Post Match Discussion - Round 15

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Tyson needs a good hard look at himself. His disposal has been unbelievably poor this year.. He is too slow to react and always gets ping for holding the ball.

He's officially been Melbourne'd. Brayshaw, Hogan and Viney next

[Coq au vin 754]

Essendon really got away with it due to our incompetence today. They played one good quarter. We let them use that spare man and work it through the middle in space too often, they never had much to kick it too. I could see Watts visibly frustrated at a kick in near the end, I think our chemistry still needs a lot of improvement. Based on what we've seen in the past month this had all the ingredients for an easy win but we really just blew it

We had no one behind the forwards marking pack to crumb. They always had a player there and rebounded time sand time again.

[Buzzy 931]

Horrible. Hate losing to Essendon, their supporters are smug a-holes, they don't deserve this win.

When the ball hit the deck in the forward line we applied zero pressure - because nobody could be assed busting their gut to follow the kick in and provide support. How many times in the last 6 weeks have the oppositions loose defenders made us look stupid just because we bloody let them?

The lack of intensity from some players is worrying. Tyson is a major culprit of this. He's the kind of guy that mans the mark, then won't apply any pressure when the ump calls play on. Just puts one hand up. I hope Roos makes an example of him, we don't need another Travis Johnstone 2.0 but without the kicking skills. Bloody get stuck in and stand up for us mate!

Our forward systems are shocking. Hogan and the others never seem to be able to get free to lead in a straight line and demand it, it's constantly crowded. But up the other end Daniher always has a 2 metre break to run and jump unencumbered on to anything in his area..How does that happen? They had nothing else down there to worry about!

T Mac's confidence is down so he plays behind more often than he should at the moment - and it's hurting us.

Bad. Bad day.

[olisik 4,060]

We had no one behind the forwards marking pack to crumb. They always had a player there and rebounded time sand time again.

The ball wasn't even bought to ground most times

[Undeeterred 2,864]

except that pesky little win-of-the-decade we pulled off two weeks ago down the highway. That messes with the narrative a bit eh.

We knocked off Adelaide too last year and everybody creamed themselves, despite it meaning practically nothing in the long run.

[SaberFang 7,141]

Just heard the result. Absolutely filthy. We lost that game as only we could. 16 other teams in the league would've wiped their assholes with Essendon today, but Melbourne continue to find exciting new ways to [censored] on their supporters.

The damage to the fabric of this club is becoming beyond repair.

[Binmans PA 26,053]

Our forwards were double teamed and shepherded out of contests all day.

Sends me nuts that we dont do the same

Just on this, where the feck is the shepherding from our blokes? We never shepherd! It's a basic f-ing skill. Put your body between your opponent's. It's infuriating. It's been going on all year too. Why has one of the coaches not picked up on it and if they have, why aren't the players taking notice? They all fail to do it most of the time.

I would love to see the following stats:

Gawn taps straight to an Essendon mid

Essendon marks inside our 50

I'm sick of the coaching for our mids when they get a clearance to just throw it on the boot and go for metres. Vince and Jones are serial offenders and it makes them look ordinary.

Fawn had a lot of the ball but very little taps to advantage. Jamar-like in ffat.

Edit. Freudan slip

Exactly.

Not sure this is true. We didn't find a way to lose today, we never looked like winning it. Those blaming the kicking are not seeing the truth. They read the game, used the ball better, and began playing for each other in a way we never do. Like the St.Kilda loss, we never deserved to win. People forget that the Saints had the ball camped in their forward line for most of the last quarter. It would have been very unjust if they'd lost. How have we improved since last year? There's simply no evidence at the moment.

Had we kicked straight I think it's pretty safe to say we would have won it. We had to generate all those shots on goal in the first place...

[dazzledavey36 48,746]

If Salem has another injury riddled season I would consider trading him out.

We have all seen what happens to injury prone players...get what value you can

Mate you are dead set idiot.

[Scipio 5,868]

If Salem has another injury riddled season I would consider trading him out.

We have all seen what happens to injury prone players...get what value you can

Wowee.

[Thehardtackler 785]

It was disturbing that it took Roos until 3/4 time to give the players a real rev up. We lacked intensity today. Both Vandenberg and Tyson looked injured still and with fully fit inclusions we would have won the game. I think Roos is not a good match day coach, he is a strategist and I really hope Goodwin is given more of a leading role soon. Before others criticise, there is definitely a ground swell of dissatisfaction with Roos coaching from the supporters that I talk with every week at the games, particularly today.

[dazzledavey36 48,746]

He's officially been Melbourne'd. Brayshaw, Hogan and Viney next

I never agree with you on anything..

But you are spot on.. sad reality

[DeeSpencer 23,129]

We had no one behind the forwards marking pack to crumb. They always had a player there and rebounded time sand time again.

Time and again Garlett ran to the front of the pack as he should and his man zipped around the back and time and again the forwards couldn't bring it to the front.

You can blame Garlett, you can blame the coaches for not adapting. But really at what stage do we blame the forwards for not doing the job required and brining the ball down in front.

Howe and Dawes need to [censored] off.

Fitzy should come in down back, Tom McDonald can go forward and lead up and Hogan can then stay deep. He'll bring the ball to ground when not matched up against as good a player as Hurley and with no help to get one on one contests and kicks to advantage.

[JV7 2,339]

I knew we were going to lose this game. I thought at half time we would come out and blow them away after having so much play and looking the better side towards half time.. I couldnt have been more wrong. We still make dumb basic errors for example in the last quarter Tyson has the ball on the defensive 50, has Watts our best disposer of the footy free 5m to his right, a nice little hand pass over to him and were away, what does he do ? Handball a loopy piece of [censored] handball to a player running away from him.. Turn over and only resulted in Mckernanns touched ball on the line but FMD, how dumb are some of our players, I could see from the other end of the ground in the stands that the right option would be to flick it over to Watts... We are too slow, lack pace through the midfield and it's something we need to rectify in this years draft or FA period, all our mids are one paced.. Miss kent across half forward for his pace and pressure when the ball hits the ground.

Also thanks Adrian anderson for letting off Baugley, he did a great job on Garlett

[Dr. Gonzo 22,415]

Out-coached?

Their loose man impacted contests and intercepted lots of inside 50"s, while ours often didn't make the contest. How hard is it to figure that out and go one on one?

Our kicks inside 50 were generally deplorable making it hard for the forwards.

Hogan had to take that dickface Hurely up the ground earlier.

As a team, we seem to have zero self belief when challenged. With a hard tag on Jones, who else said "I will lead"?

I believe we were told we will play in the finals in 2016. In what universe does anyone think we will be playing finals football next year. Absolutely miles off the middle still - no chance.

Just can't wait for the spin. Please do tell us again how much we have improved Roosy.

Part of the issue with the loose man is all our forwards cluster together meaning they've got an extra number at the contest when it's bombed in. If the forwards played smarter and spread out a bit we could isolate a couple of players instead of only having one option to kick to. This would mean the lose man would be in two minds about which player to go to as well.

[picket fence 15,153]

He had 50 or so hit outs. 11-5 from the centre square. A few very hand marks. Didn't butcher the ball when he had it.

In no ways a great game and he wasn't up against much but at least he did his job.

He was good but I wouldn't single him out for it if that makes any sense.

Gee I thought Max was very good!

[SaberFang 7,141]

Not having the run of Kent and skills of Salem are killing us.

[howsthesalemity 4]

Just collecting my thoughts after what was a tough game to endure....

Here's my 10 cents worth:

1. Max Gawn is now our #1 ruck (he needs to play all remaining games this year);

2. Jack Watts has found some consistency in his effort;

3. All three first year players are not up to yet and need some more time at Casey (ANB, Stretch & Harmes) - all have shown enough to suggest they will be serviceable;

4. The game has past big Chris Dawes and I think he will have some currency up in QLD, let's trade him on;

5. We played today as if we were scared to win - this group still isn't ready for any expectation (Petracca looks like the kind of personality that will help erode this toxic mentality, let's draft more guys with ridiculous self belief);

6. Aaron Vandenberg has been the club's best recruit since I can remember;

7. Tommy Mac will be a star but it will take time - he still doubts himself too much; and

8. Garland's signature needs to be more of a priority than Howe's - Jeremy can be great and he will help a team who needs to add polish, we aren't there yet (he also has more currency despite his mediocre season thus far).

FWIW, I am really disappointed with today's performance but subconsciously expected nothing else - the patience required with our club is utterly painful.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

Our forwards were double teamed and shepherded out of contests all day.

Sends me nuts that we dont do the same

The only shepherd I saw today was Watts inside 50 to allow Hogan to mark and get his first shot on goal. We rarely get that from Dawes or other forwards

[Dr. Gonzo 22,415]

Out-coached?

Their loose man impacted contests and intercepted lots of inside 50"s, while ours often didn't make the contest. How hard is it to figure that out and go one on one?

Our kicks inside 50 were generally deplorable making it hard for the forwards.

Hogan had to take that dickface Hurely up the ground earlier.

As a team, we seem to have zero self belief when challenged. With a hard tag on Jones, who else said "I will lead"?

I believe we were told we will play in the finals in 2016. In what universe does anyone think we will be playing finals football next year. Absolutely miles off the middle still - no chance.

Just can't wait for the spin. Please do tell us again how much we have improved Roosy.

Part of the issue with the loose man is all our forwards cluster together meaning they've got an extra number at the contest when it's bombed in. If the forwards played smarter and spread out a bit we could isolate a couple of players instead of only having one option to kick to. This would mean the lose man would be in two minds about which player to go to as well.

[DeeSpencer 23,129]

It was disturbing that it took Roos until 3/4 time to give the players a real rev up. We lacked intensity today. Both Vandenberg and Tyson looked injured still and with fully fit inclusions we would have won the game. I think Roos is not a good match day coach, he is a strategist and I really hope Goodwin is given more of a leading role soon. Before others criticise, there is definitely a ground swell of dissatisfaction with Roos coaching from the supporters that I talk with every week at the games, particularly today.

Wow fancy that, supporters not happy with the coach after a loss.

I wasn't rapt with Roos today. But he can only do so much. He picked the team most of us wanted. He's known to coach a defensive and one on one based style. I'm sure he didn't advise the players to have terrible forward entries in the 2nd quarter and I'm sure he didn't ask for them to put in terrible efforts in the 3rd.

[jumbo returns 6,488]

How far away is Frost?

Broken toe = 16 weeks?

[loges 6,027]

Just got home from game.

Not sure why all the doom and gloom - we may not have walked away with 4 points but for once it was a game that we wasted in a true sense - we actually won the inside 50 count 58-45.

Obviously a lack of kicking skills and confidence when going for goals hurt big time and four posters was a factor as well.

Our key forwards really struggled and kept getting push under the ball - but part of that gets down to poor kicking from mids - Viney was probably the biggest offender in that department although his intensity was sensational as usual and he made Heppell work for almost everything.

Crossy also had a howler - very, very rare from him - don't start saying we should drop him or you are a nuffer.

Too often in the first half we lacked the ability to link up and be aware when we had no space or had space to deliver correctly.

All our kids had shockers as well - Stretch couldn't get free and when he was, he was ignored, Neal-Bullen couldn't win it and eventually was sent back to defence I think, Hoges needed to impose and kept getting beaten in air and did not seem to have the pace on a lead, Harmesy made Bail and Matt Jones look good as far as small forwards go, Angus seemed unusually timid and probably just gave Cripps the Rising Star award, while JKH only had a quarter and was just average - but that is what happens with kids, hot and cold.

Gawn was clearly our best, but then again he was up against a relative dwarf and in the third term our midfielders forgot how to rove to him.

Jonesy had a sensational second term, Vince was prolific as usual and Vandenberg made a terrific return - he could yet be one hell of a player.

T-Mac started with a couple of left foot clangers, kept presenting and looked good until Daniher got on a roll in the third term. He was then shifted to the forward line - swapped for Howey. He then showed our forwards how you do it with some nice leads and follow ups, but unfortunately messed it up shooting for goal. But the pleasing aspect is that T-Mac will now be tried a bit more up forward and it's an experiment that may allow Fitzy to get another game.

I was really pleased that Wattsy, after a quiet first half, really lifted and was a huge factor in the last term - almost got us across the line and looked strong at it (yes I know I'm talking about JW).

It certainly wasn't a game where you walk away down in the dumps - just one that got away.

All you points are pretty good ...... except the last one

[olisik 4,060]

What was said in Roos presser

[What 18,810]

Brisbane will beat us

Rockliff and Hanley will go bananas

Hard to see where the future is for this footy club

[Dr. Gonzo 22,415]

He had 50 or so hit outs. 11-5 from the centre square. A few very hand marks. Didn't butcher the ball when he had it.

In no ways a great game and he wasn't up against much but at least he did his job.

He was good but I wouldn't single him out for it if that makes any sense.

Who cares how many hit outs he had? How many were effective? Hit outs is the least meaningful stat in the game.