qwerty7

Poor guy. Really feel for him.

Not that I think this will eventuate - though it is entirely possible and i would love it to - but imagine if we made the Grand Final and won. Last year misses out on a GF and then if we were to make it this year misses out in playing and winning one.

Obviously jumping to so many conclusions that most likely won't happen but imagine how heart-wrenching that would be for him. 

Anyway, one soldier out, another one in. Though he is a gun and we are certainly a better team with him playing, as long as our structure holds strong and cohesive, we should be able to sufficiently replace him with one of our defenders in the VFL. 

Go dees

1 minute ago, Return to Glory said:

Confirmed as a full rupture fmd

where? 

?

2 minutes ago, —coach— said:

Anyone got an updated on Level?

Or Lever for that matter?

Suspected acl apparently stated by Goodwin according to my friend - I haven’t heard it myself but passing on what my friend said he heard on radio

Just now, Wiseblood said:

For anyone who can't see the game - we're actually 6 goals up here.  Don't listen to the rest as you wouldn't know it.

You’re funny. How much time left?

please no ?

2 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Agreed. 

We are a flexible team now and can adapt to different ground shapes.  It was always going to be and still is how much the players want finals and beyond.

On that note, Viney seems to have taken last year's missed finals to heart more than any other player.  In last week's interviews I noticed a serious and very steely resolve. 

He will make sure teammates want finals as badly as he does and he is desperate.

You’re certainly right about that. I loved hearing his “voice of the game” commentary on the weekend, he really is a natural leader. Despite obviously being limited in his first game back, his on-field leadership was still there and as good as ever, constantly encouraging and seeking the best out of his teammates. Such an important figure to our club.

9 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

Put aside the last 15 minutes.  We ran out of juice, the Tigers are reigning premiers and they got some cheap goals.  It wasn't similar at all to last weekend.

But, there were some key moments tonight that contributed to the loss, and they were moments we are having too often to be a consistent side.

The first one is our forward line and not taking our chances.  In the third term especially we dominated for a large period and, while we did kick a few, it should have been more.  We fluffed some chances, Hogan hits the post... we just couldn't put our domination on the scoreboard.  They go down, get a cheap goal and it really hurts.  The goal at the end of the third term was the one that hurt us the most - Lloyd getting a cheap goal out the back took their lead above 3 goals and we had nothing to show for our efforts.

The second is the little things - too many people up in the contest, two players going for the same ground ball, fumbling in key areas, missing simple targets and so on.  We do them too often.  To be a top class side you need to pick the damn thing up, then spread and support.  We CAN do it, we just don't do it often enough.  It's our 'bottom six' that do it the most - ANB, Harmes, Wagner etc.  They just don't do things first time.

I don't think the scoreline reflects the effort we put in and the pressure we were able to apply.  It's a shame, but switch off against a good side and that's what happens.

On the positive side, I thought Gawn was immense, Hogan had another great night, Weideman showed some promising signs before fading (he did well in the ruck, too), Melksham kicked 4 and did a great defensive job on Rance, while guys like Salem, Oliver and Trac tried hard but didn't get enough support.  I also thought O Mac and Lever played their best game together.

I think Goodwin tried a few different things but, in the end, it wasn't enough and we fell back into the bad habits that are costing us games of footy.  Until we eradicate those then we can't move forward.

I think we can beat the Bombers at Etihad and I think we'll enjoy playing in conditions that aren't condusive to fumbling.  We've played the Lions, Hawks and now Tigers in slippery conditions and struggled with it in two of them.  I'll be interested to see how we go without it next week.

Keep your chin up if you can, everyone.  I think we can still improve from here and become the side we all want it to be.  There is just lots of work ahead for the club to do.

Great post. Hope you’re right and we can still make finals from here - would be heartbreaking if we didn’t. 

Also terrible umpiring in 3rd quarter - I think the game could have had a different result if they weren’t on the field. The deliberate out of bounds that should have been paid to us and gave us a shot on goal ended up being a goal to the tigers, give them their 12 point lead back. Not saying it’s what cost us the game, but it cost us not going into the last quarter with more even scores.

49 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Remember when headlines in the media used to give you a vague idea of the content? I hate being forced to read/listen to the content before getting to decide if I'm interested in it or not.

Anyway, luckily for me, why we can't be trusted isn't a question I'm seeking an answer to. Anyone who has followed this club any longer than about 3 years knows why: because we always seem to stumble when we think we're about to clear the next hurdle. Maybe we don't actually "always" - in fact it's probably only "occasionally", but it feels like that when you spent as long a time being uncompetitive as we did.

Trust will come. I personally had restored my level of trust considerably before last week: I knew that even when we were playing poorly, this MFC team didn't give up and roll over. We could go into any game, we'd probably still be in it at 3/4 time and I knew we could beat anyone if we played our best. I was still hopeful at 1/2 time against Hawthorn. The slap in the face during the second half stung painfully because I was unprepared for it (read: I had trust). In reality, all teams have at least one game a year where they play like arse and get flogged, but for the MFC fan it hurt, because of the fragility of the trust. Fans of very trustworthy teams can endure it and shake it off quickly. Fans of teams who are very untrustworthy expect that pain and can brace for it.

It'll take time to recover it again, but it can happen. It's not a permanent loss of trust, just a setback to the trust that was being earned. 

Thanks for the analysis Plough (I still haven't followed the link).

But see, in my opinion, the trust you have in our team to always put up a fight and remain competitive until the end of the match, is valid and shouldn’t be lost. 99% of the time, we do stay competitive, and we know that we will bounce back after these goals have been leaked and try our utmost to win the match, which sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t. The Hawthorn game was simply an anomaly – an outlier that doesn’t truly reflect what our team stands for; all it reflected was the frustration of missing goals, undesirable conditions and things simply not going our way, that it just blew out of proportion.

The issue with trust in the Melbourne FC comes down to our inability to hold a lead, which as supporters, we already knew – it seems the media are only just starting to pay attention to it.  We certainly have issues in goals being leaked and we certainly need to address them, but we aren’t the only team in the competition right now with problems. Why don’t we see article after to article about how Essendon or Collingwood cannot be trusted? They are just as hot and cold as we are.

Don’t take this post as me defending what Melbourne dished out on the weekend – the second half was deplorable. But I still trust them to deliver this year because like you said, every team will have a [censored] game throughout the year and I think this is just one of them. I still back Goodwin and still back the boys to deliver a competitive season that will take us to finals. We are only going to get better throughout the year and we will only grow stronger from this loss – we aren’t the Melbourne of old anymore.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-17/demon-laughs-off-comical-trade-talk

love this from Brayshaw. Of course another click bait article and Brayshaw's firm response to it is very comforting.

had any flashes about us making finals or winning the premiership? 

do not see us making the eight this year. lost by 3 points to a very unimpressive geelong thus far. beaten brisbane and north (woooo!!!!) and being smashed by hawthorn. 

and wtf goodwin, no wing players in first quarter- sure might work for a quarter but do you really think a genius in clarkson wont figure you out? 

Just now, Return to Glory said:

I can.

Hindsight is 20-20 but I don't rate him and never have. I don't get that he's consistently in our 22. [censored] me no end. There...I've said it. 

can agree. his game last week was great, but the other two? nothing crash hot. he isn't living up to his expectations at all

2 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

Not worried.  It's 8 points.  Well and truly in the game.

You're right, we are in it for sure but i think it's frustrating because we should be winning? kicking behind after behind, making poor decisions inside 50... i just hope we tidy up and win this because we really cannot afford to lose 

Just now, Gorgoroth said:

Bugg handballs to a player undee pressure at 50, Oliver jandballs over his jead to 3 hawks players instead of a kick.

So dumb

I'm sorry but bugg is the dumbest footballer and tbh, if he is going to play like this, i prefer he play like a pest.... he brings nothing but his stupid haircut currently 

we don't capitalise on our dominance in first quarter and now we disappear for second... this is terrible. we aren't going to win playing like this and the competition is so even that we simply cannot let this game slip. breaking my heart dees

23 hours ago, Webber said:

Having digested Sunday's game over a couple of days, sadly I reckon this year's version of the Demons might have some significant problems. Inevitably we compare to last year to see signs of evolution, but such a comparison so far is worrying. 

Maybe the biggest flaw in our overall game last year was that we were consistently outmarked. Ends up that in 2017, we were 15th ranked for marks. Sunday gave me no reason to think this has been in any way corrected. Teams who can control the tempo of possession are going to expose us in the air in attack, and frustrate our marking efforts in the front half. Having no Tom McDonald, one of, if not our best marking target, doesn't help. 

Our best football last year relied on a fierce ascendancy at stoppages. Thus by controlling the ball at stoppages and by sheer weight of attack we were able to find a way to goals. However, we lack efficiency when the ball is ours, and are prone to turnovers. Being consistently dominant at clearances is much harder way to win games of footy than being better organised and better users of the ball. Psychologically it also requires key figures who can lead a team dynamic. Teams know that we are inevitably prone to lapses, and that we are more vulnerable without Jack Viney's lead from the front influence. 

Defensively we are too brittle, for periods that last too long. The second quarter was a reminder that teams can open us up when we lose defensive accountability. This is in part of function of the above, and that we struggle to regain possession when our high demand pressure game drops off. 

Selection. It doesn't matter how much Simon Goodwin says he picked Sunday's team on preseason form, any of us who have followed pre-season know that these are 'alternative facts'. How either Dom Tyson, Angus Bradshaw, arguably Billy Stretch and even Tom Bugg were not preferred to Corey Maynard and Josh Wagner (no slight on their efforts) rightfully had most of us baffled. The concern is that this is driven by a mysterious agenda, or at worst that there are personality or political issues at the club. 

I know barring a shoelace's influence, Max would've kicked that goal on Sunday, but that would have done nothing to alter my thoughts as above. It's hard to see us beating a hometown Brisbane this week, who showed last year that they can match it with us. On the other hand, we had at least half a dozen players on Sunday who were well below their best, and will hopefully wake up. Based on one telling game though, I'd say we're going to need some luck to make the eight, and some inspiration, and top four is at this stage fantasy land. 

Too soon? 

On this point, I think it's a pretty promising sign that we know a lot of our players weren't playing to their maximum capabilities (e.g. Melksham, Garlett, Lever, and more), yet we still managed to lose by only 3 points and even almost win the game.

No doubt you raise valid points about our marking issues and so forth, but I think you have taken an overly pessimistic approach to the game. I'm still nervous about the season, but not because of anything I saw on the weekend - mainly due to the Melbourne FC history and the lingering fear that this will be just another season where we are left in the land of "could-have-been”.

We had a dodgy second quarter for sure, but that was purely due to the fact we were being outplayed and outcoached in all facets of the game – we lost control of our game plan and everything just began to unravel. But that’s footy… sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. This isn't a defeatist attitude or a complacent one, it's a realistic one. 

However, the fact that we were able to address the issues of the second quarter and realise where and how we were being outplayed and out-coached is also fantastic. We addressed the issues and then had an awesome third quarter and a fairly strong fourth quarter. The only difference between our second half and Geelong’s second quarter//sort of first half was that we weren’t able to capitalise to the same extent due to some of the issues you previously raised such as marking and lowering eyes inside 50… but hopefully we will work on these and continue to improve.

I still believe we are top 8 side, maybe even top 4… the game, at the end of the day, was either of the teams to win.

I expect us to bounce back against an improving Brisbane side, and if we don’t, then perhaps there is a cause to be worried. Let’s just wait and see.

Determining whether or not trading Watts was the right or wrong decision shouldn't be measured against the quality of his season at Port. I'm sure the MFC knew Watts was a talented player and that he was capable of very impressive games like today's... they just didn't see that talent fitting into our success unfortunately.

The decision to trade him will be justified by the quality of OUR season and whether or not we take that next significant step to success. 

Watts is going to have some amazing games because he's a great player, but if we see the improvement and success that this decision was expected to deliver, then letting Watts go might have been best (for both parties) after all.

8 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

Flag

i hope you win the crystal ball

https://www.3aw.com.au/jack-watts-says-its-been-an-emotional-few-weeks-following-his-trade-to-port-adelaide/

I'd recommend listening to this interview from this morning. Such a great guy and only wished the best for the club. 

None of us can comment yet whether this was or wasn’t the right decision by the club – this time next year we should. However, I think it is fair to say that it is all a very sad situation. He loved the club and wanted to stay, but the coaches didn’t see him being part of the success the hopefully not-so-distant future entails. I hope they are right that Watts might have been the anchor keeping us at the shore, but I am not convinced.

Good luck, Wattsy, and thanks for everything! Go Dees

54 minutes ago, Demon77 said:

Yep, got my wife to decipher it. Same conclusion, she's been away for a while.

Damn, thought he was staying.

Me too  still think there's hope tho... !

3 hours ago, Demon Jack said:

Jack's cryptic Instagram post, for those who haven't seen it yet. 

 

Don't think it's meant to be cryptic, his girlfriend is in pic and is overseas ATM so he's probably flying over to see her soon

I can't see Jack wanting to move interstate though - he has a girlfriend based in Melbourne and don't think she would move to Adelaide for the next 5 years.

Oliver was just on SEN and pretty much sounded like Watts is gone - basically farewelled him and wished him good luck wherever he goes. But you never know, Oliver might be just as in the dark as we are 

Having said that, I think it's pretty obvious he's gone...just clinging onto some hope that he'll stay and this will all be a wake up call to turn him into an absolute weapon

22 minutes ago, mo64 said:

I suppose the Crows angst towards Lever is similar to ours and Scully. Both had only been at the club a short time, which makes it harder to accept.

At least Lever told the club a month ago of his decision, which allowed them to up their offer to McGovern.

I just don't understand why AFL clubs and the players, have a hard time reconciling with losing a player, when every year they are all out to poach players from other clubs.

The Storm actually allowed the 4 players who were leaving the club to lead the side off the ground in their Prelim win, which was their final home game. It was so the crowd could thank the players for their service, and vice versa.

slightly different because Scully told us all he was staying, but most disgustingly, promised a dying jim stynes he would too. Scully is a rat and deserves every ounce of hate directed towards him

By the sounds of it, Lever hasn't made any promises to Adelaide this year that he knew he wouldn't be able to keep