Just now, cookieboc said:

no one thought going back to back was going to be easy

Too many on here probably did.

Fuelled by the media who had nothing to say about us in the first 10 weeks other than various forms of "how will they ever lose".

We'll lose next week.

Finish up the training loading during the bye.

Then we'll get better every week from then out until we romp home in another Grand Final.

Key takeaways (at least IMO) from Goodwin's presser:

1. When asked about how we lost it in the fourth quarter, he immediately focused instead on how we dominated the third quarter everywhere except on the scoreboard
2. When asked about our forward line, accepted we'll look at personnel but also method (I mean, that's obvious to all of us, but a reminder that swapping B Brown for Weid isn't going to make us score if we keep delivering it as poorly as we did tonight)
3. Directly asked if Ben Brown was fit, and said yes
4. They kicked 8 goals from turnovers, to our 0
5. Was asked about us being complacent, and denied it
6. Was asked why M Brown got the spot over Weid: "he's playing better footy". Weid has to play "a big man's role". Was actually kinda brutal about this, I thought
7. Petty had a hit to his shin, after the knee last week and then the AC joint tonight

Edited June 4, 20222 yr by titan_uranus

28 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

Don't kid yourself.
For a side sitting on top the ladder.
We're hopeless.

Gawny wants to win a flag in front of the fans at the 'G'.
And we're not turning up to see it.
We'll just kick back and watch from home thanks Max.
Little wonder our reputation is like it is.

Fair call. In the words of a former president some of our fans are 'soft as butter'. I'm including a lot of my so called Melbourne friends in that tonight who decided being at home on the couch with Kayo was a better option. 

I love Demonland after a loss … it’s so much more entertaining than after a win… that was poor as pizz and the club has huge issues with attendance … we can’t pull crowds .. we are complacent.. should have buried tht game…same as Freo.. and when it goes against us we can’t wrestle back 

Edited June 4, 20222 yr by Kick_It_To_Pickett

The most disappointing aspect was when we were 20 points up on a good team at qtr time and no one around could muster a clap for the display.

Saw one portly ginger Dees fan in the City pocket of the Ponsford Stand stroking his terrible ginger beard and looking at his phone instead of cheering for that performance.

Then I stuck around long enough to see the 15k Sydney fans making all the noise thank their team for winning a hard game. 

So disappointing.

What the eff are we doing?

I'm still not worried.

We have banked wins and have time to fix our forward entry method.

we're not beating the sides around us

fortunately, the sides around us are top four

queen's birthday could be a big test of the team

i personally think of plugger mac isn't around we're in big trouble; he's by far away been our key player since going forward

Firstly I want to talk about the elephant in the room the umpires they were putrid. If that's the best they can come up with the umpires are in  a crisis.

Secondly Sydney didn't have a bad player on the ground while we had 4. Lever was dreadful worst game he's played at the club but at least he has some credits in the bank.

Hunt has lost me like a dear in the headlights he was tonight. Sick of his mistakes shouldn't play a game for Melbourne again. Heard Hibberd played well in  the 2's a ready made replacement.

Tomlinson is a VFL player nothing more. Time to look at Turner as a key back replacement instead of Tomlinson.

Ben.Brown's last month has been putrid. Must be dropped even if that's to give Weid his 100th chance. Liked Mitch.Brown's game should be persisted with. Hopefully McDonald's injury isn't that bad.

On the positive side Max Gawn showed a master class tonight. Is there nothing he can't do?

23 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Key takeaways (at least IMO) from Goodwin's presser:

1. When asked about how we lost it in the fourth quarter, he immediately focused instead on how we dominated the third quarter everywhere except on the scoreboard
2. When asked about our forward line, accepted we'll look at personnel but also method (I mean, that's obvious to all of us, but a reminder that swapping B Brown for Weid isn't going to make us score if we keep delivering it as poorly as we did tonight)
3. Directly asked if Ben Brown was fit, and said yes
4. They kicked 8 goals from turnovers, to our 0
5. Was asked about us being complacent, and denied it
6. Was asked why M Brown got the spot over Weid: "he's playing better footy". Weid has to play "a big man's role". Was actually kinda brutal about this, I thought
7. Petty had a hit to his shin, after the knee last week and then the AC joint tonight

Was asked why M Brown got the spot over Weid: "he's playing better footy". Weid has to play "a big man's role". Was actually kinda brutal about this, I thought

Suburban cricketer masquerading as an AFL footballer. 

1 hour ago, Webber said:

The uncomfortable truth is that this year, that’s yet to be established. Freo, Swans done, Brisbane, Geelong, Carlton to come. Not looking good from where I’m standing. 

Bulldogs our biggest threat.

All year we have pretty much put in one good quarter and that has been enough to win most games.  Obviously that’s not going to be enough against the real contenders…..but we are still in the top four!

I would love for us to win the next two, but even if we just managed to snag one win, I would still hold the faith.  The game plan is to be there in September and firing.

Heaps of opportunities for improvement and I still have plenty of faith in our boys.  If we can get it all happening we are a big chance to beat anyone.  Looking forward to the hunted becoming the hunters.

It’s so much more fun being positive than feeling all doom and gloom. I’m going to back the Dees, not bag them. Each to their own. GO DEES

Edited June 4, 20222 yr by Wodjathefirst

Positive vs negative, negative  vs positive. I love the way these two sides instantly get pitted against each other straight after a loss in a highly acclaimed black and white battle to the death. 

While I will say it is funny how negative people get after a loss in the position we're in, I will equally say how funny it is that someone providing positive comments nearly always ne er expects to be challenged with questions or critiques. To them, we must all be like them. They won't stand for our filthy negativity and we should just excuse ourselves well get stuffed, this is a discussion forum and we are discussing. Otherwise let's just have the church of latter day dees thread where we have tea and scones and stroke each other's stupid egos.

Newsflash: If I come on here and have some views on where we went wrong and think we dropped the ball then this is my opinion, if you hold it against me and call me a crap fan for it then ask yourself why a crap fan would go to the game by themself in the freezing cold when they themselves have a cold. I got told off by a member of a messenger group I'm in just for bringing real talk to the convo, this person decided to stay home and watch on Kayo, get stuffed.

Let me ask you extra positive people one thing, what do you want out of this season? Are you happy with whatever? 5 losses? 4? 3? Do you want to go back to back? If the last one is your big aim and you are sitting here being all positive then I seriously suggest you assess the situation a little bit. We are still to play Brisbane twice, Freo over there, Geelong down there, Carlton. To win this flag you will probably need top 2.

If you want to just make top 4 then fine, we are probably sitting right where you want us. But figure out what you want because expectation is not a bad thing. 

Sydney is always a danger game.  They played really well tonight all over the ground, especially in defence.  They kept their structure really well leaving pap alone closet to goal and 1:1 which is to their advantage. 

But the last few weeks our skill level has dropped, more errors, wayward kicks and missing pickups we used to get in 1 touch.

Hopefully its heavy training loads to setup the second half of the season.

It'll be good to get May back,  Tmac role hasn't;t been replaced and it shows.  His lead up work and good contested marking is missing from our team structure.  Brown was okay tonight, BBB is not having a good patch.

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

What is the news on TMac? A couple of people have mentioned out for the year where did they hear this?

Goodwin in his presser said when asked that TMac had some soreness in his foot/ankle and that he was going for scans this week. Journalist mentioned lisfranc injury but not confirmed by goody. That would be a 3 month plus recovery if true i believe, but Goodwin's mention of "going for scans" is inconsistent with the rumour that he'd already had scans and was going in for surgery. Could be a smokescreen or the rumours are misplaced - time will tell. I did get the vibe that Goodwin is expecting TMac to be out for some period though - there wasn't the usual "he'll play next week" kind of comments.

If he is done for the year he'll be sorely missed going on the form of our other tall forwards. Fingers crossed it's a better outcome than that.

8 hours ago, layzie said:

 

Let me ask you extra positive people one thing, what do you want out of this season? Are you happy with whatever? 5 losses? 4? 3? Do you want to go back to back? If the last one is your big aim and you are sitting here being all positive then I seriously suggest you assess the situation a little bit. We are still to play Brisbane twice, Freo over there, Geelong down there, Carlton. To win this flag you will probably need top 2.

If you want to just make top 4 then fine, we are probably sitting right where you want us. But figure out what you want because expectation is not a bad thing. 

I love being positive about Melbourne, it’s the only way I survived the previous 56 years prior to last season and stuck with them. And  trust me in those 56 seasons at the end I was downright miserable.

I was also that positive about Melbourne last year that I upped my membership midway through the season to guarantee a GF ticket if we made it, despite Covid breaking out and not seeing any games from June or thereabouts onwards and the likelihood that finals would not even be played in Victoria!

I was that positive that when I went travelling up north my ‘game plan’ was to get home to Melbourne knowing deep down that the finals weren’t going to be played there.

I was that positive that when I got to Adelaide heading home (you wouldn’t / couldn’t travel through NSW) that I saw the Dees beat Brisbane in the first final.

I was that positive that instead of going home I turned right to go to WA thinking there was a real chance that we could win the big one. (I was also thinking what a [censored] I would have looked like if we failed and I travelled all that way to see them lose).

I was that positive (and privileged and lucky) to see the Mighty Dees crush Geelong and then Footscray).

I’m still positive this year and am hoping for big things.  Trust me, at year end if we don’t win the big one I’ll once again be miserable….I’ve had plenty of practice. I am positive but I am also a realist, it is going to extremely tough to win back to back but I feel that we are still a realistic chance.

It can be argued that me being positive doesn’t help the Dees one ounce.  Nor does it bring negative.

So on answer to your question about what I would be satisfied with at year end? Another premiership, simple as that.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, each to their own, I just hope the players don’t read too many of the full on negative posts because I need them to be positive!🤩

1 hour ago, WERRIDEE said:

On the positive side Max Gawn showed a master class tonight. Is there nothing he can't do?

Yes, kick a routine snap from 5m out to steady the ship with the game in the line.

The truth is we lost because of two terrible umpiring decisions and a goal that Max Gawn missed from 15 metres out. The rest is nonsense.

2 hours ago, gs77 said:

Goodwin in his presser said when asked that TMac had some soreness in his foot/ankle and that he was going for scans this week. Journalist mentioned lisfranc injury but not confirmed by goody. That would be a 3 month plus recovery if true i believe, but Goodwin's mention of "going for scans" is inconsistent with the rumour that he'd already had scans and was going in for surgery. Could be a smokescreen or the rumours are misplaced - time will tell. I did get the vibe that Goodwin is expecting TMac to be out for some period though - there wasn't the usual "he'll play next week" kind of comments.

If he is done for the year he'll be sorely missed going on the form of our other tall forwards. Fingers crossed it's a better outcome than that.

Second opinion maybe? Scans may show the injury to be bad, but TMAC mightn’t feel it’s that bad. Maybe a second round of scans to clarify, just a guess. If TMAC is out definitely opens up the door for JVR. Plays a similar role in the VFL, as TMAC plays.

4 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Was asked why M Brown got the spot over Weid: "he's playing better footy". Weid has to play "a big man's role". Was actually kinda brutal about this, I thought

Yes, jumped out at me as well. I don't know that I've ever heard Goodwin name a player in that context, if he criticises it's usually "we" (were poor ...). Interesting as well that he defended Ben Brown. Obviously some pressure being put on Weeds to stand up.

Not sure that Salem should have been played. Or Langdon. Salem was rusty as all hell, not sure how many times he turned the ball over, yet alone being beaten by his man. Langdon seemed to be not quite his usual run-all-day self. Which is understandable, but we paid for it. Wonder if both of them were being fast-tracked back knowing that they weren't quite ready - but knowing also that they'd get more out of an AFL game than one at Casey.

Add into that Thomlinson, and to a lesser extent Mitch Brown, both of whom have hardly played any AFL footy for a year or so - and it showed. Neither had the pace of the game. Add that to Salem and Langdon and ... a step too far perhaps.

 

Here's a left-field idea and I await the facepalms, but can Gawn alternate his rucking with two other players who split the forward/ruck duties? Jackson/Daw up forward alongside Brown? If TMAC is out then we need a physically imposing big body forward who can clunk a mark. Or you stick to the permanent forward, whether its Gawn, Daw or Jackson.

Edited June 4, 20222 yr by John Demonic

Hopefully May back next week. The back line needs a general to knock it into shape onfield -  or a second general, it's too much just for Lever. Also need May's lockdown so that Lever can play the third man up - Lever has never been great one-on-one, and has never been a great disposer either.

Thought Petty played a better game, or at least a second half, so hopefully if we can get the band back together with May back in, the backline will start to resemble the all-dominant machine it was last year.

6 hours ago, cantstandyasam said:

Play Daniel Turner in his spot with May and Lever. Petty can mark read the flight and play as forward. 

Not the worst idea at all!

6 hours ago, Billy said:

Continually kicking the ball to the top of the goal square doesn’t work, we’ve gone back to the bad habits  of 2020 in the last two weeks 

Ben Brown has lost it unfortunately, he’s finished, can’t run can’t lead, can’t jump & doesn’t even get close to the contest

How in gods name is he still getting a game 

Coz next cab of the rank is just a VFL player