praha

"the failure of some players to even break into a chase." Take particular notice of Frawley, Jones, Watts and Fitzpatrick: these guys did not chase. And apart from Jones, they give up on the chase very early. Frawley could have at least tried to get involved in several contests but simply gave up. Watch the replay. It's very, very obvious. Reminds me of his 186 performance.

Watching the replay, there are some very basic fundamentals left behind by very experienced players. Guys like Vince lacking any real awareness of the opposition, and turning it over frequently. Jones not holding onto tackles. Frawley not chasing...lol who am I kidding he never chases! Sunday was deplorable. People saying they were okay because they got a lot of the ball: they were absolutely terrible.

With some of the errors and efforts Frawley has put in I've mistaken him for Carroll lately

You mean, run out, start a fight, and then lose?

inb4 Melbourne'd

Journalism has a role to inform: objective reliance on the facts. This is an opinion piece. The author takes the facts, forms an opinion with the intention of fuelling debate. He has succeeded. In other words, his "journalism" is as defined. Rather than knifing the cynics that blast the team, why don't we take the neutral supporter's opinion on board and constructively discuss it? Otherwise, we are just one-eyed loonies that can't separate reality from fantasy. ie. Greens voters *runs and hides*

If they're saying the same thing what does a matter what the person's history is? Roos sees exactly what Neeld saw. Don't throw Neeld to the sword for his other fallacies. The bloke wasn't an idiot.

To disregard the similarities is to be a delusional numpty. Neeld I don't think was the best coach, but he went in with high expectations, had a team that seemed to gel well in the lockeroom, but ultimately lacks any real drive or urgency to win, or at the very least perform. There was nothing really wrong with how Neeld approached the team publicly. He was honest, and that's what the fans wanted after a whole bunch of PR fluff. Ultimately it got to a point where all he could say was, "What do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie? It is what it is." Roos sounded very Neeld-esque on Sunday, and I don't think that's a bad thing. Neeld and Roos are a universe apart in the way of forming relationships, building trust and actually knowing how to win. Neeld went in with no plan B. Roos I imagine has a plan B, but he'll refuse to use it until this team learns the basics. The absolute basics. Like taking a chestmark on the lead 5 meters ahead of your opponent. Neeld imo was greatly underrated in how he was able to acknowledge and approach the team dynamics. He just couldn't get through to them. That makes him a bad coach, but he acknowledged it almost immediately and the bloke did what he could to change that. I know it's only two rounds in, but Roos now really knows the task ahead of him. He is now similarly placed as Neeld was two years. I don't believe for a second this team hasn't made progress, but their worst is absolutely deplorable. Give Neeld some respect, because he tried to instil structure and discipline among the playing group. He lost them very early, even though the playing group was saying, "He's made a difference," if we all remember correctly. Eerily, Roos has also "made a difference". These players are truly at a crossroad. Every single one of them.

Ultimately, no amount of changes will fix what is broken: a non-existent desire to win, and a lack of trust in one another. They need to learn that more than anything. They simply don't care enough to will each other on. I am not willing to concede that these players don't have the skill, or aren't AFL quality, because I am confident they'd all thrive elsewhere. At one point in the last quarter, Spencer stood alone on the forward 50 on the MCC wing with his hands waving crazily. The ball was chipped around about 5 times, all 5 players saw Spencer, but completely ignored him. I was absolutely livid. We had 3 goals for the whole game at that point, and simply couldn't kick a goal. We had a guy 20 meters clear, admittedly not a great kick, but still an option, all alone, within distance. He was completely ignored. Completely. There comes a time when you can blame the club and the "culture" so much. Yesterday was deplorable, the effort non-existent, and the urgency severely hindered. The Eagles were in 2nd gear. IMO he is either 2-4 or 4-6 weeks away.

That's rather...negative of you.

The Melbourne YouTube channel is the only one without a logo, and has the fewest subscriptions of all clubs:

The AFL can only do so much without actually taking full ownership of control and management...which it essentially has done. Why is it the league's responsibility to help us compete? It would be an indictment on the competitiveness of the league if Melbourne's success was a product of the AFL's assistance. The club needs to learn on its own two feet. Winning games is an absolute must. It needs to start competing. It is not rocket science.

Isn't that technically what Melbourne has done? Drafted in experienced midfielders but our midfield is set for a decade-plus with Viv, Dom, Viney, Jones, Watts. However we lack depth in that department. Brought in Clark and Dawes, Hogan (who we are "developing"), but again, lack depth. IMO the club hasn't struggled in setting the foundations. But if the foundation has a weak spot, what is there to hold it up? As the first two weeks have shown, not much. The club needs another 2 years of really strong drafting, and aggressive plays on the free agency market. IMO atm it needs to address its depth. Because it is severely lacking it in all facets. I am not convinced that the team's scoring issues this season and last season had to do with Clark and Dawes not being on the pitch. There is certainly a distinctive lack of support across all three main areas on the pitch. The players don't seem to have the confidence to back themselves, or each other. When that happens, changes need to be made. But those changes can't be that extreme because the depth doesn't exist. God damn, it's just a vicious cycle. Is it too early for a beer?

He is a downhill skier. I find myself saying the same thing after every good game he plays. Sylvia 2.0.

One generation is lost. Anyway 8-12 from 2007 will have given up on the club by now as they enter their mid-to-late teens. This is the same effect that hurt the club from the 70s and 80s: technically lost two generations. Imagine if the 00s were worse than what they were? (They were okay, never spectacular, good, not great). The club is at a crossroads, that's for sure. What else can be done off field? Guys like Jackson can only do so much. There needs to be results. It now comes down to the players. Watch the replays from yesterday. Patches reminiscent of 186. Deplorable. They gave up. It had nothing to do with a lack of forwards. They never wanted to win that game. If you don't have the urgency to win, you won't win. There is always a chance. They never tried as a team. Being solid individually as one thing, but you need to empower one another to strive to win. Watch the Hawks, Geelong, the Eagles. They will each other on. This club lacks a voice. I love Jonesy, but he simply doesn't have the cattle around him. And I don't mean skill wise exclusively. There is no will to win.

I call BS. We've never beaten Geelong. Seriously though, it's bizarre that Dunn hasn't been thrown forward. He's been competent down back when he presented well yesterday when forward, and gets the pill when on the wing. He's a booming kick and we need more of his run.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2014-03-30/rd-2-paul-roos-postmatch-media-conference

"This team is [censored]", basically. I'm not joking.

Where do you start? No one in the backline will go. Maybe Jones. Byrnes might get dropped. I can't him see him dropping Fitzy or Pedo.

When in 2nd gear he's serviceable. But he makes errors befitting of the club. Last year it seemed possible, a maybe, but this year it's a formality: he's been Melbourne'd.

Hard to commentate on a day like today. Gotta keep the audience interested. As a neutral viewer you can't help but mock a team like Melbourne.

N.Jones - A true warrior Grimes - Barely AFL standard Watts - Lacked true grit Toumpas - Endurance is lacking Frawley - Too many errors Trengove - Going nowhere fast Byrnes - Quick but useless Tyson - Refined and Trusted Dunn - Target but unused Cross - Tough as nuts Pederson - VFL quality only Michie - Unsighted and beatem Vince - Lacked defined run Kennedy -Harris - x-factor but overwhelmed McDonald - Useful but beaten Howe - Out of position Spencer - Distance to travel Bail - Was he playing? M.Jones - Neeld's lasting legacy Terlich - No run whatsoever Fitzpatrick - Lacking in confidence Georgiou - Better than most

I don't know, something tells me this team will do okay on Sunday.

Cam? Is that you?

All those injured youngsters need a week at Casey. Viney, Kent, Salem, they will play at Casey. No one in the midfield warrants being dropped, anyway, and expect Salem to play at VFL level until at least round 10.