pitmaster

Exactly. Always surfaces when times are at their worst. He could, if he had the club's best interests at heart, decline to comment and not feed this stuff. And what was his claim to fame? The only club president to fail to turn up to round one!

Ever helpful, eh Paul?

Garland...lack of guts? Oh good grief. Brave as the day is long, as they say, and playing hurt.

Hang on, so players learnt they did not need to fight for their spots but...Jamar, Bail, McKenzie, Spencer, Fitzpatrick, Toumpas, and Terlich CANNOT get a game right now. And that's a good thing. People calling for McKenzie to come back have NFI. He is a ball butcher and a type of run with player who is wholly negative and has no place in the game now. I thought when Roos referred to the veil of negativity he was actually talking about us! Because the comment seemed to be triggered by an email from a supporter who said he knew we were going to lose to Carlton on his way to the game. Contrary to what some are saying here, Roos did take responsibility for the lousy starts over the last month, but he admitted he doesn't know what to do about them. AS FOR THOSE ASKING WHAT LLOYD SAID: Lloyd criticised Dawes for failing to run with Kreuzer who was as a result able to run into an open goal unopposed, which Lloyd said was unacceptable for a senior player. True, but if you saw Dawes kick our second goal from just on 50 before half time, he collapsed in pain after kicking the ball. He may be playing hurt and can't run for all we know. If he is hurt and Pedersen were fit, Dawes would not be playing, but CP is done for the year so Lloyd may be doing Dawes a disservice. Lloyd also said Roos was using an outdated game man on man game style and used Salem running back to guard a man rather than attack the ball carrier as his example. Contrast this with the way Bulldogs and Saints and others 'swarm' the ball carrier to force a turnover. Lyon did not disagree but dismissed this point. Lyon's main criticisms. like others here, were about the listless, lazy performance that showed no spirit. Lyon seemed to think that Lloyd's point about game style was not relevant because the team has shown it can beat decent sides. He was angry they did not turn up and showed no ticker.

Your comments re Dew and Burgoyne are spot on. They already had a core of Lewis, Hodge, Mitchell, Franklin, Roughead...Dew was a one year top up who filled a need, and helped fluke them a flag. Burgoyne, like Lake and Frawley was also recruiting for need. They have done really well picking the eyes out of other clubs (add Gunston). Clarkson had been building that culture for four years before Dew got there. The only coach at our place who comprehensively tried to reset culture that I know of was Neale D. He took the players into classrooms to get into their heads why you play this game.

One of the few to put his hand up this week. Looks to be improving every game he is out there. Keep.

Should be all white. No red. No blue. No monogram. Just the colour of surrender.

I did something I never thought I would do...walked away at half time. That effort (inappropriate word for what happened but you know what I mean) was so lame, so lacking in respect for the club, its colours and supporters, so spiritless and so utterly p#@% weak that I don't know how the players look at themselves after the game. And Jeremy Howe, I know he has x-factor and marketability, but some of his disposals in the second half of the year have been spectacularly bad. Right now, I don't think I would care if he walks. I'd take a quick, strong bodied midfielder over his once-or-twice a game playground hangers.

Oh Christ, you're back (no filter applied).

And I hope Pavlich gets it...even though that means Ross Lyon does too.

Was a fan. DID hold a grudge. Still do. I like WYL's categorisation of "chasing September on the back of other people's work".

"John Ralph James Hird makes a graceful exit as he departs as Essendon coach" John Ralph applies for gig to co-write Hird's tell-all book. These Hun boys have no shame.

BEST BOMBERBLITZ CONTRIBUTION SO FAR: "Wait and see first before running away with emotion. Let James speak and then follow his wisdom." Really, you couldn't make this stuff up.

Crikey these threads are amazing - a weird mix of everyone's pet hates with a few obvious names that will go. OK the obvious are Bail, Terlich, McKenzie. These are the only certainties but M Jones, Michie and Riley must be on short leads although both Jones and Michie have shown glimpses in the past two weeks that suggest they might be coming on. Trade bait are Jamar, Spencer, Fitzpatrick, maybe Grimes but of course they won't all go. Toumpas is underwhelming but I suspect they will want to keep working with him but is also trade bait. Howe and Watts are keepers.

I watched the Swans this week and for long periods of the game, when they were struggling in the first half especially, they looked like us. Then they started finding their targets and they were able to burn off the pies. A lot of modern football relies on slick, quick hands under pressure before someone can run the ball out The Tigers are the same. It's great when it works and deplorable when it doesn't. But notice how these days players don't kick off the ground (unless they are in their own attacking goal square)? Coaches don't want uncontrolled chaos balls and that's what the blind 'just kick it' call amounts to as well. You can't bag the intent of that handling - it's the execution, delivering it to someone who is a: standing still or b: already manned up.

Yes, of course. And their wins over us have been tight. But they are on the sort of roll we produced in 1987 and 1998. I am utterly embarrassed by that effort yesterday but they have momentum and a top four spot beckons. We're playing for nothing. It's no excuse but I had bad expectations about yesterday. Just not this bad.

Very depressing but they have clearly been ahead of us for years. In 2013 they won 8 games while we were winning 2 and last year they picked up 7 wins while we had 4. They also this year have shown new coach syndrome where a change at the top reinvigorates a group that has a good blend of experience and youth. It's happened many times when a new coach comes in on a solid base - in our case think Northey coming in after Barassi - Daniher after Balme (who didn't really build anything but maintained what Northey had left).

You're not looking close enough.

I don't want to derail the thread - I was rapt when I saw Max had re-committed, especially since some worry rats on here were bothered at all the praise Dermie was throwing at him previously and figured the Hawks were going to make a play - however I take it as a good sign that the club has started talking up the Howe re-signing prospect. So good news in both respects.

I don't mind lashing out. Everything is covered and it's a good vibe. Gorgoroth's suggestion of a budget option is not a bad idea though. One year I went it was at Melbourne Town Hall and there was a budget ticket which gave entry but no meal, and (possibly) drinks at bar prices. The budget tickets weren't on the main floor, but in the balconies above. It would depend on the venue if it could be done again.

We really need to tighten the screws this week.

Bit rich. Our record against them is not good. From memory it would be two wins out of the last seven. And they have often pinched the close ones. It should be better than that and while I think we CAN win, their form has gone through the roof since we last played them, whereas we have shown our best only in flashes.

It made sense this week to focus on Buckley. He'd just had two players suspended for a drug offence, as opposed to Roos coaching us to another loss against a team that has the wood on us. I am surprised generally how good Buckley is to listen to: Roos on the other hand gives you something only every two or three weeks or so.

Smokescreen? Max looked rooted last week and so did Hogan whose arms were swinging in the breeze in the last quarter. Agree another tall would be handy.

I seem to remember him missing a key shot in his first game (versus us at P Park) and we won by abut a goal. Hopefully he does the right thing by us again if he gets the chance.