Dee-tonator

Melksham - top class performance. Pickett - flashes of brilliance. The rest - poor and disjointed.

Yes, he accidentally kicked a goal.

I would love to be proved wrong, but it's nearly time to acknowledge that: Drafting Tholstrup was a mistake. Neither JVR nor Jefferson will ever become the dominant key forward we desperately need.

This must be the easiest game Gold Coast have ever had.

Can't blame the forward line today. The ball never even gets to them.

Even b y current Melbourne standards, this has been pathetic.

If we somehow get up and win, there will be some red faces on this thread.

Three things at least are indisputable. (1) Our midfield earns numerous inside-50 entries but many are without value, being aimless high bombs aimed at no one in particular. Chief culprits include Oliver and Viney. No wonder these entries lead to so few goals. (2) Our goalkicking is well below average. We just don't have a high-quality key forward. (3) Our forward line is the most static in the competition, with leads at a minimum. Whether any coach can fix these glaring weaknesses with the present squad is doubtful.

Well, if Max's kicking is truly "ikilling us", he should obviously be dropped. Who in our current squad would you think can do a better all-round job than Max?

"Dragging the anchor" of Max? Can't agree on that one. Any AFL club would be delighted to have Max in their ranks this season. The suggestion that Max "picks and chooses" his games is insulting.

Long bombs galore into a static forward line which has never heard of the word "lead". Petracca and Oliver mere shadows of once-great players. Lever heading downhill at express speed. May humiliated by Georgiades. Kozzy's brilliance negated by Butters cheap shot --- no doubt a sign of things to come. Van Rooyen dropping the simplest of marks in front of goal. Petty looking as dynamic as a sleeping tortoise. The only good news is that even the ultra-stubborn Goodwin must now see that the likes of Sestan, Jefferson and Laurie have to be given game time to see whether they can shape up at AFL level.

6 Gawn - despite his woeful goalkicking . 5 Turner - one of the few to hold his own. 4 Pickett - early flashes of brilliance. 3 Howes - surprisingly composed under pressure. Couldn't even find anyone worth 2 or 1.

May - smashed by Georgiades. Turner - solid under pressure. McVee - struggled to cope. Lever - going downhill fast. Bowey - sound but limited. Howes - not the worst. Rivers - seldom in game. Salem - steady as usual. Gawn - Goal-kicking astray again. Petracca - off the pace. Viney - woeful kicking accuracy. Oliver - effort without skill. Sparrow - outpaced all day. Langford - some good touches. Langton - wasted in role. Pickett - early brilliance faded. Chandler - hardly a sniff. Fritsch - had few chances. Melksham - carried little threat. Van Rooyen - not the answer. Petty - please trade him. Windsor - couldn't find space. Lindsay - little game time.

Not only dead but cremated.

Second best in every aspect of the game. The ease with which Port are attacking down their right flank is embarrassing. Petracca a mere shadow of the player he once was. Slow and ineffective. We have been smashed in marking contests, continually beaten for pace, and lacking any kind of forward craft. It's just about time to give our youngsters a good run and let Salem and a few other veterans head into the sunset.

We are not losing because of the umpires. Reasons? Melksham brain fade = 50m penalty = goal. Bowey brain fade = goal. Delivery into forward line = hopeful long bombs galore.

Great news for the next few seasons, but .............. (1) We have no way of knowing whether a 34-year-old Kozzy will have anywhere near the pace and zip that excite us all today. (2) I hope the club has covered itself this time in terms of the payout due if his career is cut short for any reason. Now let's dangle a carrot or two in front of Jackson and really annoy the Dockers.

Unless he's 55 metres from goal on a 45 degree angle and the game has already been won. Then it's a certain goal.

Bowey - cool and skilful Chandler - excellent first quarter. Fritsch - made costly errors. Gawn - dominant in ruck. Howes - justified his selection. Lindsay - struggling for impact. Langdon - great tagging job. Langford - pace too hot. Lever - much improved display. May - turned back clock. Melksham - found going tough. Oliver - a midfield tiger. Petracca - power without finesse. Petty - posed little threat. Pickett - some magic moments. Rivers - did his job. Salem - past his best. Sparrow - another mixed bag. Tholstrup - added midfield energy. Turner - elite defensive showing. Van Rooyen - looked completely lost. McVee - sound and efficient. Windsor - more time needed.

+6 May - back to his best. +5 Gawn - dominated ruck battles. +4 Turner - elite level today. +3 Oliver - tigerish in midfield. +2 Petracca - but still not at full power. +1 Fritsch - for his goals. -1 Fritsch - for his many costly errors. And a very special mention to Langers for irritating and blotting out Nick Daicos.

Effort was outstanding but why did we still bomb it in long all night towards Howe and Moore? That's precisely what the Collingwood coaching team would have wanted us to do. Special kudos to Max, May, Turner, Clarry and Langers (who did a superb job at irritating and closing down Nick Daicos). Sad to say, JVR disappointed yet again. He still does not seem to understand that forward craft involves more than crashing packs. I seldom criticize umpires, knowing that they have a tough job. But when every questionable decision throughout the game goes one way, you have to wonder what's going on.

Would the current version of Fritsch even get a game at West Coast?

JVR + Melksham: zero impact. Fritsch: definite asset (for Collingwood).

According to the Sydney Hand Surgery Clinic: "In general it takes 6 weeks for a hand fracture to heal and a further 6 weeks to reach near normal strength. Very heavy lifting and contact sport should be avoided until the fracture has solidly healed (8-12 weeks)." Let's just hope for the best.

Maynard has already done it and ended the flourishing career of Angus Brayshaw. The AFL tribunal decided, presumably because he plays for Collingwood, that his actions were just fine.