ANOTHER FAIRY TALE FRACTURED by George on the Outer

On a Saturday when the Saints come back from 10 goals down, and the Giants beat the reigning premier, the stage was set for a fairy-tale triple header with Melbourne facing the in-form Sydney.

And while there was some sort of comeback as the Demons kicked five or the last six goals to add some respectability to the score, a first half solitary goal and a six goal deficit meant the match was over by half-time.

The only fairy-tale was a first game, first kick goal by Billy Stretch, but given that was all the Demons could muster in 50 minutes of football, only those supporters who believed in fairies had any hope of a resurgence.

The Swans showed the Demons what was necessary to play top-line AFL football but sadly the message will bypass many who took to the field. They are simply not up to AFL standard themselves and show no promise of ever reaching that standard.

Tommy Mac and Nathan Jones know what it is all about, but the critical observation is that the next best of our players, Hogan, Lamumba, Vince, Cross, Tyson, Brayshaw, Salem and Garlett werent at the club 2 years ago.

The team is still filled with the old guard who learnt their football from the likes of a player who had gone west and found out that discipline and commitment is a prerequisite to getting a game.

The simple lack of depth of quality in the side is now strikingly apparent. Many have questioned how Watts, Howe and others continue to get a game, rightly so. Stretch, a draftee who didnt play last week is called up to the senior list to fill a gap. Spencer is elevated to the firsts, yet cannot jump off the ground, kick nor mark the ball to this day.

And when Dawes and Tyson sustain leg/knee injuries during the game and can only move at half pace, the stocks become even lower.

Meanwhile, down at Casey who is pushing to replace these types.no-one of merit. The names that keep getting suggested on this site are those that have been tried and failed before. And so the senior list is filled with these NQR players.

The few glimmers of hope for the fans is that there is some genuine talent already here. Hogan continues to impress, Salem is poetry in motion and has that fierce desire to compete at all times. Stretch, even in his first game, was not overwhelmed and although still lightly built has skills similar to his old man.

Tom McDonald continues to grow each week and surely must be a certainty for AA selection on his current form. He has played on the best forwards in the competition and has nullified the likes of Cameron, Riewoldt, Walker and now Franklin. His determination and emergence as a player who last year had disposal and decision making problems is a true credit to himself.

Yes, the fairy tale wasnt forthcoming. Yes, we werent blown away by a team that played in a Grand Final only 7 matches ago, and that surely shows some improvement from where we were. And yes, there are some players who will develop into something special.

If we want some fairy-tales to emerge they will only happen with hard work. They wont happen for those players who are living the dream and nothing more.

For them the fairy tale will become fractured in 3 or 4 months time!

Melbourne 1.1.7 1.3.9 4.5.29 7.8.50

Sydney Swans 4.3 7.6 11.9.75 12.16.88

Goals

Melbourne Garlett Hogan 2 Dawes Newton Stretch

Sydney Swans Tippett 4 Kennedy 2 Goodes Hannebery Jetta McGlynn Parker, Pyke

Best

Melbourne T McDonald Salem N Jones Hogan Vince

Sydney Swans Mitchell Kennedy Tippett Jack Parker Jetta McVeigh

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Sydney Swans Nil

Injuries

Melbourne Dawes (right knee) Tyson (left knee)

Sydney Swans Hannebery (left ankle) Heeney (right knee) Lloyd (ankle)

Substitutions

Melbourne Watts replaced Pedersen in the third quarter.

Sydney Swans Goodes replaced Heeney in the second quarter.

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Sydney Swans Nil

Umpires Margetts Findlay Harris

Official Crowd 26,894 at the MCG

In amongst a sea of excrement and the blood of 35,000 suicidal fans, one man stands tall. The clouds part, and a single ray of sunshine streams through.

Jesse Hogan.

(Also, honourable mentions to Salem and Brayshaw who were good, Stretch who worked bloody hard for a first gamer and Cross who I thought tried to show the way with his intensity, especially in the second half, and of course the impenetrable Tommy Mac. Everyone else, eat a bag.)

If Tom McDonald isn't the all Australian full back right now something is seriously wrong.

The most disappointing thing for me is we just played into their hands and started to score when it was too late and we started to run a bit.

Probably going to go against a few other people's opinions but I thought Toumpas was okay.

At least Franklin didn't kick a goal...

The Hawks will need to watch out as we'll be on a double rebound and Dawes/Spence will be better for the run!

Second week in a row we've been beaten by a team with bigger bodied mids

Our biggest weakness was exposed again

Not a great night but I don't think it was the end of the world. Good to see the boys get on a run - need to keep developing and stay course

Overall disappointing though

Must open the cheque book at seasons end and buy a gun midfielder or 2.

We dont have time to wait and we have proven time and time again we cant develop out own stars.

Someone please sum up this game for me in 3 sentences

I luckily slept through most of it.

We went into our shells offensively as soon as they challenged us, and we got dominated from the 10 minutes mark onwards. Disappointing.

Borrrrrrring!

Positives

- Tom McDonald is a certainty for AA if he keeps this up.

- Salem is class, keeps getting better.

- Stretch and Brayshaw were good early.

- I thought Tyson had done his ACL, but he didn't. He actually played his best footy for the year after it.

- Garlett very good after half time.

Negatives

- Smashed in every facet when the game was on the line.

- Dawes and Pedersen completely ineffective.

- Toumpas. I've defended him, but he looks like another Cale Morton.

- Dunn getting pantsed by Tippett. (We missed Frawley for the first time)

- Disposal and lack of run.

I think if you said Sydney by 38 points before the game, most people would have agreed. But I think the scoreboard flattered us massively.

Our problems start and finish in the midfield although our backline gifted them 3 goals through basic errors. That said until we can dominate the mid field we will struggle no matter who is up forward. But dominate the midfield and every other area gets easier.

I'd like to see Hogan with a lot more inside 50s delivered accurately...

Hogan, Salem, MacDonald.

If that doesn't cheer you up a bit you need to be medicated.

We're still seeing the same issues. When the opposition takes away our time we start panic bombing rather than passing and Sydney just set up a few extra men 40m forward of the play to mark it and bring it back in. It's all a matter of composure and being willing to take the hit to get a proper pass away. A little work off the ball to create time and space for the kicker would help too. You can't blame the forwards for having low numbers today when the ball movement was so terrible. They had no supply and the few times it did get to them they were outnumbered.

At least Franklin didn't kick a goal...

and that won it for us...just saying...

Oh hang on.....

Must open the cheque book at seasons end and buy a gun midfielder or 2.

We dont have time to wait and we have proven time and time again we cant develop out own stars.

I know this goes against what most think but we are in desperate need of a quality ruckman to give us first use of the ball and contribute as a mid around the ground.

Really feel like we are missing jack Viney, quality clearance player

Wouldn't mind seein Salem in the midfield for a bit.

Wouldn't mind seein Salem in the midfield for a bit.

have the feeling that's plan for next year...might come sooner though !

I know this goes against what most think but we are in desperate need of a quality ruckman to give us first use of the ball and contribute as a mid around the ground.

Yeah spencer got owned tonight. He'll struggle every time against the athletic ruckman.

Can't believe our lack of run to give the kicker a range of options whenever we had it. That's just a basic requirement in a team: work hard for your teammates.

Won back a little bit of respect but still we were bad.

Salem and Mcdonald were clearly our best on ground. Mcdonald is such a beast and Salem deserves special mention for playing like that after a knock last week.

Also good on Dom Tyson for playing out the last qtr after i nearly had a heart attack after the way he grabbed his knee..

Lumumba tried to take the game on and i like that. Made some errors but i felt along with salem he just tried to move it on quicly.

Stretch started off well but ran out of puff. Didn't have a disposal at all in the 2nd half.

Hogan was great again. Presented all night with 8 marks and 2 goals.

How good was Garlett in the midfield?

Don't know what game some were watching i thought Toumpas was ok. Did plenty of gut run and went in harder then usual. Needs a good stretch of games to continue to gain confidence.

Spencer was timid and thrashed Toumpas not up to it or needs to find a role that suits , what did we have in mind when we drafted him ?

Brian Taylor is the worst commentator of all time...

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