UNDESERVED by The Oracle

Melbourne could easily have plucked this game out of the fire in the end although a victory would have been something it didn't deserve.

The game certainly wasn't one of the classics - there were lots of errors on both sides and it was the Suns who made the least. The game's adjudicators made a few as well - the first was the video review of the Demons' first goal and the last were some doozies from the field umpires that included a gifted goal to Garry Ablett when Melbourne was coming hard in the last quarter. If that was a free then McCaffer of Collingwood would have given away 20 and not 5 when he tagged Trent Cotchin against the Tigers last week. One or two more puzzling decisions late in the game didn't help the cause either.

But while Melbourne persisted and got to within 8 points in the end, it would have been daylight robbery had the Demons won despite out scoring the visitors in three of the game's quarters.

The truth is that the home side was pitiful from the time Cam Pedersen scored his team's third goal to give it a 20 - 10 lead at 21 minutes into the opening term until it went into the sheds at half time trailling 28 - 48 and they were only so close because of the Suns' inaccuracy.

Another truth is that for the better part of the day, too many Demons were insipid, second to the ball and often failed to make a contest. They failed to follow their leaders in Nathan Jones and Jack Grimes and some of them were still back in the days of poor decision making and putrid disposal of the last few years.

Thanks to the skippers, Jack Viney and two forwards in Chris Dawes and James Frawley, they fought their way back into the game - something that would have been unlikely in the dark old days. Things would have been better had they been able to get some drive from the ruck or managed their kick outs from defence a little better but one hopes those things can be resolved at the selection table before next week's game against the Sydney Swans.

As it was, we saw none of the defensive pressure that enabled last week's win over Carlton and too many players were content to lounge behind their opponents. Perhaps it was the relief of winning that game that took the edge off the players' hunger for the football.

If that was the case they should take the lead from skipper Nathan Jones whose strength and courage throughout was no better exemplified by his goal of the day effort when he bulldozed through a pack and snapped a goal to breath life back into the game midway through the final term. Never mind that an umpire sucked the life out of it a few minutes later, it was an example for the entire team to follow and those who don't will not be there by season's end.

Melbourne 3.2.20 4.4.28 6.10.46 11.12.78

Gold Coast Suns 2.7.19 6.12.48 8.17.65 11.20.86

Goals

Melbourne Dawes Frawley 2 Evans Howe Jones Kennedy-Harris Pedersen Terlich Viney

Gold Coast Suns Ablett Lynch Matera Swallow 2 Broughton Day Hall

Best

Melbourne Jones Viney Grimes Dawes Frawley Cross

Gold Coast Suns Ablett Rischitelli OMeara Shaw Broughton Prestia

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Gold Coast Suns Nil

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Carlton Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Gold Coast Suns Nil

Umpires Wenn, Armstrong, Leppard

Attendance 17,243 at the MCG

Was that an around the neck that wasn't paid to Nev Jetta just before Swallow kicked his goal in the last quarter. Straight after the dubious free to Ablett it was a real double whammy.

Too true Oracle.

As I said in the Post match discussions.

The margin deserved to be more like 8 goals than 8 points.

The disagreement I could make was that Grimes was a chief offender in not putting in.

His game was one of the worst I have seen from him.

The disposals he got which wasn't a lot came from cheap kick ins to him 20m from goal.

I haven't read any stats but it would be interesting to see the tackles and contested possessions he had.

I stand to be corrected, but I reckon you could count on one hand the total.

Two little things I noticed.

After Jones kicked his wonderful goal he and Vineyard both came off. I was mortified. Sure, the guy was probably exhausted but good grief, he lives to get his team within two goals deep in the last - our two leading ball getters coming off sent me to shock - not helped by what I saw next. Spencer came on for one of them and belted to the middle. Pederson didn't realise Spencer was coming on so he was trapped in the middle with no time to get out. Something little but costly.

Another was in the first quarter when Hall had the footy late on. He faked one way then started to run across the field, causing Terlich to follow him. Hall simply cut back straight toward goal and sliced the middle. Surely it's a footy basic to cover goal-side - I'd be happy to allow him space to run across field but don't give him the goals! It was only something little but I hope it is highlighted to the team. So many little lapses cost us so often.

Grimes amongst the best? April Fools was two weeks ago Andy...

we got exposed on how little we run compared to the other teams, particularly pushing to the next contest and second and third efforts.

Edited April 21, 201411 yr by The Song Formerly Known As

Good round up Oracle.

I don't get all the outrage. It was a particularly poor outing by the boys, and it is right to be disappointed. But we lost by 8 points (as opposed to the deserved 8 goals) partly because GCS kicked poorly [but we did force a number of difficult shots] and also partly because the 22 playing is considerably better at football then we were 12 months ago. It's a good sign that we're able to hang on even when we're playing poorly...goals can still be manufactured where we would have simply been demonstrably pathetic.

* we won 3 quarters, and played terrible football in one quarter. If we played excellent football in just one of those 3, we'd probably have a sneaky and undeserved W.

At this stage it'd be surprising if we won games where we played this poorly, Let's not write this off as a backward step.

Good round up Oracle.

I don't get all the outrage. It was a particularly poor outing by the boys, and it is right to be disappointed. But we lost by 8 points (as opposed to the deserved 8 goals) partly because GCS kicked poorly [but we did force a number of difficult shots] and also partly because the 22 playing is considerably better at football then we were 12 months ago. It's a good sign that we're able to hang on even when we're playing poorly...goals can still be manufactured where we would have simply been demonstrably pathetic.

* we won 3 quarters, and played terrible football in one quarter. If we played excellent football in just one of those 3, we'd probably have a sneaky and undeserved W.

At this stage it'd be surprising if we won games where we played this poorly, Let's not write this off as a backward step.

The outrage is because that 2nd quarter was just a complete and utter joke. While at other clubs the players have been accountable for lack of effort the MFC are still trying to catch up. I'm glad there appears to be an undercurrent from supporters that enough is enough and it will no longer be tolerated. We as supporters are also accountable for the fact that we have accepted and made excuses for our lot for years and years and people are really starting to twig now (although some are still prepared to make excuses for that rubbish). The lack of running forward and back was intolerable and these blokes don't even seem to have worked out yet that if they run hard both ways they will get more easy possessions in the long run!!!

Enough has probably already been said about one certain player yesterday but I would hope the 'effort' would result in a spell in the 2's, and to be honest I had given up on that horse during last year, so I'm not fussed if it is permanent. We are getting high quality output out of one captain but the other is costing us dearly each match and should also be very close to having a spell. With him it's not lack of effort but the lack of improvement and his lack of nous for the contest is at times unbelievable. You don't have to react to what your opponent does every single time. It's ok to step in front of him and mark the ball yourself every now and then. He looks to me like he's following a set of instructions each match to the absolute letter and is unprepared to back himself in any way shape or form. At least we know he has a will to compete so his career is still retrievable.

Overall I can concede that we at least played the game out (although I thought the GC were absolutely terrible yesterday) which is more than we have done for 7 years.