What's gone wrong with Melbourne in 2019?

[Drewie11]

Seriously what has happened here??? Can’t see any threads on how disappointing they have been this year and feel like they are getting away with it

Had them tipped for the flag, as did many. Some great players on every line.

This has to be one of the worst years from such a great team on paper.

What has happened to McDonald?? The guy looks like he needs a few weeks in the reserves. Did the Hogan trade really show him and Weiderman up

 

[Xtreme]

Easy they were satisfied with making finals. Not knowing that while it is hard to make finals and become a premiership force........... it's a lot harder to stay up and about and compete for finals on a regular basis.

 

[Dixie Normous]

Waterboarded with their own bathwater

 

[Andrew Mc]

Sounds like you believed the media hype. As it appears the players did.

 

[Drewie11]

Easy they were satisfied with making finals. Not knowing that while it is hard to make finals and become a premiership force........... it's a lot harder to stay up and about and compete for finals on a regular basis.

A real wasted year

Goodwin is struggling and premierships are hard to win. You don’t want to let years slip away with the talent on that list

 

[HTPunter]

2nd most inside 50s.
2nd most clearances.

But

2nd most turnovers
Most points conceded (Carlton still to play)
Least amount of marks

Midfield wins a lot of ball but turns it over going inside 50 a lot, and when they don't the forwards are near useless. It then goes up the other end far too easy where they are crying out for May, Lever and Jetta to return but even then they won't be able to stop much the way it comes in.

The best thing about Melbourne is their midfield because they win the ball so well. Simultaneously, it's also their worst thing because other sides are picking off the turnovers way too easily.

 

[BigVic]

Many picked them to win the flag this year, I didn’t. Predicted them to finish anywhere between 6th and 10th in my preseason ladder.

How wrong were we. A great team on paper fall apart in a year they were supposed to contend.

 

[Podsnap]

Realised they were good enough for finals and then just expected it to happen again

 

[Supercoach Bargain]

They thought they were one player away. He played for Casey today for the first game. Dunno if coming from the GC is the hardness or winning approach they need.

 

[Drewie11]

Sounds like you believed the media hype. As it appears the players did.

Hard not to believe the hype. Lost to the Eagles (eventual premier) in a preliminary and then traded Hogan but picked up May and Kolodjashnij in defence

 

[HTPunter]

They play a lot different style to most of the top teams of GWS, Collingwood, Geelong, West Coast.

They almost try to play similar to Richmond out of all the top teams, just without the forward line efficiency and elite forward pressure.

 

[thedank]

Easy they were satisfied with making finals.

who comes up with this nonsense? how can an afl team get completely humiliated in a prelim, go away thinking it was a successful year, and next year the run to the flag will be even easier? it doesn't make sense. I reckon that their season is a perfect shitstorm; gamestyle more negatively effected by 6-6-6 combined with lots of players out of form or injured. don't forget they weren't a great team last year, barely scraped into finals with 2 unexpected wins in r22-23 then won 2 finals on the trot. hardly a flag favorite or minor prems like some had picked.

*shrug*

 

[Underarm]

They should have gone on a bus trip blindfolded with the Eagles song blaring...

 

[Andrew Mc]

Hard not to believe the hype.

Not really. I noticed their bomb it in and hope style when the Swans played them last year. They didn't have a plan B that day, and not much has changed.

 

[Drewie11]

They should have gone on a bus trip blindfolded with the Eagles song blaring...

Why?

 

[Cursed Cat]

I'm in no rush to make excuses for Melbourne, but it sounds as though they more or less collectively had a rough off-season in terms of conditioning; I reckon their core group is just not fit enough.

Jesse Hogan's never quite convinced me as an elite KF, but he formed a good combo with McDonald last year and they've looked a bit lost up there when I've seen them this year, with McDonald copping more attention, Weideman dropping away and journeymen like Garlett expected to pick up the slack.

Viney has plateaued, and opposition clubs have put a lot of work into Gawn.
The gap between the best and worst of players like Salem and Petracca is just far too wide.

This season is a write-off for them, but maybe its the regression they had to have.

 

[Handsuper47]

Last year was just an anomaly

 

[Crusty Demon]

Only Carlton are more of an embarrassment. Losing culture. Happy with mediocrity. Have folded under pressure for 5 decades now. Have somehow managed to go from one of, if not the most relevant club in the 60's to currently the most irrelevant. Which means not enough people care. As Roosy said, we have a supporter base who just expect to lose and kind of accepts it.

Still quite a young list and we've had a ton of injuries this year, but the good clubs with a winning culture find a way. We pack it in..

 

[the harry]

who comes up with this nonsense? how can an afl team get completely humiliated in a prelim, go away thinking it was a successful year, and next year the run to the flag will be even easier? it doesn't make sense. I reckon that their season is a perfect shitstorm; gamestyle more negatively effected by 6-6-6 combined with lots of players out of form or injured. don't forget they weren't a great team last year, barely scraped into finals with 2 unexpected wins in r22-23 then won 2 finals on the trot. hardly a flag favorite or minor prems like some had picked.

*shrug*

This seems like the most likely of anything that's been posted.

 

[Chuckie357]

Last year was just an anomaly

Melbourne media love a love story, haven’t done anything for how long and when they finally have a slight pulse the media jumps all over it and then pumps up their tyres big time.

Maybe....they are just not that good?

 

[La Dispute]

They’ll rebound next year, similar to the way Richmond came back after an appalling 2016. Not making flag projections, but more a case of a good team needing a bad year to uncover some obvious deficiencies and re-calibrate their game plan. That being said there’s few teams that look as strong as them when they’re linking up through the middle.

They need some more viable targets inside 50 too. Weideman will be a good player with some experience and confidence, Spargo I rate but is still developing, Garlett is a good player, but they need at least another avenue. Still don’t think they should have traded Hogan, as he was a great target for them in 2018, and his presence in the team often meant McDonald got free.

Their list is strong IMO, and I think they’ll capitalise eventually, but it won’t be for at least a few years.

Also really helps having one of the best ruckman and one of the best inside midfielders in the league, plus a host of very, very good players in Brayshaw, Viney, McDonald and Lever. Harmes has gone to another level this year too.

They’ll be alright.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The forward line is an abomination.

 

[whatwhatsaywhat]

missing from best 22 today:
- may
- salem
- lever
- melksham
- vandenberg
- hore
- jetta
- joel smith

and then further depth:
- lewis
- kolodjashnij
- anb

terrible run of injury but compounded by ghastly skills and game plan

we play an outdated style of game - crash, bash, hope for the best and smash it forward - that is found out by teams with decent skill and speed

we are very slow and poorly skilled

 

[Scotland]

We broke them.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Injury list + harder draw doesn't help but you'd think despite that they would be around the 8-12 mark right now.