I'm glad we are now playing September footy that is hard and tough and exposes your work-ethic and fortitude.

Exactly - Where you either work hard both ways or you don't get a gig. We are not particularly good at it yet but we have made a decent start. Build the defensive base and when we have that at a good level you can add flair. We have had coaches that started with flair and when the acid was put on we crumbled. ( lets not even talk about Neeld).

Happy with what Roos is trying to build. It ain't pretty but it will get results.

A Hawthorn or Swans team will smash us if this is our standard.

No they won't.

And that's the point. Not that you and your brethren are getting it.

No they won't.

And that's the point. Not that you and your brethren are getting it.

Correct - Thats the whole point of playing the "strangle". If we play as we are being schooled we won't get thumped. Our problem was not that our defense was poor - it was our disposal into the 50 and also we didnt put enough offensive pressure on.

Thats not to say that our young and inexperienced group wont at some stage lose structure and discipline like we did against the eagles.

So, you would prefer us playing aesthetically pleasing footy where the scoreboard reads MFC 63; Opposition 146? We had that for most of the Bailey, Neeld and Daniher-odd-years. I'm glad we are now playing September footy that is hard and tough and exposes your work-ethic and fortitude.

As Goldsack said OTC last night, there actually weren't many stoppages (in the first half), so I'm perplexed about your rugby analogy. Soccer might have been better, as it was low scoring and played between the arcs.

I know what Roos is doing but yesterday was a shocking spectacle and i enjoyed the 2005-06 GF's btw.

As i said i just hope the boys learn quick.

Unlike a lot of the people on here. I loved the way the game was played yesterday. Hard, tough football where most kicks had to be earned. I hate the basketball end to end high scoring games. Give me a hard contest every day.

Unfortunately we couldn't quite match it with Collingwood. Next year if our improvement continues we will win these games.

Also the people on here who believe Collingwood were coasting, should listen to Beams after game comment that this was one the hardest game he had played in all year

Unlike a lot of the people on here. I loved the way the game was played yesterday. Hard, tough football where most kicks had to be earned. I hate the basketball end to end high scoring games. Give me a hard contest every day.

Unfortunately we couldn't quite match it with Collingwood. Next year if our improvement continues we will win these games.

Also the people on here who believe Collingwood were coasting, should listen to Beams after game comment that this was one the hardest game he had played in all year

Oh i enjoyed the contest. I have no qualms there.

But to often we didn't know what to do with the ball when we had it.

But i will not fault the commitment.

Maybe it's time to introduce the next 20%

You're failing to mention Collingwood's score here. They scored 61, for an incredibly aggressive team that's very low.

This time next year our attack and offensive football will be in order and i expect to be scoring around 65-80+ per game.

Bomber Thompsons take on the game was interesting. He said that he could see that Roos was teaching how to play finals/premiership style football. We just have to accept that this is going to take time but the fundamentals are gradually being put in place.

I'm shocked that anyone that has had to sit through some of the crap we dished up in 2012-13 would complain about what they saw yesterday. Do you not remember when Essendon sticked us by 150 points 14 months ago?

Go back and watch Ross Lyon's first season at Freo. He had a lot of talent and a lot of experience at his disposal but he taught them how to be more defensive and harder to score against and as a result they are now in line to have 3-5 years of consistent success. On paper they are probably only a top 6-8 team.

Roos is building a structure and setting a standard for effort that new players have to then come into the side and work hard to attain. I thought it was fantastic that he never went away from his plan all day. You don't teach young footballers that hard work is a non negotiable by 'flicking a switch' and allowing them to be less accountable and run forward in hope. They'll learn themselves to take their chances because they'll know how hard they are to come by. Then we'll have a great team.

If you sat in the stands during those consistent 100 plus loses I can't believe you don't agree. 2014 is only about setting standards, and it's a massive step forward.

Unlike a lot of the people on here. I loved the way the game was played yesterday. Hard, tough football where most kicks had to be earned. I hate the basketball end to end high scoring games. Give me a hard contest every day.

Unfortunately we couldn't quite match it with Collingwood. Next year if our improvement continues we will win these games.

Also the people on here who believe Collingwood were coasting, should listen to Beams after game comment that this was one the hardest game he had played in all year

wot ee sed

agree ... worse game for 2014 even comparing the eagles game. A Hawthorn or Swans team will smash us if this is our standard. Turnovers and missed goals were junior level kicking

Swans didn't smash us did they?

Would rather that score line than the 100 point defeats, leaking goals like a sieve with no accountability. In fact I think accountability is probably the biggest change from last year.

Unlike a lot of the people on here. I loved the way the game was played yesterday. Hard, tough football where most kicks had to be earned. I hate the basketball end to end high scoring games. Give me a hard contest every day.

Unfortunately we couldn't quite match it with Collingwood. Next year if our improvement continues we will win these games.

Also the people on here who believe Collingwood were coasting, should listen to Beams after game comment that this was one the hardest game he had played in all year

totally agree...

Want to stop Melbourne scoring? Put a loose man behind the play.

Has worked for St Kilda, Coll, Sydney and various other teams against us this year.

People get upset when I whinge about the lack of skill from the backline but they just don't rebound the ball at all and on the odd occasion they do the midfield and half forwards don't capitalize.

No deal.

The loose man behind the ball robs us of something we're good at, which is forward pressure, as we're one down in that half.

Who would the loose man be, anyway? We don't yet have a quality rebounding defender to play that role, except maybe Pedersen. Most teams, on the other hand, would have someone that would tear us up if given the opportunity, and that is what almost always happens.

We're not scoring enough. A loose man in defence does not help us score more.

I'm shocked that anyone that has had to sit through some of the crap we dished up in 2012-13 would complain about what they saw yesterday. Do you not remember when Essendon sticked us by 150 points 14 months ago?

Go back and watch Ross Lyon's first season at Freo. He had a lot of talent and a lot of experience at his disposal but he taught them how to be more defensive and harder to score against and as a result they are now in line to have 3-5 years of consistent success. On paper they are probably only a top 6-8 team.

Roos is building a structure and setting a standard for effort that new players have to then come into the side and work hard to attain. I thought it was fantastic that he never went away from his plan all day. You don't teach young footballers that hard work is a non negotiable by 'flicking a switch' and allowing them to be less accountable and run forward in hope. They'll learn themselves to take their chances because they'll know how hard they are to come by. Then we'll have a great team.

If you sat in the stands during those consistent 100 plus loses I can't believe you don't agree. 2014 is only about setting standards, and it's a massive step forward.

Great post, agree entirely.

We were poor yesterday not because of the game plan or the style of football we tried to play, but because of our woeful execution. Decision making and skills were way down on the last month and way down on where we need to be to win games.

44 on the list. Saving 3 spots for specialist ruckman isn't dumb buddy.

You can be vigorous all you want but extra pick 80's and rookie picks wont get it done.

Development is what we need. And that means Tyson and Viney stepping up to the level Pendlebury and Beams are at. It means Hogan when he returns. It means Salem learning from todays step backwards with 2 steps forward. And JKH getting the fitness and durability that Roos wont think about subbing him again.

I don't know you or what you are taking about. I don't think Jake Spencer is much good. Jamar is good, Jeff White was good but Jake is VFL level. We also let Troy Simmonds and Damien Jolley go. They were good players. That's all.

Sorry Darren Jolly

Sorry but Gawn is too slow and VFL level too, if that. Took some nice marks and tried hard but he'll never be a top ruckman or player.

Sorry but Gawn is too slow and VFL level too, if that. Took some nice marks and tried hard but he'll never be a top ruckman or player.

lol, i think this stupidity needs to be my new signature at the bottom of my profile.

Edited June 10, 201411 yr by The Song Formerly Known As

Most of our forwards got beaten one on one and we had no crumbers, turnovers cost us and so did the umps, just wasnt our day.

Im sure Roosy will be wracking his brain to fix our passages forward.

While this team is making progress, it is simply pathetic that we can only muster 3 goals at this level of football. Nearly 70,000 turned up today and deserve a better output.

Queens birthday and 3 goals!!!!!!! Bloody awful

I think whilst 3 goals is not great... Using pathetic is very harsh... When you consider were our club has come from less than 12mths ago.... You remember 100pt floggings! Players wanting to leave....

Look at the positives long term..... We have drafted well with Tyson/Salem ... Players like pedderson & watts playing better! Players are wanting to stay as development & culture occurring!

The game plan if executed correctly & stop the turnovers will result in wins....

Listen to Bomber Thompson on 360 saying Roos is teaching the players on how to win finals football!

Perspective needed here... A train wreck is not fixed over nite!

Edited June 10, 201411 yr by Hogan2014

3 goals at elite level very poor

I don't think anyone could possibly disagree with the thread title - really stating the bleeding obvious. Even Roos agreed :-)

But a 30 point loss to a top 4 team who have totally torn us apart in recent times (achieved that along with most other teams, sadly) after a similar loss to the top team is just so so far from 2011-13 to be unrecognisable.

Look at the positives.

Yes, 3 goals won't win games - unless you are talking soccer or hockey.

Edited June 10, 201411 yr by monoccular

it would have been different if we kicked a bit straighter. We did miss some easy ones.

I like the way the journos highlighted Melbournes lowest score against the filth since 1960.

They didn't go that little deeper GF 1960 Melb 8:14 to 2:2 just a cool 8 goal win.

I actually enjoyed the game yesterday, really hard physical stuff.

The kicking was atrocious, but I remember looking at the scoreboard a couple of times. Melb 74% K. Eff. Coll 71% K.Eff

thank god for all the kicking back and forth to each other is all I can say.

we did kick 3.10

Watts missed from 30 out under no pressure, would have kept us in it

He was under a lot of pressure.

we did kick 3.10

Watts missed from 30 out under no pressure, would have kept us in it

I agree with that, add Vince's goal that wasn't aloud and an extra meter on Peterson's kick and we are in the game.

What I'm trying to say is the game felt a lot closer then what the score board said it did.

The boys gave 100% from start to finish and I feel we are very much on the right track.

It was an honorably lose and thats all I asked for in 2014.

2015 is a different story.