1 hour ago, don't make me angry said:

I hope all the other teams do lose there respect for the mfc,  so they dont see as coming,so many stupid poster's judging the season and whether the team improves or not on 1 game, 1 game never defines a season, end of last year Geelong belted us by 110 points, Richmond got belted by 115 points did both teams improve yes, our core group of player are all under 23 hogan, oliver, trac, brayshaw, hunt, etc. most are looking at 1 game far too much, once the dust settles and the clouds disappear we can all see clearly, if Adelaide won most of these post  would not exist, and  based on what, Adelaide winning and as making the finals on percentage, knee  jerkers is the lot of you

Probably just grabbing at straws, but Jobe Watson on Footy Classified last night believed this would set the team up for the next 10 years in the ' resolve' department and lay the foundation for success with the memory of the last performance against Collingwood.

5 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

Probably just grabbing at straws, but Jobe Watson on Footy Classified last night believed this would set the team up for the next 10 years in the ' resolve' department and lay the foundation for success with the memory of the last performance against Collingwood.

Claptrap

17 minutes ago, jackaub said:

Claptrap

We all know that is grabbing at straws. 

What should have set the club up for at least ONE year was flubbing it against Carlton last year and then completely squibbing it against Geelong in the last round.

 

 

It seems that did nothing in the "resolve" department.

 

 

This year is worse because we were already in the 8!

I don't think we're that good.

Carrying on about missing out on finals and how we will improve naturally next year is in no way a given.

Goodwin said we will be where we deserve to be at the end of round 23.

There are 4 teams that finished below us that will expect to finish above us next year, namely Collingwood, Hawthorn, St Kilda and Footscray. Brisbane will look forward to playing us again as will North and even Carlton who either didn't lose by much or beat us.

Our contested ball without Viney is poor and if Max doesn't improve or adapt we have a midfield ranked maybe even lower than where we finished this year.

When Petracca can play long midfield minutes we will improve and Clarry and Viney have a lot of upside but our mid range players are either hit and miss or getting old. Lewis has been great the last 3 or so weeks, we can't expect that next year.

We have a lot of work to do just to maintain the level we achieved this year. I think they went well overall with a dramaticly disappointing final game. I look forward to next year.

18 minutes ago, deespicable me said:

I don't think we're that good.

Carrying on about missing out on finals and how we will improve naturally next year is in no way a given.

Goodwin said we will be where we deserve to be at the end of round 23.

There are 4 teams that finished below us that will expect to finish above us next year, namely Collingwood, Hawthorn, St Kilda and Footscray. Brisbane will look forward to playing us again as will North and even Carlton who either didn't lose by much or beat us.

Our contested ball without Viney is poor and if Max doesn't improve or adapt we have a midfield ranked maybe even lower than where we finished this year.

When Petracca can play long midfield minutes we will improve and Clarry and Viney have a lot of upside but our mid range players are either hit and miss or getting old. Lewis has been great the last 3 or so weeks, we can't expect that next year.

We have a lot of work to do just to maintain the level we achieved this year. I think they went well overall with a dramaticly disappointing final game. I look forward to next year.

Yeah, Goodwin is right that we deserve to be where we are at end of round 23. And the only reasons are because we are still soft and chokers 

Also, I wouldn't take lessons in "resolve" from Jobe Watson.

"An unprecedented, unusual, and highly irregular injection regime? That sets off so many alarm bells that we the players demand the club indemnifies us from legal repercussions? Whatever you say, boss."

16 hours ago, Toorak said:

I'll keep this short. The Melbourne Football Club need to learn how to become RUTHLESS!!

They had numerous chances to run up big scoring margins but decided to ease up.

This really cost us.

Including it's supporters.

2 hours ago, jackaub said:

Claptrap

Hasnt Goodwin said on multiple occasions that we dont look at the past? Players forging their own history or rubbish like that.

Well, we now add to our inglorious history of the past 50 years ,the title of smallest margin ever to miss finals.

 

Maybe he will now change his tune.

 

 

Aside from the obvious disappointment, the key lessons from the year IMO are:

1.       Tom McDonald is a key forward. His marking and goal kicking is fantastic, as is his pressure when the ball hits the ground, and we should be aiming for 50 goals out of him next year.

2.       Oscar McDonald will make it. The jury was out for me at the start of the year, but I think he improved and his kicking is not the liability that others feel it is. He just needs to put on another 5kg in the gym.

3.       Dom Tyson is a butcher. His kicking is terrible and he is borderline best 22.

4.       Our midfield is too inside and lacks skill and pace on the outside. Our most important task over the offseason is to recruit a wingman like Isaac Smith, Josh Kelly, Higgins or Sidebottom.

5.       Melksham is a bona fide AFL player.

6.       Hibberd was a fantastic pick up.

7.       Petracca will be a gun, but needs to build a tank and drop 2-3kg.

8.       Gawn needs to toughen up and throw his weight around.

9.       Harmes and ANB made progress but Stretch has gone backwards.

10.   Vince is a tagger not a backman.

3 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

How many times did we kick 5 goals in the first quarter this year?

One (St Kilda, the second time).

How many times did we kick 4 goals in the first quarter?

Five (including the St Kilda game).

So that's 17 games this year where we kicked 3 goals or fewer in the first quarter.

For an interesting comparison, Carlton kicked 4+ goals in the first quarter 8 times.

Weren't we supposed to have fixed this? Goodwin said our poor starts were hurting us and they have worked on it? Well GUESS WHAT???? It aint fixed!!!!!!!! 

It just didn't seem like the players really wanted it in the second half of the year.

That brand of fierce frenetic footy was the exception rather than than the rule.

2 hours ago, Demon17 said:

Probably just grabbing at straws, but Jobe Watson on Footy Classified last night believed this would set the team up for the next 10 years in the ' resolve' department and lay the foundation for success with the memory of the last performance against Collingwood.

ah yes...Jobe...I feel comforted now.....all is well...all is well. 

3 hours ago, Demon17 said:

Probably just grabbing at straws, but Jobe Watson on Footy Classified last night believed this would set the team up for the next 10 years in the ' resolve' department and lay the foundation for success with the memory of the last performance against Collingwood.

Jobe is obviously not a long term Melbourne supporter...we know better.  They have a very long way to go before I trust them to put in the effort required on a consistent basis.  I don't think this year will make much difference to some of them.  I want to be proved wrong but we will see how they go next year.  The supporters know the ones that just seem to trot along to contests, I want to see more urgency in games. That wont happen until next year and I won't believe a word that the players say until I see actions on the field.  No promises, no players hurting about this season, I will wait until I see actions because I don't think some of them have it in them to change.

On 28/08/2017 at 9:14 AM, JV7 said:

I was going to tell you to jump on the NFL thread but your already there... But wouldn't recommend anyone else to start following the NFL for some success... After my team blew the greatest lead in Superbowl history last year, I would stay away.. It's one crushing blow after the other, sport after sport

Dude at least the Falcons made the Superbowl. I follow the Jets in the NFL, will be lucky to win a game this year, tanking before the seasons even started then will probably end up drafting a bust QB.

1 hour ago, Fat Tony said:

8.       Gawn needs to toughen up and throw his weight around.

Needs to stop reading his own press, and get back to being the ruckman who made the decision to be become no. 1 in the league. 

Stay off media street for a while, although I bet he'll now be on every panel that'll have him in September 

20 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Dude at least the Falcons made the Superbowl. I follow the Jets in the NFL, will be lucky to win a game this year, tanking before the seasons even started then will probably end up drafting a bust QB.

True but the crushing way we lost left me feeling much like Sunday night.... Sometimes the grief and disappointment isn't worth it! 

13 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

I drank a 1L bottle of spiced rum in less than 24 hours and I'm not even a pirate. This football club owes me by making finals next season, and they can throw me a new liver while they're at it.

firstly, genuinely shocked you are not a pirate

second - are you saying you will not be getting drunk when if we make finals next year?

On 28/08/2017 at 10:45 AM, hemingway said:

I am not sure about Goodwin. I'm really not. I'm not sure about his game plan. I want to see some evidence that there is a coherent game plan that the players can execute. I have seen bursts of great football at times but for most part, a team going in circles with over use and dumb handball and turnover after turnover. It appears at times they simply don't know what to do. 

I want to see a coach with passion. 

Go and watch the end of the Eagles game and tell me Goodwin doesn't have passion. 

You're usually a pretty balanced poster so I'll assume this is emotion getting the better of you. Goodwin has had an extremely good debut season as coach, particularly given what he had to work with. Not perfect but I think he's got it in him to challenge himself and improve.

22 hours ago, HardBallGet said:

I was listening to the Ox on SEN talk about our lack of a hard edge against Collingwood. In particular he talked about Bugg as a player who would have added some intensity to the Collingwood clash. It led me to a theory on our psyche over the season.

Bugg can nick off after his efforts when we needed him.After he knocked that poor bloke out he immediately started talking to the press how its not our brand of footy.

What an idiot he was the one who did it.

12 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Go and watch the end of the Eagles game and tell me Goodwin doesn't have passion. 

You're usually a pretty balanced poster so I'll assume this is emotion getting the better of you. Goodwin has had an extremely good debut season as coach, particularly given what he had to work with. Not perfect but I think he's got it in him to challenge himself and improve.

Accept your comments Dr G, and yes I have let emotion get in the way of reason the last few days. 

2 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Accept your comments Dr G, and yes I have let emotion get in the way of reason the last few days. 

The last bit of your earlier comment aside the rest warrants a good looking at.

A cake is as much the recipe as its ingredients after all

On watching parts of the game again, I noticed that on at least three occasions the Pies goaled when Garlett was right there to spoil, or apply pressure and in fact he never moved. One was the Hoskin-Elliott dropped mark in the goal square and then recovery and goal. Garlett was like a statue. He also missed an easy goal in the first few minutes which could have set us off on our way and later missed from 30 out straight in front, as Gawn also did a a little later.

Clearly Garlett has had some issues to deal with, as he has completely dropped off in the last 3rd of the season. His pressure acts disappeared and he was not the same player as earlier in the season. He returned twice late in the season to Perth for a funeral and some other issue and was clearly unsettled.

On saturday he appeared to have no interest in the game.

7 hours ago, Demon17 said:

Probably just grabbing at straws, but Jobe Watson on Footy Classified last night believed this would set the team up for the next 10 years in the ' resolve' department and lay the foundation for success with the memory of the last performance against Collingwood.

Wow! Is he on drugs?