Petty is 26 but impersonate a 35 year old. He can hardly walk let alone run. Apply zero rebound pressure. Johnson is VFL standard. Saints sliced and diced us. Feel a bit for Lever has had no pre season.

3 minutes ago, Dannyz said:

A stack of smothered forward handballs when it looked like we were open in space.

A bigger issue is our inability to apply our structures on the smaller grounds. It’s another reason we shouldn’t be selling a game at the MCG, despite the positive community impact in Alice Springs, where I believe we beat St Kilda.

Wins paper over the flaws consistent in our players - Sparrows minimal production, Sharp impacting only as a sub, Clayton’s blast kicks to the oppo best key back, Max putrid goal kicking, Windsor skill execution.

I take your point about the smaller grounds, but it doesn’t excuse the lack of defensive pressure, nor explain the goal kicking from hell.

I can count one, maybe two players who won their positions today. The rest either got spanked, or broke even.

Ross totally shut down Bowey and Langdon (17 and 13!! touches respectively), which killed our ball movement and spread from half back. We also got spanked in uncontested possession and had a lovely 25% goal scoring accuracy.

You don’t win like that at the G, at Alice or on Mars. You just can’t win games with this level of total ground incompetence.

I was at the game. More fool me for wasting my money travelling from Melbourne. I have only felt physically ill while at a Melbourne game twice - first time was sick with worry as Gus was lying unconscious on the MCG. The second time was the last quarter today as I felt sick with disgust at the sight of simple shot after simple shot being missed by players that I thought were good kicks. We gave that game to the Saints, plain and simple.

A major worry was the influence of Wanganeen- Milera in the second half. He had 15 touches in the last quarter alone and looked like he hadn't showered in a year given the space he had to do as he pleased.

I’m all for selling our home games to Gosch’s Paddock. I’ve personally witnessed our players kicking several goals out of their butt there… crowd size is not a problem, transport is affordable, parking is within reason.

25 minutes ago, DubDee said:

I figured it would be a % boost today

just didn’t think it would be for the Saints

So did our players apparently. We were not prepared to get in a fight today. No intensity.

The last quarter was appalling.

Pathetic performance especially from our senior players.

Gawn, Kozzie, Melksham, Chandler all miss easy and gettable shots. Gawn FFS.. you're the bloody captain, for all the good things you do you seriously let this team with your poor goalkicking. Own the moments!

Petracca can hold his head up high.

To the all supporters who were cocky during the week saying Saints have no players to worry about.. wowee. Clearly haven't learnt a thing. We aren't a team to that can boast about beating the ordinary sides.

Edited June 1Jun 1 by dazzledavey36

Just now, JJJ said:

So did our players apparently. We were not prepared to get in a fight today. No intensity.

The last quarter was appalling.

Imagine coming off a 0-5 start to the year and having the nerves to expect an easy win, after you got done by bloody North Melbourne earlier in the season.

What a laugh.

1 minute ago, jnrmac said:

Bs. We have been losing games like this for 7 years

2nd semi v Carlton in 2023. 9 goals 17b

We never learn but you'll always find an excuse

Laughable.

I was referring specifically to the younger (1st and 2nd year) players. In that context what happened years ago is an irrelevance.

8 minutes ago, Maldonboy38 said:

Yep, it is now a case of we, the supporters, not trusting the Dees to win. I go to games or turn on the TV and I know that players are going to repeatedly stuff up great transition play by poor skills in kicking for goal.

I hate to admit this, but I just don't trust us to win games. I know we will be competitive in most games, but our kicking cannot be trusted. And I am really sick of it.

I knew todays game would not be any sort of spectacle cause of Lyon and Goodwin but I did expect win tho' close.
I also didn't go prancing into work last monday declaring "We're back baby." cause I'm far too experienced for that.
Then seeing how the Crows dismantled the Swans last night I was very aware last week was just another mirage.

And seeing what Collingwood did to the Dawks I'm now expecting them to tear us limb from limb next week.

They may as well have called it Quicksand Park today because we looked like we were slow motion zombies playing under the ground.

We are such a disappointing, frustrating, infuriating and annoying team to watch and support.

And for the love of god could we please practice GOAL KICKING FFS (it’s been an ongoing problem for years). 🤬🤬🤬🤬

No doubt another loss next week and season over.

There was a startling difference between the last two games and this game

The intensity was there from both clubs, but the protection wasn't.

Max was back to being constantly being scragged before the arrival of the ball. The forward line was constantly being obstructed going for the ball.

The disgusting maggots in the middle were entirely different to the first qtr of the last two weeks.

Our i50 conversion and kicking for goals has been terrible for several years. Not a myth. It's a given that we will pepper the goals and score far more behinds than goals. Inside 50s are a shambles. Remember the two finals vs Coll and Carlton? It's taken a game like this to highlight that IMO it is our main weakness. It's literally the difference between winning and losing. Kick straighter and we win far more often (derrr!)

Let's start by replacing Chocco. He has a shelf life at most clubs of 2-3 years, and this will be his 6th year with us. He's too comfortable.

Second, no more cross body kicks for goal. Perhaps Milkshake is the exception.

Third, Max either aims for the right side behind space or he gives it off.

Fourth, stop congesting the f50. High half forwards: gtfo out of there!

Fifth, 1 long bomb to every 2 attempted hit up or chaos ball

Sixth.... I lost my train of thought...

Rant over 😵‍💫

Edited June 1Jun 1 by Stiff Arm

Junket

Can confirm Whiskey helps

may not help tomorrow but

37 minutes ago, Previously known as LITD. said:

Shame on this goal kicking.

It's not Afl standard and as supporters we should tell the club it's unacceptable.

I'm wondering how the pies will crush us.

Even in the last ten mins , three goals down we looked disinterested.

Woeful.

I'll draft a strongly worded email to Simon now.

27 minutes ago, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

This team continuely drains the fuccing life out of me on a constant basis.

Then early on today I recieve a friendly reminder from the club that my membership fees are coming out Monday June 2.

You want my money, get a set of coaches to learn how to kick in-between the big white sticks.

It shouldn't be like this.
But sadly it is.

I was whining at work during our 0-5 stretch to a melbourne supporting workmate.
He suggested if it made me so miserable I should choose another club.

Told him there was no way in hell I could do that and would prefer to forget about the corrupt AFL and just follow the local club.
Who are getting flogged every week.

33 minutes ago, VoiceOfReason said:

The type of effort I'd expect from a bottom rung side in 2025. Our ladder position is a reflection of where we are at. Hopefully at years end, there is a review, and changes are made.

A couple of good wins and some pleasing performances amongst bog ordinariness. Yet each of these were characteristic of mere and unique luck on the scoreboard, and importantly, the alleged 'Change' is put instantly on the back-burner where our less than merry way is to again be journeyed because we accept this shambles from some abstract sense of polity.

Rivers seems to have gone backwards this year. Last week Oliver killed it and it made such a difference. Sadly he was back out of form again today and his disposal wasn't great. But he certainly wasn't alone.

In fact outside of Bowey and Max most who had rippers last week struggled today. Salem, Langdon, Kozzie and Melksham to name few.

And despite having 100 less disposals, we technically kicked ourselves out of it.

In hindsight I should have seen it coming. The MFC of old is back. Win a few and then not turn up. I guess to be fair we have given our all in the last two games and perhaps in travelling again had nothing left to give. But it's a bitter loss not just due to our kicking and big prior wins, it's most likely our finals chances gone.

Pickett after being amazing last week was a real negative today

That snap where he rushed it and could not clear 20m had a huge impact. After they kicked 4-5 goals

then we gave away silly frees and provided zero pressure in the first Q

That first Q list us the game imo. the kicking obviously as well

With the expected score being 82.7 v 81.8 in our favour, inside 50’s 57 to 40 and marks inside 50 14 to 10 in our favour, this tells me we are not getting the ball to the right places inside 50. Saints also had far more kicks and marks than us, which might look like they work harder for inside 50’s and goals, but I think it tells me that they are more careful and use shorter kicks to get it to the best places to score inside 50.

Is there any other way to read these stats?

That was horrible to watch. Inaccurate kicking, bruise free and so typical and why none of us trust MFC always have a go.

And not for the first time have we kicked so many points.

To me at this stage Windsor is not a backman, yet. He is like a dear in the headlights when his oponent runs towards the goals. THis galling as last week Mathew Whelan at the lunch was asked about Sestan. His reply was they aren't sure he can be trusted yet if his oponent takes him back to the goal square. Well I can confirm that this is the case with Windsor. Play him on the wing and let him run

I thought Langford looked in need of a break. He is 18 and has been great but looks fatigued. He was trailing his oponent a lot

Who was playing on Wangannen-Milera? Someone has to take responsibility.

Bailey Laurie is a good VFL player but imo is too short, slow and not quite a good enough kick for AFL. He gave us nothing when he came on

Marking forward desperately needed. Someone who will contest and bring the ball to ground. Johnson almost did this but his kicking for goal isn't good enough atm

I shudder to think what Collingwood will do next week if we apply the same level of pressure next week. It could get ugly

Lever is very good at pointing but should have stayed at Casey until he got match fir and adjusted to the tempo.