The Demons were overrun by Essendon to the tune of 27 points at Adelaide Oval during their Gather Round match. The Bombers were more hungry and cleaner with the footy and the Demons had no answers for anything that was thrown at them.

Beaten as we always are....

Harder inside, cleaner ball handling 

Nothing good to say really

They need to stop pretending Sparrow is best 22

Tomlinson & T Mac to lead Casey to a second premiership

The only positive I can find from that performance is that it was just so poor ..... we couldn't possibly repeat it ( I hope ).

Our backline spent most of the game in total disarray ( we missed Lever obviously and May had a shocker)

Not much to be said for our forwards because we didn't appear to have any.

We missed handballs, tackles and kicks.

All in all a total [censored] up ... so let's learn from it, move on and improve.

 

AND ......  the rub of the green never went our way ..... never!

People will hammer Tomlinson, but Steven May was a joke today. Took no responsibility when things got tough then lost his head in the 2nd half. Did nothing right.

Grundy and Petty were also pathetic, I don't care if Petty gets on the end of a couple in the wet or plays while hurt, weak early.

Bad day but flags are not won in April. Everything went wrong for one team and everything just fell in place for the other.

Pathetic. Nothing else needs to be said. 
We have a lot of work to do to get back to the team of 2021 that was hungry and relentless.

All the talent in the world means nothing if you turn up with half an effort and zero [censored] to give. 
 

We expected a win today. We were badly out coached and out worked. Lacked leadership and composure. Absolutely embarrassing. 

27 points is probably generous considering how comprehensively we were outplayed.

The whole side was flat today.

They completely out worked us, every single contest we we completely out numbered, when ever we won the ball we seemed to be kicking to an out number to. Not sure where our players were. 

A shower of sh—

Pretty much a full strength team, we thought the result was a given.

Ugh.

Beaten badly today, doesn't matter which way you slice it.

They moved the ball quick and with ease too many times. From where we sat we just couldn’t cover the ground quick enough. Missed Lever’s guidance today. Petty very reactive in the first half, haven’t seen him play this bad for a while. 

I am, and will always be, a huge wrap for this current list of Melbourne players, but that was as lifeless a performance as we’ve put in for years.

We got out coached and out worked across the ground, and we showed virtually nothing in response.

I’m actually struggling to comprehend it. The Brisbane game I put down to emotion and context, but that performance I’m thoroughly confused by.

Have we seen the best of May? 

We will smash them back on the G in September. That is all.

Go Dees.

Starting to think maybe we just aren’t good enough still seeing the same problems from second half of last season, too inconsistent forward line dramas and when pressured by the opposition we fold, I’m not convinced we are a top 4 side anymore, just like the dogs in 16 we won our flag in 21 off a perfect month of footy 

When May is out of the team Lever just takes control of the back line but when Lever is out May often looks lost.

Can I just say 'Absolute disgrace'

Given a bath.

The bounces went against us and they took their chances with some lucky goals but that’s not why they won, they won because they worked harder, wanted it more and were better coached. We came in arrogant and complacent. 

i hope we don’t sweep this away as a one off because other teams will beat us the same way if we continue to turn up expecting wins with lazy football.

 Pretty bummed after that. 

Outfought, out-thought, outrun, outmarked, and out-coached by a side that adapted far better to the conditions. Oliver and Viney about the only honourable exceptions. Lever and Gawn hugely missed, with Steven May having possibly his career-worst display in our panicky defence. If ever a wake-up call was needed, this was it.

Edited April 15, 20233 yr by Dee-monic

Our variability in performances is worrying. 

To be outplayed by Essendon is nothing short of embarrassing. 

We don’t have too many more losses to give up this year and to drop them to teams unlikely to make the 8 or challenge in finals is unforgivable in the wake of last year. 

Too much Mid-Field meddling from Goody & Co. plus the addition of Grundee only (Max out) has stuffed up any cohesion and seen our better mids losing form.

As a result the engine room that helps us to win/dominate is spluttering and has almost gone out as a result.

Goodwin stick to the basics pls and stop tinkering so much in the middle.

Too many passemgers

Individual efforts instead of selfless acts

Can't play wet weather / slippery footy...GRIPPO for all!

Effort can't be switched on and off.  We're picking and choosing when to go and it comes back to bite you at this level.... THAT's the Old Melbourne we never want to see or accept again!

Some players were found out as being woefully out of form today

Goodwin & co. have some serious problems to solve.

As Craig Bellamy said after the storm lost last night, we did some dumb things and got what we deserved.

At least that's Essendon out of the way for the year. 

It really hurts they are sitting in 2nd spot and we are 5th. 

At least we get a 10 day break to regroup.

But boy we need to bounce back hard against Richmond. 

I think our zone needs work.. our position is a mile off. Couldn’t get to the drop of the ball.