What the last five weeks have shown is that we are still a mile off the best midfields in the competition and when those sides get their tails up against us we can't stop them.

Yes there were mistakes and individual errors which can be blamed for the second quarter onslaught, but the source of the problem was the domination of Port around the ball. Boak, Ebert and Gray got on top and just ran rings around us at the stoppages and the ball was pumped forward relentlessly.

Our midfield has improved but it is still just emerging from third world and the top midfields just rip us to shreds.

We were able to stop the Dogs' run on last week because we got back on top in midfield. Same with the Suns when they charged at us in Round 1. But they were sides with middle of the road midfields. Once Port's gun midfielders got their tails up, we couldn't stop them. Same with the Hawks, Freo and Swans against us.

There's absolutely no excuse for our drop off in pressure. Going from a tight, low-scoring game where they really struggled to move the ball to an open uncontested free-flowing style which Port love all in the space of 30 minutes is just not acceptable. But until we can develop that first world midfield we will continue to get pumped by the top sides in the competition.

I won't individualise too much but a mention has to go to Jack Watts. Is it possible he has become weaker over the years? I think so. He is probably in the top 5% of players on pure skill and ability but would have to be the weakest footballer I've ever seen at AFL level. I don't say this lightly either. Unbelievable to find such a contrast in a player.

Nailed it SJ.

The critical factor was Hinkley putting Ebert behind the ball. Him picking up so many uncontested possessions started them running forward of the ball, and closed up the space we were running into, so we stopped running, just as they started running. They also clamped down on Jones & started to win clearances.

What bothers me is that's not the first time this has happened. Seems that every time the other team stops Jones, or puts a man loose in defence, we're helpless.

ur coaches, whether it's Roos or Goodwin or whoever, needs to work out what to do about those two blindingly obvious moves by opposition coaches. Or we're stuffed.

That's strange everyone was untouchable last week because we had a win.

On Dunn, we will have to wait till his next contract year to get another good game out of him. Does it every time!

I couldn't watch much of today's game, saw bits and pieces early - wtf happened? We were dominating early, should've been 6 goals up at quarter time. Seems like it was an exact replica of the GWS game.

Was rapt with Dunn becoming vice captain. Now realise he was taking the pi$$.

His EEG and ECG are flat lines.

I won't individualise too much but a mention has to go to Jack Watts. Is it possible he has become weaker over the years? I think so. He is probably in the top 5% of players on pure skill and ability but would have to be the weakest footballer I've ever seen at AFL level. I don't say this lightly either. Unbelievable to find such a contrast in a player.

If I was the coach, I'd just say to Jack, listen mate, you're playing the rest of the year at Casey and you're going to be traded or delisted at the end of the year unless you spend the next 9 months in the gym and doing nothing but full contact boxing and roman greco style wrestling to learn about physicality, I wouldn't entertain the idea of even considering him for selection until he has at least 8-10 kg of additional muscle mass on his frame and he can actually take down someone the size of Jarman Impey in a tackle..

The club still falls over the moment pressure is applied. It is incredible really. So predictable. But i was shocked today

The transformation was ridiculous. Senior players are not up to it

Simple as that.

Toumpas plays better then Watts. At least the Toump puts his body on the line sometimes

Persist with Toump. He had a go

Jack Watts

Wouldn't it be nice to support a team that doesn't roll over and die when things start to go a bit against them? Sometimes I wonder why I continue to follow this club.

Oh wait, maybe it's because the members don't roll over and die when things start to go a bit against them. Maybe the players should take note......

Not only did we learn nothing from the GWS game, we just produced a carbon copy of it.

Jack Watts - 0 tackles.. enough is enough. [censored] and play netball, you're a disgrace to the jumper

You took the words out of my mouth on Watts. I was embarrassed for him today. The way he got pushed off the ball and his inability to tackle players younger and smaller than him was hard to watch.

I'm flat as [censored].. Still don't know why I allow this club to make me feel like this. The past for years I wouldn't get down on a loss like today because it was expected but I went into this game with hope, hope that this club for the first time in God knows could put 2 wins meaningful wins together.. 4 goals up and I'm thinking "[censored] how goods this, we'll be playing in the QB clash against the pies for a potential shot of been in the 8!!!" Then reality set in and the realization we are still so far off it as a football club...

This was a game we needed to win. We tend to beat the same old teams each year (the few that we do) and never scalp a big win over a team that should be top four. Bulldogs beat a top 4 side, GWS did, Brisbane have. We needed to beat one of Haw, Port, Syd, Freo or Geelong to clearly give the fans hope.

Every loss Watts just cops it. The performance of Our team is all about midfield, we have no midfield depth. Today whilst our starting mids were fresh we played well. As soon as they were spent so were we, we just don't have the second string midfielders.

Today we basically played 18 players, Howe, Bail, M Jones and Fitzpatrick weren't even out there. No team can carry 4 players that have zero impact. You add another 10 players that were ordinary, it doesn't give you any chance to compete.

The kick in was the turning point, we had all the momentum and he gave it up with that stupid barrel attempt.

I havnt seen the replay but thought Macca should of got involved in that contest at the time. Left it for Bail to contest

This was a game we needed to win. We tend to beat the same old teams each year (the few that we do) and never scalp a big win over a team that should be top four. Bulldogs beat a top 4 side, GWS did, Brisbane have. We needed to beat one of Haw, Port, Syd, Freo or Geelong to clearly give the fans hope.

I suppose I should put the Leonard Cohen LP on.

break out the sedatives,

run a warn bath,sharpen the cut throat and prepare for the end.

Jeesus Moon.

I was having a pretty good night despite the result until I read that.

You're playing 4 short with Watts, Howe, Bail and M Jones. Watts and Howe are as weak as p*ss. Jones and Bail are park footballers. None of them pose any threat to the opposition as 2 are soft and 2 are useless.

When your opposition has 3-4 midfielders that are better players than nathan jones you're always going to be in trouble. Boak, Gray, Wines. Stars. Not until nathan jones is our 3rd or 4th midfielder will we be any good. Brayshaw will be in a couple of years, hopefully petracca, tyson and maybe salem can be, and we need to get pick 4 or 5 right this year too.

But the earlier comment is spot on. We've upgraded slightly from 3rd world midfield but still can't get anywhere near the 1st class midfields.

I don't think I've done anything but defend Watts forever, but today was my straw that broke the camels back. It is fine to say he cops it, and he did some quite nice things, but he had a real stinker overall. A real shame.

Bail gone next week. If we could, Dunn would go too. He had about the worst game I've seen him play, and the fact he led the team in touches means nothing. That idiotic torp was the three seconds where the game shifted, and it was over.

We should have learnt the Frawley lesson, and should stick Howe at Casey for the rest of the year. He's gone for absolute sure.

Toumpas was good and ran hard again - he will be persisted with and is finding his feet.

Garland was wonderful down back.

Spencer started well but faded. However, he laid a couple of really brilliant tackles and was rewarded. Jamar is done, and I think Gawn has been put back quite a bit. Can't believe I'm saying that.

Jones just has to play through a tag. Or he needs support. The fact that Brayshaw was the only one that stood up, and that we got virtually nothing from Vince and the like, says a lot.

McDonald was servicable and had a few really effective spoils. What I loved was seeing him running through CHB and hitting up leading targets, so he is clearly feeling confident enough to get his run going. Only made one bad error, kicking to Toumpas one-on-one in the back half and not giving him a chance.

Grimes had another really solid game and is looking so much freer. His kicking has improved and the weight is clearly off his shoulders.

And Hogan. Get him up here. I wanna boof him (borrowed from Bill Lawry...).

Jack Watts

Love it. I've been calling him Reek all season.

Can't wait for 2017.

Wow. What a depressing turn around.

Wines killed us again

Watts is done as are a few others IF we are ever to climb the ladder again...

Just p%^2 himoff I am tired of watching pathetic efforts surely nobody here can support this weak Pr54K

Our midfielders tend to get 20 or so disposals a game while every other team does 30-40. That's the simple difference between us. When we get ourselves a few ball-magnets who get the thing more than 30 times a game we'll be more competitive.

Nailed it SJ.

The critical factor was Hinkley putting Ebert behind the ball. Him picking up so many uncontested possessions started them running forward of the ball, and closed up the space we were running into, so we stopped running, just as they started running. They also clamped down on Jones & started to win clearances.

What bothers me is that's not the first time this has happened. Seems that every time the other team stops Jones, or puts a man loose in defence, we're helpless.

ur coaches, whether it's Roos or Goodwin or whoever, needs to work out what to do about those two blindingly obvious moves by opposition coaches. Or we're stuffed.

Bad coaching again

Every loss Watts just cops it. The performance of Our team is all about midfield, we have no midfield depth. Today whilst our starting mids were fresh we played well. As soon as they were spent so were we, we just don't have the second string midfielders.

Today we basically played 18 players, Howe, Bail, M Jones and Fitzpatrick weren't even out there. No team can carry 4 players that have zero impact. You add another 10 players that were ordinary, it doesn't give you any chance to compete.

Listen Mate did you actually watch his pathetic I will say it again for emphasis pathetic efforts

Time to wield a large axe

OUT: Bail, M Jones , Fitzpatrick, Watts, Howe, Toumpas

IN Riley, Newton, Jamar,or Gawn, Neal Bullen, Dawes, Tyson