That's a loss we had coming.

[hop]

Played dumb football tonight.

Too many times we had the balll forward of centre and just played on and blasted away - when to stop, look and find an option was clearly what was needed. Constantly under pressure going forward because A/ we allowed them to push back too easily and B/ our target selection was appaling. Without Hille providing an effective target the turn-overs would have been much worse.

Alternatively - Richmond's forward line was open and their clean use of the ball made our runners look second rate.

Agree with everything that has been said about Stanton - still what are we to do????? The leadership love him - he will be played forever and a day and he will continue to make poor decisions under pressure.

[paddyl90]

Not surprised at all! Since West Coast game haven't played that well...been up since mid February. I always expected us to slide the second half of the year as the season gets longer. No panic stations for me just yet...if we don't beat Melbourne after the bye then i'd be worried. All we need is to upset Freo, Geelong or Hawthorn perhaps a game we aren't likely to win and it'll cancel tonight out. We should've won tonight...we didn't...life goes on. They deserve the break as it's been a fantastic 9 weeks of football. Who wouldn't have taken this at season's start.

[Rossoneri]

I just think we played above ourselves for a few games, I think we will he lucky to make the top 8. We have no forward line, too many passengers (ryder, Stanton, reimers, Davey), we are at least 2 a-grade midfielders short of being a top team.

[BenDoolan]

I just think we played above ourselves for a few games, I think we will he lucky to make the top 8. We have no forward line, too many passengers (ryder, Stanton, reimers, Davey), we are at least 2 a-grade midfielders short of being a top team.

LOL

[Rossoneri]

I just think we played above ourselves for a few games, I think we will he lucky to make the top 8. We have no forward line, too many passengers (ryder, Stanton, reimers, Davey), we are at least 2 a-grade midfielders short of being a top team.

LOL

Ok, apart from a top 8 thing, don't you agree with the rest?

On the top 8, our next four games are:
Melbourne - at the g, coming off a bye. Haven't won at the g for a while
Freo - in freo, we all know how well we travel
Roos - 6 day break coming back from Perth
Hawks - again MCG.
Then we have Geelong.

We will be lucky to win 2 of our next 5.

[stryper]

Absolute crap - been playing ahead of ourselves...
Tell me that Collingwood for example would win without the likes of Hocking - Pendelbury,Watson - say a Swan,Hurley - say a Cloke.etc etc etc...
Plain facts were we desperately needed the bye after last week to refresh and recharge...
The umpiring was disgraceful - When did our great game of football become chuckball???
We were in it even up until the end without our great players...
And Ninthond threw everything including the kitchen sink at us... Just got over the line with some help...
Big mistake too I believe that Mcveigh and Hirdy said the players are fatigued. Not a good look.
Oh well rest up and start again. tear Melbourne a new 1...
Still in the 8 and sitting there comfortably...
Expect a different side to come out after the break...

[BenDoolan]

I just think we played above ourselves for a few games, I think we will he lucky to make the top 8. We have no forward line, too many passengers (ryder, Stanton, reimers, Davey), we are at least 2 a-grade midfielders short of being a top team.

LOL

Ok, apart from a top 8 thing, don't you agree with the rest?

On the top 8, our next four games are:
Melbourne - at the g, coming off a bye. Haven't won at the g for a while
Freo - in freo, we all know how well we travel
Roos - 6 day break coming back from Perth
Hawks - again MCG.
Then we have Geelong.

We will be lucky to win 2 of our next 5.

We're down on quality personnel. Any team would struggle with that. Yes we do have a few passengers - but most teams have them too.

If you are purely looking at the team that took the field last night and the performance they put in as a gauge for the rest of the year - then yes, cause for concern. But I look at the other 8 games we've played and see a far different picture.

Get Watto, Hocko, Hurley back - Geelong don't worry me in the slightest.

[Rossoneri]

The problem is that they are the only three to come back (in the next 3-5 weeks). The three ruckman is not working as paddy is horribly out of form. We have no forward structure, only Crameri actually presents when Hille is not there. Even Hurley when up forward has looked out of sorts (possibly due to the injury though).

I think the Melbourne game will be out acid test (funnily enough) it's at the g, cold night, probably windy and we are coming off the bye. By rights, we should smash them but we should have pumped Richmond too.

[MH_Bomber]

I thought Davey was pretty horrible. Back to his old trick of running past the contest but giving the impression he is doing something.

All in all we were outplayed tonight and I think their game plan caught us out. The other factor that we need to consider is how we play at the G. Remembering back to the Carlton draw and Collingwood loss we seem to get lost in transitioning from back to forward line. We also refused to play in front all night.

[BenDoolan]

We also refused to play in front all night.

Yes, I noticed that quite a lot.

[Windy_Hill]

I thought Davey was pretty horrible. Back to his old trick of running past the contest but giving the impression he is doing something.

All in all we were outplayed tonight and I think their game plan caught us out. The other factor that we need to consider is how we play at the G. Remembering back to the Carlton draw and Collingwood loss we seem to get lost in transitioning from back to forward line. We also refused to play in front all night.

Bottom line, we can't play the G. And some fans want us to play there more often!

[robbie67]

Bottom line, we can't play the G. And some fans want us to play there more often!

Jeeez Windy, what sort of short sighted comment is that? Until Grand Finals are played at Etihad, we better make it a f****** priority to learn how to play well at the MCG. Do you know why Collingwood play so well there? Maybe because they play so much football at the f****** joint.

[hop]

Bottom line, we can't play the G. And some fans want us to play there more often!

Jeeez Windy, what sort of short sighted comment is that? Until Grand Finals are played at Etihad, we better make it a f****** priority to learn how to play well at the MCG. Do you know why Collingwood play so well there? Maybe because they play so much football at the f****** joint.

Yeah and it's very difficult for them to fit their 70,000 members at Etihad

[BenDoolan]

What's with the sudden "we can't play at the MCG" thing?

FFS, we played the reigning premiers there on Anzac Day (no-one gave us a chance in hell), yet we got within a kick in the last quarter.

We then played Carlton there minus 2 running players who went down with season ending injuries during the first quarter. We courageously drew the game.

Then we played Richmond minus a glut of quality players and were still in the game during the last quarter.

Suddenly, we "can't play at the G"

[Rossoneri]

Actually under Knights we played the 'G better than the dome. It is slightly worrying the fact this year we have struggled at the 'G, but as Doolan said, we have only played one shit team there this year.

[Rossoneri]

Tell me that Collingwood for example would win without the likes of Hocking - Pendelbury,Watson - say a Swan,Hurley - say a Cloke.etc etc etc... -

They would have smashed Richmond

Plain facts were we desperately needed the bye after last week to refresh and recharge...

Hepple has only played 9 games and looked better than most of them. Richmond still haven't had their bye (though you could argue they only play one quarter of footy a week)

The umpiring was disgraceful - When did our great game of football become chuckball???

Our skill level was worse. 55% efficiency? Pathetic

Expect a different side to come out after the break...

Hope so.

[tonysoprano]

Yep, we had that loss comng alright - but personally I'm blaming the "dream" coaching panel.
The game plan going inside 50 sucks the big ones - any numbskull can see what we'll do - bomb it long...every...single...time. Yawns.
So the rest of the comp have woken up to us, and are effectively countering it. Have done for the last few weeks actually.
You'd reckon with the "best coaching panel in history", they'd have worked out some sort of better system by now.
And I think maybe that's part of the reason the players named earlier aren't living up to expectations - this game plan doesn't utilise their strengths very well. If we could run and carry a bit, and use the ball effectively to outside players some of the time, we'd look a lot slicker and more threatening.
I reckon the scoreboard flattered us tonight. Every time Richmond went forward they looked dangerous. When we went forward it was just hoping we'd get lucky from the mad scramble that followed the inevitable pack marking situation. I guess we'd be a chance if we had three Jetta's down there.
We're playing with a lot of energy and determination, and after the last couple of years that's great to see, but we're going to need some more system to our play to actually be a threat.

I don't disagree with much of what your saying mate. But I reckon the bigger problem is how easily we get sucked down the ground (to the forward half) and then teams simply burst past us, leaving us looking like mac trucks turning to chase ferrari's. Too many times are teams getting easy open goals in their goal squares (or within 20 or so) - either because we don't play defensive side of opponents, or we are too slow, or not fit enough, or not hard-working enough. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with all those potential explanations.

[little_ripper]

What's with the sudden "we can't play at the MCG" thing?

FFS, we played the reigning premiers there on Anzac Day (no-one gave us a chance in hell), yet we got within a kick in the last quarter.

We then played Carlton there minus 2 running players who went down with season ending injuries during the first quarter. We courageously drew the game.

Then we played Richmond minus a glut of quality players and were still in the game during the last quarter.

Suddenly, we "can't play at the G"

yeah i can't get it either? ffs. we will beat the demons in a fortnight. unlike richmond they are playing like shit.

[j-mac31]

Good to see though that Stants had a shocker and nobody booed or jeered him...

You must have been at a different game as he was booed every time he went near the ball.

I didn't hear it either, although we were on level 2 at the back, surrounded mostly by Richmond supporters.

[Jazz_84]

what got me angry is they allowed richmond to just moesy on down the field with no pressure into their F50, couldn't even seen an EFC player on a couple of occasions