SaberFang

Don't know if it's worth much, but Clark just drove right past me looking fairly relaxed. I'm not far from AAMI Park, and he might just live in the area.. coincidence? Probably.

The last thing the AFL want, believe it or not, is this rubbish performance to continue. They made sure we were handsomely rewarded for losing Scully. They'll make sure we're handsomely compensated for losing Frawley. Record low crowds and ratings for Melbourne based team home matches are a blight on the game and the AFL want it to end as much as wedo. The broadcasters, especially 7, would be having a stern conversation with the AFL about Sunday's match.

PJ did admit on 3AW yesterday that he expects most of our wins will come in the second half of the year. Makes sense. We'll have a forward line in place, the midfield group will be settled, Roosy will have sifted out the duds and gotten some semblance of a competitive 22 players in the side, and they'll be better accustomed to the game plan. I still think we can turn it around quickly when things finally "click", but it's now obvious for all to see that our problems are far deeper than just poor recruitment or coaching. It's a cultural, confidence problem and that can't be fixed overnight.

100% behind this. If Roos can't get us competitive then we may as well fold because nobody else will bring in a group as qualified to coach a footy team.

I'll rewatch the match today to see who bothered to come over and will be tweeting Robbo about it tonight. They can ask Roos about it on 360. It's so frustrating seeing almost every other team with energetic youthful players pulling some neat tricks out of the bag. Look at the Saints with Dunstan and Templeton last week. Very few in our team show anything resembling that. This kid has the goods but has to watch from the sidelines for 3 quarters while the so called senior players let the opposition kick bags.

Well I like the tone in his presser tonight. Think we'll be in for a few changes next week. I like the idea of settling players into positions and giving them time to bed into their roles. But these are extenuating circumstances and if we don't make changes it will only encourage complacency.

Dawes said 4 to 5 weeks tonight apparently.

Gotta feel for Howey. Hear a lot going on about his lack of form in the first two games. He's playing outside his natural role, with no assistance, and is getting double tagged by opposition players. What else can the guy realistically do? Just get Dunn down there with Watts, Howe and JKH and see what happens. That's a nice spread of tall, short, classy and fast targets.

Spot on. Exactly what I'd do.

Roos would sooner move him to the forward line than drop him. We'll see what happens when Garland comes back; we have a surplus of backs.

Was definitely the spark missing in the first quarter. I'd be disappointed if he still hasn't earned a starting position for next week in Roosy's eyes. Really need to use that sub jacket as a rocket up the ass for players who aren't delivering (Trengove??)

With no forward structure coming in the foreseeable future, the club desperately needs to invent some kind of creative approach here. We can't just be flogged until we get forwards back. Especially when most of our "winnable" games are in the first half of the season's fixture.

Congrats JKH on his first goal in AFL footy, in only his second game (and his second time as the sub)! Even had another shot or two but couldn't get it through the big sticks. Would've been great if his teammates moved their ass and came over to congratulate the kid, given how special a moment that would've been for him. Must be asking too much!

Wow, that's inescapably depressing. Wonder how low attendance will be next week up in GWS territory?

Definitely think it's time Evans and Kent got a go. Didn't Evans kick 3 goals in the last game we won? Must be awfully miserable in the Kent/Hogan flat. Would hate to think the conversation they had today seeing the two WA teams atop the ladder. And surely JKH earned a starting position with that goal and almost-goal in the 4QTR?

His form has been really questionable these two games. He hasn't shown himself to be much of a leader. If we get a first round pick for him between 1 and 5, we'll do alright. Roos will use it as trade bait to get another senior player. Also of the mindset that last week was really the make or break match to stamp the beginning of a new era for the MFC, and we completely f***ed it up. Now we're 0-2 and I fear by next week 0-3. Frawley's mind just won't be in it.

So round 10 would be generous?

Surely Trengove would work better as a small forward in the vein of JKH? He hasn't got the speed for the midfield.

Thought you were referring to Grimes making those comments. But yeah, you have to read between the lines with Roos and it's not hard to see the penny has dropped. This might not be a mismanaged list full of untapped potential after all; it could just be a list of talentless spuds who can't even produce basic skills under match conditions. You can't teach accurate kicking, just as you can't teach quick reflexes. The quicker we have another off season to clear out the list and recruit from other clubs, the better.

I'm really liking Michie's game so far. He goes hard at it the ball when it's nearby, and there's a lot of untapped potential. It's becoming clear to Roos which existing Melbourne players have already hit their ceiling, and that will be his focus.

Where was this?

JKH has to start. He's got an energetic flare that we will desperately need in the opening minutes next week. If we have a repeat of tonight's first quarter, no amount of energy you try to inject at half time will make a lick of difference. The players clearly lose interest as soon as they fall too far behind.

If this year we wooden spoon, can't get Dawes on the park, Clark retires, Frawley leaves, and Hogan still hasn't signed by year's end, I'd say we have a strong argument for a priority pick too. Might be a nice parting gift from Demetriou, given the draft tampering for his precious expansion clubs has robbed us of so much talent over the last 6 years (but admittedly our recruitment's been awful regardless of the expansion clubs).

Agreed, no idea why they slow it down. It gave WCE's talls a chance to flood our forward line and make marking (and scoring) impossible. West Coast on the other hand, every time we turned it over, ran straight towards their forward line in waves of 4 or 5 players and were virtually impossible to catch. They converted into goals about 5 times in this manner.

Just gut the team. I don't care anymore. Turf out as many players as possible (maximum delistings is 11 I think?) and start over. Trade out as many as you can for draft picks and start fresh. This might actually work with competent people in charge. Clearly the disastrous recruitment of the last 6 years has put us in an untenable position. We will not survive 3 more years of this. Mark my words.