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So impressed with Watts. He has become a really consistent player with sublime skills.

Yes, season over. I don't think we would have made the finals even with a win today, but it would have been nice to dream a little longer. Disappointing to lose today. We obviously still lack the ability to win these sorts of games - we have lost close ones to North, Hawthorn and the Crows, and they are games we most certainly could have won. Turnovers and some skill errors hurt, and while they are covered against lower sides, a side like the Crows make you pay for it. Too much quality there. I thought there was still plenty to like. Hunt was terrific. Jack Watts stood up for 4 quarters, as did the captain, as he always does. I thought our key backs, apart from a few mis-fires, gave a good account of themselves and it was great to see Jeffy back in good form today. Just shows you how important he is to the side going forward and was always too good for the VFL. We are a better side with a much better gameplan. We just need to learn to execute better under pressure and make sides pay on the rebound. Exciting times ahead though, we are building a strong list that just needs more games in their legs.

That might be the most frustrating loss we've had in years. I disagree with those who think Adelaide was "off". They played this game how they play every game. Do they have a single player out injured? (Seedsman maybe?). But we tightened up in the contest in the second quarter and hit them harder. We forced them into mistakes through the middle and we were bold going forward. They lifted in the third and for the first 5 minutes we couldn't match them at all, but we steadied and evened it up. Had Kennedy not rushed his shot on goal in the fourth, we'd have had all the momentum and only 3 points down. Could have played out very differently from there. It felt like 23 vs 21 out there with Dawes. Every time he went near it he stuffed it up. Can't mark, can hardly move, can't kick, can't handpass, can't or won't ruck. Must, must be dropped. Compare him to Watts who was brilliant everywhere (bar the goal he gave up to Betts when he went to ground). Rucked, spent time at FB, and still dominated forward with 3 goals. Garlett showed why we need him firing in our seniors. Kent was much improved. It's all been said but Hunt is a gem. Petracca showed he can move through the forward line. Jetta again stood up as a true leader down there. In defence, I actually thought that, as defenders, Frost, TMac and even OMac looked fine. The problem is when we take possession - all three are awful kicks (OMac is scared of kicking it, though), all three make poor decisions, TMac and Frost try to take it on without thinking too often. Defensively, I was impressed, but I was disappointed offensively with these three. Gutted, but there is still plenty to work with. Finally, to quell all the crap from people who don't think we've improved because we haven't beaten anyone we didn't beat last year (a pretty dumb analysis IMO), the fact we are this upset about losing to a premiership contender who has hardly been troubled for the last six weeks should, when coupled with watching us play, explain to you that your analysis is baseless.

JAYDEN HUNT. Quickly becoming a favourite player.

Should have easily won that. Fell asleep in the 4th quarter. Now time to blood Weideman and Hulett and get Dawes out of the team permanently.

OP only saw the fumble in the last quarter and forgot the rest of the game.

We're not far away. The difference today was some silly decision making and some poor disposal. The second quarter was a glimpse of the future. Another pre-season into the kids and some judicious trading at year's end and the improvement will be marked. A lot to be frustrated about today, but a lot to like at times.

Loved Hunt's game. Hated Dawes' game.

Really liked Stretch and Hunt today. Speed and competitiveness belie their frames.

I look forward to your justification. Was it him running himself into the ground whilst maintaining 90% DE that did it for you?

Dumb mistakes by senior players is just too costly. We've got a young team, you can cop mistakes by young players. It's up to the older blokes to keep their heads and not kill momentum. Where the [censored] is Pedo? Dawes is useless. I've kept quiet for a while but I really don't rate Tyson. Just a player. Not enough clean disposals and the way he never releases quickly and jumps into tackles and doesn't release the handball really shits me. You're not Clayton Oliver mate. Garland's worst is better than Omac's best. The VFL is there to develop players, not the AFL against the best forward line in the league when we need to keep hopes alive. Jayden Hunt is a gun and that's all I'll remember about this game.

That was winnable. Some of our ball use was just so frustrating. I hope that's an experience thing and something that will improve with time, because it is the difference between winning and not at the moment. At least we're fairly consistent in effort relative to the last decade.

The way his value has gone up on here not getting a game, if he stays out of the team we might get a top 5 pick by years end.

Either you meant "commend" or you have more influence than I thought.

On a positive note- Jayden Hunt!

Must be a typo and he meant to say Chris Dawes

Is Pedo fit? I'm well and [censored] truly over Dawes.

I just don't understand why we would continue to handpass the ball on the half forward line when we could kick it long to our forwards and put the opposition defenders under pressure.

Shocking umpiring decision that holding the ball against Stretch.

Scorps win by 2 points!

Matt Jones doing a bit. Am I allowed to say that on here?

Viney is playing!!! Source: Stevo on AFL gameday.

Get anyone in for Dawes

It's not the wins in my opinion - it's the competitive games against better opposition, and the ability to take the game on in spurts and score heavily. No doubt we have improved.

Melbourne Attribute Adelaide 187.2cm Height 187.0cm 86.2kg Weight 86.0kg 24yr 0mth Age 25yr 3mth 69.2 Games 96.6 Melbourne Games Adelaide 10 Less than 50 8 7 50 to 99 5 3 100 to 149 5 2 150 or more 4

Dawes has played his last game of AFL.

Very sombre day personally, I still remember when I heard the news about Phil last year. I highly doubt that I'd be focused strongly on football if I was playing today, and he was my coach about 12 years ago. It would be much more difficult for players who had him up until 12 months ago. Hard to get emotionally invested in this game, against anyone else I'd love to see adelaide win to "do it for walshy". Different circumstances, but last year when we beat Richmond just after Tommy hafey passed, I remember roos used that as motivation to the players. Perhaps today we might be motivated to do it again for a good footballing person. I'd just like to see a good hard fought contest played in a manner befitting a terrific mentor, coach and great bloke.

Oscar McDonald drops a crucial chest mark, Tyson drops a crucial chest mark, Vince makes critical mistakes, Frost makes critical mistakes, Matt Jones fumbles at a critical time, Nathan Jones can't hit Hogan on the chest from 20 metres ( very late in the third quarter), Tom McDonald has perfected the art of kicking into the man on the mark, Bugg lacks class, and the list goes on. We should have won that game. I look forward to Oliver, Brayshaw, Weideman and Hulett being staples in this side.

VFL form seems to have little to do with Selection stuie. Dawes had average form and in he comes, Grimes has been in the top three for weeks and cannot get a game. Dawes has had one reasonable game and two very ordinary ones. Dawes is a poor player at this stage of the career and should not be playing IMO.

That billy stretch holding the ball was disgusting. Cost us a goal and killed all momentum when we were up

Every week, someone pots him, and to be honest, I am completely dumbfounded by it.

Super furious about this loss because it was a game we lost as opposed to Adelaide winning. I know that young teams make mistakes but half a season in and we are still overusing the footy and we are still p!ss poor defensively when we lose possession. I thought our small forwards and Watts were good but Dawes is a liability and Hogan is a primadonna. Both were woeful defensively and both suffered a strong case of butter hands. On the other side Adelaide marked everything coming in, often uncontested as every defender in our team seems to be more interested in attacking than defending. I know this is all part of a learning game plan, but we just pulled curtains on our season because we just have not learnt from previous mistakes. Also can we please play Petracca on the ball more often?

Hunt has 5 of the best possessions you could want from a kid with <50 games.

I think 2017 starts tomorrow.

Matt Jones is a hard blue collar worker. He did his bit today, no need for his crucifixion.

I went to the game after watching first 40 minutes at Punt Road. On that note, Hulett is solid but fades out of game for significant periods. Weiderman is far more impressive for mine. He has excellent hands and a good leap & good boot on him. I would get him in before Hulett, even though the latter has an AFL build. Brayshaw and Oliver are very good, as you would be aware. Brayshaw is ready for a return. Now for the main game... Lost it , asleep at the wheel in the first 5 minutes of third corner. Abysmal effort after such a hot second quarter! A few observations... Gawn's hits to the back were regularly mopped up by Adelaide at centre bounces and the tactic needs serious re-appraisal. We missed Wagner. Petracca and Hogan took marks in our forward 50 that were called "play on". Hogan was then robbed of a free kick when he had his head pulled off from the player who was attempting to spoil. Razor Ray made a terrible mistake with that free against Stretch for holding the ball. Hogan needed to convert the gift free for deliberate hitting it through. However, his slick hands on at least two other occasions resulted in brilliant goal assists. Hunt's dash is electrifying and he is also courageous. Jeff proved why a player of his ilk does not have to star at VFL level before getting a recall (the hysteria about I'm not earning his spot was ludicrous... shame on you! You know who you are!). Overall, a very good indication of where we are at... now able to match fancied top eight teams who are on a winning streak! Those that wonder if we have improved need look no further than our percentage... almost another 100 point game today!

All of a sudden, none of our wins this year seem that impressive. A couple of our losses have been very ordinary. One loss in particular was a disgrace... Despite the talent and potential on the list, this year is actually shaping up to be quite ordinary. We haven't done anything special. We blew it today. Adelaide were miles off their best and we couldn't get the job done. Finals? Get stuffed! Still plenty of work to do.

Grimes in the best again. I command his motivation to keep giving a sh!t

Lost it in the first quarter. Gave up those three easy goals and that was basically the margin in the end. Nathan Jones got a lot of it, but was so sloppy by hand and foot. Either putting team mates under pressure or often missing targets. Gawn was terrific in patches, but lapsed at a few crucial moments.Kennedy attacked it hard a couple of times, but made some poor errors and missed some easy shots. Hunt, Jetta, Frost, Jeffy and Watts were our best. Special mention to Matt Jones, who was pretty good, except for his comical turnover that resulted in the final goal. It'll be interesting to see if he's done enough to get another contract. Harmes and Bugg will be fringers in a year's time. Reckon Trac was stuffed by the second half. Hogan needs to play in front more often, because almost every time he does, he gets rewarded with a free kick. Edit. And Dawes. He kills us. He never takes pressure off his team mates by taking contested marks and rarely hits the scoreboard. They may well delist at the end of the year, but more likely he'll be given a reduced contract for a year or two and will rarely play once Hulett and Weideman come into the team.

We made too many errors but did it being attacking, I can live that. We can't sustain run both ways like that for full quarters but I look forward to the day we do. Anyone that thinks we have not improved look at our age and then watch us dismantle quality mature side in the second. The more we mature and the more they play together the more of that you will see. Hunt and Watts immense. Great to have Jeffy back. N jones needs to simplify his game and Tyson needs Trac to teach him how to give and get with one motion. We're getting just frustrated that we can't take a top 4 scalp to prove it.

Ben Ken went alright I thought. He's such a fierce competitor.

We are such a dumb team, Kennedy getting in Watts' way in the last is a classic example.

Dawes and omac need to go... If pedo is fit he comes in for dawes, if not its time to bring in weed or hulett. And literally bring anyone in for omac he is hopeless.

O Mac needs to get some shoulders ....... And a brain

Start the post game as I want to say some things I'll regret.

That Dawes handpass was for you Stuie!

Only the usual toss pots.

Have Adelaide won the last four Premierships? You'd think so by the doom and gloom. Go Dees.

Just said on Channel 7 that Viney will definitely play.

I love this. You're already setting up insurance for the pessimistic narrative - if we win, it will only be because Adelaide (like GWS) were "off".