11 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

This is a problem in itself.

Why are we setting up scoring chains with players like these delivering inside 50? Particularly Hibberd who is a half-back. Why is he galloping up the ground and bombing it 50m repeatedly?

We need players delivering the ball inside 50 who know what they're doing. I won't write Langdon off after one game but we all know Hibberd and Viney stink at it so we need to change the way we're setting up and the way we're getting the ball from the back half to the forward half.

I do like Langdon but his kicks are up and under, no good trying to hit a forward on the lead.

20 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

This is a problem in itself.

Why are we setting up scoring chains with players like these delivering inside 50?

Could have looked quite different, at least in terms of I50 counts, if Jones and Salem had been out there.

58 minutes ago, bing181 said:

Could have looked quite different, at least in terms of I50 counts, if Jones and Salem had been out there.

I am delighted that you typed "could HAVE". I get upset with the more usual (and incorrect) "could OF".

Grammar is important.

I'm going stir crazy.

10 hours ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I do like Langdon but his kicks are up and under, no good trying to hit a forward on the lead.

It was interesting that one of Kozzie's involvements was a low penetrating kick into the forward line which resulted in a goal. Now the kick wasn't the best in the world but the fact that it had a lower trajectory and more pace on it gave Melksham more chance to do something with it and made it harder on the defenders.

I like the look of Langdon and I think he will be a good acquisition for us but he definitely needs to improve his kicks inside 50. 

On 3/24/2020 at 5:23 PM, Redleg said:

Why don't you read my post slowly and try to understand what I have written.

I never said that "rumours of difficulty getting home"  was an excuse for poor kicking.

What I said was, that I am not too critical of a 27 point loss, given ALL the factors that I mentioned.

Read it again here    "Given the late flight, change in hotel, suspension of the competition just before the game, rumours of difficulty getting home, more inside 50 entries, playing a WCE at home and at full strength, poor disposal and terrible form of most of the team and then only losing by 27 points, I am not too critical of the result."

It was crap the first time it won't get any better on a second reading

23 hours ago, jnrmac said:

It was crap the first time it won't get any better on a second reading

whilst i was initially bitterly disappointed with the team's performance i have rethought the whole situation and come to the conclusion that (without going through all the obvious reasons) the player's minds were simply not focussed on football that day.

the game was rendered effectively meaningless (just before play) and the players just reflected that, consequently i take no realistic meaning  from the resultant display. deconstructing anything is therefore also meaningless. 

of course those most afflicted with mfcss will continue to analyse and criticise every minute detail to add to their masochism

pDc

15 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

whilst i was initially bitterly disappointed with the team's performance i have rethought the whole situation and come to the conclusion that (without going through all the obvious reasons) the player's minds were simply not focussed on football that day.

the game was rendered effectively meaningless (just before play) and the players just reflected that, consequently i take no realistic meaning  from the resultant display. deconstructing anything is therefore also meaningless. 

of course those most afflicted with mfcss will continue to analyse and criticise every minute detail to add to their masochism

pDc

I so hope that is wrong, as it would be a terrible indictment of the playing group.

The Eagles played in the same game and appeared switched on. It would signal that our entire 2020 campaign was a waste of time if we couldn't get up for a single game but the opposition could.

2 minutes ago, faultydet said:

I so hope that is wrong, as it would be a terrible indictment of the playing group.

The Eagles played in the same game and appeared switched on. It would signal that our entire 2020 campaign was a waste of time if we couldn't get up for a single game but the opposition could.

i can't be bothered going through all the legitimate reasons they might not have been switched on. in the circumstances i can find it quite reasonable, despite the fact that many posters think they are robots.

these were extra-ordinary conditions and the game probably should have been abandoned after the announcements only hours before ball-up.

i don't expect many to agree

12 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

i can't be bothered going through all the legitimate reasons they might not have been switched on. in the circumstances i can find it quite reasonable, despite the fact that many posters think they are robots.

these were extra-ordinary conditions and the game probably should have been abandoned after the announcements only hours before ball-up.

i don't expect many to agree

I don't

We should have been just as switched on as the Eagles. Only reasonable excuse would be if the Hotel rumour was proven as true, as that would be a physical limitation imposed on the team.

Does anyone have any info on that yet?

4 hours ago, faultydet said:

I don't

We should have been just as switched on as the Eagles. Only reasonable excuse would be if the Hotel rumour was proven as true, as that would be a physical limitation imposed on the team.

Does anyone have any info on that yet?

I'm with you. If the players weren't switched on that is an indictment. A bit like rd 23 2017 when we had to beat a lowly Collingwood to make finals for the first time in a decade. Everything to play for but the players weren't 'switched on'. In fact they didnt lay a tackle inside the first 15mins.

I am so sick of Melbourne not turning up to play.  The coaching staff is on notice this season and they have fallen at the first hurdle. Yes there was an unusual circumstance but it didn't bother the Eagles.

It would seem in fact (and has been pointed out elsewhere) it wasn't in this case their lack of endeavour. It was the complete failure of their game plan and ability to have any system bringing the ball into the forward line. Same old crap we have been dealing with for a decade. What doesn't help is people making lame excuses for them. 

14 hours ago, jnrmac said:

I

I am so sick of Melbourne not turning up to play.  The coaching staff is on notice this season and they have fallen at the first hurdle. Yes there was an unusual circumstance but it didn't bother the Eagles.

 

i too am sick of occasions where the team didn't turn up to play many times

but this situation was a completely different set of circumstances, so i am happy to ignore it as not being significant

but hey. knock yourself out over-analysing a meaningless game in trying circumstances if it makes you feel better

On 3/29/2020 at 8:24 PM, jnrmac said:

I'm with you. If the players weren't switched on that is an indictment. A bit like rd 23 2017 when we had to beat a lowly Collingwood to make finals for the first time in a decade. Everything to play for but the players weren't 'switched on'. In fact they didnt lay a tackle inside the first 15mins.

I am so sick of Melbourne not turning up to play.  The coaching staff is on notice this season and they have fallen at the first hurdle. Yes there was an unusual circumstance but it didn't bother the Eagles.

It would seem in fact (and has been pointed out elsewhere) it wasn't in this case their lack of endeavour. It was the complete failure of their game plan and ability to have any system bringing the ball into the forward line. Same old crap we have been dealing with for a decade. What doesn't help is people making lame excuses for them. 

What rubbish.

Round 23 2017 was nothing like last weekend. Round 23 2017 was indeed "everything to play for". Round 1 2020 was a maelstrom of stress with potentially nothing to play for, if the season can't get re-started.

They ran out there last week with significant job and financial uncertainty. A game that could have had plenty of importance turned into an odd shell of a game that could literally mean nothing when the ink dries on 2020.

And I don't buy the "West Coast were switched on" argument as if to say they were on some other level to us. They weren't exactly dominating. The game turned on a 5-minute patch at the end of the first quarter where they kicked 4 quick goals. For the rest of the game it was quite even.

Incredibly different to Round 23 2017.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/582067/i-m-already-missing-the-routine-jones

Uh-oh, they haven't reviewed the game. Like Prelim 2018? Trying to pretend it didn't happen? Biggest mistake of 2019 was not dealing with that loss. It had to be one to those "never again" moments, but it wasn't...

23 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

What rubbish.

Round 23 2017 was nothing like last weekend. Round 23 2017 was indeed "everything to play for". Round 1 2020 was a maelstrom of stress with potentially nothing to play for, if the season can't get re-started.

They ran out there last week with significant job and financial uncertainty. A game that could have had plenty of importance turned into an odd shell of a game that could literally mean nothing when the ink dries on 2020.

And I don't buy the "West Coast were switched on" argument as if to say they were on some other level to us. They weren't exactly dominating. The game turned on a 5-minute patch at the end of the first quarter where they kicked 4 quick goals. For the rest of the game it was quite even.

Incredibly different to Round 23 2017.

Yeah right.

Nothing to play for.

Smashed in 2019. a tough summer of training. Run out on to the ground, 'yeah whats the point'

And if you think the game was even you weren't watching. They moved the ball with ease and we were witches hats mostly. And still bombing the ball into the fwd line so many times I lost count how many times we kicked it to them

Good luck with your isolation. Clearly not doing you any favours.

 

59 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

Yeah right.

Nothing to play for.

Smashed in 2019. a tough summer of training. Run out on to the ground, 'yeah whats the point'

And if you think the game was even you weren't watching. They moved the ball with ease and we were witches hats mostly. And still bombing the ball into the fwd line so many times I lost count how many times we kicked it to them

Good luck with your isolation. Clearly not doing you any favours.

Always a pleasure discussing things with you, jnr.

6 hours ago, Grr-owl said:

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/582067/i-m-already-missing-the-routine-jones

Uh-oh, they haven't reviewed the game. Like Prelim 2018? Trying to pretend it didn't happen? Biggest mistake of 2019 was not dealing with that loss. It had to be one to those "never again" moments, but it wasn't...

Not sure that's right.

Jones said they haven't had the chance to review it - the players flew home and went straight home, with no next-day recovery session and since they haven't been back to the club since, there's been no chance to review.

On 3/29/2020 at 3:50 PM, faultydet said:

I so hope that is wrong, as it would be a terrible indictment of the playing group.

The Eagles played in the same game and appeared switched on. It would signal that our entire 2020 campaign was a waste of time if we couldn't get up for a single game but the opposition could.

The Eagles were playing at home...a quick drive from the ground and they're back safe with family.

Everything was falling apart around the country, state borders were being closed off and our playing group were stuck in Perth playing a meaningless game.

They're not robots...I was upset with the performance on game day but after settling down and having a bit of empathy for the group I realised we could not judge much if anything from that game...

41 minutes ago, rjay said:

The Eagles were playing at home...a quick drive from the ground and they're back safe with family.

Everything was falling apart around the country, state borders were being closed off and our playing group were stuck in Perth playing a meaningless game.

They're not robots...I was upset with the performance on game day but after settling down and having a bit of empathy for the group I realised we could not judge much if anything from that game...

And why show our true hand,  when we were foldin.? the Comp shut down. '

No advantage in showing any of our footy IT to other clubs,  on TV,  when there was in reality no points on offer in a non-competition.   And the last thing the players would want out of a non-game, is to be badly injured.

On 3/26/2020 at 6:39 AM, Clint Bizkit said:

I do like Langdon but his kicks are up and under, no good trying to hit a forward on the lead.

Life poor kicking skills were known before we recruited him.  But for some reason we don't spend the summer focussing on that skill.  We don't seem to have a minimum benchmark for kicking skills that we set for players, for field kicking. He wasn't the only one on the day, I can't believe how many kicks went over our players heads when passing, even when not under pressure.  Simply poor skills.  

11 hours ago, jnrmac said:

Yeah right.

Nothing to play for.

Smashed in 2019. a tough summer of training. Run out on to the ground, 'yeah whats the point'

And if you think the game was even you weren't watching. They moved the ball with ease and we were witches hats mostly. And still bombing the ball into the fwd line so many times I lost count how many times we kicked it to them

Good luck with your isolation. Clearly not doing you any favours.

 

This problem of opposition moving the ball easily upfield also raised its head in the first half of the Marsh series game against Adelaide, but because we got on top and won comfortably nothing much was made of it. We obviously have problems with sides that move the ball in this manner. I remember last season GWS smashed us using the same method.

It was a poor performance by the club despite the positives that Gawn was banging on about post game. 

Eagles led by 38 points late in the third quarter and the game was essentially over by quarter time.

The turnovers and inside 50 entries were appalling, and it was essentially round 24 2019.

But I'll cut them slack. 32 degrees against a team that's 21-6 at their home venue. Not to mention the COVID-19 dramas while flying across the country.

They need to tinker with their game plane if we're going to be any chance of finals this year.

 

13 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

It was a poor performance by the club despite the positives that Gawn was banging on about post game. 

Eagles led by 38 points late in the third quarter and the game was essentially over by quarter time.

The turnovers and inside 50 entries were appalling, and it was essentially round 24 2019.

But I'll cut them slack. 32 degrees against a team that's 21-6 at their home venue. Not to mention the COVID-19 dramas while flying across the country.

They need to tinker with their game plane if we're going to be any chance of finals this year.

 

They need to do more than Tinker Powelly.

The game plan stinks worse now than last year

Nothing has been addressed in my opinion

2019, another year goes by for the players on our list

2020, another year goes by for the players on our list

2021 ....... ???

We have our most talented list in a generation and if the game plan doesn't smarten up quick bloody smart, it will be wasted. Are their careers going to be tossed away by a stubborn coach who thinks the most important thing in football is to be "hard at it"?

It's one thing to have fit, committed players who are hard at the ball. What happens when they encounter another team who is fit, committed, hard at at, and have some idea of what they are doing?

 

Edited April 1, 20205 yr by Mazer Rackham

On 3/23/2020 at 3:45 PM, Redleg said:

Given the late flight, change in hotel, suspension of the competition just before the game, rumours of difficulty getting home, more inside 50 entries, playing a WCE at home and at full strength, poor disposal and terrible form of most of the team and then only losing by 27 points, I am not too critical of the result.

 

On 3/28/2020 at 3:35 PM, jnrmac said:

It was crap the first time it won't get any better on a second reading

 

On 3/29/2020 at 3:32 PM, daisycutter said:

whilst i was initially bitterly disappointed with the team's performance i have rethought the whole situation and come to the conclusion that (without going through all the obvious reasons) the player's minds were simply not focussed on football that day.

the game was rendered effectively meaningless (just before play) and the players just reflected that, consequently i take no realistic meaning  from the resultant display. deconstructing anything is therefore also meaningless. 

of course those most afflicted with mfcss will continue to analyse and criticise every minute detail to add to their masochism

pDc

 

On 3/29/2020 at 3:50 PM, faultydet said:

I so hope that is wrong, as it would be a terrible indictment of the playing group.

The Eagles played in the same game and appeared switched on. It would signal that our entire 2020 campaign was a waste of time if we couldn't get up for a single game but the opposition could.

 

On 3/29/2020 at 3:57 PM, daisycutter said:

i can't be bothered going through all the legitimate reasons they might not have been switched on. in the circumstances i can find it quite reasonable, despite the fact that many posters think they are robots.

these were extra-ordinary conditions and the game probably should have been abandoned after the announcements only hours before ball-up.

i don't expect many to agree

 

On 3/29/2020 at 4:11 PM, faultydet said:

I don't

We should have been just as switched on as the Eagles. Only reasonable excuse would be if the Hotel rumour was proven as true, as that would be a physical limitation imposed on the team.

Does anyone have any info on that yet?

 

On 3/29/2020 at 8:24 PM, jnrmac said:

I'm with you. If the players weren't switched on that is an indictment. A bit like rd 23 2017 when we had to beat a lowly Collingwood to make finals for the first time in a decade. Everything to play for but the players weren't 'switched on'. In fact they didnt lay a tackle inside the first 15mins.

I am so sick of Melbourne not turning up to play.  The coaching staff is on notice this season and they have fallen at the first hurdle. Yes there was an unusual circumstance but it didn't bother the Eagles.

It would seem in fact (and has been pointed out elsewhere) it wasn't in this case their lack of endeavour. It was the complete failure of their game plan and ability to have any system bringing the ball into the forward line. Same old crap we have been dealing with for a decade. What doesn't help is people making lame excuses for them. 

 

On 3/30/2020 at 11:00 AM, daisycutter said:

i too am sick of occasions where the team didn't turn up to play many times

but this situation was a completely different set of circumstances, so i am happy to ignore it as not being significant

but hey. knock yourself out over-analysing a meaningless game in trying circumstances if it makes you feel better

 

On 3/30/2020 at 9:56 PM, titan_uranus said:

What rubbish.

Round 23 2017 was nothing like last weekend. Round 23 2017 was indeed "everything to play for". Round 1 2020 was a maelstrom of stress with potentially nothing to play for, if the season can't get re-started.

They ran out there last week with significant job and financial uncertainty. A game that could have had plenty of importance turned into an odd shell of a game that could literally mean nothing when the ink dries on 2020.

And I don't buy the "West Coast were switched on" argument as if to say they were on some other level to us. They weren't exactly dominating. The game turned on a 5-minute patch at the end of the first quarter where they kicked 4 quick goals. For the rest of the game it was quite even.

Incredibly different to Round 23 2017.

 

On 3/31/2020 at 9:15 PM, jnrmac said:

Yeah right.

Nothing to play for.

Smashed in 2019. a tough summer of training. Run out on to the ground, 'yeah whats the point'

And if you think the game was even you weren't watching. They moved the ball with ease and we were witches hats mostly. And still bombing the ball into the fwd line so many times I lost count how many times we kicked it to them

Good luck with your isolation. Clearly not doing you any favours.

 

 

On 3/31/2020 at 10:16 PM, titan_uranus said:

Always a pleasure discussing things with you, jnr.

 

On 3/31/2020 at 10:30 PM, rjay said:

The Eagles were playing at home...a quick drive from the ground and they're back safe with family.

Everything was falling apart around the country, state borders were being closed off and our playing group were stuck in Perth playing a meaningless game.

They're not robots...I was upset with the performance on game day but after settling down and having a bit of empathy for the group I realised we could not judge much if anything from that game...

Ok...

Thought it was a good time to bring this up again.

We can discount our first round performance given the circumstances.

The so called professionals at WC have been a basket case since having to move to the hub in Qld.

They haven't been helped by their coach or club, the coaches performance in particular has been poor.

As far as the threat to go home, well that's really a help to the players, putting more uncertainty in the situation.

...but, it shows that players, even the professional WC players are human and subject to the pressures of this time.

Our boys I believe were in a worse position during round one with the season being postponed and maybe even cancelled before they hit the ground.

I don't think we can write much into this season at all unfortunately and we're only going through the motions to make a bit of cash.

Still think it may be a miracle if we get through it.

...but back on point. What do the nay sayers now think of our first round performance.

Will you cut some slack or not?

Or do you still beat your chest and think our players should be robots with no human emotion?

2 minutes ago, rjay said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok...

Thought it was a good time to bring this up again.

We can discount our first round performance given the circumstances.

The so called professionals at WC have been a basket case since having to move to the hub in Qld.

They haven't been helped by their coach or club, the coaches performance in particular has been poor.

As far as the threat to go home, well that's really a help to the players, putting more uncertainty in the situation.

...but, it shows that players, even the professional WC players are human and subject to the pressures of this time.

Our boys I believe were in a worse position during round one with the season being postponed and maybe even cancelled before they hit the ground.

I don't think we can write much into this season at all unfortunately and we're only going through the motions to make a bit of cash.

Still think it may be a miracle if we get through it.

...but back on point. What do the nay sayers now think of our first round performance.

Will you cut some slack or not?

Or do you still beat your chest and think our players should be robots with no human emotion?

No slack cut

should have performed in any circumstances in my opinion