It became clear a few minutes into their Queen’s Birthday clash against Collingwood that the Demons had no idea what they were doing.
For small patches they look competent. Not just competent, but good even.
Their strength in the contest is imposing and their ability to win the ball at stoppages is sometimes unmatched. They may as well not win the ball, though, because when they have it in hand everything melts.
So it went against the Pies. The Demons dominated contested ball, clearances, won the territory battle, and not for a second had a prayer of winning the match.
Cluelessness pervaded the team like a disease, a comical mix of poorly advised decisions and unfortunate skill errors punished relentlessly by an emphatically cleaner Collingwood side.
The Demons, though, had the illusion of a chance late in game, because there are so many things that they do well. They’re so quick-twitch around the ball, with aggressive bodies and minds and the ability to smash into opponents at pace, extract the ball and get it into the open.
Clayton Oliver is a master of extraction, and Angus Brayshaw and Jack Viney are both masters of being in the right place at the right time around the contest. James Harmes is a cannonball, and when aimed, is powerful. Max Gawn, naturally, is magnificent, consistently giving first use to the teammates at his feet.
Max Gawn (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
The issue is always what comes next. They win the ball, but to no end. They play fast – too fast, always – and the handball chains, which for Collingwood were deft and purposeful, for the Dees felt hurried and both under-thought and over-thought at the same time.
They slam the ball on the boot far too much, as though the goal of football is solely to propel the ball forward. They kick blindly, usually to opponents, but otherwise to meaningless space.
The forward line is a mess. Sam Weideman, in an unusual turn, looked dangerous on the weekend, an explosive force in the air. But Tom McDonald’s fall from star to fringe player, be it through health or simply form, has crushed the Demons this season, and Jeff Garlett is beyond finished.
Christian Petracca is forever underwhelming, a frustrating mix of powerful, dynamic and anonymous. The juxtaposition of him at one end and Jordan De Goey at the other on Monday was illustrative.
The backline, at least, looked to have much more shape with the returns of Steven May and Jake Lever. Their absences, along with the malfunctioning forward line, have defined Melbourne’s season. The presence of May and Lever in the air will cure many of Melbourne’s ills – the next step is to send Sam Frost to the VFL.
Severe questions remain about the coach. The Demons weren’t at an immense talent deficit on Monday but they were made to look like they were.
Collingwood schooled Melbourne with its structure, absorbing meek attacking forays and then sling-shotting into acres of space. Knowing where you are going is often the most important thing in football.
2019 is done for Melbourne, who have sandwiched one magical season with two calamities.
They have the list to make 2020 special, but they will need direction, which was comically absent on Monday, and has been for all of this lost year.
Daz
Roar Pro
It seems that no one has any confidence to take a shot at goal. Many times in every game, players in F50 will frantically pass the ball to a team mate looking for someone else to take the shot. It's like no one takes a kick unless it's a set shot or they are in the open with acres of space. Other teams seem to be able to put the ball on the boot in crowded forward lines and sometimes it doesn't pay off, but usually there is some type of score. Melbourne players just never seem to want to even try to kick a goal.
Brendan
Guest
The 2006 failed year of Geelong has to be put into the context of the club review at the end of the season.Unless Melbourne are willing to admit that all facets of the club need to improve 2018 will be the abberation in this clubs poor efforts since 1964.
Cat
Roar Guru
I never understood why Pruess wanted to go to Melbourne either. Stuck behind Goldstein to move to a team to be stuck behind Gawn?!? Plenty of teams who have given him a better shot or being #1
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
What's the go with that Preuss trade? If not to play him, makes no sense from either party.
Grints
Roar Rookie
Yup couldnt agree more. Im not sure who is the forwards coach atm but who ever it is needs to be dismissed immediately. This is simple fact - Melbourne are 3 - 8 and season is over... BUT 15.9 not 9.15 means they beat the eagles. 16.12 not 12.16 means they beat the crows. 15.7 not 7.15 means a 1 point loss to Collingwood not 41 points. Bad kicking has cost Melbourne the chance to be 5 - 6 and potentially 6 - 5 with a string of winnable games coming up and sitting just outside the 8. Given how deplorable they have been at stages this year its amazing that had they not fluffed chances in front goal they would be in the hunt up to their necks given the talent starting to return. Poor delivery into the forward line isnt helping either - its like the players are actually looking for opposition players to kick too or just bombing it in auskick style hoping that someone will take a screamer. All Melbournes problems are fixable but its too late for 2019.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Psychological hangover from last year's exit? Conversely it is said that a preliminary final loss should make a team hungrier to go further the following year.Even with their injuries still look strong "on paper" however games are played on grass.
RT
Roar Rookie
I think you'd end up with 14 first grade teams, each with a reserves team. Not a bad thing, but I don't think it would prevent a continued poor performer. Sure there would be more talent to go around but talent only goes so far. Only relegation could do it, but we don't have population for it. The competition could not afford to relegate Adelaide, West Coast, Richmond or Collingwood.
Raimond
Roar Guru
It’s amazing how often they miss easy set shots. Whoever’s in charge of that department needs to get the boot.
Joshua Johnny
Guest
Simon Goodwin cannot coach, he does absolutely nothing when things turn south. He never tries to change anything up, like why not plonk McDonald in the back line and put Steven May at FF or CHF. May was drafted as a Key Forward after all. Also if these blokes are so severely out of form, why aren’t they in the VFL trying to get that form back? Why did we even bother recruiting Braydon Preuss if he is just going to sit in the VFL? Some actual horrid coaching decisions, and he should be held accountable. But he won’t be, as Melbourne jumped the gun and re-signed a dud coach.
michael RVC
Roar Pro
Question of promotion relegation - not necessarily, but could be. I think with 14 1st grade teams game day standards, inequities and player welfare would be so vastly improved that it may not be necessary. Also, financial disincentives could be used to avoid intractible serial poor performers staying in 1st div. "Bottom 8" finals just means if there is 14 teams and a top 6 instead of a top 8. But it could be top 7 or whatever. What I am saying is that the teams that do not make the finals series itself have a finals series to determine trade priorities - avoids tanking.
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Melbourne perhaps have done a Freo, rushed a extended long term coaching contract.
RT
Roar Rookie
Not bad. There are a few things I don't understand so I can't properly reply. Is there a promotion/ relegation system? What do you mean by bottom 8 finals? There are only 6 teams not in top 8 in first tier.
michael RVC
Roar Pro
Hi Richie, many facets to this debate, but it's one worth having for me. I don't have absolute answers for which clubs, but I would like to see a better competition system that separates serial poor performance from the pre-eminent comp. Let me try these points from your reply: - 14 team 1st grade licenced comp; revised player structures (larger game day squads) to provide improved OH&M. - 14 team 2nd grade licenced comp; 1st right of refusal to 1st Grade clubs for addit licences, otherwise for sale to best bids. - Clubs can buy and sell their licences as they wish; never owning > 2 at a time; subject to relevant controls/approvals. - Clubs can own 1st and/or 2nd grade teams in any state. - Clubs can move players between their grade teams or trade them as usual. - Trade system priorities based on a "bottom 8" finals series (played concurrently with the "top 8 finals), not final ladder positions. To get to 14 from 18 and create the two tiered comp would take some strategic decision making, but this cannot be at the whim of old VFL culture; which has been what has created this mess. The total of 28 clubs could be both existing and new club entities according to the guile of the existing clubs. It's not that hard and it would be better than what we have that is slowly going stale IMO.
RT
Roar Rookie
There has to be a team that finishes bottom. That team will and has changed with time. Why would you look at current performance to determine which team to get rid of? Financial viability will determine if that team has a chance to recover. Why did you think Fitzroy disappeared? It wasn't because they were rubbish on the field, it was because they were rubbish off it. If we had this conversation 10 years ago people would say get rid of Richmond. Even then they had bigger crowds than most. Do you think the AFL would be better off today if Richmond relocated or folded? Surely not. The AFL would have lost so many supporters. If it was North Melbourne, it would have been less of an issue. However I do favour local mergers over relocations or interstate mergers to minimise any loss of supporters, however small the club. My comment on Tasmania was that they deserve a new team over a relocated team. Financial viability remains their biggest concern. But they would drain less money over the next 50 years than GWS or Gold Coast.
Stirling Coates
Editor
Potentially, but Geelong had some years of success prior to that and started '06 pretty well before falling off a cliff. The Dees hadn't made the finals for yonks prior to last season and haven't looked anywhere near it this season. I fear it could more be a case of 2018 being to the Demons what 2009 was to Brisbane...
michael RVC
Roar Pro
People keep raising it because (a) this is a sports competition that is based on performance excellence before anything else, (b) the comp is “clogged up” by too many teams in one city, causing all sorts of structural problems and (c) the serial underperformers are mostly from the same city benefitting from those structural problems. Financial viability and member numbers obviously do not necessarily lead to sustained strong performance, so how those would be the only things that matter is simply incongruous. However if those factors are your main concern, then why not spread the limited resources of the comp over fewer teams who can sustain strong performance and hence provide more certainty to their viability and member numbers? You mention Tas deserves a team; why? I can think of a number of more deserving causes than that. Still, apparently a Melb team could be relocated there. How about the Tas Tigers?
Grints
Roar Rookie
Way too many players out of form - and given the injury list the Demons have had for most of the first 11 weeks of the season you just cant have players like Viney and McDonald out of form to be competitive. Im in 2 minds re goodwin - on one hand maybe thus year is an abberation but if he cant get them back into the top bracket in 2020 he has to go... the list is oozing with talent it just needs to be harnessed.
MG
Roar Rookie
Is 2019 to the Demons what 2006 was to Geelong? I suspect it is group out of form and they will bounce next year.
anon
Roar Pro
I'm not sure how Goodwin isn't under pressure and fighting to keep his job. It's basically a lost year for a club in the window. They're not just trying to work out some kinks, it's simply abject failure and incompetence. No guarantees they'll be back next year. Windows can close quick.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Goodwin seems a bit like Hinkley last year, they think that all you need is a powerful physique. Footy players need skills, not just bulk and Melbourne have no real class in their midfield, it's all brute force and then it's turnover town. Why can I and almost everyone else see that skillfull teams win cups but coaches seem to forget?