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I cannot see us losing tonight so I’m going to leave at 3/4 time

Hardwick: Seven years as head-coach of Richmond before success (notably losing out to Dean Bailey who was given the flick at the lowly and compromised MFC after three years). First finals appearance after four years, after which the team dropped out of contention again. One flag since and back to the pack already. Buckley: Took over a premiership team and two years later it was out of the finals for a prolonged stint. Seven years altogether before he got the club back to the decider - finishing in 13th the year prior. Ultimate success still wanting. Simpson: Took over and coached the team to a grand final in his second year, before scraping into the finals on the last day of the season just two years later and being utterly wiped out by the opposition in the second week (more so than the job they did on us last year). Found ultimate success a year after. I could go on. Beveridge - adopted a premiership window team and had a dream run through the finals, then what? Ross Lyon, perennial failure with up followed by down. Roos - one flag in eight seasons of coaching the Swans, with no return in the following five years. Chris Scott - see Buckley basically. Even Clarkson - took the young Hawks to a flag and then dipped out of the finals altogether. Have faith in your team and its coach. Good luck to my beloved Dees vs. the Toiges - I'm right behind you for this one, whatever may come.

After the first term it was a horribly frustrating game to watch. The dew played a bit of a factor, but we fumbled more than I've ever seen from a Melbourne team. That comes from a lack of confidence and, as the game wore on, the perceived pressure from the Tigers. They just kept at us all night and wore us down until we simply couldn't handle it. The way we used the ball going forward was probably the most disappointing aspect. We controlled parts of the game but rushed our kicks forward which allowed Grimes and Vlastuin to pick it off at will. It doesn't help that Weideman is waaaay out of form and Smith is not really a tall forward. I thought early our pressure down there was okay, but it's hard to keep it in there when they're marking it uncontested. Garlett and Hunt didn't have any impact, Petracca had one or two good moments and Melky didn't really play down there. It was tough to watch. On the flip side, I thought the way we set up defensively was pretty good and we weathered the storm for most of the night until the dam wall broke in the last. I thought Stretch played really well and took his chance. Hibberd did a pretty good job on Dusty, while I thought Frost and Tom Mac drew even with Lynch and Riewoldt. I thought Hore was pretty good again across half back too. Outside of that, there isn't much to write home about. I was also impressed to see Goody make some changes to kick off the game, even if they didn't make a difference all night. It shows he is willing to mix things up a little, and he made some changes to the gameplan. But with no confidence and a night that made our skills look even more deplorable, we were always ice skating up a hill. But it's on to next week. Keep your chin up, Demonlanders. Footy stinks at the moment, but there is always next week. I'm already looking forward to it.

Time to leave Stretch on a wing for the rest of the year. Tonight he showed glimpse, so i would just get as much games and experience into him.

...wake up and realise I was dreaming. Part of me doesn’t even want to go tonight. Feels Like going to see your ex so she can explain more fully why she left.

Richmond employ a ( to us ) very clever tactic called run and spread. Our catatonic scribe deciphers have yet to crack this code or understand its real harm. We were only competitive in the past ( recent) as we went about our chaotic nature with verve and manic belief. Even that's a distant shadow of itself. We can't hit a barn. We play the dumbest brand of football I've seen this year. Half our team already the walking wounded or retired to base-hospital. Our brains trust exist in a vacuum of their own ignorant arrogance. Unfortunately those Tigers will be salivating at the thought of a 4 course meal tonight. There will no doubt be some brave individual efforts and good on them for that. Tonights forecast.... another Badloss. We don't have the cattle We don't have a game that works ( anymore ) We don't have the required leadership, direction or mastery of our fate. Appropriate that this evening is a reminder of Gallipoli. Best we forget Thankyou thiugh to the real heroes of this event. Those that served, and gave.

i thought we played better than last week. Weiderman is a prima donna. Wont hold his ground to get in position, wont bust into a pack. Wont look like he will grip the footy. Thats not out of form, thats not having a go.

And yet we were only 2 goals down early in the last Not saying we will win by 10 goals tonight, but the wrist slashing and hyperbole on Land of late is both ridiculous and hilarious at the same time. Some posters need a big injection of positivity up their clacker. Life is too short to expect the worst every time. Tigers by 90 points.

it's quite relaxing going into a game with zero expectations.

Going tonight with zero expectations. Would just like to see a good game of football and some resemblance of a Melbourne brand.

Well Goodwin has promised a better performance. I honestly believe Lynch & Riewoldt will pose no threat to us tonight. We have them covered. Should be a fantastic night for Dees fans!!! Tigers by 113

The great thing about this club is that I'm so broken by it that nothing else can hurt me. Need to look at positives. I'm indestructible.

Given where we came from at the end of last year that is the worst opening 6 rounds i think I've ever witnessed. Never seen so many core players so badly out of form, so unfit and so lacking in confidence. Murdering the ball by hand/foot and making so many poor decisions. First half was a slog and hung in there but after half time they beat themselves with more of the previous 5 weeks (outside of one blip against an equally sluggish Swans on a smaller oval easier to defend) of rubbish football. We are officially the worst football team (in terms of unforced turnovers and horrid disposal) in the AFL right now. Goody has achieved this in a matter of 7 matches albeit with some degree of unfortunate luck from injuries and surgery etc. Huge dose of the reality cucumber tonight at every level of the FD and club now. If Goody didn't think things had gone completely off the rails prior to tonight then he sure does now. As someone said in the game day thread... Back to the draft and drawing board. Time to re-set and renovate starting with T-mac, the Weid and Fritschkreig off to Casey. Other than a select few, zero confidence from way too many. Can Goody swallow his pride and finally realise he needs to review his game style and coaching methods? At the moment we are the worst in the AFL, outside of playing a sluggish ordinary team on a smaller ground.

Seeing that everyone wants somebody sacked, how about the idiots who run the railways in this State? We’ve been waiting 15 minutes for a train on the Frankston line and it’s still 3 minutes away.

Something is rotten at the club.

Always check the microwave before leaving home?

Goodwin?

Tim Smith has a red hot go, which is more than I can say I have seen in most of the team this year.

Almost 80,000 fans showed up last year and 85,000 the year before it. A sideshow it isn't.

I shall give the maid a memorable rollicking.

So, Goody steps up, what does he say: we lacked connection were hurting, we know our supporters are hurting we are gunna keep working its little things we got a week and a half to go back and work on it we are in this together, we are unified they we’re a great team, the tigers. what do you reckon?

From a macro point of view our game plan is horrible. From a micro point of view our skills, touch, smarts and physicality are atrocious.

It is clear that this club stood still over summer. Absolute indictment on every individual involved. Goodwin and co. brought this upon themselves. This could be worse than the Neeld years by the end of 2019. I really hope not, but any positivity looks a million miles away.

At least goody tried something different tonight and our defence was better. Our forward line is still dysfunctional and our mids still don’t run hard enough both ways. The tigers do move the ball forward really well and run and spread hard all 4 quarters. Maybe it’s something we can learn from.

Weideman can go to Collingwood

Tonight (and for rest of season) I’m looking forward to seeing which players are doggedly prepared to drag our team’s performance out of the mire. I suspect Clarry will be one of those. For me, he’s reason enough to go along to games. And I like the INs this week in so far as they address a couple of areas in our forward defensive set-up that have been sorely found wanting so far. I’m talking about (i) small forwards with good closing down speed who, with their pressure, can cause turnovers at the source (Garlett and Lockhart) and (ii) gut-running high forwards who can cover and block opposition space on transition (Nibbler and Stretcher Jnr), that is, when the opposition gets the ball in our forward half and looks to counter and/or switch.

This is the last time my optimistic half is going to rear its ugly head this year but I think we have a chance. I like Garlett in - should have been a week ago. I like Stretch in - shouldn't have been dropped. ANB ? - well if he can kick only straight! Lockhart - showed a bit the one time I saw him play Smith - this is a big opportunity for him We'll miss Preuss. He draws a crowd up forward and could have opened things up and provided crumbing opps. It would also give the option of moving Tmac back to gain some confidence through keeping Jack out of the game . A well, c'est la vie on that one. I'd like to see Jones deep forward - He's still very good at finding the ball in traffic and knows how to kick a goal. Melk has got to be on the wing surely, to see if he can reproduce those long raking kicks to our forwards. I don't think anyone will kick a bag ( I'd love to see it though) but we need a number of blokes to find the goals. Here's hoping!

This is how tonight will go: We will come out firing after the horrors of last week We will win a lot of clearances as we will have lots of players going for the same ball at the contest Richmond will set up well outside the contest not over-committing players to the ball and wait for us to fumble or turn the ball over Our fierce attack on the contest early will see us get the ball inside the forward 50 a lot but Weideman and McDonald (who will lead too early) won't hold their marks and our small forwards will be out of position when the ball hits the ground allowing Richmond to walk the ball out of their backline and transition up the ground with ease While we focus on Richmond's twin towers it will be their fleet of small and quick forwards who will cut us up and expose our lack of speed Gawn will battle hard in the ruck but not having Preuss to support him will limit his effectiveness as the kick-behind-play ruckman in defence that we need Melksham will bob up for a couple of opportunistic goals but he will again totally freak out with any sort of set shot, Petracca the same In the end, we will have the endeavour but not the structure, fitness, skill or the personnel to compete for four quarters Melbourne by 37 points.

I spoke somewhere about being surprised at our selections . Smith in instead of Keilty surprises me again.

A few years ago, I went through the Straits of Dardanelles and sailed past Gallipoli. The morning was calm and serene and the place where fierce battles were fought was silent. It felt surreal to think of what had transpired there. Sport and war are two entirely different things but I have to admit that I have that same surreal feeling today.

We can’t score for the life of us. Every inside 50 entry is just spoiled or intercept marked. I’ve never seen teams be able to just transition the ball from their defensive 50 easier than when they play against us. We have overrated our team. No avenue to goal, no defensive running and never play man on man. Teams just kick around uncontestedly for the most parts of the game and then kick into their inside 50 with ease. Season over. Play some kids and try to unearth talent for next year. Hopefully May and lever are back and injury free for next year.

This season:

I love how they keep gushing about the Stack bump. That's right, tried to run through a bloke running back with the flight. So courageous. Did so much damage that Jack's already back on the ground.

Unless this is Melbourne's version of rope-a-dope I reckon we're in trouble.

Proud of their effort so far. I love the positional changes. We are in the game. I just wish Weideman would take a mark.

I think you've forgotten what the Neeld years were like. This doesn't even come close.

Question to the TV crew. From the far reaches of L4 I saw Dustbin Fartin’ drop the ball in a tackle.. no decision.. then he touched a Melbourne player and got a HTB. As bad a call on TV as it appeared from the ground?

When Oliver can be tackled around the ankles and no free kick that says it all.

Melksham in the middle looks like the most effective of all the moves. Tim Smith took that mark because he didn’t fly for the same ball as Weid. He has been excellent so far. Jack Viney is a bull.

Just arrived at the MCG and the song playing is ‘Things can only get better’. Very appropriate for Demon supporters.

Have we ever lost a game on a Wednesday?

I reckon I'll check the VLine App to see what time the next train leaves about 5 minutes into the 3rd.

Tim is big and strong enough he can take contested marks and knows where the goals are. Although he has played a handful of games l think his majority of games are against the Tigers and played ok. I think Tim will be important to give Gawny a rest when needed. A good hard footballer who gets his chance and will give his all. You cannot ask for more.

I've been on it since the Port loss.

Demonland becoming collectively homocidal/suicidal is usually a sure sign we’ll pluck a miracle out of nowhere. That’s about all I’ve got to cling to at the moment because all signs point to this being really bad.