Jack Viney was enormous today.

Judd McvVee is a limousine cruising out of our back line garage.

Toss-up for worst disposal between Trac and Harmesy.

So, apart from our forward play (which I ma exhausted by, and need to focus elsewhere for my own sanity), there were 2 late cases in point  that suggest our woes have to do with intelligence and confidence.

Gawn (our skipper) is unsure, waits too long, handballs off to someone who has to immediately handball back.
Outcome - hurried, long, high kick to F50 which is a defence's delight.

Less than 1 minute to go - Hunter gets the ball at half back and kicks sideways.

 

Stupid me was thinking a premiership in Melbourne was a chance with this list.  No it's not, not now, not under this coach and his pigheaded approach to skills and team selection, and refusal to address the forward line.  Too many players on our list with B grade skills and nous.  Ahhh what the hell can't be bothered anymore. 

St Kilda will end our miserable underperforming season next weekend

I just don’t think the forward half intercept game is working anymore. We’re too pressed up leading to repeat entries that are just so poor quality. There’s no quality entries at all. What makes matters worse is that if the opposition wins it back they have loads of space and have easier opportunities.

Goodwin and co need to bring the defenders back more. The press is just too high and it’s killing our forward entries.

2 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Hey @DubDee 👋 just replying to your comment in the GameDay thread which is now closed. I NEVER go on the GameDay thread after the first bounce. I did today because I wanted to share what I hear about Fritta’s injury. Anyways, that’s why I chose to go onto that revolting thread today. Won’t be making that mistake again. 

So are we right in thinking Fritousky has a pretty serious injury?

Season over? No, but I think our chances of winning it are fading. 

We are simply not playing as well as the two best teams in the comp and we're not close to it either. Personel issues underlined by losing our best forward today for God knows how long. 

We follow up a month of inaccuracy by the mother of all inaccurate games. To hear we have gone 29.88 or whatever in the last month is officially now not a one off, that is what is called critical mass of data. 73 to 46 inside 50s, 36% i50 to shot ratio, 25 free kicks to 10 our way, 47 to 28 clearances, 188 to 146 contested possessions and you fail to win the game? How do you come back from that? I feel like I'm in a time warp watching 2019 Melbourne, it sucked then and it sucks now. After Lingers' amazing goal if you told me we wouldnt kick one again even in the wet I'd have laughed, our momentum was up.

It was the one and I mean one kind of performance we did not need right now, for our ladder position and for our confidence. We've lost the plot and it can be really hard to get it back, sometimes you just don't within a season.

So yeah, still time to get it together but I don't see this side threatening the teams above us. They are simply better and showing exactly why they are the best sides. Someone wanna chime in King's birthday? Sure. Just know that it sounds very similar to the days when that was our 'Grand Final' if we're going to keep pointing to that.

Win ball, get it in, miss chance after chance and let it come out and get burned on transition. If we're going to lose to good forward play fine, but we should lose any game to the above. We miss so much early that tje other team gets a head of steam up and we essentially play them into form. Toby's first goal should have been with them 20 points down. 

Doing everything right but not scoring, it doesnt win you football games and I don't know how to fix it, clearly they dont either. If you needed a rubber stamp for the problems at this club, this game was it.

Felt so sorry for viney after he busted a gut and  gave his absolute all.

Don't panic, the Grundy gawn combo will save us.

1 minute ago, rufus said:

These guys are energy suckers and people wonder why our crowd is bored out of their brains watching us play at the 'G. Prideless pea hearts.

Exactly - really ticks me off when Trac waves his arms at the crowd telling us we’re not making enough noise, and the club launched a big promo saying the same. Play good footy and we’ll make noise.

23 minutes ago, adonski said:

Smith ahead of JVR was this weeks Petty for Tomlinson

We had a good thing going with Tomlinson in defence, allowed us to go with Petty/JVR forward - what the hell are they thinking?

5 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Why because all you believers are getting found out once again??

Denial is a sour taste.

Shut up already, we get it, you’re miserable and you’re a “I told you so”person. 

2 minutes ago, Tom Dyson said:

Totally agree, it is tiresome how blindly goody is defended by some especially given our form line and the obvious deficiencies in our game. I will be forever grateful for his efforts in 2021 but the consistent sub-par performances we are churning out has to put pressure on the coach because at the end of the day, the buck starts and stops with him.  

Goodwin unfortunately looks like a coach that needs everything to go his way, because he is stiff and has only one METHOD. 

2021 everything went our way and we were sublime.

Our list is the same or perhaps better, on paper.

However, we are a shell of our premiership year. what is worse is that Goodwin won't do jack**** to try something new (be it personnel or strategy).

3 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

Smith far from our worst.

Hahaha 5 disposals & all ineffective. What game were you watching?

Surprise surprise! @Dalrot has reared it’s nasty head. Funny how certain posters bust a gut to get to the postgame thread after a loss. I’m hanging onto this entire forum by my [censored] fingernails. 

Next week at Marvel, we need to make sure the roof is well and truly closed.  
 

Hopefully we have a dry September….

1 minute ago, praha said:

This is 100% a coaching and strategy issue.

Bringing in Brown and Harmes was applauded on this forum. I just can't fathom it. Naturally, JVR killed it at Casey.

I really wish we'd stop with this trying to recapture 2021 form BS. We need to move on otherwise we're going to get caught out and the wheels will fall off. 

We lost today at the selection table and in the coach's box.

It's the same usual suspects on here who think it's all going to magically click like it did in 2021.

They're delusional and haven't accepted that we've got far bigger issues with our game plan and method then we did back in 21.

 

10 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Just wading blindfolded through the bile to let @Jaded No More in particular know that it’s Fritta’s foot AND ankle that are the issues. And it’s looking very bleak at this stage.

WCW out (until our next win) 🙄 

Thanks, WCW when I saw the ice on his left foot I was hoping it wasn't the same injury he had pre-season. Assume from your post it is. I fear he may be missing for an extended period as it looked bad. Send him my best wishes and hope we see him back soon.

14 minutes ago, DeeMee said:

I think I’ll repeat it … 29.61

Send Simon and Greg Stafford a telegram with that info!!

I don’t understand what people want from posters who have historically been optimistic and used statistics to maintain their optimism?

Would you like everyone to agree that everything is awful and there’s no point supporting the club? What does that achieve?

It’s not anyone’s fault on this forum that the club lost. It’s super weird when people come for others because they had an opinion. The opinion didn’t miss shots for goals.

That attitude just creates a boring monoculture.

Just now, wizardinoz said:

Hahaha 5 disposals & all ineffective. What game were you watching?

And Multiple almost marks 😂😂

Just now, Older demon said:

Thanks, WCW when I saw the ice on his left foot I was hoping it wasn't the same injury he had pre-season. Assume from your post it is. I fear he may be missing for an extended period as it looked bad. Send him my best wishes and hope we see him back soon.

Definitely will do. 💖

From AFL site:

BEST
Melbourne: Viney, Hunter, Petracca, May Bowey, Pickett

Do they watch the game? Viney sure, Trac 5 behinds, May OK, Bowey great, Pickett, really!

How about Lever, Gus, McVee, Salem, pretty much any of the backs.

Geez. Dominated 110 of the 120 minutes but coughed up another 4 points. I messaged a mate online at 3/4 time to say we could keep GWS goalless if we dominate territory like we did in the last part of the 3rd quarter and we almost did. Can't fault the effort. I thought Mcvee and Bowser were very good and JV was ridiculous. Trac is maybe trying too hard. I still think we're easily the best of the sides vying for 4th spot but you wouldn't put any money on us finishing there. 

1 minute ago, DeeZee said:

Felt so sorry for viney after he busted a gut and  gave his absolute all.

Has been unbelievable all season and especially since Clarry went down. Superb game from him yet again. 

The effort across the board was very good. You can’t question the commitment or the hardness. We played very good strong contested footy. But we cannot execute simple skills and we make some mind boggling decisions going forward. 

It is why Bowey, Salem and McVee stand out so much. Because their ball use is at top tier god levels, and the rest are at VFL reserves levels.