Adam The God

They also lost to Freo by 20 points in Round 23 last year before winning the flag 5 weeks later. I agree, PD. The Dogs are a good yardstick and we resemble them markedly, both in terms of game style and lapses in games with a younger group. It's about learning how to win and learning how to play this way for four quarters. It'll come, but it's bloody frustrating, as you say. I reckon we're a real shot against Adelaide. Hogan is a CHF. No doubt. But he's no mug deep either and showed it at times yesterday. It's all about ball movement. If we can get 1v1s, Hogan and Watts can rotate between FF and CHF comfortably. Problem is, we're not moving the ball fast enough. This is partly a minus-Max situation. I'd expect us to have greater opponent separation and a seemingly more functional forwardline in the second half of the year when Max returns.

I'm well aware of the experience differential. I'm on record as rating Hunt, Frost and Wagner. Reckon they'll all make it. I've also defended Oscar for the last year and a bit too and believe he could make it one day too. My post was in reference to his brother and having to wait 4-5 years for Oscar to develop. Frost is already making great strides in his game, as was Wagner in 2016 and Hunt is already a star. Tom's decision making is not good enough. It's less about his kicking. He simply doesn't know his limitations and it will cost us a final if he keeps playing and has multiple times already. Tom has played 111 games at 24 years of age. His intercept marking against Richmond was great, but he let himself down in 1v1s and his kicking. That was his best game, along with the Essendon game (where he also butchered it by foot, but played a lot better), since early 2016. His inconsistency as one of our leaders is the major factor in our lack of leadership. You can't really say Frost has only played 22 games and include that in your stats. He's played 44. More pertinent is the lack of continuity this group have had together. This impacts on the ability to trust each other and sees multiple players fly, because no one else thinks the rest are capable of killing or spoiling the contest. This will fix itself with time. How many years more do we wait for Tom McDonald to make the right decision consistently though? Frost's decision making has already surpassed Tom's. That's damning, given the games played stat.

Wallace is usually a mug, but I think he has this one right. Frost is still raw, but I suspect he is going to make it. Get a Jake Lever-type already, Lever and May if necessary and our defence will look so much better. Hawthorn built a dynasty on the back of reliable kickers off half back. The game has moved on, but good disposal will always be king, especially with our highly attacking game style. Both McDonald's are a liability with ball in hand and in a big final will cost us. Bookmark it. Oscar is better than Tom with ball in hand, but I'm not sure we can wait 4-5 years for him to develop like we've waited for his brother.

I think likewise they force our defenders into making errors, knowing that our defensive kickers are ordinary (minus Hibberd and maybe Lewis).

This was a really dumb play. I said exactly the same thing at the time. It summed up Salem's game for me today. He's usually a very clever player, but he really showed his inexperience in this play. Completely agree about the lack of trust in team mates too.

But don't worry. We're "preparing for their best".

Thanks mate. And yes, they look to Jones for help, but he's not talented enough IMO to warrant this faith. I think occasional bursts in the middle and pinging off the defensive zone are his go from now on (did this terrifically against St Kilda). He calls for the ball far too often when he shouldn't and he's under pressure immediately. He either proceeds to turn it over or we get a stoppage. Very rarely does he get us out of a tight situation. For the record, I'd want to play with Jones, because he tries his heart out, but I wouldn't expect him to turn a game if I play with him. Good post. Jake Lever next to Frost, Hibberd, Lewis and Jetta looks pretty good to me. I'm losing hope of T McDonald ever improving his disposal enough to be a reliable defender, but we'll see. I suspect once we start using the ball better going inside 50 and getting cleaner clearances, we will be a very hard team to beat. I think we'll then add a layer of more robust and impregnable defence, once our defenders have played with each other for a season or two. At that point, we'll be a top 4 team. Our dominance in the clearances without a recognised ruckman is Bulldogs-esque and top 4-esque. The longer our younger mids play together and develop a synergy, the better and more efficient we'll be from the stoppages. Mind-set. It's all mind-set. That comes with experience and good coaching.

I liked Frost's game today too, but Pedersen in the ruck is not the problem. Yes, we've lost an advantage, but we're still winning the ball and dominating the clearances. However, with Gawn back in, I think it will allow our attacking game to flourish a little more. Maybe I agree with you after all that, mate? Agree with a lot of this, although I suspect the inexperience is a big factor in the 'why' we can't bring this consistently. And it is a development year even if we make finals. We're not trying to win the flag this year. We're looking to the future and also expecting to win enough games this year to get us a finals birth. Kent doesn't come in unless he dominated at Casey. That's not what I've heard. They need to make Kent earn his spot. He's a lazy footballer. I'd keep giving games to Harmes and even ANB, despite the temptation to play a more talented player in Kent. And JKH hasn't had "another 0 tackle game". That was his first 0 tackle game. But as I've said elsewhere, I've seen enough. He's gone for mine too. Me too, mate. Great post. My mates today giving me the absolute shits and telling me there's no way we'll make the 8 and that the 8 is a lock. Once again, they've got no idea what they're talking about in such an even season. My St Kilda mate seems to have forgotten we easily accounted for his mob earlier in the season. Short memories and a lack of analysis. But I'm sure it is going to click for us at some stage and I suspect it'll coincide with Gawn's return. Did he have an effective disposal all day? Apparently, he did. He went at 65%, which is what people have been bemoaning Tyson for. But Bugg isn't playing in the guts. He's playing off half forward and a wing. He also managed just 1 tackle. He's another guy who I've seen enough of (along with JKH). I knew he was depth, but Harmes and ANB have gone well past him as depth. I hope we didn't give him a three year contract, but I suspect we did.

It was more the clear hands in the back of his Melbourne opponent at least twice in the first three quarters. Staggeringly obvious, yet no whistle. And Hawthorn fans had the arrogance to question Hogan's clear push in the side that got him his third goal. I hate Hawthorn and always have. And what could be worse than having your Hawthorn-supporting wife sit next to you through that display? I'm not sure there is anything worse. I think I can move on quicker these days. It's a mixture of Demonland and a detached soul that gets me through. I reckon it might be a case of the Dunn's for JKH now. He's had his go. At least managed to tackle a bit in his first game, but hasn't been clean once, except for the kick to Hunt for his second today. In three games, he's been clean once. And it was a completely uncontested possession. He's done at this level and I hope we never see him again. If we do, I'll be more angry with Harmes and Kent who have much greater talent than Jay. They need to lift big time. Let's not panic and put the patient list built to waste. Get games into the younger guys, make sure their areas of weakness are worked on and we'll get there. No need to go and get a fish. That's panic list management IMO. It'll be interesting to see what we do with OMac next week. The MC has set a bit of a precedence on three game tests. I didn't think Tommy Mac in the ruck worked at all today. Thought he was hopeless. But I suspect they may try it one last time against Adelaide and therefore, OMac probably gets another go, but I hate to think what Lynch or Walker will do to him. Or we played too dumb.

Oh, come on, mate. We're past making excuses. This loss was more about us than them. We didn't turn up for at least the first 40 minutes today. I reckon Wagner cost us that, not Jetta. I lost count of how many times he came across the pack and collected Melbourne players, leaving all our guys on the deck and the Hawks players running off laughing. I rate Wagner, but he was simply shocking today. One of the worst defensive games I can recall. Worse than anything OMac has dished up. Reckon Hannan will be alright. Butchers it at times, but also hit some important targets today that lead to goals. And he had 6 tackles. Petracca needs to lay more tackles when playing inside 50. Couple of really weak efforts to tackle. He looked a lot more spritely last week.

This is a lack of trust in his team mates. He rightfully doesn't expect either McDonald to get the job done. This is what happens unfortunately. Until we can get decent defenders who take contested and intercept marks, we'll continue to have this problem. Our forwards let us down in the tackle count. Hawthorn defenders were allowed to skip away off half back all day. This, along with our inability to stop Hawthorn contested marks, was the reason for our demise today.

Bugg turned it over all day. He's a horrible player and it was crystal clear in his first season with us. He's not AFL standard if we're serious. Should have been Stretch for Bugg. Nope. My friend who works at the BCNA was saying today she was really hoping we'd win this one, because it's been three years and we've never won the Pink Lady match. Kent still not putting in the hard yards? He may well become tradebait unless he pulls his finger out soon. Stretch and Harmes/ANB in at the expense of Bugg and JKH next week. Spot on. Great post, mate.

I reckon we'll give next week a real shake. Have thought so for a couple of weeks now. Just a pity Adelaide got thumped by so much. Hopefully it plays with their confidence. I was pulling my hair out. These are senior players. Why didn't Hibberd kick the damn thing in quickly and put the Hawthorn defence under pressure? Instead, he gets tackles trying to do too much and we have to reset and lose precious seconds.

Putting it out there... that was Viney's best game for the MFC. And undoubtedly his best game as a leader. He was superb. Take a bow, Jack. Make sure you harness the hurt and channel it into smashing Adelaide next week. Reckon we've got a beauty on our hands in Goody. Has a lot of work to do with them, but love his proactivity and he isn't afraid to switch it up a bit. eg. Starting Hogan in the centre square in the 1st and Hunt to half forward in the 3rd. Our midfield is far too all or nothing though. The press doesn't work against a smart, seasoned team like the Hawks. Their mids just sidestepped, handballed to a free mid and they were away. We need to switch something up there at the crucial moments. Either go man on man or sit someone at half back to come in off the square and provide an outnumber, otherwise 4 on 4 in the middle, we are made to look stupid at times. This is a coaching problem IMO. Gawn helps, yeah, of course an AA ruckman helps, but see above - we press too hard in the centre square and teams get us out the back/over the top. We need to have a plan B and play smarter at the stoppages at times. Didn't hear how Kent went this week at the lower level, but I'd have Harmes and ANB ahead of JKH. I'm happy to call it a day with JKH. I was prepared to back him in for 3+ weeks given the FD clearly wanted to give him a shot. He failed abysmally and once again vindicated my thoughts on him since 2014; he has no weapons to make it at this level. Definitely gets the axe next week and I hope we don't see him again, otherwise we're in trouble. Hunt isn't. He's a terrific mark above his head. Thought it was a great move pushing him forward. Got us going in the third and took some really important contested marks. Kid is going to be A grade. Needs to improve his kicking though. The tide is going to turn HH and it's going to be sweet. Just stay the course.

Tyson wasn't the problem today. His kicking was a lot better. Set up a couple of goals in fact...

I suspect Goodwin would prefer us having the ball, rather than the opposition. And it's easier to correct than not winning the ball in the first place. I personally think this will correct itself when all our guys learn to back each other in more and spread harder. I'm with Goody. I'm not concerned with the overuse at this point. As Abe points out though, I'm much more concerned with our all up, no one down and letting the ball get to the back almost every time. Our defensive positioning at times today though was laughable. Wagner was a massive offender and Frost was also outsmarted a couple of times. The leadership is another major issue. Not much Goody can do about the leadership, but I think we'll correct a lot of these things as the season goes on. I'm buoyant, but frustrated at the moment. Just waiting for it all to click.

Disagree. Viney tried to give his team the spark in that second with a great goal from the boundary and had 9 tackles at the 20 minute mark of the second term. Lewis tried hard and had a bit, but couldn't influence in the way he would have liked. Vince's dump kicks inside 50 to no one that came back with interest didn't help. And Jones... urgh.

I'll post something less emotional later, but you look at our two captains and Hawthorn's captain. Viney was a star and kept us in it in a putrid first half. Terrific to have him back in form. Roughead dobbed critical goals at the other end and then there was Jones. Jones turned it over multiple times, cost us two goals and then missed a critical gettable shot on goal when the game was on the line in the fourth. Many of us have said this before, but he really isn't a leader and he along with a few of our younger guys (JKH, Salem, Petracca and Wagner) made costly errors at critical time.

Just threw the missus' excrement coloured scarf in the bin and we're ready to leave for the game!

Just watched the whole replay (I was out tonight) and absolutely no doubt that was a deliberate out of bounds. Still 23 seconds left on the clock. He practically rugby passed it over the line. Hilarious though. Gee, we let one slip losing to those mugs, even two down for much of the game. They're just pretenders.

It was only a matter of time. Both teams are pretenders. Be nice if Adelaide lose two straight too.

I originally tipped Carlton and changed my tip. What a dill.

If this is more appropriate somewhere else, please feel free to move it, mods. Just wanted to give the website guys and gals a bit of props here. People have been critical of the content available on the official Melbourne website, but as a filmmaker, I feel it's worthwhile to note some of the latest videos. The BCNA video and now the 40,000 members videos are both wonderfully made and love how they're using the 'infinity' quote for the membership numbers. I hope they tap into this next year. Would still like to see a few more weekly videos. Maybe an analysis of the opposition weekly video like the Tigers have and I'd be using Gawny as much as possible. Great host, great charisma and very watchable. Anyway, well done, MFC.

I can't remember, BB, but were you a fan of Howe? You must have been with this attitude.

It's usually a 3 to 4 goal breeze down there, but if a team gets on top with the breeze, it's really hard to stop them. I wouldn't rule out Adelaide just yet, it has the hallmarks of the game against our boys last year, but I think we managed to keep the Roos to 7 goals and that might end up being the difference.