Maldonboy38

How do I watch Blues v Bombers without puking? Essendon I loathe with intensity, and Carlton only marginally less. I really like Harrison Jones, so I will cheer him when he is near it, and just generally moan and deride my way through the rest of it.

Charlie Dixon working his backside off, midfield missing him by 5-10, or kicking it Richmond defenders.

Stuff me, Martin is brillliant. I love watching him kick - so strong, steady and accurate. He also knows when to kick hard or to loop it into space. This brilliance is balanced by how much Cotchin gets my teeth grinding.

I've watched a bit of Casey this year, and Rosman looks close to AFL level, although not heaps of the ball in recent weeks. Agree about Moniz-Wakefiled. He looks classy but goes missing for long periods.

Sorry, but it is. Just as holding a jumper when a player has not got the ball is holding the man, holding a jumper of a player with the ball and the player does not dispose of it = holding the ball. Always was, always has been.

Ah, yes it is. If a player has the ball and you hold the jumper, and he does nothing to release it - it is holding the ball.

Great game of footy Freo v lions. A high standard of everything.

This is so true. I was screaming it at the screen for most of the 2nd half. I could not believe the times Harmes gut ran into F50, provided an option by moving about, and was seen but ignored. Everyone else was standing still waiting for the pack to form. This was simply an invitation to the McCartin & McCartin show to show us their best, and Rampe LOVES this scenario. Great coaching by Longmire, and great discipline by the Swans players.

OK, I have an evening, brekkie and lunch behind me during which I was able to reflect and ponder our 12 point loss to the Swans. And now I sit to read the torrent of opinion, hyperbole and ranting otherwise known as the Demonland postgame thread. I think many of us (including myself last night) need to take valium, take rectal valium, medicinal cannabis, non-medicinal cannabis or some such other, and calm the &*$# down. We played poorly and have 3 main areas to fix - 1) decision making with ball in hand 2)basic skills under pressure but most importantly 3) forward 50 cohesion. We are coming towards the bye and it appears we have a few tired, sore players. The sky hasn't fallen. And please, for the love of everything Melbourne supporters consider sacred STOP BLAMING THE UMPIRES!!!! Yes, they make lots of mistakes every week but we rarely lose games because of them. Yes, there were some howlers last night but they are not against us, they didn't plan for the Swans to win, and no we don't always get the wort of it. We lost by playing poorly and the Swans played well.

No. M Brown was next to useless as well. I would be playing van Rooyen and seeing what he can do if TMac is out.

Yes, forgot about him. He was probably equal worst. His turning back into trouble, or handballing to a team mate in a worse position was appalling. Not sure why he has stepped back so far from his effectiveness from last year.

What to do with Lever, Jackson, Sparrow and BBB? Their touch has gone, their confidence has gone, their intensity is totally shot.

Very harsh on Hunt. He kept Papley to no impact, and his one goal was from a free kick that was soft ( but it was a free kick). Both Browns, Sparrow, were the worst of us tonight. Sparrow's decision making was just awful, a standout among a heap of poor decisions. ANB, Jackson, Harmes and Tomlinson were almost as bad.

6. Gawn 5. Brayshaw 4. Viney 3. Jordon 2. Oliver 1. Fritsch

Yep, these three things are glaring and poor at the moment.

We have some things to figure out, and quickly. Decision making with ball in hand. There has to be SOME awareness of the game around you. How to handball Spread from stoppage. When to play on from a mark/free kick and when not to. Numerous times players in vicinity of the play standing watching. Our forward set up. We only lost by 12 points, but the general play was excruciating to watch as mistake after mistake.

Fritsch has been all class, then that. Followed by a brain fade from Petty

Our decision making with ball in hand = horror show. And still no movement inside 50.

Really good quarter of contested footy from both teams. Hard to watch but it was trench warfare. Not sure why the hits after a mark or free kick are not being seen or paid by umpires but there have been many of them. Fritsch and Kozzie looking likely. Jordon, Brayshaw, Petty, Langdon and Viney keeping us in the game. Jackson has done little, so make him man up on Paddy McCartin.

OK, I got up, had a cold drink, vented my frustration, and now ready for the 2nd half. Our midfield looks hesitant and faulty, our forward 50 looks clunky and dysfunctional. Swans have goals from Reid who is getting free kicks for nothing, and another goal from a kick out of a pack which lands in the lap of another forward. And yet we are 2 points down. I think we might actually be OK.

This is what stands out in our forward 50 so far. No run, no flair, no imagination. Bomb it to the pocket, hope a tall can get near it to bring it to ground, and then a fight at ground level (which the Swans are thrashing us at).

Well done Fritsch, but our work around the packs is poor. Sydney are reading our stoppage work and ripping it away.

How can our handball to target be off the charts brilliant in the 1st quarter, then absolutely sub-VFL standard in the 2nd quarter? And our stoppages decision making is out of control poor!

Kennedy and Buddy out - huge loss for the Swans. Swans are brilliantly coached so Lever will not be free to intercept all day, and the stoppages will probably be 50/50. We are close to our best 22, but Salem will be very rusty. Having Gawn, Oliver, Viney, Petracca, Langdon and Brayshaw across the middle gives us grunt and class that the Swans can't match. Close most of the day, real dog fight. Dees will have a 10 minute patch where they kick 5 straight, and we win by 20 points.

Doggies looking a rabble so far. Little system, poor skills, low energy. It is early in the match so anything can happen, but what happened to their highly celebrated midfield?