Just now, 2021 Premiers said:

Melbourne were no 1 pressure team last year, this year we are ranked 17th, just ahead of Essendon

Interesting.

15 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

JJ was good. Worked so hard and was composed with the footy. 
Hibbo also blanketed Elliot well. 
 

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. 

I agree, JJ was very good. Had more than a fair crack 

6 minutes ago, Pates said:

We were good, even blistering in patches. Showed some of what we’re capable of, but does anyone else thinking we are making the job hard on ourselves? Running straight into traffic rather than trying to evade and look for the our. Fumbling at key moments, dropping marks we’d usually take, missing handballs. It’s all really scrappy, and frankly reminds me of 2019/20. It’s like we’re “almost there” but then making critical errors that hurt. 

One thing that definitely reminds me of 2019, kicking it down the throat of the opposition spare defender. We had so many inside 50s that were gladly snatched up by the Pies talls, and the most frustrating thing was it gave them confidence. 

I’m not at panic stations yet, but things need to change. We have a tough second half to the year and in no way are we playing anywhere near good enough to be top 4 let alone competing for the premiership. 

This

Lever and Viney taking them on (I thought Collingwoods pressure was good?)

I feel like we need to park a big unit at CHF to draw attention. How is Daw marking it? Even Jackson.

There were many rank disposals 

It's just a shame when we got out to a 20 point lead in the 3rd quarter we couldn't keep going. It's a bit disappointing to only kick 1 goal in the final term. 

Bowey won't know how to handle these losses. Welcome to the real world of AFL. 

I just look at the positives, no too 4, no GF chance. Just booked my flight to Pattaya for footy finals season. Was holding off till it was fairly certain of an outside 4 finish. Can't wait to watch finals in a bar in Pattaya 😉

What is May alleged to have said beyond the crack at Smith? Couple of posters have alluded to more ?

Goody will be on AFL360 soon

8 minutes ago, Stein9193 said:

Mate, get pitted seriously. For someone who's only rocked up here since we won a flag that is the richest thing I've heard today. All you do is run your mouth attacking people here who go week in week out, it's fitting that your name is 1964 you belong there you big dinosaur.

Ha, can’t defend our reputation as snow loving fair weathered supporters, after reading the junk written in here. 

 

1 minute ago, 2021 Premiers said:

Melbourne were no 1 pressure team last year, this year we are ranked 17th, just ahead of Essendon

And this is the alternative answer to our form, the rebuttal to the loading theory. It’s an almighty shift in our game-style, and anathema to the ‘Melbourne brand’ I would’ve thought, but why then did we win the first 10 games? Anyone?………………………………………..anyone? 

1 minute ago, 1964_2 said:

Ha, can’t defend our reputation as snow loving fair weathered supporters, after reading the junk written in here. 

 

Well good on you mate, you're a true Australian hero.

Thank you for your service..

Disaster sell the club

2 minutes ago, 2021 Premiers said:

Melbourne were no 1 pressure team last year, this year we are ranked 17th, just ahead of Essendon

Bingo. All this talk about 'forward connection' and how we have tired legs because we're 'loading'. Far out. Last year we applied pressure to turn the ball over in dangerous spots and got the ball into F50 quickly. This year we're applying no pressure, getting the ball back deep in D50, and then refusing to ever switch and hence moving the ball forward at a snails pace. Good luck to the forwards.

The AFL is an extremely low skilled, high mistake competition where games are mostly won on pressure. 17th for pressure is embarrassing and reinforces just how far away from real cultural change we actually are.

43 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?

2. The game plan. Too slow to get ball into a stagnant forward line. Bomb the ball seems to be the modus operandi. Asking too much of the likes of Fritta.

3. Tracc. has lost confidence.

4. Teams are isolating Bowey and exploiting his one-in-one defensive abilities.

5. We still can't take a contested mark 

6. When you are constantly 20 + points ahead you have to go even harder.

7. Salem still needs a month of playing to get fit.

8. Teams think they can get us through the corridor now. 

 

This is indeed worrying . It’s like sacred ground and teams have no worry going through it. 

FWIW the sheer balls and skill required and how many teams seem to pull it off is amazing.

I exercise my MFC amendment to be really negative for at least the 5 hours after a game..

1 minute ago, D4Life said:

Disaster sell the club

My opening bid is 2.50

In-depth specialist analysis: every player looks completely gassed.

1 minute ago, Webber said:

And this is the alternative answer to our form, the rebuttal to the loading theory. It’s an almighty shift in our game-style, and anathema to the ‘Melbourne brand’ I would’ve thought, but why then did we win the first 10 games? Anyone?………………………………………..anyone? 

We had a fairly easy draw to start with.  Given the long and arduous season, aspiring teams try to time their run.  As a football club, we are experiencing this now.  When the serious stuff happens, you need your team to step up another level.  Right now, we don't seem capable of the required elevation.

Geez, I hope I am wrong.

1 hour ago, SPC said:

Can’t run out quarters, can’t run out games. Not buying into the loading bulldust. Either boys are sore or not putting in the effort.

One key standout is how poor our defensive zone is. Teams are able to pick it apart with short kicks, moving it quickly. 
 

Forwardline- what else can you say. Poor on every front, connection is really bad. Forwards needs to lead and not expect  the ball on their heads. 
 

Things can be fixed, but glad I’m not the guy to do it.

I watched BBB a fair bit today SPC and im sorry but he just aint working hard enough for his $$ as a key forward.  He sits back way too deep for too long even when players are a good kick & a half out and you know they're probably going to drop it short around the 30 - 35 meter mark.  He often starts from behind his opponent too without any body work and is waiting for the perfectly weighted pass to run onto.

In a tight pressure encounter you aint gonna get that sort of service to often.  As a KF you would expect multiple leads, or even one coming at the ball carrier early to offer him 'something' coming through the middle under heat.  With BBB ... most of the time you get nada, zip... just the kick--it-to-me long option and i'll leap from behind and try and clunk the odd head banger.

While BBB was slightly better today than previous 4 weeks, it wouldn't take much as he basically gave us nothing in that block of games.

Then there was Mitch.... oh boy.

Wheras Mihoceck was a big part of why they won today.  Chalk & cheese Up forward IMHO.

Edited June 13, 20222 yr by Demon Dynasty

1 minute ago, D4Life said:

My opening bid is 2.50

I'll bid 10.03 

In the third when we kept kicking it down Cox and Moores throat was embarrassing 

5 minutes ago, Stein9193 said:

Well good on you mate, you're a true Australian hero.

Thank you for your service..

Get on the beers legend, I don’t think you have had enough yet.

Just now, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

In the third when we kept kicking it down Cox and Moores throat was embarrassing 

that became a game of kick to kick with Brayshaw just mopping up the other end. 

1 minute ago, 1964_2 said:

Get on the beers legend, I don’t think you have had enough yet.

You're the legend you brave soldier. Tell everyone what a perfect non fair weather fan you are who only comes on after flags using the account he made in 64.

What a bum.

3 minutes ago, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

In the third when we kept kicking it down Cox and Moores throat was embarrassing 

It used to be that we'd take stock and switch.  The last 6 odd weeks has been jam it forward and hope for the best,  So many times we have options but completely ignore them.

1 hour ago, Mel Bourne said:

Petracca, Smith, Langdon. 
 

Nowhere to be seen. 
 

Petracca in particular has been a shadow of his former self the past three weeks, or even more. 
 

But our forward line is a joke at the moment. A joke. 

Agree . . . Smith was hard to spot today.