I'd say we were woeful, pathetic, embarrassing, soul-crushing, heartless, lazy, gut-wrenchingly poor, shameful...

...but that would be ignoring the fact that the Swans have been a powerhouse this year, and clearly headed for a premiership! 

☹️

So I'm starting this before the end of the game, as I'm so angry and disappointed and let down that I need to write something down to get it off my chest.  

That game was lost from the moment Salem was pinged for holding the ball in the first five seconds.  We played lazy, selfish, arrogant football and we were taught a football lesson by a team that has been distinctly average all season.  They came in with a plan - to get a man behind the ball to either pick off the long kick, or to help with mopping up when it hits ground level.  They did it all night.  Have a think about how many times we crumbed a goal, or truly put some forward pressure on?  It was rare, at best.

We also lost this at selection.  Losing Hibberd hurt, and you could understand the reasoning behind Hannan and AVB going out, but the ins made no sense.  Joel Smith?  Yeah, he was okay in patches, but we know he doesn't work down there.  And what about Oscar.  Sheesh.  I hate to be that supporter, but this bloke can't play another senior game for us.  He was God awful.  But that's on Goodwin - why is he playing him?  What has Lockhart done to be dropped and left in the wilderness?  And as above - what of our forward pressure?  I thought Spargo did okay here and there, but others like Fritta, Melksham (outside of some good kicks in the first term), ANB etc provided little to no pressure and they did as they pleased.

But the concern, again, is through the midfield.  We are a contested ball winning, clearance team... and we were getting beat by one of the worst clearance sides in the comp.  What is going on here?  We are built for that sort of footy, yet we can't get our hands on it enough.  

We can't even use the 'tired' excuse - the Swans were coming off the same break, they made less changes and looked far fresher than us.  They hounded us, got numbers around the ball and we looked helpless to do anything about it.  

But I'm hurting after that.  Not just from the result, but from getting my hopes up yet again.  This is just the sort of game we lose, but I thought to myself that surely we have matured since then.  I couldn't have been more wrong.

And he has been a warrior for us, but Nathan Jones summed up our effort tonight in the second term.  With a chance of turning the momentum a little with a shot on goal, he lazily turns and kicks on his left, straight into the bloke on the mark.  Just unforgivable.  He is a wonderful Melbourne man, but he should never play for us again.  Stuff the 300.  We can't have experienced players in the side setting that sort of example.  It's just not on.

Lastly - because I need to say something positive - Ed Langdon is a ripper.  Yeah, he missed a few shots on goal, but his two way running and effort is something that all our players should watch.

If I could, I've give everyone here a hug.  I can't, so I'll send an e-hug instead.

Edited September 3, 20204 yr by Wiseblood

The OMac experiment with him up forward for 10 minutes was proof Goodwin is out of his depth. Absolute scattergun coaching

Who wants to play in a Grand Final in Queensland anyway........

1 minute ago, Clintosaurus said:

@Gunna’s I think Sydney have been there since Monday.

Ridiculous to think there wouldn’t be an impact. Hopefully we are staying up there. Haven’t heard that confirmed as of yet. 

And we were laughing at Hawthorn. Come on we all knew it was going to happen. 

Langdon probably our best until the last 5 minutes... then he was easily our worst.

1 minute ago, Clintosaurus said:

@Gunna’s I think Sydney have been there since Monday.

Correct... we are amateurs

Goodwin and Richardson in coaches box, near silent for much of the game

Goodwin would've been better on the boundary. At least he'd know the message got through

Bunch of Hollywood prima donnas

Too many playing for themselves or trying to pull off the impossible. Where are the fundamentals? Where are the second efforts? Not just in the contest but around the ground. Poor structure and flat today

Forward line was invisible. I have no clue what the plan is, so many of our forwards aren't getting close to the drop of the ball. How can this be? Where are they then??

We need three big strong fast forwards who know how to get free and lead out.

3 minutes ago, GCDee said:

2021 welcome to demonland Al Clarkson. 

 

 

Did he mention somewhere that he never wants to win another flag?   Would make sense in that case.

Sour tasting dinner now, and who’s hurting??? Us again FFS.....how many times can you shake your head before it falls off?

Listless performance, and you could tell we were 'off' from the very first bounce.  Empty / hollow feeling right now!  Expressing my real feelings would earn me a Demonland holiday!

Lets be honest, performances dont get any more "Melbourne" than that one.

In the 8, a game against a low ranked side to consolidate.... fit and practically a full list to choose from... result is a forgone conclusion yeah?

We fail to turn up. The whole footy world could have guessed todays result.

He we go AGAIN

I just cant even..........

 

Dont think for one moment that MFC have stopped playing with your emotions.... NOOOOOO. We will find a way to stay alive right up until the game against Essendrug., and we all know what happens then dont we?

 

 

This club can go [censored] itself.

Edited September 3, 20204 yr by ding

Can anyone please tell me what Fritsch brings to this team?

A big head? Yep

Lost at selection. Had a plan vs STK. Hubris got in the way and we were caught with jocks around our ankles. 

2 more years of this wishy washy Coaching/Preparation 

Sorry he is not up to it, when he is put under serious pressure 

Longmuire knew exactly what was required with half a side AND nothing to play for except Pride. 
 

The MFC needs The best Coach in the land otherwise it will be 8-10 wins a year 

This Club cannot deal with pressure. 
Once again. Seen it so many times before 

This club is a joke and if Bartlett is the president he needs to be he should sack Goodwin immediately. Just when you think we can't do a Melbourne we do. Disgustingly inept performance if Oscar, Smith, Jones and ANB get another game I will be [censored]. I've almost had it with this club they do it to me time and time again.

How's that home final looking?? Lol.

Embarrassing,  Insipid, Typical. 

2 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Oscar out and Tomlinson made us immediately better.

Very noticeable change for the better. Oscar has to go, this time, surely?

1 minute ago, DeeSpencer said:

Flat after the Alice game and started awfully.

No smarts working with the breeze against. Senior players as guilty as anyone.

Way too slow down back and in the midfield again. Oscar out and Tomlinson made us immediately better.

Forward line stank, had to have some talent there. 
 

Pretty much all the usual problems

Low base, but it was Tomlinson's best game for us so far.  

Forward line looked horribly immobile, then Goody made it even worse by moving Oscar into it, when it's proven he's terrible overhead.

Mind-boggling.

Sydney didn’t play terribly well which makes this even worse. The game was there to be won in the 4th quarter. Two set shots within 20m. Shows you that we are still a mentally fragile team. 

1 minute ago, gs77 said:

Why would he come to us? 

Strangely enough it's better than hawthorn... 

Let's just hope his first official role is removing the Wagner's and McDonald's from the club