Last night felt inevitable, I’ve never seen us be so undisciplined, make so many crazy errors, ignore team mates in better positions and generally gift a lesser team a ridiculous win. I really hope Carlton win or go close against Brisbane as maybe that might rub in what we just blew.
We need some fresh eyes in the coaching box…I’d be offering Justin Leppitsch whatever it takes to come on board. We need a replacement brewing for May, another forward and some elite ball users. I really hope Woewodin and Howe can replace one or both of our wingers. Langdon has fallen off a cliff and Hunter, while serviceable needs upgrading. If TMac and Brown remain on the list I’ll cry and we need to find Max some help. I still think we have an excellent list and I’m bullish for the next few years but jeez the last 2 weeks hurt. Onwards and upwards. Go Dee’s…..and remember gifting finals to your enemies is supposed to hurt.

I guess my one worry in this homogeneous world where everything is seen as a transaction is do the players really really really want it. Would they walk over coals for each other and success. Or is making pasta on your socials and shaving your balls enough. That’s the question that concerns me with this team. 

4 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

I guess my one worry in this homogeneous world where everything is seen as a transaction is do the players really really really want it. Would they walk over coals for each other and success. Or is making pasta on your socials and shaving your balls enough. That’s the question that concerns me with this team. 

I think you can question the game plan, but you can’t question the effort. The players give everything.

18 minutes ago, layzie said:

2022 was the let off, 2023 has been a disaster. We lost the game, that's the business we're in.

Agree totally, I think after the dust settled last year we could except the excuses / reasons we failed in the finals. This years choke will be spoken about for years to come and no excuses will soften the blow. The most frustrating part we have to wait a year to hopefully see if we can get over this mental weakness. 

There is no way people can question the teams effort.  They are a brutal footy team and we just need a key forward.   A fit Petty will slot in down back again next year and if we can wrench a ready made power forward from somewhere to stand with JVR we will back bigger than better.   

11 minutes ago, IRW said:

I saw a stat that says they lost the last 4 finals

And unfortunately that’s the only stat that matters. 

23 minutes ago, Billy said:

 

Imagine if we had a great coach, we win both those game & more than likely play in another Grand Final at our home

 

 

The same coach that got us a flag in 2021? 😀

Disappointed that first Tmac played instead of Grundy. Tmac has been a great player but his form has not been good, his ability to jump and his speed are real issues especially when we seldom pass into the forward line. Grundy or Schache should have played, the fact they did not replace him at 3rd quarter time makes me wonder why goodwin was not prepared to make those changes.  Schache was good enough to be our sub he should have been good enough to put on the ground to replace a player doing nothing. We seem to have a problem playing our sub unless its a medical emergency, does not make sense not to use a fresh player.

At times when Max was rested we had no ruckman at the contest which allowed them free reign. Was that part of our game plan. The original concept with grundy was to give max more time forward and give Max a hand in the ruck. I dont see Grundy did anything wrong, i think max failed to improve his kicking. last nights around the corner was an example that you really expect players to kick these days. Regardless of grundy staying or going Max needs to work on his kicking, stop running off to the side and learn to kick straight. It now looks like we are giving up a damn good ruckman probably for not a lot of return and then have to find ourselves another ruckman. I just done understand that.

 

1 minute ago, Hatchman said:

The same coach that got us a flag in 2021? 😀

Bevo got the Dogs a flag once too.

Sheet.
Gotta tell the missus to turn the TV down.
I can hear 'em talking about Carlton in their 1st prelim for a million years yadda, yadda, yadda.
I'm on another media ban for a week.

10 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

Sheet.
Gotta tell the missus to turn the TV down.
I can hear 'em talking about Carlton in their 1st prelim for a million years yadda, yadda, yadda.
I'm on another media ban for a week.

 

Maybe don't pop on Crunch Time this morning! 

Edited September 15, 20231 yr by John Demonic

Last night’s game rivals Essendon’s loss in the 1999 PF as the biggest choke I’ve ever seen in a final. Essendon made a pact the following year to seek revenge, to leave no stone unturned. They didn’t even sing the club song after wins due to the bigger picture. I realise the game has changed a lot these days and little separates most clubs with facilities, preparation and sports science, whereas back then the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ were more evident. However, I whether we might head down a similar path to this and 2024 takes us to the promised land?

17 minutes ago, Demons11 said:

There is no way people can question the teams effort.  They are a brutal footy team and we just need a key forward.   A fit Petty will slot in down back again next year and if we can wrench a ready made power forward from somewhere to stand with JVR we will back bigger than better.   

I am amazed how anyone could watch the games Petty played forward before injury both times and think he does preseason down back. When fit he is the answer to our key forward woes. Not just structurally but because he looks to have the tools to be a true top liner. We need to find the answer to our third tall defender being we don’t trust Tomlinson. Whether that be bulking up Turner, taking a late (likely too late) swing at McKay or an out of contract role player like Melican. Best option may be looking at a mature VFL option and hope we luck a Collins or Wilke. 

I started reading this thread trying to get a bit of a balanced view on this season but clearly too early for most people to see any positivity. My positive take for what it's worth. Our draft position is enhanced, we will get a better draw next season and losing like that was horrible but would have been considerably worse if it had been the Grand Final or even a Prelim next week in Brisbane (knowing that we would have had a great chance in the Grand Final the following week). Clearly we should have won last weekend which was the killer because we would have been close to a certainty to make the Grand Final and even win the whole thing. This week's loss even worse but if we had won we would have faced a considerably harder task next weekend against Brisbane.    

9 minutes ago, Sydney_Demon said:

I started reading this thread trying to get a bit of a balanced view on this season but clearly too early for most people to see any positivity. My positive take for what it's worth. Our draft position is enhanced, we will get a better draw next season and losing like that was horrible but would have been considerably worse if it had been the Grand Final or even a Prelim next week in Brisbane (knowing that we would have had a great chance in the Grand Final the following week). Clearly we should have won last weekend which was the killer because we would have been close to a certainty to make the Grand Final and even win the whole thing. This week's loss even worse but if we had won we would have faced a considerably harder task next weekend against Brisbane.    

Stop Dreaming. 
 

We didn’t win anything…..

1 hour ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Agreed. That’s why it hurts. That’s why close is not good enough. That’s why we don’t understand Goody extended from 2024 to end 2026. Why?? 

Because the MFC are happy to be a good club not a great club

Carn the Orange Tsunami 🍊 

We lost last nighty because our forward entry and forwards stuffed it up.  I hope we keep Tomlinson together with the May and Lever as the talls down back, They all did a great job,   well except for the last 60 seconds.   9 points up in Red time    we should not have lost   its my view we lost it up forward and at selection.

 

Lets see who we recruit.....

In front with a minute to go Lever has possession. Now Jake is a senior player with a lot of experience so what was running through his mind when he decided to kick the ball to a contest? I never played footy myself and I don’t understand what it is like at the end of a match with fatigue setting in etc yet this scenario is something they specifically train for is it not?

Adding insult to injury another senior player in Viney takes possession and then proceeds to kick the ball directly to an opponent. It’s easy to be critical from the outside but is it unreasonable to expect better from our leadership?

I maintain my criticism of Simon and will add the following: He IS a good coach from some perspectives but not a great one. We deserve a great coach and it is time for the powers that be to act in some form of a reshuffle and attracting fresh blood with new ideas to the coaching ranks.

We line up to pay our memberships out of affiliation and loyalty every year and then are treated with utter contempt. This has been going on for many seasons. The AFL model is built around building membership and garnering sponsorship which is fine if you are able to walk the walk on the field or you are demonstrating genuine improvement across all areas.
 

I remain cynical of our hierarchy (the board at large and certain ingratiated elements of the coaching group)trundling out the top 4 statistic as some weird waiver for responsibility for poor performance. There always seems to be excuses made …If this happened or If so and so had or had not done this or that. ALL teams have their trials and tribulations I am uneasy about our management seemingly going round in circles like they are different or special and deserve unique consideration for repeated failures.

I will not be pledging my hard earned again until I am convinced that concerted effort has been made to shift the focus back onto making the side a truly elite outfit in every respect and I implore you to do the same. Send a message that this [censored] is no longer ok. ‘Learnings’ would be fine if there actually were any. 
 

Fortunately we have a strong hand in the draft but I will go further and reiterate that sacrifices must be made. There has been little obvious planning for the certain decrease in output from Gawn, May etc without there being another long period of languishing mid table. It doesn’t need to be this way. Oliver is a great player but superfluous to our needs and is the obvious collateral required to re stock and re energise our playing list. We might get 2 to 3 excellent players for him filling our needs in crucial positions. We must become ruthless.

1 hour ago, The heart beats true said:

I think you can question the game plan, but you can’t question the effort. The players give everything.

I just watched players torch each other, give away undisciplined 50’s, slip over and miss goals I’d kick, hell, our skipper gets blamed for touching a goal line kick from Oliver while Smith and Fritsch gaze at their opponents competing. If that’s the best they’ve got then my question has been answered. These losses are squarely on the players.

Edited September 16, 20231 yr by Roost it far

31 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Stop Dreaming. 
 

We didn’t win anything…..

Don't get me wrong. I'm as gutted about the way we went out as the next supporter and I don't know what you mean about stopping dreaming. Premierships are what it's all about and I would have been happy to forego every draft pick for the next 5 years for a Premiership. I see the need for people to vent, but I don't spend hours going through every negative post because personally reading largely irrational angry posts doesn't make me feel any better about what actually happened. All the Club can all do is learn the lessons, move on, and make the changes that will make a difference for the future. I suppose my take is that I never thought Melbourne would win even one premiership in my lifetime as a supporter (I started following them in the late 60s) so at least we have 2021 and I remain confident that we will win another one in the not-too-distant future.

Just now, Sydney_Demon said:

Don't get me wrong. I'm as gutted about the way we went out as the next supporter and I don't know what you mean about stopping dreaming. Premierships are what it's all about and I would have been happy to forego every draft pick for the next 5 years for a Premiership. I see the need for people to vent, but I don't spend hours going through every negative post because personally reading largely irrational angry posts doesn't make me feel any better about what actually happened. All the Club can all do is learn the lessons, move on, and make the changes that will make a difference for the future. I suppose my take is that I never thought Melbourne would win even one premiership in my lifetime as a supporter (I started following them in the late 60s) so at least we have 2021 and I remain confident that we will win another one in the not-too-distant future.

But they don’t learn. The same system every week 

Goodwin should walk after 2 Straight Set Exits…

Cool light of day - I prefer the heat of the night. 

The reality if you don’t have a couple of tall fwds that can take marks no game plan will work

If Petty was playing we win both games

but [censored] i’m still so [censored] we choked 

45 minutes ago, Billy said:

Because the MFC are happy to be a good club not a great club

yep everyone involved with the MFC seems super happy at the moment

🙄

Anyone know an assistant out there who can teach strategy and ball movement into the 50?

Caracella is known to be one and I've heard Jason Davenport at GWS has been huge in this space. 

We really need someone in this space.