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.

It's also where the Vineys live.

That's the context that all those dissing Oscar have failed to apply. He's going to be huge for this club, as he showed yesterday. Consistency comes with age and experience, particularly for a KPP. Too many of us just fail to allow for the bumps and imperfections along development road, thus having to make an about face when those players start reaching their potential. We do it to so many young players, but never learn it seems.

So many problems with this draft oversimplification and failure to account for the exceptions, that it doesn't warrant rebuttal. You obviously thought my last sentence of satirical hyperbole was a serious comparison though, which is a worry. Your claim that Oscar "CONTINUOUSLY makes errors, is slow to react and looks COMPLETELY and UTTERLY out of his depth" is some of the best hyperbole I've seen, and clearly nonsense.

For some on here binman, Oscar's card is stamped. They'll never see beyond his imperfections, but will nevertheless expect something closer to perfection than for other 'favoured' players. As you so accurately make the point, some of those other favoured players made mistakes that were just as significant yesterday. There's just no eliminating subjective bias, so Oscar will continue to get a bagging unless he miraculously morphs into a cross between Matthew Scarlett, Glen Jakovich and Gary Hardeman.

For a KPP of his size and age, he's way ahead of the curve, and always has been. Classic whipping boy status without an ounce of perspective or context from many posters. He's just gonna get better, and when TMac gets back down there as Gawn and Hogan come back, the brothers McDonald will become one of the great stories of the AFL over the coming years.