MATCH REPORT - Round 8

[Demonland 71,924]

A SLEEP AT THE G OR ASLEEP AT THE G by George on the Outer

On 26 May 2016, the Melbourne City Mission is running its annual sleep at the G to aid the homeless.

This is all in a very good cause so it seems that the Melbourne players apparently thought they would start a little earlier than most in their game against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.  

And in exactly the same manner as happened in their game against St Kilda just two weeks ago, the coaching staff thought they would take a quiet nap behind the wheel as well.

Ten minutes into the game it was obvious to Blind Freddy that the zone defence wasn’t working again. Once again the Western Bulldog players were gifted uncontested marks inside their forward 50, or even worse, as happened on multiple times during the game, they managed to score from inside the goal-square without a Melbourne player in sight. If Neville Jetta is forced to contest marks against Jack Redpath then something is seriously wrong with the way the side is being selected and sets up.

It clearly isn’t working, and if it isn’t working then something needs to be done about it!!!

It took until half way through the final quarter before an additional player was dropped into the backline but by then the game was well and truly over.  

This was yet another game where the club had an opportunity to stamp its authority on the competition, and it was fluffed. 

Yes, the Western Bulldogs are a good side; they have players who are prepared to run, and run to space. Players who are prepared to work and their team set up is excellent.  However, it is simple, and as we allowed Morris and Boyd to control proceedings from the half-back line, we were never going to win.  

It took until the final quarter to work out that we had to kick over the top of their defensive wall, and only then did Watts and Hogan finally get their hands on the ball and their names on the scoreboard.

The Dogs have also mastered the art of throwing the ball, as it was plain for the 39K people to see at the game over and over again.  The Adelaide coaching panel was absolutely right about the quality of umpiring at their game against the Dogs last week, and it was repeated again with us as the victim this week.  

In contrast we had too many passengers who were simply not getting enough of the ball or getting involved in the play.  Even though he kicked two goals, Jeff Garlett has to do much, much more than the nine touches he managed in 100 minutes of football.  He has to play defensive and stop the ball re-bounding out to allow the opposition to set up another attack.

Again this week our forward line was over-crowded.  We do not need three talls in there getting in the way of Hogan.  We also don’t need three others filling up even more space.  We need the players where the ball is, not playing into the oppositions plans.  

Naturally, Jack Viney and Dom Tyson continued their fine form and provided some measure of strength around the ball.  But they were not enough to counter the skill and ability of Bontempelli and their fleet of running mosquitoes like Daniel, Liberatore and Dahlhaus.

Our younger players suffered and it is probably time for a rest for them in this long season. Jayden Hunt, Josh Wagner and James Harmes were well off the pace and even though they performed when necessary, they just couldn’t get themselves involved like previous weeks. 

Likewise, Viv Michie is taking up valuable space in the seniors with another underwhelming performance as a mid.

Our season is now on the line with four other sides sitting on 16 points.  A win next week against Brisbane is essential, a loss is the end of any hope of improvement, as we face a harder draw in the second half of the season. 

The coaching staff need to wake up and make the necessary changes both on the field and at the selection panel, before the season is written off. 

Melbourne 2.2.14 5.5.35 7.9.51 12.10.82

Western Bulldogs 5.5.35 8.9.57 12.10.82 17.12.114

Goals

Melbourne Watts 3 Garlett Kennedy 2 Hogan     McDonald Oliver Petracca Viney

Western Bulldogs Stringer 5 Redpath 3 Dickson Picken 2 Dale Hunter Liberatore McLean Wallis

Best

Melbourne Viney Tyson Stretch Kennedy McDonald Jetta

Western Bulldogs Bontempelli Liberatore Hunter Dahlhaus Boyd Picken Stringer

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Western Bulldogs Nil

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Western Bulldogs Stringer (corked calf) Roberts (head) Roughead (shoulder)

Reports

Melbourne Bernie Vince reported for rough conduct

Western Bulldogs Nil

Umpires Schmitt Findlay Wallace

 Official crowd 39,921 at the MCG