Melbourne Demons’s problem is a lack of effort
Roar Pro By Rodney Penny, 23 May 2012 Rodney Penny is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- AFL, Jim Stynes, Melbourne Demons, Port Adelaide
Demons players leave the field dejected after the round one loss to the Brisbane Lions in 2012 (Photo: Michael Willson/AFL Media)
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When I write about sport, I usually don’t enjoy writing in such a negative manner. But sometimes, a negative opinion is necessary.
I’ll only construe a negative opinion when I believe there is a significant problem in a respective topic. And that topic right now is the Melbourne Football Club.
Hell, I’m glad I live in Adelaide. Because if I lived in Melbourne, the storm that has eventuated as a result of Melbourne’s undeniable amateurism would send me into melt down. Even watching Fox Footy’s On the Couch and 360 AFL programs gives me a fair indication on the current state of the football landscape over in Victoria.
And you know what? I can’t blame the Melbourne media one bit.
I was flabbergasted, amused, bemused, in awe, in disbelief, and any other shock induced adjectives you could infer after watching Melbourne’s performance on Saturday Night.
Now, beating Sydney at the SCG is a pretty difficult task. So no one was expecting any miracles from the Demons. But going down by 101 points and losing the inside 50 count 71-35 where the 50 metre arcs are pretty much inside the centre square at the SCG is simply unforgivable.
But the worst thing of all is lack of spirit displayed by the 22 players who essentially disgraced the red and navy-blue.
In all of the football matches I have watched, I have never seen a football side show less heart. It’s a real blight on the work the late Jim Stynes had put into that football club, not only since he became president in 2008, but over the past 27 years since he arrived in Australia as a fresh faced 18-year-old from Dublin, Ireland.
Jim led the way on spirit, hard work and determination, and it’s a real shame to see these footballers go out and dish up what they did on Saturday Night.
The thing is that the Melbourne list isn’t bad. The have genuine talent on their list.
One small question has been floating around in the back of my head over the past few days. Melbourne beat the Adelaide Crows by 96 points in Melbourne last year. Both lists are almost as identical today as they were last season. Tom Scully left after last season, but he was injured on the day they beat Adelaide. In fact, Melbourne have now added a very capable footballer in Mitch Clark to their list, which would make one think that their list has improved.
Adelaide are strong premiership favourites after thrashing Carlton by 69 points while Melbourne are zero wins, eight losses. So the question is this: How can a Melbourne team beat the Adelaide Crows by almost one hundred points and only 12 months later, be on the opposite ends of the ladder?
One word: effort.
Melbourne has won only four quarters in the eight games played this season, and it’s their effort in which every problem comes down to.
I’m sick of the same old crap. “We believe in Mark Neeld’s strategies”, “It’s not the coach, it’s us” or “We’ll work hard this week and go and perform our best on the weekend”.
Blah, blah, crap! It’s high time the players put some effort and spirit into their performances rather than just talking about it.
That Melbourne list doesn’t deserve the job description of “AFL footballer”. A better description would be a “Whiny child who put’s blame on himself and his teammates yet can’t follow through on the promises made to the media, the football world and most importantly the members”.
Until these lazy, self-important players realise that to put on an AFL jumper requires integrity, strength, leadership and most importantly, effort; they will continue to receive the same amount of vitriol week in, week out.
And it eventuates into the sad demise of several very promising AFL careers. But that’s the way AFL football is. It’s a cut throat industry in which you could be flying one second, and have your career in the gutter the next.
Effort will win you admirers (look at Port Adelaide’s extraordinary comeback win on the weekend) while the opposite will see you face scrutiny, and have everyone doubt whether or not you can cut it at the top level.
I don’t expect Melbourne to win many AFL games this season. However, like many other football followers, I expect that their effort be second to none from here on in.
If they can’t even do that, they may as well not even run onto the football field.
- Explore:
- AFL, Jim Stynes, Melbourne Demons, Port Adelaide
May 23rd 2012 @ 4:00am
Cameron said | May 23rd 2012 @ 4:00am | Report comment
I think the rather simplistic argument that a footy side’s only problem is a lack of effort is a bit short sighted. it is easy to say that when a team is getting flogged that they are not putting in. Isn’t the more rationale argument the fact that the quality of cattle is just not there? After all, when a team is leading on the scoreboard is it not easy to say they are putting in “effort” when really that so called “effort” is a manifestation of the overall quality of their players over the opposition’s, rather than a perception of the hard work being put in despite the lack of player quality.
‘,
May 23rd 2012 @ 7:38am
Johnno said | May 23rd 2012 @ 7:38am | Report comment
it’s not a lack of effort , it is a rebuilding year.
May 23rd 2012 @ 10:54am
Ian Whitchurch said | May 23rd 2012 @ 10:54am | Report comment
Its a lack of effort.
May 23rd 2012 @ 12:26pm
PLANKO said | May 23rd 2012 @ 12:26pm | Report comment
This phrase that get’s bandied about in all sports “rebuilding year” it is cop out. It is an excuse. It is used sometimes when you don’t have the cattle but most of the time it when you are not playing to your best.
May 23rd 2012 @ 9:59am
Winston said | May 23rd 2012 @ 9:59am | Report comment
I agree with the writer. When you have a full forward who is on fire, usually the game plan doesn’t have to be very fancy. Just get the ball and kick it to anywhere near him and you’ll probably get a result. Every other player in the team won’t need to worry too much about anything but to make sure Mitch Clark gets the ball and that they don’t let their direct opponents get free. In a way that’s how Sydney played back in 2004-2007 where all they have to do is tackle hard in the middle and bomb the ball in and leave it to their champion forwards. Ok, Clark might not mark it every time, so stick a Davey front and centre of him. This won’t require much of any of the other 16 players on the ground in terms of skills, brains, strength, speed, or even teamwork. The only way this simple plan can fail is if players don’t dive in with conviction to get the ball and if they don’t chase and tackle hard when the other side’s got the ball. The gap is intensity clearly showed on Saturday.
Not sure what Mark Neeld can do though. If it’s a particular skill lacking you can get around it by putting the right player at the right spot. If it’s overall lack of effort (which even Jimmy Stynes’ passing away can’t get them to lift), what can you do?
May 23rd 2012 @ 11:20am
Sh00ter said | May 23rd 2012 @ 11:20am | Report comment
This article has missed a vital point. Lack of LEADERSHIP.
In 2010 the club had James McDonald, Cameron Bruce (now on other AFL lists), Aaron Davey and Brad Green usually being key contributors in big wins, such as Sydney by 12 goals. Last year when they beat Adelaide by 96, among the best players were Moloney, Jones, Sylvia, Frawley, Green and Davey. With the excpetion of Jones and possibly Frawley, these players for various reasons have not lead the team by example in 2012.
Two twenty something first year captains still finding their feet at the level, are not the immediate answer to the club’s leadership problems. This is reflected in the sub-par performances of their older more experienced teammates. If the Demons don’t find an internal solution to their leadership problem very soon, they will be winless throughout the entire 2012 season.
May 23rd 2012 @ 11:32am
swannies05 said | May 23rd 2012 @ 11:32am | Report comment
This is the most I have agreed with an article on The Roar in a long time. I have been a Swans member since 1995 and in all my time watching the red and white at the SCG, I have witnessed very few floggings like the one we handed out to `the Demons on Saturday. The Swans are not, and never have been (at least since I have supported them), a side that thrashes teams. I wish I had the time to look up some figures to support this, unfortunately I am at work though.
In a match where the disposal count was relatively close (395-353 in Sydney’s favour) but the tackle count 82-51, and Inside 50 count 71-35, again both in Sydney’s favour, anyone with half a brain realises what the problem is. And Rodney Penny hit the nail on the head, it is LACK OF EFFORT. At the half way point of the 1st quarter, the Swans took their foot off the gas and didn’t need to hit top gear again, and they still won by 101 points. In all my years of attending AFL matches, I have never been to a match with less atmosphere, and this was solely to do with the fact it just wasn’t a contest. For all of you people that live in Melbourne, and find Swans home matches nothing like a Friday night at the ‘G, and are now thinking, of course there was no atmosphere as there is a quarter of th egrandstand missing at the SCG, the last placed side was being flogged and there was only 20,000 people there I agree. However, I attended Swans matches in 1993-4 when we would be on the receiving end of floggings like the one handed to the Dees on Saturday evening, and although my memory may just be a victim of time past, but Saturday night was like watching men versus boys. These “boys” is a side full of very talented players, including Davey and Sylvia who both had games worthy of a first year player in the Sydney AFL competition. Besides Maloney, Watts, Magner and Frawley, the entire Melbourne side’s effort levels were disgraceful on Saturday night.
As mentioned On the Couch on Monday night, these players have been under the game plans of Bailey, Viney and Neeld and have responded to none of them. Having faith in the powers that be at the Melbourne Football Club who chose Mark Neeld as the man to take their club forward, he must have game plan to make this side improve, however, the ratio of disposals to Inside 50′s of Melbourne on the weekend suggests that either there is no game plan, or the more likely fact, the players are just not trying hard to implement it and make it work. As the article above points out, the 50m arc ar the SCG does encroach on the centre square and only entering it 35 times in 2 hours of football is simply not good enough.
The site of Colin Sylvia laughing and joking with Josh Kennedy immediately following the final siren are actions that would make my blood boil as a supporter of the Demons. I am not sure what needs to be done to remedy Melbourne’s problems, but dropping Colin Sylvia would be a step in the right direction. Such disregard for what he was partially responsible for immediately after the game would never happen at stronger clubs, Sydney being one of these.
One final point, is the Demons’ apparent failure to use the Jim Stynes’ passing as motivation for their season. Like the Sylvia laughter followign the defeat, I am sure that if such an event happened at other clubs the results would be different. Being a Swans supporter I will again use an example from our club. Last year, no one would be game to suggest that the tragic death of Jarrad McVeigh’s daughter did not contribute to the Swans’ record breaking defeat of Geelong down at the fortress of Kardinia Park.
All in all, Melbourne have serious problems, albeit if they are only on-field, as their President suggested On the Couch on Monday night. If they can simply change their effort levels, a lot of these problems will slip into the distant, to use Chris Judd’s words from yesterday, “2 week memory” of the AFL media.
May 23rd 2012 @ 2:33pm
Jack said | May 23rd 2012 @ 2:33pm | Report comment
Colin Sylvia laughing and joking with Josh Kennedy immediately following the final siren does make a supporters blood boil. It reminds me strongly of a similar incident at the Brumbies last year when the injured Captain was sitting amongst the members with his back to the game laughing with his mates while team was beaten, again, at home in front of barely 6000 supporters. The bulk of that Brumbies team is gone and the kids and a very accomplished coach have the Brumbies sitting on top of the Australian conference. As a D’s supporter I am sick of spin and platitudes. The great Kiwi captain, Richie McCaw, who has won everything that can be won in his sport, has thunder on his face when his team is losing. So should Sylvia. You might not have the natural ability or skill a Judd or Ablett but there is no reason that you can’t have the same endeavour.
May 23rd 2012 @ 11:34am
Johnno said | May 23rd 2012 @ 11:34am | Report comment
Melbourne are a young team it is a rebuilding year.
May 23rd 2012 @ 11:40am
Matt F said | May 23rd 2012 @ 11:40am | Report comment
The talk out of the club was that they would be aiming for finals. Clearly they didn’t expect it to be a “rebuilding” year. They’re only a “young” team because they cut their experienced players. This must be their 5th or 6th consecutive rebuilding year?
May 23rd 2012 @ 12:49pm
Timmuh said | May 23rd 2012 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
Every club says that, with the exception of GC and GWS over the last two years. I think even Fitzroy were saying it in the mid-90s. The line gets trotted by every club every year regardless of how realistic it is. Whether they knew finals were beyond them or not, few outside the inner sanctum really know. Just like when results go against them every club claims its a “rebuilding year” or something similar. Its about giving the supporters hope, sure its false hope a lot of the time, but clubs are in the business of selling hope of any avriety as much as they of winning premierships.
May 23rd 2012 @ 11:55am
swannies05 said | May 23rd 2012 @ 11:55am | Report comment
Why should it be a “rebuilding year”? They have key forwards: Green, Clark. They have experienced, hardened midfielders: Davey, Sylvia, Jones, Moloney. They have key backmen in Frawley and Rivers. And they have very highly rated draft picks who have 2-4 years in their legs: Morton, Watts, Trengove, Howe. On top of this they have one of the best all-round ruckmen in the game in Jamar and a blossoming run-with player in Magner. There ares sides with far less having “breakout” years or are “premiership contenders”, Melbourne have gone through their “rebuilding years” and shoudl now show repay the years of money and faith shown in this playing group and put some results on the board.
May 23rd 2012 @ 12:34pm
Johnno said | May 23rd 2012 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
And swannie this is a young team and Melbourne are in a rebuilding year, and are going to have another rebuilding year even if it is the 5 or 6th year. Rome wasn’t built in a day swannie and , and Melbourne are in a rebuilding year. Give it time old boy.
May 23rd 2012 @ 12:37pm
Winston said | May 23rd 2012 @ 12:37pm | Report comment
But West Coast went from wooden spooners to 4th in one year.
May 23rd 2012 @ 12:59pm
Stewie said | May 23rd 2012 @ 12:59pm | Report comment
And if Swannie, like me, is a Sydney fan (of course, he could be a Collingwood fan… awkward), then he can tell you that it is entirely possible to rebuild a list whilst actually winning a game. It seems unreasonable to spend 7 years rebuilding and not having a huge impact on the ladder.
Oh, and Mr Neeld? Two words. Tom. Couch. Son of Brownlow medallist, had about 4-5 BoG performances in the VFL… why not bring in some young blood if your old farts aren’t performing up to scratch??? Let them know that their spots on the team are not permanent, and that they have to work to earn them. It might make them lift their performances a bit.
Oh, and one last rant. You bring in Magner at the start of the season, he wins the ball big-time. So you make him a tagger. *facepalm*
May 23rd 2012 @ 12:56pm
TomC said | May 23rd 2012 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
I normally roll my eyes at supporters who say that a team isn’t trying, but it’s getting hard to argue with in the case of Melbourne.
Against the Hawks last week, they at least had a decent crack for the first quarter. Some of their tackling pressure early on was good, but it dropped off quickly.
Against Sydney they didn’t have a quarter of intensity. The defensive pressure was non-existent. The Swans are a good side, but as swannies05 observed above, they don’t really have the attacking flair to rack up big scores. But the Swans would have had to have stopped stock still not to have beaten the Demons heavily last weekend. And the number of times you would see Melbourne players jogging around by themselves away from the ball was frustrating as a neutral observer. I can’t imagine how soul destroying it must be for Demons fans.
Longmire even had the luxury of sticking Josh Kennedy in the forwardline for most of the game, confident that Melbourne’s midfield wouldn’t win enough of the ball to trouble his team. That’s the kind of experimentation you’d sometimes see in the second half against GWS, not from the beginning of a game against an established team.
The crazy thing is that if you look at the Demons’ list, it seems to be full of players who are noted for their defensive pressure and workrate. Nathan Jones, Brent Moloney, Jordie McKenzie, Jack Trengove, James Magner, Colin Sylvia, Ricky Petterd, Jared Rivers. Is it that Neeld is trying to change the way they play? His public comments make it seem that physical pressure would be the key part of his gameplan.
I had my doubts about Melbourne before the season started, but no one could have possibly predicted how poor they’d be. The apparent lack of effort must be a symptom of some bigger problem. I have no idea what that problem is or how they fix it. Somehow I expect Neeld doesn’t either.
Shooter makes a great point about lack of leadership. Perhaps Melbourne need a GWS-style strategy of recruiting a handful of players at the end of their careers to provide some direction to the youngsters.
May 23rd 2012 @ 1:11pm
swannies05 said | May 23rd 2012 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
Stewie, just to clarify I am indeed a Swans fan, and yes, we never seem to need “rebuilding years”. And Johnno- I will agree with the old adage, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but by the time Melbourne win their next flag, Rome may be the world’s capital once more.
May 23rd 2012 @ 1:20pm
Johnno said | May 23rd 2012 @ 1:20pm | Report comment
Well said and we will only see the dies win up in heaven swannie. R.I.P Jim Stynes.
May 23rd 2012 @ 2:21pm
Sh00ter said | May 23rd 2012 @ 2:21pm | Report comment
No one can tell me there is a hell of a lot of difference in the talent on the Essendon and Melbourne lists. The difference is leadership on and and off the field!