Soft Underbelly MUST become extinct.

[Dee1987 277]

4 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

I hear all the comments on this thread and agree but am confused now about a club that heroically beat  Adelaide away, West Coast away, Port, last years premiers and the saints twice - yet produced yesterdays effort.  The recent form lines against north and Brisbane shows they were definitely off the boil and yesterday was a real test. Gave the pies 7 goals starts and got to 8 points down.???

I'm still an optimist but how does this fluctuation happen. I was at the Adelaide oval it I can't believe the above successful games were aberrations.

Bring back Frost BTW.

Any form of enlightenment welcomed.

 

Simple same ole Melbourne, get comfortable after some surprise wins! Not good enough I'm not buying into it.

[Rocknroll 1,005]

We need a focus on footy board coup to stop this.............Did well for the tiger? anyone with me..

 

 

Tounge firmly planted in cheek. If it wasnt obvious 

[brendan 3,437]

5 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

I hear all the comments on this thread and agree but am confused now about a club that heroically beat  Adelaide away, West Coast away, Port, last years premiers and the saints twice - yet produced yesterdays effort.  The recent form lines against north and Brisbane shows they were definitely off the boil and yesterday was a real test. Gave the pies 7 goals starts and got to 8 points down.???

I'm still an optimist but how does this fluctuation happen. I was at the Adelaide oval it I can't believe the above successful games were aberrations.

Bring back Frost BTW.

Any form of enlightenment welcomed.

 

I put most of it down to effort against our best wins there was a team effort across the board, yesterday's 1st quarter there was no effort doesn't matter who you play if you don't show up from 1st bounce you won't beat anyone, it shouldn't take till quarter time to change this as the game is then gone, yes we are young and developing but effort is a non negotiable 

[Demon17 5,203]

3 minutes ago, deefella said:

Simple same ole Melbourne, get comfortable after some surprise wins! Not good enough I'm not buying into it.

I asked for some enlightenment , not some base emotional outpouring.  Check the threads after the more than numerous wins I mentioned  and note the site's  propensity for fickleness.  This year WAS different for the above efforts. Need to lock in consistency.  My question still stands.

[Dommygun12 79]

My last few games all humiliating losses essendons vfl side then 3 st kilda losses the sydney loss this year and now yesterdays.

Bloody frustrating but losses like these show why the rebuild isnt fully complete and why there is still plenty of work to do but it will come together soon.

[Gorgoroth 13,019]

I expected a loss. It's reality that we [censored] these games up.

Our best leader is Viney. He may as well be some captain next year. 

Jones gets his kicks, but he never grabs the game and turns it. He will play well in games but how many games have you seen Selwood win critical centre clearances that end in goals or kick those goals etc. This is something no one in our team does. Viney comes closest. 

Season is over folks.

[Lucifers Hero 40,362]

24 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

I hear all the comments on this thread and agree but am confused now about a club that heroically beat  Adelaide away, West Coast away, Port, last years premiers and the saints twice - yet produced yesterdays effort.  The recent form lines against north and Brisbane shows they were definitely off the boil and yesterday was a real test. Gave the pies 7 goals starts and got to 8 points down.???

I'm still an optimist but how does this fluctuation happen. I was at the Adelaide oval it I can't believe the above successful games were aberrations.

Bring back Frost BTW.

Any form of enlightenment welcomed.

Jack Viney played all the good wins vs Adel, WB, Port, WCE, StK. 

He hasn't play or played under great duress in every game since the Sydney loss. 

It would be too simplistic to say he is the difference, he isn't. That is the only common denominator that I can find!

We need JV7!!!

Edited August 26, 2017 by Lucifer's Hero

[beelzebub 23,383]

11 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Jack Viney played all the good wins vs Adel, WB, Port, WCE, StK. 

He hasn't play or played under great duress in every game since the Sydney loss. 

It would be too simplistic to say he is the difference, he isn't. That is the only common denominator that I can find!

We need JV7!!!

Agree on a number of points. 

Viney is a common factor but surely ( hoping ) its not just him.

[praha 11,240]

1 hour ago, The heart beats true said:

The wrist slashing on here is making me laugh.

Stop talking up your own 'pain' like it's a badge of honour. The players care. Watch Goodwins press conference, and instead of getting angry about his tone, listen to what he actually says. He talks about habits. We are a developing side, who need to continue to develop elite habits. Its a work in progress.

Anyone watch the Suns game last night? That was us 3 years ago, and if you think you can turn that ship around in 15 games then you don't understand how hard the competition is.

Tackling isn't a habit. It's a fundamental component of the game itself. If 22 games in you're still talking about turning non negotiable into habits, i feel sorry for Goodwin. We've been developing for years and we've failed miserably at a critical time. Momentum and incentive and those little things that fuel passion and urgency seem to work for every other team except Melbourne. I think a lot of people are understating the significance of yesterday. We didn't lose yesterday because the competition is hard. We lost because we're Melbourne. When will things go our way? We should have been walking away knowing we'd be playing finals. Instead we walked away wondering how an Afl team on the verge of its first final series in 10 years didnt lay a tacke in the first 10 minutes.

Bruise. Free.

[Nasher 33,617]

7 hours ago, Watts Jurrah Dunn? said:

Very easy to look dejected and shattered in the rooms. 

Drop the charades and just start showing up for 2 hours each weekend you p155 weak individuals. 

As @Clint Bizkitwould say, classic Demonland. In the same page of a thread, we have the players being panned for being upbeat in the room, and the players being panned for looking dejected and shattered in the rooms. 

Well done everyone, give yourself a round of applause, followed by an uppercut.

[DaveyDee 421]

8 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

It's out of my control. I am just disappointed i paid for next years Membership last week...

club doesn't deserve money right now

You are one seriously sick little puppy. You have this bizarre narrative you post on nearly every thread. Nobody ever said there would not be bumps in the road - in fact your hero PJ says it all the time.

Very frustrating game, the players and coaches were gutted. But until its over Goody has to stay positive, he has no choice.

We are all gutted but its time to start learning from our mistakes and I'm 100% positive that will be driven home to the players. 

[Dee1987 277]

I'm just not sure anymore how much we can buy into this talk about up and coming side, the better days are ahead, blah,blah,blah. Talk is cheap we have been hearing this for the last decade or more. If I was Jake Lever I would stay at the Crows we still stink bad. 

Not to mention the side needs more than just Lever.

[Umpire Please 120]

9 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

That is just the attitude this club has had for so long

"it will be alright tomorrow...."

Fully agree. It's just unacceptable!!

The players need to be told and not have so many supporters saying " it's ok"" your a young team,  you will be better next year. You have to take your opportunities when they are right in front of you. A win yesterday and we know we are playing finals. Because they lost who knows how many of the players are looking forward to Mad Monday, and will be under prepared if we do have to play next week. Personally I hope we don't make it now as it looks like if we do  it will be against the Swans. They will slaughter us up there. It could be a scare that stays with the younger players that will see us go backwards for the next few years. Better to finish on yesterday's game and come back and work even harder pre season and go hard next year. 

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,233]

51 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Agree on a number of points. 

Viney is a common factor but surely ( hoping ) its not just him.

If anyone thinks if Viney plays we give up 3 goals before we lay a tackle then they are kidding themselves. Poor starts in my opinion are 70% due to on field leadership and 30% tactical errors. I do not recall seeing any talk or positioning from Jones or others at any point. You can tell when we are on as everyone is pointing everywhere (this is slightly tongue in cheek but actually true from my observations)

We tried to get back into the game at times with Oliver, Petracca and another rotating youngster in the middle. Says a lot for our senior core.

As much as I would like us to make it to see a response the best thing may be to miss and have it burn over summer. 

Edited August 26, 2017 by big_red_fire_engine

[The heart beats true 18,145]

43 minutes ago, praha said:

 Momentum and incentive and those little things that fuel passion and urgency seem to work for every other team except Melbourne. 

Every other team except:

Saints against us 2 weeks ago when we knocked them out of finals.

GWS last night when Geelong knocked them out of top 2.

Bulldogs last week when Port ended their finals hopes.

Thats 3 examples in 3 weeks. You feel it more because this is the team you support, but this crap about 'it's only us' and 'we are cursed' is stopping the acceptance of reality. Young team = inconsistency.

[Call Me What You Will 751]

At about 7.00pm tonight we are all going to know (or maybe even earlier), but if as we all expect the Eagles sneak past us (probably with a goal after the siren), then there is a massive opportunity amongst all the grief and gnashing of teeth, to use this moment as a "Ground Zero" line in in the sand. I'm not sure whether there will be a media circus "crossing to where the players are watching their fate unfold", but the moment it is decided, the players need to publically take control of this culture so that it can never, ever happen again at the MFC. It be the ground zero moment the future generations of players and supporters refer to - the day the culture changed. It will be a day up there with the sacking of Norm Smith and to a lesser extent the weeks that ended 1987. Everyone needs to know and remember. I'd like "Playing Group" led by Nos 2, 7, 11, 6, 4 ,13, 5 and the rest to first of all publically cancel Mad Monday. Symbolically, this is the first act after Ground Zero. Gather in other ways, perhaps with wives, partners and coaches but the nonesense of the past stops now.  This Ground Zero attitude must then translate into the trade period, the draft, pre season and then into next year and then forever. Our first signpost for success will be 12 months from day. Ground Zero must come from the players, and not from a Peter Jackson email or a Simon Goodwin speech. This playing group has a massive opportunity to individually and collectively commit to changing culture - forever. To be remembered in years to come as the group that changed the culture of the MFC - forever. What a challenge and what an opportunity. The time is now! Over to you lads.

[bandicoot 1,395]

59 minutes ago, praha said:

Tackling isn't a habit. It's a fundamental component of the game itself. If 22 games in you're still talking about turning non negotiable into habits, i feel sorry for Goodwin. We've been developing for years and we've failed miserably at a critical time. Momentum and incentive and those little things that fuel passion and urgency seem to work for every other team except Melbourne. I think a lot of people are understating the significance of yesterday. We didn't lose yesterday because the competition is hard. We lost because we're Melbourne. When will things go our way? We should have been walking away knowing we'd be playing finals. Instead we walked away wondering how an Afl team on the verge of its first final series in 10 years didnt lay a tacke in the first 10 minutes.

Bruise. Free.

It's a failing on the coaches and the players that the club wasn't up for this game. Full side vs a side missing 9 players. Disgraceful 

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

So much at stake and all the whims of lady luck. Not only possibly lose our first finals spot in over a decade but I can see loss of positive fixtures, prime time games, lucrative sponsorship, possible big recruit not happening and the walking away of current and prospective members. This could be a bigger than Ben Hur loss.

 

[bush demon 2,062]

11 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

Of course we need to fix it - but then, so do Essendon, West Coast, St. Kilda, Port...

So many are in the same basket we are in.  We are a middle of the road side looking to push further up the ladder with consistent performances, and to do so we need to become a side that is mentally tough.  But we aren't the only ones.

It's a national competition that's why melbourne play in Alice springs and melbourne storm play in melbourne. That's why Rabbitohs get smashed and Sydney swans never play in darwin. Been reliving this same old garbage  since norm smith handballed barassi to Carl.

[The heart beats true 18,145]

12 minutes ago, america de cali said:

So much at stake and all the whims of lady luck. Not only possibly lose our first finals spot in over a decade but I can see loss of positive fixtures, prime time games, lucrative sponsorship, possible big recruit not happening and the walking away of current and prospective members. This could be a bigger than Ben Hur loss.

Wow. Maybe just a touch melodramatic?

This place is more emotional than a 13 year old girl who didn't get invited to a birthday party.

[Fat Tony 5,262]

10 hours ago, praha said:

From the AFL website:

"Despite blowing a golden chance to put an exclamation point on a thoroughly encouraging season and seal a finals berth – the first since 2006 – the mood was light and, well, kind of positive after the 16-point loss to Collingwood. "

"...some club insiders dared to believe a loss could turn out to be a positive, as it would increase the chances of a Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval fixture, rather than having to face the finals-hardened Swans in Sydney. "

No way this is true. 

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

15 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

Wow. Maybe just a touch melodramatic?

This place is more emotional than a 13 year old girl who didn't get invited to a birthday party.

OK give us the positives to build on for yesterday's loss. 

Edited August 27, 2017 by america de cali

[The heart beats true 18,145]

2 minutes ago, america de cali said:

OK give us the positives to build on for yesterday's loss. 

How many people, outside of hardcore Melbourne and Geelong fans, remember we got belted by a 100 points in Rnd 23 last year? Id say less than 10% of footy fans. Yet a lot of people picked us to make the 8 this year.

Most fans, sponsors, players and the the AFL judge you for your year.

[dl4e 5,851]

The mental problems at Melbourne are the hardest thing to fix. As a club we are soft and it showed yesterday. I believe Goodwin wants to fix it but it will take more than the coach to fix. Maybe we should be doing what the filth are doing and putting the best possible changes in the reserve coaching area and some other areas of administration.

I am disgusted by yesterday but it was typical.

[btdemon 482]

4 minutes ago, america de cali said:

OK give us the positives to build on for yesterday's loss. 

Yesterday was crap. Collingwood "came to play" (please excuse terrible cliche), we didn't. When the penny dropped at the quarter-time break we started to do the things required to get us back in the game. Unfortunately, Collingwood's pressure remained really good and forced lots of poor decisions and skill errors from us. We didn't have the right stuff to get us over the line. That's it.

The positives are:

That we are way better than we have been in the past ten years, we have some potential match winners, in Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Gawn and Hogan. They didn't all play well yesterday or play at all In the case of Viney). We have a pretty good list that still needs some tweaking - bringing in some talent and delisting/trading some NQRs. 

Statistically we are heading in the right direction. Goodwin is a good coach and will learn from this, as will the players. Our improvement is trending upwards all the time. The disasters are happening less often and the expectation of the players is higher.

We have a club that is now properly structured to provide the football department with the best resources. Thank you PJ and Paul Roos.

We are developing a much better club culture which will further improve as we build a history of success and finals experience.

We are now a club that other players see as a viable destination because they can see that we are heading for a period of success built on sound foundations.

Next year will be better again and we may be a genuine finals team rather than a inexperienced team that scrapes into the final eight.

BUT YESTERDAY WAS HORRIBLE!