Adam The God

Yep, I said the same thing to my old man on Sunday. His one good game for the season. And dadsy said at least he's doing it. Unfortunately, none of our smalls had anything like his impact. Still, he's a muppet.

Spot on. We weren't laying bloody tackles inside 50 or even through the midfield for large portions of the second. But in reality, they waltzed out of our defence for most of the day. Those two cheap kicks we would give up nearly every time became like clockwork. Infuriating. I couldn't believe it wasn't addressed with our structures, but this revealed something to me about our plan A and plan B. One of these plans is for the lesser teams and another is for the stronger teams. We view Geelong highly and as a stronger team, so on Sunday we clearly wanted to play a slightly deeper and less aggressive press (even with a deeper anchor in Lewis), which meant that we allowed that first uncontested possession from the goal square. I suspect our aggressive, extremely high press (MFC circa 2017) may have been highlighted at the end of last season as a goal leaker and so instead of using this every time, we'll use it to strangle lesser teams, but play a more conservative press against stronger teams. This is a good move if true. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see a more aggressive press against Brisbane, who may not have the skill to get out of our press. Think the first quarter against Richmond last year, where the ball pretty much stayed in our forward half and they could rarely unpick it. Our structures were terrific that night and we deserved the win (and would have if it weren't for injury). Having watched a bit of Brisbane during the JLT, their brunt at the coal face is decent, but their skills don't match ours. If I was Goodwin, I'd be setting our team up to play the aggressive press and then tinker, depending on how well Brisbane can unpick our press.

Indeed. He gives me the [censored] and I knew he'd have a good game against us, because he already had the wood over us from 2017 and that's often the way it goes.

I think we did change things up. We clearly tried to lower the eyes at times in the third term and worked the ball around the wings and half forwards more, but we also bombed it long too often. I do wonder if we're a bit too one dimensional too, but I think we did try to change the tempo and the ball movement in the third term. I feel our biggest problem with forward 50 entries against Geelong was poor decision making. This decision making may have been caused by uncertainty, due to the fact that our forwards rarely marked the ball (multiple times balls went through their hands). I suspect this uncertainty may have contributed (perhaps paradoxically) to a just bomb it long and hope attitude. I distinctly remember a moment where Fritsch did it in the fourth term, but I was more disappointed in Jones, who did it as well. So I put it down to pressure and not having the composure to make the right decision.

No, I don't think so. I think it'll work. He just needs a little more time to get used to the pace in there. At times on Sunday, as he did last season, he appeared a little fumbly in there. But he'll get there. I like the move. His field kicking is beautiful, so another big bodied player that can kick out of midfield is certainly welcome.

We re-tweaked at half time and saw the defensive results in the second half. Let's at least give it until half time against Brisbane before saying we haven't learnt how to shut teams down. Because clearly, we shut Geelong down in the 3rd and for large parts of the 4th too.

Given our forwards' inability to lay tackles, I wouldn't be adverse to giving him a go as a pressure forward. Once he gets a feel for it, we can send him back where hopefully he shows his run and dash again.

It completely swung the momentum as we had them on toast at the time. And you just knew it would swing the momentum too. We talk about maturity and game sense and he demonstrated a complete lack of either.

I think it was simply a decision based on team balance and looking to maximise the strengths of certain players (ie releasing Hunt and Hibberd further up the ground). The problem is, aside from Oliver, Petracca and Gawn (and arguably, but not to my mind, Jones), the majority of the team weren't willing to work hard enough. Now that is a coaching issue, but the players also have to take most of the responsibility there. The coaches can put the best plans in the world in place, but if the players don't work hard enough to execute it, the plan falls apart. I don't think anyone could say our forwards worked hard enough for even half of the day. And by early in the fourth term, our forwards were spent. Let's not look for conspiracies where there are none.

I just remembered the last time Nev played as poorly as he did today and it was against the same opposition in our 100 point spanking at the end of 2016. He was terrible that day too. I can't remember if he was playing on Menzel that day though, but that dill loves playing us.

Um, when? We barely laid a tackle inside 50 and this was one of the sole reasons we lost the game.

Great post. Agree with pretty much all of it.

Disagree. Ball use going inside 50 was a massive problem today. Richmond showed last year what you can do with one KPF and a group of small and a medium forwards that put on pressure. Our forwardline provided the antithesis of this today. Pedersen was run off all day. It'll be interesting to see how Tommy Mac goes in the defensive pressure stakes.

Yeah, my old man and I were talking about that. Can you imagine down at the Cattery, their ground playing a little package on Oliver or Petracca? Never in a million years. What an absolute joke.

Sorry, but when you let the opposition's two best mids gather 39 touches each, you're not making them "work for almost every kick". I lost count of how many cheapies Ablett got out the back or how many times Selwood was in space by himself or practically unmarked at a stoppage. It was inexcusable this loss. They were down a man (their only decent defender) from the midway mark of the first quarter. When teams are down a man, they invariably lose. The fact that Geelong didn't, tells me that we didn't work hard enough. I think we'll make finals and we'll win 13-15 games, but this wss one game we should definitely have won. Not good enough. And there's no need to excuse our performance. Call it what it was - pathetic. In a frustratingly positive respect, it means we've got a lot of improvement left in us.

It was as you say, mate, a disgraceful piece of undisciplined play from a bloke who has been brought to the club for the sole purpose of providing leadership. Whatever he did in the second half, he should have been doing anyway. It's a big black mark against his name for me and as soon as I'm back at my computer, he's out of A F's favourite players. His suspension against Carlton last year and his 50 this year. Let's just say that he owes us. What are you talking about? Which key forward mauled us today?

Oscar was good. Hawkins managed a point. He didn't kick a goal.

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I missed another negative today. At the midway point of the second quarter we looked like we were about to run away with the game and then Lewis completely snapped our momentum and gave a bloody stupid 50 away. At the time, I knew it would come back to haunt us. Geelong dominated us for the rest of the term and won the game in that following 10 to 15 minute patch. Lewis was brought in to provide leadership. That was another horrible moment for him in the red and blue. I sometimes wonder if he's simply happy to see if he can snag another flag, but doesn't particularly care either way. He has a lot to prove this year IMO.

We really lacked synergy today, which is kind of mindboggling, given our performances in the JLT. We had no forward structure, our forwards were absolutely disgraceful as a group and their inability to lock the ball inside 50 and lay tackles in the area was one of the key reasons we lost the game. How many times did we allow them to chip the short one from the goal square, only to be followed up by another uncontested short chip again? Hate to say it, because he's a fat, arrogant FIGJAM of a muppet, but Chris Scott and his team throughly outcoached our coaching team. The first time I counted a tackle laid inside 50 was late in the third quarter. We may have had one before that, but I don't remember it. Melksham laid 0 tackles. Hannan laid 1 tackle. Hogan laid 1 tackle. Neal-Bullen laid 2 tackles. Garlett laid 2 tackles. Not bloody good enough. I can't remember the last time Hibberd and Jetta had such terrible games. Particularly, Nev. He was beaten in every contest. Hibberd's last quarter and a bit was handy, but he was far too quiet for the rest of the game. Lever also didn't wrap himself in glory either. He did a couple of nice things, but was caught out and seemed to lack synergy with his co-defenders. Maynard was horrible. He is not a footballer I'm afraid. Nice experiment, but he doesn't have the tools. He laid the second most tackles on the ground, but his decision making and kicking isn't up to AFL standard. Harmes played exactly how he has in regular home and away season games for the entirety of his career. Looks like a footballer until he kicks it. His decision making was a staggering at times. Wagner's kicking was not good. In fact, it wasn't AFL standard at times, but he wasn't our worst defender and with the lack of midfield pressure coming from our mids at times, our defenders were under the pump in quarters 2 and 3. We still give up goals too easily from too few inside 50s. It's partly our game style, aggressive as it is, that means if teams get 'out the back', they score, but I also think we need to do a lot better in our one-on-one contests in the back half. Today, Geelong's handball game absolutely tore us to shreds and coupled with our inability to tackle, meant that they made us look second-rate at times. You've got to remember that this is a team that had Selwood, Ablett, a limp Hawkins, an injured Harry Taylor and a cameo game from Menzel. That's pretty much it. They're so one dimensional and yet we still couldn't come away with the bikkies. They were down a man for 3.5 quarters. This loss was embarrassing. I thought our performance on Etihad against them last year was far superior to today's showing. We really didn't look like it from quarter time onwards. The umpires did everything they could to get us over the line in the last quarter and we still fumbled the prize. Petracca missed a pretty basic snap shot for an AFL player. Gawn missed twice (once from the goal square and again 20 metres out on the siren). We kicked 1.7 in the last. Not good enough. I'm not one to buy into MFCSS, but I walked away from today saying typical [censored] Melbourne, we seem to not know how to win. Is it part of our culture? Who the [censored] knows, but zen A F was given a real test today. We were just terrible and didn't play as a team.

I think we'll win today and I'll be very disappointed if we don't. As @TickleMeTyson said, we dominated Geelong at Etihad last year. We've now got a year under our belts and don't have Dangerfield to worry about either. Stop Selwood and keep an aging Ablett quiet and we should kick a winning score.

I was at the 186 match. And the 100 point loss in Roos' last game in charge. I was also at our memorable 2015 win down there. I can't remember a better win. Half our family is Geelong, half is Melbourne. Safe to say I hate Geelong too. And I've never forgotten James Kelly feigning sleep whilst his team sang the team song after beating us one year. We owe this mob a lot of pain.

I'm desperately trying new A F this season, which means more zen. Will report back after the game. My sister reckons it'll last 5 minutes; my brother in law reckons it'll last 10 minutes (that's generous of him); and the wife doesn't believe me at all.

Tyson will be back, no doubt, but it'll be at the expense of a non performer or team balance. I have him in my best 22, but I also had him slipping out of it by year's end unless he builds more versatility in his game. Maynard for Tyson is confusing though as Maynard lacks versatility too.

Like all young teams they have 10 to 15 minute patches where they lose concentration and switch off. We were very similar in 2016 and even for patches of 2017. I think our ball movement will be far too slick for them next week. They don't move it quick enough either. Hipwood was hopeless too, which helped St Kilda's cause, while St Kilda's chipping game in defensive 50 helped Brisbane press early. I don't think we'll give Brisbane that ability.

Ssssh, DC. He's doing a fine job. ?