TeamPlayedFine39

5, 4, 5, 7... can't see an aberration there... maybe the 7, but that would make 2019 the odd one out.

2018 had 14 wins and we were the highest scoring team in the league, with a percentage of 131.4. These stats in isolation don 't paint a particularly clear picture.

Langdon, Tomlinson and Bennell are great outside additions. If anything, we often looked outside to them too often instead of driving it fast and direct up the ground.

No way to really dress this up. Its a very poor effort from the players to not wait for their captain.

2013: 2 wins 2014: 4 wins 2015: 7 wins 2016: 10 wins 2017: 12 wins 2018: 14 wins 2019: 5 wins There was nothing statistically unexpected about our performance in 2018, it had been consistently building since Roos started. The 'anomaly' in the last seven years is 2019. 2020 will tell us more about whether or not this is the start of a new trend, but it is way too early to call.

There's no way we can pay out two years of a coach's contract and hire a new one, all whilst holding a hand out to the AFL for funds to keep the club running at its most basic level. The AFL would be negligent if they allowed us to do that. We will not attract 1.5 million dollars worth of additional members if Goodwin is sacked. (we're also 1 win, 1 loss, two rounds into a new season.)

Gee... didn't think he was terrible yesterday or in round one. Thought he got his fist to plenty of balls and killed the contest as the third man up. There was a couple of times that he went to spoil where he could have taken that mark, but that would have to be team rules.

OK... THE GOOD... Rivers fit in nicely across half back and, after misjudging the pace of the game early, settled quite well. Had a lot more speed than I thought and wasn't intimated into taking the game on. Liked the physical side of his game Bennell simply getting through the match was a huge win for him and the club. He is a gun and, body permitting, will get better with every match this year. He was solid, without being magical. Jackson Whilst he's not ready for senior football, you can definitely see the attributes that Taylor liked. Will be a good player for us, but I'd look to Weid next week now that Jackson has had a taste. Hunt Hasn't been part for the discussions in people's best 22s for quite some time but he showed today some great football smarts and looked fast, sharp and dangerous up forward. The speed and timing of his leads inside 50 make him look like a handsome, blonde Jason Dunstall. Gawn. He's a champion. That a term that is thrown around all too much, but in this case it applies. The tap outs he was feeding to our midfield, particularly in the first half were insane. He was back in defense for some clutch marks and is a towering presence around the ground. Looks fit and is moving very well. Our first quarter - It was brilliant and regardless of what happened after that, we showed the brand of football that we are capable of and it had the Carlton 18 running for the bunker. We were fast, aggressive and slick. Obviously, this was not sustained to the intensity that is required to succeed at the top level, but that first quarter needs to be the standard that we strived toward for four quarters every game. THE KINDA GOOD... Petracca First half was excellent and his goal in the third is the kind of shot he used to try to give off. He is edging closer and closer to the player we know he can be. There was an opportunity in the last quarter to really put his stamp on the season, but he wasn't able to impose himself like he had early in the game. Oliver Played well, but is and should be held to a higher standard than most. Seemed to be kicking and carrying the ball more than usual and played well when the game was there to be won. Viney Continued with his good form. Whilst not as dominant as his preseason games and round one, his game today was better than what were were seeing for the last couple of years. He's fit, healthy... and angry. Langdon and Tomlinson Will roll them together as they were recruited together to play similar roles. Both showed a bit today, without tearing the games apart. They're still getting into the swing of things at the club and it looks to be a good piece of targeted recruiting. Tomlinson's pass to Hunt was beautiful football. THE NOT SO GOOD... The defense When the team defense was up and running, we were looking good, but when the momentum turned, we fell apart too easily. It is always good to keep a team to 7 goals, but it is a concern that we conceded 18 scoring shots to 14. The second half saw some classic Melbourne plays where four players went up and no one stayed down. Salem had enough of the ball to really hurt Carlton, but he didn't have his usual precision and creativity and Lever and May were solid but far from imposing. Joel Smith Many here love him. I still don't see it. He seems like more of an athlete than a footballer and makes some very poor decisions about when to and when not to go. This may be in part due to inexperience, but I still can't recall him playing a particularly good game at senior level. He should be selected when his form absolutely demands it. Jones- Looked to be playing a different game plan to the rest of the team today. Was holding things up when he should have been moving the ball quickly and kept bombing his kicks to contests. He's got a hell of a lot of points in the bank, but he'll need to show a lot more next week or he could find himself keeping Hibberd company. Forwards As the leaders of the line, Melksham and McDonald did not impose themselves on the game at all. This would have been one of Melksham quietest games for the club and TMac was moving better than last year, but didn't look at all threatening. Fritsch has talent and a great set of hands, b ut if he continues to miss straight-forward shots at goal, then there is no point him being there at all. Should have had at least four today if he took advantage of his opportunities. Fitness I know nothing can replicate the real thing, but we either weren't fit enough or didn't have the desire to push hard enough in the last quarter. Either way, it's a real worry going forward. BUT... We won - and in what will be a close season, you've gotta take that. I think we probably showed today our best and worst football. Going forward from here, if the Melbourne from the first quarter turns up every week, we'll win more than wee lose. If second half Melbourne become a regular visitor, it'll make a short season feel very long indeed.

That Tomlinson pass was absolute perfection.

Good lord, you’re right! Thats ridiculous for a man who played 220 games over 14 seasons.

Smoking is now solely the domain of the super-wealthy.

I would assume the difference would relate to their respective ages and level of experience in a professional football environment. Spargo is entering his third year in the AFL- absolutely no excuse for being so blaze about the rules. Pickett can at least point to the stupidity of youth and inexperience.

Agreed. I thought the problem with round one was that the commentators and producers focused too much on how unusual it all was. Hopefully this time around they focus on the footy and the rest will become part of the ‘new normal’. The less attention drawn to the differences, the better.

I didn’t like it. I understand they wanted to do something in solidarity, but it looked tacky and staged; like a Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad. They were safe and risking nothing. Do it during the finals when the national anthem plays... then that’d be a real statement.

Not sure how I feel about this... the team is very, very green. Not as confident as I was yesterday. Great to see some kids get a run and hopefully it’s a sign that form and effort are being rewarded. Feel for Lockhart; thought his preseason form was excellent. Shocked to see Hunt; not that I don’t rate him, just haven’t seen or heard anything about him in months. Checked in for the zoom call with Simon Goodwin on Tuesday. From what he said about the kids and the need for speed, I don’t think any of these changes should come as a massive shock.

Have heard the same. Imagine losing Scully and NicNat in consecutive years...

Hard to imagine a culture of casual racism at Collingwood...

Carlton were garbage and the game was over after 12 minutes. (5 goals down at the 12 minute mark) Agree to disagree I suppose.

That kind of statement is at the very heart of what Natanui is talking about.

Yep. The vitriol against Watts from day one was bizarre and I don’t think it’s happened since. For some reason, he was in the gun from the moment he was drafted.

RICHMOND V CARLTON Margins Qrt Time: 31 Half Time: 46 3Qrt Time: 34 Final: 24 WEST COAST V MELBOURNE Margins Qrt Time: 27 Half Time: 21 3Qrt Time: 33 Final: 27 Carlton were garbage and what the media sells as a 'comeback' was just junk-time goals. With that said, I don't mind us being held to a higher standard, but the back patting from Carlton does not reflect the reality of their round one effort.

Good for them. It's been absurd the amount of good press Carlton has got following a four goal loss in Round one.

It's also all but guaranteed that if we had of taken NicNat, he would have been on the first plane back to Perth when his contract expired.

Meh, 12 years ago. It is funny though that we've spent the better part of a decade hearing that we shpuld have taken NicNat at number one and he's now rated at 4. Journos can't even get the draft right with hindsight.