The Big Issues

[DEES 0]

Another one to add to the list is attitude.

At the start of every quarter I watched our players closely, and a lot of them had their head down, hands on hips and they just looked defeated. Hold your head up, and take some pride in the jumper.

It may only be a minor issue, but it's part of a bigger problem in regards to mental fragility and loser mentality.

Agreed Jaded, this is our main problem, if you look to all the games we have lost, this is the main reason we lost those games. Thank goodness that we have brock, he'll become one of the clubs greats and captain next year. Too many of our players have their heads down and don't stand up. We'll be having to looking for a premiership sadly when neita is gone and the bad culture that is hanging around the club is gone. Our main priority is to find a top class ruckman and fullback. This looks as if it is another wasted season and their is no point finishing 6th or 7th.

[Nasher 33,617]

Godfrey had a very good game today. I'd even go as far to say AFL standard. He was the only one in the midfield, bar none. Reminds me of 2003.

[mauriesy 7,352]

Godfrey had a very good game today. I'd even go as far to say AFL standard. He was the only one in the midfield, bar none. Reminds me of 2003.

The problem is that that's not saying much, given the others were so poor. I saw Godfrey do some good hard things today, and kick a couple of goals. But his disposal and thinking is sometimes woeful, for example:

1. That mark he took near the 50, last quarter. We had Jamar and White in the goal square, but instead of going for the goal, he kicked to Bruce in the pocket on the boundary, who was covered and lost possession.

2. Again in the last quarter, he marked along the member's wing. Miller makes a good lead and Godfrey goes for him, except he kicks it right over his head, again for a turnover.

I do want some hardness and endeavour, which Godfrey exhibits. But a skill set to go along with it would be good.

[Roger Mellie 4,096]

The problem is (just like last year)

- we have a good preseason and expect to do well.

- we forget (AGAIN) the level of hard work and commitment that is required and assume it will all happen

- we wax lyrical about the classy, skilled players we have on the list

- we then wonder why we are the turnover kings when we have Ward, Brown, Godfrey, Bruce (yes Bruce) and Miller in the side (amongst others)

- we get murdered in the middle, murdered in the ruck

- we panic and cough it up

- we give away undisciplined frees - 6 GOALS TO HAWKS FROM FREES ALONE............................Helloooo!

The most depressing thing is, if our list played like Brisbane, we would be the team to beat, premiership contenders!

[Pepe Dee Pew 0]

I thought Miller tried hard. Made a few clangers but was hard at the ball and kicked 3. Jones showed in the last Q that he is going to be a gun. Junior was also good in the last Q.

TJ, Davey were they there?

In the second and third Q's we looked slow. We need a couple of 'toughnuts' in team. We back off timidly when threatened.

Bring in Sylvia next week for a bit of hardness. I probably would look at Feruson only because he puts his body on the line every contest.

Pickett a few weeks away.

[Guest dee'viator]

I don't think the board would sack Daniher, if we keep playing this way he won't be at the club next year anyway.

If daniher started playing hardball & winning, the board would probably sack him for doin' too well. It seems they don't want to win.

[Scoop Junior 3,513]

Pace.

We lack it.

[QueenC 74]

Is the crumbers goal a lost art?

I don't remember seeing one kicked last week (although I may have missed it, given my eyes were shut tight for much of the match) and there certainly wasn't one kicked today. This used to be something Davey was exceptional at.

Parking himself at Neitz's feet and collecting the spill and burning off the defence to kick a goal, or chasing down the opposition with the ball as it tried to leave our forward fifty.

The ball was being spilled from marking contests, but there was no-one there to mop it up, and not only were goals not being kicked or even attempted, it was it was then being raced out of our forward 50 by the Hawks with very little defensive pressure.

Of course this is not entirely Davey's fault or responsibility, but it would have been nice to see him there at some point today.

So where were our crumbers?

The other thing my dad noticed was the general lack of team defensive work around the ground.

He didn't see a lot of shepherding to protect our player with the ball. In fact there were times when the Hawks simply ran around a Demon player to get to the ball carrier. Some of our tackling was good, but this aspect did tend to stick out.

This coupled with the hand balling to a player under pressure (not as bad as last week but still there) generally leading to a turnover, created many a problem and was one of the reasons the ball rebounded out of our half so quickly.

[demoniac 1,336]

Bruce is prone to clangers. There aren't many players with as high a ball drop as Bruce. The longer the drop the more chance of deviation before it hits the boot. Stars are stats. Yes he got the ball alot but did he much of an impact on the game? No. He was free inside 50 but kicked a floater to a contest instead of having a shot - poor decision making and then poor execution. He also had kick from a mark or free kick at half back - sent a hospital pass to centre half back, ball cleared away for a Hawks shot at goal.

Bruce is a good player but by competiton standards not a champion.

Johno had a shocker, when he got it he held on to it for too long or missed targets.

Yze was dropped because of poor form and a refusal to show a defensive side to his game.

[CHAMP 347]

Bruce is prone to clangers. There aren't many players with as high a ball drop as Bruce. The longer the drop the more chance of deviation before it hits the boot.

Bruce lets the ball go with both hands, there is no control to the boot with the right and he hits the pill too close to its centre which results in the erratic spin. It isn't set in concrete though and with good advice and heaps of practice he can do better.

[classy dees 42]

It may only be a minor issue, but it's part of a bigger problem in regards to mental fragility and loser mentality.

No it is not a minor issue. It is a MAJOR issue, that is currently endemic within the club

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

he was one of our best today and like it or not he is out best player....

can't kick - BATE> JONES>

I assume you meant "our" best player there. Oh. My. God. Like it or not, he is NOT our best player. Close. But NOT.

Bate can't kick? What was that 55 metre kick that sailed though on the boundary then? He may have made some bad decisions, but his kicking is NOT a weakness.

if everyone played like him there would be none of this coz we would smash every team.....

get some bloody respect Yze magic and Jaded u are a discrace ....

If everyone played like him NO-ONE would get the pill!!!

It's about time YOU showed YM and Jaded some respect... Ok... maybe YM can cop a bit, only because it's amusing watching how he lets it sail through to the keeper...

How many times is it going to take for you to take some advice from people who KNOW something about footy beyond Cameron Bruce? Alright, fair enough, YM has a habit of looking at the glass overflowing when it's half full and bone dry when it's half empty, but if 20 posters a week are spelling out in black and white why a player is not rated as highly as you think, why can't you just take a backward step for a moment? They're not asking much.

From what I can tell, most people rate Bruce in our top 5. Is that good enough for you? His kicking has been bad for the last 16-24 months. Most people pick on him because he was a GREAT kick before that, not because he's ALWAYS been a bad kick. They're grading him harshly because they rate him highly. Surely you must be able to see that that at LEAST is fair enough. For the record, I reckon he CAN kick, but he's been kicking badly for a sustained period now. Long enough for people to be excused their opinions.

Seriously BB, pull your head in. How can you expect ANYONE to show you respect when you spew this kind of crap week in week out.

A player you LOVE (and I mean love) is NOT playing to his full potential YET. People are coming on and offering their opinions on this. You disagree... fine. But it doesn't do anyone, least of all Cameron, any favours when you compensate by making outlandish statements about him being our best player, then proceed to tear strips off players who are actually playing ok given the circumstances!!! How can you expect anyone to take you seriously?! Are you his brother, or cousin or something?

If you want to get your point across, you'd do it far better by amatching CB's critics, not trying to blow them out of the water. By now you should realise that YM has a habit of posting ridiculously positive or negative comments, mixed in with unparrallelled genius. Take him with a grain of salt, everyone else does. And don't let him get to you. When you've been a poster as long (and as much) as he has, you have to accept a bit of eccentricity.

I admire your love of a demon player.. ANY demon player... But jeez.

[Finks 19]

From what I can tell, most people rate Bruce in our top 5

....His kicking has been bad for the last 16-24 months.

I fear that his days of having a regular impact on games is behind him. He just doesn't carry the same influence anymore. He rarely takes a contested mark, rarely breaks the line, rarely finds a target inside 50m and accuracy in front of goal is erratic and too random for my liking. Clubs just don't fear him. And I don't rate him.

He hasn't been in my top 5 for some time now. That goes for Green too.

The only way he can change my opinion of him, is by turning it around on the field. Credit from years gone by have run out IMO.

[Jaded No More 68,972]

He hasn't been in my top 5 for some time now. That goes for Green too.

Can we have your top 5?

Neitz, Brock....?

[Finks 19]

Neitz, Brock, Jones, Rivers, Dunn

IMO

[Jaded No More 68,972]

Neitz, Brock, Jones, Rivers, Dunn

IMO

Agree wholeheartedly with Neitz, Brock and Rivers.

Jonesy could be on his way.

Dunn is a very left-field choice. Obviously you're rating him based on his apperant potential, because he hasn't exactly blown us away in senior level yet.

For what it's worth, mine are Neitz, Brock, Rivers, Johnstone (when he feels like playing) and Carroll.

Carroll is not necessarily the best player we've got, but in terms of structure he's one of the most important.

I'm hoping that next year, the list will include Sylvia and Frawley instead of TJ and Carroll (and further down the track, Newton instead of Neitz).

[Finks 19]

Dunn is based on the way the forwardline operates when he's on the ground. It's my belief that Neitz and Dunn are the brains up forward. Without both of them in the forward 6, we lose the plot.

My top 5 are my projection of influence for 2007.

For what it's worth, TJ was the next in line at 6.

[TonyMelb 7]

Get your head out of the sand BB

Yze Magic & Jaded are spot on - 29 disposals would mean so much more if the guy could hit targets, kick important goals &

show some leadership when needed. No denying his potential, but he like the rest of the team in 07 is currently ordinary.

You can add Supporters in denial to your list.

No AFL list that contains Holland, N.Brown, Godfrey, Ward, Jamar, & a 10 year coach who has never delivered

The Holy Grail will ever seriously challenge in this Comp.

Lets get Byron & Col straight back in to add the grunt & play some kids who can firstly get then dispose of the footy.

This is a key point! players think that number of possessions is measure of how well they pay!! Cam Bruce gets lots of possessions each week but is one of our more ineffectual players compared with impact he should have. His and Brad Green's poor disposal - bad delivery and poor options- is why they are not serious contenders to lead the MFC. Bruce does not pass when should especially to younger players even if in great position. Brad's hand ball on wing on Monday after 4 bounces was shocking!

(remember the richmond game last year - J Bowden had 30+ possessions on wet night BUT Robbo was BOG!!)

Bruce is not hard at the ball and regularly does not go in when is his turn.

From what I saw Nathan Jones did a lot more.

Lack of leadership from ALL our senior players is a major problem!! Brock and Nathan Jones etc should not be being called upon so early in their careers to lead but non of our 100 plus game players are leading out on the field!!

The big issues raised are entirely valid and the concerns we all have as true MFC people are very real! None of our senior players has played anywhere near their capability so far this year - when all should have been firing at start of this year looking to press for solid top 4 finish! Clearly something is not right! The players and the coaches are responsible and MUST be held accountable this year!

The next 4 weeks will be a test for all of us! We should all take note of who performs during this period when our depth will be tested!

[beelzebub 23,382]

I fear that his days of having a regular impact on games is behind him. He just doesn't carry the same influence anymore. He rarely takes a contested mark, rarely breaks the line, rarely finds a target inside 50m and accuracy in front of goal is erratic and too random for my liking. Clubs just don't fear him. And I don't rate him.

He hasn't been in my top 5 for some time now. That goes for Green too.

The only way he can change my opinion of him, is by turning it around on the field. Credit from years gone by have run out IMO.

some semblance ( well quite a bit really..lol ) of truth.....spade calling if you will.

We all run the risk at times of letting som eallegiances spoil our clarity of vision when assessing some players. yes folks...even the good ones can lose it..( the shine that is ) ..sometimes its gone overnight.. sometimes its just fading that inocuously that you dont really espy it . The image of the former champion is superimposed on the rosey glasses as you watch a game.

We all expect a lot of very good players to keep on getting better.. but even they plateau out.

Finks is right on the money here I reckon. maybe it is just a bad patch for Cam, but irregardless as he alludes th e opposition arent as preoccupied with him as they were a few seasons ago and lets face the truth he rivals Bennyfor kicking ability 10 m out. ( Id actually back Benny in preference!! )

Brad is waxing and waning. t o this punter he like other s ( about half the team at present ) all seem to need each other to be on song... they are like ten pins at present... one down all down. Only a few Brocky ..Bartram Neeta even will take it upon themselves to impact... Jones is even doing this.

like our fav old lab...even ol' yella gets past it. We at MFC seem stuck in some mould of perseverance at all costs ( thats cut off nose to spite face for others ) .. The winning teams ( premierships ) are far quicker to be rational and cull those that arent quite firing on all cylinders any more.

next time youre at the footy with ya mates.. listen to the ones who barrack for another team( and who carry a balanced outlook )....see who they rate at Deeland !! its really an eye opener...

[Rogue 585]

Feel free to add to the list...

Lack of midfield pace.

maybe it is just a bad patch for Cam, but irregardless as he alludes th e opposition arent as preoccupied with him as they were a few seasons ago and lets face the truth he rivals Bennyfor kicking ability 10 m out. ( Id actually back Benny in preference!! )

Brad is waxing and waning.

That's just going too far