Robertson Dropped, along with Petterd.

[Colin Grigson]

My point is Bailey's explanation of not accepting "mediocrity" makes no sense by dropping Robertson.

Robertson - 4 games - 10 goals
Miller - 9 games - 11 goals

I wouldn't call his performances mediocre at all.

I think comparing Robertson to Miller is sort of like comparing a Ferrari low on gas to a CombiVan that lacks a steering wheel and tires...

I don't think Robbo's been dropped because of his scoring output, its probably more that he's not working hard enough on the 1%ers and generally getting involved in the game..

I know he's one player, and maybe there's a case for other's being dropped, but he is a senior player at our club and a lot more is expected of him.

He needs to work harder at tackling, chasing and spoiling (like the other forwards do) applying pressure, because teams are using our lack of forward line presence to launch goal scoring attacks, which is one of the main things hurting us ATM...

 

[Deestroy]

I'm a fan of Robbo but I was very dissapointed in his game last week (not just the goal line incident). I'm happy he has been made example of and can see him coming back in next week.

 

[master bate]

FB: Whelan Warnock Frawley
HB: Bruce Rivers Grimes
C: Davey McLean Morton
HF: Sylvia Miller Bate
FF: Maric Martin Green
Foll: PJ Moloney Bell
Int: Jamar Jones Bennell McDonald

Bell tagging Goddard has to be why he is included, I hope he plays well. People want to put him down to be delisted, but remember the guy can play a bit, and you can always use more talent.The ruckmen rotating through the forward line, it's a reasonably well balanced team for mine. I'm not completely surprised at the Robbo decision. I think its as much to give Stef Martin a bit more time up forward. Lets see what he can do before we resume his career as a backmen. At the end of the day Robbo should have had 4 last week, and should go back and kick a bag for Casey, and resume for QB. I think Bailey is just been clever, managing his players etc, he's a crafty one!

 

[melbournemartin]

I'm happy to see Bell be given another (and likely final) chance.

Dropping Petterd too does make a big change. That's too forward out for a ruckman and defender/tagger.

 

[Supermercado]

And let the tanking begin.

Because otherwise we were a massive chance of beating them?

 

[puckled]

Whilst Robbo's goalkicking has been serviceable, he does need to improve the other facets of his game i.e defensive pressure, hitting up team mates in better positions... he is starting to look a bit selfish for mine.

That said, the punishment for him not doing those things shouldnt be getting dropped back to the 2's. Maybe if we had a better target, which Stef Martin isnt right now, it would be viable to drop him and teach him a lesson, but we dont.

I admire Baileys commitment, but get Robbo back in ASAP.

 

[Grandmaster_B]

Bailey will hopefully now play Sylvia deep, alongside Martin.


Would much rather see those guys down there than Robbo, whose selfish ways just ruin things.

 

[Deefolt]

What team rules? He made one mistake.

Lazy? Far from it, he's our best forward and he's kicked one goal less than Miller and Bate who've played the whole season.

It's a shit decision.

One team rule... you know what i won't target on that. The man is freaking selfish, it showed on that game. Whenever he was in the game he fouind the ball a lot when he wasnt on the field we were kicking goals... funny that.
And dont give me hawks stopped in the last quarter because they were going out wide, they were hit by melbourne, something they didnt see coming. A lot of people are saying that was an easy win for hawks despite the 22 point margin. You know what, the 22 point margin flattered the hawks from the disgraceful performance in the last quarter, if it were a more experienced side, the paper wouldnt read hawks are back but hawks in the shitter.

 

[Deefolt]

i love this robbo love it makes no sense, he is more of a hindrance into this building side then a help.
Miller can now think about getting the ball as opposed to robertson, melbournes forward line will be less predictable. A+ for Bailey in the decision, lets hope it isnt a Q's bday inclusion though, I want to see Stefan Martin given a fair few games by himself in the position he really impressed me against hawks.

 

[KickLongTackleHard]

How dare our best forward be selfish, who'd of thought a key forward could be selfish. FFS show the man some respect. He is being made an example of, so be it but he will be back. He's still our best forward by a country mile...

 

[saj_21]

God I love Dean Bailey.

Robertson is a goose, and his career is over.

Besides the pathetic effort on the goal line,. he also blatantly ignored a wide open Colin Sylvia in the final quarter. Col was alone 20 metres out, but Robbo decide to have a shot from 50 - and miss.


Bailey is the coach I have dreamed of since Northey left.

Robbos career is not over he was dropped i believe for basically being a hog and not giving it to players in a better position.

For all the Robertson lovers -

Bate and Miller stay in the team cos they at least work hard and give effort.

Miller is a workhorse, despite his lack of talent.

And Bate leads the team in goal assists.

Robertson wouldnt know what a goal assist was.

There was one instance at the city end in the 1st or 3rd quarter were robbo had his back to the goals and had 2 melbourne players within handballing distance who were facing goals, but robbo tried the miracle snap over his shoulder and didnt even score.

 

[Andy_Mac]

Robbo as our No 1 KPF should be potting goals from 50m. He's a professional goal kicker, let him do what he's paid for. No problem with that aspect of his game at all. He's the only bloke in our forward line that looks remotely dangerous on any given day.

That said top marks for dropping the bloke. Sends a great message to the younger blokes that even the "great" robbo can be dropped. We're on a hiding to nothing against the saints this weekend Robbo or not, good timing in my book. Bails is a foxy bas=****, if we were playing Richmond he'd be on the park...

Also Robbo and Jack will play along side each other this weekend. Gives them an opportunity to play side by side again, a week out from Melbourne’s biggest H&A game of the year. On the back of the comments made by Peter German and Bails, time for JW to go forward and kick some goals and with Robbo in the side he wont be getting the no. 1 opposition defender. GOLD

 

[Flashhh]

The problem is now that yes Stef Martin will play full forward well done guys getting a young kid up there but the problem is... he's going to get all the attention. Other sides don't worry about Miller or Bate as they don't really hurt you on the scoreboard. When Robertsons down there at least it's a target for the midfield to kick to, now it's Martin playing the lone hand.
And if he plays Sylvia deep forward then it goes against what he's been working at all year, playing him in the middle.

 

[unstable punt]

Final Melbourne Side.

ST KILDA v MELBOURNE
Melbourne
B: Matthew Whelan, Matthew Warnock, Jared Rivers
HB: James Frawley, Stefan Martin, Aaron Davey
C: Jack Grimes, Cale Morton, Brock McLean
HF: Colin Sylvia, Brad Miller, Daniel Bell
F: Brad Green, Matthew Bate, Cameron Bruce
Foll: Mark Jamar, Brent Moloney, James McDonald
I/C: Paul Johnson, Addam Maric, Nathan Jones, Jamie Bennell
Emg: Kyle Cheney, Lynden Dunn, Ricky Petterd

In: Jamar, Bell
Out: Ricky Petterd, Russell Robertson

Petterd out is expected, when you play someone out of position for 9 weeks I'd expect them to be out of form. Jamar back is good as we have a solid ruckman and Johnson doesn't have to do it. Bell's inclusion is interesting, especially on the half forward flank. Will they play him as they have Petterd?

Russell Robertson dropped is a joke for mine. His efforts were no better or no worse than any of the other forwards. Who are we going to kick to now? Bate who's struggled all year or maybe Miller who doesn't play deep enough?

Bate has played pretty well the last 3-4 weeks, so look at games before you make stupid comments

 

[unstable punt]

The problem is now that yes Stef Martin will play full forward well done guys getting a young kid up there but the problem is... he's going to get all the attention. Other sides don't worry about Miller or Bate as they don't really hurt you on the scoreboard. When Robertsons down there at least it's a target for the midfield to kick to, now it's Martin playing the lone hand.
And if he plays Sylvia deep forward then it goes against what he's been working at all year, playing him in the middle.

Martin must stay at FF for rest of year

 

[Flashhh]

Bate has played pretty well the last 3-4 weeks, so look at games before you make stupid comments

He was terrible in the first month and a half, had one good game against the Bulldogs and was only average on the weekend.

Martin must stay at FF for rest of year

That may be so but there's no point putting him there if he's got no support, it will only hinder his development. He needs to be alongside another target rather then step straight into being the main man.

 

[Supermercado]

One game and suddenly Martin is the FF of choice. Did a lot of good work in the backline this year, the octopus arm spoiling was great.

Let's keep in mind that his two goals were a poke from 20m out and a wild snap from the boundary. Hardly bombing them from 50m out yet.

 

[Dean Chiron]

after watching the footy show last night, bartram should be rushed straight back in!! quality.....

 

[The Dr]

One game and suddenly Martin is the FF of choice. Did a lot of good work in the backline this year, the octopus arm spoiling was great.

Let's keep in mind that his two goals were a poke from 20m out and a wild snap from the boundary. Hardly bombing them from 50m out yet.

True, but his contested marking is pretty handy, maybe even the best in the side.

I am one for keeping a bloke in a position he's shown promise in but considering our wealth of backline options, and lack of forward line options, i think it's worth a punt.

 

[Bartram_Class]

Agreed, he has also had a penchant for taking a mark, whether down back or down forward last week. We also know how quick he is.

Worth an extended run up there.

 

[Bails2008]

I think it shows that as a club we are heading in the right direction. Bailey has a clear vision and if players do not follow the system as required they go back to Casey. Even more important when it is one of your most senior players. Thinks this sends a clear message to every player on the list about what is expected moving forward

 

[RandB]

I am one for keeping a bloke in a position he's shown promise in but considering our wealth of backline options, and lack of forward line options, i think it's worth a punt.

This is only a small part of it I think. What Bailey is doing is not so much plugging a hole up forward, he is adding some attributes to Steff's game. The whole idea is to genuinely develop some players now so that they are an option for him down the track to take some teams by surprise tactically. Dustin Fletcher is a good comparison as he has always been a defender but on occasion performed up forward. It will be hard for Martin to perform if he gets the best defender now but the key is his development not necessarily goals and in some ways this could make him even better for the long run by getting top defenders. From the perspective of winning the game against St.Kilda we're screwed though.

 

[Dez!]

Martin is in a different place than Miller and Dunn, so I don't think we have worry about "ruining" him.

He's already proved he can play down back at AFL level, so if he struggles up forward we know we can just send him back to defense, something in which Dunn and Miller didn't have the luxury of.

Lucky for Miller now though, he plays solely up forward.

If only we could do the same for Dunn, well we can so perhaps it should be only if we would do the same for Dunn.

 

[master bate]

Martin is in a different place than Miller and Dunn, so I don't think we have worry about "ruining" him.

He's already proved he can play down back at AFL level, so if he struggles up forward we know we can just send him back to defense, something in which Dunn and Miller didn't have the luxury of.

Lucky for Miller now though, he plays solely up forward.

If only we could do the same for Dunn, well we can so perhaps it should be only if we would do the same for Dunn.

Has he? To me he has shown a heap of potential down back but is yet to really show he has made it. He hasn't really beaten a lot of big forward like Warnock has. Nor has he beaten the dangerous forwards like Garland and Frawley. I'd safely say he is not best 22 at the moment. So what I want to see from him is a few weeks up forward for a bit of novelty value, then back to the backline (or Casey) for some dominant defending.

 

[Dez!]

Has he? To me he has shown a heap of potential down back but is yet to really show he has made it. He hasn't really beaten a lot of big forward like Warnock has. Nor has he beaten the dangerous forwards like Garland and Frawley. I'd safely say he is not best 22 at the moment. So what I want to see from him is a few weeks up forward for a bit of novelty value, then back to the backline (or Casey) for some dominant defending.

That's why I didn't say he's cemented his spot, he's definitely proved he can play down back. Whether or not he can beat out the others for a spot in the best 22 remains to be seen but I'm confident we've seen enough to say he's able to make it at AFL level down back.