Compare West Coast’s pressure and tackling tonight compared to ours.

Men possessed v a bunch of blokes counting down the weeks to their holidays.

Opposition waltzing out of the contest with half baked MFC tackling has been a feature of our football since round 9.

  On 02/08/2024 at 14:05, Pirlo said:

The Suns choking, as per usual, means we won't get their higher

If GC beat us in round 23 we will finish lower than them. Their percentage is better than ours.

 

  On 02/08/2024 at 14:32, layzie said:

  

I think it ripped the heart out of a lot of our guys to see what happened to him against Collingwood. In some ways it might have changed them forever, do you walk as tall after seeing something like that happen to someone you respect so much? I don't know.

 

Yeah well .... The only teammate who tried to respond was Viney.
Trac and May practically gave Maynard a cuddle after the return loss.

And don't get me started about the non-response when they mugged Langdon.

 

  On 02/08/2024 at 14:35, Pirlo said:

Every team goes through adversity. We're handling ours terribly.

The problem here is that it's not just adversity, losing Brayshaw and then Petracca and not having Melksham and on/off Salem available has ripped the heart out of the team in terms of leadership and experience, both onfield and off. Max and Viney being injured/down on form is then just the cherry on the cake.

Teams can cope with losing star players (to an extent), but they can't cope with losing leaders and heart and soul players. 

Can't see a flag next year either I'm afraid.

Think May came back too early from that 'accidental' Chol incident.

Brave and played some good games but looked limited in his movement at times.

 

  On 02/08/2024 at 12:54, titan_uranus said:

Wouldn't mind a breakdown of the stoppage stats (maybe @WheeloRatings can do that?).

I thought at one stage early we were down in clearances something like 14-3 or something bad like that?

Here is the breakdown of clearances by quarter:

Team	1	2	3	4
Stoppage Clearances
Melbourne	4	7	9	6
Western Bulldogs	8	9	4	7
Diff	-4	-2	+5	-1
Centre Clearances
Melbourne	0	3	3	5
Western Bulldogs	5	4	4	0
Diff	-5	-1	-1	+5

 

 

  On 02/08/2024 at 12:24, Colm said:

What was more interesting was giving up picks 27 & 35 to move up 3 places and get the Kolt. Darcy Wilson went at our original pick. 
We could have traded those picks into this years draft and put ourselves into a much better position.  

We wanted Reid

  On 02/08/2024 at 14:07, Pirlo said:

I love Gus, but I'm so tired of hearing this. It gives the group and the club an out for various, systematic miscalculations. He was a gun, and a heart and soul player, but he was our fourth choice inside mid. A valuable rotation, and a super versatile player, but let's not indulge the fantasy that he would have changed much on his own. Had an elite season off the HBF in 22, and a great one on the wing in 21, but would he have moved the needle a huge amount this season? 

Spot on.

So according to Jaded our season was completely shot when Brayshaw retired, yet the exact same people were talking about finals only a few weeks ago..

You're either on one side of the fence or not.

Goodwin is a terrible tactical coach. It was a repeat of the a Freo game where we were monstered by opposition big men. Why on earth wouldn’t you have Fullarton and/or Tomlinson in to counter Lobb, Darcy, English.

And letting Bont run rampant most of the night - Oliver or Rivers were the obvious match ups.

At least we finally saw Petty & McDonald in their right positions but this was forced on him due to May's injury.

 

  On 02/08/2024 at 12:02, Red But Mostly Blue said:

I may hold my 20+ year membership next year, unless I see we’re actually going to perform a review on what has happened. I know we lost Gus and Trac but that does not mean effectively 100 point loss. We didn’t lose to an invincible either. 

I rarely post, and I don’t mean to pick on one line, but I need to call this out.

I appreciate its emotional after a bad loss, but threats of withholding membership, conditional to x or y, is not what the Melbourne Football Club is about (although we’re accused weekly of being a fickle supporter base, and worse).

The club is bigger than any one season, coach, player, president, captain, x or y. We barely survived after norm smith and I got to see 2021 because of that survival.

I hope to bring my kids and grandkids to the footy and see a live premiership.

The only thing most supporters can do to contribute is sign up. Sign their kids up, sign their partner up, sign their dog up. And paint their fence red and blue the next time we make a grand final. 

Don’t let a set back today ruin that future. 

  On 02/08/2024 at 20:22, leave it to deever said:

Can't see a flag next year either I'm afraid.

I don’t think Gawn, May, Melksham, Tmac or Viney will be there for our next one. Oliver, Petracca and Lever will be there veterans.

  On 02/08/2024 at 13:35, Tom Dyson said:

(Also acknowledge that tonight around half of their points were off the back of turnover but I still think it holds true that our midfield has been woeful this year and if we want any chance of being a competitive side again, that is what we need to fix asap.) 

Good post, sorry to cherry pick this bit (in answer to your broader question, personnel is a huge point - the list is just too bare of midfielders and the good ones are injured).

But this is an important point IMO. It’s become a bit of a Demonland myth that if the oppo doesn’t score heaps from stoppage, that means the midfield wasn’t that bad. 

Part of the reason we concede heaps from turnover is because we are turning it over under the pressure of repeat entries into our D50, and that is coming off the back of being beaten at stoppage. 

The midfield has been our biggest issue all year and it’s showing now more than ever. 

  On 02/08/2024 at 14:13, Heart Beats True said:

No preseason isn’t quite correct. He started training in late January. He has had an ordinary year for a multitude of reasons. I do think he can bounce back though.

I wanted to believe that it is all about lack of fitness with Clarry. But he’s shown on the field that there are far more issues than just fitness to worry about with him. He has lost his “game” altogether. He is 10% of the player he was. In fact, if you didn’t know better, you’d swear he was a Fine Cotton ring in. He may well have a big pre season but my fear is that we will never see the old Clarry again unfortunately.

  On 02/08/2024 at 21:44, WheeloRatings said:

Here is the breakdown of clearances by quarter:

Team	1	2	3	4
Stoppage Clearances
Melbourne	4	7	9	6
Western Bulldogs	8	9	4	7
Diff	-4	-2	+5	-1
Centre Clearances
Melbourne	0	3	3	5
Western Bulldogs	5	4	4	0
Diff	-5	-1	-1	+5

 

 

Thanks @WheeloRatings. 

-12 total clearance at HT and -8 to 3QT. Junk time clearances evened up the figures but the damage had been done. 

  On 02/08/2024 at 12:54, rufus said:

I wonder what it would cost to get Bellamy out of the storm and get him in a role to try and right our culture? The storm have been amazing for so long, I reckon Bellamy could help with out losing culture.

Or he could teach our players how to stick a tackle 

Such an insipid performance last night.

That was really a 100 point thumping given dogs inaccuracy.

A woeful lack of effort by us.

Jack Viney, Anb, Kozzie, Tmac, Melksham, Sparrow...where were you all?

Mentally away on holidays?

Thanks Max , Langers, Rivers and a couple of others.

But wow what away to bow out of finals.

Absolutely obliterated.

Our tackling efforts were a disgrace.

There is no premiership window anymore with this lot.

Apparently they are more than happy with just one.

Feel sorry for the youngster's who deserve more leadership.

Chandler you are so overated.

Petty... please 18 games fwd for six goals . Come on.

Our backline has gone the way of our midfield which went the way of our fwd line.

This team is gone.

Im grateful for the memories and the flag.

Last year injuries and Maynard robbed us of our second from this group.

But I'm pretty sure the premiership window has been nailed shut now.

Ironically it was the dogs to hammer in the last nails.

  On 02/08/2024 at 22:10, Neil Crompton said:

I wanted to believe that it is all about lack of fitness with Clarry. But he’s shown on the field that there are far more issues than just fitness to worry about with him. He has lost his “game” altogether. He is 10% of the player he was. In fact, if you didn’t know better, you’d swear he was a Fine Cotton ring in. He may well have a big pre season but my fear is that we will never see the old Clarry again unfortunately.

Agree I've been saying it for a bit. The hunger is unlikely to come back. 

Lots to hate. Here’s one I liked… I remember a few years back a big change to Trac’s game was driving the legs out of stoppage… Just taking those few steps. Clarry followed suit a season later. Riv seems to do this naturally, and with time will improve a lot. He’s got the strength and will hopefully be a formidable midfielder in the upcoming seasons. Looks like Clarry does less of this… Maybe with more attention/close tag he’s feeling time compressed. 

Wow,

Sack Goodwin, the players are [censored], etc etc.

Gawn and Goodwin will not blame personnel, but we had May injured or coming back from injury, Brayshaw retired, Petracca injured, and even thought he is massively underrated on here, Spargo, throw in Salem's Season, Gawn's leg.

So basically all lines thrown into disarray, with replacement players not quite ready to step up.

I was as disappointed as anybody last night watching it live, but the confidence is shot as well, we had young players trying their best against battle hardened players.

We get another go next year, threatening not to renew your membership says more about that poster than the team.

Try going into the Club a few years ago the day after losing to Essendon by 146 points and ringing members asking them if they want to renew, that gives you resilience.

It is footy, nobody dies, I will continue to support my team.

I also liked Disco and Petty back. Imagine having another key forward we could get into the side. 

  On 02/08/2024 at 22:00, Redlegs said:

I rarely post, and I don’t mean to pick on one line, but I need to call this out.

I appreciate its emotional after a bad loss, but threats of withholding membership, conditional to x or y, is not what the Melbourne Football Club is about (although we’re accused weekly of being a fickle supporter base, and worse).

The club is bigger than any one season, coach, player, president, captain, x or y. We barely survived after norm smith and I got to see 2021 because of that survival.

I hope to bring my kids and grandkids to the footy and see a live premiership.

The only thing most supporters can do to contribute is sign up. Sign their kids up, sign their partner up, sign their dog up. And paint their fence red and blue the next time we make a grand final. 

Don’t let a set back today ruin that future. 

Absolutely.  If you don't support them when they are down, you don't deserve them when they are up.

Any update on may yet? I'm sure Tom morris is sniffing outside the hospital

  On 02/08/2024 at 22:36, fr_ap said:

Agree I've been saying it for a bit. The hunger is unlikely to come back. 

Too much money too soon?

  On 02/08/2024 at 23:02, dees189227 said:

Any update on may yet? I'm sure Tom morris is sniffing outside the hospital

What do mean outside the hospital, that vulture will be disguised as a nursing aide.