After last year's last minute loss to the Saints I read comments by big Max.  He said in hindsight he should of just tapped the ball to his feet & tried for another ball up again and again to use up the time.

Yesterday 10 seconds to go & he taps it down the throat of a GWS player who banged it forward where they had a chance to take a mark.

Looks like not much was learned.

I'm pretty sure I would've drunk myself into a coma if they had marked and goaled from that last play.

I completely agree and was the first thing I noticed..Someone on big footy congratulated Melbourne and the players that we "learnt from last years painful St Kilda loss" when really, Max did the exact same thing.

Nearly cost us again.

10 more seconds and I've a feeling that game was a loss.

Yep, I said it at the game he needs to Jamar this ball straight to his feet and fall on it, even if it eventuates in a free against it would waste the whole 11 seconds before the decision and kick was done.

I don't think what he did was what he intended but yes it was almost an exact replica on the St Kilda and a nightmare in slow motion until Jesse thumped the ball away! 

We "stacked the backline" which was good but we had no-one versus 3 Giants in our forward line, the absolute best outcome we could get was another stoppage, if we went forward at all it was a turnover.

1 minute ago, Fifty-5 said:

We "stacked the backline" which was good but we had no-one versus 3 Giants in our forward line, the absolute best outcome we could get was another stoppage, if we went forward at all it was a turnover.

Id have had garlett and garlett only up there, just for pace if there was a quick kick into space.

Max may not have learnt but the entire team was back so they did.

Unforgivable. Drop him. 

We moved players behind the ball after the Greene goal. And guess what?  We won.

So lessons from that St Kilda game were indeed learned.

It was Viney's fault also. He was on Shiel at that  moment and for some reason gave him his own space right in Maxy's strike zone. He should have been right on his hammer and just blanketed him as soon as he hawked the tap, secondary ball up, game over. Oliver and Tyson were both wearing their opponent which was the right thing to do in that situation.

Maxy was servicable. He needs another string to his bow.

Our previous great ruckman were able to punch the ball to CHF from the ruck.

If he can do this, it will be a great benefit as it adds another layer of complexity for the opposition to counter for.

 

11 minutes ago, biggestred said:

Id have had garlett and garlett only up there, just for pace if there was a quick kick into space.

Max may not have learnt but the entire team was back so they did.

Garlett was attempting to go forward but there was a bit of mis communication and it looked like he was leaving Kelly free between wing and there half forward.

Kelly is not the player you leave on his own, probably their best kick...

58 minutes ago, P-man said:

I'm pretty sure I would've drunk myself into a coma if they had marked and goaled from that last play.

Demonland servers would of crashed!!

imo it's less Gawn's fault and more the midfielders. There are 10 seconds left and they didn't defend the defensive side of the contest (facing the opposition goal). Instead they were positioned to attack (stand behind Gawn). 

It was a massive defensive error in the midfielders behalf imo.

2 minutes ago, praha said:

imo it's less Gawn's fault and more the midfielders. There are 10 seconds left and they didn't defend the defensive side of the contest (facing the opposition goal). Instead they were positioned to attack (stand behind Gawn). 

It was a massive defensive error in the midfielders behalf imo.

as I said, Oliver and Tyson were tied up with their opponents so they had to be positioned wherever they were. Viney went loose and it was his man that got the tap

Just now, Curry & Beer said:

as I said, Oliver and Tyson were tied up with their opponents so they had to be positioned wherever they were. Viney went loose and it was his man that got the tap

you're right, bit dumb by jack.....but also bit dumb by max to not drop it on his toes for a stoppage 

Some of the lessons from last year were not learned being 

1. Ruck tap it the feet or to contest force a ball up - again maxy tap straight to the opposition 

2. Stop opposition players getting free run through the corridor - was it shiel that was able to get a free run at it and launch inside 50

However we did correct and learn from St Kilda in that we had extra men back to force a contest and Hogans spoil was awesome 

And finally we didn't get a brutally unlucky bounce this time either...However compared to the st kilda game there was more than 11 sec for it all to go horribly wrong

Listened to the game on radio and then hearing were 8 points up with 20 secs on the clock you start celebrating don't you?? I was mote relaxed even with the late goal thinking the boys would have learned from stkilda. The last passage wasn't as nerve racking until I actually saw the footage later on

Bottom line whilst we manned up well down back with 9 secs left we shouldnt have allowed them a forward 50 entry 

Great win yesterday and so many positives but definitely the FD and team needs to continue to focus on how we close out tight games, as that could make the difference for those extra couple of wins that means finals

 

We just had to have had at least one of our midfielders in a position to win the ball if Gawn had won the tap - to not do so was asking for trouble.  Gawn had an edge in the previous rucking duels anyway so him winning the tap came as no surprise - and it should have come as no surprise to our midfielders.

But, we can't just assume that Gawn knew that he was going to win the tap and then therefore tap it at his own feet ... easier said than done in the moment.   A ruckman can only do so much when facing a ruckman of Mumford's ability.  The percentage play when you're own ruckman wins the tap is that you "should" win the clearance - not always of course, but more often than not. 

3 hours ago, juzzk1d said:

I completely agree and was the first thing I noticed..Someone on big footy congratulated Melbourne and the players that we "learnt from last years painful St Kilda loss" when really, Max did the exact same thing.

Nearly cost us again.

At least, we had everyone bar the centremen and wingers inside defensive 50. Hopefully Roos et al will go over the last 10 seconds again in review and we learn another lesson. I'd much prefer us learning now as a young team than have our hearts ripped out in a Grand Final, obviously.

Possible that those in the centre square, or Gawn at the very least, we're not aware there was only 9 seconds left? 

Just asking.

2 minutes ago, Mach5 said:

Possible that those in the centre square, or Gawn at the very least, we're not aware there was only 9 seconds left? 

Just asking.

Hope not because then the runners, the bench and the coaches box would not be doing their job. .. again that was another lesson from the St Kilda loss. On field leaders should have that info to direct the team and make the required changes.  Given the obvious flood back they must have known though 

There was a lot of signalling from the bench that there was only 10 or so seconds to go and to stack the backline. That, of itself, was an improvement on the St Kilda debacle.

However we need to work out a better plan for the centre bounce in those situations. Simply moving the entire team into the defensive 50 and having just the ruckman and three mids in the middle is going to result in an inside-50 to the opposition 9 times out of 10. We need to have someone like Garlett forward of the centre or on a wing simply so that if a Melbourne player can get the ball from Gawn, we can belt it forward and let Garlett run onto it (also uses up time if you kick it high and long).

We're too reactive in simply waiting for GWS to get the ball and hoping for a tackle or a mark/spoil in the backline.

Just work on punching the ball straight up in the air for about 7 seconds hang time. Simple. 

It is surprising we haven't worked that out yet with the create another ball up specialist in roos up in the coaches box. I'm blaming goodwin. ?