Wonder whether the AFL site will hang the young guys out to dry with their rankings when Tyson, Lewis and Jones were insipid  and should be held accountable. Two of them should not play in 2019. 

Can't help feeling that we'll look back on 2018 as a chance we've let slip. Crucial losses (St Kilda!) cost us a top two finish in a wide open year.

The flag could have been ours.

3 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I know all that. But this club has history of not getting up after being belted. 

So things still have to change on many levels. Leadership was atrocious from The First Bounce. 

No excuse. Chances don’t always appear again

History also shows we don’t make finals, but we did. Things are different with this group. This group has stood up a lot this year and in particularly the last month. 

Just look at Richmond. Would u say before last night that they had leadership issues?

29 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Brayshaw listed as our best player? 

WTF?

I thought he had a fuggin mare. 

the media just look at the stats sheet

31 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Brayshaw listed as our best player? 

WTF?

I thought he had a fuggin mare. 

His endeavour and work rate was there. But he was exhibit A in our lack of composure.

44 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

The comment ‘boys against men’ was apt.

We had a couple of players that cost us big time - Lewis and Tyson.  They were not just bad, they were almost playing for the opposition.  There were very few positives in the first half.  We competed more in the second, but were still way off the pace.  A few players can hold their heads up, a few can think they tried.

The season is done.  We outperformed expectation, and hopefully this is the start of something, not a flash in the pan.

We need to make some critical team changes, including more outside silk and polish.  Without this, our crash and bash game style can be unpicked.  These ‘boys’ need to learn composure, and to stick to our game plan.  The tackle count and contested possession count were damning today.

Enjoy the flight home, fellas, and good luck to Casey. 

Garbage. We beat Geelong and Hawthorn. We beat West Coast only a few weeks ago. Our teams in the 60s that won multiple premierships had multiple young players.

Boys vs men is crap.

It was psychological today. We lost the enthusiasm of the past 4 weeks and buckled to the mythology of Darling and Kennedy. This led to fumbling that led to goals for them.

We could have won if we’d kept our game style of the past 4 weeks. Instead the coach feeds the panic by changing the team and the players panic.

Just woke up, what'd I miss? 

2 minutes ago, Maxwell Edison MD said:

Just woke up, what'd I miss? 

 Not much from us

Absolutely gutted. It's not that we lost, it's how.

We lost the CP count once all year, but we were hammered in CPs from the opening bounce. We laid at least 50 tackles in every game this year, but today just 34. We haven't played like that all year. It was just so un-Melbourne and that is what is so demoralising, we didn't even put our best foot forward.

During the first quarter we were trying so hard to keep our head above water and stay close to them, but all four of their goals came from appalling turnovers. We were missing targets under their pressure and we just never settled. Then in the second quarter we couldn't even get our hands on the ball.

It was one of those days where everything went right for them (smothers would end up in their hands, the bounce of the ball seemed to always go their way, Nicholls doesn't reverse the 50 when McGovern throat-punches Viney), but that largely happens when one side works harder than the other.

Trying to work out why this happened is the harder bit. I'm sure part of it is fatigue. Not just the fact that it's the end of a long season and we're fielding a young side, but as has been mentioned we've been playing finals effectively for 6 weeks, since the first West Coast game. We won 4 in a row but to win 5 or 6 in a row is hard enough at the best of times, let alone all against finals sides. 

There's nothing we can do now but learn from our mistakes and focus on what needs to be improved: not just based on today's loss, but based on the entire season.

14 minutes ago, Megatron said:

History also shows we don’t make finals, but we did. Things are different with this group. This group has stood up a lot this year and in particularly the last month. 

Just look at Richmond. Would u say before last night that they had leadership issues?

I don’t give a rats about Richmond, they won the Flag last year. They know how to get there. 

Things looked very wobbly with this group. They knew pressure was going to be thrown at them and gave nothing. 

Sad but true...

A Grand Final is always reached through a Prelim. You cannot hide. 

With the benefit of hindsight we can show the group that they can do it.

The press was that we couldnt win the close games, couldnt beat the top 8 teams, couldnt succeed without lever and hogan.

The group will learn to trust each other and the system. They will win those close games that we should win.

Remember those games we lost by not turning up? Carlton, essendon, north at the G? This year just st kilda and nearly brisbane. This is a vastly different team to just 12 months ago.

First year players in fritsch and spargo played very well.

Only lever and hogan missing from inside. Need to get good speedy ball users in and develop strong tall marking players in weeds and omac.

Backup for max too

47 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Brayshaw listed as our best player? 

WTF?

I thought he had a fuggin mare. 

With the exception of five I think they all did.

Like Tigers last night we  were not switched on.

Happens to the best of them.

I think we got a head of ourselves. 

Young side. Did well to get there but nomatter who you are a prelim in Perth is a harx job to do.

A pox on all those who juyst booed non stop.

Cant wait for the gf so  you can see what its lime.

I've been out all day at a silent meditation retreat. Just got back.

So did we win?

3 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

I've been out all day at a silent meditation retreat. Just got back.

So did we win?

Of course.  We won life's raffle as melbourne supporters!

I'd look at shopping around Tracc, not sure we'd get a 1st rounder though, so I guess not, he's gone so far backwards it's not funny. Lewis is finished, pay out his contract. Set a tone of undiscipline early and we never recovered. Shocking loss that has dented my belief and confidence.

Just now, leucopogon said:

I'd look at shopping around Tracc, not sure we'd get a 1st rounder though, so I guess not, he's gone so far backwards it's not funny. Lewis is finished, pay out his contract. Set a tone of undiscipline early and we never recovered. Shocking loss that has dented my belief and confidence.

I don’t agree with this. I’d trade Tyson, delist Lewis and look at getting rid of some VFL poor ball users, Bugg comes to mind. We need ball users.

I reckon Jordy has an injury . No power through his handball . 

Wouldn’t have made it this far in September without him. 

4 minutes ago, CityDee said:

I reckon Jordy has an injury . No power through his handball . 

Wouldn’t have made it this far in September without him. 

Does he wear contact lens? If so, he lost them in the 1st quarter.

Emotions ars still raw but..

I cant remember a club choking like this! Ever!!

So disappointing to play our worst game for the season but boy did WCE come to play. They taught us a big lesson and can only hope most learn from it but unfortunately Lewis, Tyson, Spargo, Hannan and a couple of others will or should not be around next year to learn.

I dont know what to say. Not even 10 beers can hide the pain I am feeling right now. That stadium is ducking loud though. Blistering hot too which didnt help. Different circumstances and we perform better. Good day out terrible result. Eagles fans are awful. Bring on 2019.

7 minutes ago, Pottsydee said:

Emotions ars still raw but..

I cant remember a club choking like this! Ever!!

88 Granny 

3 minutes ago, pinkshark said:

88 Granny 

Touchè

Our lack of leg speed and class was highlighted today. I'm expecting a lot of player movement this off season to sharpen the axe for a tilt next year. 

44 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I don’t give a rats about Richmond, they won the Flag last year. They know how to get there. 

Things looked very wobbly with this group. They knew pressure was going to be thrown at them and gave nothing. 

Sad but true...

A Grand Final is always reached through a Prelim. You cannot hide. 

All I’m saying is that today’s performance or lack thereof was more physiological than about leadership. 

You cant tell me that leadership was lacking in the first two finals?