Always disappointing to lose like that but I kind of felt it was a bit of a free kick of a game prior to the first bounce. They had the advantage of playing last week and are one of the most highly fancied teams while we were playing with 5 AFL debutants. As long as we weren’t smashed it seems an acceptable result. 
 

Slight worry for me was our scoring profile. Goals from centre clearance are wonderful to watch but they aren’t reliable. Need to keep working hard on scoring from turnovers and from the back half. 
 

Still much to like but  we got so so close and gave up the lead in the last minute. 

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:15, DiscoStu17 said:

Nah

I was impressed with both of their tackling and pressure. 

AJ competes hard but is not highly skilled.  Needs to keep working at it and stop giving away soft free kicks.  He might make it

Jefferson lacks intensity and needs to go harder at the contest.  Again, with a lot of training, he might make it

Playing AJ, Jeffo & JVR in the same forward line is asking for trouble especially when considering that Fritsch is not great defensively

Just my view but I'd play AJ or Jeffo, not both

Edited March 16Mar 16 by Macca

When it bucketed down harder in the final term gws were just cleaner with the ball.

I know I'll get shot down for this but gawn again couldn't kick the goals when we needed him. That final shot I wasn't sure if he just fell short or he tried to set it up.

I hope they review the final term. Many mistakes were made.

If we won today that would have set up momentum for nth next week 

There was one instance in the last where our Sub failed to chase hard, even though unlikely to catch opponent, not impressed when one has such fresh legs. Lindsay looks like another gem - him and Windsor to take a wing each for the next decade.

 

We’re now 1-4 from our last 5 games decided by less than a goal.

The thing that annoys me is when we kick it down the line to max either van rooyen or Johnson were right there to & they need to take there opponent away so they can't get up and compete against max in the marking contest 

  On 16/03/2025 at 07:11, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

Proud overall but should have killed it that last 1:30 instead of letting them go through the middle clean

Driving rain 90 seconds to go, defending a kick out from the opposition goal square you [censored] punch the living suitcases out of the sherrin into row 6 every day of the week.

F me.

4 points dropped against a contender.

I cannot stand the people messaging me saying ‘oh you guys tried so hard’ or ‘such a great effort’. No one sends that to Cats or Pies fans when they lose. We expect to win every game, that’s a poor loss in my mind. Only way to become a strong club.

Can someone remind me when Kolt is set to return? Really think he brings that manic forward pressure that could help us out.

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:35, Return to Glory said:

Can someone remind me when Kolt is set to return? Really think he brings that manic forward pressure that could help us out.

I think 5-6 weeks

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:35, Return to Glory said:

Can someone remind me when Kolt is set to return? Really think he brings that manic forward pressure that could help us out.

6 weeks

Bitter sweet. Footy is back and so is that sting after a hard fought loss

  On 16/03/2025 at 07:25, Coobs said:

.If we can't beat GWS sans so many of their best we can't at all

GWS missing hogan, stringer and briggs.

we didn’t have may, kozzie and Mcvee. 

GWS also had a run last which definitely helped them today 

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:23, Macca said:

AJ competes hard but lacks skill and is a bit clumsy (esp in the ruck) Needs to keep working at it and stop giving away soft free kicks.  He might make it

Jefferson lacks intensity and needs to go harder at the contest.  Again, with a lot of training, he might make it

Playing AJ, Jeffo & JVR in the same forward line is asking for trouble especially when considering that Fritsch is not great defensively

Just my view but I'd play AJ or Jeffo, not both

The McAdam injury is so underrated because he was the path to playing just 2 talls. But I thought Jeffo’s defensive pressure was really solid for a young tall and has come along way. I think we’ll persist with him and 2 others but I think Turner will come back for AJ sooner than later. Contest wise I thought Jeffo exceeded expectations. The big challenge for him (and all our forwards) is to draw the footy in good spots by upping his work rate to lead and present. 

I really liked AJ’s game until the last quarter ruck spell where he was caught doing a long stint when he was knackered. My takeaway is he should be good depth this year but could be more than this with a full preseason. 

  On 16/03/2025 at 07:11, dazzledavey36 said:

Typical.

Just knew the moment we missed that goal and they started their transition they would score.

Games have been lost so many times off the back of this. How have we not rectified is beyond me.

 

Whitfield absolutely shanked that kick-in which caused a chaos ball and no one was expecting it to go that way. It was just lucky for them that Callaghan was there to receive the wild handball.

Lindsay looks like a steal, what composure for a first gamer. 

Sharp looked decent too.

Ironically the game was lost by some of the old habits, Salem doing 10m dinky kicks in the wet was terrible, the one to sharp at the 50 to a contest was dumb when there was a long option that puts the ball deep in the F50.

We did much better than I was expecting.

The rain helped us immensely, we likely lose by 5-6 goals if it was yesterday’s weather.

Loved seeing XL’s incredible composure on debut, the new faces being involved and T-Mac having a ripper.

There was plenty of positives but we continue to have a host of players who just do not contribute at all

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:32, dees189227 said:

The thing that annoys me is when we kick it down the line to max either van rooyen or Johnson were right there to & they need to take there opponent away so they can't get up and compete against max in the marking contest 

Where do you think their opponent will go if they ran away?

If it were Melbourne then Jake Lever would ignore his opponent and go be 3rd man up.
 

The only way to stop having mutiple talls contesting for the same footy is to move it fast. 

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:41, At the break of Gawn said:

Whitfield absolutely shanked that kick-in which caused a chaos ball and no one was expecting it to go that way. It was just lucky for them that Callaghan was there to receive the wild handball.

Throw much more than handball from Jones too 

  On 16/03/2025 at 07:21, bobby1554 said:

Agree. The fluffed kicks, taking the wrong option, Johnson sprays his kick, GWS clean, untouched to Keeffe who hammers it over the goal umpires head. So typically Melbourne. Our skills are sub standard, we are a mile off it.

In AJ’s defence it was a strong wind at ground level & it made that shot much harder than it looked 

We benefited from it last year and now the opposite with this BS of pitching teams from the Opening Round against a team without that extra 'blowout'. If the AFL must have that hollow, interstate 'half-round' those participants must play only another of those participants in round 1. Stop adding more disadvantages to the fixture. This one probably was the difference today .

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:16, Demon Dynasty said:

Coaching.

Left Maxy and Claz on the bench for 3 to 5 mins too long in the last quarter.

Couldn't organise numbers behind the ball with only a few minutes to go..... AGAIN!

It's been the same redline play book under Simon since 2022.  Ie,  a losing more often than not.  Unable to protect a small lead or not winning enough close ones coming from behind.

 

.

 

yes. again and again. carlton in the finals. innumerable examples. 

compare and contrast the pies 2022/3. times excellent coaching in that scenario means you don’t lose

 

 

 

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:34, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

Driving rain 90 seconds to go, defending a kick out from the opposition goal square you [censored] punch the living suitcases out of the sherrin into row 6 every day of the week.

F me.

4 points dropped against a contender.

At what point in the play from the kick out did the opportunity arise for anyone to spoil let alone punch it over the fence. 
 

At least watch the vision before commenting 

  On 16/03/2025 at 07:13, chook fowler said:

Those easy missed goals cost dearly

Agree! 2 shots out on the full and 3 missed set shots.

  On 16/03/2025 at 08:42, BW511 said:

The rain helped us immensely, we likely lose by 5-6 goals if it was yesterday’s weather.

Loved seeing XL’s incredible composure on debut, the new faces being involved and T-Mac having a ripper.

There was plenty of positives but we continue to have a host of players who just do not contribute at all

What??? Whenever it was dry we capitalised.. as soon as it rained we capitulated.