Earl Hood

6 Gawn 5 Petracca 4 Harmes 3 Lever 2 Oliver 1 Frost

MFC ~ where from here?

Yep no leadership, it really shows. We missed May’s ability and leadership tonight done back but we need more of it up forward and in the middle. We had Lewis forward and Max in the middle as well as the 2 captains but all we saw was a rudderless shambles. Just don’t know how to explain the headless chook stuff that went on tonight!

Our game has always depended on Gawn and midfielder dominance to make up for our forward deficiencies. So when Max gets towelled up in the last and our midfield gets beaten to the ball all our deficiencies look worse. All our last half goals were opportunistic, off the ground kicks etc. none from set plays to key forwards taking a mark etc. just don’t know where we go from here. So many deficiencies up forward, down back and now the midfield group seems to have been worked out.

Umpires yet again!

Looking for positives Frost a plus so far. Except for 2 brain fades he has been dynamic in a very pedestrian team effort so far.

Where is the midfield? MIA.

Kev, interesting your comment on Lewis and a coach delivering high balls into two crowded areas and practicing intercept marking and I assume the designated forwards trying to mark or spoil or read the spill of the ball and crumb a goal or two; if that is what they were practicing? I made a comment in last week’s game thread that my observations at training this year are that we simulate quick ball movement and precise passing to a leading forward or forward who has created space often because we have more designated forwards than defenders. Those drills look good but come game day and some added pressure and our forward delivery is haphazard at best with loopy running chaos kicks to forwards who are covered or the set kick high ball to the space 20 metres out from goal. With this forward delivery we need forwards who can take contested marks or bring the ball to ground and others who can crumb the ground balls. My point was I have never seen us practice reacting to the chaos balls that we create in a match. Maybe todays drill was trying to replicate reality, I.e train as you play?

Forget NT. Hey Brisbane looks like it is putting an ominous side together must be about time we started selling our home games again to them for the next few years!

I think it is because we have become irrelevant again as someone else has said.

His problems ran much deeper than the odd drinking episode with MFC, if indeed that happened. His career was doomed when the Yuendumu community split just after he moved to Melbourne. He was the first elder to play AFL and his community was in turmoil. When he was off injured in 2011 he went back home and was drawn into all the problems back there. What could have been I don’t know, he had immense talent but I suspect injuries would have always been a problem for him.

Nothing wrong with our forward delivery on Sunday. One because we had Fritsch who could take a contested mark, all 186 cm, skinny build of him versus our usual 194 cm, 97 kg plus key forwards who can’t clunk anything. But then our forwards set shot kicking was abysmal, what 1 goal 5 in the first, that was where the game was lost. Fix the set shots at goal and we are competitive.

Umpiring was abominable

The replay showed Lever probably letting go an expletive but to the ground in frustration, it wasn’t directed at the umpire, certainly not in his face but he gives a 50 penalty saying Lever knows what words he said. What now players have watch their words, nothing vulgar or it’s a 50? The umpiring started to even up in the second and third Quarters but again deteriorated in the last, after the 9 to 0 fiasco of the first Q. All their decisions were arbitrary all day for both sides but we got the rough end of the 50/50’s that is for sure.

Lockhart needed a rest last week, let alone this week. But who would you bring in?

BT saying the breeze has swung to favour our end for the third quarter! Can we take advantage, does our coaching staff realise this (if true).

Umpires gave us a fair go that quarter and we kicked straightish to get back into it. also I love how both Ryan and Rioli have flown on top of packs taking out defenders with no realistic attempt at the ball, allowing Their big forwards to Mark unopposed. OK by the umps it seems.

So Darling gets their first shot at that end and aims left post and goals!

Interesting that BT said from the start that you have to aim at left post at our end and we have missed right 3 times. Nothing wrong with Lewis’s action they just can’t read the breeze. Petty misses as well. Unprofessional by our forward coaches it looks to me.

Geelong has been infected by our goal kicking yips. Missed 3 in a row from inside 30m almost dead in front! Then misses a fourth on the run from 30.

What’s the go with Bedford? He looks pretty sharp at training, moves well and has clean hands but his stats in games are not good. Just can’t get his hands on the ball any reasons?

They just showed the last 3 minutes on Fox to review the umpiring and it was exemplary, the umps let it flow and Freo got up by a point. In total contrast to the Brisbane effort. Yes there were a number of technical frees that could have been paid but none where a player was definitely infringed to put them out of a contest so it was play on. That is how umpiring should be executed, especially in the last 15 minutes of a tight contest.

The umpiring is a total mess. That second last free against Thompson just sums it up. I nudge the biggest bloke in the side, not the back, take the mark and get pinged, really for in the back, umpires please note about 10 other examples of a similar nudge in the same match that were deemed legal, but no that’s quibbling.

The stats say our problems are up forward. The midfield is still winning contests and clearances but conversion inside 50 is woefull. We know delivery has been haphazard for much of the season, just bombing it long to a pack and hoping for a mark from TMac, Weid or Max if he is there. For 90% of those bombs the ball has spilled to ground and come straight back out and shown up our lack of two way running. Time and time again I have asked where are our crumpers, goal sneaks, they don’t seem to exist unfortunately. Now it has occurred to me that the 20 or so times I have attended training this year I have never seen us simulate what is happening every game day, that is having our small forwards roving off packs to shark the spilled ball and kick a goal. All our game simulation has us moving the ball quickly and finding a forward target. Great practice but it is not happening game day and our small forwards are not learning or practicing to crumb off a pack. Just an observation, we are not practicing like we are playing up forward.

Yes!