Post match discussion - Round 7

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

That's awesome Clint, just terriifc - many thanks. Just about to watch the HD replay on my new 27 inch monitor. Ta

No dramas, thank the guys at Demonology for uploading them.

[Deespicable 2,553]

Just got back from boys weekend and most enjoyable part was that the place we stayed at had Fox Sports.

Our first decent win interstate since I suspect 2006 and I haven't done so much fist-pumping in a long time.

I know he wasn't BOG but to me JKH set up the win - cleanest pair of hands we've seen in a long time and he showed the guys how to score goals in the first quarter setting up Bail and then doing his own little miracle goal.

From then on everyone got their tail up.

I had Grimesy in my best six as well - his past four weeks have been sensational and he set the tempo in the first quarter with his courageous intercept marking and that spoil on Danger in final term was brilliant.

Vince was terrific as well given how emotional it must have been for him. I still reckon Danger was the best player on the ground, but Bernie also made him pay the other way and had the last laugh and I hope all the boys went back to his pub and really let the locals know what loyalty is all about - walking out with your side 10 points down and five minutes to go - what were they thinking?

Well done to Jamar and Jetta - the Russian showed he can still play at this level and Jetta has now played one good game in 45 matches - I remember Brent Grgic once polled votes in a good win at Geelong and I thought he might have turned the corner. But no, he went back to his old ways for the next 25 games or so before Geelong picked him up.

It's also great to come home and not find every blog taken over by the Jack Watts commentators.

My only anger this week is that Shannon Byrnes got to play - is he the only one who attends meditation sessions and gets a tick?

It's nice that the only five players in our side who are under 23 were all prominent - perhaps god helps us, Roos might drop Byrnes and play another kid so that we aren't the oldest side in the comp and that we have even more hope for the future.

But given that he made no changes last week after a poor game against the Swans, I can't imagine Byrnes being dropped for at least another seven weeks or so. Which probably means Salem will again have to start as sub!

[chook fowler 18,327]

Just got back from boys weekend and most enjoyable part was that the place we stayed at had Fox Sports.

Our first decent win interstate since I suspect 2006 and I haven't done so much fist-pumping in a long time.

I know he wasn't BOG but to me JKH set up the win - cleanest pair of hands we've seen in a long time and he showed the guys how to score goals in the first quarter setting up Bail and then doing his own little miracle goal.

From then on everyone got their tail up.

I had Grimesy in my best six as well - his past four weeks have been sensational and he set the tempo in the first quarter with his courageous intercept marking and that spoil on Danger in final term was brilliant.

Vince was terrific as well given how emotional it must have been for him. I still reckon Danger was the best player on the ground, but Bernie also made him pay the other way and had the last laugh and I hope all the boys went back to his pub and really let the locals know what loyalty is all about - walking out with your side 10 points down and five minutes to go - what were they thinking?

Well done to Jamar and Jetta - the Russian showed he can still play at this level and Jetta has now played one good game in 45 matches - I remember Brent Grgic once polled votes in a good win at Geelong and I thought he might have turned the corner. But no, he went back to his old ways for the next 25 games or so before Geelong picked him up.

It's also great to come home and not find every blog taken over by the Jack Watts commentators.

My only anger this week is that Shannon Byrnes got to play - is he the only one who attends meditation sessions and gets a tick?

It's nice that the only five players in our side who are under 23 were all prominent - perhaps god helps us, Roos might drop Byrnes and play another kid so that we aren't the oldest side in the comp and that we have even more hope for the future.

But given that he made no changes last week after a poor game against the Swans, I can't imagine Byrnes being dropped for at least another seven weeks or so. Which probably means Salem will again have to start as sub![/quote

What did Byrnes do to get a free pass for the next 7 games?]

[jane02 3,380]

Have just come home from a wake. A family member who passed away was a Melbourne supporter - even though he never got to many games as he was a chef and ran a restaurant for a long time. (James McDonald was a regular).

His family all support the Dees as well so over a vodka and a toast we sang "It's a grand old flag".

I am sure he was upstairs smiling and singing along.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Try these:

Thanks Clint, great stuff.

[Rocknroll 923]

In a lot of our games our opponents have been inaccurate which has led people to say 'well it was a close loss, but if they'd kicked straight'. In our last five games, GWS, Carlton, Gold Coast, Sydney, and now Adelaide have all kicked more behinds than goals. Once is just a coincidence, but five weeks in a row suggests to me that the inaccuracy is coming from rushed shots, perceived and real pressure, and being forced wider rather than having it easy down the corridor.

This is spot on. Been thinking similar things. Anyway got the stats on how many behinds were rushed over those weeks

[Maldonboy38 5,944]

Just finished watching the game on AFL website. Super impressed with the kind of football we played. Numbers to every contest followed by run and carry. Even though we had some great wins under Bailey, I have not seen a win playing this kind of football since 2005/2006. Not a perfect game by any means - the third quarter we once again played 1 horror quarter - but we kpet at it with system and endeavour. It was team footy. Pressure, helping out, and even when the Crows got a run-on we continued to try and play our game.

A functional midfield.

Contested marking.

Movement around the stoppages.

Very happy Dees man today.

[Young Dee 1,303]

Many great performances but one that was less noticeable but really important in the win was Grimes. Barely put a foot wrong, no clangers this week, competed and competed, made a game saving spoil against Dangerfield and is rapidly becoming The General of the backline. Becoming the on-field captain to match his much lauded, off-field captaincy feats!

Roos didn't single him out but Grimes and our backline really stood up yesterday!

Yes - just when I was beginning to doubt his spot in the side - he went back to that loose defender role and did it well. For the first time since Jarred Rivers left we seemed to always have a loose defender in the backline.

[Scoop Junior 2,991]

It is very early days but the player JKH reminds me of is Allen Christensen, a little bloke who can win the footy inside, goes hard, has clean hands and is able to rack up good numbers. He will be tested though in coming weeks as opponents pay him more attention.

Cross may have made a few errors but you can excuse him because he is generally a good decision maker and his hardness and courage sets a fantastic example to the team. A mate of mine is a passionate bulldogs fan and he absolutely loves him. It's pretty easy to see why. One thing I would like to see though is him keeping his feet more, I think at times he tries to dive on it a bit too often. But he is just an out and out on-field leader.

Terlich I find hard to judge. I love his commitment and attack on the footy and ability to find it, but he can then make you tear your hair out with at times appalling lack of awareness, disposal and fumbling. I think in an ideal world you would want a half back flanker with more awareness and composure and reliability coming out of defence. Some of his errors are just so costly.

Two things from Salem that I actually enjoyed as much as his goal were a half volley pick up at full speed which just showed raw talent and clean hands and a really clever aggressive bump on an Adelaide player in the last quarter to clear the space for I think Dawes to kick it forward. In those two instances I saw a lovely combination of aggression and pure talent.

[John Crow Batty 8,266]

It is very early days but the player JKH reminds me of is Allen Christensen, a little bloke who can win the footy inside, goes hard, has clean hands and is able to rack up good numbers. He will be tested though in coming weeks as opponents pay him more attention.

Cross may have made a few errors but you can excuse him because he is generally a good decision maker and his hardness and courage sets a fantastic example to the team. A mate of mine is a passionate bulldogs fan and he absolutely loves him. It's pretty easy to see why. One thing I would like to see though is him keeping his feet more, I think at times he tries to dive on it a bit too often. But he is just an out and out on-field leader.

Terlich I find hard to judge. I love his commitment and attack on the footy and ability to find it, but he can then make you tear your hair out with at times appalling lack of awareness, disposal and fumbling. I think in an ideal world you would want a half back flanker with more awareness and composure and reliability coming out of defence. Some of his errors are just so costly.

Two things from Salem that I actually enjoyed as much as his goal were a half volley pick up at full speed which just showed raw talent and clean hands and a really clever aggressive bump on an Adelaide player in the last quarter to clear the space for I think Dawes to kick it forward. In those two instances I saw a lovely combination of aggression and pure talent.

I believe Terlich is great value Some of his efforts are inspiring stuff. Looks like he's trying hard to clean up his disposal errors. Jones was a bit like him in his first few seasons. Edited May 4, 2014 by america de cali

[Binmans PA 26,266]

Best game by Grimes that I have seen I really hope he is back

I just don't see it. He turns the ball over or makes critical errors in clutch situations. When Adelaide kicked their last (lr was it second last goal), they won the centre clearance and Grimes drops an uncontested chest mark 20m out directly in front. He certainly read the ball well early (this is definitely his strength) and managed to intercept or spoil well, but whenever he has the ball in his hands, he rarely hits targets or makes the right decisions.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

I just don't see it. He turns the ball over or makes critical errors in clutch situations. When Adelaide kicked their last (lr was it second last goal), they won the centre clearance and Grimes drops an uncontested chest mark 20m out directly in front. He certainly read the ball well early (this is definitely his strength) and managed to intercept or spoil well, but whenever he has the ball in his hands, he rarely hits targets or makes the right decisions.

That dropped mark was horrendous but overall it was a far better game from Grimes.

[Bendigo Demon 115]

Dean Terlich was solid last night, but in the modern game, good teams have people like Corey Enright or Grant Birchall on their half back lines. Great users of the ball who set up forward thrusts with smart decisions and great disposal. Unfortunately Dean doesn't do this, which may be his downfall.

[Guest]

Observations from yesterday:

1) This is a win to get excited about (but not to go overboard about)! Highlights for me were beating a team coming off three straight wins (albeit they were overconfident) in a city we hadn't beaten them in in 12 years and us displaying the same kind of tough consistent effort we have seen bar the West Coast game and a mental resolve we have not seen from a Melbourne side in years. People have said that this is the best win we have had since the final against St. Kilda in 2006. As a game in isolation, I would disagree. Our game against Sydney in 2010, the draw against the Pies in 2010, steamrolling both the Crows and Dockers in 2011 were probably better one off performances but they were more based on the cards falling our way. Wins like yesterdays come about via hard work and commitment to a plan. It is a much more solid bedrock than what we have been used to.

2) The real test comes in the next two weeks. The upcoming fixtures are VERY winnable. I would be disappointed if we didn't win one out of the two. If this is the basis of a genuine revival that I think it is then two VERY solid and consistent performances must come about. This will test Roosy as in years gone by, the lid would have been blown right off and the boys would be accepting as many free drink cards as they could. It's now time for Roosy to remain positive but to remind them not to believe the hype. Remember 2010 and when Vossy said that we would be the next AFL juggernaut? I wonder how many blokes took those comments to heart?
3) On a player level, big Russian was brilliant. I always thought we should hold him as our number one ruck. That being said, I thought he was living a bit too much off his 2010 form. Thankfully, under Roos, he is rediscovering that form.

4) Watts' intensity was better (he actually broke into a sprint during that first quarter goal!) but I do think he does need to pick up on this front. I will admit however that I was wrong and Roos was right. We got a better response from Jack by showing further faith in him.

5) Dawes appears to be a bit of a barometer for our team. When he contributes (as he did against Carlton and yesterday against the Crows), we do better than usual. If he struggles, we struggle. We need that genuine second option up there with him for him to be the player he can be. I get the feeling Chip might not be that second option in the long term (and I don't think he is worth 800k) but I'm happy to be proven wrong.

5) JKH looked sensational. One grab possessions, brilliant balance and clean hands. If he keeps this up, he may be looking at a rising star award.

Get excited boys but remember that developing teams can give you sensational moments like yesterday but they can also break your heart when you least expect it. That being said, I look forward to the next two games in a way I haven't for at least four years! GO THE MIGHTY DEMONS!

Edited May 4, 2014 by Colin B. Flaubert

[Bang Bang Bang 5,510]

Dean Terlich was solid last night, but in the modern game, good teams have people like Corey Enright or Grant Birchall on their half back lines. Great users of the ball who set up forward thrusts with smart decisions and great disposal. Unfortunately Dean doesn't do this, which may be his downfall.

They are elite players in that position, there are also players like Kyle Cheney getting games at Hawthorn. Terlich's disposal errors are a worry (so much so, that I wanted him dropped after Carlton game) ... but his approach suits the Roos gameplan. He's a keeper for now.

[rjay 23,932]

Dean Terlich was solid last night, but in the modern game, good teams have people like Corey Enright or Grant Birchall on their half back lines. Great users of the ball who set up forward thrusts with smart decisions and great disposal. Unfortunately Dean doesn't do this, which may be his downfall.

Mooney reckons Corey Enright was probably the worst kick he had seen when he first came to Geelong, he goes alright now. I think there is time for Terls and I don't think his kicking is as bad as some make out.

[Jaded No More 58,358]

I thought Rohan Bail was great yesterday, especially early on. His clearance work was a bit of a revelation.

[Sir Why You Little 34,615]

The ladder is tight now. Big chance to climb some serious rung positions in the next 2 weeks if the players are ready.

[Binmans PA 26,266]

Dean Terlich was solid last night, but in the modern game, good teams have people like Corey Enright or Grant Birchall on their half back lines. Great users of the ball who set up forward thrusts with smart decisions and great disposal. Unfortunately Dean doesn't do this, which may be his downfall.

I can't recall Terlich making the right decision once or executing a skill effectively. I'm sorry, but he's easily our weakest player.

[chook fowler 18,327]

I can't recall Terlich making the right decision once or executing a skill effectively. I'm sorry, but he's easily our weakest player.

I'm on the fence re Terlich but that's a bit rich. He has been improving especially the last couple of weeks. Love his grunt but makes some howlers. Deserves more time to eliminate these

[jumbo returns 6,503]

I thought Rohan Bail was great yesterday, especially early on. His clearance work was a bit of a revelation.

Ro Bail would be a favourite of many coaches, despite his questionable disposal.

Runs hard, loves a contest and is fearless.

[jumbo returns 6,503]

I'm on the fence re Terlich but that's a bit rich. He has been improving especially the last couple of weeks. Love his grunt but makes some howlers. Deserves more time to eliminate these

Yeah, but sometimes, his passes miss by a hundred yards!

That's 92 metres for the young 'uns....

[Deespicable 2,553]

I just don't see it. He turns the ball over or makes critical errors in clutch situations. When Adelaide kicked their last (lr was it second last goal), they won the centre clearance and Grimes drops an uncontested chest mark 20m out directly in front. He certainly read the ball well early (this is definitely his strength) and managed to intercept or spoil well, but whenever he has the ball in his hands, he rarely hits targets or makes the right decisions.

Go back and watch the game - particularly the first quarter and see how many times he miskicked it.

A couple of times he overkicked it in second and third quarter but I wonder if you are being as harsh on him as you are on other players.

I would have thought his courage dropping into the hole in first term was crucial to our superb start.

You may have to get over an anger that stems from last year and realise that he's stepped up bigtime this year.

Yes he'll still make the odd mistake but tell me which defenders go through error-free each week.

[Binmans PA 26,266]

I'm on the fence re Terlich but that's a bit rich. He has been improving especially the last couple of weeks. Love his grunt but makes some howlers. Deserves more time to eliminate these

He has shown absolutely no development in this area in a season and 7 games now.

[titan_uranus 22,522]

I'm not sure if Terlich is good enough to be a long-term AFL player, but he seems to have made some steps in improving his defensive work the last month.

Still commits the unfortunately-too-common howler coming out of defence, which he needs to eradicate, but I'm seeing some improvement at least.