What a waste of a season!

[KingDingAling 3,737]

9 hours ago, Supreme_Demon said:

Just as I am sure many of us here are...I am still in a blind rage after losing to the Brisbane Lions.

What an absolutely disgraceful waste of a season!

Especially after winning the first 10 games of the season and hoping to go back to back as Premiers.

What a pathetic end to the finals too.

Dumb turnovers and decision-making and dumb coaching.

I spent over $500+ on a Melbourne Demons reserve seat Redlegs memberships and also bought finals tickets. Only to be served up a big steaming pile of excrement by the players and coaches.

To go out in straight sets is a utter humiliation.

The players and coaches should be ashamed on themselves for that.

No more pats on the back for a "good effort" by the players. We cannot accept such a disappointing end to the season.

We as Melbourne members and supporters should not tolerate this if we want to be a serious AFL Club that demands success. Clubs like Hawthorn, Geelong, Sydney and Collingwood wouldn't accept this.

The Melbourne Football Club needs to know that we as supporters and members won't put up with this type of garbage.

From now on anything less than a Premiership is a failure.

It is going to take me an extremely long time to cool down after this gigantic embarassment!

I demand a Flag next season!

Rant over.

Yep. Disgraceful. I personally don’t believe we had a good year. We ended up second but won many games playing poorly, and nearly dropped games to Essendon, Hawthorn, and North early on in the year. Our finals reflected our year. I don’t believe we had a good year.

What to do from here? That’s difficult, because for all the expertise we have in our coaching box, we still bomb it inside 50. Last night was also one of the only times this year I have seen us switch the play. We looked good when doing so. My advice to the board would be to pay the coach out and look at getting someone else in.

[At the break of Gawn 4,418]

The main reason we failed this season was an abnormally unlucky fixture. We played no genuine contenders in the first 10 weeks and so there was no obvious signs to the coaches that anything was wrong (despite many of us on here having some serious doubts). We then started to play some genuine contenders and the coaches had an “oh [censored]” moment and realised that our method doesn’t really stack up and that pressure is the new black.
 

They tried to tinker with things as the season went on but not radically enough which left us on the back foot. One thing that was beautiful about 2021 was that we played all the big contenders by round 12. We played Geelong, Richmond, Bulldogs, Lions etc and we won all those games which proved a fantastic audit to our game which also provided enormous belief among the playing group. We knew we had a winning formula and we had the competition on the hop. Thankfully we made the most of it with a premiership.

Unfortunately in 2022 our audits came too late,  and in this caper, it’s very difficult to make wholesale changes mid season, or at least Goodwin and co don’t have the skills and experience to do so.

This loss will put the spotlight back on the FD. We have the best list in the AFL with the most A-graders in a prime age bracket. This off-season, we will really know how good this FD is because they need to devise a completely new game plan in 2023 and catch the competition off guard again.

 

[Sir Why You Little 36,626]

Yes it is definitely a Failed Season, too many things that didn’t work, were repeated. 
Coaches and Players all have to take some responsibility for what happened or actually didn’t happen 

I am not having a go at anyone, but last night was a reality check. We have been sorted by opponents 

We need to completely revamp the Forward line for starters 

[At the break of Gawn 4,418]

I will also add the worst part of this season is that next year we won’t have the slightest clue whether or not 2023 is going to be a good year unless we finish top 4 and win our first final.

Finishing 2nd and then not even winning one of 2 home finals just dampens any optimism during a home and away season until the real stuff starts.

[titan_uranus 24,586]

48 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

The main reason we failed this season was an abnormally unlucky fixture. We played no genuine contenders in the first 10 weeks and so there was no obvious signs to the coaches that anything was wrong (despite many of us on here having some serious doubts). We then started to play some genuine contenders and the coaches had an “oh [censored]” moment and realised that our method doesn’t really stack up and that pressure is the new black.
 

They tried to tinker with things as the season went on but not radically enough which left us on the back foot. One thing that was beautiful about 2021 was that we played all the big contenders by round 12. We played Geelong, Richmond, Bulldogs, Lions etc and we won all those games which proved a fantastic audit to our game which also provided enormous belief among the playing group. We knew we had a winning formula and we had the competition on the hop. Thankfully we made the most of it with a premiership.

Unfortunately in 2022 our audits came too late,  and in this caper, it’s very difficult to make wholesale changes mid season, or at least Goodwin and co don’t have the skills and experience to do so.

This loss will put the spotlight back on the FD. We have the best list in the AFL with the most A-graders in a prime age bracket. This off-season, we will really know how good this FD is because they need to devise a completely new game plan in 2023 and catch the competition off guard again.

 

I agree with this (not necessarily that it was the "main reason", but that it was a reason at the least). Some will read it as a "cop out" but I truly believe this was a significant factor in our all too rapid demise.

Not only did the fixture split into "easy" and then "hard" after Round 10, but the post-bye period was brutal not just for opponent difficulty but for being all over the shop venue wise. Brutal game after brutal game. No respite. No soft patch of games against some bottom 4 sides to just take the pressure off for a week or two.

Edited September 10, 2022 by titan_uranus

[rpfc 28,048]

2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Wasted year is harsh. Back to back is bloody tough for any club yet alone a small club not used to success with a short preseason, nomadic training ground and unreliable fan base.

 

Going back to back is hard because our training had to be moved a few times across town? And our unreliable fan base means what and is relevant how to going back to back?

Honestly, sometimes you write some pretty cogent things and then you just throw out so of the oddest stuff into the ether. It’s like your posts were written by committee and you get this disjointed output. Like a Chris Pratt film.

[DeeSpencer 24,715]

2 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Going back to back is hard because our training had to be moved a few times across town? And our unreliable fan base means what and is relevant how to going back to back?

Honestly, sometimes you write some pretty cogent things and then you just throw out so of the oddest stuff into the ether. It’s like your posts were written by committee and you get this disjointed output. Like a Chris Pratt film.

Training at Casey, Port Melbourne and then on an underdone oval is absolutely a small factor. Small factors add up. 

If we had a pies or tigers crowd last night we get 4 more frees in front of goal. We’re also signing McStay and 3 more trade recruits over the years due to off field $$$. 

[dimmy 1,282]

7 hours ago, BAMF said:

I think we all would have loved seeing JVR get a few games this year and thank god they are finally trying Smith as a forward, but it needed to be done early in the season.

Bit of a problem . Smith was injured for a good part of the season.

JVR is not JC . He is a young kid growing into his body and learning what footy is about. It is important to allow kids to develop e.g we did not get the full potential out of Jack Watts because we used him as a marketing tool and sent a skinny kid out on Queens B'day well before his body (and mind) was ready for it.

Alistair Clarkson made a comment one day about the introduction of a young player who had been in the system for a while. He said that you can get the best out of younger players by providing consistency in their development not by thinking they are the Club's saviour. 

Let's develop a dynasty ala Hawthorn, MFC in 50 & 60's. Short term "solutions" do not work in the long term.

The general tenor of this topic is one of extreme negativity. You would think that MFC finished 12th this year.

[DeeZee 7,296]

Premiers last year, then win our first 10 games of the season.

In comes the Bye, then we fall into a huge hole and out of finals in straight sets.

What the hell happened??

[titan_uranus 24,586]

34 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Going back to back is hard because our training had to be moved a few times across town? And our unreliable fan base means what and is relevant how to going back to back?

Honestly, sometimes you write some pretty cogent things and then you just throw out so of the oddest stuff into the ether. It’s like your posts were written by committee and you get this disjointed output. Like a Chris Pratt film.

DeeSpencer writes a lot of very silly posts, but that wasn't one of them. 

For someone I've always considered to be very measured, you appear to be really sinking down a hole, rpfc. You've set the bar high for your own expectations and from what I'm reading today, you're almost lashing out at anyone who is posting anything which even remotely suggests there were factors for us bombing out that aren't simply ineptitude or things you had the prophetic vision to have seen weeks ago.

[old dee 23,488]

The decent into mediocrity has begun. 

[Sir Why You Little 36,626]

12 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

Premiers last year, then win our first 10 games of the season.

In comes the Bye, then we fall into a huge hole and out of finals in straight sets.

What the hell happened??

Losing TMac in Round 10 was the base problem. We had no replacement. We had to enter the Forward Line in an inferior manner. 

[Adam The God 29,338]

6 minutes ago, old dee said:

The decent into mediocrity has begun. 

You'd feel right at home OD. Back in your element. 

[BDA 22,271]

The season was not a waste. And demanding flags next year is entitled childish nonsense

I’m gutted that the season is ended. But not angry. The team give their all every week and have delivered a flag and a top 4 finish the last 2 seasons. I'm very thankful for that

Club is in great shape overall. Quality list, core players signed up long term, good age demographic. The list isn’t perfect but is top 4 standard for the next few years without a doubt

We were banged up and out of form at the pointy end. The game plan must be tweaked which I’m sure will happen over the offseason. Got to be more daring.

The forward set-up isn’t working but Petty’s cameo and JVR’s potential show we have options. TMac will be back as well

We'll learn and be better next season. Have some faith folks 

[Fork 'em 6,940]

29 minutes ago, old dee said:

The decent into mediocrity has begun. 

That's the spirit.

[jnrmac 19,890]

Total waste. I along with many others are furious at our lack of progression and development

At least 8 players went backwards. Maybe only Brayshaw and Viney showed improvement. BBB is cooked, Salem, Rivers, Jackson, ANB, Sparrow, Spargo, Lever all well below best levels. 

We blooded 2 new players - Dunstan and Turner for 1 game

Game style was cooked all year. Stagnant ball movement, trying to manage leads and maybe only 4 games where we played a good 4 quarters.

And a coaching staff that was clueless

Not one single positive thing to say about this season.

Edited September 10, 2022 by jnrmac

[rpfc 28,048]

33 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

DeeSpencer writes a lot of very silly posts, but that wasn't one of them. 

For someone I've always considered to be very measured, you appear to be really sinking down a hole, rpfc. You've set the bar high for your own expectations and from what I'm reading today, you're almost lashing out at anyone who is posting anything which even remotely suggests there were factors for us bombing out that aren't simply ineptitude or things you had the prophetic vision to have seen weeks ago.

Yeah, all my patience is for the head coach who always cops win, lose or draw. And I am salty as we all are. I’m going to give myself a pass for it though. We are out in straight sets and people on here were annoyingly overconfident.

I will even out when my eyes stop bleeding.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,352]

For those citing a hard fixture this year, it’s not going to get any easier next year as we’ll still be in the 1-6 band.

We would’ve got a 7-12 fixture had we lost one of the last 2 games and presumably then lost our elimination final.

Hopefully we don’t have a repeat of that absurd Adelaide-Geelong-Alice Springs-Docklands-Perth 5 week stretch. No wonder our performances at the MCG were no good in the end.

[titan_uranus 24,586]

42 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

For those citing a hard fixture this year, it’s not going to get any easier next year as we’ll still be in the 1-6 band.

We would’ve got a 7-12 fixture had we lost one of the last 2 games and presumably then lost our elimination final.

Hopefully we don’t have a repeat of that absurd Adelaide-Geelong-Alice Springs-Docklands-Perth 5 week stretch. No wonder our performances at the MCG were no good in the end.

It might get easier. Or harder. We don’t know. It will depend on which sides we get for our repeat matches and what happens to them next year. 

Odds are it will be hard because we’re top 6 but we got unlucky drawing Fremantle and Collingwood for our non-top 6 repeat games and they both skyrocketed. 

[praha 11,118]

It was fun in parts but the second half was an emotional grind. Two losses to Collingwood, then Sydney, Freo and Bulldogs losses...they were especially tough because opposition fans really gave it to us. The second Collingwood loss legit almost gave me PTSD...it was not a pleasant experience and everyone seemed to take great pleasure in beating us. Then two finals against interstate teams... last night being much tougher to stomach than Sydney. What made it so bad and tough was that 7 of our 8 losses were in Melbourne and 6 of them at the MCG... we were basically laughed out of the MCG.

To be honest I am not too fussed about losing, it happens. When gets me worked up is that we won a flag in another city while we were all locked up, and the return is basically us being laughed out of our home stadium time and time again. It's a cruel sport. Just heartbreaking stuff really. 

To be honest I am accepting now that flags are very hard to come by but seriously 50% of it is just *hunger*. We didn't have it. Or enough of it. Wouldn't say it was a wasted year as I'm sure something will come of it. But I am worried that Goodwin has wasted a year in no further development or blooding of new talent. Time will tell but history isn't on Goodwin's side with this sort of capitulation. 

Anyway, onto the NBA season.

[old dee 23,488]

19 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

That's the spirit.

Thanks you realise I am correct Fork

[Mr Steve 3,820]

I can not help but feel that we were only beaten once this year "Freo" all the other we lost. Every time we got beaten I thought " well that's easy to fix" but they would do it again next game. And to lose so many at the MCG. 

[Demonised 1,307]

When an already proppy Salem was injured in Round 1 it was a sign of things to come.

[layzie 32,806]

Less blame on the season being wasted and more on the people who thought we were guaranteed a prelim when Brisbane won last week. Yes some of those people are the same ones now calling this a wasted season.

[Rivers Run Red 187]

First year I've been able to gloat about being premiers, and listening to people talking about how good we are (until we fell away).

Been used to being laughed at and being called irrelevant. 

Although I'm gutted about the way it ended, I'm enjoying these final 2 weeks of being reigning premiers.