And the longer you hang on, the sooner that miracle breakthrough will come when everyone lives to be 150. So we have many more years of watching Melbourne not win Premierships yet.

Gee thanks for that Chook

How many times do we have to watch a player leave us and then tear us apart.

been going on for 30yrs FMD

I'm just thankful Morton wasn't one of them. Can you imagine that?

Thinking back now with a clear head, Garland was and has been horrible, probly abit rough on mcdonald..

Did anyone else notice we got smashed off the line when brisbanes fwds lead?

Disgusted with Garland, not a backman's bum. Soft, not urgent, poorly skilled, finding it hard to find a redeeming feature about his recent play. A sign of how bad he has been is the fact that Dunn and McDonald are miles in front of him.

Disgusted with Garland, not a backman's bum. Soft, not urgent, poorly skilled, finding it hard to find a redeeming feature about his recent play. A sign of how bad he has been is the fact that Dunn and McDonald are miles in front of him.

he is a URFA at the end of 2015.

Should we trade now?

HAUNTED BY THE PRESENT by Whispering Jack

It was about nine minutes into the final term and Melbourne was ahead by 14 points with almost twice as many scoring shots as the Brisbane Lions (6.14 to 5.6). A thought bubble rose over my head suggesting that I should be prepared to excuse the ugliness of this virtually unwatchable game.

The mistakes, the turnovers, the poor skill sets from both sides were there clearly on display but the odds were that if the Demons would continue doing what they had done for more than three quarters then it would all be worth it because there were four premiership points on offer to be won that would lift the club ahead of another two AFL teams to establish a gap between themselves and the wooden spoon position.

At that very point the Lions went onto the attack knowing that the only way they could win a low scoring scrap in which the teams had thus far scored a mere eleven goals between them. At the same time, the Demons, perhaps believing that a 13 point lead in such a game was there to be saved rather than won, went super defensive.

Therein lay the problem. At times, it was an odds on certainty that with so many players down back, the opposition would simply belt the ball forward enough times to break through, especially if any of those players would commit an error which they did on cue and often enough to allow the Lions to break the wall of the dike and overrun the home team with a withering 20 minute and six goal burst.

The suggestion from the coach was that the team is haunted by the past but I reckon it's more a case of haunted by the present.

It was what the Demons deserved for bungling so many golden opportunities in the first three quarters and then shutting up shop far too early. For half a game between the beginning of the second quarter until siren time in the third they squandered countless opportunities to score goals. In the end, they got what they deserved.

Nathan Jones led the Demons as he always does but even he was not immune to committing the odd blooper. Dom Tyson gave him great support in the middle but he too was wasteful at times. Jeremy Howe and Tom McDonald defended well while James Frawley was solid in attack and he certainly couldn't do it on his own - but all of them committed errors when Melbourne was well on top.

There are too many in the team for who the practice has become commonplace. If your kicks and handballs miss the target, if you drop the football or fail to chase, then consider yourself lucky if you're on the list by the end of the year.

Melbourne 3.3.214.8.32 5.13.43 6.15.51

Brisbane Lions 3.3.21 4.3.27 5.6.36 11.8.74

Goals

Melbourne Kent 2 Bail Frawley N Jones Tyson

Brisbane Lions McStay 3 Close 2 Adcock Beams Hanley Harwood Merrett Taylor

Best

Melbourne N Jones Howe Jetta Frawley Tyson Kent

Brisbane Lions Bewick Rockliff Hanley Martin McStay Adcock

Changes

Melbourne Jack Grimes (hamstring) replaced in the selected side by Dean Terlich

Brisbane Lions Nil

Injuries

Melbourne McDonald (ankle), Pedersen (nose)

Brisbane Lions Maguire (foot)

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Brisbane Lions Daniel Merrett for striking Cam Pedersen in the fourth quarter

Umpires Donlon Harris O'Gorman

Crowd 18,079 at Etihad Stadium

he is a URFA at the end of 2015.

Should we trade now?

Players like Garland are the prime reason we are a shiite team. He should be in his prime. 26yo 112 gmes. Started out really well and we thought 'we have a player here'. And yet he has gone backwards in the past 3 yrs. Like he has had a footy lobotomy. Should be the marshall of the backline. Should be the player that the young guys look up to. She be a leader and a stalwart of the team.

Instead he is a half OK player that NEVER dominates, goes missing in action regularly, has spectacular brain fades. In a good side would probably be OK.

Rivers was a bit the same. Started great but was never a leader and was too easily coached out of a game. Poor disposal and a lot of average play in his last years.

Chip has headed that way since his AA year.

Jamar has had one year and gets toweled up by Martin after mouthing off about what he was gonna do to him

WTF has happened. It has happend to so many of our players in the past as well.

We never step up in line in the sand games. Never stand up when its counted. The number of times we have claimed to stand up and then fail miserably is pitiful.

he is a URFA at the end of 2015.

Should we trade now?

last year I wouldn't have entertained this...but now...Not a priority but depending on offers etc...id be listening.

Garland didn't have a preseason. He is in our top 10 most important players. Everyone relax

Garland didn't have a preseason. He is in our top 10 most important players. Everyone relax

there it is again! The interrupted preseason golden ticket! IDGAF if he got hit by a bus in January, he is a professional athlete who is declared fit and available for selection like everyone else, what kind of excuse is it to say that a bloke missed some training 5 months ago and therefore he is allowed to be shizen in round 19, one of the most infuriating lines that gets trotted out here. It's another one of these things absorbed from the ridiculously oversaturated media, bunch of boofhead ex-players like 'Kingy' and 'Johnno' and 'Richo' (see they're all great mates that's why they refer to each other by their surnames with an extra vowel at the end) all with their stupid heads on the screen 40 hours a walk trying desperately to say something insightful and instead carping out cliches, useless stats and theories that mean nothing - and then we get the pleasure of demonland posters regurgitating the same nonsense as their own original thoughts. A few years ago nobody even talked about a player's pre-season fitness - ENOUGH EXCUSES!

/end rant

Edited August 4, 201411 yr by Curry & Beer

there it is again! The interrupted preseason golden ticket! IDGAF if he got hit by a bus in January, he is a professional athlete who is declared fit and available for selection like everyone else, what kind of excuse is it to say that a bloke missed some training 5 months ago and therefore he is allowed to be shizen in round 19, one of the most infuriating lines that gets trotted out here. It's another one of these things absorbed from the ridiculously oversaturated media, bunch of boofhead ex-players like 'Kingy' and 'Johnno' and 'Richo' (see they're all great mates that's why they refer to each other by their surnames with an extra vowel at the end) all with their stupid heads on the screen 40 hours a walk trying desperately to say something insightful and instead carping out cliches, useless stats and theories that mean nothing - and then we get the pleasure of demonland posters regurgitating the same nonsense as their own original thoughts. A few years ago nobody even talked about a player's pre-season fitness - ENOUGH EXCUSES!

/end rant

So last year, he completed a preseason and finished 2nd in the BNF.

This year, he missed a preseason and has been below par.

I wonder what the difference was?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....

/end rant

That's a pity.

It was very entertaining.

So last year, he completed a preseason and finished 2nd in the BNF.

This year, he missed a preseason and has been below par.

I wonder what the difference was?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....

I'm not sure it was that hard to be noticed in the back line last year. The ball did spend about 80% game time in there. After all, Terlich was up there in the votes too.

Edited August 4, 201411 yr by mrtwister

I was there on Sunday. You didn't have to queue very long to get a beer - that was good. Moonshadow was downing them at a furious pace - that was good. However, despite what some posters above saw, I could not take a positive out of the game. We were weak and lacking in basic skills - It was like being transported back in time.

There were no positives in that game.

It was a membership killer.

If I'm missing any thing please advise me. However, if it is positive, I will consider it bull sh ite.

I was there on Sunday. You didn't have to queue very long to get a beer - that was good. Moonshadow was downing them at a furious pace - that was good. However, despite what some posters above saw, I could not take a positive out of the game. We were weak and lacking in basic skills - It was like being transported back in time.

There were no positives in that game.

It was a membership killer.

If I'm missing any thing please advise me. However, if it is positive, I will consider it bull sh ite.

Surely Stef Martin's game showed that our recruitment of players isn't that bad after all?

Surely Stef Martin's game showed that our recruitment of players isn't that bad after all?

Did you have to mention that you heartless bastard!!

I was there on Sunday. You didn't have to queue very long to get a beer - that was good. Moonshadow was downing them at a furious pace - that was good. However, despite what some posters above saw, I could not take a positive out of the game. We were weak and lacking in basic skills - It was like being transported back in time.

There were no positives in that game.

It was a membership killer.

If I'm missing any thing please advise me. However, if it is positive, I will consider it bull sh ite.

In retrospect all I can cling to is that if in the second and third quarters we had kicked 8 4 which was to be expected rather than 2 10 which was ridiculous , we probably win and then there is not so much heartburn. But yes the real problems would remain.

Garland didn't have a preseason. He is in our top 10 most important players. Everyone relax

Geez Sylvia had 10 of those golden tickets.......

FMD what an apologist. Not having a pre-season MIGHT mean you can't run out games but how the hell does it mean you can't hit a target, or win a one on one contest.

Some ppl on this forum are certifiably insane.

Member appreciation is very much a vital part of our clubs position. I think that the access, for all members, to The Victory Room, George Stone, Christian Salem and Jesse Hogan yesterday was a very good idea. A free drink was given with every meal purchased. Meals and drinks were reasonably priced. Access to the room was available before, during and after. However, not many people took advantage of this for some reason.

Didn't know about it...

Geez Sylvia had 10 of those golden tickets.......

FMD what an apologist. Not having a pre-season MIGHT mean you can't run out games but how the hell does it mean you can't hit a target, or win a one on one contest.

Some ppl on this forum are certifiably insane.

So what's the reason then if it's not lack of pre-season? I didn't see too many people raising these complaints about Garland last year when finished second in the B&F. Something has changed between then and now, so since you're an expert, I'd love to to hear your view. Speak slowly though so I can keep up.

So what's the reason then if it's not lack of pre-season? I didn't see too many people raising these complaints about Garland last year when finished second in the B&F. Something has changed between then and now, so since you're an expert, I'd love to to hear your view. Speak slowly though so I can keep up.

Don't you get it Nasher? One bad loss means that 95% of the list are complete shite and deserve to be smashed from pillar to post.

I was there on Sunday. You didn't have to queue very long to get a beer - that was good. Moonshadow was downing them at a furious pace - that was good. However, despite what some posters above saw, I could not take a positive out of the game. We were weak and lacking in basic skills - It was like being transported back in time.

There were no positives in that game.

It was a membership killer.

If I'm missing any thing please advise me. However, if it is positive, I will consider it bull sh ite.

Where were you Bitty? I would have come over and have had a beer with yourself and Moonie.

Not having a pre-season MIGHT mean you can't run out games but how the hell does it mean you can't hit a target, or win a one on one contest.

You've clearly never played football, or competed in any sport involving fatigue.

I'd also challenge the assumption that Garland has been playing badly. He isn't being asked to do the same job as last year, generally, so his possession and intercept mark numbers are lower than they were. But he's a flexible mid-sized defender who doesn't get beaten. I think Roos would be pretty happy with that.

I was there on Sunday. You didn't have to queue very long to get a beer - that was good. Moonshadow was downing them at a furious pace - that was good. However, despite what some posters above saw, I could not take a positive out of the game. We were weak and lacking in basic skills - It was like being transported back in time.

There were no positives in that game.

It was a membership killer.

If I'm missing any thing please advise me. However, if it is positive, I will consider it bull sh ite.

Nope no positives here:

I cannot understand the whole roof fiasco - I spent the whole afternoon with my arm/hand stuck to my forehead trying to block the sun....although I realized at 3/4 time that it was better staring straight in the sun than watch the crap our boys were dishing up.

/end rant

I know, I know. I mean, why don't they just go back to training Tuesday and Thursday nights after work.

There's a reason all clubs start training in October. If it didn't make a difference, they'd all start training in February or March like in the good old days. But it does make a difference, and if you miss out on that training, you miss out on that difference.

The improvement this year is obvious and early doors seem to have improved our drafting in the last 2 drafts under Todd Viney and Jason Taylor.

But prior recruiting errors and development failures mean we still have a long way to go. But at least we've started to recruit better and we have the best credentialled footy department we've had since.... 1964?