Pates

Agreed on Frost in particular, he looks lost in the forward line and doesn't have good hands. Pedo has at least hands but no footy brain or disposal efficiency, I hate to say it but short term Dawes could come in as that other forward/ruck. Frost, albeit against one of the best rucks in the game, was totally useless when chopping out Gawn.

Out: Stretch, Wagner In: Brayshaw, Garlett The calls for Watts are just stupid, he made some errors but he also did some very good things. Kicked 3 goals and worked hard for others goals. He frustrates and that will always be the case. Accept it because he will be around for longer yet.

I was at the ground, following from last week I was worried we could get monstered and at quarter time it was looking that way. The response after quarter time was incredible, it was a showcase of what we are truly capable against an in form team and in truth we shot ourselves in the foot (not for the first time). key moments in the last quarter cost us shots on goal/goals and the opportunity to actually get the win. It was not easy conditions with the wind blowing all over the place and once we settled we looked every bit the team we're capable of being. There is talk about the umpires, and so I'll start by saying we had our chances and we got punished for not taking them. But there were decisions that gifted them shots on goal that were North playing for the frees and the umps being sucked in. They played a part but I won't say they lost it for us, we had enough chances. Gawn was amazing and is capable of being AA, maybe not next year but it's in him. He was huge. Viney played his usual heart out and was big when the game was in the balance. Lumumba was MUCH better and his run out of defence was important, he still needs to learn when the time is right to do it but he was important for us today. Oliver showed again why is going to be big for our future, and his first goal was a cracker. Sooooo frustrating to see this after being dished up that undiluted crap last week, but they must build on it and we have to win next week. We just have to. Collingwood are a very average team and it will be a disaster if we are 1-3 after 4 rounds.

I was at the ground, following from last week I was worried we could get monstered and at quarter time it was looking that way. The response after quarter time was incredible, it was a showcase of what we are truly capable against an in form team and in truth we shot ourselves in the foot (not for the first time). key moments in the last quarter cost us shots on goal/goals and the opportunity to actually get the win. It was not easy conditions with the wind blowing all over the place and once we settled we looked every bit the team we're capable of being. There is talk about the umpires, and so I'll start by saying we had our chances and we got punished for not taking them. But there were decisions that gifted them shots on goal that were North playing for the frees and the umps being sucked in. They played a part but I won't say they lost it for us, we had enough chances. Gawn was amazing and is capable of being AA, maybe not next year but it's in him. He was huge. Viney played his usual heart out and was big when the game was in the balance. Lumumba was MUCH better and his run out of defence was important, he still needs to learn when the time is right to do it but he was important for us today. Oliver showed again why is going to be big for our future, and his first goal was a cracker. Sooooo frustrating to see this after being dished up that undiluted crap last week, but they must build on it and we have to win next week. We just have to. Collingwood are a very average team and it will be a disaster if we are 1-3 after 4 rounds.

I agree, there feels like there's something different about this current core group. There appears to be more buy in than what we've seen in the past, but we still have this cloud hanging over us. It's over the players, the coaches, and the fans. Fact is the only people who can change this is the players, by doing away with the mentally weak and attitude that is existent in many of some of the older players. The change needs to be driven from the future of the club.

The irony being we actually had more of that in our first year under Roos. We may have lost but every time a team faced Melbourne in 2014 they came off feeling like they'd had a bruising contest. I understand that an attacking style opens things up but contesting should always be the minimum. We slumped back to bruise free footy last week.

...wear my Demons Guernsey all the way home from Hobart along with a massive grin!

With Jeffie out Kennedy and Kent will really have to step up with their forward pressure. Kent in particular has been very poor and given how everyone was pumping up his tyres pre-season that is very disappointing. I'm not going in with much confidence at all, Jeffie is one of our most important players as he adds an air of unpredictability, but if things click there are players that can give the Roos some headaches. Gawn needs a big one, he got embarrassed last week which was thoroughly disappointing. I want us to be in the game at 3 quarter time, make it worth the trip for the idiots (like me) going down to watch it!

How things have changed in a week! This time last week we were looking at our line up and thinking how can we possibly lose? This week we seem to be looking at the line up and thinking how can we possibly win? Gotta say the changes don't inspire me, there are some players that are very lucky to be in the team but I don't think we have the depth yet to cover too many changes. Brayshaw out isn't suprising given his well below par output last week, and Garland, well he's had a shocker of a start to the year. Placed in the leadership group he needs to do more. Lumumba drives me nuts but I understand what he's in the team for, just as long as they can get him placing to ball to the advantage of his teammate. Salem, Kent, Vince, and Hoges need to be much better this week. Their output was very down. Salem I've been a touch disappointed with him so far this year, he hasn't been delivering with the class and poise he's capable of. As someone mentioned above I would like to see us play Hogan further up as more a deep CHF link, tracking back to then receive it in the 50 potentially. I want to se lots of movement from him, and hopefully lots of marks and goals as well. This is a big game for us, we can't allow north to get on top of us early otherwise I feel the drop in confidence could happen quite quickly. And if Tom McDonald decides to go for a run and turn the ball over again to gift them the first goal that will happen. Please Tom, know to your limitations.

I feel this year is make or break for North, they've got a very ageing list and while Boomer is a freak for being able to keep his form so consistent they still are so reliant on him so once retirement comes for him there will be a big hole to fill. They can be very good, and usually are with us, but they do on occasion drop their guard. Maybe this will be the week.

Bit surprised about this one but congrats to him, I'm heading down so to watch the game so I hope to see him put his hand up for a rising star nomination!

Honestly seeing how the senior team (not all that far from best 22) performed on the weekend, the way that Trenners and Petracca played for Casey and the fact they are both in full training could see both of them pushing for selection in the next 2-3 weeks. Pressure from below will hopefully drive certain individuals to perform well and consistently.

Jesse has had a poor start to the year no doubt, but for me of the 8 quarters of the regular season the TEAM has only gelled in two of them. First and last v GWS, 3 quarter time last week and round 1 the coaches told them to be bold and move it quicker, I would expect that this is something they are meant to be doing anyway! Running, spreading, looking for that ball to pull the trigger on a break the lines. Jesse is certainly not the only one not pulling his weight and not doing what he's meant be doing. He's getting the headlines because he won the rising star last year and is expected to get a massive contract at his next negotiations. The expectation and scrutiny on this young bloke is incredible.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that. Hogan is a cog in a bigger machine and that machine was broken on the weekend. But he, unlike others, is more important to the machine so if his output is less we are more likely to fail than someone like Matt Jones or Salem.

Well last week leading into the game I was thinking there is no scenario worse than us losing to the Bombers so we've hit our low point, the players should've had a rocket up their asses if not from the coaches at the very least themselves, so who the hell knows what they will produce. So in answer to the actual question: kick on after the game in Hobart and probably belt out the song about 100 times!

Daniher was impeded at times as well and the umps called play on for him, it happens to just about every large bodied forward. Difference was when Daniher was infringed he worked hard at the second effort and waited to a break in play to say "hey c'mon ump". Hogan does it straight away, it's straight out of the Spanish football text books. If they don't see it him looking sooky isn't going to help. As I said before he is better than this; he needs to forget about the umps, forget about the delivery and focus on things he can control: like his work rate and attitude.

Dropping him is ridiculous as we don't have anyone in the wings, but his body language has been very poor and his output minimal. Some of this is to do with him and some of it is to do with the way we are playing him. He seems to be playing too much as a traditional stay at home forward, he needs to be leading more up the ground and potentially receiving the ball on the wing and linking over the top AS WELL as playing from the 50. Reality is that is what you need from your forwards now. Daniher showed exactly that and was the difference. He is also very rarely getting hit up on the lead. Now is that him? Is it our delivery? Is it the ball movement is too slow and so the 50 is getting congested? From what I've seen its all of the above; 4th quarter GWS was the only time the 50 had space which allowed him to lead and to be hit up in the lead. Has anyone been watching him running patterns? Is he demanding the ball with strong leads? Whatever the answers to all this one thing is certain, he is better than this.

Believe me I was watching the game and while yes Lumumba was positive in his movements he turned the ball over/made it extremely difficult for his teammate almost every time. While it would be my preference to drop him, that is clearly not going to happen but what needs to happen is the players know what will be happening when he gets the ball and present opportunities and be prepared for it. Essendon dos a very good job of zoning us and stopping ball movement. That said we were also our own worst enemies with turnovers. I can see ANB possibly coming in for Kent, or Brayshaw who looked underdone. Beyond that I don't think there'll be many changes. But there will be players put on notice, and rightfully so.

Bad news for everyone as Lumumba the rebound machine, known that way because it's always going to come right back, has "won praise" from Roos. This is extremely concerning as I cannot recall one disposal that did not put one or more of his teammates under unnecessary direct pressure. His run out of defence looks good and flashy for about 5sec but he almost always turns it over or gets himself into trouble. I would have him out but that's apparently not going to happen.

Sometimes sleeping on it helps sometimes it doesn't, this is the latter. What our team did yesterday (and for that matter what Essendon dished up) is so typical of the two teams. As soon as I heard this was going to be their "make a stand" round I was concerned. Our club has a history of responding poorly when the other team comes out with fire and brimstone, I thought we were past it but I was wrong. We were beaten by a sub par AFL team yesterday, but not nuffies. I knew that there would be times this year it clicked for them, they have brought in some very decent top ups and have some exciting young players. But leading into the game it was all about us and how the team responded. What they did, in fact what a lot of senior players did, was gift multiple early goals with pathetic turnovers. Tom McDonald, Col Garland, and Lumumba gave them their start and built their confidence. Then as we started getting on top there wasn't anyone who took the game by the scruff and said, "this is what we do". Our leaders went missing in a bad way, while their senior players, who over the years at respective clubs have given us collective hidings, lead from the front. Worst of this is I'm not surprised, we are Melbourne after all.

Essendon did exactly what I expected of them and we did exactly what I expected of us. Until we start winning games like today we will always be a joke and we will not attract fans. 40,000 members was a big chance if we won today, not gonna happen now.

I have this feeling that the bombers will have an emotion boost in the first 5-10min, they'll attack the footy with with as much desperation they have available and I feel like all we need to do is match them at that and they'll tire themselves out. We then need to put scoreboard pressure on and hopefully sap them of emotion, from there I think the script will write itself. BUT I can see them getting a little jump on us so this has the potential to test the character of the boys. They answered well last week, I'm backing them to answer well again.

I swear in previous years the VFL has started and finished 1 week before the AFL. Totally agree that it's not good for players trying to forced their way into the team, a reserves comp is inevitable I think, it's just a matter of sorting out logistics and costings.

We must destroy them.

Big chance he's our next Brownlow medalist IMO. He knows only one way and it's a way that stands out above all others.