HALF HEARTED by Whispering Jack

[Demonland 70,086]

Melbourne fell out of the premiership race after producing a half-hearted effort against Footscray on Friday night. The team was barely recognizable from the one that, earlier in the season, established a 6/2 win-loss ratio that included a 55-point thumping of the Bulldogs in Round 1.

It was a poor effort from a team that had its entire season on the line and the blame falls almost squarely on the midfield which has collapsed from being a peerless premiership-winning combination to the level of bumbling incompetence, this despite having a valiant leader in the form of skipper Max Gawn winning the ruck duels.

Given the Demons were playing against a team on a five day break, it was important that they came out, played competitively and remained in the game, forcing the Bulldogs to expend energy and wilt later in the game. None of that happened and, instead it was the Demons who presented as a sinking ship, tired and listless. 

From the opening bounce, it was obvious that only one of the teams had come out to play. The hungry Bulldogs relishing the occasion of returning to their Footscray roots, carved up their opponents all over the ground but it started at in the boiler room where they hunted the ball, made space, created multiple avenues to goal and used their height advantage to perfection. 

The Demons were routed at the stoppages early in the game. They conceded the first ten clearances to the Bulldogs (a fortnight ago it was the first 15 against the Dockers) and it was only the errant kicking of the Footscray forwards that prevented it from being a massacre of Alice Springs proportions. 

The team looked disorganized and inept, there was little run and spread, the use of handball was poor and too many kicks went high in the air which suited an opponent with a significant height advantage. Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney were well down on their best with neither looking fully fit. To add to the disarray, Steven May was off before the main break with a recurrence of his early season rib injury. There was no Christian Petracca to conjure up goal scoring opportunities like Marcus Bontempelli and no Kozzy Pickett magic to replicate the way Cody Weightman created chaos in their attacking zone.

Gawn stood tall as usual but the Bulldogs overwhelmed the Demons with their tall timber. His lieutenant Jacob van Rooyen continues to make inroads as does Trent Rivers while Tom Sparrow responded to his recent omission with a solid performance. 

The overreaching feeling from the game was how apparent it was that the Bulldogs are building towards a promising month or two ahead while Melbourne has lapsed and run completely out of puff at the business end.

MELBOURNE 1.1.7 5.1.31 7.3.45 9.5.59

FOOTSCRAY 4.7.31 6.13.49 11.17.83 15.20.110

GOALS 

MELBOURNE Fritsch Pickett Sparrow 2 Gawn Rivers Woewodin

FOOTSCRAY Bontempelli Naughton Treloar Ugle-Hagan Wightman 2 Darcy English Poulter Richards Williams

BEST 

MELBOURNE Gawn Bowey Rivers Sparrow Langdon van Rooyen

FOOTSCRAY Bontempelli Treloar Dale Lobb Weightman Liberatore

INJURIES

MELBOURNE Steven May (ribs)

FOOTSCRAY Tom Liberatore (right ankle)

REPORTS 

MELBOURNE Nil

FOOTSCRAY  Nil

SUBSTITUTIONS

MELBOURNE Daniel Turner (replaced Steven May at half time)

FOOTSCRAY Caleb Daniel (replaced Tom Liberatore at three-quarter time)

UMPIRES Brett Rosebury Matt Stevic Jamie Broadbent Brent Wallace 

CROWD 33,000 at Marvel Stadium 

[beelzebub 23,126]

Truth be told we haven't been in the race for at least a month. The min Trac went down  the season followed. I'm seeing a lot of fumbling and frustration out there. Cohesion and common sense in our footy has been an infrequent visitor for some time now.

Its not all doom and gloom . A few rays of sunshine sneak through at times. Unsure about cues and racks but I'd be ordering a handful of gurnies and getting a head start on 25.

At best we're now tilting at windmills. Might as well give the kids a kick. What's to lose.

Well summed up Jack 

[Farmer 817]

37 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Melbourne fell out of the premiership race after producing a half-hearted effort against Footscray on Friday night. The team was barely recognizable from the one that, earlier in the season, established a 6/2 win-loss ratio that included a 55-point thumping of the Bulldogs in Round 1.

It was a poor effort from a team that had its entire season on the line and the blame falls almost squarely on the midfield which has collapsed from being a peerless premiership-winning combination to the level of bumbling incompetence, this despite having a valiant leader in the form of skipper Max Gawn winning the ruck duels.

Given the Demons were playing against a team on a five day break, it was important that they came out, played competitively and remained in the game, forcing the Bulldogs to expend energy and wilt later in the game. None of that happened and, instead it was the Demons who presented as a sinking ship, tired and listless. 

From the opening bounce, it was obvious that only one of the teams had come out to play. The hungry Bulldogs relishing the occasion of returning to their Footscray roots, carved up their opponents all over the ground but it started at in the boiler room where they hunted the ball, made space, created multiple avenues to goal and used their height advantage to perfection. 

The Demons were routed at the stoppages early in the game. They conceded the first ten clearances to the Bulldogs (a fortnight ago it was the first 15 against the Dockers) and it was only the errant kicking of the Footscray forwards that prevented it from being a massacre of Alice Springs proportions. 

The team looked disorganized and inept, there was little run and spread, the use of handball was poor and too many kicks went high in the air which suited an opponent with a significant height advantage. Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney were well down on their best with neither looking fully fit. To add to the disarray, Steven May was off before the main break with a recurrence of his early season rib injury. There was no Christian Petracca to conjure up goal scoring opportunities like Marcus Bontempelli and no Kozzy Pickett magic to replicate the way Cody Weightman created chaos in their attacking zone.

Gawn stood tall as usual but the Bulldogs overwhelmed the Demons with their tall timber. His lieutenant Jacob van Rooyen continues to make inroads as does Trent Rivers while Tom Sparrow responded to his recent omission with a solid performance. 

The overreaching feeling from the game was how apparent it was that the Bulldogs are building towards a promising month or two ahead while Melbourne has lapsed and run completely out of puff at the business end.

MELBOURNE 1.1.7 5.1.31 7.3.45 9.5.59

FOOTSCRAY 4.7.31 6.13.49 11.17.83 15.20.110

GOALS 

MELBOURNE Fritsch Pickett Sparrow 2 Gawn Rivers Woewodin

FOOTSCRAY Bontempelli Naughton Treloar Ugle-Hagan Wightman 2 Darcy English Poulter Richards Williams

BEST 

MELBOURNE Gawn Bowey Rivers Sparrow Langdon van Rooyen

FOOTSCRAY Bontempelli Treloar Dale Lobb Weightman Liberatore

INJURIES

MELBOURNE Steven May (ribs)

FOOTSCRAY Tom Liberatore (right ankle)

REPORTS 

MELBOURNE Nil

FOOTSCRAY  Nil

SUBSTITUTIONS

MELBOURNE Daniel Turner (replaced Steven May at half time)

FOOTSCRAY Caleb Daniel (replaced Tom Liberatore at three-quarter time)

UMPIRES Brett Rosebury Matt Stevic Jamie Broadbent Brent Wallace 

CROWD 33,000 at Marvel Stadium 

I didn’t think we were half hearted Jack. Just outplayed . I liked the continued endeavour right till the end . You are dead right about one matter. Viney and Clayton trying so hard but just out of touch. Rivers the only decent midfielder at present  and this alone explains why we are being thrashed in the middle 

[Fuchsias Forever 34]

The bigger question is the trend since 2021 is going in the wrong direction. 

Are the board to close to Goodwin to asses his performance or lack there of....the club talk about the youth but the youth are playing are as a result of the decisions the list manage/club have made over the last 3 years.  

The easy answer is to say Injuries (Brayshaw/Trac etc) but the trend and our performances all years haven't been good enough. We play a 2021 game style in 2024 and injuries are the excuse. 

If the dee's are ruthless and want a 2025 bounce then a fresh voice is needed, goody's time should be up! 

 

[spirit of norm smith 14,884]

It hurts to think we are becoming irrelevant again. Glossed over.  We had 3 years of being in the race. One premiership.  I hate that we’re not even mentioned anymore.  Hopefully this season hurts the coaches and the players and they respond.