Goodness me, I had this Freo supporter directly behind saying "haha, no pressure and look at these Melbourne idiots."

Besides wanting to strangle him, I found myself agreeing with him.

If Matt Jones is kept on the list next year I'll be flabbergasted.

Preparing now.

He will be kept. We need depth players ahead of him but he'll be kept for that sake.

He will be kept. We need depth players ahead of him but he'll be kept for that sake.

You have to be kidding. Not a fan but his two OOFs and blatant (he does it every week) collapse into the back of a Freo player are the sign of an incompetent player. Should not go near our side ever again. Oh and did I mention he had 1 possession up until half time?

What did you want him to say "thanks to my teammates for being a giant steaming pile of talentless turds?"

I would prefer the coach to come out and say,

"Again we were of to a terrible start. This is unacceptable, the players know it, the coaching staff know it and the supporters are the ones which are putting up with this and that, ...is the most unacceptable aspect of the lot. I want each Melbourne supporter to know that we are putting every resource into alleviating this aspect and putting in 4 quarters of EFFORT!

You have to be kidding. Not a fan but his two OOFs and blatant (he does it every week) collapse into the back of a Freo player are the sign of an incompetent player. Should not go near our side ever again. Oh and did I mention he had 1 possession up until half time?

I don't disagree with you at all.

Gee whiz, ive been drifting away from demonland a lot over the past few months, can't handle the total rubbish that is bandied about on here. Roosy gets ripped in to about negativity but you read through even the first two pages of this thread (which is all I could bear to read) and how can you possibly deny it.

I saw great effort in that first quarter today, unfortunate drop off in the first 10 of the second quarter and a excellent commitment to get back in to the game thereafter. But so many people on here want to find other reasons for the levels final half... "They went in to cruise control". Just ridiculous, can't even pay credit where it's due for your old team.

It's hard watching at times, but all I ever ask for going in to the game is effort, and I'll be happy. I didn't watch yesterday's game on x2, I enjoyed large parts of it.

Gee whiz, ive been drifting away from demonland a lot over the past few months, can't handle the total rubbish that is bandied about on here. Roosy gets ripped in to about negativity but you read through even the first two pages of this thread (which is all I could bear to read) and how can you possibly deny it.

I saw great effort in that first quarter today, unfortunate drop off in the first 10 of the second quarter and a excellent commitment to get back in to the game thereafter. But so many people on here want to find other reasons for the levels final half... "They went in to cruise control". Just ridiculous, can't even pay credit where it's due for your old team.

It's hard watching at times, but all I ever ask for going in to the game is effort, and I'll be happy. I didn't watch yesterday's game on x2, I enjoyed large parts of it.

I thought we played 3 good, not great quarters, which is more than you can say for the past month of games. We were better around the contests and our run and carry was good. Garlett and Hogan worked hard to keep the ball forward but they were just too quick in transition. We could have kept the margin down and lost by only 20-30 but bad errors at pivotal moments by the likes of Jones, Garland, Vince, gave them the ball back and let them go on 3-4 scoring runs.

Gee whiz, ive been drifting away from demonland a lot over the past few months, can't handle the total rubbish that is bandied about on here. Roosy gets ripped in to about negativity but you read through even the first two pages of this thread (which is all I could bear to read) and how can you possibly deny it.

I saw great effort in that first quarter today, unfortunate drop off in the first 10 of the second quarter and a excellent commitment to get back in to the game thereafter. But so many people on here want to find other reasons for the levels final half... "They went in to cruise control". Just ridiculous, can't even pay credit where it's due for your old team.

It's hard watching at times, but all I ever ask for going in to the game is effort, and I'll be happy. I didn't watch yesterday's game on x2, I enjoyed large parts of it.

Very good comment.

At 1/4 time I was fearing a 100-plus point thrashing thinking we might drop off despite a strong start in early play. Fact is, we had 10 inside 50s for one point. Our ball use was not good and we played into their hands bombing it long, but there was real effort there. From the second half of the second quarter our blokes showed great spirit.

Watch the replay if you have to and you'll see how intense the ground level contests, tackling etc was in the second half compared to those disastrous moments late in the first term and in the early second term.

Freo was also helped by one of the worst hometown umpiring displays you could ever fear. I was so [censored] off late in the first quarter that I checked the phone app and the free kick count was 12 to 2 their way! In less than a quarter! And that included three frees to Pav, only one of which was obvious, and Pav also being allowed to blatantly throw the ball to a team mate to set up a goal!

To go down by 54 points was disappointing but after the start pretty brave. We saw a terrific effort from Viney and a really strong showing from Salem, Gawn was also good and Howe played his best game for weeks, while Cross (who I delisted last week) really put in. The best of it is that our best players were some of our youngest.

I didn't see a minute of the game and have no desire to do so but, if I am the highest paid coach in the competition and the team repeatedly finds itself ten goals down midway through the second quarter, I would seriously consider whether I am the best person for the job. Clearly Roos' message is not getting through, and / or the players are too dumb / too unskilled to follow it. Either way something has to change.

Anybody patting the team on the back for "only" losing by nine goals is kidding themselves - Freo clearly had the game won by quarter time and went into cruise control thereafter.

I would love to know why Roos thinks so poorly of Grimes. He was clearly in our best two players last week, and starts as sub this week. I notice his BFF Lumumba has never been dropped or started as sub, despite being completely useless in comparion to Grimes.

Tom McDonald needs to play within his limitations and take the first option.

T McDonald definitely flashed his flaws yesterday, he just needs to keep working. I don't want him to stop running or stop trying to hit targets.. he just needs to keep working.

[quote name="jnrmac" pos

"It was 12 to our 2 in the first 2 qtrs."

_________________________________________________

And those two frees we got.......... One was absolutely blatant.

The other was a distinct disadvantage to us, where the advantage should have been paid.

I think we actually had three frees in the first half.

It was obvious that there would be a deliberate evening up of the free count after half time(when the damage was already done).

I didn't see a minute of the game and have no desire to do so but, if I am the highest paid coach in the competition and the team repeatedly finds itself ten goals down midway through the second quarter, I would seriously consider whether I am the best person for the job. Clearly Roos' message is not getting through, and / or the players are too dumb / too unskilled to follow it. Either way something has to change.

Anybody patting the team on the back for "only" losing by nine goals is kidding themselves - Freo clearly had the game won by quarter time and went into cruise control thereafter.

I would love to know why Roos thinks so poorly of Grimes. He was clearly in our best two players last week, and starts as sub this week. I notice his BFF Lumumba has never been dropped or started as sub, despite being completely useless in comparion to Grimes.

I'm not patting them on the back for the result, the result was disappointing, as all the recent results are. However I choose to see the game with perspective.

The effort was absolutely there, the talent was not. So when we went forward and most other teams would've been able to hit a target, we didn't, and the ball shot back the other way.

The coach can't manufacture talent, he has to work with what he's got.

We were far from disgraced.

Well, he fumbled the ball under little pressure and then took the legs of an opposition player. It's a stupid rule, but the free against was there, IMO.

After he fumbled ,he bent over to try to retrieve the ball from the ground. The Freo player had no interest in the ball. He deliberately crashed Jones' head. It should NOT have been construed as "taking out the legs".

It was a merciless example of misjudgment by the umpires who were grossly influenced by the Freo crowd in the first quarter.

After he fumbled ,he bent over to try to retrieve the ball from the ground. The Freo player had no interest in the ball. He deliberately crashed Jones' head. It should NOT have been construed as "taking out the legs".

It was a merciless example of misjudgment by the umpires who were grossly influenced by the Freo crowd in the first quarter.

I thought it was deliberate by the Freo player to take Jones out. Wasn't it that footballing fraudster and repeat sniper Zac Dawson?

I didn't see a minute of the game and have no desire to do so but,... Freo clearly had the game won by quarter time and went into cruise control thereafter.

Hmmm. Consider your opinion in future to be subject to the irrelevancy discount. You clearly don't know what you're talking about and don't mind advertising the fact.

The first quarter umpiring was one of the reasons I get so frustrated with the "great" game.

Its hard enough going over there playing against the top team, home crowd and getting an extra advantage by the umpiring.

Many of the decisions were 50/50's. I think "would they pay that free against the home team" answer NO

Would they pay that decision at the MCG against Hawthorn. Answer NO

Then why the !@##$%$%&*^ pay it against us.

Really the bias doesn't do anyone any good. Freo were flattered to get away from us so easily, but when they come over here and the bias goes the other way, they will get a similar result to what we got yesterday.

Bias in umpiring is one of the biggest issues facing the game, and still its a taboo subject. A good side will generally score from an umpiring decision and only good sides can overcome bias. We were biased for in the 3rd quarter last week against Carlton and it got us back into the game.

that free kick against jones was everything that is wrong with AFL.

.....I saw great effort in that first quarter today, unfortunate drop off in the first 10 of the second quarter....

I cannot believe what I am reading. That is your summation of being 10 goals down to nothing down after 40 minutes of footy. Unbelievable.

that free kick against jones was everything that is wrong with AFL.

the free was there as the rules are currently written

the fact he got hurt in it shouldn't change the way the ump is forced to call it

that's like paying somebody a mark that he dropped because he hurt himself landing on his back

the free was there as the rules are currently written

the fact he got hurt in it shouldn't change the way the ump is forced to call it

that's like paying somebody a mark that he dropped because he hurt himself landing on his back

not arguing that it wasn't there as its currently written

I'm saying that it shouldn't be written that way and that umpires shouldn't have to pay it

gotta reward the bloke for getting to the footy first. wasn't like jones went with his feet first either!

I didn't see a minute of the game and have no desire to do so but, if I am the highest paid coach in the competition and the team repeatedly finds itself ten goals down midway through the second quarter, I would seriously consider whether I am the best person for the job. Clearly Roos' message is not getting through, and / or the players are too dumb / too unskilled to follow it. Either way something has to change.

Anybody patting the team on the back for "only" losing by nine goals is kidding themselves - Freo clearly had the game won by quarter time and went into cruise control thereafter.

I would love to know why Roos thinks so poorly of Grimes. He was clearly in our best two players last week, and starts as sub this week. I notice his BFF Lumumba has never been dropped or started as sub, despite being completely useless in comparion to Grimes.

Amazed that you can remark on what Freo were and weren't doing without actually watching a second of it. Brilliant skill.

After he fumbled ,he bent over to try to retrieve the ball from the ground. The Freo player had no interest in the ball. He deliberately crashed Jones' head. It should NOT have been construed as "taking out the legs".

It was a merciless example of misjudgment by the umpires who were grossly influenced by the Freo crowd in the first quarter.

Not only that, the taking out the legs free was for sliding into the lower legs of an opponent, the Freo player got Jones with a raised knee, that is hardly lower leg.

Should have been too high all day long.

Amazed that you can remark on what Freo were and weren't doing without actually watching a second of it. Brilliant skill.

Seriously, he doesn't need to. Anyone can do the math, top side has top spot stitched up and the finals in two weeks. Why would you bother? Conversely, with us, how can you explain getting SMASHED 4 weeks in a row (first quarters 26 goals to 3).

The first quarter umpiring was one of the reasons I get so frustrated with the "great" game.

Its hard enough going over there playing against the top team, home crowd and getting an extra advantage by the umpiring.

Many of the decisions were 50/50's. I think "would they pay that free against the home team" answer NO

Would they pay that decision at the MCG against Hawthorn. Answer NO

Then why the !@##$%$%&*^ pay it against us.

Really the bias doesn't do anyone any good. Freo were flattered to get away from us so easily, but when they come over here and the bias goes the other way, they will get a similar result to what we got yesterday.

Bias in umpiring is one of the biggest issues facing the game, and still its a taboo subject. A good side will generally score from an umpiring decision and only good sides can overcome bias. We were biased for in the 3rd quarter last week against Carlton and it got us back into the game.

It amazes me how a team can get miles ahead int eh free kick count, and on the scoreboard due to bias umpiring and then all of a sudden the bias switches back and the numbers align, but never enough to get the other team back in the game. Case in point was yesterday, 12-2 in Freo's favour at quarter time, massive lead to them, then from that point on the free were something like 4-15 in our favour, but the game was over so they could do it to hide the bias.

Happens all the time, a few years back against WC the free count was along the lines of 22-2 at half time only to miraculously get closer together as the game went on.

Seriously, he doesn't need to. Anyone can do the math, top side has top spot stitched up and the finals in two weeks. Why would you bother? Conversely, with us, how can you explain getting SMASHED 4 weeks in a row (first quarters 26 goals to 3).

He absolutely needs to, otherwise he is purely assuming and an assumption is not fact and shouldn't be presented as such. Not sure on the answer to our problems.