Well that wasn't much fun, got beaten and got wet at the game.
We looked just a bit off tonight. Being down a rotation would not have helped but even ignoring that factor we were a bit off.
That said, Melbourne were good. They are a genuinely good team and are playing good footy. We'll see how long they can maintain it and how well they would go against us at full strength and in better form. But they are looking like they deserve to make finals and contend for top 4.
To my eyes our biggest issue tonight was entries into forward 50. We had more inside 50s than Melbourne yet we lost badly. The smalls in our forward line are not playing well. Castagna has been decent this year but I don't think Aarts is up to it and Rioli has certainly lost something, he is just not very effective at the moment. I know there has been a strategy of contest the ball up forward, lock it in, massive pressure and the smalls contribute some goals. None of this was in evidence tonight, and I would have to say it has been missing in a fair few of our games. Against Carlton our small forwards never seemed to be in the right spot when the ball came off the pack and the same goes for the games against Sydney and tonight. Add to that the fact that when we are playing well the tall forwards also take some marks and kick goals. Nothing was working up forward, as reflected in the stat that we scored 30% of the times we got it inside 50. Plus, the ease with which Melbourne were able to get it out of our 50 with a chain of uncontested possessions was something we just can't let happen, and this wasn't the only game we have let it happen - I really can't see that the new rules are to blame for this - we seem to be losing the ground ball up forward and need to address this.
Our defence wasn't great but the fact they only scored 39% of the times they got it inside 50 indicates it also wasn't that bad.
We were close on clearances too so that wasn't too bad.
What we really need now is a big effort next week. Make no mistake, Footscray are genuinely good. But we have turned things around before and now is the chance for a few young players to shine.
I think we need to seriously think about dropping both Aarts and Rioli, they really are not contributing much at the moment. Maybe the role Rioli plays is not so relevant with the changes to the game, maybe he needs to be given a different role - less closing down space and more creating opportunities to score. In any case, closing space is of little help when the opposition are clearing it with a series of short possessions along the boundary - all very good to block the corridor but doing so means we have players in the corridor and get outnumbered along the boundary. I would also get another tall forward. We probably don't need the third tall there all the time so it is a perfect opportunity to give CCJ a go as second ruck and forward the rest of the time. Lynch needs to lead more and run around more so he isn't double teamed all the time - I think his lack of run makes it too easy to have a couple of defenders hanging off him all the time.
The centre is also a question. I would get RCD in for a debut, not sure if he has any speed but we certainly need more speed in the middle.
We will be a better team with Prestia and Vlastuin back. Dustin needs a break, send him on a holiday to New Zealand to visit his dad, he needs a bit of a recharge. We will need Lambert back ASAP too, hope the calf isn't too bad.
I think the hunger is still there, but we are off the pace at the moment. Need to pick it up, but look at our draw and we have a decent run in the back half of the season so we can time a big run into the finals and be a decent chance to contend.
A last couple of observations.
The umpiring was predictably woeful. Gross inconsistency in the holding the man/ball interpretations. Some appalling decisions relating to whether a kick had or had not gone 15 metres. Plenty of throws missed, this truly is a blight on the game. If the AFL wants to allow throwing then they can go and re-form the VFA and f*** off quite frankly - enforce the bloody rules.
22nd man beat me to it, but Melbourne should really be very disappointed in that crowd. 56,000 was pathetic and I reckon half the crowd were Richmond. They were 5-0 and playing the reigning premiers and still didn't turn up in numbers. They can blame COVID or the weather but in reality it was just pathetic. There should have been at least 70,000 there tonight and the Melbourne supporters should have clearly outnumbered us at their own home game. No idea how many (few) members they have but Melbourne supporters are looking like their own stereotype of heartless supporters who aren't even fair weather supporters since they didn't even turn up tonight. Their heart beats true? Really? They are a club without a heart and they may have fixed the culture amongst the playing group but they have a hell of a lot of work to get a culture amongst their supporter base.
DS