Webber

I’m not saying we lack disposal skill, we lack competitive quality and certainty, It’s a mind thing, and it appears to be fatal.

Of course, this we know, but we don’t have the mentality to fix it. Look at our goal/behind ratio for our big games this year. Repeated misses from 20-30 metres with little angle is a product of a fragile competitive psyche. We are THE chokers of the AFL, pure and simple. We CAN’T kick straight because we don’t have what it takes.

No, we won’t. We aren’t good enough. How much evidence do you need.

Sure, but the point is that in these games we DON’T kick them because we choke, we choke, we choke. It’s part of being a successful team, holding your nerve. We simply don’t have what it takes.

I heard Nathan Burke on radio pregame tipping the Swans, because, and I quote: “Melbourne will choke. They always do”. It made me angry, because I wanted in my heart to know that he was wrong, but in my head I knew he was likely on the money. Once more we had everything to play for, but this time against an interstate team, at home, and down to 20 men effectively for the whole game. In truth, if we had an ounce of the gumption, belief and sheer fortitude that Sydney has, we would have won, and bearing life as a Dees supporter would be a breeze. As it is, this club currently has an insurmountable problem with their group psyche. Will it change? Maybe, hopefully, but nothing about their approach to big games this year tells me it will. And even if we make finals, it’s worth little, because quality teams know easily they can upset our apple cart mentally and tactically. We are horribly inadaptable defensively, have been all year, the good teams exploit it, and today happens. As a result, I couldn’t be more confident that we’ll roll over in the next two weeks.

Wasn’t actually referring to you. I would have quoted you if so.

Some wild presumptions, medical misjudgements and bizarre over-reactions in this thread. Truth is we have been on the lighter side of injuries this year. Suck it up. Kent in.

Yep. A shambles.

The Frost one was nothing, and had it been a crows player...it would absolutely have been play on. Just shameful umpiring, as usual in Adelaide. The AFL needs to settle down on the rules fiddling and put their efforts into finding ways to improve interstate umpiring. It ruins the game.

Free kicks 22-15 to Adelaide, quel surprise! I think we won only one for them incorrectly disposing, yet it was happening all game. I reckon the umpiring is worth about 4 goals against in Adelaide and Geelong, and 6 in Perth, so we won big!

Says more about Sydney I reckon

6. Gawn ....currently best footballer in the AFL 5. Brayshaw.... brilliant career re-definition 4. Oliver....probs should get 6 for the ridiculous 50 metre worm-burners alone 3. Lewis....turnover kicks aside, lead the defence 2. Hogan.... back to backing himself 1. Harmes....worked hard both ways all game.

Tyson for Hannan, in lieu of Viney.

Team high tackles, Goodwin was pleased. He's playing nest week.

But he had chances this year, and wasn't. He's just not the answer, no matter how much u wish it.

"None of those teams concern me". You're joking, I presume. If not, what exactly about our season has given you the idea we can beat these teams? I'm serious, as there's just no evidence, and an injury decimated Adelaide in Alice doesn't count.

Experience of what, though?

You could Redleg, but wasn't it just stating the obvious, and typing in what we were all thinking?

This team has redefined the term pretenders, and when applied to us, it couldn't be more apt. They will get a hammering from the commentariat this week, which for normal teams might be a good thing, but as we've shown for the last 11 years, we will simply NOT respond. Everything to play for, but what do they dish up?

Two points. If not for Oliver's consistent application EVERY week (and he's only got a handful of mates), we would have been pumped at the clearances. Secondly, if we make finals, and we won't I suspect, it would be immeasurably damaging, and given how brittle we are, a disaster.

I couldn't give a rats **** who else you think offended, you just made an objectively irrational and idiotic judgement.

Utter garbage. Find something else to blame. WTF.

If the AFL are serious about improving the game in respect to fairness and equalisation, they MUST address the Adelaide, Perth and Geelong homeground umpiring bias, because it kills the game dead, and it did that tonight. Simply just not an even playing field.

Beaten by the umpires.

It's also where the Vineys live.