hemingway

Good for you, you make some relevant comments. Positivity is a much better way to go. Its a long season.

Where you really thinking of watching the game? Go for a romantic candlelight dinner, nice music in the background, a very nice red (don't go for value forget the price), TV or mobile not close by. And don't check the result until next day.

If this is the case, Preuss will have decided that he joined the wrong club given all the pre-season hype about him forming a partnership with Max. He will be disappointed and frustrated.

The reason that the PF keeps getting mentioned is that it is the coach himself who said that he did not discuss the match with the players due to the fact that the result was due to the team not playing our brand of footy. Simply put, the defeat was due to the team not executing its game plan rather than our game plan being exploited. Many have quite justifiably questioned this assessment. In all matches this year, opposing coaches have done the same thing as the Eagles. Other factors may be at play as well such as 6/6/6, injuries, unavailability and poor form, but rightly the game plan is being seriously questioned and discussed. I agree that the final judgment will come at year end. Bagging individual players or the coach is poor form, but most posters have objectively tried to comment on what they have seen to-date. Some go overboard but that's human nature. Most of us were anticipating great things this year. Perhaps we had unrealistic expectations, but it is understandable that supporters are very disappointed with the results so far and the way we have played. And this website is a vehicle for comment and discussion.

We don't know the full story but if Goody and the coaches did not review the PF, it is quite remarkable. A little like a tech company (Microsoft or Apple) or any company for that matter not reviewing the reasons why a business or product has failed, and, just as importantly, not making any changes or not introducing a new, improved or better initiative Even more so, given the change of rules over the off season. Any individual or business that does not consider the impact of a change in tax rules or other external regulations, is, at very least, naive, and, at worst, stupid. You are heading for rocky shores if you are going to do the same thing knowing it has failed or knowing that the rules have changed in a way that will affect that past practice. I know many of you have said much the same, but, I still find it incomprehensible if true. And now 3 games in to the season, we appear to have a game plan that has failed in each game by varying degrees. So we will see a change or modifications made to address the problem? Despite form and injury problems, I find it difficult to blame the players who are simply trying to implement a game plan that looks by each passing week to be severely compromised.

Your a shocker BB

Sadly, I suspect that dropping any of the aforementioned players is not going to benefit anyone. It is what it is or they are what they are. Perhaps KK needs more games under his belt so perhaps he could do that at Casey. Unfortunately we have no one from Casey that is going to set the world on fire, and they are more likely than not to struggle. We have to wait and be patient. For what, for how long, who knows. This is looking like a long-term job just like the shock you get when that little reno on the house turns out to be a major rebuild because you discover the foundations, floors and walls have termites. .

Good comments. Hibberd may be down on form, but he is far from our worst and I have far more confidence in him than I do with his team mates.

Lyon has zero credibility. He’s trying hard to get it back but he has a long road ahead.

Disagree, there's only one Max against two or more opponents. Don't think there will be only two ruckmen targeting Max. Max's game is based on his reach and his run. He is not a ruckman that plays a tough physical game, one where he uses his body or strength to crash into his opponent. He plays an attacking game not one where he is trying to negate his opponent. He did play against two ruckman last year but he also got very tired during the season. This year the opposition is much more Max focused and intent on giving him a battering. But there you are, we will see what happens tonight. Hopefully he dominates and has the support of his team mates.

The Bombers have made it clear that they intend to tag team against Max. And it is likely that every side will do the same. No Gawn no Melbourne approach. And Max is going to get very tired or injured from the physicality of his opponents. So Preuss's non selection is surprising. Obviously concerned about slowing us down (and Preuss has not shown great form in his few outings) but this lack of leg speed is almost offset by nullifying Max in ruck duels and around the ground marking. As well as having a big bloke who can act as a shock absorber for Max.

Agree, and they will need their kids to play well because the older players are getting slower and slower. Hopefully, they have peaked early! There are no prizes for a dominant first half of season other than consolidating themselves in the top 4. But I agree, I reckon they are still vulnerable in September just like 2018.

Lack of forward and defensive pressure. If any of our current defenders were playing in Norm Smith's days, they would never get another game. You quite rightly say that chaos needs unpredictability. Perhaps the problem is that very unpredictability means that it is also unpredictable to Melbourne. Defenders not knowing where to kick and not kicking to targets and forwards not knowing where to run. Our ability to get the ball moving quickly is also far too slow and easy for the enemy to cover our poor old forwards. Our forwards have the worst job in the world (at the moment).

Well said dworship, but my experience suggests that it is best not to overrate yourself.

i see you take this conversation seriously, and good for you. And your back handed compliments show promise. My comments were not personal and not directed to you, I was using your comment in a vicarious way. I don't intend to pontificate, I have no reason to do so, and only sages can pontificate. For the rest of us, it is merely an opinion based on what we see and perhaps what we read or are told. Nothing else. My view is just that a view, and I hope it is wrong. I see a great talent, but one that is likely to be wasted unless something changes this season. He is not fit, but perhaps that is his best. If it is, he is below the standard that is required to play AFL at the top level. He may well continue to be a valuable player, who does the mercurial from time to time, and plays in bursts. He may be a match winner, but is he playing to his potential and will he ever do so? However, what we are seeing today are footballer robots that can run and run and run. And there are hundreds of players that will commit themselves heart and soul to the contest every time, over 120 minutes. CP is not on his Pat Malone,. He is in the majority camp, that is what is disappointing. Believe it or not, I love what he promises to be and love what he can do. But he does not do it often enough to inspire confidence or the feeling that we are watching a future champion.

Please! I have seen him play in 3 games including Shepparton and I have seen enough. He suffers badly compared to others on the field in regard to bulk and ability to run. Both speed and endurance. Just watch him trying to chase an opponent, a few strides and then his opponent has metres on him and delivering it to a teammate. You have to want it badly and like someone else at another club he does not want it badly. Probably a lovely guy with a great personality but to be successful you need a single minded ambition and an attitude that ensures that nothing will get in your way. He’s not alone, most of us are like Christian. In every field at any age, there are kids, men and women with great potential but few realise that potential. Most often we say “he had great talent” but only occasionally do we say “what a great champion”. Christian is playing AFL so he has immense talent. But I think in watching him play we are seeing the present and the future.

Not fat but just can’t run! Slow, can’t chase, and has no endurance. That’s what matters. Don’t care if he is fat or heavy, the guy’s fitness is not AFL standard.

A half head win for optimism, a close second for pessimism.

So that means you will be going to the game?

Can you tell me what those experiments are ? I would be reassured if I saw some evidence of his experiments but I cannot see them.

In the first 15 minutes the crowd support was building but after that it was very deflating to see the rubbish being played on the ground. Very hard to get excited over a slow, listless and mistake ridden team. No energy no enthusiasm spread to the Demon crowd. I started watching from the MCC balcony, which was a mistake as you are detached and folks are more concerned about heading to the long room for refreshments and ensuring they observed the protocol of having a seat ticket, a bit like going to the Opera. And frustratingly, no-one says anything ! Its as if barracking on the balcony is frowned upon. Frowns came my way when I voiced support for the team and also my anguish. Went down to the bottom deck hoping to reboot my enthusiasm levels only to find the same mute Demon crowd. Not even the angry cries of "your hopeless......."" Although in fairness, it was difficult to discern which one of the 20 hopeless players to abuse. At the end of the day, my main disappointment was how the Club had blown a great opportunity to encourage Demon supporters through the gates. On the train coming in and on the walk-in to the G, I felt buoyed by the large number of Demon fans and their palpable anticipation and excitement. All those fans decked out in the colours who had made the long journey from country towns to watch their side. It reminded me of the feeling before the two finals games. A feeling that we finally had a footy team to be proud of and one we could anticipate winning. Looking forward to singing the song before and after the game. Alas 30 minutes later that energy and enthusiasm had evaporated, and, after the brief exhilaration of the two finals, it was like a return to "here we go again." .

When I reread your comments this morning, there is nothing that I disagree with. I thought your tone was a bit over the top but again this morning it seems appropriate.

And you did not get a Nobel Prize for grace or courtesy. But you did get one for professional snobbery. I hope you feel better.

Foot injuries can be easily diagnosed but difficult to know how long to rest. The injury can appear healed and then suddenly recur without warning. Those who have had plantar know that you can think your right only to realise that the pain or discomfort can sometimes be only a step away. A little like achilles injuries. Rest and rehab are key components to recovery, but for a professional footballer or any sportsperson, rest is the saviour but also the enemy. The longer the rest the more chance of recovery but try telling that to anyone who has a burning desire to be back on the ground. It would take a brave coach or club doctor to say to a player that they will not be allowed to train or play for 12 months or more. Impossible. For most recreational sportsmen and women, surgery is the last resort whereas for professional footballers it is normal and expected. If you don't do it, Clubs will be criticised. Everyone will ask "why was something not done sooner" when for most of us, it is the last resort. One thing's for sure. You should try and rehab the injury to avoid surgery, because if you embark on surgery, you still need to rehab afterwards. Once you start limping, you know there is a problem that can't be remedied by pain killers.

When the ball was kicked into our forward line or defence we rarely had players in front or behind the pack. Time and again Port swept the ball away when we had our guys flying for the aerial contest but noone at ground level. Very frustrating to see this occur repeatedly.