Adam The God

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. ?

Brayshaw is terrible. "Collingwood haven't done much wrong tonight", he says as they're 5 goals down. He's got no idea. He should stick to commentating the Mercantile Mutual Cup.

Did he make a move all night? He seems to look aghast in the box, picks up the phone and threatens to make a phone call and then goes back to being aghast again. How we lost to them in Round 23 I'll never know. I actually think their list has somehow gotten worse over the off season. Maybe because they have no forward structure without Blair and co? I'd bite the bullet and play a small quick forwardline if I was Buckley - the Richmond blueprint. Their ball use was terrible, but they had absolutely no forward structure all night. The fact that Reid and Cox couldn't have marked a beach ball tonight, only exacerbated their ineffectiveness forward of centre.

Gee, the ball movement from both teams here is snail-like. St Kilda rely too heavily on Savage's disposal off half back.

Too many half backs in the team this week. Hunt, Lewis, Jones, Salem and too many mids. Brayshaw can really only play half back or midfield. He's shown reasonably consistently that he struggles forward of centre, so I reckon it's a horses for courses deal here. Same with Tyson.

Disagree. I reckon, despite the odd turn over, he has shown some good poise and with more experience, will eliminate the turn overs and increase the poise.

The defence is all about run and carry. That's how we're going to play. We want runners to help our 18 man press. Wagner and Tyson are not competing for the same spot, but we have 13 players that can and have run through the middle before (Jones, Vince, Lewis, Salem, Petracca, Harmes, Hogan, Garlett, Oliver, Neal-Bullen, Melksham, Hannan and Maynard). This is a decision more about our defence than our midfield. We have enough who can roll through the midfield. This is pretty much it, Paul. No, we're not.

Perhaps ironically, I'd argue Wagner is less versatile than Tyson, which I think is Tyson's weakness and why he finds himself just outside the 22 for this game.

I read it... still a strange question.

Oliver is on the cusp of elite. Only injury and application can hold him back from being a champion. He's the best Melbourne midfielder in my 30 year lifetime quite comfortably. He does things consistently that players on your list would dream of being able to do.

Strange question. They're completely different players.

I think Tyson will be cusp 22 unless he can add more strings to his bow. But he is the prototype finals footballer at his best - that is a clearance specialist and goal kicking mid. Where he needs to improve this year is hitting the scoreboard like he did in his first year and his field kicking needs to improve too. If his field kicking improves, he then becomes a potential half back option. However, he doesn't have the same versatility as an Oliver or Petracca, but that doesn't mean he won't be a key for us on multiple occasions in 2018. I said this in the wake of Richmond's grand final win, but with the game's evolution towards pressure forwards and Goodwin's desire for versatility and midfield options, Tyson could be on the outer this year unless he can evolve as well. He's too slow to play a pressure forward, so it'll be interesting to see how he goes this year, as I like him as a player.

So you'd be prepared to pay top dollar for someone you call depth? Okay. I wouldn't. That's not how you build a premiership list.

Hard not to be really disappointed about this. When are we going to get our best 22 on the park? Hopefully, we can get them all there by the midway mark. We really missed Viney's leadership last year. I hope Tom's injury hasn't occurred due to mismanagement. I'll trust that it hasn't.

Hogan and then Salem, please.

Easily the best news of 2018. ? Well done, Clarry.

One of the key reasons their propaganda was strong on this is I know how well connected at Geelong you are. So if you were saying it, they'd convinced many.