1 minute ago, jumbo returns said:

That's the issue - not sure

Kent over Hannan? Garlett over Spargo? Bugg?

Would love to find a small forward like Cripps or Ryan

Quite - they don't grow on trees obviously. I think Bugg and Garlett and Kent were so far gone by now that they didn't really have a choice. And the formula has been a winning one...

14 hours ago, bing181 said:

Outclassed and outplayed by a side that had 12 premiership players from a few years back - and it showed. We were nervous and overawed, and they punished our mistakes.

The only real positive out of the game is that our weaknesses were exposed, and we know what we need to work on.

They had no premiership players from a few years back. If I remember correctly the Hawks won that grand final.

13 hours ago, Dee-mon said:

My auntie was a fanatical Essendon supporter who manipulated me at a young age to barrack for the Dons.  It was only until my teens I would wear the red & the blue (in local footy) that I understood the MFC's real meaning.

Good luck the MFC

I really do have better things to do than to waste time and energy believing in the MFC.

That''s not to say there has been no good work undertaken, or 'our' year was wasted, other than to say... there are better things in life to consider and to what degree the capitulation's effect and meaning has is anyone's guess.

There are many players who have to explain themselves... what on earth do people who earn such big dollars have to explain their performance after today?

Well done to the efforts (of all behind the scenes) & players to get us here in this AFL system.  Yet for every favourable moment, adding another membership or fan, there is another who walks away from the justifiable expectation that there is a performance to be had but which is sadly let down.

No more interest here.

 

?

Youve seen all the rubbish dished up over the last 12 years and now you walk away?!

Enjoy being a Dons “fan”.

What I find disappointing in addition to the fumbles, skill errors, brain fades, dropped marks, slipping over and general pathetic footy from us was the lack of aggression.

34 tackles is a record low in finals over the last 10 years, that from a hard, contested footy side. All it takes to tackle is effort.

Also when the game was basically gone in the 2nd half and both teams knew that the Eagles would play in the GF, the Eagles players continued to be aggressive to us and manhandle us and get in our faces, while we gave NOTHING back. They would have been worried about being reported, so were never going to go over the top, but we did NOTHING and gave NOTHING back. My capital letter are probably more aggressive that we were on the day. Where was the fight, anger and aggression that you would expect, if you were being embarrassed in front of the whole footy watching public. We were basically meek and IMO just gave up. We were unable to outscore a side in the second half, that was intent on not getting injured and already thinking of the GF. That was really pathetic from my viewpoint.

Yes we had a great year and while a loss is ok, a humiliating one is hard to accept, from a side who promised to give everything in the game and actually gave very little.

Last, to finish my little rant, I have banged on on DL for years about needing pace and skill and we still do. I am actually sick of hearing about players who under pressure clearly are not up to it, that they run well or can lay a tackle .Some of the poor decisions and skill errors yesterday should not be glossed over. Yes players can have a bad day and some had their worst, but there are those and I won't name them, as I don't want to be called a hater and I don't hate MFC players, who have these days every time the pressure is on and we just need to keep getting better. 

All in all a great year by the boys.

1 hour ago, Farmer said:

I guess Richmond supporters will reach a similar conclusion? Miles behind at half time, lose by more than 6 goals. Team must be rubbish, time to rebuild!!! What BS!!!

we made a series of errors in the first ten minutes , gave them an opportunity and they grabbed it with a huge supportive crowd behind them. If we played WC next week at the G  I would  back us..  Add Hogan Lever ( and Fritsch) , there is not much wrong with our team.

 

There is still a lot to learn. 

0 goals at halftime is very rare. We did it

we won’tjust nturally improve. The club is going to have to work really hard. Really hard. Clubs outside the 8 will know we are vulnerable under that pressure. 

Not kicking a goal in a 1st half is a glaring problem. You may disagree, but don’t try and sugar coat what i saw. 

Just now, Sir Why You Little said:

There is still a lot to learn. 

0 goals at halftime is very rare. We did it

we won’tjust nturally improve. The club is going to have to work really hard. Really hard. Clubs outside the 8 will know we are vulnerable under that pressure. 

Not kicking a goal in a 1st half is a glaring problem. You may disagree, but don’t try and sugar coat what i saw. 

Yep - shocking

Bottom six were not even present in the moment

Top six, in the biggest hour of need, failed to show up

Goodwin, if you think you know what it takes, go hard at the trade table

1 hour ago, Undeeterred said:

He's not speaking on your behalf. He's telling someone else, who said you were on the right track, that you're not. Which is pretty usual fare for you.

0 goals at halftime v 10 goals

A Grand Final berth gone  

34 tackles for the team all day

That’s what happened, the list won’t naturally improve magically. It will hopefully improve with hard work with blood sweat and tears. 

But all the clubs below us will strive to improve as well

in 1995 we failed to make the finals, the same happened in 2001  

chances don’t always come around straight away, thus  this summers pre-season has become very important for everyone at the club

your opinions of what i said are just that

A theory I am entertaining is that the players were spooked by the Collingwood/Richmond game. They were expecting a Richmond win and Collingwoods stunning performance brought back dark thoughts.  Mental demons from Round 23 and QB reappeared. They saw the headlights coming and checked out before the game. I had a hard time getting to sleep after that game thinking about this scenario occurring.

Edited September 22, 20186 yr by america de cali

13 hours ago, Maxwell Edison MD said:

Just woke up, what'd I miss? 

A total capitulation by the Dees, not ready for the game.

13 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

Yep - shocking

Bottom six were not even present in the moment

Top six, in the biggest hour of need, failed to show up

Goodwin, if you think you know what it takes, go hard at the trade table

Certain players failed yesterday in a big way. 

Does the Club keep training them in the hope they will improve or are decisions made to cut ties?

interesting times ahead for Goodwin and his Coaches

5 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Certain players failed yesterday in a big way. 

Does the Club keep training them in the hope they will improve or are decisions made to cut ties?

interesting times ahead for Goodwin and his Coaches

Certain players?  It was a collective capitulation. The flaky leadership failed to prevent it.

Edited September 22, 20186 yr by america de cali

Injury list is ok going into the break . 

We need to build bodies add to our list and finish top four .

1 minute ago, america de cali said:

Certain players?  It was a collectible capitulation. The flaky leadership failed to prevent it.

Oh i know. But you cannot sack everyone, but list changes must be made, very carefully

1 hour ago, Cards13 said:

We handled the pressure the previous 4 weeks. Tigs didn’t handle it for 1 game, Geelong didn’t etc. we fluffed our lines badly but if the players want to get better then this is not the end of the world.

Young team that has the potential to grow and become a premiership team.

Holes to fill, of course, every team has holes to fill. 

Cant wait for round 1.

that is the most confounding aspect. The levels of expectation, the pressure of even getting into the finals..the pressure of sudden death...Managed all that..quite well I thought.

The opportunity to get an invite to the BIG Dance..... went to water.

All between the ears...get it fixed Melbourne...or we'll always be cinderellas....and no Balls !!

The sky is falling and we need to trade the whole list!

At some point all the chicken Little’s on DL will realise that you typically need to experience a finals campaign before your ready for a flag!

Shocking performance no doubt, but anyone who said making finals and winning two finals before the season started wasn’t a successful season is delusional!

Yesterday delivered some cold hard truths about what is required to go all the way. But when you compare experience, age and bodies of the two teams, and massive home ground advantage there was a big difference.

I’m looking forward to next year, after another pre season, our dozen 23& under players moving into 50-70 game bracket, and moving out a few guys who aren’t good enough. We will be very close to challenging for a flag next season!!

Final note, if Nicholls is retiring, a huge benefit as he is an absolute [censored], Viney getting hit in throat in front of him and no decision showed Nicholls is a filthy T..D!

The sky isnt falling....but by golly the ground opened up and swallowed a few 

I’m very calm today and I’m over this loss already. 

We weren’t ready and the lessons we take away from today will help shape us over the pre season. 

But for us 2018 was the beginning not the end. And I can’t wait to see what happens next. 

Bring on trade and draft week (we excel at those!) and bring on the next decade. Go Dees!

2019 should be Jones' last year.  He's just about finished.  I know he'd like to play for another 4-5 years, but next year should be his last.

Tyson has to go.  He's been pushed to the outside and simply isn't good enough there.

Lewis is finished.

Frost and Oscar were comical.  And I wouldn't play Lever and Frost in the same team.

We lack composure and class through the midfield and flanks.  Imo, organic growth won't be enough to go to the next step.

I doubt I've seen more fumbling and players falling over in my time watching footy.

It's been a very good year, but there should be career ramifications for that performance.

Edited September 22, 20186 yr by ProDee

15 hours ago, bing181 said:

Outclassed and outplayed by a side that had 12 premiership players from a few years back - and it showed. We were nervous and overawed, and they punished our mistakes.

The only real positive out of the game is that our weaknesses were exposed, and we know what we need to work on.

No we weren’t outclassed. We beat them in round 22. How has their ‘class’ improved in 5 weeks?

We didn’t come to play with the same confidence and sense of urgency that defined our two finals wins. The players were jittery and nervous, not aggressive and switched on. 

3 minutes ago, Stormy Dee said:

No we weren’t outclassed. We beat them in round 22. How has their ‘class’ improved in 5 weeks?

We didn’t come to play with the same confidence and sense of urgency that defined our two finals wins. The players were jittery and nervous, not aggressive and switched on. 

Too worried about Collingwood. Sometime between Friday and game time the focus shifted.

Edited September 22, 20186 yr by america de cali

If we are being really honest, I don’t think any of us on here, mid season, thought we’d get this far. So what we have achieved has really excited me, and I think deep down all of us are finally proud of our Dees, despite the complete capitulation yesterday. Some month so ago I said that 2019 will be our year. Given how much we achieved this year, and the growth that will come from the experience and pain of yesterday’s loss, I still think we are a cert next year.

Top 15 shockers 

it could NOT get worse

1- fumbles fumbles fumbles on a dry day

2- turnovers turnovers turnovers that killed us 

3- missed tackles and no tackles (34 total tackles wtf)

4- goalkicking was very very very poor 

Weid Tyson Anb Spargo Gawn all missed sitters from 20 metres out or on the behind line  

5- contested footy. We were pushed again. Aside from Harmes and Oliver. 

6- pace was not there. We looked slow at times

7- handballing in back 50. Why? Put others under pressure 

8- lack of run to create

9- where’s the big hit. The physical play to put pressure on. A fight at qtr time may have helped. Not a punch but a big bump

10- the bounce of the ball    It summed up the day 

11- falling over  we slipped over 20-30 times versus nil   Boots with studs??????

12- forward crumbers?? Who ?where 

13- composure. Deer in headlights  

14- leadership. No one took control to hold it together. 

15- stop Kennedy Darling McGovern. We knew their strengths. 

It was a very good year. Real signs of a premiership team. But the prelim was shocking and so disappointing 

Edited September 22, 20186 yr by spirit of norm smith
X

Time to get out of this shithole they call Perth. Farewell, probably won't be back.

I think from looking at the team stats, it was simply two things that let us down. 1. Work rate of the midfielders 2. Our spike in deadly turnovers resulting in scores (>10 goals)

1. Eagles took 96 unconstested marks. You can’t tackle a bloke when it’s not in a contest so they kept the ball off us after they won the contested ball. Pies only let them take 69 uncontested marks. Workrate

2. Contested Possesions - 158 to 145. Already been spoken about. Workrate

3. Low tackle numbers (34) - because of the Eagles flicking it around the ground. Most teams get low tackle numbers against the Eagles. But ours was horrendous. Workrate

4. Forward 50 efficiency- 69% vs 43%. No pressure on the ball carrier due to the Eagles uncontested style from the lack of work rate from midfielders. Plus our key defenders got killed. Turnovers plus workrate

5. Lost the clearances (40-32) we’re supposed to be the best at that. Workrate

1 hour ago, Stormy Dee said:

No that’s not the line. Or the two lines.

This is the song:

“Good Old Collingwood forever, 
They know how to play the game. 

Side by side they stick together, 
To uphold the Magpies name. 

See, the barrackers are shouting, 
As all barrackers should. 

For the Premiership’s a cakewalk 
For the good old Collingwood.”

 

Unfortunately, this year the song might be right!

I stand corrected. Gist the same.