DEE-DAY OR NO DEE-DAY by George on The Outer

Seventy years since the Allies started the counter-attack against the might of Germany.

Fifty years since the Demons won a Premiership

Was the Queens Birthday of 2014 going to be the beginning of something special, or just another re-run of the ordinary performances that have marked the past years encounters?

With an earlygoal on the scoreboard courtesy of Nathan Jones within the first thorty seconds, the supporters could have been thinking that the something special was going to happen. The first salvo in a reversal of fortune just like what D-Day represented all those years ago?

Sadly, the fans were to see only another two goals for their side in the remaining 99 or so minutes of the game. And the final score represented the lowest score the Demons had kicked against the Pies since 1960! One would have thought the ground was a mud heap, but it was exactly the opposite! The small consolation was that the Magpies themselves could only manage eight for the day.

Twelve months ago, we would have been happy with that result. However, the expectations have been raised, and with 68,000 at the game to give the Demons the experience of big time football, there should have been more to show for the day.

Still the Allied forces barely made it across the sand on the first day in France, but within months they were knocking at the door of Berlin. To hold a top four side to a paltry three goals to half time and eight goals in total was a sign of the change that has occurred at the club.

But there is simply not enough true talent there to get the side across the line when needed. Like the game against Port Adelaide it was there to be won, but there was no-one to stand up and show the way.

Yes we had plenty of contributors with the usual bevy of Jones, Vince, Cross, Jamar, Dawes, Dunn and Pedersen showing the way it needed to be done, but there are simply too many being dragged along for the ride.

The likes of Watts, Bail, Salem, Gawn, Terlich, Howe and Frawley simply did not impact the game. Yes some of them had 20 touches, but did they really have any effect on the outcome?

Sometimes the game is there to be won from a series of one-on-one contests, and to be successful it requires each and every player to do his part when it counts. Not just a contribution, but to make it count.

It is also doubly hard for an up and coming team to overcome the sheer ineptitude of the umpiring department as witnessed today. Five free kicks to Melbourne in the whole game, two of which were out-on-the-full. Even 13 to Collingwood over the course of a game is insufficient. Is there any wonder that packs of players develop and is turning the game into a variation of Rugby Union?

Why Vince was denied a goal after Jetta elected to play on from a mark was simply incomprehensible. There is no time on after a mark, and the player is perfectly entitled to play on. But then we would have to teach the umpires some simply rules of the game, and at the moment they are being taught incorrectly.

When the fans are bombarded with written examples of the rules of the game prior to the match, it only highlights that something is seriously wrong.

Pity is that the umpires werent the ones subject to the Power-point display pre-game, and not the fans who can read what is written down in the Rule book.

Last year we would have been happy to see a competitive side this year. That we have! We are no longer blown away on the score-board, but until we learn and are capable of putting some score-board pressure on ourselves, then the results of the past two weeks will continue.

If this was our Dee-day, then it is only the start. The darkest hours are surely behind us, but we need more small wins to be able to continue the fight ever upward. In this torrid run that we have against a series of the top sides, we are staying on the battlefield and are not being overrun. We can only bide our time, and wait for that final break-out which surely is coming

Melbourne 1.3.9 2.4.16 3.6.24 3.10.28

Collingwood 1.2.8 3.7.25 5.10.40 8.13.61

Goals

Melbourne Howe N Jones Vince

Collingwood Beams Cloke 2 Elliott Goldsack Macaffer Pendelbury

Best

Melbourne Cross N Jones Vince Pedersen Dunn Dawes

Collingwood Young Macaffer Pendlebury Lumumba Seedsman Swan

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Collingwood Nil

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Collingwood Jesse White (finger) replaced in selected side by Brodie Grundy

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Collingwood Nil

Umpires Fisher, Kamolins, Findlay

Crowd 66,124 at the MCG

Bitterly disappointing. Well outclassed by a quality side.

The thing that is probably a mitigating factor is that other than Dawes, our worst players were the youngest; I'm thinking Tyson, Viney, Salem and JKH all got lessons in how gun midfields go about it.

Pedersen, Dunn and Nath Jones all continued their excellent form, and were our clear top 3 for mine.

Three goals

What more needs to be said

Had trouble with the stream + missed a fair chunk of the game. 33 points is a fairly par result but the scorecard is disappointing. We were probably due a reality check and got one.

Some really poor disposal forward of the centre today. Viney, love the guy but was shanking them everywhere. Garland, Bail.

Thank God for Lynden Dunn.

They were the better side but our defence held up, we just couldn't kick a score

SO SICK OF LOSING

It was ultimately us who cost us the game, but wow the umpires in that game can go jump off a cliff!

Also thought Vince and Gawn were good.

Garland is a worry. Better by Grimes. Bail and Matt Jones got good stats but don't hurt with their possessions.

Disappointing that young Frost cleaned up Dawes. Vince was one that looked like he could make a difference. Pedersen and Nate Jones handy. Young guys were overawed.

SACK roosy

SACK roosy

umm..?

now we play Essendon who will have had an extra 2 days break than us

Well at least they have lost drug cheat Watson i guess

Had a crack, still not good enough. Kept collingwood to 61 points, which is something.

JKH and Salem back to the VFL for some form, Kent and someone else in

Slow ball movement and continually outnumbered in the forward line.

Slow ball movement and continually outnumbered in the forward line.

Yes very static today.

No flow on.

Bail, Salem, jkh all very average today

Our players have a choice right now. They can pretend they've made it like they did in 2010, or they can use the good results of the past few weeks as a springboard for real development. I hope they understand just where they're at, and how far they still have to go to be any good.

Jetta - best game yet and was one of the only players to shepherd

Tyson - he can pencil that down as the worst game so far in the red and blue. Got caught with his pants down and turned it over too many times

Salem & JKH - forgetable. There was moment in the final quarter when both were chasing one Collingwood player, provided no pressure and Collingwood rebounded

Viney & Watts - need to nail those shots

Garland - extremely rusty and cost us a few

Jones - reliable

I still don't understand why Jamar was subbed off. It should have been Gawn and the results after the substitution speak for themselves.

A very big reality check.

The guys did put in they were just out classed, our poor disposal, Garland, Mcdonald were two that stood out with their poor disposal and decision making. I dont know how many times I screamed at the TV for our players to move the damn ball on (FORWARD) but them seem too afraid to kick it forward even when players were leading. I do not understand why we have no crumbing forwards or why someone does not try to assist dawes in getting on the lead by interrupting the run of his tagger. Umpiring decisions were a pain but we did it to ourselves. We kept in touch most of the game, just lack of manning up and stupid mistakes saw us fall by the way side.

Our players have a choice right now. They can pretend they've made it like they did in 2010, or they can use the good results of the past few weeks as a springboard for real development. I hope they understand just where they're at, and how far they still have to go to be any good.

Good analogy Chook.

The "Pretend" improvement of 2010.

Spot on.

We all saw what happened to that.

From a serious doubter, I thought Watts played well, worked hard , didn't shirk it

Our players have a choice right now. They can pretend they've made it like they did in 2010, or they can use the good results of the past few weeks as a springboard for real development. I hope they understand just where they're at, and how far they still have to go to be any good.

At least I have confidence that Roos will be able to communicate this to them in a manner which will actually help them.

Vince was BOG. Jones, Dunn, Cross, Pederson, Jetta and Watts all good.

Slow movement into forward line, terrible turnovers.

Garland, Salem, Tyson, Matt Jones all below par.

Viney needs to improve kicking quickly. Jones and Bail too many turnovers. Think Blease should come in for some speed and offensive run. Collingwood are the best defensive side we've played and it showed up our skill level.

Free kick count: 13 to 5.

Farcical, absolutely farcical. [censored] useless white maggots, I hope Roos goes off his head in the presser, they sucked the life out of the game when it was getting close. They did everything in their power to stop us from getting anywhere near them by cherry picking [censored] frees. Gutless pricks. When will there be some goddamn accountability from the AFL about these flogs?!

We matched them for 3/8 of that game, but they kept putting pressure on until we cracked. The umpires were shockingly one-sided, no question about that, but it was the relentless pressure from Collingwood's midfield and defence that really did for us.

I agree that Jones, Dunn and Pedersen were great, as was Jetta. Watts worked his ass off also, and they actually looked for his leads which is a refreshing change.

Well, that was like pulling teeth...

Just a huge imbalance in defending and attacking, which is not all bad, you want a well drilled defensive first and foremost.

But basically no classy forward thrusts for the whole game.

We lack a dashing HBF with foot skills, that has to be our priority post-season.

I was pleased with the first half, expected the shackles to be released at some point but it never came. Easier said than done against a drilled side like Collingwood.

Tyson had his worst game for the year.

Garland had his worst game ever.

Viney is a bull but his kicking was shocking.

JKH and Salem looked a bit lost.

Why Salem wasn't subbed off I'd love to know. He offered nothing and Jamar was having a great game. Once he went off they got an easy ride from the clearances.

Dumb move. Same as last weeks sub. Roosy, I love ya, but stop [censored] up the subs.

Jones, Dunn, Vince Jamar and Cross led really well. They all stood up and played really well.

Was happy with Jetta yet again and I think there's no doubt he's bonafide now.

Pederson was epic.

Just need some leading forwards that kick goals, and some class to stick it down their throats and we'll go alright.

Let's smash Essendon.