Opening Round 2024

[stevoswan]

What are these ticky touchwood holding calls against McLean on Gawn? I didn't see anything obvious on either call.

Yes, frees have kicked on for the Dees, was 7 -7 at one point....now 13 - 7. Pathetic.

[dejavoodoo44]

50 metres not a rule this year?

[stevoswan]

Typical....goal after the siren after a bodgy umpiring quarter with the Vic side under the pump. Just stay out of it you yellow maggots.

[mcs]

That was pretty yuck that quarter all around. Disappointing to concede that late goal too - if Harry had of got his eyes down 30 seconds before we might have kicked a late goal.

Get back in the sheds and reset. Doing a lot right, but delivery into the forward line not so much.

[Maltopia]

Hate to be whining about the umpiring, but where was our 50 for the late hit? We would not have conceded that goal then. The umpiring just destroys my enjoyment of the game as it doesn't look like a fair contest.

[Dow]

We're in front without our three big forwards doing much as yet.....one possession between McDonald, McLean and Amartey so far.

Was my nightmare coming into this game - those 3 are as effective as wet blanket !

[Foreign Legion]

If Brownlow votes are awarded on the basis of free kicks Gawn is a certainty

[Mel_C]

Conditions are terrible again. So many fumbles and dropped marks from both sides. Our tall forwards just can't get into it.

[Dow]

Hoping players like Gulden, Warner and JJ can get involved in the game. Lucky Melbourne can’t kick straight or this game would be over ! - let’s regroup boys and run away with it

[mcs]

Hard for the tall 3 to be effective with the way we are delivering the ball in. They need to work harder and lead more however.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Both sides are strangling each other. We’re doing it with pressure around the ball and on the ball carrier, and Melbourne are sagging back behind the ball.

Heeney’s been outstanding, as some of our outside players have been. Not being at the ground I can’t see whether it’s the forward leading patterns are off or the kick forward of 50 (my usual bug bear) combined with them holding space behind the ball, but it needs to be tidied.

For what it’s worth, I don’t think Grundy has been as bad as the commentators are saying. Max has had a couple of special taps as you’d expect, but Grundy’s been better around the ground.

[stevoswan]

Get back in the sheds and reset. Doing a lot right, but delivery into the forward line not so much.

Yes, it's not helping our big guys down there but seriously, they need to lift at the same time.

[mcs]

Grundy has been okay. He has had good moments - Gawn getting plenty of assistance from those in yellow, even laying any form of finger on him seems to be a free kick tonight. I suspect it'll take Grundy several weeks to really build up some form.

[crackedactor 01]

Not very impressive thus far. They even already look like a tired team. I hope its the humidity. May is killing us down back. I think Mcdonald needs to lead to the pockets to get him out of the main play area.

[stevoswan]

Hate to be whining about the umpiring, but where was our 50 for the late hit? We would not have conceded that goal then. The umpiring just destroys my enjoyment of the game as it doesn't look like a fair contest.

Yeah, I had a theory that we were being punished for having the audacity of recruiting Buddy and that things would improve once he had retired....but so far the umps have not given me any confidence that that might be the case. Maybe the umps are now just used not liking us anymore.....sigh.

- - - Updated - - -

Not very impressive thus far. They even already look like a tired team. I hope its the humidity.

....and yet we lead the game. It's the first game of the year, we're not going to be perfect. Melbourne aren't either......thankfully!