Tony Tea

What about the Dees kicking a goal followed immediately by the opposition kicking a goal?

Our problem is a combo of forwards unable to find space, and onballers unable to kick to the forwards from close enough to the the forward 50 to enable the forwards to get either behind defenders or lead up into space. Because we lack line breaking pace we are kicking to the forwards from too far out to make the defenders worry about whether the forward will come forward on a short lead, or double back for a kick over the top. We aren't generating the latter. It's possible we are getting too many players behind the ball and therefore lack options ahead of the ball. We need to pull the trigger quicker so we can break faster and get closer to our goal for the crucial last kick in. But in short, it's forwards lacking space and ball carriers unable to find a forwards in space. The forward finding space is helped by the onballers and the onballers finding a forward in space is helped by forwards. It's not chicken and egg, it's chicken and chicken. Or egg and egg.

Ditto.

Sam Mitchell.

Don't you love the way the article is framed around West Coast and Collingwood getting a dream run, but it contains no mention about Melbourne getting slaughtered by the muppets. And although the data reveals that the Bulldogs get a dream run, it overlooks the fact that head-to-head since 1997, it is Melbourne 23 frees Bulldogs 3,194 frees. I would have thought that a noteworthy stat.

Keep the Gangling Freak Beast.

We are the weirdest ever second last. We were horrendous in our decayed decade. We copped hiding after hiding. Back then we were a deserved last or second last. A few times we finished second last, but were actually worse than the team finishing last. This year we are far from the worst side, we stay in games, battle them out, but keep getting beaten by our lack of a forward line. We are developing a good backline, already have the makings of a good on ball brigade, all that's left is the need for line break runners and another forward target. We will be much better next year.

Imagine a commentator bagging Melbourne. Lyon is doing his job. It's not his job to shill for the Dees. If we somehow ever challenge for a flag he will absolutely laud our efforts.

Come on. Ryder? Really?

You mean All Australian Oliver?

Take this as read: Bennell's Achilles is cooked.

I wish the media would stop misusing relevant/irrelevant. Learn what the word means; don't parrot peers. And instead try insignificant or inconsequential or unimportant.

Surprised this post cracked 6 pages. Why ponder something that will never happen. Well, actually, it might happen in 8 years after Brown has played in a flag and is looking for Super.

Saying a team has "no recognisable brand" is the sort of biz speak flannel you say when you have nothing pointed or incisive to say and because you are on television feel you have to say something, anything.

Nerves? Pah. Bennell has repeatedly torn his Achilles. The only way to fix it is to sew the ripped edges together and hope they hold.

Our problems have been evident since 2017. Plenty of possession, plenty of forward entries, rock all reward. Back then it was the better defences who shut us down; now that everyone has had a look at us, all the sides are shutting us down. It's easy. Zone up across our back-to-forward running lanes and because we get too many players behind the ball, we have too few players to take the ball from half back to half forward. The problem is compounded by having appalling disposal, and forwards who cannot find space. The wonder of the season is the number of times we have played dreadful footy, but still stayed close. It's for that reason I give Goodwin a year's grace. If we can somehow find some polish, fitness, cohesion, and above all, confidence, next year, we'll have a good year.

Pyke, Goodwin, no one will be clambering to sign either.

I'm sure the commentators were laughing when he dropped that sitter in the last.

Should be 5 goals up.

We have plenty of grunt and intensity, but we lack the smarts, game style and cohesion to capitalise on our hard work. If we manage to work out how to efficiently move the ball, our grunt and intensity will stand us in good stead.

Zones were supposed to rotate through the clubs, but the clubs who got the good zone lobbied to keep them.

Yes. Everyone* goes on about Melbourne failing to turn I50s into goals, but it's only Mick McGuane who has taken a stab at solving our probs. * Everyone goes on about it belatedly. Our problem has been evident for two years, but donuts from the experts.

Our 2018 wins all came in our late season roll. West Coast was indeed meritorious, but no Darling or Kennedy made our job easier. We should have beaten Geelong every time last year. The Cats were ordinary in 2018. The made it to 5th on the back of their stars. We justly punted then in the Elim. The Hawks also over acheived in 2018, and yet were still in their final against us. That they lost both finals suggests they were teetering. GWS were a soft kill. The key aspect of Melbourne's 2018 - for me, at any rate - was that we struggled against well organised defences, the same Achilles heel we had in both 2017 and 2019. That is where we are at. If Goodwin can't get us playing with obvious cohesion in 2020, with obvious connection into the forward 50, and with obvious improvement against the better sides, he has to go.

How good was Lyon's pickup and hands to Jay Viney for Jako's second?