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You're an idiot

What a load of rubbish. Nobody is going to stop a forward when the ball comes in that fast.

How much did we lose by? 20 goals?

Woeful poll!

I know others have responded already, but this post really hit me. Mate trust me, even those of us with lives jam packed full of other stuff feel the sting. Being able to rationalise it away with “it’s just footy” comes later after things settle down, but the initial emotion still cuts deep. For me, the blame phase isn’t part of the package when we lose. I don’t need to blame OMac for having a poor game, or JKH for missing an easy shot, or Goodwin for whatever, like so many do. That gives me zero therapeutic value - in fact it just makes me feel worse. That’s why I will often come across here frustrated when I post on here after losses. I just want an outlet to share my disappointment with other Melbourne supporters because I don’t really know many others, and all I seem to come across is misplaced rage and mindless criticism. People mistake my attitude for nonchalance or that I’m just happy with effort. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Last night honestly felt up there with the most crushing feeling I’ve felt in my life. I turned the TV off immediately and just sat in the dark silence by myself for ages. I haven’t felt such a feeling of hopelessness for ages. The rational, intelligent man knows it’s stupid to react so strongly to football, but it still happens. Anyway my point is, there are more people out there in your corner than you think.

One of the positives was how Harmes has become a very good tagger. He has found his niche in the team.

We're not dropping OMac or Hogan. Appreciate the frustration, and both need to be significantly better, but we're not dropping them, we all know it.

Tom Hawkins kicks 8 1 on Frost which he crumbed from a throw in 1 when he outmuscled Max in a ruck contest 1 when he managed to get a toe to the ball in the square 3 from lace out deliveries at pace on his chest from Kelly and Danger Omac stays

Classic demonland. Omac has had a great season. Get a grip, you gits.

Get out and do something you love today guys and get over it - it’s history now. Me, I’m going to comfort eat a [censored]-tonne of yum char in Northbridge.

guys it was extremely shattering last night no doubt we were leading for nearly the whole game except the end I get it it sucks but when you get to the point where you have settled down and reflect on it have a think about what actually happened We went to the shithole cattery, outplayed them and looked the better team all night against a full strength Geelong - we had 3-4 best 22 missing Do I need to remind everyone what usually/used to happen when we went to Geelong - for the last 10 years its almost a pencilled in 10-15 goal loss - we are right there now just a few dumb mistakes that cost us and it sucks but we are going up they are going down!

Right, so now that I've had a decent night sleep and gotten past the smug texts and comments from some Geelong mates, I'm willing to look at a few of the positives last night. I think Christian Salem is quietly have a very good season for us. Had another 19 touches off half back last night and, generally, his ball use is first rate. He isn't flashy but he's tough, courageous and could easily be a 200 game player for the club. It's also good to see him staying fit. I'd still like to see him further up the ground, but I think that will come in time. While he tired in the second half, I think the first half showed us that Charlie Spargo can be a very, very good player for the club. Played a crucial role in many of our scoring chances early, as well as kicking a fantastic goal in the second term. Once he has another pre-season or two under his belt and builds his tank he'll be able to stay in games long, but he's a very smart footballer and a shrewd pick from our recruiting team. While his stats won't show it tonight, James Harmes is another who I believe has taken the next step this season. Shut down Selwood in the first half and Danger in the second, it adds another string to his bow. When he's not tagging he's shown he can rack up the stats and hit the scoreboard. Lastly, and the most obvious one of the lot, is Oliver. I don't think we can truly appreciate how good this kid is. Another 40 disposals, 7 marks, 6 tackles and 20 contested possessions. He has the chance of going down as one of the best players this club has ever had at the rate he is going. Took it up to their experienced midfield all night and never looks like tiring. He just goes and goes and goes. What a star he is. I'm still hurting from last night, and I won't forget this game any time soon, but I still think we are a big chance of making finals and taking destiny into our own hands. It starts with the rolling the Crows on their home deck next weekend.

INCOMING UMPIRE RANT The Dangerfield ruck free cost us a goal. It was technically a free kick, though he definitely exaggerated it. The 50 against Harmes for being within the 10 metre area of a player who marked also lead directly to a goal. That was an INCORRECT umpiring decision which cost us a goal. The opposition player marked it. Harmes put his hands up and ran attempted to get out of the area and the umpire blew the whistle. There was physically nothing more Harmes could've done in that scenario, and the umpire got it wrong. Four of Geelongs goals in the first half came as a result of free kicks that were incorrect and shifted momentum. We let ourselves down by not defending better in the last quarter, so we have to suck up the loss. However, we lost by two points. 2. Geelong were gifted 3-4 goals from incorrect umpiring decisions. We were not. The umpires unarguably influenced the end result of the match. I hope the club lodges a formal complaint. I don't understand how umpires can categorically make mistakes in their job with no consequences. If I made repeated errors in my job, I'd be warned and then sacked. Yet we see umpires like Nicholls running round year after year despite making mistake after mistake. I understand it is hard to officiate a game of AFL with all the pathetic rules at this point, but if you can't do it without making mistakes, then you get demoted and trained until you can do your job properly.

Rather Dean Kent or Bugg over JKH any day.

In over 20 years as a Policeman I've seen many tragic things, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, suicide & numerous homicides. lovely teens getting hooked on drugs whose parents I'm telling a few years later your child died from an overdose finding a helmet at a motorcycle crash only to realise the riders head is in it a father killing himself and 4 of his kids to get back at his ex wife. FFS some of you seriously need to get on the reality bus. The boys gave their all tonight and we came up short. Am I gutted with the result? Yes as I'm disappointed with a few crucial mistakes. What I am tonight though and will be tomorrow is happy with the boys effort. The junior side I coach plays tomorrow and I will ask them as I do each week to put the effort in and if they can come off the ground and say they have given it their best that is all they can do. You can't always be the best but you can always give your best.

Pumped to be a demons supporter tonight. I didn't think that 22 had that kind of game in them. That was Kardinia with an Ablett, a Tomahawk and a couple of Selwoods running around and we put on a classic of the ages. I didn't think we could make finals. After tonight I'm sure we will.

Home from watching at a friends place and haven't read any of this thread so have no idea what the reactions are but for me I am really proud of that effort, I could bring up plays and moves which might have been the difference but that's not the point of this post. The commitment was outstanding it was exactly what I hope my team can deliver every week. Disappointed obviously, but not anywhere near as feral as I have been in the past.

Finally a likely option.

I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep soon so I might as well write something. I went down to Geelong for the game and I can't remember being that shattered after a H&A game. Even though I fully expected Geelong to come back and probably even snatch it near the end (we've seen this script too many times before), nothing could have prepared me for losing like that. Lead the whole second half, 5 goals up in the last, missed shots, unfavourable umpiring, Cats not missing a shot at goal, ball in our forward line with 40 seconds left, we can't hold up their final surge and then let them have a one-on-one inside 50...it's just the most heartbreaking way to lose a game of footy (and with so much on the line). 3 seconds away from what could have shaped our season, being 2 games plus % ahead of Geelong and sitting in 4th spot. 3 seconds the difference between final 8 consolidation and now being at risk of missing out. And from a selfish point of view, 3 seconds away from what would have been one of my great footy memories - going down to Geelong on a Saturday night, without key players, sitting amongst the Melbourne fans right near the players' race and holding on to win a thriller - I can imagine the scenes would have been incredible after the game and it would have been one of the great walk backs to the car and drive home. 3 bloody seconds. Instead, I don't want to watch the replay, I don't want to see the paper, I don't want to see a footy show, I don't want to hear the radio. What a fine line between one of the great footy nights and gut-wrenching emptiness. It was probably as close as I've got to shedding a tear at the end of the game (as an adult). I was only 4 when we lost the 87 prelim but my parents always spoke of the pain Melbourne fans felt after that game. This wasn't a prelim, but I think I now understand what that feels like.

We threw away 4 points today, but I don’t think the sky is falling in, just yet. We didn’t lose because of the umpires, or because OMac had a bad game, or our backline was poor, or because of bad coaching. We lost because we didn’t take our chances in the forward line. We missed at least 6 very getable goals, and we fritted away at least 8 other forward entries that should have ended in goals. Fix this and we can defeat any team this year.

Should Dangerfield be reported for staging. Having now viewed the incident again several times, it is clear he staged for a free. That is against the rules and a punishable offence. He throws his arms out before any contact with Brayshaw and when he is nowhere near the throw in or ruck contest. He runs into the back of Brayshaw who is stationary, just in front of him, wildly waving his arms as if he is being held back by two sumo wrestlers. He has clearly staged to get a free kick. The AFL MRP looks at consequences of an act. This resulted in a goal that changed the result of the game. What will Michael Christian or his boss the former Cats player and footy manager and now AFL footy manager Steve Hocking do, absolutely nothing.

I'm more concerned with Hawkins getting weeks for his dog act on Fritsch.

He should be, but won't be. He also dove over the boundary line looking for a free. It's a blight on the game. Did anyone see what he did after he got the Bs free paid against Brayshaw? He kicked the goal and then looked at DUCKWOOD and pointed to his head with the index finger as in 'how smart was that'. To me that is a clear indication that he knew he had outsmarted the umpires and milked one.

Agree 100%. Hogan would kick a bag if A he knew how to lead hard, B if they could kick it with precision to him like we do to the the opposition spare man in defense every week. We’re asking O’Mac to take the #1 forward each week, then being lazy with our whole ground defense, then blaming him when he gets beaten. Doesn’t seem logical to me

This is a really dumb post, don’t good clubs reward selection? JKH was rewarded for his good form at Casey, played ok and did his job against the Dogs. Probably showed that he’s not up to it when the heats on, that’s fine, he’ll probably get dropped and delisted at years end. Omacs form has dropped off after losing Lever and now Hibberd, that’s your 2 best defenders, the way the ball was coming in in the las quarter no one could’ve stopped it. Its a team defence and Omac didn’t get much help from the team in that last quarter Don’t forget Max dropped a chest mark in the goal square to go 6 goals up early in the last Its another real heartbreaker and tough to take but let’s not eat our own Its a tough gig following the MFC.,

What a great game. Felt like the final against SAF way back in 2006 or whatever it was. There's no shame in losing a great contest like that at all. I really didn't think we could make finals. Haven't for weeks now... We lost the game, and somehow now I'm more confident we'll make finals than ever. We should all be proud of what was dished up by the red and blue tonight. The greatest game of the year in the greatest game on earth.

JKH for Hannan is the only change I expect. JKH has had his second chance and didn't do enough. Maybe I'm being harsh because he missed that shot, but he doesn't get enough of it at AFL level to miss opportunities. Any other changes will be done for structural reasons (ie decide we want that extra tall etc). If Hibberd is fit he comes in for Vince or Smith. IMO it is Bernie because he played Hibberds role, while Smith is playing Levers role. I don't understand the Smith hate tonight I thought he did well. Bernie is playing attacking off HBF. Lots of meters gained, inside 50s and score involvements etc. Smith led the team for intercept posessions, and equal 2nd in contested possessions.

Rubbish. they were both very good tonight.

Yes, there was a lot of the inevitable about the way we lost... but we didn't just curl up and roll over! I agree with the tactical stuff up with Gawn off early last qtr... but if you ever get the courage to watch the final minutes you will see two teams giving everything they could to win the ball and send it forward. JKH needed that goal for his own career... but he wasn't a passenger. Frost was amazing with his last desperate dash out of defence. Its a fine line between pleasure and pain. I see the game as a move forward in the teams development... This group know the CAN win in whatever Hellhole they find themselves in... Heartbreaking, yes... but I see it as character building! I'm not going to argue the point... Its just my opinion.

If I could give the coaches a bit of advice it would be too put frost on walker next week and NOT Omac.

Agree. While it is not life or death it is full on passion. If it isn’t, it is just a distraction or light entertainment. Hurt comes from the passion. Joy/bliss does also. Every passionate demon will be hurting and will be gutted again. Hopefully success is coming soon for all of us with the passion for this club.

Gutted.. just absolutely gutted.. I'm proud of the boys effort and intensity, we fought right till the end and just unfortunately didn't pull it off. I'm emotionally drained from supporting this footy club, but i know i will be back on supporting the boys loudly next weekend. Go Dees

so do pillows..

Fritsch still had some excellent marks, a lovely run down tackle and a handful of beautiful corridor kicks. That said, clearly his most error prone game. Fumbles, missed tackles, dropped marks. Given it was probably the highest intensity game he's played in, with a hostile crowd, skinny wings and some top quality mids on the other side that's not a huge surprise. Just a disappointment. I don't like him used as the spare back. It's a huge job for a young and inexperienced player. And the spare back as the goalie is just a bad move as well. Unfortunately not a lot of great options in the side. Fritsch can pinch hit on a half back flank and Hibberd or Lever free in the hole is the dream. Without them in the side, Vince? Melksham? Joel Smith loose? Lewis loose who will at least find the ball but won't offer much as an extra in a marking contest? He's also a kid who's played 1 year of VFL as a forward and is now clearly an above average AFL wingman. Arrgh, so frustrating because I want him to be great and he's already doing so well.

I just can't work out what JKH brings to the team. Or what they're expecting him to develop into.

My wife sat in silence after the game and (seriously) told me I should start following another team. She’s seen this scenario too many times” ”I [censored] can’t!” That was the end of the discussion....as I absolutely obliterated another stubbie.

You can babble on all you like, but any supporter with a brain cell could see he was easily one of our better players tonight.

And we lost by 2 points at Kardinia Park - you couldn't be serious !

Wrong game. Wrong forum. Wrong. Winning IS everything. It’s because it is everything, that we have been nothing for 5 decades.

Hogan robbed of a certain goal for that disallowed mark in the 3rd. Should have been chopping the arms free even. Bloody maggots.

Nobody ever deserves a 0. Omac was hung out to dry and still had the composure to take a good mark and kick the ball nicely to Trac with a minute left. He had no help on Hawkins. They should have put Frost or TMac on him one minute into the last quarter. I am disappointed that I am yet to see Hogan ever stand up in big games. He is not a pressure player.