B.T.D.T (been there, done that) by George on the Outer

To quote from Demonland's own Oracle in his Match Preview:

When, in recent history, has Melbourne ever won a game starting as the favourite?

Once again the Demon supporters who have B.T.D.T knew all too well what was going to happen.

Essendon on their knees, lost their captain, the club under a long-running drug investigation, senior players missing through injury, a 110 point thrashing the previous week, and not having a win since Round 8. Surely the reinvigorated Demons would be a certainty to chalk up the win, and better their whole season's performance from 2014?

And as the Oracle noted, that a similarly depleted, (or even more depleted) Essendon side won against the Demons in the pre-season - another certain win that was just as equally squandered.

But the heart won out for the Oracle over the head, with his final prediction of a Demon win, and guess what? Yes, the Demons managed to resurrect the career of James Hird, and shatter, yet again, the Demon supporters hopes.

The first half of the match was a shocker for both sides, with both managing a meagre 3 goals each.

Meanwhile the umpires (how do we manage to get Justin Schmitt as the senior umpire again?) were putting in a similar shocker to the Richmond-Carlton game the night before.

Thirty-eight thousand plus spectators witnessed the first goal of the game to James Gwilt as being positively over the line on multiple replays, but miraculously the video umpire struggled to determine where the white line was. Simple for thousands but obviously not for one!

A deliberate out of bounds against Essendon was not called until the field umpire who was 10 metres away from the action checked with Schmitty who was 100 metres away! What are these people paid to do?

But it was Melbourne which was gradually throwing the game away in front of goal. Ultimately twenty-five scoring shots including three "posters" and a few more which went OOBs on the full, should have seen an easy win to the Demons but not when you can only muster 7 majors from such an effort!

And ultimately it was effort which was severely lacking. With young kids like Harmes, Stretch, ANB, Brayshaw and Hogan in the side, the effort part of the game has to come from those of more experience.

Yet not a peep came from Dawes, Garlett, Howe and a few others. ANB only got 8 touches, but he had more tackles (6), than Cross, Dawes, McDonald, Watts and Jetta all combined! All on a day where tackling was an easy option, with the congestion and slippery ball.

In the ruck Max Gawn has cemented his position as our number 1 with an extraordinary 58 hit-outs. Now, all of them werent to advantage, and a fair number were toward exactly the wrong side of the contest, but at least he was giving us opportunities, particularly in the middle. If he can finally get a full pre-season, he will be a category 1 player for us in 2016.

The return of Aaron Vandenberg was a positive and the efforts of Jones, Viney, and Vince in the middle and around the ground were of their usual high standard. Vineys work to limit Heppel was good, but he needed more support and at least and equal amount of effort from others in the side.

The forward line was dysfunctional, as evidenced by the scoreline, and was shown up even more when Tom McDonald went forward in the last quarter and nearly won the game if only he had kicked straight!

The fact that he was able to lead and mark when other couldnt for ¾ of the game was a tragic indictment on them.

Yes, once again we managed to lose a game that screamed out as a certain 4 points. Once again the players approached the game with only a half-hearted demeanour, and they got the result that type of attitude produces.

The game of AFL is to be played at 100% effort, for 100% of the game.

We the supporters know that all too well, because too often we have seen those players in the Red and Blue do exactly what they did today. And each and every time the result is the same.

Too often we have B.T.D.T.!!!

Melbourne 1.3.9 3.9.27 4.13.37 7.18.60

Essendon 1.3.9 3.4.22 9.7.61 10.9.69

Goals

Melbourne Garlett Hogan Howe Jetta McDonald Tyson vandenBerg

Essendon Daniher 5 Edwards 2 Heppell Howlett Stanton

Best

Melbourne Gawn, Vince, Jones, vandenBerg, McDonand Dunn Viney

Essendon Hurley Daniher Stanton Goddard Heppell Gwilt

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Essendon Nil

Substitutions

Melbourne Jay Kennedy-Harris replaced James Harmes in the third quarter

Essendon Jason Ashby replaced Alex Browne (concussion) in the second quarter

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Essendon Alex Browne (concussion)

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Essendon Nil

Umpires Schmitt Mitchell Deboy.

Official Crowd 38,861 at the MCG.

On Thursday Night I was really excited by our line-up.

Almost full strength.....

I'm blaming our forwards. Putrid pressure and absolutely minimal contests. They ran the ball out easy time and time again all day. hogan Garlett and Dawes needs to lift their game

I'm now seriously of the opinion we will never be any good again, and destined to be in the bottom 6 for many a year. Anyone want to argue the opposite?

Brett Anderson ‏@BrettAndersonIF 1m1 minute ago

The two most inaccurate key forwards in the comp have kicked 12.0 against Melbourne this year. Sums it up. #AFLDonsDees

Only at [censored] Melbourne!

They had the best forward on the ground and at the end of the day that won it for them.

I don't think there are any possible excuses today.

Too many kids? They had heaps.

Tired from Darwin? They got smashed by 110 points last weekend.

A few injuries? They have more.

I think this feels worse than when they flogged us a few years back as there is no way in hell we should have lost this game of football.

We've gone from beating Geelong and 'turning a corner' to losing to half a Bombers side on our home turf. I just don't even know what to think anymore.

Fuckin’ embarrasing.

7.18. Honestly. This club, somehow, finds new ways to disappoint me.

Tom Mac in the last quarter though...

Too Many just expect it to happen. Did they really not think Essendon would come out fighting.

Melbourne lost that one....Essendon didn't win it.

Simply kicked our selves out of it

Still a joke of a club

Nothing has changed

7.18.60

Inside 50's were sh**house, won't win games from behinds.

I fu**ing hate that scum (coach, players, fans, jumper, everything) but particularily the fragile x derpa derpa Daniher.

Fuckin’ embarrasing.

Beat me too it.

Hogan sooks it up if he doesnt get it lace out.

Disappointed in his lack of desperation.

Pathetic disgusting embarrassing. The same usual [censored] [censored] every week.

Anyone who thinks we are ever going to be anything other than mediocre is more a fool than me.

PS- Hogan was a petulant child today and it was not cool

they talk about teams that just know how to win. We just know how to lose. We had 70% of the game play on our terms and still worked out a way to lose.

Playing in Darwin costs us 2 losses every year...

Worst loss under roos by a mile.

I'm very angry. We should not have lost this game. Team looked good on paper but most of them should hang their head in shame after today's effort. And to lose to Essendon ......... Inexcusable.

Pathetic disgusting embarrassing. The same usual [censored] [censored] every week.

Anyone who thinks we are ever going to be anything other than mediocre is more a fool than me.

PS- Hogan was a petulant child today and it was not cool

Hogan needs another precautionary rest like the Geelong game. We can win without him. Don't need a Prima Donna.

bad kicking is bad football

Crying won't do anything. We kicked poorly and it lost us the game.

Move on to the next few weeks where we have more winnable games.

We seemed so flat for much of the game..

Utter disgrace. Mark Neeld-like ineptness today. The lack of intensity, the laconical, lazy, arrogant way we played is an absolute [censored] disgrace.