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7 minutes ago, watchtheeyes said:

Missing component? McDonald.. he was our mobility who took a defender out of D50 or to other areas to create space in behind for our leading forwards. It’s not a coincidence our scoring has fallen off a cliff.

We bomb it in because we have no option. And when we bomb it in we get outmarked.

Sorry Mcdonald is not the problem it's the game plan because it worked last year opposition teams have worked it out.

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2 minutes ago, Trisul said:

We bomb it in because we panic.Β  Multiple options present most entries, but we bomb regardless.

Too often, the ball carrier does not have a back-up presence running past and making space - from deep defence all the way to deep forward. Our ability to work for each other has faded badly in this regard. Oliver and Trac, and Max are looking for that link but instead, have to bomb the ball forward unsupported. Linkages maintain possession; thisΒ  creates forward spaces and leading. Teamwork is everything and is now seldom seen.Β Β 

4 minutes ago, watchtheeyes said:

Don’t have the good fortune of watch live, if that’s true then we clearly have to work on our method.

Still.. our forward line isn’t functioning, and that is often at least in part responsible for the indecision that happens up the field

Cox on 3 entries in a row would signal with his hands in the air to the Melbourne player to kick it to him. Everyone laughed and then the Melbourne player...would kick it straight to him. And each time, we had the ball while an open forward line waited. It is frustrating to watch and is a massive problem.Β 

 
11 minutes ago, Webber said:

The truth that dare not be spoken by the club, and unjustifiably so in my opinion, but for which this game (on top of the last two) is further evidence (and I’m not saying we know for sure, before my head gets ripped off!) is that we are loading heavily. Ask yourself what’s unique about these last 3 games. Answer = last half capitulations, particularly last quarter. Remember we’ve been leading at halftime in all. Then ask what would be the MOST OBVIOUS reason. Answer = we are tiring early in games, and a lot it seems. Really a lot! Then ask why they might be so fatigued, when at our best, we did the opposite. Then ask who our fitness coach is, and who he learnt from? See any patterns?Β 

It's all true and there are patterns but unfortunately the one big pattern I see is a 3 game losing streak. The most worrying pattern of all..

Goody on AFL 360 tonight is going to be fascinating viewing.


Disappointing but expected loss.Β 

We haven't been able to cover for May and McDonald. I think the effort is generally there but the execution isn't.Β 

Surprised to see the reactions that almost expect us to win the flag. A tough run home will show whether we're upto it or not with nowhere to hide.Β 

Good time for a bye.Β 

Pies fans on the train talking about what an ordinary player Oliver is. At least I get a laugh tonight.Β 

27 minutes ago, praha said:

I was clipping blokes for saying Collingwood was going to win. But after today I see the light. It's a trend now.

Well ship off to the snow then :- and make sure you don’t take more worthy supporters finals ticketsΒ 

Β 

Opposition talls whether around the ground or up forward have been killing us the last three rounds. Cameron, Mihochek and Cox today. Last week Reid and McDonald. Before that Darcy, Taberner and Lobb have been killing us with goals and contested marks.Β 


Loading is still a factor. Our midfield broke tackles with ease early in the season. Now they get done every time. We also can’t hold a tackle to save ourselves. That’s fatigue and fatigue alone.Β 

the bigger concern for me is injuries. We need a chance to get some team continuity to build form. We have injured players playing, we have injured players in and out. We have idiots suspending themselves. The comp is too close to overcome that if it continues. Long time to go though.

aside from fitness and injury our predictability when we are off is a liability and makes us look really stupid. I don’t think changing it is the answer. Β We looked so dumb today.Β 
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the Sydney and pies games were eerily similar at the contest. The ball landed in their laps time and time again. Some of that is game plan. Some of it luck. It’s hard to watch though.Β 
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the ease with which they walked through the middle was also really hard to watch. Made us look like a bottom side.Β 
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what’s also really hard to listen to is the Collingwood supporters thinking they were hard done by with the umpires. God they are insufferable.

Perhaps we will run over the league at the end of the year with a super loading mid season. I know we aren’t as bad as we look. The positive is we were in winning positions every loss despite looking genuinely awful.

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The euphemism of β€˜loading’ was invented for the term β€˜overtraining’. Anyone who’s experienced this knows how form and freshness drop substantially, particularly at the back end of efforts/games/sessions. Are we overtraining, are we not? We’ll never know if the club won’t tell us. If we are, and our fresher form is just around the corner, Goody’s a very brave, very assured man with a plan. Could be a flag-winning plan. Again. If we aren’t,, then we’re not going close to the flag this year.,

Edited by Webber

13 minutes ago, dee-tox said:

Couple of thoughts:

1. Are we as fit as last year? The Burgess effect was incredible. Have we slipped back a few notches?

Β 

Yes, yes we have. It is understated significantly how much Burgess not only created high standards, but maintained them.Β 


Some positive news, as I thought Cox was a sure thing...

Β 

Hopefully we have gone through a tough trading load, just like last year. With our new fitness guy, I can’t remember his name, but as I typed that my brain came up with Selwyn Griffith, I hope that is correct. He is a Burgess clone, so I expect that this is so. As such, you can expect that the first half performances over the last three weeks will be the norm going forward.

Just now, Webber said:

The euphemism for which β€˜loading’ was invented, is β€˜overtraining’. Anyone who’s experienced this knows how form and freshness drop substantially, particularly at the back end of efforts/games/sessions. Are we overtraining, are we not? We’ll never know if the club won’t tell us. If we are, and our fresher form is just around the corner, Goody’s a very brave, very assured man with a plan. Could be a flag-winning plan. Again. If we aren’t,, then we’re not going close to the flag this year.,

I suppose starting 10-0 has given us the ability to be brave and drop games through loading. We did lose this game last year too.Β 
However I’m not sure that loading is the reason why we can’t hit a target going inside 50?

Some observations

Hibberd is slow and got exposed by pace

Salem doesn't look match fit yet

M Brown didn't contest the ball, particularly in the air

Sparrow takes to long to move the ball forward

And why do we insist on going with a forward pocket as our medical sub, it exposes us significantly when an injury occurs (unless to Spargo or Picket)!

Β 

Β 

Absolutely pathetic Melbourne, total disgrace. I really hope the blowtorch comes down hard we are a shell of ourselves. Those players today were a disgrace to the jumper. I wish Glenn Bartlett was still here to tell them that they don't just come in Wheaties packets.

We lose to the damn flith again on QB. How grimly [censored] predictable. It is such an ugly feeling losing to this mob I hate them.

We were pathetic today, smashed in just about every facet of the game. Our midfield got torched and some of our players look like VFL players all of a sudden.

Why are we getting leads and then throwing them away? It's almost looking a bit suspicious. Either they get this stuff right or there could be some heads rolling soon.


We should sack May, if he said the things he said he must have been thinking it for some time. how can the boys have faith in him if he has that sort of view. We were dispirited today and our cohesion was gone, we are going to struggle to stay in the top 8 this year and all the adverse publicity we've received and May's comments are taking their toll.

Also, Tracc has to decide if he wants to be a radio and television star or the best player in the comp. And I don't care about the walk and chew gum crap, I believe it's affecting his performance, unless there is an injury he has we aren't aware of.

Brayshaw, Petty and Oliver were our only positives for the day.

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Just now, dazzledavey36 said:

Brayshaw, Petty and Oliver were our only positives for the day.

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JJ was good. Worked so hard and was composed with the footy.Β 
Hibbo also blanketed Elliot well.Β 
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Props to our magnificent captain who couldn’t walk and was still out there fighting. He is a rare gem. We don’t deserve him.Β 


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