Three things You've learned, edition XVII 2018 v Melbourne at MCG

[Twodogs]

Tell us three of your now known unkowns from prior to the match.

[westbulldog]

1. Our coaching staff are slow to or do not react at all when blind freddy half tanked in the last row of the top level of the MCG can see what is inevitable (refer 3rd quarter).
2. Injuries and inexperience are cruelling us this season.
3. We need a quality ruckman badly.

[bulldogtragic]

1. Honeychurch is contending for one the luckiest 5+ year players in the AFEL. We are a better team with him not in it.
2. This is what happens when a coach won't play a genuine ruckman. Gawn, Goldstein & McEvoy are forces against our mids.
3. Shut down our number one accumulator in the last few weeks at half time (Crozier, JJ & Macrae), and beat us with our No Plan B.
4. If Harry Taylor kicked straight we'd be 16th tonight. Thank god he missed (still FU Harry), but pick 3 might have be better...

[chef]

Plenty of time for us the finish 3rd last BT.

[bulldogtragic]

Plenty of time for us the finish 3rd last BT.

True, we've played like a third last on the ladder team for a large chunk of the year for whole or half games. I guess if we keep playing like that the draft sky is the limit I guess.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

True, we've played like a third last on the ladder team for a large chunk of the year for whole or half games. I guess if we keep playing like that the draft sky is the limit I guess.

At this stage I only see us beating Carlton. I think the saints are better than us right now (we are missing half our side). Assuming we beat carlton, saints beat us and the lions beat the suns, we will finish 3rd last provided both the lions and saints win one extra game each. Entirely possible but they may just tank it up. Not that I’d rather pick 3 over building some momentum heading into next year. But it could happen. Imagine being guaranteed one of Walsh, Smith or Rankine

[bulldogtragic]

At this stage I only see us beating Carlton. I think the saints are better than us right now (we are missing half our side). Assuming we beat carlton, saints beat us and the lions beat the suns, we will finish 3rd last provided both the lions and saints win one extra game each. Entirely possible but they may just tank it up. Not that I’d rather pick 3 over building some momentum heading into next year. But it could happen. Imagine being guaranteed one of Walsh, Smith or Rankine

It just moved for first time since Harry Taylor missed.

[EasternWest]

People are complaining about "not playing a ruckman" but who do we play? Campbell? Gawn would've destroyed him too.

Aside from English, we don't really have a ruckman. And he's got a lot of promise but he's still a few years off.

These calls for Campbell are confounding.

[kruder]

People are complaining about "not playing a ruckman" but who do we play? Campbell? Gawn would've destroyed him too.

Aside from English, we don't really have a ruckman. And he's got a lot of promise but he's still a few years off.

These calls for Campbell are confounding.

At least give him a crack why the hell is on the list then? I don't think anyone thinks he is the saviour but surely you would give him a run. Make no mistake he would have done better than Roughead in that 3rd term when we lost the crucial centre clearances. At one stage Melbourne had 17-3 hit outs to advantage. Thats Campbells strength IMO.

[EasternWest]

At least give him a crack why the hell is on the list then? I don't think anyone thinks he is the saviour but surely you would give him a run. Make no mistake he would have done better than Roughead in that 3rd term when we lost the crucial centre clearances. At one stage Melbourne had 17-3 hit outs to advantage. Thats Campbells strength IMO.

Sure, but this talk about "Gawn killed us, Goldstein killed us" because of our ruckman doesn't wash. They'd kill Campbell too.

[bulldogtragic]

Sure, but this talk about "Gawn killed us, Goldstein killed us" because of our ruckman doesn't wash. They'd kill Campbell too.

That’s maybe why we should’ve got one at the trade table. Or not get drunk on a ‘no ruck’ philosophy, nor play a FF as a ruck, nor contract and then not play Campbell at all, nor ruck mids like Jong, Bonts & Dunks. Or maybe just concede the ruck, which we effectively do each week. What’s the answer to being competitive in the ruck, something we’ve not been for two years?

[EasternWest]

That’s maybe why we should’ve got one at the trade table. Or not get drunk on a ‘no ruck’ philosophy, nor play a FF as a ruck, nor contract and then not play Campbell at all, nor ruck mids like Jong, Bonts & Dunks. Or maybe just concede the ruck, which we effectively do each week. What’s the answer to being competitive in the ruck, something we’ve not been for two years?

Yeah I dunno either, I just find "play Campbell" akin to "just play the kids" or "kick the bloody thing" or "go forwards" or "sir you can't do that in public". They're just pithy sayings that don't mean and won't change anything.

[bornadog]

Yeah I dunno either, I just find "play Campbell" akin to "just play the kids" or "kick the bloody thing" or "go forwards" or "sir you can't do that in public". They're just pithy sayings that don't mean and won't change anything.

I agree with you EW, Campbell hasn't been exactly knocking the door down to get in.

[bornadog]

1. Great to be able to walk to the G from home. :)
2. It was very cold and glad I bought a feather down jacket in the sales.
3. Melbourne supporters are strange. They whinged about the umpiring the entire time I was there, and many left early.

Oh, Football wise, Macrae is a bloody good footballer with 33 dispoals and 8 tackles.

[1eyedog]

People are complaining about "not playing a ruckman" but who do we play? Campbell? Gawn would've destroyed him too.

Aside from English, we don't really have a ruckman. And he's got a lot of promise but he's still a few years off.

These calls for Campbell are confounding.

Re. Campbell why the hell retain him?

[Twodogs]

1. Jack Macrae is a good player
2. We held up alright with quite a few major outs.
3. JJ played a decent skippers game.

[comrade]

I know one thing. Campbell wouldn’t have been outmuscled by Neville Jetta.

[westbulldog]

SURELY Campbell deserves a chance to show if he is up to being retained. SURELY he could do no worse.
The comment that Campbell would have been destroyed by Gawn is purely conjecture, if not post next week's powerball numbers :)

[ratsmac]

1. Put a fork in us, we are cooked. You could see that the care factor about winning or losing wasn't very high when Melbourne started to get on top. Zero resilience in that third quarter onslaught, just like Hawthorn last week. That really concerns me.

2. Gawn could win the brownlow. Killed poor old Roughead in the hitouts who probably just had his papers stamped, but also killed him around the ground. As already mentioned, our ruck situation is a shambles and that's not entirely down to personnel. Bevo has treated the ruck position with disdain ever since he arrived.

3. Hogan should of played for Brazil in the world cup alongside Neymar jnr. He is a great player but fakes for free kicks every contest and to top it off the *!*!*!*!en umps were getting sucked in. All the Melbourne forwards got a nice ride from the umps yesterday btw. Tom McDonald got paid a mark just for trying ffs.

[Grantysghost]

That’s maybe why we should’ve got one at the trade table. Or not get drunk on a ‘no ruck’ philosophy, nor play a FF as a ruck, nor contract and then not play Campbell at all, nor ruck mids like Jong, Bonts & Dunks. Or maybe just concede the ruck, which we effectively do each week. What’s the answer to being competitive in the ruck, something we’ve not been for two years?

Preuss from North is a handy ruck not getting game time behind Goldy might be worth looking at. Think he is contracted from memory.

[Grantysghost]

1. As mentioned above didn't realise Hogan had such poor balance, he falls over arms flailing at the slightest contact.
2. We lack leadership/plan b when the momentum swings. Apart from 15 mins we were in that game.
3. Schache will be a player.

[bulldogtragic]

Preuss from North is a handy ruck not getting game time behind Goldy might be worth looking at. Think he is contracted from memory.

Yep, I think you're right. Lycett might be gettable too, but Geelong are chasing him hard so they say. Preuss might be gettable and worth a shot for the right price.

[Sedat]

Yep, I think you're right. Lycett might be gettable too, but Geelong are chasing him hard so they say. Preuss might be gettable and worth a shot for the right price.
As mentioned elsewhere, looks like NicNat has done his ACL today so Lycett won't be going anywhere.

If we need a cheap as chips stop-gap perhaps we get Nicholls from Gold Coast. We looked at him previously from memory and Witts is the clear no1 ruck there now. I think we can safely back in English long term.

[bulldogtragic]

As mentioned elsewhere, looks like NicNat has done his ACL today so Lycett won't be going anywhere.

If we need a cheap as chips stop-gap perhaps we get Nicholls from Gold Coast. We looked at him previously from memory and Witts is the clear no1 ruck there now. I think we can safely back in English long term.

I'd prefer Preuss, I'm not sure Nicholls can do anything more than our current ruck stocks are delivering.

[Sedat]

I'd prefer Preuss, I'm not sure Nicholls can do anything more than our current ruck stocks are delivering.
The knock on Preuss is his tank - it's woeful apparently. He'll cost a lot as well in terms of $$ and draft compensation.

I want us to back English in but we will need a cheap option short term. What about Campbell :D

[bulldogtragic]

The knock on Preuss is his tank - it's woeful apparently. He'll cost a lot as well in terms of $$ and draft compensation.

I want us to back English in but we will need a cheap option short term. What about Campbell :D

English is the future for sure. Maybe our back up is Trengove as a ruck/forward, and then Boyd as a forward/ruck (I'm dreaming). But an actual specialist ruck to back up English is pretty much essential. Campbell, if re-signed, would move into King Eker territory with a handful of games in 4 years!! :D Great money for not doing your real job.

[EasternWest]

SURELY Campbell deserves a chance to show if he is up to being retained. SURELY he could do no worse.
The comment that Campbell would have been destroyed by Gawn is purely conjecture, if not post next week's powerball numbers :)

It's conjecture he would've done any better than Roughead too.

The powerball will be 8. I'm not telling you the rest.

[Ghost Dog]

As mentioned elsewhere, looks like NicNat has done his ACL today so Lycett won't be going anywhere.

If we need a cheap as chips stop-gap perhaps we get Nicholls from Gold Coast. We looked at him previously from memory and Witts is the clear no1 ruck there now. I think we can safely back in English long term.

How's that better than Tom C? He's just as good.

[Ghost Dog]

English is the future for sure. Maybe our back up is Trengove as a ruck/forward, and then Boyd as a forward/ruck (I'm dreaming). But an actual specialist ruck to back up English is pretty much essential. Campbell, if re-signed, would move into King Eker territory with a handful of games in 4 years!! :D Great money for not doing your real job.

Jee wiz. You can't do your job if you're not picked.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

The knock on Preuss is his tank - it's woeful apparently. He'll cost a lot as well in terms of $$ and draft compensation.

I want us to back English in but we will need a cheap option short term. What about Campbell :D
I would be very surprised and amazed if Campbell is selected. There has been plenty of opportunities for him to be played this year which may suggest that regrettably he has played his last League game at the Club.

[bornadog]

I would be very surprised and amazed if Campbell is selected. There has been plenty of opportunities for him to be played this year which may suggest that regrettably he has played his last League game at the Club.

He is out with an injury and will miss 2 to 3