Our best midfielders struggle against the Bulldogs big body mids, our second/third string had no chance.  

Really surprised by the negative comments to Jordon, I thought he and ANB kept us in the game in the first half.  Drifted out in the last half but should some ability.

I thought Bowey looked composed was under enormous pressure playing down back but looks OK.  I hope he can play on a wing as we are dire need for another wingman.

As posted before really worried about the injury list, starting to look like 2019 all over again with so many of our best 22 out.  The team we put on the park today would finish bottom 2.  

The other Brown has to be a chance to replace Tmac.

The third quarter we just went back to missing targets, that really killed us.

Hard to take much away with the players we are missing.

Who will be ready to come back, Oliver, Salem, Brayshaw, Melksham, Pickett?  Hopefully Casey have a game next week for these guys to have a run.  Not sure about Hibberd, Viney looks out with Brown and Weiderman still 4-6 weeks away.

 

21 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

NEGATIVES

Laurie looks too slow for mine and gets caught a lot not a great pick so far but he has plenty of time to improve.

Bailey
Laurie
Forward Bailey Laurie was selected by the Demons with pick No. 22 of the 2020 Draft. Coming from the Oakleigh Chargers, Laurie possesses lightning speed, silky skills and an ability to read the game, making him a dynamic recruit for the club. While the 18-year-old can play on the wing, he will prove most valuable around the goals and could have an impact for Melbourne in 2021.

???

Edited March 8, 20214 yr by Hannibal Inc.

15 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

Enjoyable day even though results didn't go our way.

POSITIVES

Firstly the reserves Brayshaw getting plenty of the ball in the first half his ball use wasn't great but it's a start should be a certainty for round 1.

Pickett doesn't do enough but what he does is class another who should be a certainty for round 1.

Now the seniors May what a game our best player by a mile would have lost by 100 points if he wasn't there.

Lever continuing on his form against Richmond.

Neal-Bullen great first half died out in the second half

Jones the same as Neal-Bullen

 

NEGATIVES

Firstly the reserves Daw fit or not fit enough I don't think he is the answer.

Laurie looks too slow for mine and gets caught a lot not a great pick so far but he has plenty of time to improve.

Rosman wasted in the forward pocket should have been on the wing.

Now the seniors Harmes what's happened to him? Not half the player he was in 2018.

McDonald as bad as any game he played last year. He has a month to save his career.

Spargo he can train the house down all day all year he still is a poor player. Chandler is better than him already and he didn't even have a good game.

Jordon not up to it ATM some costly mistakes.

Not sure on Baker and Sparrow not doing enough but are a chance to play round 1 due to our lack of depth.

vandenBerg the more I see of him the less I am impressed playing for his career.

Werridee, TOP POST

Coupla things

I have been down at training a lot lately and I saw some "Fragments" of what we are trying to do, replicated today in the game. At training I think emphasis has been on ball, use, switching and breaking lines. Today we were undermanned and under pressure with young sides.. Traing form goes out the window!

Agree with Spargo, T Mac, Vanders, Baker well if hes the best we got .. Play Rosman there for the year and Blood him hard!

Disagree re Harmes, he was "Fiesty" today , but overwhelmed. Also kids are kids. Jordan might learn but needs time, Sparrow not at this time. Majak Daw, IMO might be a better bet than Tommy Mac at this piont!!!

Also MITCH BROWN has more footy smarts than a lot , a coupla Brownlow votes in his last game, I think time to bring him back perhaps

Hnmm interesting times!

Edited March 8, 20214 yr by picket fence

1 hour ago, spalding said:

Just said on 7 news that it was head-neck and not, repeat not, a concussion issue.

that said, still said that he will be tested before round 1 (or words to that effect), but not subject to concussion protocol 

Someone better tell Goodwin

One positive is that hopefully Jordan and Sparrow will learn a lot from playing against a midfield of Bontempelli, McCrae, Dunkley, Liberatore.....these 2 are not instant AFL ready like Oliver but surely will play better next game 

1 hour ago, waynewussell said:

I think we have to be honest, we did not look like a top 8 team... and I have been watching the other pre-season games. Freemantle looked a lot better than us. I see a real struggle until we get Brown, Viney and the likes of Hibberd, Melksham & Weiderman back

 

did anybody ever think that this was top team.

Lucky to be around 9 or 10 in my opinion

still cannot kick!!!!!!

Nice lad but the young Spargo needs at least 2 more years not in the side so he learns position play, not circling play and to kick over 30 metres 

If he is in the side it is an Admission we cannot win. Not so say he cannot get there but he is 2 years shy

We were always on a hiding to nothing today with 10 first pick players out against a top 4 side. But was seriously unimpressed with Traccs game. If he is to go to the next elite level he should have shown more dominance, he at best, had a few good cameos. But really the story was there was no evidence today of an improvement in our game plan or skill levels, no evidence that we have worked on the so called transition by the mids to our forwards. In short our old problems are still there. With 2 of our big forwards out for weeks not sure what we do to be competitive in the first 5 or 6 weeks. 

Whilst I didn’t get too carried away after we beat the Tigers, I also won’t get too carried away after losing to the Dogs.

The Bullies have the best midfield in the league and they feasted on the ball when we were missing three of our four best on ballers.  It was comparing apples and oranges today.

 

Bring on the real thing!

Pretty ordinary performance but we have a lot of injuries. 

I think the new rules will favour endurance athletes like ANB and Jones but Petracca will need to spend more time forward this year. I think we will see the return of more mids playing high half forward this year. Two small forwards (Spargo, Pickett, Chandler) is all I think we can afford to carry and I would prefer only one in the side.

Baker doesn’t have the skill level to play wing at AFL level. We still have a big issue on the other wing.

Petty needs to come in and perhaps as a forward while Brown and Weideman are out. 

Bowey was quiet but looked the part. 

We need to spot up short kicks out of the backline more. Our kick in strategy was again too predictable. 

Jackson looks bigger and stronger but we need him to take a quantum leap. 

None of our young depth looks AFL standard yet. 

Hunt was nullified but we need to persevere with him. 

2 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Baker doesn’t have the skill level to play wing at AFL level. We still have a big issue on the other wing.

I still think we made a big mistake not going after Phillips...especially as the Pies virtually gave him away.

I'm predicting Jackson might be out no 1 ruck by the end of the year!

If you take a look at the AFL ladder, I don’t quite know how, but despite the doom and gloom around here, we’re still in with a chance to play in the finals. 

We’re due to play against the Western Bulldogs in Round 11 and I’m fairly confident that the 22 who step onto Marvel Stadium wearing the red and blue in late May is going to be somewhat different to the 24 who played for us today. The result might even be different.

Who knows?

They were completely full strength. We had 8 first 18 out. We were always gonna get flogged. It should have been worst but our defence was solid. 

One game but I was not that impressed with Jordon. Or Bowey. Or sparrow.
Hopefully Clarry never gets a proper injury or we are rooted. 
51 less contested possessions. Says it all. 

im not gonna read too much into this game. 

2 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

4. The Sparrows, Jordans, Bakers, etc, did not really give any glimpse that that they're anything more than the next Gysberts, Mortons, Tapscotts, Bleases, etc.

Perhaps we have too many plural players. 

Positives...May, Lever, Bowey (the kid can play), quality players to come back...not many others.

Negatives...Baker isn't an AFL player (positive, at least we've proven it before the real stuff starts).

Sparrow is not an AFL mid. Fringe player

Tommy Mac back to his worst when we need him and he needs to stand up.

Still have big doubts re Spargo...depth

Chandler..depth

Think JJ is depth only.

Bedford, no.

Vanders is done and was a few years back.

Nev is cooked unfortunately.

Jones is on the cusp of cooked...in reality I could probably call it...he's cooked.

We lack good depth...our list management has left us in a difficult position. With Vanders, Nev and Jones plus long term injuries added to a bunch of kids who are fringe at best.

We better hope the worst of our injuries are behind us because we don't have much outside a best 22.

...and before anyone asks how I can make these judgements on one practice game??? they're not.

They are judgements made over the last year (some over a couple of years), last week and confirmed today.

 

43 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

We were always on a hiding to nothing today with 10 first pick players out against a top 4 side. But was seriously unimpressed with Traccs game. If he is to go to the next elite level he should have shown more dominance, he at best, had a few good cameos. But really the story was there was no evidence today of an improvement in our game plan or skill levels, no evidence that we have worked on the so called transition by the mids to our forwards. In short our old problems are still there. With 2 of our big forwards out for weeks not sure what we do to be competitive in the first 5 or 6 weeks. 

If we are not competitive for the first 5-6 weeks that is the end of Goodwin.

1 minute ago, old dee said:

If we are not competitive for the first 5-6 weeks that is the end of Goodwin.

We won’t lose a game till we play Richmond 

3 minutes ago, DubDee said:

They were completely full strength. We had 8 first 18 out. We were always gonna get flogged. It should have been worst but our defence was solid. 

One game but I was not that impressed with Jordon. Or Bowey. Or sparrow.
Hopefully Clarry never gets a proper injury or we are rooted. 
51 less contested possessions. Says it all. 

im not gonna read too much into this game. 

For those who doubt the value of Oliver...well, Trac for one plays a lot better footy when he's around.

Trac might be the glory boy, but Oliver is the engine room.

It was a practice game and when many of your best players are out, you take the opportunity to see what the next level of potential will show.  The trouble was we lost it at the selection table.  When you rely on the CHF or F/F in Jxn to be the fill in ruck, so that you just have one tall forward -Tmac and a whole lot of lightweight four footers, there is just too much pressure on that next level to get any idea of what they will be like.   Why they didn't pick 2 of Brown, Daw or petty to play half a game each beats me

 

19 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Bowey was quiet but looked the part. 

Well, if by that you mean he was wearing a Melbourne jumper, I’d agree with you. But saw little else to enthuse. 

1 minute ago, Fanatique Demon said:

Well, if by that you mean he was wearing a Melbourne jumper, I’d agree with you. But saw little else to enthuse. 

I did.

And it was a neat,  25 metre kick inboard that hit a target (i think rivers) that had opposition players around him.

Rubbish kicking skills is our biggest single issue.  Bowey will help address this issue.

19 minutes ago, rjay said:

Positives...May, Lever, Bowey (the kid can play), quality players to come back...not many others.

Negatives...Baker isn't an AFL player (positive, at least we've proven it before the real stuff starts).

Sparrow is not an AFL mid. Fringe player

Tommy Mac back to his worst when we need him and he needs to stand up.

Still have big doubts re Spargo...depth

Chandler..depth

Think JJ is depth only.

Bedford, no.

Vanders is done and was a few years back.

Nev is cooked unfortunately.

Jones is on the cusp of cooked...in reality I could probably call it...he's cooked.

We lack good depth...our list management has left us in a difficult position. With Vanders, Nev and Jones plus long term injuries added to a bunch of kids who are fringe at best.

We better hope the worst of our injuries are behind us because we don't have much outside a best 22.

...and before anyone asks how I can make these judgements on one practice game??? they're not.

They are judgements made over the last year (some over a couple of years), last week and confirmed today.

 

Only disagree with one ... Jones. and that is both a positive and negative! I thought he did Ok today kicked a goal etc buuuut father time is ticking!

28 minutes ago, SPC said:

We won’t lose a game till we play Richmond 

I think we won't lose a game till we play Freo.

Edited March 8, 20214 yr by Neil Crompton

I hope Bowey plays round 1. Besides that kick you mentioned he had a couple of very good quick hand passes in close under pressure, and also a couple of times he guided the ball to advantage without taking possession because he was under serious pressure and would have been caught if he did. He’s got footy smarts and probably already the best option we have now as a small defender.