Yep that'll fix things......

Were you at the game last night ?

last year we lost by 4 goals 7 points in 2014 to the swans this year it was 5 goals 8 points,how have we improved?.… would be nice for Paul to answer this.

Enyaw is back finally some common sense

last year we lost by 4 goals 7 points in 2014 to the swans this year it was 5 goals 8 points,how have we improved?.… would be nice for Paul to answer this.

Haha hilarious mate!

I think it's time you looked at reality Song

This club is still playing timid football 10 years down the track...

Last night we were inept, fumbly and lacking in teamwork, particularly in the first half. I think this was mainly due to failing to respond to the Swans' pressure. Roos permitting McVeigh to run around unmarked didn't help. I didn't think we were timid at all, and I didn't see the Swans easing off in the second half.

Next week will probably be discouraging again, but we're still well ahead of the last few years.

So we kick 1 goal in 2 quarters of football, ROos swings the changes and we kick 1 goal in 2 quarters of football. Not really according to plan was it....

Aside from the umpires making the game unwatchable - particularly umpire 6 who awarded some baffling frees to the Swans in the first quarter and ignored the same ones that should have been paid to Melbourne - our running was non-existent and kicking to the first option was totally abandoned. Numerous times we would get the pill and one of our players would break and it would be ignored. As so often happens the players upfield stop leading - what's the point. The stop start rubbish is back to our worst days.

And we missed a number of chances in the first 10mins that would have put some scoreboard pressure and doubt into the Swans mind. We are simply not capable of putting sides under the pump. Coupled with 3 goals in the 1st that the Swans should not have gotten:

1 When Spencer went with Salem to attack the ball carrier and the Swans got it to Pike who nailed a tough shot.

2. The toe poke goal to Tippet that is simply dumb and on forgivable football

3. The free to Tippet in the first agains Dunn

Also in the first Vanders missed a relatively easy goal. Three kick to our fwd line that missed targets completely and were turned over. And for the life of me why McVeigh wasn't manned up I will never know. He tore us to shreds.

What a wasted 3 hours of my life that was.

Were you at the game last night ?

Yep. JKH was useless. Did you watch Matt Jones yesterday? If you think that one change is going to solve our problems you are in Dreamland

Not sure this has been touched (I assume it has), but I thought the Bronx cheer for Watts when he got a clearance just after he came on was pretty poor form. He frustrates me as much as anyone, but when he has just come on, to hear that, I would imagine would be pretty soul destroying.

And I thought he was good when he came on yesterday, at least save the booing for when he is having a stinker.

Yep. JKH was useless. Did you watch Matt Jones yesterday? If you think that one change is going to solve our problems you are in Dreamland

Or Demonland....see what I did there?

Jack Watts must always start on the ground.

Fin.

Not sure this has been touched (I assume it has), but I thought the Bronx cheer for Watts when he got a clearance just after he came on was pretty poor form. He frustrates me as much as anyone, but when he has just come on, to hear that, I would imagine would be pretty soul destroying.

And I thought he was good when he came on yesterday, at least save the booing for when he is having a stinker.

Agreed, it makes no sense to give him a bronx cheer when he has literally just come onto the ground.

1. 44 players were kicking to the Swans for most of the night.

2. McVeigh was allowed to run around without an opponent and he set up about 7-8 goals.

3. We miss easy shots at crucial times which sap our confidence.

So basically Red... nothing's changed from last year on or off the field in a performance/output sense.

I watched a loose McVeigh and to a lessor extent Shaw, run rings around us, setting up goals, making their fellow players look good (bringing them into the play) and us look silly last year and we refused to man them up (or couldn't). Wind the clock one season on and....groundhog day.

With the exception of a few individuals and changes to the deck chairs with a few new players, i can only assess from this performance (ie., worse than last year's) that as a "team", we haven't progressed at all.

It's been said I think, but not properly considered by most of us - the four teams who've beaten us are currently four of the top five teams on the ladder. Now, obviously PA and Hawthorn are better than their ladder positions show, but the point is that we are losing to sides who are showing early season glimpses of finals football. When we've played lesser sides, we've dominated and won both times.

I think this has to be kept in mind for a bit of perspective. Doesn't make last night any less deplorable, but should remind us that it isn't as grim as it may first seem.

Yep. JKH was useless. Did you watch Matt Jones yesterday? If you think that one change is going to solve our problems you are in Dreamland

Was going to ask if No 3 went ok?

Havent made any comments about M Jones.

Not sure this has been touched (I assume it has), but I thought the Bronx cheer for Watts when he got a clearance just after he came on was pretty poor form. He frustrates me as much as anyone, but when he has just come on, to hear that, I would imagine would be pretty soul destroying.

And I thought he was good when he came on yesterday, at least save the booing for when he is having a stinker.

Surely, it was Sydney fans, not us....Richmond did it too, when we played them.

It's been said I think, but not properly considered by most of us - the four teams who've beaten us are currently four of the top five teams on the ladder. Now, obviously PA and Hawthorn are better than their ladder positions show, but the point is that we are losing to sides who are showing early season glimpses of finals football. When we've played lesser sides, we've dominated and won both times.

I think this has to be kept in mind for a bit of perspective. Doesn't make last night any less deplorable, but should remind us that it isn't as grim as it may first seem.

Spot on.. We also need not forget the equalisation policy for the swans from the afl.... Cannot bottom out, ensure gun KPP players end up @ the swans either via free agency or trade deals....

Yep. JKH was useless. Did you watch Matt Jones yesterday? If you think that one change is going to solve our problems you are in Dreamland

No you are in Demonland

I was at the ground last night. I have to put that on the record because quite a few that make comment here weren't at the game and may not have even watched the whole game live or on replay. Toumpas demonstrated to me that he has developed since 2014. He should retain his spot. Jack Watts was effective from the minute he came on. I love what Jack brings to the team. He was down in the previous week but showed good signs last night. If Rhys Rabbit thinks that a bit of huff and puff will put jack off his game then he is as silly as we thought, even as silly as some Demonland posters! Jack is a touch player, sometimes sublime, sometimes ... well, out of touch. I also noticed that he gave a lot of direction around stoppages as soon as he appeared. He is more of a leader than many give him credit for. He should retain his spot next week and hand the green vest to someone else... perhaps Neale Bullen!

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 weren’t 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 didn’t 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 wasn’t forthcoming. Yes, we weren’t 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 won’t 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

I was at the ground last night. I have to put that on the record because quite a few that make comment here weren't at the game and may not have even watched the whole game live or on replay. Toumpas demonstrated to me that he has developed since 2014. He should retain his spot. Jack Watts was effective from the minute he came on. I love what Jack brings to the team. He was down in the previous week but showed good signs last night. If Rhys Rabbit thinks that a bit of huff and puff will put jack off his game then he is as silly as we thought, even as silly as some Demonland posters! Jack is a touch player, sometimes sublime, sometimes ... well, out of touch. I also noticed that he gave a lot of direction around stoppages as soon as he appeared. He is more of a leader than many give him credit for. He should retain his spot next week and hand the green vest to someone else... perhaps Neale Bullen!

Or Stretch.

Jack Watts must always start on the ground.

Fin.

Nah. Needs to be taught a lesson or two.

Was going to ask if No 3 went ok?

Havent made any comments about M Jones.

Then why were you commenting on my post in reply to Golly's that said MJones should replace JKH?

Nah. Needs to be taught a lesson or two.

Yep. Had more impact in the short time he was on the ground...a couple of goal assists, I think?

Spencer's game last night clearly demonstrates that we don't have what you would call a 'modern' ruckmen. All 3 of ours are big, lumbering blokes who do alright at the ruck contests but offer little else. Look at these names... Jacobs, Goldstein, S. Martin, Mumford... the list goes on. We almost play a mid down during games as once the ball hits the deck our ruckman is pretty much out of the contest.

If can address this somehow in the off season then it will go some way to solving a few of our problems.

Simple... Re-sign D Martin! Why we ever let him go... He is our missing link!