When are we going to wake up?

[BedlamHawk]

As I currently watch saturday night football at the MCG I see a hungry melbourne line up running all over a 4-0 brisbane lions side and I think to myself why can't we play football like this?

What we have witnessed of late has been some mind boggling football from our side. We are so much better than 1-3 and it is starting to get on my nerves.

Does anyone actually believe Melbourne has a better side than us? They are about to be 3-2 after a humiliating round 1 loss.

Before anyone says "oh but we have had a tough draw", has Melbourne had it any easier? They have played us, almost beaten Collingwood and are now currently beating Brisbane who are 4-0.

When are we going to start believing that we can play good football and beat top sides? Last weeks gameplan completely bamboozled all of us. Why not just go back to basics and play hard contested, team oriented football like Melbourne are doing now instead of this stupid 'handball to flat footed teammates who are about to be tackled' gameplan. It reeks of amateurish, almost child like football - receieve the football and proceed to start shitting yourself.

Are we just overrated? Are we out of form? Will we turn it around tomorrow? I hope the latter because we are so much better than our record suggests, but if we turn up tomorrow with the same gameplan and mindset our season will be over and what a waste it will be.

Just needed to vent some frustration. Let's get behind the boys in brown and gold tomorrow.

 

[burner1]

Melbourne look a seriously quick team atm - especially through the middle - not many one-paced plodders like us. IMO until we get some pace and run injected into our line-up we will continue to struggle to break through teams zones and look very average at times.

 

[macdaddio]

I am very afraid for our year, if we don't change our style and start kicking the ball long and straight down the centre rather than 100000000 handballs that end up in the hands of our opositions!!!!

 

[BedlamHawk]

Melbourne look a seriously quick team atm - especially through the middle - not many one-paced plodders like us. IMO until we get some pace and run injected into our line-up we will continue to struggle to break through teams zones and look very average at times.

I think the speed with which you move the ball affects how you look also. They are simply just playing confident free flowing football. Something we are not doing at this stage.

It seems like an eternity ago that we were beating Melbourne by 80 points in round 1. Did we look slow against them that day?

I think they are just playing with extreme confidence and flair.

We are lacking confidence after coughing up 2 winnable games and then getting thrashed. The players just don't believe they can win games of football after 3 agonising losses. It will really test their character resurrecting the season from here.

 

[illnino]

I see what your saying mate and I too am really enjoying this Demons outfit playing really well.

However, I don't agree that we haven't played like that for 3 of our 4 games. We thrashed Melbourne......Nuff said there. No doubt we really gave it to Geelong, played a great style of footy, and played hard, tough, solid footy. As for the Bulldogs, yes we definitely faded in the second half which was disappointing no doubt, but we really did play some good footy in the first half. The Collingwood game was a shambles.......again, nuff said there.

Keeping in mind we have played our last 3 games of football in 13 days, are missing more quality players than most (possibly all) opposition teams, and still have a fairly young and inexperienced team (especially in terms of games played), I think we are doing quite well honestly.

Add a ruckman, Burgoyne, Sewell and the 2-3 goals buddy isn't kicking at the moment and it's a different story. Just a little luck is all we need at the moment. The passion/will/desire or whatever you wanna call it is there IMO.

Anyway, great goal from Jones for the dees as I type, but the Lions may not be done yet.....

 

[Rudi Gilham]

Good post Buddddddy Love. I'm liking what I'm seeing from Melbourne at the moment. It's exciting stuff and they're really backing themselves.

I truly hope we start to play more direct footy, starting tomorrow against the Roos. No more over handballing.

 

[BedlamHawk]

I think Buddy is going to be a real barometer in the next few weeks. If he starts firing up he will get the team going and the fans excited. When he starts playing well the team tend to gain a lot of confidence. Hope to see the real Buddy back tomorrow.

 

[Davo23]

As I currently watch saturday night football at the MCG I see a hungry melbourne line up running all over a 4-0 brisbane lions side and I think to myself why can't we play football like this?

What we have witnessed of late has been some mind boggling football from our side. We are so much better than 1-3 and it is starting to get on my nerves.

Does anyone actually believe Melbourne has a better side than us? They are about to be 3-2 after a humiliating round 1 loss.

Before anyone says "oh but we have had a tough draw", has Melbourne had it any easier? They have played us, almost beaten Collingwood and are now currently beating Brisbane who are 4-0.

When are we going to start believing that we can play good football and beat top sides? Last weeks gameplan completely bamboozled all of us. Why not just go back to basics and play hard contested, team oriented football like Melbourne are doing now instead of this stupid 'handball to flat footed teammates who are about to be tackled' gameplan. It reeks of amateurish, almost child like football - receieve the football and proceed to start shitting yourself.

Are we just overrated? Are we out of form? Will we turn it around tomorrow? I hope the latter because we are so much better than our record suggests, but if we turn up tomorrow with the same gameplan and mindset our season will be over and what a waste it will be.

Just needed to vent some frustration. Let's get behind the boys in brown and gold tomorrow.

Still no snow on Mount Buller.

In about 4 weeks, all this will change.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but when we defeated Melbourne so easily in round 1, I saw it as an omen because we began the 2008 season the same way.

However, after tonight, I am reminded of 2004, where we defeated Melbourne in round 1, then started losing while Melbourne started winning. I hope it's not an indicator for the rest of our season.

 

[hawk for 37]

Massive over reaction here from a few. See what tomorrow brings.

Even when he is not playing well, Buddy makes so many players stand taller and takes the heat off a few too.

By the way, check out the ladder on the Herald Sun site and it tells us that even though we were hammered last week all game we have spend 62% of our game time in front of our opposition. Not bad for a team of hacks losing all of the time!

4th best in comp so we are doing a few things right. Just haven't converted efforts into wins just yet.




ps. Lose tomorrow then it will be official. Shit and fan will come together and it wont be pretty.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

As I currently watch saturday night football at the MCG I see a hungry melbourne line up running all over a 4-0 brisbane lions side and I think to myself why can't we play football like this?

Rounds 1,2 and 3 seem to be forgotten by the bad loss against Collingwood.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Rounds 1,2 and 3 seem to be forgotten by the bad loss against Collingwood.

Easy to do when you see other clubs improving, whilst you are not.

 

[macdaddio]

Easy to do when you see other clubs improving, whilst you are not.

That is so true, but the worst thing about it is that Geelong are still improving even after 3 years straight playing in a granny and we have slipped of the face of the earth!
with our list we should be challangibg for a flag this year but we be pushing it to make the 8, some serious isues going on down hawk land!

 

[grizzlym]

Easy to do when you see other clubs improving, whilst you are not.

Melbourne are playing a confident, skilful game and the players look like they're getting a real buzz out of it. And as they play they're getting belief.

Unfortunately, and I know we've had 3 tough weeks, I contrast that with how we look. But a week is a long time in footy...

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

Rounds 1,2 and 3 seem to be forgotten by the bad loss against Collingwood.

I'm a tad bemused by how honorable peoples think our Rnd 3 loss was.
16 points to a predicted top 4 team looks ok on the scoresheet, but in reality we were very lucky it was not a blowout of 36+.

 

[Off The Couch]

Rounds 1,2 and 3 seem to be forgotten by the bad loss against Collingwood.

Rd 1 is the only one that got four points - the collingwood game got us the same as the games in Rd 2 and 3 - it just bought it to the attention of all and sundry.

For the life of me I cannot understand why, when we have some of the best kicks going around, two powerful forwards and some beautiful crumbers, we are trying to adopt someone elses game plan. It would be acceptable if when they realised it wasn't working that they switched to something else but they don't.

I'm not ready to throw the bath water out yet but it would still be nice to be playing a style of footy that is exciting to watch and bears results rather than what we have been watching and yes I get that there are injuries, I get that there are guys playing who are extremely new but they also get taught the same game plan as the others so if this is it I am slightly concerned as to where the season may end up.

In saying all of that, if it all turns around and good results head our way then I will be more than prepared to eat humble pie.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I'm a tad bemused by how honorable peoples think our Rnd 3 loss was.
16 points to a predicted top 4 team looks ok on the scoresheet, but in reality we were very lucky it was not a blowout of 36+.

Perhaps as lucky as the Bulldogs were that Franklin didn't want a bar of it, and Rough missed some sitters.
Swings and roundabouts.

The initial question in this thread was "I see a hungry line up running all over another side and I think to myself why can't we play football like this?"
Fact is that we can, and have, already this year.

 

[SA HAWK]

We have the equal worst backline in the comp along with Richmond.

What we really need to start doing is playing a more attacking gameplan to outscore sides instead of all this handball shit.

 

[CaptainHodgey]

we are stagnant, unwilling to change our methods and teams like melbourne and freo are going past us at a rate of knots.

But it will take another 1-2 finals misses for us to realise it.

 

[H2F]

I don't understand the hysteria from fans.

We were absolutely stuffed last week, after playing three very intense games.

Does anyone think that the Dogs, Saints or Cats would be doing any better without 4 or 5 of their key players?

As I have mentioned before, my only worry is the form of Roughy and Buddy.

 

[Rioli magic]

I actually don't think it comes down to game plan, injuries or whatever....it is that one thing you can't see that is even more important - confidence. We are playing like a team without confidence, and until we just back ourselves in and come out with a win......

At the moment it seems 2009 may have kicked our team in the nuts as hard as it did our supporters, such a positive bunch these days.

 

[grizzlym]

I don't understand the hysteria from fans.

We were absolutely stuffed last week, after playing three very intense games.

Does anyone think that the Dogs, Saints or Cats would be doing any better without 4 or 5 of their key players?

As I have mentioned before, my only worry is the form of Roughy and Buddy.

Hey, H2H, the kicking out from the backline has me reaching for my crack pipe.

 

[CaptainHodgey]

I don't understand the hysteria from fans.

As I have mentioned before, my only worry is the form of Roughy and Buddy.

What about this backline here:

B: Guerra Gilham Ladson
HB Stratton Schoenmakers Murphy

If that doesn't worry you then nothing will

 

[Roddy27]

Perhaps as lucky as the Bulldogs were that Franklin didn't want a bar of it, and Rough missed some sitters.
Swings and roundabouts.

The initial question in this thread was "I see a hungry line up running all over another side and I think to myself why can't we play football like this?"
Fact is that we can, and have, already this year.

Tis true. We have. But it's a preparedness to keep fighting when things don't go our way that is of concern. Too much whinging, poor body language, and 'waiting' for someone else to lead the way... There is no point thinking 'why aren't we playing the way we should' you actually have to do it... You have to live it. When our squad matures to a point where they shed themselves of bullsh&t collectively, when we're prepared to say 'fit in or f$&k off', then we will see the talents of our players shine. I'm inclined to think that it is the mustons, dowlers, breusts, savages etc who will help shape this... Oh yeah, and some bloke named gurgoyne? Or is it Burgoyne?

 

[Cosmo Kramer]

Crows/Hawks handball the footy more than any other team and aim to guard space rather than players, no coincidence they are both struggling this year as other teams have worked out how to beat it.