I may cop a bit of backlash here from some, but after dwelling on yesterday's loss for a bit (still hurts as much as it did yesterday) i'm struggling to see that we've learnt or have improved in the last year, despite all the talk

- Our kicking skills are still TERRIBLE (skills were arguabley our biggest problem form 2012-2014)

- We still lack leadership and composure (what was brought up after St Kilda 2015 loss)

- Our defence plays 1 good game in every 4. That's not finals quality 

- Our defensive running back in transition is unacceptable. Single only reason why the opposition scores most of their goals.

-Much too often we over-possess the  footy and handball our way into trouble, yet when the option is to hold the ball, we blaze away and kick it straight to the opposition

Trust me, I would so badly love to be proven wrong in the coming weeks, but sadly I cannot see us jumping the Ports, Saints, Cats, Hawks, Bombers of this league and it looks like another mediocre 10-12th place finish in 2017

Please let me know your thoughts 

Our intensity is far more consistent. The Carlton game is an example, we played awfully and still found a way to win, could easily have done the same against the dockers 

and the cats we just didn't kick straight. 

My biggest concern is how easy we are to score against and the form of some of our players 

I think overall we've improved. The same problems persist, sure, but we're losing games in different ways. I don't think we're losing because we're a bad team that tried hard but lost. We're just a good team that has been piked at the last opportunity by a team that wanted it more. Last two weeks have been big learning games. I don't think win:loss is a good gauge for improvement, because we can improve this year but end up with the same record as last year. We're still 12 months off being a true finals contender so at the moment we're battling mid-range with probably 10 other teams.

It's round 4.

Richmond aren't top four and Sydney and hawthorn aren't bottom three.  It's simply too early to tell.

You make some fair points Lad! I might be able to answer your question in about three weeks.

We have.

We've won more quarters, been in every game we've played, and if not for some poor kicking in front of goal last week, and honestly the ball bouncing against us yesterday we could be 4-0.

We are a competitive team, but it's a very even competition full of highly motivated individuals. 

I think people forget the quality of Freo's midfield, and that we have 3 of our best players out. If they played without Sandilands, Mundy and McCarthy yesterday (similar shapes and positions to our missing 3) we'd have rolled them by 6 goals.

Lets try keep things in perspective. 

Cronic problem as I see it is an inability to bring consistant performance from 1 quater to the next, let alone one week to the next, until we can do this we will struggle to rise up the ladder. Don't believe its anything to do with getting ahead of ourselves.

 

We have improved everywhere except leadership

19 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

We have improved everywhere except leadership

It in a nutshell...

I am sure many fans at quarter time had a sense of déjà vu. A loss coming up was so predictable.

Just now, Sir Why You Little said:

It in a nutshell...

It's all Goodwin's fault, though.  Soft underbelly, leadership, catering, the colour of the water bottles.  Spotlight on Goodwin, SWYL.  He's to blame for it all.

1 hour ago, Wiseblood said:

It's all Goodwin's fault, though.  Soft underbelly, leadership, catering, the colour of the water bottles.  Spotlight on Goodwin, SWYL.  He's to blame for it all.

Bland acceptance on your behalf Wise. I expected a higher quality from you. 

The MFC soft Underbelly does still exist. 

The MFC Leadership is still very poor and Goodwin has been at the club for 3 years learning from the Master

Some heat will do him good. 

Gee Hawthorn and Sydney must have very bad leadership problems       They havn't won a game

2 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

It's all Goodwin's fault, though.  Soft underbelly, leadership, catering, the colour of the water bottles.  Spotlight on Goodwin, SWYL.  He's to blame for it all.

The only mistake Goody has done in regards to leadership is to promote Viney too early.

But once again, we have no one like s Selwood who takes the game by the scruff of the neck and drags the team along or stops the rot. The siren stopped the rot for us in the third quarter, not jones, not Viney, not tmac, not Vince. No one did anything and it was plain to see.

11 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

The only mistake Goody has done in regards to leadership is to promote Viney too early.

Possibly not only one...but a glaring and costly one so far.

Unfortunately can't be undone

Improvement in some respects.

Standing still elsewhere.

Biggest problem. Cant kick for shlt.

There are no excuses for the 22 players that went yesterday and last week in those key quarters where we couldn't shift momentum. But if there is a consensus that the suspensions really hurt us structurally, then why are we making judgements on whether we've improved from last year without having our integral structure back?

We have improved greatly. Not a bruise free team anymore for a start and we have some really great young talent developing beautifully. We are a very exciting team to watch and we can more the ball from coast to coast most efficiently and effectively. I don't know what people are talking about when they say our kicking is poor. Hit targets yesterday. Maybe they are talking about our goal shooting.

have we improved ... yes

but the easy beats from last year have improved and some of the harder ones have gone down a little.

Now... how much have we improved .... not sure

5 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

have we improved ... yes

but the easy beats from last year have improved and some of the harder ones have gone down a little.

Now... how much have we improved .... not sure

A couple of spots on the ladder DJ. We won 10 last year and I have thought 12-13 this year from square one.

after yesterday 12 max. 

6 minutes ago, old dee said:

A couple of spots on the ladder DJ. We won 10 last year and I have thought 12-13 this year from square one.

after yesterday 12 max. 

sounds about right ... but worried that we don't seem to have the X factor to take us much further.

Seems that when the youngsters come on the 4-7 year players just slip that little bit.

Petracca and Oliver could be that X factor ... now we need the rest to maintain form

Bulldogs winning last year shows what can be achieved but runs like that are the exception rather than the rule

All in all I am upbeat about the next year or two but hell the MFC does test you !!

6 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

sounds about right ... but worried that we don't seem to have the X factor to take us much further.

Seems that when the youngsters come on the 4-7 year players just slip that little bit.

Petracca and Oliver could be that X factor ... now we need the rest to maintain form

Bulldogs winning last year shows what can be achieved but runs like that are the exception rather than the rule

All in all I am upbeat about the next year or two but hell the MFC does test you !!

I hope you are right DJ for 2018/9 I don't have the time for many more.

4 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

It's all Goodwin's fault, though.  Soft underbelly, leadership, catering, the colour of the water bottles.  Spotlight on Goodwin, SWYL.  He's to blame for it all.

The colour of the water bottles deserves its own thread.

3 minutes ago, bing181 said:

The colour of the water bottles deserves its own thread.

As a matter of interest what colour where they?

49 minutes ago, old dee said:

A couple of spots on the ladder DJ. We won 10 last year and I have thought 12-13 this year from square one.

after yesterday 12 max. 

still 2 kpp's short od