Disappointing performance tonight.
Couldn't put the scoreboard pressure on in the 1st quarter that we should have, and then completely beaten up around the ball in the 2nd.
We were better in the 2nd half but they were much cleaner with the ball and that showed in our ball use forward. I thought we looked better when we pushed Balta up the ground, structured us better and helped stop Lever and Gawn dominating so much as we were pretty much kicking it to them at any chance that we could,
Just on Lynch (and I mentioned this a few weeks ago), he engages his opponent too much. He's engaging, losing the strength contest and then getting caught behind too often. Our ball use isn't helping him but he's a forward that does best on the lead, but the way he is playing the defenders isn't helping him at all.
I think potentially a 3rd tall would help in the forward line as it would isolate him 1 on 1 a bit more. I think we need that tall anyway, as we rarely take those marks down the line and we need that with the way the game is being played this year, the amount of times Gawn and Lever did that today was telling and really important to Melbournes win.
Reckon we aren't far off, we just aren't clicking right now. I think we have players well down on form and we probably need to rebuild on the run. I think Aarts is a bit of a momentum killer at times too, but with slowness in his legs but also with some of his ball movement.
We need to rejuvenate the midfield too. Looks like injuries are going to push that to happen and we will probably lose next week as the Dogs midfield is very strong but we need to start seeing the green shoots of the next mids, even if they aren't going to be A graders, we need to see the next B graders coming through.
I mentioned a few weeks ago, I'd like to see Cotch moved out of the midfield lineup by the end of the year and have him fill one of those pressure forward spots around half forward, not only do I think he'd be great at the fall of the ball, we can also have him run with players like Salem when they get off and have a field day as he did today. With the injuries might not be able to do that yet, but we should be looking towards it. I don't think he's good enough any longer to be in our 1st mid lineup, he should still get a run in there but should be rotating from half forward.