Red But Mostly Blue

It's probably my MFCSS, and also PTSD from yesterday, but we should beat the Saints obviously, but they're struggling with many impatient members looking for improvement. Who better to play than... us! The team that plays others into form, takes opponents for granted and doesn't turn up at the first bounce. If I was Ross, I'd say hit us early, then hold with some really boring footy. I am having visions of someone like Membrey kicking 5 against us in a monumental, season-turning win...

Sorry, by door I meant door to Casey haha But on that, probably Petty (who at the very least should have been sent back when Lever went down). He offered nothing, and has offered nothing all year, save for a good game against the Cats. Now a striking anomaly. Don't know how we will get anything for him at year end. Maybe it's a plan he and the Crows concocted - to play so bad that his market value is next to nil at year end, and they grab him cheap. Probably Salo. I have loved him as a player over the years, but he is a shell of his former self. His foot skills have been bog ordinary, for someone who has been regarded as a precision guy. BBB, sadly. I say just wrap him in cotton wool and save him for a final, if we get there. Sparrow. I like him. And he occasionally shows glimpses. But just not often enough. Don't know why. But as I mentioned above, there aren't many to replace those guys.

It's one of those line-in-the-sand games. Teams are allowed to lose. It's normal. But we were bullied by a bottom 4 team - who will finish bottom 4. The midfield were owned by a 9-gamer. Behind closed doors, they should feel like the ego took a solid hit, because it did. We came off a 10-day break and had no excuses not to come out and torch them. SO What does the team stand for? Is it about respect? Because none was earnt yesterday. It eroded some of what we have done. Because our regular poor starts, and wasted chances show we haven't learned anything. Whatever we do this week has to be sustained from here on in. Not only because the last two losses (wasted against the Blues because we turned up in 4Q, and yesterday...) mean we are now behind the pack - so we have to win tough games, but also because the yoyo-ing through respect and waste/embarrassment is seriously tiresome. Of all the teams in the league, we always seem to play 'inspired' opposition, even if they're battling. And the honest reason is because they see us as beatable - with good reason. We start slow. Take teams for granted. Waste chances. Our best and worst is light years apart. We essentially have created this circumstance. The only way to end that is to stamp it out by 4 QUARTER FOOTY EVERY WEEK, and respect for our opposition. So, whatever we do against the Saints - will, and should be the year ahead, if we're serious about respect/another flag.

Can't bring myself to write the things I am feeling right now about guys who I know care about the Club - but for whatever reason - which still has not been addressed - just can't bring fire to the start of these games (not that the start cooked us - as we were owned all game) - or consistent energy and intensity week-to-week, especially after a 10-day break(!!!) - so I am just going to commend the following as the only ones who held their own: ANB - Tried all night Fritter - Kicked his goals Kozzie - Dangerous and lively Taj - Full game please * List over *

Yep - took me back to the prelim at the least - smashed everywhere - and certainly to the many years of their dominance. Yeah our midfield have been, aside from brief exceptions, beaten this year and looked sluggish. Can't make/stick tackles. I'd love to show some the door but the reality is we have very little by way of depth. It'll end up being that rotating door system where we send guys back to the 2s - they get replaced by guys who just aren't good enough/ready, they don't make the cut in the main team - and are sent back, then replaced by the incumbents who go on to do the same thing. We have done a lot of that the last 2 years, especially in our forward line. Not saying we shouldn't send some back, just don't know what we will get will be any better. Have not been impressed with the bits I have seen of the Casey guys - hence where they are on the ladder. Haha yeah, I am thankfully at home today - but holding a lot of video calls, and have already been reminded a few times... GGRRRRRrrrr

The day after losses like these are the worst. Think I had nightmares of Reid pushing over/fending off our lightweight, once vaunted midfield brigade, turning on the jets and scoring a ripper goal in front of our noses. There was also us getting outmarked everywhere, and just flopping about, unable to make or stick tackles. I honestly don't mind losing. Can't win 'em all. BUT only if we turn up, respecting our opponents, having a dip for 4 qtrs. None of that happened. We turned up expecting a win, and got OWNED by a bottom 4 team. A true nightmare.

So we'll be better placed to beat the Eagles in Rd 17?

I agree that is should be what is expected of us, BUT we should always counter it with respect for our opponents. The team expected a win just by turning up, and it showed. Hard to disagree with everything else!

Can someone please tell me if Goody’s presser is worth watching with some tangible ‘learnings’ (like what we’re going to do about our slow starts, taking teams for granted, where our midfield has gone in 2024 etc), or if it’s just going to bum me out even more than I am now.

A very big issue that has been largely overlooked.

Yeah nah. Missed the point. Said the team held the mentality vocalised by some on here. Supporters aren’t to blame, of course. But when we take our oppo for granted, this is what happens.

The upside is that, if we’re going to play like this, we definitely won’t make the top 4, and maybe not the finals at all, so there’s no real chance of a straight sets exit.

To all the posters saying a 6-7 goal win was guaranteed/a must - that mentality is exactly why we lost. Because it was shared by this team. We expected to walk up and win, but the Eagles, like every other team know that if you show up and work hard from the first bounce, you can beat us. Which they did, but in truth they humbled us, and we were also embarrassed by a first year player. Our midfield is non existent. Our backline was woeful. Cant blame Lever, as you cannot say we are nothing without one guy. Umpiring didn’t cost us. Outmarked and outworked everywhere. A disgrace. The team wants to talk about earning respect? None. Zero for tonight and last week we did nothing for a whole half+ So disappointed.

The eagles look more like winning a flag than we do right now.

Any chance we can make a bid for Reid? How embarrassing for us. Really.

Billings 😔

Could do with a few more, in a row, and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, not let this bottom 4 team keep their lead.

They have players free everywhere…

Our backline has been humbled big time tonight. Really really truly embarrassing.

Far out that’s annoying. Can we get Waterman?

That was pathetic. Hopefully we get a rocket and the boys come out remembering that we’re supposed to be a top 4 side. Not interested in the complaints about the umpiring. It’s not why we’re losing, not why we’re kicking everything straight to them. Not why a first year player is creaming us in the middle. Need to be better, a lot better, and beyond this, work out why we’re such a frustrating, inconsistent team with wildly significant differences between our best and worst. This is shizen

That goal was all McAdam, but wow great stuff by Brown

lol if we manage to steal this . Don’t know how mind you, we’re a top 4 team apparently.

To the ‘we will/must win this by 6-7 goals, minimum’ crew - is that still the projected margin? We’re being embarrassed here. Should be down by more. Every single team thinks they can beat us, and there’s a reason for that. Here it is. We have our moments, no doubt, and our best can beat anybody, but we don’t do it often enough anymore, and there are far too many threatening teams on the up. Really sad actually.

Because we’re such an inconsistent team, we’re always open to the idea that we can be beaten with pressure. And this is how we keep getting these bottom teams being plucky against us. Same as Richmond, who have been creamed since. Talking about being creamed, absolutely single handedly creamed by Harley just then. Pretty embarrassing, will want to assert dominance pretty soon. Other teams are watching this.