We just don't seem to have any real urgency when it matters...well win a game were not expected to, then relax for the next one and get pantsed in a game where we are overwhelming favorites...I don't have enough fingers on my hand to count how many times this pattern has occurred in the last 3-4 years.

The club just seems to be satisfied with being thereabouts, near enough is good enough. This attitude needs to change because it won't win us a flag and the Carlton of old had a win at all costs culture and existed to win flags, not to "win a final" or "get into the top 4".

The most frustrating thing is that this result is not really all that surprising because our players are not mentally mature. Until this changes we will continue to be also rans and we will not be premiers.

Because if you keep matching them up, then they put another one back. And our forward line gets more and more crowded. And their forward line gets more and more open. Nearly all their goals came on the fast break out of defence into an open forward line. A number of them 'over the back'. I know we had to go offensive late in the game to give us a chance, but if we set up like that, teams are going to find it a lot easier to score against us, than we do against them.

We've struggled against flooding teams for a while. And after today, we're going to get a lot more of it. Need to play with a lot more skill and calmness and precision going forward. And not overattack. Leave a defensive wall, so teams don't simply kick it over our defence or slice through all the open space.

Should start a thread called talking shit and let the players post

Essendon* are crap and anyone who backs them to win the flag are morons (so most of their supporters are probably on...)

We just were not switched on today, unlike them, and they planned very well for this game. You can talk all you want about not being complacent but sub-consciously you are, and it showed.

Injuries are now a concern. A week is a looooooooooooooooooooooooong time in footy

With McLean that could be 5 changes next week. A pain in the butt but we can cover that ok.

It was more about "want" and "intensity" today.

Joke ... really ?? I must have missed you at the Comedy Festival.

Nothing worse than when real supporters are seething over our pathetic performance today and then reading about how clever you may have been.

Some doubts on you donating $200 as well because from memory you usually bet $20 or $25.

......And the bombers played pretty well. They had a pretty slick kicking game and with carrazzo out of there hair the onballers played pretty polished games. Carameri gave us problems and so to did Davey but overall you are correct, they played as well as we let them and we were very lazy today and there is a pattern as you say.

Very sad effort..if there was a thing called a good loss this was probably it. WE were smashed in the stoppages.

It was an incredibly bad performance for so many reasons. About 3 or 4 times the ball simply bounced over our extra defender and went straight to the Essendon* squib who was goal side.

Having said that, we probably would have found a way to stuff it up anyway. We kept on getting beaten in contests where we outnumbered them. Or else we won the ball and then made some stupid decision and ran ourselves into pressure when we didn't need to and then turned the ball over to the opposition.

Not sure how we could possibly play any more poorly than that today.

Absolutely pathetic and pitiful performance.

I think Essendon* played the game to their strengths and did what they had to do but we still had many opportunities to assert ourselves and inexplicably failed.

I didn't think we were arrogant or complacent, on the contrary we looked nervous and fearful the whole time. Tried to take the safe options and still made inexplicable mistakes and eventually looked bereft of confidence. I am astounded by the amount of fumbles, missed targets, dropped marks, poor shots for goal, miscommunications between teammates... it was an out of character performance based on the last month.

Simmo may have racked up 33 touches but he was woeful today. I think he looked flat because he kept on getting the ball and far too often butchered it and was left lamenting what should have been.

Why does Robbo constantly turn to his unco left foot and try to bomb it in to the forward line? How does Jarrad Waite kick the ball off his ankle when lining up for a set shot? Why are we spending so much time switching Jamo, Bower, Laidler, Duigain and Yarran from the back line to the forward line? Why do we stop bombing it long up the middle from kick ins when things get difficult? It works so well.

I really do believe that we underrate Carrazzo's influence on the game and we missed him badly. Injuries today certainly didn't help.

The only positive to take out of the game is that the season is young and it doesn't hurt to have a wake up call to sharpen everyone up.

_________________
Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the WIGGINS!

It's only a problem if they're no defensive pressure or intensity. They then run it out easily into open space. On the other hand, as per the "Press", if there is real defensively pressure they never get it out of defence. You choke them in their own defensive 50 until they break. Come down to attitude.

Agree 100%. Normally we win the 50-50 ball well. Today we were losing the 70-30 ball. We were our own worst enemy.

_________________
Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the WIGGINS!

I was surprised that Gibbs wasn't pushed forward in the 2nd half when it was clear that he wasn't having much effect down back and we badly needed his polish and composure in front of goal.
Regardless we were never going to win today with the complacency / lack of intensity shown.
This match reminded me of the Western Bulldogs game last year where we were very flat.

_________________
There is no footy god

I was really looking forward to seeing brock, and being subbed on so early he could not have asked for a better chance... And for me he was a while off, I doubt we will see him in the seniors again!

Has anyone used the "training load" defence yet?

Flat as pancakes.

Supposed to win by 60 and lost by 30. Does this put us behind Port, North and the GC.?

Don't want to hear excuses that was shit, thanks for @#$%&! all.

_________________
I hope Essendon* folds.

I would drop Jamo on his performance today more than I would drop Maclean

Mind you there is hardly a player who could hold his head up today

_________________
If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

I was hoping that Brock might have improved after an injury free pre-season however he was very disappointing today.
Curnow was poor as well however he might have an excuse with the ankle injury.
A good chance for Ellard to return next week.

_________________
There is no footy god

Weak as pi$$ . . . that is all

_________________
“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

It would stop at 7 or 8 max
We had no chance the way it panned out kicking under pressure to Fletcher

If McLean plays AFL again I'll spew up

_________________
"I had to eat"