Match Thread (merged)

[dann]

I was at TD dome last night - great win by the boys - definately the best for the year. Great support from the crowd - it was virtually a home crowd - the Demon support was horrible.

I reckon you need to look at the game in total. Agreed Davey looked dangerous - but he really didn't do that much. The only goal he kicked was pretty freaky - and Schnider did well to hold up Davey a few times when the Demons were streaming out of defense. He tightened up Davey and both players had 15 possessions. I reckon it wasn't a bad result...

[liz]

Originally posted by Foreign Legion


Except for Schneider on Davey all his other matchups were good.

Willo's form is a bit off atm.

But even the Schneider one wasn't a disaster. We didn't lose anything up forward given that we've been playing without a true small forward for most of the year. And as others have said, it allowed Crouch to focus on Yze.

On Willo, James McDonald has a pretty good record of closing down Willo in recent years, and there were times when he seemed to have a couple of Melbourne players on him. If that frees up other midfielders then it's a "win" for us, especially with Kirk, Buchanan and Bolton all using the ball pretty well at the moment.

Whoever was playing on Kirk deserves a pasting. I was amazed at how often he found himself in clear space. I suspect some other teams haven't woken up to the fact yet that Kirk is no longer a tagger but someone who deserves to be watched himself.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by liz
I suspect some other teams haven't woken up to the fact yet that Kirk is no longer a tagger but someone who deserves to be watched himself.

shhhhhh!

[ugg]

Originally posted by liz

Whoever was playing on Kirk deserves a pasting. I was amazed at how often he found himself in clear space. I suspect some other teams haven't woken up to the fact yet that Kirk is no longer a tagger but someone who deserves to be watched himself.

He had a whole bunch of opponents, started with Phil Read, but he was benched after he gave a free kick. Perhaps they were trying to emulate the game plan of the earlier game at the SCG, when they played McLean on Kirk and McLean came out on top in that one.

Should be interseting next week, I think the Eagles will tag Kirk with Stenglein next week.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Someone mentioned that Melbourne supporters wern't loud.

Well, I was at the Lockett end and I tell you, those Dees supporters gave it everything.

I thought Schneider was good. Not great, and if Davey hadn't had a clanger with nearly every kick of his. I said last year that Schneids could play defense.

I noticed a post questioning what LRT was doing in defense. Well Holland went, LRT followed.

I was worried that Hall couldn't hold a mark over his head.

And O'Loughlin was very un-commited. Didn't go for much.

[liz]

Originally posted by ugg
He had a whole bunch of opponents, started with Phil Read, but he was benched after he gave a free kick. Perhaps they were trying to emulate the game plan of the earlier game at the SCG, when they played McLean on Kirk and McLean came out on top in that one.

Are you saying that McLean was Kirk's opponent last night? I can believe it!

[Tuesday]

After having totally negatives vibes leading up to the match, I was suitably impressed with the boys' effort last night.

Leo -- A couple of hard calls against him, but Neitz steam rolled him for the remainder of the match.

B2 -- Solid, stuck like glue to Robertson and shut him down. Nice.

Monty -- A heap of one percenters, yet again, though surpassing his efforts last week was always going to be tough. But didn't disappoint.

BBBH -- That second goal = gold! A great haul from the big bloke.

ROK -- Fired up early on, then faded somewhat. But a good performance nonetheless.

Dempster -- Only 15 mins?!?! Baffled by that one

Jude -- Has failed to make as much impact as he did pre-hamstring strain, though I felt last night he is slowly returning to form. A couple of choice smothers, one percenters and his ability to read the play helped us last night. Really like the way he never gives up.

Kirk -- Did well finding space, was puzzled as to who was on him for most of the game.

Ablett -- Talk about a booming kick! when he has an opportunity to get it away, he certainly does it well.

Ball and Jolly -- S O L I D. It was the best I have seen them both play, tag-team style. If they can keep that up, especially against the Wiggles, then we are halfway there.

[Nico]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Yep - 'the best' is probably the best description.

I was just very unimpressed with Schneider - waited for the ball and didn't commit to contests, was poor on Davey and did nothing when he got the ball.

I am not one of Schneider's fans but I thought he was OK. He was forced to be accountable and a number of times he ran into space and made Davey need to be accountable, which he was not. He seemed to think about his game a bit and was a genuine team contributor.

Didn't find a hard ball get stat for him though NMW. Correct, he didn't commit to those close in encounters early on when Davey found a way to get it and a way through traffic. Wouldn't think he would get a defensive role too often, but Davey really didn't have an influence and Schneider was moved off him in the last Q when he snagged that goal. Kennelly had the job then.

[Nico]

Originally posted by Glenn
Also Jolly had a good night in the ruck, the rotation of Ball/Jolly vs White really paid dividends in getting the ball out the middle

Disagree on Jolly Glenn. I thought he was just average. He dropped a mark he should have over a much shorter player in the last Q when he was the target, turnover, goal to Dees.

Serviceable is the best I can describe him at the moment.

[Nico]

Any chance of Mathews getting a handball off when tackled. How he wasn't pinged a number of times baffled me.

[lescygnes]

just a question folks, i havent been around the m'board in a while, but am i the only one on here that has a minor coronary when LRT goes near the ball???

last night was certainly a roller coaster ride watching him play!

cheers
John

ps-still buzzed by the win. looking good for next week i reckon

[cruiser]

Originally posted by lescygnes
just a question folks, i havent been around the m'board in a while, but am i the only one on here that has a minor coronary when LRT goes near the ball???

LOL that you even have to ask (where have you been?). The answer is a resounding no (unless Barry is answering yiur question - I think LRT and Barry might be related). That said, LRT had a decent game last night, especially when it really mattered in the last quarter.

[lescygnes]

agreed there. its about the time that i think it might be as good idea for the mob to put a hit on LRT or a fatwa, so to speak, then the guy does something to redeem himself and you think, what the???

frustrating bloke to watch

[liz]

Originally posted by lescygnes
just a question folks, i havent been around the m'board in a while, but am i the only one on here that has a minor coronary when LRT goes near the ball???

LRT is most effective when he plays instinctively. It's when he has time to think that I start to cringe.

A similar comment could be made about Buchanan, though he's improving. And most of the time he plays at such breakneck speed that he is playing instinctively anyway.

[Snowy]

Agree about Buchanan, he's most effective when he just chooses to barge through, go hell for leather and forget the consequences. Not being a great kick etc. it doesn't help when he's had time to think and the play is slowed down. The opposition tends to regroup. But when he plays at full speed he tends to get support from his teammates and the play flows on.