12 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

He was probably our third best player today - and if not, def in our best six. what are you talking about?

12 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

He was probably our third best player today - and if not, def in our best six. what are you talking about?

Yep, and lost too a team that was 0-17.

Wouldn't expect any player to be happy with performance be it in best or not

How the [censored] do we always get them for the gather round and always [censored] lose to them....

Started looking good in the 2nd and then just stopped!

36 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Tolstrup, Windsor, Lindsay, Langdon, Culley,

These are all the young blokes Pickett. We just can’t expect them to do it consistently until they hit 60-75 odd games.

I know today was beyond rough, but I think it’s going to be a bumpy kind of year while we get these guys up to speed. 👍

4 minutes ago, Dees1911 said:

Yep, and lost too a team that was 0-17.

Wouldn't expect any player to be happy with performance be it in best or not

based on that logic then, because max is not happy we should shoehorn heath into the team. Amazing.

1 minute ago, The heart beats true said:

These are all the young blokes Pickett. We just can’t expect them to do it consistently until they hit 60-75 odd games.

I know today was beyond rough, but I think it’s going to be a bumpy kind of year while we get these guys up to speed. 👍

But Essendopes young ungs were up to the task?? Tsatsis has hardly played but was phenomenal today!

6 minutes ago, Dee*ceiving said:

No vfl this week I think

Typical of the AFL.

this will probably sound silly as I try not believe in the footy gods and fans effecting games B.S.

but I knew on friday we would lose.

My boss is a mad essendon supporter. but if fickle with his team over the last few years due to their poor performances.

so I had been talking up Melbourne to him after our great win against Gold Coast. which lead to him watching our game... getting very excited about how good we were.... and upon seeing the $67-1 odds of us winning the grand final, put $300 on US to win it...

it was done from there

sorry

Soft underbelly as usual, this is why our membership and supporter base is one of the lowest.

Players probably got ahead of themselves. Would rather have lost to Gold Coast and won today.

My wife supports Hawks, both kids have followed her team, and I can’t blame them.

Essendon bent us over (again), the footy media will be saying same old Melbourne.

I don’t mind losing, just hate how we rolled over and showed no fight.

It’s so disheartening following this club. Ugggh!!!

And on a positive note, based on today’s results, before the 10,000 concessions, we’ll have two selections inside the top 12 of the 2026 draft.

Growth is never linear. We took three big steps forward in the first month, we've now taken one big step back. Had we got the bombers a fortnight ago we may have won and got humbled by a different team today.

That said, we need to get a look at Heath as a back up ruck/forward. That allows Petty to take TMacs spot.

Love em both but with Salem injured and TMac out, replaced by Petty and Rivers we'll at least be less slow and more agile defensively.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by Dee*ceiving

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Um I don't want to understate or overstate this but can I say this.... If last week was one of the best wins in the last 3 years, TODAY WAS OUR WORST LOSS IN THE LAST 5 OR 6 Years, maybe even on par with JEELONG 186..

So many players had obviously swanked around like they had 100 hotels on Mayfair and Park lane but the reality was they had a 59 dollar mortgage on OLD KENT RD which is worth 60 bucks.

Shameless and spineless. I'll park and name a few now..

JVR KIcked 6 round 1 and has been an embarrasment since. If he is in the team next week it will deserve a royal commision. Tolstrup, Windsor, Lindsay, Langdon, Culley, Chandler, Have been drinking there own bathwater. T.Mac is shot, Salem ditto, Melky played sore, Latrelle just doesnt get it enough, we had serviceable performances from Kozzy, Turner, Steele our only goers.Howes was also OK

Need to bring in ASAP MOOSE, JEFFO, LUKER, AMW AND TAYLOR,

R2 2025

33 minutes ago, waynewussell said:

I get the impression that Langford thinks he isn’t being used in a manner that highlights his strengths (under-employed)… and I tend to agree. He is showing nowhere near the potential he displayed in 2025, and yet he had 17 possessions and kicked an elite goal. He should now be a 25 possession inside mid. Leave him on the wing at your own peril.

He seems to be playing like he’s sulking a bit, whether that’s real or perceived, he appears to be only half interested.

Or alternatively, maybe the pace of our new game style is a little hot for him?

7 minutes ago, red and blue forever said:

this will probably sound silly as I try not believe in the footy gods and fans effecting games B.S.

but I knew on friday we would lose.

My boss is a mad essendon supporter. but if fickle with his team over the last few years due to their poor performances.

so I had been talking up Melbourne to him after our great win against Gold Coast. which lead to him watching our game... getting very excited about how good we were.... and upon seeing the $67-1 odds of us winning the grand final, put $300 on US to win it...

it was done from there

sorry

See, this is exactly what they mean when they attach the 'What are you really gambling with?' notice to the ads. Fate, Redandblueforever, Fate is what you were gambling with.

Anyway, I keep getting 2006 thoughts in my head, whether it is the positive or negative.

2006 negative - we lost twice to Carlton, a team which only had one other win for the season, and thereby cost ourselves a top 4 spot. Turned out to be the last push of an era.

2006 positive - Geelong had a super talented but young and mentally brittle team which was playing exciting attacking football but not yet committing to the team things which are essential for real success. They got whacked a number of times but took it to heart and then after a sloppy loss in round 5, 2007, something clicked and they became an extraordinary unit of talent and commitment which won three of the next five premierships and never slipped back to mediocrity ever again.

So, is this a stumble on the way up for a new wave of talent which makes us determined to harden our game, or is it a slip-up as we make a last push with an old guard?

4 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

See, this is exactly what they mean when they attach the 'What are you really gambling with?' notice to the ads. Fate, Redandblueforever, Fate is what you were gambling with.

Luckily it was my boss who put on that silly bet not me

I warned him we would be inconsistent this year too

He had just listened to me waffle how good the game was and randomly decided to take the punt on us.... did not think of asking me "hey I'm thinking of putting money on the Dees to win the granny, what do you think?" because i would have told him don't be stupid...

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by red and blue forever

31 minutes ago, picket fence said:

But Essendopes young ungs were up to the task?? Tsatsis has hardly played but was phenomenal today!

Yeah, but our young blokes have been great most of the year. That’s my point. They can’t get up for every week. They need multiple preseasons, and more experience until they can do it every week.

48 minutes ago, Dingo said:

Ghosty backed the Bombers and has won $350 - according to her.

No comment

The players did the same

Guys, take a breath...

This is going to happen all year.

On one week, off the next.

I'm not saying individual players should be free of criticism but we collectively hit the wall today - it's been a big 4 weeks.

A young developing team with a sprinkle of older guys under a new coach isn't going to find consistency in year 1.

Essendon played us beautifully today, they prepared better than us and deservedly got the 4 points.

BUT, what they did won't win them a premiership.

IMO King has a modern blueprint gameplan for a premiership but it will take years to perfect and it will also separate the wheat from the chaf on our list as time goes on.

Max isn't getting any younger and we are going from one of the most static game styles to one of the most dynamic year on year.

2026 is the beginning of a transitional period for MFC.

We need to build our tanks, our mental fortitude, our professionalism, our connection and, most importantly, our standards. Untill we have set a baseline, we will continue to be picked off in games like today as we focus on establishing our game style in the early stages.

Next year I expect King to focus more on the specific opposition leading up to game day like Essendon did to us today.

More pain to come next week but you only truely learn against the best.

They came with a plan and we failed all day to execute its counter. They played keeping’s off and we failed to pressure the ball carriers. We were too slow behind the ball. Our missed shots invited their confidence to rise and with the appalling umpiring in front of their goal, they were set up for success. (How in hell was that not HTB or DTB?)

We will be inconsistent this year, but we wanted to do better than that across the board….

3 hours ago, dees189227 said:

Would be interestingto see if the club releases footage of him talking to the players after the game. Hope he gave them some sort of spray

2 hours ago, BDA said:

i expect us to come out against the Lions breathing fire

I don’t know about a spray but I talked with Salo at the airport and he was really fired up, saying (among other things) they’re gonna “come out and [censored] smash the Lions next week.” My first impression was he’s fresh off a Kingy postgame address.

2 hours ago, Dees051321 said:

You could say so but Essendon having a 17 game losing streak coming into the game and bottom of the ladder you’d expect us to win. Players seemed to have thought it would be a walk in the park which has happened way to often in years gone past heading intro these types of games

2 hours ago, Dees051321 said:

You could say so but Essendon having a 17 game losing streak coming into the game and bottom of the ladder you’d expect us to win. Players seemed to have thought it would be a walk in the park which has happened way to often in years gone past heading intro these types of games

It felt that way, for the most part in the first half it was like they thought "we just need to put the foot on the pedal for 10 minutes and we'll crush them". Sadly, those 10 minutes never came.

The loss we needed to have.

Ruined my night.
Right now I should be kicking back watching highlights.
Instead I'm contemplating how they did it do us AGAIN.
They lick their lips when they see us coming.
Forever their bunnies.

Not sure why Heath isn’t in the team to assist with the Ruck and take pressure off Gawn, wasn’t the difference, fwd pressure non existent and no were near to the games prior, will take time but done if the older players looked very slow

46 minutes ago, Dee*ceiving said:

That said, we need to get a look at Heath as a back up ruck/forward. That allows Petty to take TMacs spot.

Kentfield's your man for that role.

I think everyone agrees re Petty staying back and TMac out - but it's only been as it is due to injuries to Jefferson, Kentfield and even AJ, plus Turner, which has forced us to use Petty as a swingman and TMac as a lock-down defender.

Why when I’m watching hawthorn and bulldogs do all of their entries into 50 look dangerous, and ours are bloody rubbish and don’t look dangerous at all.