The AFL's contentious score review system has again come under fire with two incidents in today's Melbourne-Port Adelaide clash at the MCG
Nathan Jones after the match Picture: Harman Stephen Source: HWT Image Library
Melbourne great Garry Lyon with the players last season. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun
MELBOURNE will address accusations its players are mentally fragile after Sunday's loss to Port Adelaide was branded the team's worst in a decade.
Furious supporters and club greats blasted the players, with David Schwarz and Garry Lyon calling the performance "spineless" and "demoralising".
Lyon, who helped reshape the club's football department and appoint Mark Neeld in 2011, said he could not be confident the team would produce a more spirited effort against Essendon on Saturday.
"You see guys going back with the flight (of the ball) and flinching and ducking their head and electing to punch rather than take possession," Lyon said on Triple M.
"Sometimes you can rationalise it, but never in a first game when your whole season is alive.
"Structurally, I queried some of the decisions in terms of the way they set up, particularly forward of the ball.
"I can cop floggings but I need to know what happens in the week following and I'm not confident in the next week.
"Behind closed doors that's the big responsibility for Mark Neeld and Neil Craig and Dave Misson down there. To see how fragile in the mind these guys are from past years."
President Don McLardy yesterday called for calm among club stakeholders but admitted the players' lack of mental fortitude against the Power was cause for concern.
"We just didn't seem to be mentally readily for the challenge," McLardy told the Herald Sun.
"I don't know whether they thought it was still the NAB Cup.
"We've got some work to do on that mental toughness and just being able to stand up under pressure.
"You can't drop your guard one inch in this comp and unfortunately we do."
The Dees' lack of defensive application was the biggest issue.
Schwarz labelled it the team's worst performance since 2003 and said key players had gone backwards.
"Mark Jamar and Chipper (James) Frawley are so far away from their All-Australian sides of two years ago," Schwarz said on SEN.
"Those two players have gone backwards at 100 miles an hour."
McLardy backed the club's coaching staff, but said the response had to be swift.
"You have got to keep calm in a crisis," McLardy said. "It's not a massive crisis as it's game one, but there was some worrying signs there which we need to address very quickly."
McLardy said Neeld was initially "upset".
"He went through a whole range of emotions but by the time I spoke to him this afternoon he was plotting how we are going to go against Essendon," he said.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Melbourne great David Schwarz was given the honour of handing the match ball to the umpires on Sunday. By Sunday night, he was fuming after an insipid Demons performance.
Schwarz on...
Colin Sylvia: He hasn't got mongrel in him. He's just too nice. I don't know if footy means enough to Colin Sylvia at the moment.
Jack Watts: Bitterly disappointing.
James Sellar: Horribly out of confidence. He is a long way away from it.
Lynden Dunn: (100th game is) one he will want to forget. He would be bitterly disappointed. Ordinary.
James Frawley: His decision making...he is not the same player he was.
Mark Jamar: His timing and workrate is just non-existent. (He) couldn't even go up in the ruck.
BY THE NUMBERS courtesy of Champion Data
Demons
Conceded 62 inside 50s - equal most in the competition.
Once inside 50 they allowed Port to score 61.3% of the time - the second highest conceded of the round.
Conceded 18 marks inside 50 - the most
Conceded 232 uncontested possessions - second most conceded.
The way they were able to slice through from defence was Melbourne's biggest concern.
Defensive half chains below and each teams ability to get it inside 50 and score.
Port went from defensive HALF no 50 chain 44.8% of the time – the highest percentage of the round. Scored 24.1% - the most.
Club I50 Score
Port Adelaide 44.8% 24.1%
Carlton 42.5% 21.3%
Essendon 39.3% 14.8%
St Kilda 33.3% 12.5%
Collingwood 32.9% 15.1%
Fremantle 32.2% 16.9%
Richmond 31.9% 15.9%
Sydney Swans 29.9% 6.5%
Brisbane Lions 29.1% 17.7%
Gold Coast Suns 28.7% 14.9%
North Melbourne 27.8% 11.1%
GWS Giants 27.0% 6.8%
Western Bulldogs 26.4% 11.1%
Melbourne 25.4% 4.2%
West Coast Eagles 23.5% 12.3%
Adelaide Crows 20.5% 11.5%
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