titan_uranus

Half Time stats: Disposals: 190-176 Free Kicks: 15-5 Clearances: 14-21 Inside 50s: 19-28 Contested Possessions: 76-52 Tackles: 23-31 A lot of the ball for not enough inside 50s, and when we're inside 50 we're missing shots we shouldn't be. Margin feels about right; we should have been 2-3 down at quarter time but we should have won that quarter by 2-3. If we clean up the mistakes we look like we're playing well enough to get it done, but that's a big if.

We are absolutely dominating in contested possession, currently 64-48 (apparently we're double them in this stat for this quarter). Disappointing that we've only scored 1.3 1.4 1.5 this quarter. We're running a big risk of being trampled if we lose the momentum.

Feels like we've been the better side this quarter, Brisbane's just had one scoring shot (which was a goal). But we're not getting anywhere on the scoreboard.

Still making far too many disposal errors.

Another goal from our mistake, this time Bail (and then Watts). Clearances are 8-13, got a lot of work to do in that area. Hanley's getting involved a little too much for my liking, McKenzie needs to tighten up.

Gee sounds like Bail is having a shocker today. Have heard at least three mistakes from him (radio always makes it hard though).

At quarter time, Martin was the leading possession-winner, the leading contested possession-winner and the leading clearance-winner.

They were the better side that quarter, so to be level at quarter time is probably a good thing.

Great stuff from Kent. 3AW big on Terlich's courage and defensive endeavour, which is good. Sounds like we're committing far too many turnovers, as per usual.

Good signs from Gawn to back it up again. I know Terlich is somewhat like-for-like with Grimes, but really not sure that was the right call over Jones, Michie (or even Strauss).

No you don't. Look up 'strict liability' or 'absolute liability'. Regardless of motive, what they are doing is exactly what we did.

If it's ROK vs pick 60+, I'd be tempted to go ROK. However, he's in a vastly different situation to Cross for a number of reasons. Leaving his higher age to one side, he's also nowhere near in the same form Cross was last year (and I'm not trying to say here that Cross was setting the world on fire).

Really uninspiring changes. No Cross is a huge bummer. Hopefully no change. Can't imagine Terlich pushing Blease, JKH, Kent or Riley out (and would be immensely disappointed if he did).

I think you're simultaneously overstating their performance and understating ours. They played well, for sure, but their opponent did not turn up in the first quarter at all. It was (relatively) even from quarter time onwards. We were playing in Adelaide (yes, we won there this year but we still stink on the road) against a higher-ranked side that actually played football (unlike GC). I think there's plenty of reason to rate our performance on par with Brisbane's. Regardless, I think we'll lose, as we usually lose these sorts of games. It being at Etihad does us no favours.

I'd apologise and back down on this one. It's not your opinion on him that is the issue. It's your decision to air it in a thread designed to congratulate a player of this football club who has come to the end of his career. Completely unnecessary place to say what you said.

That'd be pretty grand, but won't ever happen. At least they put Carlton v Essendon in the day time instead of the night. Gives the fans one more Saturday afternoon MCG game (hopefully next year the 2.10 game becomes Seven's and they begin to put more good games there).

Oh my bad, I thought we had a 1 point lead against GWS, but you're right, it was a 1 point deficit. Changes things slightly but still a valid analysis I think/hope.

Who's going to finish 8th? Collingwood? They're falling apart. Adelaide? Seriously? They don't strike me as a finals side; I'd be pretty disappointed to see them make it. Gold Coast? Their best is the best of these three teams but they're not going to get close without Ablett, and they don't look like winning enough games (slash even one more game).

I've been somewhat banging on about leading in the fourth quarter, but just to get a real sense of our improvement this year, these are the figures for the number of times each (bottom 10) team has been in front at some point in the fourth quarter. Bracketed numbers are number of wins in those games and number of losses. Richmond - 10 (7-3) Gold Coast - 10 (9-1) West Coast - 10 (7-3) Melbourne - 9 (4-5) Carlton - 9 (6-3) Adelaide - 9 (8-1) Bulldogs - 8 (6-2) Brisbane - 6 (4-2) GWS - 6 (4-2) St Kilda - 4 (4-0) So we are the anomaly in this group. We're equal last for total wins, but equal third for leads held in the fourth. We've had 9 fourth quarter leads but we've only won 4 of them, making us the only side to have a sub-50% winning percentage in those games. We've created our chances much more than, for example, St Kilda, who've only had four games in which they've led in the last, but they've obviously taken their chances much better than we have. To me, it's a sign of a few things. First, we play football that, over the course of the year, is more akin to a side finishing in the upper half of the bottom 10. Second, we haven't had the experience or leadership to get us over the line in those close games. Third, we've been relatively unlucky. Fourth, we haven't been good enough to get big enough leads to ensure that we can't be overrun (e.g. our biggest winning margin this year has been 23 points). Statistics/numbers don't always say a lot, and this is just one thing to look at in 2014, but to me it signifies a real, tangible level of improvement and is something to really build on.

Of all demographics, I'd have thought little kids are the most likely to put a disproportionate amount of relevance onto the spoon.

I have no problem with there being byes, but the way they're being implemented is terrible. This 5-4 split is awful. I'd prefer us to follow the NFL a bit on this one - have 18 consecutive weeks of 8 games per round, with two clubs on their bye. The first three and last three weeks of the year have the full 9 games per round, to start the year off with a bang and then build up to finals. For the middle 18 round, every week two sides rest and there are still 8 games every week. No split rounds, no weeks of no football, but still a 24-round season with two byes.

There seems to be a view that you either think it doesn't matter, or you think it's disappointing. I think both. Of course I'll be disappointed if we finish 18th. I support a football club and for the third time in 7 years the club will have come last. You cannot be a Melbourne supporter and not be disappointed with coming last. But on the question of whether or not it matters, for the first time in the last 7 years it doesn't actually matter. Unlike 2008-2009, it's not indicative of how far behind we are. Unlike 2013, we have a foundation. That doesn't change whether we're 18th, 17th, 16th or anything else. We are not good in 2014, but we have the base from which to become good in 2015 and beyond. So no, I don't think it matters, but I'll be disappointed all the same.

Just scrolled through that list. Second last post provides many lols.

Also made reference to finding a balance between clipping players over the ears (Neeld) and giving them a hug (Bailey). I heard 'fault'. Maybe I just hear what I want to hear. Haha. Either way, clearly wasn't a fan of how the players had been trained.

Lyon brought up a bad kick from Pedersen to Dawes in the goalsquare who was 1-on-3. 'The game plan prior was kicking to the top of the square. I think that's just a fault'. He did preface by saying 'I don't mean to criticise my predecessors...but...'.