Dr. Gonzo

Richmond are bottom of the ladder not fighting for a finals spot though. That's why the poster said "a match like this", context matters. If we swapped positions with Richmond how many would we have got to our respective games? I can't imagine it getting worse than 16k but who knows???

Maybe slightly, I doubt the numbers were boosted by 16k though

As evidenced by the fact we had 32k v WCE 3 weeks ago.

The problem is we put ourselves at risk of being shunted off to Docklands for games - 20k looks horrible in a 100k stadium, especially when most of those 20k sit on the broadcast side. Carlton and Essendon want more games at the G, so who is going to play at Docklands to make up for it? Supporters complain about selling a game to the NT but last night is the perfect example for why the club would sell 2 games if they could. We almost merged in the 80s/90s and almost did ourselves in in the 00s/10s. We came out of it and won a flag but the supporters still flake it and then complain when we get treated like the poor relation of the AFL. Well you reap what you sow. I am sympathetic to those who have genuine health, financial, family,travel etc etc reasons for not going and I'm not judging anyone individually, as a supporter group though I feel like we could do better.

I know a heap of Collingwood and Carlton supporters and most of them would be lucky to go to 2 games a year. They get to gloat about what big clubs they are and their big crowds and give [censored] to me about Melbourne crowds/supporters despite hardly ever going to games while I've been going week in/week out for about 35 years! Ok a bit less frequently in recent years due to a young family and the commitments that come with that but overall I've actually supported the Demons a thousand times over compared to them with their clubs. It's tough being a Melbourne supporter because you feel this personal obligation to go every single week and feel as though you've let the club, players and other supporters down if you dont go despite probably being some of the most rusted on supporters in the comp. Supporting a club shouldn't feel like a chore or obligation, it should be fun but sometimes I feel like I have to drag myself along to games to make sure the club isn't embarrassed by a poor turnout. We have a smaller supporter base, that won't change overnight. Sometimes you will get a confluence of factors lining up which sees a poor crowd like last night but I think part of it also comes down to our supporter demographics. I'm surprised the club weren't spruiking for supporters to get out and attend this game, they must have known there was a risk of a really poor crowd. Sometimes supporters need that extra motivation to get off the couch, especially in the middle of winter against a franchise who is not a traditional rival. I know my family have been less inclined to go this year despite my cajoling, my parents are getting older and hate the night games, my brother still plays so Saturday's are usually a wipeout, my kids are young and play junior footy early Sunday, and amongst all of us most have had this 3-4 week virus that seems to have been niggling half of Melbourne this winter. None of them could be convinced to go last night (especially after the rain hit in the early arvo) but they were umming and aahing about it so a bit of a push from the clubs media team might have been enough to get them to come along. Anyway I can imagine if my family was like that there were plenty of others in the same boat.

To be fair though Richmond are dead last on the ladder, we were fighting for finals last night. How many would've turned up if we were 18th with two wins for the season? We had <10k against GWS at Docklands about 10 years back.

Sparrow will never be an elite mid but he can be a very good 2nd string mid. He's had to step up this year with our midfield problems and has struggled. As a 4th or 5th mid I think he'll still be fine.

If it's the one I'm thinking of Kozzie basically pushed him and didn't tackle which is why it wasn't holding the ball.

Reading through the Essendon bigfooty thread (schadenfreude does wonders for the soul) they are ready to blow the place up and start again. Got me thinking we could do worse than get Peter Wright in as 2nd ruck/forward option for a year or two, couldn't be any worse than our current options. Wouldn't mind Nick Hind either, has some real line breaking pace and seems to be on the outer (was sub against us, came on and made a bit of an impact then dropped to the VFL).

Yes it's all Goodwin's fault, you keep banging your head against that wall maybe someday it'll crumble before your genius. Let me guess, next it'll be Pert and Roffey's fault because they didnt front the media next to Goodwin in the press conference 🙄

Exactly and the effort was there tonight, the players turned up ready to play and didn't let up til the final siren sounded. Not sure what that poster is getting at, a crack at the coaching I assume.

Petty had a poor start I thought but worked himself into the game and did what we want from him. Laid a couple of jarring tackles, kicked a (couple?) of goals and made himself a target across half forward. The last shot he had should have been a 50m penalty. As he's walking in to kick the umpire the umpire clearly says "Toby, Toby, back 2 metres" - I assume he is talking about Greene or Bedford because we had no Toby's playing tonight. How is that not a 50m penalty??? Compared to the one paid against Kozzie when we played the Bombers which was white hot this one was 25 seconds into a players set shot and he was encroaching on the protected area, hence the call to go "back 2 metres" - how is that not a 50m penalty?? Cost us a certain goal but you won't hear any of the sycophants talking about it, just like they won't mention May's push on the back or Greene's duck which both resulted in goals. I'm also fed up with Viney and Oliver being manhandled at every bloody stoppage, there were at least 2 or 3 blatant holding frees tonight they didn't get. They tried to make sure the umpire saw it but the maggots just turn a blind eye. It is infuriating, happens every week.

He (Fritsch) started on the bench tonight, surely that's a message. Someone mentioned he was close to getting dropped after the North game and seemed to put in for a couple of weeks but tonight was back to his worst in that regard. People overlook it when he bobs up and kicks 3 goals in 5 minutes but when you're not impacting the scoreboard enough it stands out like dogs balls.

This is such a garbage post, I'd like to think you're better than that PF but maybe you're not. Dragged himself out of hospital to be there tonight and stood in the freezing cold on the boundary before going back into hospital tomorrow morning. Has built a strong culture around the playing group who clearly love him as evidenced by most players signing long term deals. Our only living premiership coach and the man who was able to break the drought after 57 years. Whatever you think of him he is etched in Demon folklore til they stop writing about the game. I think he needs some new voices in the coaches box but he is a damn good coach. Great at strategy, maybe not so great tactically but none are perfect. Clearly had us ready to play as we came out of the blocks red hot - reminded me of the Semi Final last year actually. How exactly was he outcoached? Giants are a flag contender, we will be lucky to make finals with our best player side lined and a raft of kids being blooded.

They're not alone there though. I'm really frustrated with Fritsch, he is a class player but his defensive efforts are deplorable. Late in the game "chasing" an opponent across half back his heart rate wouldn't have gone above 80bpm. 16k is club killing stuff

Beat the Lions last year off the top of my head

With 2 goals from blatant umpire errors I tend to agree. Fought it out which is all you can ask for but got comprehensively outplayed for 2.5 quarters. Still too many passengers and some old legs look like they're struggling late in the season. Gawn still looked underdone and once their mids tightened up after quarter time we struggled to win a clearance, Rivers went missing after a huge first quarter.

Robbed

Could pinch this! Shades of Lions last year

You don't know what you're talking about. Dropped his knees, exactly the same thing Ginnivan got lambasted for the last couple of years. How about that last one Petty lining up for goal and as he's walking in to kick the umpire "Toby, Toby, back 2 metres" - why is that not 50 if he's encroaching during the run-up? Seem to remember Kozzy getting one paid against him much hotter than that a couple of weeks back. The umpiring across the AFL is an absolute joke, a bunch of muppets led by incompetent spivs at AFL house.

Yeah ok 🤣 gifted a goal to Greene when he ducked and a blatant push to May not paid and that's just for starters

Class rising to the top, frustrating they're getting a leg up from the umps though

No push in the back to May?? This sport is cooked

It's the only sport in the world where most umpiring decisions are based on the umpires interpretation so they are right no matter which way they pay the decision

How that's wasnt a free to Carry in the middle, give me strength! Onya Jack, fantastic goal