I don't disagree, but I go every week, and to me that was our worst performance of the year (keep in mind I wasn't in the country and have never watched that West Coast game, so I'm probably wrong). We were pathetic in that first half, and in the last 10 minutes of the match when it was there to be won, we made so many idiotic errors.

This was only the first time Roos said we played like we didn't care, which is just going back to the Neeld days. If there is one thing we have done well this year, is play with intensity. In that first half we played like we couldn't care less if we won or lost. Even guys like Jones and Vince, who have been wonderful all year, played terribly.

It was a scary reminder of what this team is still capable of producing.

Yes we came back into the game, when last year we would have lost by 10+ goals, but we never ever should have been this far behind against the Dogs.

That our opposition wasn't much chop and were missing their 2 better tall forwards, their best midfielder and their Brownload medallist and we still got smashed in the clearances and conceeded plenty of dumb goals, only made it worse, especially when we won the ruck comprehensively.

I've been to every game this year, except the games against GWS, Adelaide and Port. The first half of the Bulldogs game was equal to, if not worse than the Eagles game. I agree we seemed to play without care in the first half, but I feel like we haven't brought decent intensity to a match since the Port game. We've been okay in patches since, but really, we haven't hit 100% again. Disappointing. There's no doubt we've shown improvement this season though.

You can almost forgive 1st game under Paul Roos, plus no Jamar and Fitzy going off early with a concussion.

Sunday was just bad, especially given Jamar was dominating in the ruck.

It didn't help that Tommy Mac was playing injured on Riewoldt, who ended up being the difference.

I feel like we haven't brought decent intensity to a match since the Port game.

^^This. At least the players are learning that a) their best is good enough to win games; but b) if they don't bring AFL level intensity for full games they will lose (Essendon game aside)

Edited July 1, 201411 yr by Radar Detector

^^This. At least the players are learning that a) their best is good enough to win games; but b) if they don't bring AFL level intensity for full games they will lose (Essendon game aside)

I think the Ess game still depicted that criteria. Roos is trying to get the message through that you need to be "on" 100% of the game.

Sometimes we're "off", sometimes 75% , occasionally 100% ( and we play really well)

But as you suggest maybe the Ess win was anaberation of sorts