praha

The fans don't want to watch it: why would the players?

That's a great jumper. Considering how many Melbourne players were lost in the war, it seemed like a natural fit for Melbourne to do *something* on the day. Collingwood however had a support and player base heavily involved in the union movement at the time, which was striking and causing all sorts of havoc to our war effort. Collingwood's working class base epitomised the anti-war rhetoric, and now they exploit ANZAC Day. I don't know, I've always felt uneasy about how the AFL deals with ANZAC Day. However I do wish Melbourne would do more seeing as though the club lost more in the war than any other. It's a double-edged sword. I'm not sure how to address it. But a part of me has always been disappointed that Melbourne hasn't done more. But this is Melbourne. Doing is less is always...well, less.

You know, it would make sense. Our boys seem to be completely unable to run. I've never seen AFL players blast past their opponent so freely. Everyone was shot.

That is horrendous.

lol I stand corrected.

In Geelong's defense, they haven't had a top-10 pick in 20+ years (might even be 30). They rarely bottom out, and rarely go a few years without making finals. A "winning culture" isn't necessarily one that keeps you win all the time, every year. It's also about how you respond to losing, and how you address issues. Melbourne lacks a winning culture. I think Saturday was pretty evident of that. Even during Geelong's droughts, have you ever seen that club go through that sort of capitulation? Because only Melbourne could have 14 straight goals kicked against it. Do you think that if Melbourne had gone through what Essendon has gone through in the past 24 months, if we'd have been able to both draft well, develop our players, stay financially healthy *and* beat a seemingly invincible Hawthorn, all without a pre-season? Melbourne would have lost every game by 100+ points if it were in Essendon's situation. "Winning culture" exists. It's more to do with how you respond to adversity, less to do with *just* winning games of football. 1999, 2001, 2003 were years Daniher missed the finals. There were always off-field issues, be it salary cap, financial or leadership issues that plagued the club, which hurt its branding and clearly affected the relationship the players had with the club, not to mention the mentality around the club. Teams like Essendon respond to that crap by winning games. Melbourne loses them and doesn't recover, or when it does recover, it's a momentary relapse from the club's embedded crap culture.

What makes me laugh is that after a loss, the club and website basically go into lockdown. On Saturday for example, all the facebook feed could manage is a link to the "play by play" page on the official site. In fact, the club didn't even mention that the team lost. First there was this post: https://www.facebook.com/MELBOURNEfc/photos/a.414317157316.209227.285839797316/10153297419662317/?type=1 And then this one, a prompt 60 minutes after the loss: https://www.facebook.com/MELBOURNEfc/posts/10153297646372317 I get that it's "damage control", but it's a pretty poor effort in terms of informing your fans how the team is travelling. Compare this to Brisbane's page, which actually keeps the fan engaged and informed throughout the match. The lost by 80 points: https://www.facebook.com/BrisbaneLions?fref=ts And Carlton: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCarltonFC?fref=ts

We actually beat Carlton after starting 0-3. Adelaide was our 2nd win. I think it'll be an 8-10 goal loss. As with last week, once the Crows get on a roll, they will steamroll anyone they're playing. We have shown our worst at the worst possible time. 14 goals in a row! If even a shadow of that performance shows up next week, it will be a horror show. Our best is okay. But our worst is horrific. Not just bad. Just downright mindblowing, shockingly, gobsmackingly bad.

I believe he has Melbournitis, although it lays dormant for years before eventually evolving, in which case the victim becomes "Melbourne'd".

Saints by 8 goals over the Suns. Melbourne's worst is still the worst in the AFL it seems.

If we were half as good as we were 10 years ago (2005), we'd be a finals team.

McDonald, Jetta, Salem our best Tyson, Hogan, Watts good in the 1st half. Unseen in the 2nd. Jones, Tyson, Vince, Dunn, Howe, Lumumba, Jamar all very disappointing. We are a long way off. Still.

I guess you could say the match has been "Melbourne'd".

Dawes is awful. Hogan just cracked it at Jamar for the delivery.

It was actually 14 from the end of the 2nd to the start of the 4th. If the game had started then we'd be 84 points down. Without a goal.

Jones' body language reminds me of Frawley's.

This is a lesson. A lesson in football.

Dare I say this could be a 100 point loss now. No leadership. Jones Vince Lumumba Tyson Watts Garlett Dunn Garland Jamar Shocking.

Words. I have none.

This will actually be a 10 goal loss. Shocked.

I am absolutely shocked. This is actually one of the worst quarters i have ever seen. Geelong 186-esque.

Awful. How can you be stuffed in the 2nd quarter? That's when this started. 50 point turn around with 1 quarter to go. This will get ugly, guys.

Yikes. This Could be a 8-10 goal loss. They are smashing us.

Irrespective of his mental health, he royally screwed the club over, and I think fans from other clubs recognise this and call him out for it. Being depressed doesn't give him a free pass from being held to account for putting in a bad position the people that helped him through it. Granted we should move on but I actually have no sympathy for anything he'll go through as a result of his timing of the move. I think it's all far too coincidental that he did what he did. I don't think it delegitimises his health problems or anything, but it's hard to ignore that potential of using it to get out of a contract at a bad club. I think Melbourne were used as saps and kicked around like a hackey sack by Clark, and I think the broader AFL community acknowledges that. There's no justification for attacking his mental health directly, but I think it's fair game to let him hear about screwing Melbourne over. It was a dog act. I feel sorry that he mental health problems, but that isn't reason enough to walk out. It's hard to buy the, "I need a different environment" argument when you decide to go to a top club that is under far more scrutiny. The attention he got on the weekend is exactly what he wanted to get away from at Melbourne (apparently). You reap what you sow. It was a [censored] excuse. If you want out of the limelight, you don't go to a top club in the league's biggest media market.

It's awful. It's so obvious that they've just taken screencaps while the video's running on their desktop.