45HG

It's all good mate. I see what you mean now. The kid is and was good but I just thought Watts was so good especially consdering the rubbish support he got. it's probably too close to the fact for us to comment. I do like your posting on the whole, keep it up.

I couldn't give a toss if others are happy with our win. That's why I sing regardless - obviously with much more gusto in certain circumstances. Perhaps I'm still just young, but the game for me is about passion and a win reflects that. It doesn't mean I can't judge a performance after the fact and it certainly doesn't mean I expect those behind the scenes to ignore the deficiences. If that makes me a "soft [censored]" I won't lose a minute's sleep. I expect a win against Adelaide. But a solid 4 point performance will possibly annoy me as much as tonight's effort.

I love this club. It's history, it's tradition, it's back against the wall survival. The way you can run into a Melbourne fan in the unlikeliest of places and know you've got someone to have a beer with over the next few hours. I love that our home ground is the best ground in the world. That we have a history to be proud of. We are not a franchise. We are not a flash in the pan. Our supporters' faces show the pain of following a tormented club. But with that comes that knowledge that we have tough spirits. That when we see our club hit the front on the hallowed turf it rings more through to our souls than for any other club. There are not many of us, but we can make the noise of 5 times our opposition. We will cheer our boys through thick and (usually) thin. This will not change after tonight's game - the crying and grandstanding will subside. Probably after we knock off Adelaide (even if it's a poor win). I must admit, however, that I'm weary. I'm weary of looking for positives where there are few. I realise that we'll get through this period. But it just gets weary. I defend the boys wherever possible. Even this year I've tried to spin it so that our one quarter agains the top 6 Swans was good enough for a draw. Our 1 and a half quarters (if that) was good enough for a 5 goal lead on the top 4 Hawks. Our 1 and a half quarters was good enough for a 41 points turnaround on the Lions. Our 9 minutes of footy was good enough for a 53 points lead over the Suns. But how long can you spin? I know full-well that in 10 days I'll be in the Red and Blue Jumper cheering the boys onto the ground, after every goal and for every free kick. But I'd like to see the boys give some back consistently with at least effort and intensity. No one expects a win every week - but it's fair enough to expect 4 quarters of determined, competitive football.

They are when we're winning. That's a big part of the problem IMO.

I don't see anything wrong with singing the song after a win. Why go to the footy and invest up to 8 hours a weekend supporting your boys if you can't sing the club song after a a (albeit pathetic) win. Singing the song doesn't equate to not seeing the problems that a list/team has. Just as not singing the song after a win doesn't show you to be a more knowledgable/passionate fan.

Watts took the majority of his marks in the back 50. Darling took 0 marks in that area of the ground. This shows that a) Watts did a lot aroung the ground and B) Darling didn't need to. This shows that Darling's team played better and that Watts was willing to compete wherever needed. You say that Darling played on a "pathetically absent" defense yet his 14 possessions were somehow much more valuable than Watts' (clearly more hard-earned) 15? Watts kicked 1.0. This argument makes no sense. Talk about shifting the goalposts. I said to claim that Darling's performance was more valuable than Watts' was laughable - not that his performance was worse than most Melbourne players. Not your best post.

Twitter nerd.

But Darling's series of uncontested marks and easy ball delivered from an uncontested midfield were valuable? Laughable.

Watts, Grimes, Garland, Trengove and Bail can hole their heads up. Morton is margarine and Jones' time to learn how to bring other players into the game (instead of taking everyone on) is rapidly disappearing. Giving the opposition the forward half of the ground on a platter has to go, players playing without intensity has to go and (CB will love this) not having at least one player at the top of the 50 when we're in defense has to go.

Morton "played" tonight.

Cale Morton needs to be dropped. Giving up the forward half doesn't work.

I hope you get a gig Huddo.

My biggest concern is if 7 do, indeed, show the four free to air games. What a shame that would be.

Yep.

...or if the other 10 of my players didn't play? Bit silly to say if Selwood didn't play - he did and starred - especially considering inhad 3 or my of my best out.

(On a side note; I thought the off season was bad in here. This forum needs round 6!)

I've heard this touted a bit. What's it based on? Watts, to me, seems a very confident young man.

Agreed.

You learn something new every Monday.

Col Garland would've - but I think he fell asleep.

I am a school teacher, and my username has that number that phantom is bantering around (45) and I've met a few smart people...what were we talking about?

Speak for yourself, Phantom.

Oh dear.

I really don't want to go deeper but here and here are two of them.

Who is "they"?