3 hours ago, mo64 said:

I love Goody, but after the Gold Coast game when we hardly scored in the 2nd half which gave the Suns a sniff, Goody came out and said that we didn't need to score. That sort of attitude gets ingrained into the players. Once we have a lead, Goody will tell the players that we have the game on our terms. Then we try to defend the lead by playing safe down the line football. Once the opposition get a sniff, we can't redress the momentum.

If you look back at all the games where we've given up a lead, the opposition has kicked the last 1 or 2 goals before the half time break. I can't recall the Pies game, but it definitely happened against the Dockers, Swans and Dogs. We go into half time happy with ourselves, whilst the opposition look at the scoreboard and gives themselves a chance.

Not ashamed to say that I backed the Dogs at H/T when they were paying $4.50. I'd seen this script before.

Interesting :- Pies kicked the last 2 before half time also. 

Last night the commentators kept complimenting us for quickly kicking a goal in response to many dogs goal :- It did leave me thinking, why do we have to wait for a dogs goal, to put up our best effort 

3 hours ago, BW511 said:

I’d say our biggest issue in 2022 is that we had a ridiculously trouble free run in 2021, I think supporters expected an undefeated season and back to back flags.

Injuries/missed games would be next.

Spot on, have never seen such a blessed run of injuries in 2021... our biggest issue this week was the fixture ... 6 vs 8 day break returning from the NT ... expecting more pain by the end of the year given the run home

Edited July 24, 20222 yr by Demons1858

. . . Everyone thinking we have big issues.

They all know if they persist ... We'll let 'em back in.
And the way to get back in it is to run at us.
When crunch time arrives they want the game more.
Just watch 'em bounce around when they beat us.

Among our issues, many which I agree with stated in the above posts.
We've lost the eye of the tiger.
 

Our biggest problem is that we are coming off a perfect season where absolutely everything went right and it’s impossible to replicate. And now we all want more of this drug and it’s unavailable and we are having withdrawals and it’s making us angry. 

Edited July 24, 20222 yr by Jaded No More

17 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Our biggest problem is that we are coming off a perfect season where absolutely everything went right and it’s impossible to replicate. And now we all want more of this drug and it’s unavailable and we are having withdrawals and it’s making us angry. 

I'm not that angry TBH.
After last year I've lost the eye of the tiger too 😅

They can still turn it around but they're not filling me with confidence.

Edited July 24, 20222 yr by Fork 'em

We’ve stopped winning

70% fitness 30% desire (....freed from 😕).

Our biggest issue is that our second tier players haven’t really improved this year, and we haven’t added anything new.

Geelong have added DeKoening, and Stengel and Atkins has improved out of sight.

Sparrow, Rivers, Spargo, ANB, Bowey, Jackson,  Harmes etc never dominate games. It’s always the same players, Oliver, Petracca , Gawn , May etc etc

Even Salem and Langdon  aren’t as good.

Brayshaw is probably the only one I give credit to, and that’s out of necessity of him going down back, but he is a true warrior anyway so it’s no surprise.

Edited July 24, 20222 yr by DeeZee

4 hours ago, John Crow Batty said:

We have conceded 25 goals after our last goal scored in our 5 losses. All of these games we were leading or within a goal before we stopped cold and let the opposition tear us apart. Last week we also let Port score the last 3 goals. They could have won with a few extra minutes on the clock. The playing out time game is not working. Other sides have worked this tactic out. In our losses,  Freo scored 10, Swans 4, Pies 4, Cats 3 and Dogs 4 of the last goals in the games.

To me this pattern indicates fatigue which points to training loads. We are good enough to control large parts of the game while carrying fatigue during our more intense training blocks, despite our intensity being down across the match, and give it another 1 - 2 weeks will be primed for finals.

In the next 4 weeks we play the 3 teams directly below us and Carlton. Win 3 of these 4 and we are practically guaranteed a top 4 finish. I'm pretty comfortable with where we sit and that we will be in form coming into finals.

4 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

Even Salem and Langdon  aren’t as good.

Salem is coming off injury & starting to get some touch back.

He will be back to his best by final time.

Langdon like last year had a great start to the season...last year he went quiet after a concussion then came good at the back end.

This season he's also had a great start being talked up as the best wingman in the game...he was again injured & has been a bit up & down. 

I expect him to bounce back from here on...

Momentum, keeping it for the 4 quarters and getting it back quickly on our terms when we lose it.

Only a few of the players seem to be able to turn the tide, including; Gawn, Viney, Oliver, Pettraca, Lever, Langdon, Spargo, Brayshaw and Fritch.

We rely on too few, to take it on at the right time or play the correct tempo. So often, even those mentioned get it wrong.

Need more effective on-field leadership and a put them to the sword attitude. 

 

Edited July 24, 20222 yr by kev martin

4 hours ago, BW511 said:

I’d say our biggest issue in 2022 is that we had a ridiculously trouble free run in 2021, I think supporters expected an undefeated season and back to back flags.

Injuries/missed games would be next.

Yep. It’s not easy going back-to-back. The fact that we have had the Lions, Hawks and Tigers all have 3 or more premiership dynasties is an akin to having Federer  Nadal and the Joker all in the one era. I don’t think the AFL likes this as they’d much prefer to spread them around the comp.
 

Nevertheless we are in finals and giving ourselves a tilt. Our game plan matches most closely the best system I have seen in finals, (Tigers) which puts the outcome squarely at the players feet in bringing in effort and pressure for 4 quarters. Destiny is in the players hands. 

4 hours ago, The heart beats true said:

 

The only thing 2022 has taught me so far is that a lot of Melbourne supporters went from the certainty that we were perennial losers, to somehow thinking we’d never lose again. Strange days.

This. 

Can't believe the amount of 'fans' who think it's their right to watch a unprecedented dynasty unfold before their eyes because we were sh1te for decades too. Throw the toys out of the pram after every loss!

1 hour ago, 1964_2 said:

Interesting :- Pies kicked the last 2 before half time also. 

Last night the commentators kept complimenting us for quickly kicking a goal in response to many dogs goal :- It did leave me thinking, why do we have to wait for a dogs goal, to put up our best effort 

Well, we need the centre square bounce to explode out of. We only get the opportunity to execute that play when a goal has been kicked. 

6 hours ago, Clint Bizkit said:

The biggest problem is we continually get out to 20-30 point leads and then decide that’s enough and lose all desperation.

 

5 hours ago, dl4e said:

Exactly right. And that comes down to mental fatigue. We struggle to play out 4 quarters of footy.

If it is mental and not physical (injuries, lack of fitness/conditioning/match fitness, loading, etc.) then I think that is understandable after lockdown, hubs, travel etc. followes by the comedown from the buzz of winning a Premiership.

Especially after winning 10 straight to start the season despite not getting out of second gear.

This would also suggest that when the real pressure for a top 4 spot comes in the next few weeks and the finals game steps up, that extrinsic motivation should kick in again.

 

9 minutes ago, deanox said:

 

If it is mental and not physical (injuries, lack of fitness/conditioning/match fitness, loading, etc.) then I think that is understandable after lockdown, hubs, travel etc. followes by the comedown from the buzz of winning a Premiership.

Especially after winning 10 straight to start the season despite not getting out of second gear.

This would also suggest that when the real pressure for a top 4 spot comes in the next few weeks and the finals game steps up, that extrinsic motivation should kick in again.

 

It needs to kick in from Friday. Dropping out of the eight altogether is a serious possibility if we don’t get a win soon. That should be forefront of mind for the players. 

It changes every week. But one of the consistent things is a lack of contested marking. Can't take a mark especially against decent teams.

Then theres the non existent forward pressure, the form of Salem, Gawn and Petracca and inability to win clearances.

 

 

I find myself in a weird situation where I’m frustrated because I believe we’re playing poorly, but we’re still 2nd on the ladder with a tough draw and an “interesting” floating fixture. Throw in the key player injuries we’ve had, a few of them have happened early in a game and we’re still going ok. We certainly aren’t at last years finals level but I still believe we can win the flag from anywhere in the 8 if we hit form in the finals.

Edited July 24, 20222 yr by Males

We're second on the ladder in the last quarter of the season. I don't think we have too many issues.

Having said that I do believe our biggest issue right now is the lack of a strong marking forward that can run up and down the ground to work with BB and Fritsch.

If TMac was fit we would have that base covered and we'd probably be on top. I never appreciated how much better we are structured when he is in the team due to his huge tank, strength and defensive skills.

Weiderman and Mitch Brown are not the answers and that has been proven now. BB out of the team also made life much harder against the Dogs.

I believe we need to trade for another BB/TMac - I did like the look of Ugle-Hagan, wonder if we can get him or if there is another player in the league that is looking for a move?

 

 

7 hours ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

It needs to kick in from Friday. Dropping out of the eight altogether is a serious possibility if we don’t get a win soon. That should be forefront of mind for the players. 

This year we are second with 52 points. After round 19 last year we were 3rd with 54 points and the Cats and Dogs both above us, having just lost to the dogs.

I'm not saying it's the same as last year or that we are playing well now, but I think a bit of context is important.

This is the second best position your football club has ever been in after round 19. Ever. In its history. There is still a chance this plays out ok.

Our biggest issue is 'expert supporters', who clearly know nothing about AFL.

13 hours ago, Clint Bizkit said:

The biggest problem is we continually get out to 20-30 point leads and then decide that’s enough and lose all desperation.

This is the conundrum.

In our key losses we have been ahead by up to 5 goals well into the game. Freo, Swans, Dogs.

Then its over and we fall away.

For this reason, although not confident, we can still make the 8, there is reason to at least hope given there have been no beltings and the talent is still on the ground. Dogs must win 2 games, we must win one more game. Otherwise we're out on percentage.

But on Friday, getting 27 points up some players seemed to behave as if its all good and game over.  Sort of ".. we've got this..."

The dogs to their coaching and team credit didn't see it that way.

The recent Brisbane game tells me we still have it, but the talent has to perform all over the ground. The whole season I have been watching the team survive on 20-30 minutes of brilliance then relax (sort of) - Saints game was the best example of this year. Absolotely brilliant and powerful first half, then nothing much after half time. Not a top 4 attitude.

I hope Goody and leadership group address this.  I know Clarry will be.

Jackson is a distraction internally, and realistically won't be resolved unless the team at least internally know the score. This will be Freo's demise if the purported deal proceeeds and I'm not fussed . Our keys are locked away, not on potentail which hasn't been on display this year in Jackson, but on hard results and history - Clarry, Trac, Viney,  ......

16 minutes ago, Ham said:

Our biggest issue is 'expert supporters', who clearly know nothing about AFL.

You are obviously speaking for yourself.....

Just now, Jontee said:

You are obviously speaking for yourself.....

Good one champ.