47 minutes ago, Sigil said:

Our midfield are all sizzle no steak at the moment.

When teams have a bit of momentum, why aren't we doing the 'Ol Nathan Jones and getting head over the ball and getting a few repeat stoppages in the middle.

Slow the game down a bit from time to time, we know we have the class to eventually get value.

Port made it look really easy tonight.

Because Viney's been doing that the last few weeks on his own and was probably stuffed tonight.

He can't do it all on his own every week.

Clarry's usually the other extractor / strong man over the pill at 666 assisting Viney but for some reason it aint happening for him in this area of the ground lately (not the last few weeks or so anyway vs previous high levels)

With the demise of Clarry here so goes our mid field fortunes and performances, with clearances suffering accordingly vs mediocre or better opponents.

Edited May 19, 20231 yr by Demon Dynasty

21 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Tackles inside 50:

Them 18

Us 6

Which sort of sums it up our small forwards were nowhere near the drop of the ball, they did not tackle they did not put pressure on the opposition.

Had to work in the morning so completely missed the match, just watched the scores on my phone. I would like to register my displeasure at losing because now my planned Friday night watching the footy has been ruined. 

Victorian clubs travel schedule after round 10 in order of ladder:

Collingwood 3

Melbourne 5

St Kilda 3

Bulldogs 3

Geelong 3

Carlton 3

Essendon 3

Richmond 2

North 5

Hawthorn 6

2 hours ago, dees189227 said:

We had a chance to go possibly 2 games clear of teams below us. Except we blew it and drop a spot and if the pies win we're 2 games behind them

We give it a red hot crack in the last half

50 minutes ago, DutchDemons said:

Had to work in the morning so completely missed the match, just watched the scores on my phone. I would like to register my displeasure at losing because now my planned Friday night watching the footy has been ruined. 

I wouldn’t bother watching it. For large portions of the match we didn’t play well. Port didn’t kick straight so they kept us in it till half time. After that we clawed back, and just before three quarter time the umpires stepped in. Rest is history.

2 minutes ago, DutchDemons said:

Had to work in the morning so completely missed the match, just watched the scores on my phone. I would like to register my displeasure at losing because now my planned Friday night watching the footy has been ruined. 

Same.  Out all day so I recorded it and had been ‘avoiding’ the score so I could watch it ‘as live’ this evening. All went well until a bloke in a St. Kilda jacket walked past me at the station. Wtf? I mean, this would be an unusual sight in London but in northeast England?? He saw my surprised look and asked if I went for the Saints?  My quick reply of “no, Melbourne” proved my undoing as he promptly told me the Dees had just lost. Schoolboy error.

Anyway, I’ve read this thread now so won’t be watching us getting humped by the umps.

4 hours ago, frankie_d said:

Our Mids again beaten, Whats going on??

 

Edited May 19, 20231 yr by picket fence

5 hours ago, Star of the 80s said:

Disappointing result but were outplayed for 3 quarters and only lost by 4 points. A couple of game changers were Rivers poor kick that led to a goal to Port and JVR’s head high tackle in our backline as well as JVR giving away a free kick by retaliating. 

Time for JVR to be managed for a few weeks! Rivers mistake was indicative of our overall performance! Umpiring also costly!

Edited May 19, 20231 yr by picket fence

We only lost by 4 points. We’ve plenty of room to improve.

I don’t have to much more to add to what has already been said other than the constant fumbles and lack of composure drive me nuts. Giving me high blood pressure. We were pressured last night for sure, but the ball handling was atrocious. Please Chocco, sort this [censored] out.

 

Often suggested; if nothing good to say ...say nothing

nothing !!

4 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Victorian clubs travel schedule after round 10 in order of ladder:

Collingwood 3

Melbourne 5

St Kilda 3

Bulldogs 3

Geelong 3

Carlton 3

Essendon 3

Richmond 2

North 5

Hawthorn 6

After round 10, it's only 4 and one of them is an own goal. Another is to Geelong. Not exactly taxing.

I’m not sure why we base a game plan on having tall targets around the ground to bring the ball To ground if we can’t win the ground ball. It’s a huge issue and the good teams play this plan to perfection against us. 
 

Kozzy is in really bad form too. He looked like he was going to take the comp by storm round one but can’t get near it since.

 

 

7 hours ago, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

If Lever starts sprinting straight away the ump would have been forced to call 50 but he jogs/runs for the first part and then sprints once Lord starts to slow down

He would not have called the 2nd 50 no matter what as it would have put Lever close enough to win the game. That was never going to happen 

6 hours ago, Demon Dynasty said:

 

With the demise of Clarry here so goes our mid field fortunes and performances, with clearances suffering accordingly vs mediocre or better opponents.

Check his numbers, that's such an absurd statement

Edited May 19, 20231 yr by Roost it far

54 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

Check his numbers, that's such an absurd statement

Don't twist that statement to become a general thing pls.

I'm referring to his 'effective' extractions that result in a clearance in the middle at 666.  He's a fair way off his best the last few weeks here.

Still getting a few but nothing like Clarry at his best 'extraction' wise or even jumping on it to cause a secondary ball up.

Last week also... the extraction game was left to mostly Viney and Max at 666.  Jordon had one extraction that resulted in a clearance.  I'm talking get ball not being given the ball from an immediate tap out or from someone else.  The instigator of first use or holding up play for another ball up.

Newcombe did very well against us in this regard (getting first use or holding things up) and linked up with Day for a number clearances.  Both of them rookies.

The only reason this didn't pay off much for the Hawks was because we beat them up most of the time at the rest of the contests on the outside.

Clarry did pretty well around the ground in that game also.  In the middle (666) he was pretty ordinary vs his usual standards.

Edited May 19, 20231 yr by Demon Dynasty

My biggest takeaway from last night was the disturbing echo from last year that this team thinks it only has to play 15 mins of connected, inspired footy to win games.

If that isn’t the case, can they prove it against good teams? If we are not that - can we show our ‘real selves’ for 15 mins every quarter?

We are looking at straight sets again if this continues.

Edited May 20, 20231 yr by rpfc

On the positive side, Salem had a very good return.

we would've been better off booting it out on the full/deliberate to the boundary between 40-70m, instead of all the hook/snaps to a Port player 40m directly in front in defence. Cost us 3 goals

Edited May 19, 20231 yr by John Demonic

5 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Victorian clubs travel schedule after round 10 in order of ladder:

Collingwood 3

Melbourne 5

St Kilda 3

Bulldogs 3

Geelong 3

Carlton 3

Essendon 3

Richmond 2

North 5

Hawthorn 6

Sums up the Afl, we play the cats 2 seasons in a row away .. what’s so hard to play 1 year home & next away???

9 hours ago, Antioch said:

Come off it mate we only lost by four points against a top four side at their very partisan home ground.

Climb out kid, our early work cost us the game. Little margin for error when fighting for a top 4 spot.

Great for 1 quarter I'll give them that, doesn't make it an honourable loss though.

9 hours ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

Has anyone mentioned the Gawn non free kick when he was trying to mark and lycett collected him front on, with no eyes on the ball and it’s called play on????

That was the biggest howler for mine! What the actual hell, how can that not be paid??? It was unfathomable, I was going berserk.

Have lost to Port & Lions in a similar way, getting smashed in clearances with the best 2 Rucks. Yet when our best mids were used we almost won, this strategy of running different players to rest the mids???  really what’s their preseason for? Did we do this in 2021??? 

8 minutes ago, layzie said:

Climb out kid, our early work cost us the game. Little margin for error when fighting for a top 4 spot.

Great for 1 quarter I'll give them that, doesn't make it an honourable loss though.

Spot on .. how about Goody play his best mids then rest them when we have the game won! Embarrassing to the best 2 rucks yet getting smashed in clearances in a number of games this season 

4 minutes ago, Demonsone said:

Spot on .. how about Goody play his best mids then rest them when we have the game won! Embarrassing to the best 2 rucks yet getting smashed in clearances in a number of games this season 

The warning signs were there when Hawthorn were clobbering us in clearances last week