Review Dees v the Blood-Stained angels: the Good, Bad and Fugly

[demondavey]

Tulip got shitty with the peaked line aswell. I'm convinced we've peaked, I don't think this side can ever play better than we did in September last year. That doesn't mean we can't challenge and still win one but I don't think we can play at the level of the prelim and second half of the granny again.
I think for tangible change in our side you'd have to dump Melk, Jordan, ANB and trade out a Salem. Bring in goal hungrier and forward 50 craftier Smalls, a more attack minded winger and a proper defensive small back as well as a key forward.
That doesn't necessarily make us better just different

Are those role playing types any worse than say, Castagna, Butler, Rioli, Townsend etc? Just average AFL players playing a role?

Try to answer without being a campaigner.

 

[demondavey]

I think Hill has been a bit of whipping boy with Saints fans (all fans in general), fair enough last year, but reckon he was pretty good this year. Id be interested too if they were looking for a salary dump.

To quote Demon Bhoy "no harm in picking up the phone"

 

[Proper Gander]

Tulip got shitty with the peaked line aswell. I'm convinced we've peaked, I don't think this side can ever play better than we did in September last year. That doesn't mean we can't challenge and still win one but I don't think we can play at the level of the prelim and second half of the granny again.
I think for tangible change in our side you'd have to dump Melk, Jordan, ANB and trade out a Salem. Bring in goal hungrier and forward 50 craftier Smalls, a more attack minded winger and a proper defensive small back as well as a key forward.
That doesn't necessarily make us better just different

Different will do me. Once you’re winning in different ways its impossible to gauge whether the before or after was the peak anyway. And if you can win a premiership in more than one way, who gives a s**t.

The changes you have suggested are spot on. We’re not going to do all of that in an offseason, but some of it would help.

People talk a lot of crap about ‘premiership hangover’ and losing the desire and so forth, but I think the problem for us (and some teams in the past, not all) is that having won a premiership, comprehensively, and dominated through a finals series, we are reluctant to change anything from some kind of idea that all we need to do is keep playing our system and it happens again. And knowing that we had a dominant system in 2021 is inhibiting the players, we’re scared of doing different. We’ve lost confidence and flair and are bashing ourselves around trying to just make it work the same way.

Even the best system in the galaxy can’t repeat in the same way year after year. Changes to position and personnel, different players up or down in form at various times. Changes and improvements in opposition etc. The structure and style will look different with any change to the above.

I don’t see a flag as highly likely this year. I’m okay with that. But I really hope that the coaches and players gather in Sorrento for golf, beers, gambling again and have one of those famous truth and love sessions to think of some new ways to evolve. Repeating a mantra of ‘selflessness’ and ‘getting it looking like a Melbourne game’ isn’t enough. We get to find out now if Goodwin can be like Clarko. Three premierships in a row is an absolute testament to his genius and ability to create new strategies

 

[Topkent]

Are those role playing types any worse than say, Castagna, Butler, Rioli, Townsend etc? Just average AFL players playing a role?

Try to answer without being a campaigner.

I can't because you completely missed the point.

 

[Proper Gander]

Are those role playing types any worse than say, Castagna, Butler, Rioli, Townsend etc? Just average AFL players playing a role?

Try to answer without being a campaigner.

I don’t think he can. It’s like a conversation with someone with Tourette’s, you just have to make some allowances

 

[Topkent]

I don’t think he can. It’s like a conversation with someone with Tourette’s, you just have to make some allowances

Go *yourself you s**t eating * bag of dick's

 

[Topkent]

Huh I thought more of that would be blocked

 

[Proper Gander]

Go *yourself you s**t eating * bag of dick's

See you can be nice when you really try

 

[Proper Gander]

Huh I thought more of that would be blocked

I actually really enjoy the way Bigfooty changes stuff but not really very much

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Huh I thought more of that would be blocked

tourettes fail

 

[Dark Avenger]

I'm not blaming the loss on umpires but I just want to highlight how poorly umpired this game was especially considering it was a final. So many soft frees both ways. The worse being the double 50 on Buddy.

 

[demondavey]

Go *yourself you s**t eating * bag of dick's

At least you’re consistent…

 

[demondavey]

Different will do me. Once you’re winning in different ways its impossible to gauge whether the before or after was the peak anyway. And if you can win a premiership in more than one way, who gives a s**t.

The changes you have suggested are spot on. We’re not going to do all of that in an offseason, but some of it would help.

People talk a lot of crap about ‘premiership hangover’ and losing the desire and so forth, but I think the problem for us (and some teams in the past, not all) is that having won a premiership, comprehensively, and dominated through a finals series, we are reluctant to change anything from some kind of idea that all we need to do is keep playing our system and it happens again. And knowing that we had a dominant system in 2021 is inhibiting the players, we’re scared of doing different. We’ve lost confidence and flair and are bashing ourselves around trying to just make it work the same way.

Even the best system in the galaxy can’t repeat in the same way year after year. Changes to position and personnel, different players up or down in form at various times. Changes and improvements in opposition etc. The structure and style will look different with any change to the above.

I don’t see a flag as highly likely this year. I’m okay with that. But I really hope that the coaches and players gather in Sorrento for golf, beers, gambling again and have one of those famous truth and love sessions to think of some new ways to evolve. Repeating a mantra of ‘selflessness’ and ‘getting it looking like a Melbourne game’ isn’t enough. We get to find out now if Goodwin can be like Clarko. Three premierships in a row is an absolute testament to his genius and ability to create new strategies

Premiership hangover is just a footy buzz word. The best way to fix a hangover is hair of the dog. I’ve tried many a remedy, but none is better than a beer if you’re as flat as a s**t carters hat.

 

[Proper Gander]

Premiership hangover is just a footy buzz word. The best way to fix a hangover is hair of the dog. I’ve tried many a remedy, but none is better than a beer if you’re as flat as a s**t carters hat.

You speak truth.

That feeling of being pale and greenish, and someone gets you a beer and even the smell makes you shudder and then you force down two decent glugs - and we’re in business again!

 

[FAIRANDBALANCED]

I think its a game plan problem. How many entries go to the left forward pocket? You think teams don't know this and plan how to defend and exit from there?

Also defence seems a little slow, little line breaking rebound with Lever, Rivers and Petty there. Salem isn't line breaking quick and Hunt is a headless chook. You need to play a game that has teams kicking long to a contest, when that doesn't happen and you spread the Dees defence they don't have the speed to stop one on one and definitely look shaky when the ball hits the ground. Don't know how many times Rivers fumbled, but it was glaring.

Having said that, cant imagine players like Viney and Brayshaw will play as poorly as that again. Some of the in and under fumbles really cost you time and space and that kind of break away from stoppages game Melbourne is known for.

 

[mrmonkey]

The amount of times we kicked it out on the full what a massive ugly.

I don't mind Sydney, they're a good club, I respect how they continue to be a good team and rarely have a bad season. Geelong on the other they s**t me, something about their current team as well not one likeable player. Sydney on the other hand the team is very likeable. Anyway hopefully we meet again in a few weeks.

 

[Dark Avenger]

Yze: We're looking a bit too predictable at kick outs. How about we try something different besides a long kick down the left side boundary?
Goody: How about a long kick down the same boundary but 20 metres inward?
Yze: You're a genius.

 

[Crimson Azure]

The Swans just pulled goals out of their arse all night by being braver and harder when it mattered

this sums up the game for me.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Might dust my veil of negativity off and wear it around the house this weekend.

 

[Dory_77]

On the one hand we weren't too far out of it. The score was generally close, we had good stretches of momentum and coughed up some soft/arsey goals that on another night are missed. A few cleaner touches and we'd have been in with a good shot at winning
But the annoying thing for me was the lack of composure. Over/underhitting kicks and handballs, slight fumbles that break down play and invite pressure. The Swans seemed much cleaner at ground level all night. They never looked too panicked or rushed.
Our forward line turned into a mess again after the first quarter. Back to long slow bombs down the line but didn't have a front and centre all night. Forward pressure well down.

 

[Topkent]

Steven May

1

Steven May

Age

32

Ht

193cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

10.5

4star

HB

4.2

3star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.5

3star

MG

307.3

4star

D

15.5

4star

K

12.1

5star

HB

3.4

2star

M

3.4

3star

T

0.5

1star

MG

378.4

5star

D

12.4

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.8

4star

now has the record for the most intercepts in a final since records have been kept (98')
What an amazing effort. Alot of blokes could learn from his ability to stand up under pressure

 

[KickLongTackleHard]

I think its a game plan problem. How many entries go to the left forward pocket? You think teams don't know this and plan how to defend and exit from there?

Also defence seems a little slow, little line breaking rebound with Lever, Rivers and Petty there. Salem isn't line breaking quick and Hunt is a headless chook. You need to play a game that has teams kicking long to a contest, when that doesn't happen and you spread the Dees defence they don't have the speed to stop one on one and definitely look shaky when the ball hits the ground. Don't know how many times Rivers fumbled, but it was glaring.

Having said that, cant imagine players like Viney and Brayshaw will play as poorly as that again. Some of the in and under fumbles really cost you time and space and that kind of break away from stoppages game Melbourne is known for.

Agree with the fumbling and add loopy handballs over the top that gave the Swans too much time to close us down. We ruined many potential break aways from inside to out. A lot was the Swans pressure but we should have been cleaner.

 

[Imet Hassa]

Headlines we won’t see this week.
“Dees make brave selections for final”
“Buddy must stop flopping”
Headline we won’t see next week.
“Weideman tears apart final at the G”

 

[want2spoodge_pettifer]

Not intruding to be smug.

We peaked in the first half of 2018. Didn’t win a flag that year and still walk away with 3 from 4.

If you peaked last year, so be it - you set an incredibly high watermark that really no team has looked close to this year. You may not play that well again, but you don’t need to be that good to win multiple flags. You’ll be one game away again this time next week, as the Lions-Richmond Russian roulette was fun, but a clear indication that neither team can match the well rounded games of the top 3 teams. Best of luck.

 

[Bluelegs]

I actually really enjoy the way Bigfooty changes stuff but not really very much

Feels like no one ever took the time to think the filter through and chief just adds stuff on the fly.