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POSTMATCH DISCUSSION - Round 18

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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45 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Well we are probably the AFL premiers at one thing - snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. 

In each of of our close losses this season, 3 by a couple points and one by 10, we have seen similar things:

Poor disposal skill from several players.

Lack of pace in the side. 

Poor  kicking for goal. 

Wasted possession. 

Poor leadership at crucial times. 

Poor  coaching. 

Poor selection. 

Dumb or stupid decision making. 

Poor umpiring. 

We can probably change all of the above over time, with maybe the exception of umpiring.

Despite all of the above, we are now a far better team than the last few years and that is probably driving our hurt more, as we now expect to win, even at places like the cattery. TBH when I saw the team I thought at best it was a 5 goal loss at least. 

A few changes will help us enormously. Look at the last contest, Tuohy went up against Jetta with Spargo nearby. The next nearest was Salem. Not a big bloke in sight. Killing the clock just has to be learned. Our leaders need to lead out on the field or change them. Viney was a huge out as he would have buried the ball in our forward pocket in the last minute and probably game over. Frost to Hawkins early and one good contest and we win. Flood the backline in last minutes and we win.

So all is not doom and gloom if we  really learn and change not just talk about it. 

A couple of changes and we have a really good team that can match any other in the AFL.

But yes, now it really hurts to throw away winnable games.

Some great comments.

I don't think we threw away a winnable game. I think we just threw away the season 

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    1 minute ago, Umpire Please said:

    Does anyone else think that Hawkins should be looked at for the whack in the face that he gave Fritsch when he was laying on the ground?

    100%

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    Our structures held up well as long as Geelong chipped the ball around and moved the ball slowly out of defence but once they got desperate and played on at all costs we couldn’t adapt. Huge mistake not flooding the backline in the last minutes.

    Edited by america de cali

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    I’m done believing in this year. I really thought we were going to do it last night, just like I thought we were going to do it against Port and Geelong again in round one. ALL THREE of those games should be wins, no excuses, no ifs and buts. 

    We haven’t got the mental steel for it this year, which is frustrating because I feel that’s step backwards. Last year the question wasn’t could we beat the best teams, it was why weren’t we beating the teams we should?

    I’m shattered by this loss and I’m sick of us being laughed at by the competition. We’ve become the new Richmond, the team that everyone enjoys getting so close to success they start to believe only to have it ripped away from them. 

    Oh and the cats can go suck a fat one, they are the luckiest club in the AFL. 

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    4 minutes ago, —coach— said:

    Haha did you know I coach swimming?

    Swimmer (after missing national time by .1 sec): I really wanted to get that National time coach

    Coach: Ok, why did you breath twice in the last 5m again.

    Athlete: I forgot

    Coach: Sigh

    Hahaha, yes! *DON’T BREATHE INSIDE THE FLAGS* is probably our coach’s #1 pet peeve. 

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    12 minutes ago, Umpire Please said:

    Does anyone else think that Hawkins should be looked at for the whack in the face that he gave Fritsch when he was laying on the ground?

    Most definitely but the AFL- Geelong FC nexus is too close to allow that to occur. Hawkins is worth ten thousand gate entries to the AFL during the finals. That's 10,000 x $70.00 = $700,000 conservatively as GA tickets. 

     

    Edited by Deemania since 56

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    13 minutes ago, america de cali said:

    Our structures held up well as long as Geelong chipped the ball around and moved the ball slowly out of defence but once they got desperate and played on at all costs we couldn’t adapt. Huge mistake not flooding he backings in the last minutes.

    More than a 'huge mistake', it was a fatal omission.

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    guys it was extremely shattering last night no doubt we were leading for nearly the whole game except the end I get it it sucks but when you get to the point where you have settled  down and reflect on it have a think about what actually happened

     

    We went to the shithole cattery, outplayed them and looked the better team all night against a full strength Geelong - we had 3-4 best 22 missing

     

    Do I need to remind everyone what usually/used to happen when we went to Geelong - for the last 10 years its almost a pencilled in 10-15 goal loss - we are right there now just a few dumb mistakes that cost us and it sucks but we are going up they are going down!

     

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    2 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

    Time to look forward to smashing the Crows

    I suppose we have to but shouldn’t have too if you know what I mean.

    I just keep thinking of Vince Lombardi !

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    7 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

    Time to look forward to smashing the Crows

    Yep. The key to being a good mfc supporter is looking forward. Because it is frightening if you look back...

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    11 hours ago, Darkhorse72 said:

    Big forwards always do to us, has happended for decades 

    Its always Hawkins though that plays his best games against us. Its soooo frustrating. 

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    36 minutes ago, Umpire Please said:

    Does anyone else think that Hawkins should be looked at for the whack in the face that he gave Fritsch when he was laying on the ground?

    He most definitely should. Dog act.

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    1 hour ago, Nasher said:

    I know others have responded already, but this post really hit me.

    Mate trust me, even those of us with lives jam packed full of other stuff feel the sting. Being able to rationalise it away with “it’s just footy” comes later after things settle down, but the initial emotion still cuts deep.

    For me, the blame phase isn’t part of the package when we lose. I don’t need to blame OMac for having a poor game, or JKH for missing an easy shot, or Goodwin for whatever, like so many do. That gives me zero therapeutic value - in fact it just makes me feel worse. That’s why I will often come across here frustrated when I post on here after losses. I just want an outlet to share my disappointment with other Melbourne supporters because I don’t really know many others, and all I seem to come across is misplaced rage and mindless criticism. People mistake my attitude for nonchalance or that I’m just happy with effort. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

    Last night honestly felt up there with the most crushing feeling I’ve felt in my life. I turned the TV off immediately and just sat in the dark silence by myself for ages. I haven’t felt such a feeling of hopelessness for ages. The rational, intelligent man knows it’s stupid to react so strongly to football, but it still happens.

    Anyway my point is, there are more people out there in your corner than you think.

    Amen brother. 

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    Who else has woken up this morning thinking what could have been. My thought was why didn't we have more players getting back in the backline so we could crowd it like they did to us in parts and have more at the touhy contest. Also was Jetta his opponent? 

    Also I kind of wish Goodwin did a beveridge and give the boys a blast afterwards. He may of but he probably didn't. I hope the review tomorrow is harsh and they show what they stuffed up in the last 2 minutes. 

    According to the afl site goodwin will seek clarification about the free kick that went to danger in the ruck contest. I thought there could be plenty more he could ask about. 

    I just look at the ladder and think we could be in 4th today. We could ahve gone 2 games clear of nth and a game clear of geelong. But no, that would be to obvious and to easy to play finals. 

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    1 hour ago, Redleg said:

    Frost to Hawkins early and one good contest and we win.

    Not so sure. He had his chance for that one good contest & failed.

    There are many things that cost us the win but watch where Frost was when Hawkins made position to take the ball on to Toohey. He was in no mans land between where the ball was (ball watching) and Hawk giving him a good 20 to 30 meters break. By the time he realised what happened the damage was done.

    That as much as anything cost us the game. If Frost was with Hawkins the ball probably doesn't go to him or if it does then maybe he (Frost) kills the contest, but there was no contest.

    Frost often gets caught in no mans land, Frost often kicks to no one at best, the oppositions advantage often.

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    http://www.afl.com.au/video/2018-07-21/why-simon-goodwin-is-soft

    Watch the performance of the last minute.

    1. Garlett's shot on goal was the making of a loser with absolutely no sense of victory, or what it takes to actually protect the lead. It was lazy, selfish, and the complete opposite of "big game". A pointless shot on goal.
    2.  Hogan and Mcdonald appear out of sync. McDonald goes up against two defenders, Hogan hangs back, completely oblivious to the inevitable rushed behind. Little if any attempt to keep the ball in play. In that instance there -- a high, deep ball -- you go up and contest to keep the ball in. Yet on direct and clear leads up down the guts throughout the game, he contests and clashes with Mcdonald? The very definition of dumb football.
    3. Watch Garlett's and Melksham's pressure and chase at 0:34-0:38. I know they were out of the contest, but the lack of urgency and desire to create the *perception* of pressure is extremely disheartening. Garlett is absolutely cooked. Imagine this guy in a final at the MCG in front of 90k? Peaheart flash-in-the-pan player. Leon Davis 2.0. Delist.
    4. Duncan manages to jog out of our forward line, receive the handball from Hawkins, who kicks it forward. DEFENSIVE ACCOUNTABILITY!? Let down by both forwards and midfielders. Hogan or Mcdonald should have followed him through. LAZY.
    5. Jones and Lewis at 0:45 look completely and utterly lost. These are two players leading our team towards a finals spot. FMD.

    I feel there is a huge disconnect between club and fan atm. We appear destined to be eternal run-withs, making up the numbers.

    That last minute imo epitomises Goodwin's coaching career thus far. Truly inept, and not at all indicative of a team looking to break an 11-year (!!!!!!!) finals drought.

    5 years into the Roos rebuild and we are STILL looking for someone to stand up at key moments in games and the season.

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    I know it’s easy it hindsight & mistakes are made throughout ag game it’s just in a lose like that the last moments are reviewed & blamed for a loss but

    JKH’s rushed/panicked kick for goal in the last quarter, he had so much time to straighten up & goal.

    Garrett’s snap from the pocket was such a low % play. Like Warren Treadrea said we have to get smarter at doing the little things well. He would have been better to fumble it over the line & get a stoppage but as I said it’s easy in hindsight.

    Brayshaw in that play inside 50 after the Garlett behind just had to sit on the footy, let the umpire pay holding the ball... Lay on the footy & slow it up, let us get numbers back. Trying to knock it out played straight into abletts hands literally... 

    I have never been more furious waking  out of the ground last night. Abosolutely gutted, I hope their hurting as much as we are (although we said that after round 23 last year)

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    We didn't kick straight...simple as that.  This has occurred in the last 3 times we have played them.  Bad kicking is bad footy.  You can all moan about the details at the end but if we convert 3 out of the extra shots at goal that we had than them last night we win; simple.

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    On a separate note, I sat next to Shaun Smith and his partner last night just behind the cheer squad.  I had to look twice before I asked him but his hair was a giveaway!  Turned out to be a terrific fellow and just a fan like us.  Proud of his son and devastated at the end like us.

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    1 minute ago, MSFebey said:

    Can’t blame injuries or having 3 of our best 22 out, we blew it

    Absolutely MSF, we beat them everywhere except on the scoreboard

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    7 hours ago, Dappa Dan said:

    He sure is.

    Though, I would argue Hogan is the best pack mark on the list. This year, it seems, he's completely forgotten how to do it. In previous years though, he's been one of the great pack busting big uglies we've had.

    Something's up with his noggin at the moment, I'm sure of it.

    delusional comment. Gawn 1 TMac 2 daylight 3. Hogan is a hopeless pack mark.

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