Redleg

I think the Smith Curse is still with us. Has any other club lost their most important player? Does any other club have the injury list we have? We lose a game we dominate with poor kicking while the other side can't miss. Similar the next week where we lose by a couple of points after leading with 2 minutes to go and gifting the last goal. Our players get the heaviest suspensions which cost one or both games lost. Ollie continues to dominate. Our so called stars are not starring. Injured players play against us and dominate. Gus injured again. Etc.

Tim has got another chance to help give us forward structure when Watts rucks and Jesse might be up the ground a bit, or just to make the mids give first option, instead of chipping sideways and turning it over. That has killed us the last couple of games in addition to poor kicking.

Maybe the selectors think "meh" can win.

I had a go at Melksham this week, but then the AFL issue came out and it may have affected him worrying about what would happen. He was ok the first two games.

Well 26 possies with 13 contested and about 8 tackles, plus a pressure mark and goal to put the team in front is a reasonable afternoons work.

They had Walters out just before the game last week and he played. The Martin story has been all over the media but most are saying he will play.

Pedo rucked and got 32 possies. We need that, as well as his ability to play forward or back.

Not from 13 metres out.

All of the Dees fans.

And the AFL do nothing about this abuse.

Very possible. Hibberd ran the game out and had plenty of the ball and used it pretty well. Pedo rucked most of the day and got 32 possies as well.

We often lose when we are predicted to win, how about we win when we are not predicted to.

And Bloody Cats are 2.9, of course it couldn't have been last week. MRP sees no Demon jumpers and lets everyone off. I turn on the Casey video and Willy score 5 goals to our 2 points including a set shot missed from 10 in front.

Well Vogon you are right, I was and am bitterly disappointed and perhaps my comments on Bernie were unfair. I suppose I blamed him in the last goal for being poorly positioned and that may be harsh on him, as he ended up being the one chasing McCarthy to the goal line and was probably the most visible. In reality several should be blamed, as the photo posted sums it all up. We are up a few points, couple of minutes to go and we see 2 Dockers goalside, then 3 Demons running in with 3 more Dockers behind them. No Demon goalside and outnumbered 5-3 tells the story of the last goal. But again you are correct, there were a number of factors that led to the loss including but not limited to, Weid's poor game albeit injured and that dreadful miss from 13 metres, Sandi's dominance in the ruck and great games from Fyfe and Neale, poor games from our Co Captains, an unstopped 3rd quarter onslaught, loose checking at the end of the 2nd quarter, shocking disposal, poor goal kicking, dropped marks, a lack of on field leadership, an inability to close down a game in the last few minutes when ahead, bad luck ( the Kent pass to Watts bouncing through before Watts could grab it ), missing Hogan, Lewis and Max most of all, etc. While I don't agree with the thread title, I do feel Bernie is best used now as a mid/tagger or forward. Also yes he was far from the worst and I agree with most of what you have posted. BTW I thought Melksham was worse than terrible, whatever that is.

If that poster who said Jones just walked back to the middle with his head bowed, not speaking to his teammates after that run of Dockers goals is correct, that is a real problem. If our players are dumb and can't follow what should have been hammered into them over summer, then it is compounded by poor leadership in not reminding them or encouraging them, that is a problem. Even though he was stupid for the report, Lewis was badly missed yesterday for his leadership and knowledge of what to do on the field. While I am at it, Hogan too, as he would have straightened us up and not had us chip around sideways until we turned it over, because of a fear to go to Weid. The instinctive quick football, played when our forward structure is ok, is what will win us games. Coupled of course with grunt in the middle and smart defensive set ups.

That lack of speed is a problem with us, as for example yesterday the two Hills, Walters and a few other Dockers simply ran away from us. Aside from Hunt and Jeffy, we are slow. Even Billy seems a bit slower now he has bulked up a bit. When there is quick spread we are gone. When you are beaten at the stoppages and then there is spread goodnight.

10 possessions all unopposed, 7 turnovers. Great game.

Except that ANB wasn't expecting it or calling for it and it bounced a few metres in front of him. It was a poor kick and very reckless given the state of the game. Bernie is a mid or forward not a backman any more. His positioning at the last freo goal was stupid. He had to be defensive side of the pack, dumb.

To be honest and without getting hysterical, I think we need to decide if we want to blood players or win games. Clearly ATM we can't do both.

No worries but Have a look at replay, soft as margarine.

Actually it was Tyson and it was a very soft free for a slight touch on Fyfe. Jones is scragged far worse most games including today without that reward.

Well to be honest I didn't find the 5 or so straight forward marks he dropped funny, did you?

No it's not easy, but it's what good coaches teach over summer and it's what good leaders tell players during games and it's what good players do.

BTW, who was responsible for Jetta being against Mundy on the goal line, when there was a boundary throw in and we had time to sort out our defence. Soft goal and how much did we lose by?

What do you do when a side gets a run on, you change what is happening. you go man on man, you lift tackling and pressure on the ball carrier, you have extra defenders, you make it a scrap, you hassle your opponent, you hurt the opposition in the tackle etc. .What did we do, answer, we watched it happen. Poor coaching, poor leadership, dumb football.