Round 10 Recap: The Very Definition of Mediocre...in Slow-motion.

It wasn't a 'shock'. Nor was it an 'upset'. Not when you consider our season as a whole. We may have embarrassed minnows like GWS, Melbourne, Brisbane, WB and lucked a win against solid but mentally weak North. But on every occasion that we've been put under pressure, we've folded.

What's worse is that we've been humiliated at home 3 times now. This was the worst as we allowed a team that 'may' make the 8 completely obliterate us.

I have to admit that I wasn't devastated by last night's game. I think I've kind of mentally already given this season away. I was angry after the Carlton loss and savage after the Port meltdown. But when the hearts of your players clearly aren't in it, can fans really be expected to pretend that everything is cool? I think not.

There's two possibilities to why we're 5-5. Firstly, the success of the past 2 seasons was built on a particular style which the league has now found a way to nullify. Plus, maybe the standard of the AFL has improved and we've been swept back to the middle. I'm no expert, nor do I want to be one (they mainly speak crap), but I don't believe this is the case.

No, what seems more probable is that the team just doesn't have the same passion, intensity or hunger that it did. Sure, it may also be a matter of deficiency in the middle of the park. But we're simply being outworked. We're playing in slow-mo.

Who to blame? The players? Yep. They're payed obscene amounts of money. Some don't take it seriously and bounce on trampolines during their spare time (plus also buy a mighty fine pair of specs, judging from what I saw from Welly in the coaches box). Others, who actually play more than 3 games, are content with getting cheap stats, or taking a cool mark here or there. There's no heart, and because this club means so much to so many, it's a massive slap in the face.

I think Kerr said it best:

"Who cares about finals if we play like that."

But, the coach is also in the cross hairs. He may be baffled, but I find that...baffling. This especially:

"You can put it down as one of those nights but we have got to be better than that."

The fact is that the team is sliding away and Worsfold has been pretty passive. No real changes, very much a wait and see approach.
I don't want to be too harsh because he's a club legend, but by any objective measurement, unless we pull off a comeback of proportions never seen before in the AFL, then it has to be his final season with the club.

Because either what he's saying isn't right or the players aren't listening.

And as the Dockers look better every week, the ticker above this post nearing its end,  you have to say we're fast becoming irrelevant.