So what changed from DB's perspective today? Did he suddenly discover a game plan (maybe he found it with his easter eggs)? Or was it same as last week, just this week the players found they could do it?

Did he discover how to motivate the players for 4 qtrs today? Or did the players find within themselves what it takes to fire them up?

Maybe it's a modern easter miracle.

I must admit I'm a bit puzzled but hope whatever the intangibles are that explain the difference between today and last week's unacceptable effort, they are lessons well learned by players and coaches.

I'm sure DB will sleep better tonight, and for that I'm pleased.

Man on Man today...Zone last week

Noticed today the players were jumping on the ball, it seemed like every player on the field WANTED the ball. Ball movement was quicker, they played 'exciting' football, the ball was entering the forward line quicker, and there were options. The boy just took the game on.

LOVED IT TODAY.

So what changed from DB's perspective today? Did he suddenly discover a game plan (maybe he found it with his easter eggs)? Or was it same as last week, just this week the players found they could do it?

Did he discover how to motivate the players for 4 qtrs today? Or did the players find within themselves what it takes to fire them up?

Maybe it's a modern easter miracle.

I must admit I'm a bit puzzled but hope whatever the intangibles are that explain the difference between today and last week's unacceptable effort, they are lessons well learned by players and coaches.

I'm sure DB will sleep better tonight, and for that I'm pleased.

I think the players decided to take the game on & take risks. They weren't afraid of making mistakes and moving the ball. They put their heads over the pill and backed their team mates to do the right thing. I would call it instinctive footy. I don't know if Dean Bailey instructed them to just have a dip or whether switching to man on man footy gave the team the impetus to compete hard for one another, I don't really care as long as they continue to do it in every game. The challenge is for the team to continue to show what they did today whilst they work on polishing their games and eradicating their errors.

Man on Man today...Zone last week

Malthouse and his Collingwood side always play man on man. So did we play man on man or did collingwood make us play like that, not sure but what ever it was, I loved every minute of it and that should silence Baileys critics for awhile.

what ever he did/ changed today worked!

i dont no if anyone else notice but i think bailey went back to his old/no game plan in the 2nd qtr. they kept handballing and had no players inside 50 which was like last week and then the pies kicked four in a row

what ever he did/ changed today worked!

i dont no if anyone else notice but i think bailey went back to his old/no game plan in the 2nd qtr. they kept handballing and had no players inside 50 which was like last week and then the pies kicked four in a row

The pies were well on top at that stage and for the first time in 3years we absorbed the pressure and turned the tide to fight back by half time. Thought that was one of the highlights of the game.

The pressure from collingwood forced us to over handball, it would not have been a directive from the coach and we had numbers back because we were under the pump. But like I said we turned the tables.

Bailey talks about getting more competitive and winning more quarters. We've played 8 so far this year. This first two were very forgetful but since then, we've lost 6 quarters to Hawthorn and Collingwood by a total of 1 point. No premiership points mind you but we are heading in right direction. Can't wait to see this side develop when there is real competition for spots when Sylvia, Morton, Garland, Wonaeamirri, Rivers, Jurrah and Watts return. Add emergence of Tapscott, Blease, Gawn, and potentially Martin, Jetta and Maric there is much to be hopeful about.

Well he sure motivated the players to give a 4 quarter effort. Personally im still unhappy with our forward 50 set up. We play too high up. We always seem to be leading backwards. It was the players today. They were disciplined. Pressure on the ball carrier. Really doesnt matter how good your game plan is, if you apply constant pressure like we did today the gap between bottom side and top side erases. Collingwood looked shocking today purely from our pressure. They're struture became non-existent in the last quarter. Its what the hawks did to us and obviously we have learnt a bit from that game.

Well he sure motivated the players to give a 4 quarter effort. Personally im still unhappy with our forward 50 set up. We play too high up. We always seem to be leading backwards. It was the players today. They were disciplined. Pressure on the ball carrier. Really doesnt matter how good your game plan is, if you apply constant pressure like we did today the gap between bottom side and top side erases. Collingwood looked shocking today purely from our pressure. They're struture became non-existent in the last quarter. Its what the hawks did to us and obviously we have learnt a bit from that game.

more of the same, please Bailey !!!!

Man on Man today...Zone last week

I wasn't at the game so it was hard to tell but it looked like Melbourne were playing man-on-man. I've been calling for it for a while.

It showed how average Maxwell really is when he has to be responsible for an opponent and not just play loose.

We played attacking footy with lots of playing on and quick handball. Not very different to most weeks and our forwardline wasn't that different to last week

I wasn't at the game so it was hard to tell but it looked like Melbourne were playing man-on-man. I've been calling for it for a while.

It showed how average Maxwell really is when he has to be responsible for an opponent and not just play loose.

Yeh that's it Clint Bailey finally listened to you and we almost won. You must be kidding. Melbourne are the typical young improving side. Some weeks we will be horrible, some weeks we will be good. What some supporters need to remember is that when we're bad we don't need to sack the coach and get the local Under 12's coach in. We also don't need to have Bailey read the morning sports section to get his match plan. No we just need to have some faith. We've got the best people in well over a generation running this club and we've got some enormously talented kids. Not to mention Morton, Sylvia, Watts, Blease and Garland in the wings. The game today was just a taste of what is on the way.

Remember folks we just might get rolled next week but somehow I doubt it.

GO YOU GOOD THINGS!!!

YOU GOTTA LOVE THEM DEMONS.

Oh and Gary, I'm looking forward to this week's fluff piece!

Whatever was said during the week & on match day Dean just keep doing it. You proved to me you can do it

Just keep the intensity up for next week Dean-we must win to keep the Ball rolling

GO DEMONS B)

I make no excuses for having my doubts about Bailey after last week's disgraceful display against the Hawks, and am still to be totally convinced of his ability to take us to where we should be. But yesterday was a step in the right direction and proved that our list isn't nearly as bad as others might think, youth or no youth. So long as we play man on man K-I-S-S football we'll beat more teams than will beat us.

I hope Bailey starts to get a few wins on the board and sticks around, because as a person I think most Dee fans have no complaints. But he needs wins.

Where are the people who used Brad Scott's ability to get so much out of the Kangas preseason as evidence of how crap Bailey is. Hang your heads in shame!

The lesson here is that preseason form is not particularly relevant. The reaction last week was a reaction to 5 straight losses but 4 of them were irrelevant praccie games. Keep the faith people

I would call it instinctive footy.

It was also on display last week. For all the carp Bailey has copped last week he deserves all the accolades this week that those torch bearing critics pounded their feeble chests about. Credit where credit is due.

It was the players today. They were disciplined. Pressure on the ball carrier. Really doesnt matter how good your game plan is, if you apply constant pressure like we did today the gap between bottom side and top side erases.

Ok gotcha..so when we play well its the players and when we play badly its the coach.Its the whole process that has occurred since the loss to Hawthorn. Both coach and players. Of coursse you need to have a game plan and have the discipline and effort to carry it out. That is what was on show yesterday.

So long as we play man on man K-I-S-S football we'll beat more teams than will beat us.

I hope Bailey starts to get a few wins on the board and sticks around, because as a person I think most Dee fans have no complaints. But he needs wins.

We actually played the attacking type of football Bailey has been trying to instil into the players. It was aggressive hard running and well executed (finally).

MFC recognises that the team is still in a development phase and together with stirring performances there will be difficult performances. They have apppointed Bailey for 2 years in recognition of that. Too many supporters dont realise this.

We actually played the attacking type of football Bailey has been trying to instil into the players. It was aggressive hard running and well executed (finally).

The key word being "RUN". Watch the 2nd and 3rd efforts of Skull and Trenners...they're rubbing off on other players. Did anyone see Jones sometime in the first half come CHARGING like a bull through a pack just in front of the MCC? And players upfield ran, making real leads for a change, which meant the ball carrier didn't have to stop, turn around and handball off to someone under more pressure. There was still handball but most of it was forward to RUNNING targets rather than backwards and there were fewer handballs over less than 2 metres.

FWIW - imagine Trenners or Scully in Brisbane's team the other night - still think Daniel Rich is superman? If these guys looked up everytime they won possession to see Fev/Brown (think Jurrah/Watts etc..) the media would be flipping out already.

I make no excuses for having my doubts about Bailey after last week's disgraceful display against the Hawks, and am still to be totally convinced of his ability to take us to where we should be. But yesterday was a step in the right direction and proved that our list isn't nearly as bad as others might think, youth or no youth. So long as we play man on man K-I-S-S football we'll beat more teams than will beat us.

I hope Bailey starts to get a few wins on the board and sticks around, because as a person I think most Dee fans have no complaints. But he needs wins.

I think yesterday was more than merely a step in the right direction - it was unbelievable.

We played a team which is one of the favourites for the flag. They were virtually at full strength. Meanwhile, we had a team of full of kids with perhaps 6 of our best 22 out.

And we essentially won the game. We were the better team, yet got cruelled by very poor umpiring and our own inexperience.

Please pay more credit where it's due. It was truly an exceptional performance in the circumstances.

Bailey's positional changes yesterday can't be underestimated. Bennell in the forward line was fantastic and something Malthouse wouldn't have seen coming. Brad Green playing a lead up forward gave us a credible target and the two standouts I thought were Bail & Jordie Mac through the midfield. Newton also showed a little bit early .

If we are looking at Dean Bailey's performance there are some things to note, on his coaching:

*Some people think it was his fault the players were not fired up last week, may or may not be true, but this week they were.

*His tactics of run and carry, handball to advantage etc. worked very well. There were some skill errors, and bad judgement on occassions, but generally it worked well.

*The players kicked shorter to targets in the middle, not long bombs to contests. Many players did this, even some of our less intelligent players who love to bomb the ball.

*He played 2 quick, defensive type forwards in Bail (who I was super impressed with depsite couple of skill errors) and Bennell (who I was impressed with despite one very dodgy effort) who pressured their defenders all day.

*We attempted to play through Maxwell and Shaws men, making them accountable, and we know they are average defenders, but good 3rd man in players.

*Our defensive matchups worked very well, Frawley smashed Medhurst, Grimes beat Didak, Bartram/Strauss did pretty well on Davis, Anthony was lucky for a couple of goals and Cloke was beaten by MacDonald (which may shut up the non believers for a while), although I dont rate Cloke.

*His decision to not play Spencer was rewarded, and Jamar smashed them.

*Our midfielders beat theirs in general play and clearances (dont have the stats to back me up)

Overall his coaching was very impressive.

We had the chance to win, just a few small errors or bad luck or non decisions by umpires, and it should have been ours, but in the case of his COACHING, Bailey was very impressive yesterday.

Just hope we can win next week and then we are off. We wont have a break out year of 10 wins, but we need some wins and confidence.

The pies were well on top at that stage and for the first time in 3years we absorbed the pressure and turned the tide to fight back by half time. Thought that was one of the highlights of the game.

...............

That was absolutely the highlight for me. A sustained four quarter effort.

Great match ups today. DB deserves a lot of credit.

Jnr on Swan

Grimes on Didak

Petterd on Shaw

Davey in the middle

Bennell in the fwd line

Even Newton as a back up ruckman!

McKenzie in the middle was outstanding.

Jamar blitzed Fraser and Jolly.

Good work coach.