JimmyGadson

Can't say Tom had a better game than JJ yesterday. Butchered the ball too much. I prefer Jordan at this stage. More reliable role player who does the basics really well.

Mature response from us. Clearly wind favouring one end. Gawn worries me. Jackson looks so much better in the ruck and Max just looks incredibly slow at the moment and for the last few weeks. Missing marks and fumbly, needs to be much better. His marking around the ground is his one wood. It's been missing for weeks.

Mate, the AFL and newspaper 'bests' regularly put players in that don't deserve it. Often they look at stats and put players in based on the numbers they had.

Harmes simply needs to be replaced after the last two weeks. You can't carry players like him. Burns team mates constantly, fumbles, mis-kicks and handballs. Refuses to do the basics well. The last straw for me on the weekend was when he marked 50 out or thereabouts, ignored clear better options and went back to inevitably miss. He has got way too much "me me me" about him atm and it's such a shocking look. It just such a [censored] example for younger guys btrying to get a gig. Even Jones/Melksham. I would be livid if I were a more experienced player knocking the door down and watching Harmes dish up what he has over the last two weeks. We are carrying him and Goodwin needs to drop him this week.

Short sighted. Not how footy works.

Harmes is unbelievably infuriating.

King spoke about the way Bont and Macrae were utelised at stoppage at different times of the game which I reckon confused our mids. Outside of centre bounce, they both positioned themselves sometimes where a half forward or wing would be set up which in my opinion made it confusing for our mids and we were reactive through that part of the ground. Max Gawn especially. His hitouts were all over the place. Go and have a listen to the boys on the deebrief podcast talk about Gawn's tap work, one of them nailed it. The doggies basically got maximum use out of their extra numbers through the midfield and they were cleaner and more effective around the ground in general. Especially upon exit. 6 goals from stoppage is huge. We weren't that far off but something we'll need to rectify next time. We always allow an outnumber at the contest so that we can free up Lever in our D 50 but we've got to get a lot better at clearance going forward. Obviously the other big question mark is accuracy on goal and our forward entry. Finals is always about small margins and if we can't maximise more entries than we have been, we're going to struggle winning. I think our line up needs tinkering before finals and we need more reliable users of the ball. Bowey/Melksham need a gig in my view. As far as the doggies injuries forcing their changes, I'd argue that it's not the main reason. The dogs have continued to tinker with their side for the entire year even after winning and without suffering an injury. It's getting late in the year for us to do too much, but I'd rather see some shuffling now whilst we're still showing the same signs with the same team. I think a Bowey debut is on the cards this week.

Inject three more quality ball users and decision makers into this side and I believe we could be anything. It's our only weakness. The lack of ruthlessness and clinical finishing comes down to having too many similar types of players with a similar skill level all too often. Not the only factor, but a big one. Inject one on the wing where Gus is right now. Another at half-forward in ANB's spot. And one more through the midfield. Take Harmes out of the midfield, ANB from half forward and one of Hibberd and or Jordon out and Gus can be rotated through the guts and at half back. Even if we played Bowey as a Caleb Daniel type player in place of Hibberd and move Riv to a back pocket and play a real negating role. Over the off-season I'd love to replace Harmes and ANB's spot with some real point of difference players who bring quality use and decision making. Would make the world of difference.

Listening to King on Whately this morning was interesting. Tactically, Bevo implemented and succeeded and what continues to trouble us is inaccuracy, poor skills and our poor midfield connection between Gawn and our mids. I wish Goodwin would take the same leap of faith as Bevo and get more players exposed to our game plan and change the team up. IMO he doesn't do it nearly enough and over the last month I've seen the same culprits bring their worst footy to games. ANB, Harmes, Hibberd and Salem, Langdon Jackson were all poor on the weekend and a number of other players again were just so wasteful with ball in hand. It's incredibly frustrating. We had so many chances. I would much rather blood a guy like Bowey and bring back Melksham and Jones for players like Harmes, ANB and maybe give Jordan a rest. These next four weeks are absolutely vital and will be season defining. We've lost mementum, form and therefore confidence and teams around us are have easier draws and are playing much better footy. As a Melbourne supporter, it's hard not to think of the worst against the Suns next week. It's a game we simply cannot lose and I want Goodwin to drop some players who just seem to be incapable of being clean and efficient with the ball like Harmes and ANB. Their inconsistency is just unbearable. Harmes is killing me. One hand pick ups, clumsy tackling and trying too hard to look hard and not play hard and do the basics well.

We're a few weeks off a bye. It's not fatigue. It's being top of the ladder and oppo sides going to town on how to play us. When we hunt, we seem to win. When we're hunted, we struggle.

The link is mental fragility. I remember the 2004 side like it was yesterday, I was 17. I don't remember there being any unforeseen circumstances that meant we lost 5 straight to end the season. Whether Melb supporters like to hear it our not, we've been a basket case club for a long time and an average club for a longer time. It takes years to change perceptions and narratives and years to build new perceptions and narratives. At the moment, proud, strong and successful clubs can still beat us and I place part of that, even if small on the fact that we've been a walk over club for a long time. I can only imagine what Clarkson would have been saying at half time to his players and I doubt it'd have been glowing MFC talk. If you've been involved at footy at any level, you know what I'm talking about. We have the chance to write our own future, build new perceptions and narratives about the Melbourne footy club. We're obviously a different team, different personalities and individually these guys wouldn't be thinking about these kinds of things. But opposition coaches, media personell, supporters and the rest have a whole different perspective on what a club stands for. And many many people still don't believe we're onto anything. I mean, one only needs to experience being at a Melbourne home game against a lower side to get a glimpse/feeling into what Melb supporters have been through. It's in the air and in the way we support.

The message rings true, not sure why posters are knocking the thread. Right now, at this point in the year we're a team that is bringing inconsistent levels of intensity and inconsistent levels of skill execution to games. We're in control of our own destiny and if we want to give ourselves the best opportunity of winning a flag, top four is a must but really I hope we finish second so we get a home first final at the G. (pending Covid). We've been amazingly good this year for much of it. But the losses to the lower sides and less than impressive wins against the others do concern me. It's completely between the ears, we are still so immature in many ways. Allowing Hawthorn back into the game, with the outs they have the team we were fielding is simply unforgivable and speaks directly to the complacency and immaturity that still exists. We start well, put on a strong lead and then drop off in all areas by 5% which is enough for Clarkson's strong, hungry and proud Hawthorn side to kick a bag of unanswered goals, get their tails up and then keep their intensity for the remainder of the game. Our arousal levels have been unquestionably strong against top sides. We have no problem getting ourselves up. But then we come up against lesser sides and just don't give the same level of respect for long enough during games. That's it right there. Give the same level of respect for long enough. I thought we looked on and hungry in the first quarter against the Hawks. But it's as if our entire midfield all at once drop intensity, skill level and decision making by 5% due to having a comfortable lead so early in a match against a lesser side. There's still a fair bit of growing up to do imo.

I like when you post. Really helps my ego.

Hope they do.

Speaking of the last goal of the game from Dixon, am I blind or was Dixon nowhere near the ball with his hands on that first grab? To me it looked like he didn't even get close on the first bite and then it magically landed in his hands on the second bite. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it paid. Or am I genuinely going crazy?

Agree he didn't do much damage but I just thought he was beating Jack early from a contest pov.

Why would you compare him with Oliver who was one of our best, had double the possessions yet close to 80% disposal efficiency? Harmes had 15 touches, only 3 kicks and went at 67% de. I'm watching what is in front of me. He had a poor game, even if it was as a defensive mid which I'm not sure it was last night. Perhaps at stoppages and centre bounce. He wasn't running with anyone all game like Viney was. What are you watching is the question? 7 tackles for a defensive midfielder isn't something to shout out to the world. When you're at the coal face most of the game, you're going to lay tackles. I implore you to watch the first half today and look closely at everything Harmes is involved in. Not only was he non effective, there were times where because of a fumble, miss-handball or other, the opposition ran away with the ball and had a look in. It happened for the majority of the game.

Yeh, thought last night he could have gone to Wines who I thought was on top of Viney early. Being picky I know and it probably makes me sound salty etc but Harmes annoys me more than most. He makes the easy look difficult and the difficult look easy at times. But last night he was making everything look difficult, I wish he'd just nail the basics. It's all he needs to do as that third-fourth string midfielder. He needs to play more like Jordan and less like Petracca. Rates himself a bit too much Harmesy. The torp last week with a minute to go is one of many examples. Just unnecessary and low percentage at that time of the game and too much of a 'look at me I'm like Toby Green' feel about him End rant. Go dees, great win. We're the real deal this year and I feel like tis win will get us rolling again. Also, have we had a luckier year regarding injuries?! My God.

Unbelievable win, great response. Contributors everywhere except for Harmes. Harmes just continues to do my head in. This is no exaggeration, I think I saw two effective disposals from everything he did. It was mistake after mistake, fumble after fumble and holding the ball after holding the ball. Others deserve an opportunity after a performance like that. ANB also questionable at times but his unrewarded running and pressure will keep him in. Harmes I just really don't understand.

Top 5 demonland poster @Skuit

He most definitely didn't have a full pre-season and hasn't for a number of years now.

I have no Intel on this, but to my eye after he was down with that trainer, he looked shot for the rest of the game. Looked sluggish and half paced and to me it looked like his foot again. So it wouldn't surprise if he was managaged against Port and we see Melksham come back in, pushing Sparrow/Jordan back through the middle.

Correct.

Saw Viney push the trainer too. I get that he's competitive, but that was as disrespectful as it gets as far as I'm concerned. She is a member or staff who's job is to look after the well being of the players. And he physically pushed her away? Extremely poor. All across the ground in the weekend I saw infighting amongst our group. It was an embarrassing mess of a game all over the ground. The mistakes were extraordinary and the selfishness at times was unbelievable. This isnt the thread but I completely disagree with those that think this was lost at selection. We've been at our best this year without Ben Brown. Do supporters understand that or not? We were something like 6 or 7 and 0 without BB or Weideman. Supporters have no idea. We losg the game due to our atrocious ball use going inside 50 all game. We were also comprehensively beaten up around the ball for three quarters. There's nothing else to it. Hopper came out and said that they had lined this game up as a 'final' for them and they played like it was a final all game. And we finally decided to give full effort in the last. But unforced errors still cost us even when we could have snatched it on the line. Not having Ben Brown out there was not the problem for one second. Between the ears again, completely. Petracca, Oliver, Harmes, May, Gawn, McDonald, Rivers, Viney, ANB etc. The mistakes they made all day killed us.

The simpletons continue to say nonsensical things. The knocks on Fritsch are absolutely fair. And the fact that his name has come up as a forward to drop is justified and reasonable. We all know his strengths and that he is a weapon offensively. But those strengths have been absent for the last two games and due to his mostly incompetent efforts and willingness join in defensively, then his place in the side should obviously be up for discussion. Posters should really stop bringing up his what he's don't previously. It's irrelevant. This is a rolling season and our players must be contributing weekly of they want to keep their spot. Fritsch might be given another chance this weekend but it wouldn't surprise me if he was dropped. BB deserves another chance a Jones is next in line. BB for Fritsch imo. But I imagine they'll go with BB for Sparrow.