MPH78 wrote:
No excuse for that first half. Absolutely disgusting half of football.
Thought we were well and truly past that? Evidently not as the Hawks exposed us once more on the big stage.
Have we truly improved? Who the hell knows?
Reckon 8th will well and truly fancy their chances. That's a sad indictment on us.
So, so disappointed.
Disgusting half of football?

Geez you're a !@#$%& sad sack!
Was watching the game with friends and they all looked at me at half time (after they looked at the scoreline...which is what I'm sure most of you did) and said you must be shattered.
No, I'm not.
Scoreline wasn't really indicitive of the way the game was going. We created scoring opportunities, but kicked a lot of behinds because they weren't good scoring opportunities. If we'd created better, put a score on the board then everything changes.
The thing I was amazed about was when they had time and and patience, they could pinpoint passes, may have been short, but they kept possession of the ball. We were doing ok, but turned it over, or kicked to 50-50 situations too often. We succumbed a lot to inferred pressure too often and rushed kicks because of it.
We've got a long way to go, but to say it was disgusting is being lazy and over emotional.
Premierships aren't won or lost in the first half of a game in Round 22.
Truth is that a game like this is a good learning experience about the type of pressure we need to apply, and withstand, to become a good side.
You guys talk about the draw and how we've had it so tough. I'd rather play Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn and West Coast twice throughout the year so we know where we're at before the finals. The more big games we play the better for us. !@#$%& easy games against Melbourne and Richmond. Would rather finish 8th being tested than get an easy draw in and not know where we need to improve.
You appear very easily pleased if you are happy with that first half.
For mine, we've had enough chances to 'learn' and simply haven't been good enough too many times against the top sides.
Tonight was a huge opportunity and we blew it. That's my view of the game. We didn't handle the finals type intensity and pressure. That's highly concerning for me.
Being the good judge that you are, I'm sure you'll enlighten me.