Game Day - R14 Melbourne V Western Bulldogs

[Sedat]

Who are these people? Everyone has acknowledged we were very poor for 90% of the game. The last quarter was a result of the players doing what was required. Can't recall reading "superhuman effort" or anything similar.
The media. There was as more written about the surge than there was about the first 3.5 quarters. Discussion on here has been rational and fair-minded about the performance on the weekend - unlike the media, we all watch our team every week and weren't getting fooled by that last 15 minutes.

[Sedat]

How back looking at the positives of that surge.
If you can find positives in losing to the 2013 version of Melbourne under any circumstances, you're doing very well. That final 15 minutes was simply doing what we should have done for the whole game. TBB is right - it said more about Melbourne than us.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

If you can find positives in losing to the 2013 version of Melbourne under any circumstances, you're doing very well. That final 15 minutes was simply doing what we should have done for the whole game. TBB is right - it said more about Melbourne than us.

Yes TBB is right. Stick Jesse Hogan and Mitch Clark in that Demon side and get the latent talent firing and they would rise up the ladder. The "get the talent firing" part may never happen with their current culture however.
It will be interesting to compare the Dees development with ours from this point in time.

[bornadog]

If you can find positives in losing to the 2013 version of Melbourne under any circumstances, you're doing very well. That final 15 minutes was simply doing what we should have done for the whole game. TBB is right - it said more about Melbourne than us.

Whilst agree with most of what you said, the last quarter showed how we can play and should play, ie basic football. Win the clearance, get the ball to the mids and kick to a target in the forward line. Cooney in the middle and Minson tapping it down his throat.

I really believe the coach got this game wrong from the start:

1. Match ups all over the place, especially in the backline. Murphy and Cooney should be playing forward not back.

2. Talia and Morris were on the wrong players, which forced changes several times during the match. By then the horse had bolted and Watts got his confidence up.

3. Hunter should not have been the sub, especially after last weeks great debut. Iw ould have had Hrovat as the sub, or Wallis.

4. Throwing Murphy back, then forward then back? Murphy is our best play maker in the forward line. He is the number one in the AFL for delivering the ball into the 50 (according to Champion Data)

5. Lower - not knowing what his role was. Eventually put on Jones, and he got burnt. I would have dropped Lower and Kept Picken to Play Jones.

6. Subbing out Jones after he was taking strong contested marks. Yes he is still strugg;ling, but he was getting his hands on the ball.

7. When we are 40 points down, why not swap Cordy and Roughead - got to try something as we wern't taking marks in the forward line. Jones got most of his up the field.

8. Jones in the ruck to help Minson instead of Cordy - why ?

Lots of questions not answered from a supporters point of view.

[always right]

Whilst agree with most of what you said, the last quarter showed how we can play and should play, ie basic football. Win the clearance, get the ball to the mids and kick to a target in the forward line. Cooney in the middle and Minson tapping it down his throat.

I really believe the coach got this game wrong from the start:

1. Match ups all over the place, especially in the backline. Murphy and Cooney should be playing forward not back.

2. Talia and Morris were on the wrong players, which forced changes several times during the match. By then the horse had bolted and Watts got his confidence up.

3. Hunter should not have been the sub, especially after last weeks great debut. Iw ould have had Hrovat as the sub, or Wallis.

4. Throwing Murphy back, then forward then back? Murphy is our best play maker in the forward line. He is the number one in the AFL for delivering the ball into the 50 (according to Champion Data)

5. Lower - not knowing what his role was. Eventually put on Jones, and he got burnt. I would have dropped Lower and Kept Picken to Play Jones.

6. Subbing out Jones after he was taking strong contested marks. Yes he is still strugg;ling, but he was getting his hands on the ball.

7. When we are 40 points down, why not swap Cordy and Roughead - got to try something as we wern't taking marks in the forward line. Jones got most of his up the field.

8. Jones in the ruck to help Minson instead of Cordy - why ?

Lots of questions not answered from a supporters point of view.

Agree with most of this but can you please explain the Morris/Talia one? Who do you believe they lined up on initially? As for Jones in the ruck....the only example I saw was when Cordy was coming off the bench for Minson and was clearly not going to make it to the centre in time. Jones signalled he would take it.

[bulldogtragic]

Whilst agree with most of what you said, the last quarter showed how we can play and should play, ie basic football. Win the clearance, get the ball to the mids and kick to a target in the forward line. Cooney in the middle and Minson tapping it down his throat.

I really believe the coach got this game wrong from the start:

1. Match ups all over the place, especially in the backline. Murphy and Cooney should be playing forward not back.

2. Talia and Morris were on the wrong players, which forced changes several times during the match. By then the horse had bolted and Watts got his confidence up.

3. Hunter should not have been the sub, especially after last weeks great debut. Iw ould have had Hrovat as the sub, or Wallis.

4. Throwing Murphy back, then forward then back? Murphy is our best play maker in the forward line. He is the number one in the AFL for delivering the ball into the 50 (according to Champion Data)

5. Lower - not knowing what his role was. Eventually put on Jones, and he got burnt. I would have dropped Lower and Kept Picken to Play Jones.

6. Subbing out Jones after he was taking strong contested marks. Yes he is still strugg;ling, but he was getting his hands on the ball.

7. When we are 40 points down, why not swap Cordy and Roughead - got to try something as we wern't taking marks in the forward line. Jones got most of his up the field.

8. Jones in the ruck to help Minson instead of Cordy - why ?

Lots of questions not answered from a supporters point of view.
Great post BAD. This isn't an isolated match either. I fear that his three years will amount to naught. He might be a ripping bloke and great teacher, but I can't honestly say he's a better match day coach than Neeld. Back him with a senior assistant for a 12 month trial, or sack him sooner rather than later.