Backline: What do we do?

[dees01]

Once again the backline let us down on the weekend. I blame Daniher and his coaching staff for one reason. They did nothing about it over the summer. They did not recruit anyone that could play down there. On Grand Final Day and on Sunday it was proved. Nicholson is just to slow and Ingerson is past his best. Neitz should be down there all the time. Any time we play against a team with tall forwards they know they have a chance becuase we don't have many tall backman and the one we do have is to slow to think anyway. They could even try someone like Grgic there. There is no point having Schwarz there like on Sunday, he is to slow. They should have given Lamb more time, he could not have done any worse.

------------------
The Melbourne Football Club: Tradition, Heritage, Excitement

[This message has been edited by dees01 (edited 02 April 2001).]

 

[dee_girl9]

ok on your advice Dees01 i listened to Dees radio last night.

and i heard Neita say that the Ox had actually played down back in an intra club match the other day and actually did quiet well. I agree tho, why the hell was he put down back to start off with, shame shame shame melbourne coaching panel, u should know better than that. He is a specialist forward player. he only picked his game up when he went down forward and kick sone long BOOMING goals (they were the only highlights from the day that they showed in adelaide which was any good to demons fans).But even the great man himself said that he "started to blow a bit..... i just couldnt keep up with the quicker guys" (Herald Sun. 2nd April 2001) Well at least that has fixed that problem. we know where Schwarta is going to play this year, otherwise the poor guy will drop dead on us in the middle of a game, and i couldnt live with that thought ever happening.

Perhaps cos hes my favourite player, and it makes me shiver to think of this, but i dont see why Neita should play down in the back lines, i really dont. i think that he is a much better forward player. I know he got his all australian award when he played in defence, etc etc etc. BUT i just think it isnt a long term solution having him in defence. And for his sake, hes not the kind of player u can just throw wherever u like, even if he is the captain. he is a player that always has and always will put the pressure on himself when things get tough. Thats why he is inconsistent. ala the grand final last year.

I think that the coaching panel have to seriously think about recruiting a quality back line player for the future. Maybe 2 cos Ingo is gettting on in years, and he wont be around foreva. We need taller players down there. thats why Schwarta got put down there apprently. Anyway Neale and everyone else down there take a good hard look at yourselves, and Danny Corcoran, get some decent recruiting done next year please. WE NEED A PROPER BACKLINE.

------------------
I would like to say that i beleive in God and i believe in karma. why i exist beats the %$#^ out of me !!!

 

[TigerTank]

Originally posted by dees01:
Once again the backline let us down on the weekend. I blame Daniher and his coaching staff for one reason. They did nothing about it over the summer. They did not recruit anyone that could play down there.

You are being unfair.

I think the kind of player you are describing is very hard to find.

A tall, athletic backman is like gold - tall, athletic players are usually trained as ruckmen or forwards from a very young age.

Richmond doesn't fare much better in those stakes, nor the Bulldogs, nor anyone else for that matter either.

Neitz is damn near useless as a forward because he turns like a Jumbo - he should always play back - but apart from that Melbourne is no worse off than anyone else - except Brisbane (Leppitsch), Essendon (Fletcher) and maybe Carlton (Silvagni - who wouldn't be much better than Nicholson if the umpires did their job).

You can't blame the coaching staff for not drafting/trading for a player who is not available anyway. No club gives up those players easily.

The only way those players come about is if the club trains them themselves - either ex-forwards (Leppitsch) or tallish flankers (Darren Gaspar), and some take five years to mature (remember how crap Scotty Turner was as a fullback earlier in his career).

Lamb has the potential, but can not be expected to man the likes of Lloyd, Richardson, Carey, Grant, etc. every week.

Play Neitz back, and find someone else to help Schwarz up forward and Melbourne will be better off.

------------------
TT - Obligatory bad-tempered Richmond supporter

 

[DEES RULE!]

well Melbourne DID improve over summer and they DID work on their defence when i was down at training!!!
Look we don't need forward or midfielders that bad so i think that Neita and Grgic (who cant do s**t all at forward) and Lamb and maybe even Rigoni or Woey should go down back. Simmonds does a good job but unfotunatly he is injured like the rest of our bloody team

!!!!
Up forward we have heaps of starts and our midfield is in top shape so what they tried to do yesterday was flood the backline with heaps of players but then they left poor greeny and robbo to do all the forward line so no wonder we didn't get too many goal in the first half. I think that the defence were ok when Yze, Chell, Rigoni, Woey and Mcdonald were there to help out but it cant work that way coz who the hell is left to do midfield and forward jobs???!!!
They do need to get more defenders and i think Funcke did alright considering it was his first AFL match... Lamb should have had a bigger role and for god's sake get Grgic away from that freaking forward like he is not doing a think right up there!!!

GO DEES!

p.s- thought i might mention Brucey's incredable team work! he is a sweety and he gave away balls especially to Schwarta and Yze although he could have easly got those goals himself... well done Brucey

------------------
Footy. It was just a sport.
But now it's also a business.
However, according to the fans it's a religion,where the people rule!

The Mighty Melbourne Demons- My passion, My obsession!
#24

 

[dees01]

Neitz was selected at half back in the Victorian team. He was considered good enough to have a crack at Wayne Carey. He should go back. We have alot, almost to many forwards.

 

[CJH]

Maybe you could stick ALL your players in defence!

That is what the Western Bulldogs did to win against Essendon last year

------------------
Richmond vs Melbourne Review - Independant Richmond Tigers website

 

[Demonland]

CJH what did you think about the following two free kicks:

* The free kick that led to David Neitz's goal being taken away.

* The non-free kick for a high tackle against Ben Beams and the subsequent free kick and 50m penalty to Richmond

I'm not having a whinge here I just would like to hear a Richmond take on it. Good luck for the rest of the season mate.

www.demonland.com


[This message has been edited by Demonland (edited 03 April 2001).]

 

[dee_girl9]

Originally posted by Demonland:
CJH what did you think about the following two free kicks:

* The free kick that led to David Neitz's goal being taken away.

i dont care about the one with Beama, well i do, but not as much. BUT AHHHHHHHHHHHH thats was a pathetic decision. UMPIRE IF U DONT MIND. my god please dont tell me we have to put up with this poor display of umpiring all year. i dont think i can handle it



------------------
I would like to say that i believe in God and i believe in karma. why i exist beats the %$#^ out of me !!!

 

[DEES RULE!]

no one will argue (not even Tigers supporters i think) that the umpires were far from fare and that some of their decision sort of... well sucked! i mean for god's sake they get paid $100,000 a season for doing what? having eyes up their arse or maybe having no knowledge what so ever they award a free kick to the best looking player!

u can really say that the man in white cost us the game!

GO DEES!

mad

------------------
Footy. It was just a sport.
But now it's also a business.
However, according to the fans it's a religion,where the people rule!

The Mighty Melbourne Demons- My passion, My obsession!
#24

 

[dees01]

Yes the umpiring was pathetic but Dees Rule it did not cost us the game. Melbourne were very ordinary.

------------------
The Melbourne Football Club: Tradition, Heritage, Excitement

 

[DEES RULE!]

well dees01 if Neita got that goal we would have had a realistic chance of finishing off that game on a good note. Maybe we wouldn't have won but it would have given the boys a lift, but when the umpires are s**t than it puts the team down!

BLOODY EMPIRES LEARN HOW TO DO YOUR JOB!

GO DEES!

------------------
Footy. It was just a sport.
But now it's also a business.
However, according to the fans it's a religion,where the people rule!

The Mighty Melbourne Demons- My passion, My obsession!
#24

 

[dee_girl9]

Originally posted by DEES RULE!:


BLOODY EMPIRES LEARN HOW TO DO YOUR JOB!

GO DEES!

empires thats a new one

i know what u mean. the umps were shite on the weekend but we cant ask for too much from them. we can only ask for consistency.



------------------
I would like to say that i believe in God and i believe in karma. why i exist beats the %$#^ out of me !!!

 

[Ms.Storm]

Do any of you girls agree that we get a rotten deal with umpires, especially against the Tigers and Doggies,?? Like that decision against Neitz...remember last year against the Tigers...I am sick of it.,

We do need backs desperately and another couple of tall forwards. Why isn't there that sort of players around?

The Demons should have recruited either Ottens or Croad instead of Johnstone..big men are harder to find, Use your brains melb. recruiting people..so too the Admin. Office and coaches too.
Cheers
GO STORM
GO DEMONS

 

[dees*gal]

well i must say, that the performance wasn't too good!
i hope that when they got to training, all they did was defence work, what they should have done all summer.
dees01, i agree with you that we don't have the best backs, and they aren't too tal. but they aren't the worst in the league too. sure they aren't the best, and have HEAPS of work to do, but we can't blame all the losses on our full and half back.
also, i agree that neita should be put down the back.

GO DEES!!!


------------------
I luv shane woewodin. and the mighty dees whether or not you like it!!!

 

[DEES RULE!]

well i am currently watching the game on TV and may i say... WOO HOO GO DEES!

but on a serious note i don't think the backline is doing too badly. Look its probably coz Adelaide are s**t and their forwards are crap but still some of our work has been very impresive!
Anyways half time is almost over so i'm going to go and cheer on!

GO DEES!

------------------
Footy. It was just a sport.
But now it's also a business.
However, according to the fans it's a religion,where the people rule!

The Mighty Melbourne Demons- My passion, My obsession!
#24

 

[walshy1993]

Originally posted by dees01:
Once again the backline let us down on the weekend. I blame Daniher and his coaching staff for one reason. They did nothing about it over the summer. They did not recruit anyone that could play down there.

sorry to intrude but i must comment

u cant really blame daniher for this
there was simply no one to recruit
i watched a lot of u18 games last year and of the draft picks riewoldt went first pick and after that there wasnt really anything there
also melbourne not being allowed a pick in the preseason draft didnt help either but once again their probably wasnt much available

i think the best thing melbourne could do would be rather than recruit another back, find another forward to allow neitz to play back without taking away a goal scoring option or alter the game plan
rather than having your midfield and half backs sprint forward, which leaves your defender open melbourne should push their wings back to across the centre of the ground/half back
this would build a wall for when teams take the ball out of your forward line and they can also zone off to help defenders

this area of the game leaves melbourne so open on the quick transfer of play and is probably as much to blame as the defenders themselves

 

[DEES RULE!]

I agree Walshy (by the way your opinion is very welcomes on this board).

Also i think that Grgic was put in the right place last night when he was playing at the back. He is more efficiant back there and we have good forwards so he really doesnt match up.

Another thing is Shane Woewodin... brownlow blues creeping up???

he wasn't showing any signs of greatness last night and was pretty disapointing! i hope he picks himslef up a bit for next week.

GO DEES!

------------------
Footy. It was just a sport.
But now it's also a business.
However, according to the fans it's a religion,where the people rule!

The Mighty Melbourne Demons- My passion, My obsession!
#24

 

[Spunjy]

Walshy, you are completely right. This is what I've been saying all year. Our problem is not that we don't have enough quality tall defenders, we don't have any depth in tall forwards.
Neitz is an All-Australian defender playing as a full forward (and a poor one at that!). If we had somebody to play as a tall, marking forward other than Schwarz, we would have the best CHB and FB combination in the league.
I have to correct you though. Melbourne did have a selection in the pre-season draft. We drafted Nick Gill, a 195 cm forward who will take time to come through. There were no quality experienced key forwards on offer (they are not easy to find!) so we went with a quality kid. But you are right, the pool of tall kids had no depth.

 

[dees01]

Fair point Walshy. I say give Pitt a go and put Neitz up back.

------------------
The Melbourne Football Club: Tradition, Heritage, Excitement

 

[dees01]

Dees Rule, I thought Woey played a much better game in comparison with last week. Anyway, its not all doom and gloom, if they tag him, it means it frees up another of our midfielders like Leoncelli on Saturday night.

------------------
The Melbourne Football Club: Tradition, Heritage, Excitement

 

[dee_girl9]

Originally posted by dees01:
Fair point Walshy. I say give Pitt a go and put Neitz up back.

bloody pitty did sweet bugger all last night, he shouldnt be playing AT ALL. and he should know footy park better than most of those guys, he's played there enough times b4. Last night was a chance for pitt to cement a place in the side, but he stuffed that chance up



------------------
I would like to say that i believe in God and i believe in karma. why i exist beats the %$#^ out of me !!!

 

[dees01]

How can he do anything when he was on the bench most of the night. Anyway, the conditions were hardly to suit.

 

[walshy1993]

Originally posted by Spunjy:
Walshy, you are completely right.

i know

 

[Spunjy]

How the f@ck is Pitt supposed to cement his place in the team when he is on the bench for most of the f@cking match!!! I know why he isn't given much of a go, because he is too slow and short for a key defender. But he has tremendous hands and a lot of nous, which makes him a great player in a grade lower (ie: SANFL, VFL) but not athletic enough to take more mobile AFL forwards. But he has done enough to at least give him an honest go. After all, he is an honest sort of player.