Melbourne Gameday Thread

[Big Al]

All today did was show us that a number of SWans are not good enough. Firstly Smith, not strong enough,

You watched a different game to me. The kid looked poised and assured out there and is going to be a good player for us.

[BSA5]

Absolute paddock football. Our skills were ven worse that last week and Melbourne even did us out of the centre.

Some observations:

Barlow is a shabby footballer. Took a good mark late but only ever got the free ball and when he was involved in the close in stuff was out of his depth. Some of his disposal was rubbish. If we are relying on this bloke to be one of our leaders in coming years we will spend years in the cellar.
Bird - seemed to get lots of stats but his kicking to nothing is breathtaking. Last Q runs through the centre and spots up a Dees player on his own. Late in the game Jack makes a lead easily 5 metres ahead of his man and he had to sprint to just get his fingertips to it. Horrible disposal that should have hit his chest.
Pyke - they have to be kidding, surely.
Goodes - lairised all day. No doubt he has an injury because he had little time in the midfield.
Handball - worse than last week. I can't believe that professional footballers can't hit their target, middle of the body or chest with a 5 metre handball. It was relentless all day.
Kicking to a player. McVeigh said it all when on a lead and it went high above his head for a spoil. Chest, chest he yelled. The ball drops metres short almost every kick. If a player marks they have to dive to get it. What does that do? It stops the game and any flow.
Breaking the lines! Well Shaw doesn't because he goes sideways.
Grundy One of the few to run by for a handpass, only problem is he more than often runs to his wrong side so is forced to kick with his left foot.
White - what hope does he have when one kick all day was directed to him. They ignored him and went to Goodes or MOL.
Midfield work. How I bemoan the tactic of a player running free through midfield only to look sideways to a player wide out when a kick to a leading forward wouldn't go astray. It only allows more oppostion players back.
Marking. How often did we drop a mark unopposed.
Slowness. Even Melbourne can go one on one with us because we are too slow. For them to be able to close us down is indictable.
Ablett. Were the commentators right? One stat to 3Q time! Surely Bevan would have been a far, far better option. At least he finds the footy.
We are the wax dummy side of the comp. We just stand there when we are 50 metres clear.
Jack. Appears to get the pill but does nothing with it.
Thornton. SEN commentators said he did alright considering he was tagging Bruce and did a reasonable job.
Game plan. On that we don't have one.

People can say all this is the youth factor but if that is what our core players and youth have to offer in the skill department heaven help us. On that complete garbage we served up all the skills and development coaches should be shown the door at season's end.

Hannebery and Grundy are the only positives I can get from the game. We only won because Melbourne was one shade more deplorable than us. We will be lucky to kick 5 goals against St Kilda.

Barlow: Played as a key defender, kept Jurrah quiet when he was on him. Had 5 rebound 50s, 3 inside 50s, 4 tackles and a disposal efficiency of 88% (and his rebound 50s and inside 50s show he wasn't just chipping it around the backling). Barlow suffers from LRT-syndrome: he looks awkward but (recently) is effective.
Bird: I noticed those two kicks as well. They were about the only mistakes he made. In fact, his clanger count of 2 suggests they were exactly the only two mistakes he made. Granted, Bird's disposal isn't all that flash by foot. It's never been claimed as one of his strengths. However, Sam Mitchell's disposal by foot is no better. Bird is a textbook clearance-king handball-merchant. I will mention though that when taking shots at goal on the run his kicking is very good. I think he tends to hold back when he kicks to teammates, afraid of overcooking the kick. As such, they often fall short. If he could back himself to kick through the ball, his footskills would improve dramatically.
Pyke: He was poor, but he's been good in other games. I think he's coming along rather well. He was no worse than a typical first year ruckman.
Jack: Couldn't disagree with you more. He doesn't get a lot of it, but recently his ball use has improved out of sight. Maybe it's a technique thing, maybe it's a confidence thing, I don't know, but he's actually hitting targets and setting up play. And he's one of the few players in our team that has pace and actually uses it.

I agree, or am at least neutral towards, your other points. But really, Nico, you are ridiculously negative. Yes, it was a @@@@ game. But there were plenty of positives to be taken along with the negatives.

[Nico]

Barlow: Played as a key defender, kept Jurrah quiet when he was on him. Had 5 rebound 50s, 3 inside 50s, 4 tackles and a disposal efficiency of 88% (and his rebound 50s and inside 50s show he wasn't just chipping it around the backling). Barlow suffers from LRT-syndrome: he looks awkward but (recently) is effective.
Bird: I noticed those two kicks as well. They were about the only mistakes he made. In fact, his clanger count of 2 suggests they were exactly the only two mistakes he made. Granted, Bird's disposal isn't all that flash by foot. It's never been claimed as one of his strengths. However, Sam Mitchell's disposal by foot is no better. Bird is a textbook clearance-king handball-merchant. I will mention though that when taking shots at goal on the run his kicking is very good. I think he tends to hold back when he kicks to teammates, afraid of overcooking the kick. As such, they often fall short. If he could back himself to kick through the ball, his footskills would improve dramatically.
Pyke: He was poor, but he's been good in other games. I think he's coming along rather well. He was no worse than a typical first year ruckman.
Jack: Couldn't disagree with you more. He doesn't get a lot of it, but recently his ball use has improved out of sight. Maybe it's a technique thing, maybe it's a confidence thing, I don't know, but he's actually hitting targets and setting up play. And he's one of the few players in our team that has pace and actually uses it.

I agree, or am at least neutral towards, your other points. But really, Nico, you are ridiculously negative. Yes, it was a @@@@ game. But there were plenty of positives to be taken along with the negatives.

What I was pointing out was our woeful skills that get worse every week. I suggest the stats on Bird are a bit off the mark. Was it not he who did a sub 10 metre kick from half back flank to someone inboard and it didn't even hit the chest. So that's at least 3 clangers. I like Bird but his disposal has got worse not better.

It is your right to say I am too negative but sometimes people are far too forgiving of crap pefromances. I can't remember a worse victory than that. We played the team that has been the worst in the comp for the last 2 years by a street with 7 changes, and fell in.

There is no question that Goodes, Kirk and C Bolton are playing with significant injuries but that doesn't excuse poor decision making by most of the team. O'Keefe seriously carried us over the line today.

[liz]

Gee, am I glad I went down to Canberra for that!!! And then endured a horrid horrid drive back in the pelting rain, which got progressively worse the closer I was to Sydney.

Possibly the worst game of footy I have seen. Certainly the worst this year. First half was bearable but then after half-time, seemed as if most of the players couldn't really give a toss.

Did like Hannebery at this level. Found a fair bit of it for a second gamer, and showed some aggro for the second week in a row.

Didn't mind Barlow and Grundy's games - not spectacular, but did some good things, mixed with some mistakes. And 3 goals from big boy Jolly was a decent effort.

[BSA5]

What I was pointing out was our woeful skills that get worse every week. I suggest the stats on Bird are a bit off the mark. Was it not he who did a sub 10 metre kick from half back flank to someone inboard and it didn't even hit the chest. So that's at least 3 clangers. I like Bird but his disposal has got worse not better.

It is your right to say I am too negative but sometimes people are far too forgiving of crap pefromances. I can't remember a worse victory than that. We played the team that has been the worst in the comp for the last 2 years by a street with 7 changes, and fell in.

There is no question that Goodes, Kirk and C Bolton are playing with significant injuries but that doesn't excuse poor decision making by most of the team. O'Keefe seriously carried us over the line today.

I never excused the poor decision making of our senior players. In a sense, that was something I took from the game, because it was not something we saw from our young players. Our younger players, the players that we will rely on in the future, looked completely comfortable out there, and showed up a large number of our senior players.

Don't get me wrong, this was a poor performance overall. But firstly, you spouted a lot of crap in your first post. And secondly, there are different types of bad performances. If we were a team with pretty much every player between 23 and 27, yes, that would be terrible. But this was a crap team performance than happened to have some very promising individual performances from some very inexperienced players of the future.

[Nico]

I never excused the poor decision making of our senior players. In a sense, that was something I took from the game, because it was not something we saw from our young players. Our younger players, the players that we will rely on in the future, looked completely comfortable out there, and showed up a large number of our senior players.

Don't get me wrong, this was a poor performance overall. But firstly, you spouted a lot of crap in your first post. And secondly, there are different types of bad performances. If we were a team with pretty much every player between 23 and 27, yes, that would be terrible. But this was a crap team performance than happened to have some very promising individual performances from some very inexperienced players of the future.

10 - 8 - 68 against a very poor team regardless of the weather (was it wet all game) says there was little one could take from the game. We all see things in games differently but my first post was designed to point out how bad our skills are and were all things that happened in the game.

If you wish to dismiss this and take it as crap, that is your perogative.

[Big Al]

Come on Nico, @@@@ weather, @@@@ crowd, @@@@@ opposition, @@@@ game.


DST

@@@@ avoidance of the swear filter

[Lohengrin]

Come on Nico, @@@@ weather, @@@@ crowd, @@@@@ opposition, @@@@ game.

Hardly surprising that we dished up a dreary display.

Why is that an excuse?

[Lucky Knickers]

JUST DISGRACEFUL. We have awful, and players need to go. Ablett gone, and TBH thornton is just not impressing me. Doesn't get enough possesions, and he has made a couple of mistakes. Pyke was alright today, but when currie comes back, he comes in for him.

This comment is quite bizarre to me - the 7 gamer and you've written off his career already? What do you expect? We could drop the entire team - they all make mistakes.

I like Birds game, he is a great extractor. How he gets some of those handballs away is beyond me.
Nick Smith is very composed. I like his game.
Agree with Liz on Hannebury, he's not easily intimidated. Good to see him push back.

Something that I find worrying is the number of collisions we've got going on in defence at the moment. We seem to be getting smashed down back by opposition and ourselves.

I really hope to see Leo in the forward line next week just to provide a leading target. Too much standing around waving arms over our heads - it seems awfully static.

[BSA5]

10 - 8 - 68 against a very poor team regardless of the weather (was it wet all game) says there was little one could take from the game. We all see things in games differently but my first post was designed to point out how bad our skills are and were all things that happened in the game.

If you wish to dismiss this and take it as crap, that is your perogative.

I said I agreed with a number of your posts. And I explained point by point why I disagreed with some others. While it was a poor game, there were definitely positives, and you just rattling off a scoreline and saying that there aren't any positives is a terribly weak argument. How about responding properly to some of the points I made?

[Midfield]

This comment is quite bizarre to me - the 7 gamer and you've written off his career already? What do you expect? We could drop the entire team - they all make mistakes.

I like Birds game, he is a great extractor. How he gets some of those handballs away is beyond me.
Nick Smith is very composed. I like his game.
Agree with Liz on Hannebury, he's not easily intimidated. Good to see him push back.

Something that I find worrying is the number of collisions we've got going on in defence at the moment. We seem to be getting smashed down back by opposition and ourselves.

I really hope to see Leo in the forward line next week just to provide a leading target. Too much standing around waving arms over our heads - it seems awfully static.

Yes, worrying for their health. But in the last two weeks its been about the only thing that i can hold on to ? the fact that our boys in the backline are the bravest in the comp. B2, Mattner, Teddy, LRT (and bevan) make me proud to follow the bloods the way they put their bodies on the line (nice work by B1 today too, as always).

[Midfield]

Absolute paddock football. Our skills were ven worse that last week and Melbourne even did us out of the centre.

Some observations:

Barlow is a shabby footballer. Took a good mark late but only ever got the free ball and when he was involved in the close in stuff was out of his depth. Some of his disposal was rubbish. If we are relying on this bloke to be one of our leaders in coming years we will spend years in the cellar.
Bird - seemed to get lots of stats but his kicking to nothing is breathtaking. Last Q runs through the centre and spots up a Dees player on his own. Late in the game Jack makes a lead easily 5 metres ahead of his man and he had to sprint to just get his fingertips to it. Horrible disposal that should have hit his chest.
Pyke - they have to be kidding, surely.
Goodes - lairised all day. No doubt he has an injury because he had little time in the midfield.
Handball - worse than last week. I can't believe that professional footballers can't hit their target, middle of the body or chest with a 5 metre handball. It was relentless all day.
Kicking to a player. McVeigh said it all when on a lead and it went high above his head for a spoil. Chest, chest he yelled. The ball drops metres short almost every kick. If a player marks they have to dive to get it. What does that do? It stops the game and any flow.
Breaking the lines! Well Shaw doesn't because he goes sideways.
Grundy One of the few to run by for a handpass, only problem is he more than often runs to his wrong side so is forced to kick with his left foot.
White - what hope does he have when one kick all day was directed to him. They ignored him and went to Goodes or MOL.
Midfield work. How I bemoan the tactic of a player running free through midfield only to look sideways to a player wide out when a kick to a leading forward wouldn't go astray. It only allows more oppostion players back.
Marking. How often did we drop a mark unopposed.
Slowness. Even Melbourne can go one on one with us because we are too slow. For them to be able to close us down is indictable.
Ablett. Were the commentators right? One stat to 3Q time! Surely Bevan would have been a far, far better option. At least he finds the footy.
We are the wax dummy side of the comp. We just stand there when we are 50 metres clear.
Jack. Appears to get the pill but does nothing with it.
Thornton. SEN commentators said he did alright considering he was tagging Bruce and did a reasonable job.
Game plan. On that we don't have one.

People can say all this is the youth factor but if that is what our core players and youth have to offer in the skill department heaven help us. On that complete garbage we served up all the skills and development coaches should be shown the door at season's end.

Hannebery and Grundy are the only positives I can get from the game. We only won because Melbourne was one shade more deplorable than us. We will be lucky to kick 5 goals against St Kilda.

On the game: Agreed.
Barlow: Agreed.
Bird: I'm with BSA5. He's a goer.
Pyke: I hope it pays off, but think i have more chance of winning powerball.
Goodes: He loves a sook every now and again. I think most of us joined him today.
Handball/Kicking: It happens.
Breaking the lines: You know we miss Amon.
Grundy: No comment.
White: Agreed.
Midfield work: BBB straightened us up no end.
Marking: It happens.
Slowness: I agree we're not quick, but i dont think its the reason we looked so bad.
Ablett: BSA5 nailed the reason why he's still playing (to bump his value up).
Jack: Hard at it, quick and getting better. Nothing wrong with him.
Thornton: He wasn't good. But he's a kid and he can play.
Game plan: Game plan means squat if there is no effort. Worst effort for 5 years in my book.

[sidswan]

Those of us who attended today deserve a huge medal, apart from it being a thoroughly miserable game .... it was FREEZING. Hardly rained at all, poor attendance ? due to weather & rugby clash.

[liz]

Those of us who attended today deserve a huge medal, apart from it being a thoroughly miserable game .... it was FREEZING. Hardly rained at all, poor attendance ? due to weather & rugby clash.

Not to mention the coffee issues

[31 hard at it]

It really seamed like a game of park football.
Long periods of fumbling the ball, dropped marks and missed handballs.
Sometimes you drop to the standard set by your opponent but today seemed a match where the it was our new guys on to theirs.

Promising signs from most of them.
Smith played his best game and Hannebury showed he will be a player.
Barlow and Grundy put in solid efforts but need to gain more "awareness".
Always look for a few positives every game.