22 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Outstanding use of the sub by Goodwin yet again.

Billings came across to Melbourne to seek a fresh start and regain some much needed confidence. So nothing surer than our master mind coach starting Billings as sub and denting whatever confidence he gained in the practice matches. 

We looked unfit and unskilled. The large rehab group throughout pre season was reflective tonight.

We badly missed Kozzie’s spark while Sydney didn’t appear to miss their three mids at all.

Spot on in regards to Billings. He was good in both lead-up games, and gets the vest. Spargo walks straight in after missing both games, and does what he usually does which is SFA.

Two of our better players were unheralded draftees in Howes and McVee. We decide to give up our draft capital to GC to move up a couple of places to get Tholstrup. No issue with Tholstrup, but instead of drafting some more kids, we've used list spots on Hore and Billings. Goodwin clearly doesn't rate either.

Our list management has been pathetic since we won the flag. 

I’m holding.

Our bottom third were poor tonight. Laurie, Schache, chandler,  etc. I think Billings sub was an error but only a minor one.

Our bottom 1/3 was our strength in the premiership year. 

Not too concerned about our ability to claw that back in the next few weeks. I’ve heard from a reputable source the club would be VERY happy to be 3/3 after first 6 rounds so buckle in legends .

Edited March 7, 20241 yr by The Jackson FIX

We Have not lost our first game of the season since 2020….i do not like this feeling 👎

32 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

nothing surer than our master mind coach starting Billings as sub and denting whatever confidence he gained in the practice matches.

Was a strange one. But Billings played for over a quarter and showed very little too.

2 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

@picket fence u have been going on about how good Schache has been. 
 
How do u think he went tonight??

Personally he needs to be dropped along with Laurie and Spargo. 

Not good enough unfortunately. 

He's not up to the standard

i often wonder if our team gets ahead of themselves thinking that they have got a game in the bag before the ball is bounced and then go out and fine the opposition wants the ball more than we do. we have lost quite a few games to bottom sides like essendon that we really should not have.

32 minutes ago, Deecisive said:

What was disappointing from max is that he did not adjust to the swans ruck tactics he just kept doing what he normally does and they kept pushing in front of him and winning the ball. They kept pushing him off the ball and marking in front of him. Every other team in the league will have seen that and will adjust their game style on Max in that way.

Very few players played well, well done Viney, probably the best Melbourne players out there. So much fumbling kicking it straight to the opposition. i dont understand the zone process where we let them kick it to players alone all night long, let them switch and fail to cover them. and our forwards, both big and small apart from fritter were no where to be seen. I really worry about Van Roen, he just does not have a presence on the ground. sad to say on this performance i dont see us playing finals.

Who are about ruck coach? Who is our head coach?   The answer is obvious 

32 minutes ago, bluey said:

Van Rooyen is a liability, ive seen enough.

Well, he aint as good as many think he is!

I know we played a shocker, but the umpires were way worse.  We only lost by 20 odd points and momentum means alot in modern footy.  Here's 4 obvious examples of were we got well screwed over:

1. ANB's reversed goal (I've watched it 10 times and than match review guy must have been on some good drugs to see fingers move).

2.  Free kick out of nowhere to Heeny for an incidental high contact a mile off the ball - we were out.

3.  Only 50m penalty of the night for what?

4. Max gets pushed out/Sheparded of the contest that opens the way for an easy Sydney mark straight in front.

5. Steve May gets his head ripped off going for the ball - play on.

Max clearly targeted, particularly late in the game - if he was Buddy, just imagine how many few kicks and 50m penalties he would have got.

Sure we didn't play to our ablity, but put the pressure back on them and all of a sudden Sydney don't look so great either.

Look forward to the rest of the season.

At the ground, Howes looked good, McVee has potential, Tomlinson wasn't too badd

We know our midfield is elite

Get a bit more from JvR, and either Tmac or Petty fwd and throw Kozzie in the mix I'm pretty confident we're a strong group 

17 minutes ago, Ungarieboy said:

We only have two marking threats in the forwards (Ftitsch and JVR). Without Picket our smalls are just pressure players (they rarely even get front and centre).

And our midfield don't tackle!

 

This, Petraca and Oliver are not good defensively and our premiership coach hasn't fixed that for years now.

2 minutes ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

He's not up to the standard

Yep have to now reappraise, wasted talent no mongrel and not up to it ... Clearly and Disappontingly

Just now, picket fence said:

Well, he aint as good as many think he is!

Van Rooyen has had a couple of years playing in the seniors and really does not seem to do a lot, he has come out and kicked up a couple of goals in games often late in the game but at other times he can rarely been seen. I dont know how much time we give him, or how much time we can afford to have him failing to hit the score board or help get the ball to our smalls to kick goals.

1 minute ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

I know we played a shocker, but the umpires were way worse.  We only lost by 20 odd points and momentum means alot in modern footy.  Here's 4 obvious examples of were we got well screwed over:

1. ANB's reversed goal (I've watched it 10 times and than match review guy must have been on some good drugs to see fingers move).

2.  Free kick out of nowhere to Heeny for an incidental high contact a mile off the ball - we were out.

3.  Only 50m penalty of the night for what?

4. Max gets pushed out/Sheparded of the contest that opens the way for an easy Sydney mark straight in front.

5. Steve May gets his head ripped off going for the ball - play on.

Max clearly targeted, particularly late in the game - if he was Buddy, just imagine how many few kicks and 50m penalties he would have got.

Sure we didn't play to our ablity, but put the pressure back on them and all of a sudden Sydney don't look so great either.

Look forward to the rest of the season.

Ur clutching at Straws!

2 minutes ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

At the ground, Howes looked good, McVee has potential, Tomlinson wasn't too badd

We know our midfield is elite

Get a bit more from JvR, and either Tmac or Petty fwd and throw Kozzie in the mix I'm pretty confident we're a strong group 

Yep agree is it time to play May FF?

8 minutes ago, The Jackson FIX said:

I’m holding.

Our bottom third were poor tonight. Laurie, Schache, chandler,  etc. I think Billings sub was an error but only a minor one.

Our bottom 1/3 was our strength in the premiership year. 

Not too concerned about our ability to claw that back in the next few weeks. I’ve heard from a reputable source the club would be VERY happy to be 3/3 after first 6 rounds so buckle in legends .

If true (to be happy with 3-3) concerning at the least, not what you want to hear from team that aspires to fight for a premiership.

Just now, picket fence said:

Ur clutching at Straws!

Nup.  The match review upire was clutching at straws when he reversed that goal of ANB's.

Sydney wouldn't have even played finals last year if it wasn't for those fools.

Just now, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Nup.  The match review upire was clutching at straws when he reversed that goal of ANB's.

Sydney wouldn't have even played finals last year if it wasn't for those fools.

Balls, we were thrashed all over the ground 

Umpires had no influence 

Goody just saying sydney were the better team 

Said Oliver's game was a typical Clayton game

Said boweys injury looks like a collarbone. Have to get a scan.

Said billings is still learning parts of our game

Mentioned petty should be back against the hawks, Ben Brown playing vfl tomorrow.  Tom McDonald available 

1 minute ago, picket fence said:

Yep agree is it time to play May FF?

Nuh, he's the general down back

JvR needs some confidence to assert himself, give Fritta the genuine 2nd string fwd role

Tmac in fwd would be a better option than Schache, Tmac and Tommo relieving Max is the key (and worry)

We have no way to really damage any team going into our F50 - No X factor.  Will not win another flag without it.

Maybe Petty, Kosi and McAdam can give us something..   JVR has big question marks over him now.  All (media) talk. Now has to deliver. 

Gawn totally outplayed tonite.  Doesn't respond well to being manhandled.  Props to Grundy - well played.

Clarry needs game minutes but was mostly ok.  

Schacke - VAFA player at best.  Probably wouldn't get a game at Old Xav's.

Chandler - downhill skier

Laurie - subbed off and should never play again

Langdon - should be worried about keeping his spot when Hunter returns

Billings - played 30 mins.  Need to see more before can give opinion

Spargo - i'd usually defend him, but he's done

Sparrow - couldn't get near it tonite

Rivers - off also

Howes - good start

Windsor - very promising 

Trac - had patches but was off

Viney - cannot deny effort.

Salem - just ok, but was a bit too fancy in slippery conditions

Bowey - underrated small player.  Super tough.

Fritsch - very fickle.  

May - sound, but is nearly at the end.

Lever - mistakes costly

Tomo - just ok.

ANB - always tries and does the 1%ers, but his skills have never been good enough.

McVee - pass mark just.

Really missed Kosi and Angus tonite IMO.

Might just renew the old Season Pass at Buller.

 

 

 

 

 

37 minutes ago, Demon4ever said:

Exactly! They know the ground inside out. They didn't even look like they were sweating at all! Whereas you only had to look at Clarry and he was dripping. If only we played our first game at the MCG in front of 60k+... might have been a different story!

Pretty sure they don’t train at night when the ball is slippery. The problem is that they’re a kicking side and the conditions suited that and our players are dumb and still do handball chains in horrible conditions.

3 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Balls, we were thrashed all over the ground 

Umpires had no influence 

Please I'm begging - someone show me the vision that shows ANB's goal was actually touched.

Unless someone can, I'm calling them absolute cheats.  They have already got away with it once.

Edited March 7, 20241 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

People need to relax! 
 

it’s round 1. This side is far from settled. The NQRs showed why they belong in the VFL - Schache, Laurie, Chandler and Spargo off the pace.

 

secondly, the humid conditions did not suit our game style at all. We fumbled all night. We should adjust in the conditions, but we never do. Over handball. It doesn’t work in wet slippery conditions. Felt like the Essendon game last year. Oliver was literally drenched at the end of the game.

 

Ben Brown, if fit, must come in for Schache. 
 

 

14 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

@picket fence u have been going on about how good Schache has been. 
 
How do u think he went tonight??

Personally he needs to be dropped along with Laurie and Spargo. 

Not good enough unfortunately. 

I don't think you would get much opposition to this opinion.

The problem being is he is really there by default.

Played a serviceable one against the Blues in the Praccy game .

He's been given an opportunity. He could have welcomed it tonight but didn't.

He may get another chance because of other players injured but for me I don't want him selected again.

When he plays It basically means we have others injured that should be there instead.

I'm surprised we kept him this year. Maybe he was contracted.

Wasn't he number two in the 2015 in the national draft?

Sheesh.