that it was only the last 10-15 minutes which killed us just as it was the 10-15 minutes in the 3rd quarter during the Saints game. Had we managed to take our opportunities and concentrate for the full game in both games we could very well be 2-1 at this stage. Obviously we're not and the natives are restless but I don't think they are as bad as they necessarily appear to be.

[dees189227 12,394]

josh kelly rising star nominee this week. We have done it again

[Ted Lasso 19,521]

josh kelly rising star nominee this week. We have done it again

Dom Tyson averaging 28 disposals a game, not concerned at all, especially considering we also got Salem out of that trade.

[Deemotivated 550]

josh kelly rising star nominee this week. We have done it again

Change the record...

[dbj1983 138]

josh kelly rising star nominee this week. We have done it again

Who cares? Tyson has been our best/second best player so far this year. Knowing our luck if we picked Kelly he would be struggling for a kick and we would be heavily criticised for picking the wrong guy. Tyson is a ready made player and Melb is the last team that can afford to bring a first year (high pick) into the team.

[olisik 4,060]

On Talking Footy Watson and Carey said at the moment they think we got it wrong as Dom Tyson will be a good player but Kelly will become one of the elite midfielders of the game.

[Whispering_Jack 30,242]

On Talking Footy Watson and Carey said at the moment they think we got it wrong as Dom Tyson will be a good player but Kelly will become one of the elite midfielders of the game.

Leaving aside that three matches in is too early to judge, do they think the deal was a straight swap - Tyson for pick 2 or did they allow for the fact that we got Salem in the deal and gave away pick 20?

[dees189227 12,394]

Dom Tyson averaging 28 disposals a game, not concerned at all, especially considering we also got Salem out of that trade.

I meant we have done it again because it seems every team we play the next round a player gets nominated. I didnt mean because we chose to trade away our pick. Im rapt with Tyson. Sorry if it came across the wrong way.

At the moment we are a media target with players we have supposedly passed up. It really annoys me. Know one can know how good Kelly will be.

By the way wont mention his name but when will people start to mention a gws player who is on a mill a year but doesnt get the possessions. 17 possies yesterday

[olisik 4,060]

Darcy also thinks it should be looked into as to what has happened with Trengove. Pick 2 to now playing in the VFL. He is absolutely right and I would have no issues for an independent commission to look into it.

[dees189227 12,394]

Darcy also thinks it should be looked into as to what has happened with Trengove. Pick 2 to now playing in the VFL. He is absolutely right and I would have no issues for an independent commission to look into it.

He hasnt been developed properly. None of our youngsters have. That was the talk on the radio over the weekend. put trengove in a top 8 team different results. I think the captaincy affected him to.