Melbourne v Western Bulldogs Post Match

[Total-Dee 2]

Just got back from the Game. I live in bendigo!

Best players Davey (By a country mile), Brad Miller, sylvia

Altough we went down by about 5 goals here are some good points from the game

(1) When Neitz, davey and Robbo were on the ground at the same time the forward line looked real good.

(2) The back line was Solid but mistakes within the midfield were extremely costly (Miller + Carroll were best here).

(3) Jamar was in good position all night but handling errors ruined his performance.

Overall we need practice with tackling and holding on. We seemed to be able to catch the target but many times players easily evaded the tackle. (perhaps the gets the storms tackle coach out for a session). I feel we over used the ball in the midfield and this lead to turnovers or loss of ball control. FIx these items and we will string many wins together.

Dont lose heart yet people there was a lot of promise shown in the game.

[jez 0]

We've just been pumped by 23 goals over 3 weeks, 2 of our opposition sides were rubbish

First hitouts? You DO need help from experts

Carlton won the NAB cup last year!!!

Put these preseason matches into perspective ffs

they're practice games. look at Sydney in their grand final years, they didn't start firing til about round 5

let's not finish ourselves off before we get a chance to put in

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Any game where you get outscored after the first quarter by 11 goals to 3 is a bad sign, it just goes back to some of the heartless performances we have put up in the past.

Good to see that positivity os coming along...

I can see why people would be disheartened... but I can't see why they'd be surprised. We did this all last year. We have a list of young-uns and under-done oldies... This is what happens when you play all kids. They blow their loads within the first half.

Personally I'm ok with the idea that some younger guys, and some mid-age guys found some form. I don't like seeing veterans do ALL the work, and in this case we had Bate, Sylvia, Bell, Davey, Jones etc play good games. Sounds ok to me. I mean... a win would be nice, but you can't have it all!

[Goodvibes 3,596]

27 touches to Morton last week

Sylvia playing 3 good games in a row

Moloney playing with a bit of zip

Miller showing signs tonight

Jones looks to have taken another step at the start of 08

Newton imposing until hurt last week

Davey shrugging off last years knee problems

Neitz successfully (touch wood) through his 224th pre-season

Petterd returns from near death experience less than 6 months ago

No fresh injuries (its seems) tonight

Yeah I'm off to slit my wrists. People round here need to get a serious grip.

FFS McDonald, Green, Bartram and Bruce were all missing from our midfield tonight

[Guest Schtacker]

27 touches to Morton last week

Sylvia playing 3 good games in a row

Moloney playing with a bit of zip

Miller showing signs tonight

Jones looks to have taken another step at the start of 08

Newton imposing until hurt last week

Davey shrugging off last years knee problems

Neitz successfully (touch wood) through his 224th pre-season

Petterd returns from near death experience less than 6 months ago

No fresh injuries (its seems) tonight

Yeah I'm off to slit my wrists. People round here need to get a serious grip.

FFS McDonald, Green, Bartram and Bruce were all missing from our midfield tonight

Those positives are fine but they're clearly not enough to win you games of football

Seriously mate, in the last 2 matches it was reasonable to suggest our absentees were the culprit - but tonight's match featured a side that is almost as good as any we will field this year

Whelan, Wheatley, Rivers, Bruce, Bartram, Dunn, McDonald, Green, Newton... 4 of them plus maybe Robbo are already out of our Round 1 side

We're screwed

[Guest Schtacker]

Go to sleep kid.

By the way, these 'first hitout' players are exactly Neitz, McLean, Frawley and Carroll... who isn't even coming back from injury... you're just a fool if you think that's a valid excuse. You're a fool anyway, wake up.

[Jaded No More 68,974]

Whelan, Wheatley, Rivers, Bruce, Bartram, Dunn, McDonald, Green, Newton... 4 of them plus maybe Robbo are already out of our Round 1 side

We're screwed

Yes we're screwed.

I suggest you don't waste your time and just give up now, and save us all your whinging

I love the MFC but our supporters are embarrassing.

We haven't played a single H&A match yet and already people are rubbishing the team.

P.S.- At this stage only Whelan is unlikely to play in Round 1, but don't let facts get in the way of your meltdown.

/rant over

[beelzebub 23,383]

well three cheers for whoever struck the lights !! hip hip hip !!!!! lol

Im curious.. despite the maggts being maggots.. what was nature of those frees.. Like it or not will need attention or you can bet other teams's observers are going to pass it along and they are gunna try to sucker us in.

Same offence? same offender? a particular swet play bringing us undone ?

Was anyone one player missing at time... (leaving hole etc )

How did aka get loose ?? who was (wasnt rather ) on him ?

other than that... ..lol

>:~))

[dworship 3,342]

Those positives are fine but they're clearly not enough to win you games of football

Seriously mate, in the last 2 matches it was reasonable to suggest our absentees were the culprit - but tonight's match featured a side that is almost as good as any we will field this year

Whelan, Wheatley, Rivers, Bruce, Bartram, Dunn, McDonald, Green, Newton... 4 of them plus maybe Robbo are already out of our Round 1 side

We're screwed

Well, pass that on to the playing group and the coaches! Why bother turning up? Have you bought your membeship yet?

If you have, then feel free to be negative and post as much as you like to be'moan our fate. Don't slash your wrists though coz we don't want to lose your contribution. If you haven't bought your membeship yet; then shut up or put up! I will shout you a dozen beers if we haven't won more games than lost by round 12, as long as you have bought a membership.

[Paul Gardner 6]

Those positives are fine but they're clearly not enough to win you games of football

Seriously mate, in the last 2 matches it was reasonable to suggest our absentees were the culprit - but tonight's match featured a side that is almost as good as any we will field this year

Whelan, Wheatley, Rivers, Bruce, Bartram, Dunn, McDonald, Green, Newton... 4 of them plus maybe Robbo are already out of our Round 1 side

We're screwed

bulldust, how many practice matches did we play to prepare us for the NAB cup? Ans: none... These are our practice matches were playing now,,, new coach trialling the list to see who can play, who's hungry & who's, if anyone, has lost it. He's also promised to experiment, putting players in foreign positions & seeing how they go. Who gives a toss if we win or lose these games, totally unimportant @ this stage.

[ucanchoose 1,816]

Just got back from the game now, will post my match report tomorrow. Seems to be a lot of unfounded negativity here. Anyway night all and see you tomorrow

[Guest Schtacker]

Yes we're screwed.

I suggest you don't waste your time and just give up now, and save us all your whinging

I love the MFC but our supporters are embarrassing.

We haven't played a single H&A match yet and already people are rubbishing the team.

P.S.- At this stage only Whelan is unlikely to play in Round 1, but don't let facts get in the way of your meltdown.

/rant over

How much do you want to bet that 3 of Wheatley, Rivers, Bruce, Bartram and Dunn are not available for Round 1? Not to mention the other donkeys that will get hurt between now and then

Check the facts yourself mate

[Guest Schtacker]

Well, pass that on to the playing group and the coaches! Why bother turning up? Have you bought your membeship yet?

If you have, then feel free to be negative and post as much as you like to be'moan our fate. Don't slash your wrists though coz we don't want to lose your contribution. If you haven't bought your membeship yet; then shut up or put up! I will shout you a dozen beers if we haven't won more games than lost by round 12, as long as you have bought a membership.

7 consecutive years as a member d-head.. so yes I have every right, thank you

I will shout a thousand beers if we are 7-5 or better after 12 weeks

Fair dinkum there's alot of discussion here but half of you have your heads up your asses. When was the last time a side got done by 23 goals over 3 weeks against mediocre opposition and ended up being at all competitive in the real season? I guarantee you Dean Bailey is not sleeping very well tonight

[Guest Schtacker]

bulldust, how many practice matches did we play to prepare us for the NAB cup? Ans: none... These are our practice matches were playing now,,, new coach trialling the list to see who can play, who's hungry & who's, if anyone, has lost it. He's also promised to experiment, putting players in foreign positions & seeing how they go. Who gives a toss if we win or lose these games, totally unimportant @ this stage.

You can't be serious... you're claiming our boys are underdone only starting praccies 5 weeks before the season? What do you think this is? These blokes have practically been playing footy every day since they were five years old and have just completed months of competitive running, weights, drills etc What do you think that they went away on an end of season trip and totally forgot how a game of football works? If you think a turd is suddenly going to bloom into a daffodil once round 1 swings by you are sorely mistaken

sheesh from now on i'm going to completely shut myself off from pre-season... just serves to build your hopes up for nothing

[45HG 1,559]

i think there are still %$t loads of postives about the dees at the moment, all of which have been discussed over summer and none of which have desolved.

the only thing to come out of tonight to register in my mind is the amount of free kicks conceeded, resulting in concern over our disclipine. if anyone can shed light/quell this fear i would feel much more enlightened on our current situation. otherwise i don't see anything being different to what it was a month ago, bolstered by the fact i beleive bailey cares little-nothing about the preseason bar a chance to bare youth to the rigours of the game and perhaps put game time into legs that need it. but to reiterate, i would like clarification over the nature of the free kicks conceeded, especially so many 50 metre penalty goals, which can always be avoided by a discplined team, one that we need

[QueenC 74]

Blackout ends NAB clash early

[Whispering_Jack 30,674]

I wonder how many times it must be said that the scoreboard in practice matches is totally irrelevant. If the intention last night was to win the [non-existent] four points we would probably not have rested players like Brad Green and James McDonald and we would probably not have played some of the younger players or rotated others off for long periods of time.

Of course there are concerns about some players recovering or not recovering from injuries and about the form of some others. However, today is just the first day of autumn and our game is a winter sport so until you get to the real thing where both sides pit their best sides available against each other, there's no need for people to get their knickers into knots.

[kramer 0]

Unfortunately, the only thing the MFC has achieved this preseason, in the eyes of the football world, is outright favouritism for the spoon. Now it's up to those same players who got us into this situation to turn it around come Round 1.

As supporters we all need to get behind them, buy memberships, rock up to the games and make some noise .... Go Dees.

[grazman 7,451]

Unfortunately, the only thing the MFC has achieved this preseason, in the eyes of the football world, is outright favouritism for the spoon. Now it's up to those same players who got us into this situation to turn it around come Round 1.

As supporters we all need to get behind them, buy memberships, rock up to the games and make some noise .... Go Dees.

What situation is that - favourites for the spoon... Like Hannabal said I wouldn't like to be stuck in the trenches with a lot of the posters on here.

[kramer 0]

What situation is that - favourites for the spoon... Like Hannabal said I wouldn't like to be stuck in the trenches with a lot of the posters on here.

you need a reality check grazman. did you go to any games last year? if you did you would have seen what i saw, and whats happened so far this year is just a continuation of that.

[Redleg 41,451]

I wonder how many times it must be said that the scoreboard in practice matches is totally irrelevant. If the intention last night was to win the [non-existent] four points we would probably not have rested players like Brad Green and James McDonald and we would probably not have played some of the younger players or rotated others off for long periods of time.

Of course there are concerns about some players recovering or not recovering from injuries and about the form of some others. However, today is just the first day of autumn and our game is a winter sport so until you get to the real thing where both sides pit their best sides available against each other, there's no need for people to get their knickers into knots.

It is reported in the press today that Roos is being investigated for telling players not to score goals. If that is true then it sums up the view of some coaches, that these games are purely for practice with no thought to winning.

Sorry, I just saw a similar post on a new thread. Anyway we should all draw a big breath and look forward to the real season where we can probably know where we are at after about 4-6 games.

[grazman 7,451]

you need a reality check grazman. did you go to any games last year? if you did you would have seen what i saw, and whats happened so far this year is just a continuation of that.

We've replaced the coaching staff in almost its entirety, we've adopted a new game plan, we've given players suffering from overuse injuries a chance to be ready to play during the season (not just the preseason and rds 1-4) and all I'm seeing on these forums is a bunch of pea-hearts and chicken littles whinging about how our year is over before it's even started because we haven't won a practice match. It's not me that needs a reality check.

I went to see three matches last year against Geelong, Collingwood and the Swans. Two demonstrated just how bad we were (in terms of game plan and injuries) and one demonstrated the upside of our list.

People were quick to bag Ross Lyon's performances last year, this year will be a much better indication of where he is at as a coach. I'm not advocating we'll win a premiership and we may not make the eight, but we'll be a much better side in 12 months time for having Dean Bailey and Co at the helm. We still need to improve in a whole lot of areas such as our player rehab, tackling, handballing and decision making, but these are all areas that are being addressed. (BTW the one team's performance I'll be very interested in this year will be Essendon. Apparently Hardwick was overlooked because he didn't think they were good enough to make the eight and needed some overhauling of the list. - Knights has gone pretty hard with the NAB cup... let's see how they're travelling by about rd 14)

[mo64 5,881]

I can accept the argument that the scoreboard and result during the preseason are irrelevant, however I don't take any solace from how we've played in the practice matches. The 2 major areas of concern for mine, still appear to be a problem:

1. An incohesive backline. 1 on 1, they are not talented enough to beat their opponents, and collectively they are not functioning.

2. Our ruck division. They are all fully fit, so there are no excuses. Even this early, by all reports, Meesen is not the answer.

I'm scared about how we'll go in the early rounds.

[diesel 420]

I'm not surprised we seem polarised on pre-season form with thoughts along the lines of....

1.These are PRACTICE matches the FD has continually said the aim of which is to ease everyone unijured into the season <_<

2.The sky is falling

I'll go with the former. Until we play in a match that means something with something like our best or near best team that is not rotating or resting players it is not sensible to make any judgement..

I anticipate one side of the argument will no doubt exercise bragging rights post round 1.

[Yze_Magic 3]

I bet you will all stop your whining when we belt Hawthorn in round 1