negatives for the first half........ quite a few

positives

PETTERD!!!!!

davey has played quite well

sylvia has been running hard and will hopefully get back into it

moloney has done ok

prob a few more but i cant think at the moment

A special half-time mention must go to Godfrey who has kept Goodes quiet all game.

A big positive is Jared Rivers.

My god he is such a good defender, and you forget just how good when he doesn't play for a few games. He is in our top 3 most important players.

Finally, a brain in the backline!

Credit to Godfrey he is doing really well so far. I shook my head in horror when I saw him line up on Goodes, but no complaints as of yet.

TJ is very lucky we are so injured at the moment, or he would be looking at a week at Sandy. Maybe his hand (hamstring?) isn't 100% right, but that is no excuse to argue with the umpires and play like you just don't care.

I have to get this off my back. Brown u are sh**. Johnstone lift your game...i am serioulsy losing pacience with him. Pettard and Godfrey BOG so far...godders holding goodes to 5 possessions and Pettard racking it up. Leave garland on too...has shown some when its come near him. Carroll doing OK on Hall but must get front possie. White...DO NOT PLAY HIM FORWARD AS CANT KICK

Some things we aint gunna see this season! Trav chasing anyone,White dominating any game,Pickett being really tough,Miller kicking a bag or 2,accurate handball,3 good disposals in a row,great delivery into the forward 50,3 or more centre breaks in a row,onballers manning up in defence,Daniher forgetting to thump the table in the box,etc.etc. What we will see is Junior try his guts out + Brocky+Jonesy +Muddy and 3 or 4 others at times.What we need is no more injuries and a large infusion of belief.

take out the couple of lucky goals for the swannies (brown dog's shocker and johnstone's 'tackle' etc) and we're only a few goals down... unfortunately, the scoreboard counts and we were outscored by another goal. Well done so far by Petterd though, a sparkling debut! Unfortunate that he didn't get himself 6 points to his name as well.

I'd like to see Dunny get a bit more of the ball though, can't say i really spotted him at all in the second quarter, and he's good for a couple of goals a game.

Thought Beamer was a bit stiff to get one in the head and miss out on a free in the centre as well, he's good for a 60m bomb almost to the goalsquare at the SCG!

edit: Oh, and forgot to mention, well done so far Simon Godfrey. It's good to see Cameron Bruce not following Goodes around for a change.

So, what's to say for the 1st half?

1. We are getting massacred out of the centre, probably the most important place at the SCG; win it out of the centre, one kick and you're 25-30 out of goal.

2. 1st quarter was horrendous. We just couldn't adapt. It's possible, but not acceptable, that 4 straight weeks on the MCG has made it difficult to adapt to such a small ground. We just didn't play it that well and Sydney were always first to the ball.

3. Pettard has been superb. Playing like a veteran. Bar that shot at goal. Playing smart, intelligent and tough fooball.

4. Godders has held Goodes.

5. Hall is killing us.

6. Yze, Davey, Bruce and Pickett have been too quiet. Once again, out leadership seems to have gone missing when we need it. Moloney, Pettard leading the way.

7. Umpires have been average both ways.

6. We are kicking it (bombing it) into a conjested foward line. If it's so full, space it out. Use your brains. Slow it down and wait for a better lead. No, it's not the best way to play the SCG, but you just won't kick goals like that.

7. Johnstone is the most underachieving and undersving footballer to have ever played the game.

8. Nathan Brown is playing his last AFL game.

Great to see "tempo football" used in the dying minutes of the second quarter.

Brown showing the whole world that Melbourne had no intention of scoring. (Waved his hand to slow down the game.)

Yes, it was a bad kick but if he kicked in 40+ metres up the ground then it would have never been an issue.

Funnily enough looked what happened when Melbourne did attack soon after. White had a shot on goal.

Petterd is looking really good.

Bell is looking good.

Rivers is looking good.

Godfrey has been really good. (To my surprise.)

The only player out there tonight without a brain is travis johnstone. Byron is being cruelly targeted by the umps.

Agree 100% about Rivers, I wouldn't say Bell is without a brain either though as of late in defence.

Sylvia is trying hard.

Come on Melbourne!!

well ...hmmmm....:-(((

lets go with whats good ( it takes less time )

workrate is up..thats good.

..

Thank Godfrey ...lol.. how many has he made eat their words... he's not brilliant.. but dependable like an old lab !!

We will remember this day as the game when Petterd first played.. playing with the head of a 100 gamer !!

this is hard.. even Ooze is trying and doing something intelligent. well done Adem.

Doggy...if it wasnt for injuires this would be your last game...you just have no brain !!

Beamer is trying...little support.

Is TJ going for the record for the longest time to kick in.

Carrol either play in front or get a cab !!

and it wouldnt be complete without a word about the umps..... well.. what to say.. woeful.

Sydney are alowed space where there ought not be any.

well..the pain is half over...thats a positive I suppose.

Miller tried..but ineffectual...could say that about the whole team though ( as a whole...not all the players individually..).. sums it all up !!

im on the positives at the moment

petterd

petterd

petterd

havent been so happy or in love with a player since the ox graced us with his presence

im on the positives at the moment

petterd

petterd

petterd

havent been so happy or in love with a player since the ox graced us with his presence

It's as though the bloke has come in and thought "I am going to nail myself a spot in this team". IMO he has done it in 2 quarters of footy.

yeah godfrey after a bad start has really clamped down onto goodes, finally has his tagging abilities back

choppy must wonder what he has done to the umps, cant take a trick

rivs and bell have been great, cj has started to adapt

would help if we dont have 3 players constantly run over the ball

agree he has stamped himself on the game/ team more than any other player has in the last 5 year (for melbourne this is)

Simon friggin Godfrey

Ok this is not good. Goodes is off, so that means Godfrey is no longer tagging. He might get the ball more..... oh no

lets hope for a more attacking second half

petterd on davis, talk about throwing him in the deep end

Pettard again...

Bell misses

petterd agains, bell misses a gimmie

we miss from in front, they snap an are of a goal

lucky goal....we've had a lot of lucky goals kicked against us this year.

put petterd on the ball, want him in the square, maybe he could win a centre clearance

wow melbourne. you're allowing a team that has struggled to score for 4 years absolutely kick goals at will.

win the centre clearances that easily and they will

pettard again. cleanly and calmly.