POST MATCH DISCUSSION - ROUND 2, 2015

[What 18,810]

Still cant believe the fadeout

We had them on toast, 5 goals up. Looking great and then it all went to water, so bloody disappointing

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

Still cant believe the fadeout

We had them on toast, 5 goals up. Looking great and then it all went to water, so bloody disappointing

yup, still hurting.

[Sir Why You Little 34,980]

Still cant believe the fadeout

We had them on toast, 5 goals up. Looking great and then it all went to water, so bloody disappointing

It's between the ears HH

The soft underbelly is still there

After 2 years of PJ as CEO i thought it was gone

But not yet.

[P-man 13,277]

i was more confused than angry. It wasn't registering how we could just...stop playing.

You could see heads going down everywhere, new guys included.

I have faith that we can bounce back, however.

[jumbo returns 6,547]

It's between the ears HH

The soft underbelly is still there

After 2 years of PJ as CEO i thought it was gone

But not yet.

You keep on avoiding the debate...allowing anger to overcome footy knowledge.

Our list isn't good enough yet.....some have developed to their maximum, and their best is not AFL standard.

Not all between the ears.

[Gator 16,921]

Brayshaw looks very good, but like Viney I think will be a hard nut, but not a star like Pendlebury, Judd etc.

I agree with much of your post, but why anyone would rule out Brayshaw being a star is beyond me.

For the record, I think the opposite.

[Bitter but optimistic 21,560]

Well, I had the 'extreme advantage' of seeing that up close and very personal...

Just when you think the club couldn't eff with your emotions anymore - in walks the biggest sucker punch I can recall.

The midfield was bulldozed for 45 minutes and that was that.

So humiliating to sit there amongst other Dees and watch it - some turned on Watts, although not as many as I thought there would be, most left their snide remarks for Dawes, and I can see why, but really, and I am sure you noticed this on the TV, the midfield was absolutely annihilated for a quarter and that was the match.

I noticed a couple of things being at the ground; GWS' press was effective but there was no movement from our mids, and our forwards had been instructed to not lead and hold space on the boundary and for the kicks to go there - it worked for a time but then they pushed players over, created contests and beat us.

The rest I think you would have worked out for yourself.

Sadly I was there also rpfc and that sums it up exactly.

I did have some pleasant post match entertainment though!

[Sir Why You Little 34,980]

You keep on avoiding the debate...allowing anger to overcome footy knowledge.

Our list isn't good enough yet.....some have developed to their maximum, and their best is not AFL standard.

Not all between the ears.

Disagree

We had them 7 Goals to 2

Effort to play on when you are hurting is where the problem lies

[jumbo returns 6,547]

Disagree

We had them 7 Goals to 2

Effort to play on when you are hurting is where the problem lies

Our midfield is equal to theirs, is it?

Our ruck stocks are better than theirs?

Disagree all you want - you can't handle the truth.

[DeeZee 6,856]

Untill we can develop or recruit a star on baller who consistently gets the ball out of the Middle and a couple of quick outside runners we are going to be cut open like this a few more times.

Tyson was very disappointing,Jones was tagged and I felt Garlett and Lumumba could have been used more in the middle.

We just couldn't keep up with the runners of GWS.

[Redleg 38,124]

It's between the ears HH

The soft underbelly is still there

After 2 years of PJ as CEO i thought it was gone

But not yet.

It must be between the ears.

Dockers midfield is not quick but they smash you.

It is effort and we had little after half time.

Mentally weak.

How hard is it to pressure and tackle aggressively.

[titan_uranus 22,852]

Our midfield is equal to theirs, is it?

Our ruck stocks are better than theirs?

Disagree all you want - you can't handle the truth.

Is Essendon's midfield equal to Hawthorn's? Are their forwards?

[jumbo returns 6,547]

Is Essendon's midfield equal to Hawthorn's? Are their forwards?

Essendon's list is better than ours and they have real talent and marque players all over the ground.

And, they play for each other.

Yesterday, we were thumped by a better team, with better players...

[Sir Why You Little 34,980]

Essendon's list is better than ours and they have real talent and marque players all over the ground.

And, they play for each other.

Yesterday, we were thumped by a better team, with better players...

No.

Yesterday the Team did not play for each other after half time

You are the one making excuses JR

[titan_uranus 22,852]

Essendon's list is better than ours and they have real talent and marque players all over the ground.

And, they play for each other.

Yesterday, we were thumped by a better team, with better players...

Whatever level of talent we have, GWS has more.

Whatever level of talent Essendon has, Hawthorn has more.

Essendon won because they put in a huge effort, they didn't mentally give up, and as you say, they played for each other. That helped them overcome the gap in talent that needed to be bridged.

We lost because we didn't do any of that.

[jumbo returns 6,547]

No.

Yesterday the Team did not play for each other after half time

You are the one making excuses JR

Not excuses SWYL, just observations.

If the skipper doesn't fire, our midfield lacks the experience and class to step up.

I'm saying that some of our players have reached their optimum level, and alas, their best is not AFL standard.

[jumbo returns 6,547]

Whatever level of talent we have, GWS has more.

Whatever level of talent Essendon has, Hawthorn has more.

Essendon won because they put in a huge effort, they didn't mentally give up, and as you say, they played for each other. That helped them overcome the gap in talent that needed to be bridged.

We lost because we didn't do any of that.

And, we had no leaders....Essendon has leaders in buckets. Further, I rate Essendon's list.

[titan_uranus 22,852]

And, we had no leaders....Essendon has leaders in buckets. Further, I rate Essendon's list.

Doesn't detract from the argument. They're obviously a better side than we are, but the point stands - they beat a better side than them because they put in a huge effort and didn't drop their heads when the going got tough.

[Wiseblood 24,636]

If you want to look 'quick' then you need players with high levels of footy IQ. At the moment we don't have enough.

[Sir Why You Little 34,980]

Not excuses SWYL, just observations.

If the skipper doesn't fire, our midfield lacks the experience and class to step up.

I'm saying that some of our players have reached their optimum level, and alas, their best is not AFL standard.

And i am saying a lot of our players have not pushed themselves through that Pain Barrier...

We had GW$ by the balls yesterday and let go

And they let us have it.

[SaberFang 7,141]

I think a point that isn't raised often enough with the MFC is that we aren't really a cohesive team.

When you turn over 11 players from your list every year and there's no consistency, there isn't an opportunity for players to learn the psychology of their teammates. The reason Hawthorn are so successful is because they've been working together with a tight core unit for the better part of a decade. They know each other's game inside out.

It will take years and years of a settled list to get close to this at Melbourne. I don't imagine we'll have that until Goodwin's first year, and even then it might take him a few years.

[jumbo returns 6,547]

Doesn't detract from the argument. They're obviously a better side than we are, but the point stands - they beat a better side than them because they put in a huge effort and didn't drop their heads when the going got tough.

I'm not detracting from the argument.

Essendon's list is very, very good, coupled with their leaders standing up.

The Melbourne list still needs to weed out sub standard footballers.

In time, Salem, Viney, Tommy M and Viney will become generals in their own right.

[Gator 16,921]

Newton came to the club as an inside mid, but they wanted to develop his outside game and with Cross, Tyson, Jones and Viney you can see why. I'd rather Newton return to a more inside role and for Kennedy-Harris to come in for Cross.

I don't know the answer to the following question, as I haven't watched the replay and doubt I will, but I hope we're not running too many tags or run-with roles. I agree that there should be one, but any more than that and you run the risk of man-watching and not hunting the footy. GWS looked to be footy hunters and we looked reactive.

[What 18,810]

Jesse Hogan leads the league in contested marks.

Shame the loss has taken the shine off how incredibly good this kid looks already.

[jumbo returns 6,547]

Jesse Hogan leads the league in contested marks.

Shame the loss has taken the shine off how incredibly good this kid looks already.

Don't think so....the footy world is waking up to this kid....