1 minute ago, Webber said:

Disagree. Unless we trade/recruit contested marking ability, we're going nowhere. All the teams better than us have it as a key pillar to their game. It's horrible to see it, but we've been exposed in the second half of the season as a bit the emperor's new clothes, because we can't control or win enough ball in the air.

Height.  We need more height at both ends of the ground.  Our KPPs are some of the shortest in the league, particularly the forwards.  Even the commentators were commenting on our short backline being exposed.  Don't think it was bad luck that they rotated two rucks through full forward.  We've been shown to be incapable of handling tall full forwards repeatedly, so Buckley decided to exploit it and we didn't have an answer. 

1 minute ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Gold!!!

Just trying to cheer myself up BBO. My sunny nature's being tested today.

2 minutes ago, Abe said:

the umpiring was disgusting. Some of the worst I've seen. 

That call was a complete guess, Peterson took it out of the ruck and had a hand laid on him (hardly a tackle) and handballed it immediately. It was a big call too because we were away and it started a run of repeat entries. 

Feels like this was the evener for QB, we got a good run that day, they got a good run today. It happens. What we could control was not up to it. 

4 minutes ago, Skuit said:

For all that the stat is worth, DE% culprits sub-66%:

ANB 47.1%

Brayshaw 65%

Tyson 58.3%

Gawn 37.5%

Hannan 60%

Harmes 60%

And Tomald, Vince, and Hibberd with 6 clangers each.

Stat passes the eye-test in this instance (except for it being actually worse).

Story of the day.

 

Yes, but the big one missing there is Hunt. He consistently misses targets, and not just by a little.

Agree with many of the previous comments about attack on the ball and players going missing, how could anyone not. But the biggest shortcoming for me is not being able to hit targets. It's what's behind our poor inside 50 conversion figures. We're getting the ball in there, but either they're just bombs, or we're not hitting up the forwards.

2 minutes ago, dave said:

I did, but you just know it's going to happen, Crows got nothing to play for, Eagles have

Like our game...

Just had one of the worst days of my life (unrelated to the footy) and now see Melbourne folded under pressure yet again. [censored] me what a shithouse day this turned in to. How could you not be giving it 110% when finals were on the line?! Absolutely disgusting! I'm so dejected right now my god Melbourne

I'm just glad I'll be on a flight back to Melbourne tomorrow night so I can avoid the agony of waiting on the Adelaide West Coast result. 

Being a Melbourne supporter is a full time shitfest of a job. 

2 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Sorry - I meant the DE% stat can be misleading but those with a poor DE% for this match really were horrible.

There were also plenty that were horrible in terms of DE where it's not reflected in the stats.

Vince should have kicked that goal.gartlett missed 2 easy ones, gawn should have definitely kicked his one and Tommy mac should have gone back and had a shot instead of passing it off. 

Which was a turnover by the way. 

Please don't tell me to boot off cos I barrack for Essendon. I'm not here for any other reason that making a comment (not gloating, which I seem to get accused of)

Anyone who says "I hope we don't make finals, we don't deserve it" are kidding. The big game experience that the team will gain from playing even 1 final, whatever the result, will be an important building block to future success. If you qualify, you deserve it, it's simple as that.

North has knocked off Brisbane by 50 points today, so perhaps after last weeks performance against Brisbane, todays result isn't surprising. But I think the week off will help all teams to regroup. If I was a Dees fan, I'd be barracking hard for Freo and Adelaide and hope like hell you can play a final. You just never know.

On todays game, what were peoples thoughts of Petraccas last quarter? Obviously he is still young and probably needs to build a greater tank, but failed to impact the game when you needed him most.

 

20 yr member...

Seen 2 gf in my life & got flogged by a combined 150+pts!

Seen a handful of finals only to see them run out of gas as usual!

Seen 10 years of a complete train wreck!

Seen another missed opportunity today!

Seen great players always dogged with injuries e.g. Lyon,Swarta, Now Hogan & Viney!

Im sorry if i sound negative ....But I continue SEE failure from this club!

What a shite performance.

Where are all the apologists for our appalling leaky backline?

12 minutes ago, dl4e said:

Disgusted. Luckily I have a slab of VBs.

So did Gawn I reckon.

He is super unfit and never seen in marking contests.

14 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

We will win the flag.....if  Adelaide beat West Coast 

Was this part of a cunning plan to now finish 8th and avoid playing the swans at the SCG. Instead now probably Port at Adelaide Oval - a happy hunting ground for us?

1 minute ago, dees189227 said:

Vince should have kicked that goal.gartlett missed 2 easy ones, gawn should have definitely kicked his one and Tommy mac should have gone back and had a shot instead of passing it off. 

Which was a turnover by the way. 

Spot on on all four counts but even if we managed to eke a win, we are clearly not up to scratch! ☹️

Just now, Hogan2014 said:

20 yr member...

Seen 2 gf in my life & got flogged by a combined 150+pts!

Seen a handful of finals only to see them run out of gas as usual!

Seen 10 years of a complete train wreck!

Seen another missed opportunity today!

Seen great players always dogged with injuries e.g. Lyon,Swarta, Now Hogan & Viney!

Im sorry if i sound negative ....But I continue SEE failure from this club!

I know how you feel I really do, but:

Get in line.

1 minute ago, Ash35 said:

On todays game, what were peoples thoughts of Petraccas last quarter? Obviously he is still young and probably needs to build a greater tank, but failed to impact the game when you needed him most.

He's showing glimpses, but as you say he needs to build a tank so he can have an impact for the entire game instead of just a few flashes. 

3 minutes ago, Ash35 said:

Please don't tell me to boot off cos I barrack for Essendon. I'm not here for any other reason that making a comment (not gloating, which I seem to get accused of)

Anyone who says "I hope we don't make finals, we don't deserve it" are kidding. The big game experience that the team will gain from playing even 1 final, whatever the result, will be an important building block to future success. If you qualify, you deserve it, it's simple as that.

North has knocked off Brisbane by 50 points today, so perhaps after last weeks performance against Brisbane, todays result isn't surprising. But I think the week off will help all teams to regroup. If I was a Dees fan, I'd be barracking hard for Freo and Adelaide and hope like hell you can play a final. You just never know.

On todays game, what were peoples thoughts of Petraccas last quarter? Obviously he is still young and probably needs to build a greater tank, but failed to impact the game when you needed him most.

 

Petracca will only get better as its his second year...

Question is our more senior players & leadership throughout the game & week to ensure they were up for this game!

 

16 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Reality was that Collingwood came to play. They ran with numbers, used handball effectively around the ball, ran into space all over the ground and took contested marks when it counted. They simply outplayed us all day.  And you would have to think that Buckley outcoached Goodwin. Same old bad habits by Melbourne. For me, the game pretty much depicted where MFC is at. All the warning signs were present in the Brisbane match. 

Oh and we didn't come to play? That's it. Easily fixed. 

2 minutes ago, Ash35 said:

Please don't tell me to boot off cos I barrack for Essendon. I'm not here for any other reason that making a comment (not gloating, which I seem to get accused of)

Anyone who says "I hope we don't make finals, we don't deserve it" are kidding. The big game experience that the team will gain from playing even 1 final, whatever the result, will be an important building block to future success. If you qualify, you deserve it, it's simple as that.

North has knocked off Brisbane by 50 points today, so perhaps after last weeks performance against Brisbane, todays result isn't surprising. But I think the week off will help all teams to regroup. If I was a Dees fan, I'd be barracking hard for Freo and Adelaide and hope like hell you can play a final. You just never know.

On todays game, what were peoples thoughts of Petraccas last quarter? Obviously he is still young and probably needs to build a greater tank, but failed to impact the game when you needed him most.

 

We needed him most when we were 7 goals down. He stood up and did his job. 

We needed leaders in the last. Blame them. The kids aren't the problem. 

10 minutes ago, Skuit said:

For all that the stat is worth, DE% culprits sub-66%:

ANB 47.1%

Brayshaw 65%

Tyson 58.3%

Gawn 37.5%

Hannan 60%

Harmes 60%

And Tomald, Vince, and Hibberd with 6 clangers each.

Stat passes the eye-test in this instance (except for it being actually worse).

Story of the day.

 

From the second half I saw none of those surprise me. 

Tyson was one in particular that coughed up some disgraceful kicks forward. There was one in particular in the final quarter where we won the clearance and he was in meters of space, had a player to kick to 20m away and kicked it well over his head straight to the trailer Pies player. 

I don't know what has happened to him, I remember his first year his kicking was deadly. Feels like a fully Melbourne transformation. 

Nibbler as well I recall a spearing kick he had in the 3rd quarter to set up a mark 35m out directly in front for someone. Fell well short and Pies cleared. 

These were text book basic easy kicks that cost us dearly. Incredible. 

21 minutes ago, Age said:

They've got about 6 months to get right now...

So be it....

17 minutes ago, Pates said:

Going to respond to a reply from @Rodney (Balls) Grinter

   16 minutes ago,  Pates said: 

I'd say TMac's had a mostly good year but he did two things today that could be crucial for costing us finals. That VFA level kick out, and choosing to pass it off when he had a kick from 48m out. 

He's a dumb footballer, simple as that. 

What a load of BS.

Was Tom Mc Donald solely responsable for our whole first Qtr?  That's where the game was lost.

----------

I agree first quarter was of course where the game was lost. But the game was in the balance at the end, we had the opportunity to come back from it or at the very least mitigate the %. He's a leader, hell he was temporary captain, he had the chance to take a kick from 48-50m out directly in front and chose to kick it to a 3 on one. 

 

This was not long after he butchered a kick out that went straight to Cox, who he proceeded to get stuck into. How about worrying about your own game Tom?

 

Perhaps unfair to say "he cost us blah, blah, blah" but FMD dead he was disgraceful with those 2 efforts (plus embarrassingly getting into Cox). 

Pates, I don't nessasrily disagree that T Mac had a major brain fade with that kick, but he was by far alone.  If we are realistic about this, then both Garlett and Gawn missed (a number of) regulation set shots in the second half that would have completely changed the whole completion of the second half.  Even our poster boy No.14 had a few shocking moments today.

T Mac may be amounget the guilty, but he shouldn't be blamed soley.  This is like the 87 prelim witch hunt all over again.  It's unbefitting.

... and we haven't even elimited our selves from the fight just yet.

36 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Not making finals this year or making it by 0.01% on the back of another team's failure is a failed season. 

11 years. Now make it 12. 

The club earmarked finals. The club pretty much failed. 

It earmarked finals last year. That didn't work out so well either.

Too many spuds in our team. Particularly in defence. Can't take a contested mark to save ourselves. Midfield was smashed.

Outcoached. [censored] off melbourne