AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

[DOG GOD]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Are we just not fit enough to run our games?

I was thinking the same thing...doesn’t seem to be..or we just drop our heads when the game looks lost.

[Remi Moses]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Jordan Roughead was completely embarrassed this evening

[DOG GOD]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Jordan Roughead was completely embarrassed this evening

He played like he won’t be there next year..a going thru the motions effort.

[Sedat]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Probably the worst 12 minutes of footy we've played all year, and there's some strong competition. Pretty good apart from that but I'm afraid we aren't playing AFLX.

Be nice when we can consistently run out a full game.

[merantau]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Are we just not fit enough to run our games?

I am sure that is part of our problem. Our second halves have been so poor. But there are plenty of other issues. A couple of years back I saw Tom Campbell and Tom Boyd blanket Max Gawn when he had been in top form. Why wasn't Campbell selected?
At times we seemed to have no game plan at all when coming out of defence. We are static to the max. We take a mark down back and spend the next 5-10 seconds looking for someone to kick to. There isn't anyone so we kick it to a contest and turn it over!
Our field kicking is just awful. In the 2nd half we rarely kicked to our advantage today. But I don't just blame the kicker. Often I see the receiver failing to lead up to the kicker thus making an uncontested possession more of a certainty.
Allowing a team to kick 8 goals in 15 minutes is a new nadir for us this year. I don't think we can get any worse so I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.

[Eastdog]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Dissapointing in the end but there are a lot of positives to take out. Very good 1st half. Schache is going to be a good player up forward. JJ, Wallis, Macrae, Dunkley, Hunter very good. Dale Morris as solid as ever. Brad Lynch made a few mistakes but has some good moments.

2nd half poor but not as terrible as the 2nd half last week I reckon.

A dissapointing turnout from our supporters but the timeslots and the fact we aren't doing great probably played a role.

Now onto next week against the Eagles over in Perth.

[Eastdog]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Probably the worst 12 minutes of footy we've played all year, and there's some strong competition. Pretty good apart from that but I'm afraid we aren't playing AFLX.

Be nice when we can consistently run out a full game.

That is where it was lost. Really good 1st half again.

[The bulldog tragician]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

For the very few of us there, I can’t inagine even Ballarat will be colder, but we will soon find out.

My observations:
Hunter, not always a fan favourite, keeps growing as a player. You could hear his voice too. In a miserable year, we’ve probably forgotten his consistency. Works very hard to get back and help the defence.

Ed looks tired, struggled to get involved, unusually for him chose a couple of poor options.

Jack Macrae is a complete star.

Roughie - it is sad.

Schache is a great acquisition. Watch out for him next year. A natural forward.

I think the Q3 efforts are about lack of depth in the midfield, esp when the opposition mids get an armchair ride from their ruck. Our ‘rucks don’t matter’ approach keeps killing us. I’m praying Tim English comes on, quickly.

Melbourne supporters could whinge for England. Melbourne players have a cockiness that they haven’t deserved. They are front runners and unfortunately we gave them that opportunity to do what they do best.

Did I mention it was COLD?

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Missed the game, was at a Buck's party. Caught score at half time and tgen again during the 3rd and then late in 4th.
Glad I missed it.

[mjp]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

So. Why so much love and sentiment for clay smith whilst Roughy just cops the pineapple?

He looks like he isn’t trying...I understand - but shouldn’t we just acknowledge what we see in front of us? He is cooked (or needs a ‘real break’ for a few months to get himself right) and it is because of being heavily raced and copping numerous injuries playing footy for our club. I’m not saying we shouldn’t appreciate smith - we should - just that knee recons are not the only injury in the world and sometimes fighting through so called niggles and still taking the field has an huge long term impact.

[Sedat]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

So. Why so much love and sentiment for clay smith whilst Roughy just cops the pineapple?

He looks like he isn’t trying...I understand - but shouldn’t we just acknowledge what we see in front of us? He is cooked (or needs a ‘real break’ for a few months to get himself right) and it is because of being heavily raced and copping numerous injuries playing footy for our club. I’m not saying we shouldn’t appreciate smith - we should - just that knee recons are not the only injury in the world and sometimes fighting through so called niggles and still taking the field has an huge long term impact.

Roughy will always be a premiership hero. In terms of his future as a top tier ruckman though, I worry for him. I certainly don't wish him ill will for his form drop-off, but from a purely objective list management perspective he is simily not playing himself into a new contract at the kennel. By contrast Wally, who also had the heat put on him by the coach, has been fantastic in his application and endeavour to adapt to an unfamiliar role.

[Testekill]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Roughy just doesn't have a body that can cope with the physicality of footy. He's a premiership hero and seems like a cracking bloke but his time is almost up as a footballer. I assume that he's planning on moving into coaching since he was heavily involved in our AFLW side so I think that's the best thing for him.

[Bornadog]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Are we just not fit enough to run our games?

In the third quarter the most inexperienced players didn't touch the ball.

[Bornadog]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

Roughy will always be a premiership hero. In terms of his future as a top tier ruckman though, I worry for him. I certainly don't wish him ill will for his form drop-off, but from a purely objective list management perspective he is simily not playing himself into a new contract at the kennel. By contrast Wally, who also had the heat put on him by the coach, has been fantastic in his application and endeavour to adapt to an unfamiliar role.

In the third quarter when Melbourne won three centre clearances in a row through great tap work, Roughy didn't even bother jumping for the tap out. It was disgraceful. For god sakes, yeah, your opponent is tall, but at least try and run into him, do something.

The other area of his game, ie around the ground, he was always under the bal, he couldn't judge the flight. Very frustrating to watch him. As for the shot at goal, woeful to say the list.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Re: AFL Game Day Round 17, 2018 - Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at the MCG

I am sure that is part of our problem. Our second halves have been so poor. But there are plenty of other issues. A couple of years back I saw Tom Campbell and Tom Boyd blanket Max Gawn when he had been in top form. Why wasn't Campbell selected?
At times we seemed to have no game plan at all when coming out of defence. We are static to the max. We take a mark down back and spend the next 5-10 seconds looking for someone to kick to. There isn't anyone so we kick it to a contest and turn it over!
Our field kicking is just awful. In the 2nd half we rarely kicked to our advantage today. But I don't just blame the kicker. Often I see the receiver failing to lead up to the kicker thus making an uncontested possession more of a certainty.
Allowing a team to kick 8 goals in 15 minutes is a new nadir for us this year. I don't think we can get any worse so I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.

Both Roughead and Campbell had clearly been left in the VFL for far to long with Roughy running out of steam after half time against the best ruck man in the League in Gawn. Campbell is our best tap ruck man and should be selected against WCE. Against the tall high marking Melbourne we simply played in to their hands by our inability to hit players on the chest due to shoddy disposal as you have described. We need however to look at the few positives to come out of the game. Hunter was terrific in his best game for the year. Macrae and McLean continue to enjoy fine seasons. Wallis again showed by his determination with 3 goals that his services are still required. The duel between Dunkley and Oliver was a highlight. A great effort by Dunkley to finish with 30 disposals against the talented Oliver who was again very good and ranks alongside Gawn as the Dees two best players. A word of praise also for Naughton who continues to impress.
Schache again showed promise and maybe just the key forward that we have been so desperate to find for a long time.