I know ANB kicked 2 goals but his turnovers were costly

4 minutes ago, ding said:

Mate, im the chief [censored] of "Winners arent us",  but we will be there at the end of the season.

Today wasnt great, but it isnt the end of the world. We will play finals this year, mark my words.

 

I totally agree, I'm just saying though that we haven't established ourselves as a finals team yet.

They lost in a way that finals teams don't lose. Geelong were a man down and running on fumes for most of that second half. So were we but we clearly had the legs. 

Running over non-finals teams in situations like that is one thing. If we don't do it against a top tier finals team, we're just making up the numbers.

What a game - great to see we finally can play against a genuinely big opponent on a big stage with so much at stake for both sides and not be found wanting - we will be competitive with all the top sides based on that.

Ultimately we were smashed in the air - our outlet long kick down the line was picked off with ease by the Cats. They also were way smarter using the short kick out of defence than we were, particularly in the second term when it all came unstuck for a while.

Quite a few players down, although first game of the season, things don't always go right. But what I loved was that we had two of the best midfielders of the past decade - Selwood and Ablett - trying their darndest and having to work for almost every kick.

By contrast our two elite players of the future - Oliver and Trac - showed how good they are going to be with some amazing clearance work and plenty of almost results. The biggest worries to me, were our lack of marking power, our inability to invoke the switch of play for much of the game, our poor delivery forward to targets who invariably played behind looking for the cheap one over the back and our failure to stop Geelong's link play and lack of pace down back for their forays forward.

But the Cats were up for it, it was Selwood's 250th and Ablett's return game after all.

 

 

 

Wagner deserves credit for turning a poor game into a mixed bag. He did some impressive things defensively and offensively in the second half. But it doesn’t change the liability he was in the first. 

We still lack the killer instinct that real contenders have. With them down on rotations and Selwood not at full strength we should’ve been able to get over the line. 

We had those chances at the end, I actually thought Oliver’s mark wasn’t 15m but I think he needed to kick it on his left. 

Petracca missed some very gettable shots as well. 

Gawns miss hurts the most, he should’ve kicked it. He didn’t, he’ll be hurting. 

Just wuickly thiugh I notice that when he took the mark no one came over to him to get in his ear and help him. Everyone just patted his shoulder as if he’d already kicked the goal. 

2 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

What a game - great to see we finally can play against a genuinely big opponent on a big stage with so much at stake for both sides and not be found wanting - we will be competitive with all the top sides based on that.

Ultimately we were smashed in the air - our outlet long kick down the line was picked off with ease by the Cats. They also were way smarter using the short kick out of defence than we were, particularly in the second term when it all came unstuck for a while.

Quite a few players down, although first game of the season, things don't always go right. But what I loved was that we had two of the best midfielders of the past decade - Selwood and Ablett - trying their darndest and having to work for almost every kick.

By contrast our two elite players of the future - Oliver and Trac - showed how good they are going to be with some amazing clearance work and plenty of almost results. The biggest worries to me, were our lack of marking power, our inability to invoke the switch of play for much of the game, our poor delivery forward to targets who invariably played behind looking for the cheap one over the back and our failure to stop Geelong's link play and lack of pace down back for their forays forward.

But the Cats were up for it, it was Selwood's 250th and Ablett's return game after all.

 

 

 

This is a really well balanced look at the game! Nice one!

Just now, Pates said:

Just wuickly thiugh I notice that when he took the mark no one came over to him to get in his ear and help him. Everyone just patted his shoulder as if he’d already kicked the goal. 

Because he was directly in front, 25 meters out.

Let’s not forget that Menzel missed a couple of sitters down the other end. We blew some chances but it could’ve already been game over.

First quarter was good but there's no way our young midfielders of Oliver, Trac and Salem could keep that pace for the game. Second quarter was hardly a surprise. Exploited for defensive running in the middle and the backline doesn't stack up one on one or under pressure.

Second half we turn the tables with 7 in the backline. Good coaching change but how bad is the game plan that we need 7 back to make it work?

Lewis goes from liability to weapon as a spare defender.
The other defenders gather confidence to run and use the ball - Wagner a big turn around. Hunt gets in to the game.
ANB and Harmes light it up when given a chance in the midfield and we get ball in to Tracc who makes a huge difference forward.

But where does it leave us?

Lever will get exposed by a good tall forward
McDonald played well but still needs help
Midfield gets blasted by speed without the ball. Predominantly inside players inside players in Jones and Lewis don't know how to defend a wing. Why is that a surprise to anyone.
Forward line entries and pressure are a complete mess and actually get better with a man down up forward, why?

How the hell do we line up next week? Do we just start with 7 back? 

 

We are one quality mid short. We have too many in and out players eg Hannan, Garlett, Hunt, Harmes. Melksham was very disappointing today as well

Salems so overated and garlett started the season the way he finishes.

3 minutes ago, P-man said:

Let’s not forget that Menzel missed a couple of sitters down the other end. We blew some chances but it could’ve already been game over.

Plus they had injuries and no Dangerfield.

1 hour ago, brendan said:

That will be a valuable lesson I’m thinking, should never have lost that 

been having lessons for *ucking years

1 minute ago, chook fowler said:

We are one quality mid short. We have too many in and out players eg Hannan, Garlett, Hunt, Harmes. Melksham was very disappointing today as well

Such a  poor team selection. Worst one yet.

We were two mids short.

9 minutes ago, praha said:

I totally agree, I'm just saying though that we haven't established ourselves as a finals team yet.

They lost in a way that finals teams don't lose. Geelong were a man down and running on fumes for most of that second half. So were we but we clearly had the legs. 

Running over non-finals teams in situations like that is one thing. If we don't do it against a top tier finals team, we're just making up the numbers.

1 Bajillion percent correct.

We will still make finals IMO.

Why did we stop tackling in the 2nd?

It could always be worse, we could lose to Brisbane next week.

2 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

Salems so overated and garlett started the season the way he finishes.

Salem was very good until he was smashed in to next week by the cheat.

Shouldn't have played after that really.

Garlett never should've been picked. Terrible game. Completely unwilling or unable to get to the front of the pack and put some pressure on.

We really lacked synergy today, which is kind of mindboggling, given our performances in the JLT.

We had no forward structure, our forwards were absolutely disgraceful as a group and their inability to lock the ball inside 50 and lay tackles in the area was one of the key reasons we lost the game.

How many times did we allow them to chip the short one from the goal square, only to be followed up by another uncontested short chip again? Hate to say it, because he's a fat, arrogant FIGJAM of a muppet, but Chris Scott and his team throughly outcoached our coaching team.

The first time I counted a tackle laid inside 50 was late in the third quarter. We may have had one before that, but I don't remember it. Melksham laid 0 tackles. Hannan laid 1 tackle. Hogan laid 1 tackle. Neal-Bullen laid 2 tackles. Garlett laid 2 tackles. Not bloody good enough.

I can't remember the last time Hibberd and Jetta had such terrible games. Particularly, Nev. He was beaten in every contest. Hibberd's last quarter and a bit was handy, but he was far too quiet for the rest of the game. Lever also didn't wrap himself in glory either. He did a couple of nice things, but was caught out and seemed to lack synergy with his co-defenders.

Maynard was horrible. He is not a footballer I'm afraid. Nice experiment, but he doesn't have the tools. He laid the second most tackles on the ground, but his decision making and kicking isn't up to AFL standard.

Harmes played exactly how he has in regular home and away season games for the entirety of his career. Looks like a footballer until he kicks it. His decision making was a staggering at times.

Wagner's kicking was not good. In fact, it wasn't AFL standard at times, but he wasn't our worst defender and with the lack of midfield pressure coming from our mids at times, our defenders were under the pump in quarters 2 and 3.

We still give up goals too easily from too few inside 50s. It's partly our game style, aggressive as it is, that means if teams get 'out the back', they score, but I also think we need to do a lot better in our one-on-one contests in the back half.

Today, Geelong's handball game absolutely tore us to shreds and coupled with our inability to tackle, meant that they made us look second-rate at times. You've got to remember that this is a team that had Selwood, Ablett, a limp Hawkins, an injured Harry Taylor and a cameo game from Menzel. That's pretty much it. They're so one dimensional and yet we still couldn't come away with the bikkies. They were down a man for 3.5 quarters. This loss was embarrassing.

I thought our performance on Etihad against them last year was far superior to today's showing. We really didn't look like it from quarter time onwards. The umpires did everything they could to get us over the line in the last quarter and we still fumbled the prize. Petracca missed a pretty basic snap shot for an AFL player. Gawn missed twice (once from the goal square and again 20 metres out on the siren). We kicked 1.7 in the last. Not good enough.

I'm not one to buy into MFCSS, but I walked away from today saying typical [censored] Melbourne, we seem to not know how to win. Is it part of our culture? Who the [censored] knows, but zen A F was given a real test today. We were just terrible and didn't play as a team.

Edited March 25, 20187 yr by A F

Geelong had 3 debutants and a bunch of kids making up most of their numbers. They were down a rotation early when Harry Taylor went down..

On paper, we should have won easily today, people need to wake up if they think we played well against a “top 4 side” today... Geelong proved today that it takes 22 players to win a game of footy.. We haven’t learnt anything from last year.. Relying on guys like Oliver & Trac to get us over the line.. No structure moving the footy, bombing the ball long, blokes completely misreading the flight of the footy, missed tackles, lost way too many 50/50 balls.. 

I’ll save the wrist slashing until next week if we don’t improve.. But seriously.. Horrible start to a new year when we’re supposed to be taking things to the next level..

I'm not at all confident about next week.

The lions won't be easy beats this year, and we are mentally poor in games like this.

If we win, it won't be by much. 

6 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Salem was very good until he was smashed in to next week by the cheat.

Shouldn't have played after that really.

Garlett never should've been picked. Terrible game. Completely unwilling or unable to get to the front of the pack and put some pressure on.

Salem was not good at any point but willing to give him a pass for that hit. Would want to do more and show some desperation next week.

35 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

You reckon shills aren’t important?

Wattsy would’ve been handy wouldn’t he?

I just don’t know what Goodys doing with this team.

Leaves out high possession winners in Tyson and Brayshaw and includes plodders in Maynard and Wagner .

Lever looked like a skinny 12 year old.

We would’ve lost that by ten goals had Danger played

Woul have won by 10 if Viney had played.

1 We traded our best ball User Watts and got?? And we are still paying part of his Salary

2 The Cancelled camp tells me and plenty  AND those in the footy world that we are SOFT

3 None selections of Frost, Tyson and Gus baffling

4 Goodwin has no idea how to counter run and spread

5 We still make unforced skill errors

6 I don't blame Max at all as wehade numerous chances to win it BUT having said that a senior player from 20 out should have nailed it! Watts Would have!

7 We still have a hell of a lot to learn.

8 TYPICAL BLOODY MELBOURNE FC

 

Edited March 25, 20187 yr by picket fence

Argh! So frustrating. Our inability to lay a tackle was frustrating at times. It's the basic stuff we stuffed up. That 2nd quarter was where we lost it. It was a good comeback and actually a good game to watch but my god it was painful to lose. 

I thought Gawn had that in the bag. Admittedly Menzel missed 2 sitters which would have snuffed out the game. But as a leader Gawn needs to kick those. Lewis gave away that dumb 50 as well which didn't help. 

I know it is not his fault at all but when Hunt had the ball with about 10 seconds to go he just needed to barrel that in quicker instead of just hanging onto it looking for a target. Should have just got it onto the boot and banged it in. 

We tamed Hawkins but it was Menzel we actually needed to worry about in the end. 

Oh and if I hear how good Ablett's game was I will be annoyed. Yes he had 39 but how many kicks did he butcher and how many times was he tackled with the ball? They wernt great 39 possessions. 

Footy season is back and its still as frustrating as ever.