How important is next week ??

[GawnWithTheWind 604]

Next week is extremely important for our beloved demons. I know this might be stating the obvious, but we need to get away from the bottom 4 clubs and a win in Adelaide will set us up to finish between 8 - 12.

We have been robbed of 10 points this season to be honest, 2 points last week, 4 points round 2 and 4 points against the doggies.

We are a better outfit then 12th, but need to win next week to show why we are a level ahead of the bottom 4.

I am sick of hearing about how well Richmond are going! They are no good and have played some average sides low on confidence. If we don't win people may start saying that richmond are coming along as well as we are, which is completely incorrect!

So basically next week is a must win for our club...

We win = we break away from the crap and stamp ourselves as an exciting, up and coming team of future stars...

We lose = we aren't as good as we think we are and we are looking at a bottom 4 finish and maybe another bloody spoon.. pretenders

MASSIVE GAME, DEFINING GAME

[e25 5]

The title of this thread should have a question mark at the end.

[e25 5]

In all seriousness, this coming game is no more important than any other in the 2010 season.

That NAB Cup game against Freo though...

Ps. To be honest, finishing 8-12 rather than 12-16 is meaningless to me other than the fact I know it means a later draft pick.

I want development from the kids and I'm seeing that. Numbers in the win column aren't yet paramount.

[Dreamin' Demon 10]

Psychologically impossible to win in Adelaide.

[Sir Why You Little 34,444]

Psychologically impossible to win in Adelaide.

So the Team should just lie down Belly Up should they??? Great attitude, and a major reason for our lack of success of the past decades.

I expect to beat Adelaide next week. They are having a rubbish year, and we the MFC have got to learn to Back up a great effort the week after.

A poor effort in adelaide should not be tolerated, our interstate record has got to be the worst in the league, and if the Tigers can win games interstate, well need i say more.

Big Effort this week Bails- QB was fantastic, but we gotta learn to follow up.

[Deeoldfart 7,720]

Psychologically impossible to win in Adelaide.

That's one of the reasons I see it as a very important game ........ we need to give this psyscological hoodoo a giant kick up the backside. Putting it to rest once and for all will make us mentally stronger in the future, when winning games at AAMI might be crucial to finals, or dare I say it, premiership chances!

[Dreamin' Demon 10]

I expect to beat Adelaide next week.

On paper we should - geographically (AAMI) we can't. Why? who knows? How many times have we gone to AAMI thinking we're a chance & then got smashed?

In another thread someone mentioned 2001 was the last win. We've had good teams since then & never won - why?

Psychological!!!

[ox_5 163]

On paper we should - geographically (AAMI) we can't. Why? who knows? How many times have we gone to AAMI thinking we're a chance & then got smashed?

In another thread someone mentioned 2001 was the last win. We've had good teams since then & never won - why?

Psychological!!!

Completely different players now. Very few would have played in Adelaide, and if so maybe only once or twice. Psychological damage doesnt happen over a couple of games. New coaching staff too, 2 who know the ground better than most.

[pitmaster 3,063]

Psychologically impossible to win in Adelaide.

With the Crows and Port to come at AAMI this year is the year to break the hoodoo.

Bails knows the ground and the SA clubs are as weak as they will ever be.

This is the year to do it.

[Guest watts04]

not that big of a game, not worried about where we finish this year

rather see games into the right people for next year where we will have a real crack at the finals

really can't see why this is any different to any other game

[Ned 156]

With the Crows and Port to come at AAMI this year is the year to break the hoodoo.

Bails knows the ground and the SA clubs are as weak as they will ever be.

This is the year to do it.

Yep, and Jack Trengove would know the ground quite well, too. If Melbourne are switched on (a big if as we get beaten by teams like West Coast at the G if we're not), then the Demons should beat Adelaide and do it again to Port later in the year.

[Juicebox 596]

I guess it could work as a psychological advantage if we finish between 8-12 rather than 12-16. Finishing that little bit closer to the 8 may bring a certain optimism that the club appears to lack, and

heading into the 2011 season they'll consider themselves a more serious contender for a spot in the finals. I could be wrong and whereabouts we finish on the ladder could in fact be meaningless

to some degree. We do have one of the "sexiest" lists out of all the other sides in the bottom 8 and that alone should breed confidence and finals appearances in the not too distant future.

Edited June 20, 2010 by Juicebox

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Massive game this week, Adelaide are down and almost out so if they beat us it will be a severe blow to our confidence and will show we haven't learnt anything about playing outside our comfort zone.

I would hate to think we would be limping home after another 70 point thrashing. The other one is Port, we must beat them later in the year as well.

Edited June 20, 2010 by RobbieF

[Sir Why You Little 34,444]

I guess it could work as a psychological advantage if we finish between 8-12 rather than 12-16. Finishing that little bit closer to the 8 may bring a certain optimism that the club appears to lack, and

heading into the 2011 season they'll consider themselves a more serious contender for a spot in the finals. I could be wrong and whereabouts we finish on the ladder could in fact be meaningless

to some degree. We do have one of the "sexiest" lists out of all the other sides in the bottom 8 and that alone should breed confidence and finals appearances in the not too distant future.

as long as they learn to win on the road. Next weeks game is important.

[stueyspencer no12 73]

In all seriousness, this coming game is no more important than any other in the 2010 season.

That NAB Cup game against Freo though...

Ps. To be honest, finishing 8-12 rather than 12-16 is meaningless to me other than the fact I know it means a later draft pick.

I want development from the kids and I'm seeing that. Numbers in the win column aren't yet paramount.

no, you're completely wrong. It is BLOODY IMPORTANT.

As other posters on this topic comment, Melbourne seem to have a psychological inability to win west of the MCG.[Our record in Sydney is not so bad].

Neale Daniher commented early in 2007 that he realised that his game plan didn't work at AAMI or Subi, because both grounds are longer than MCG. This is why he tried [hopelessly as it turned out] to intoduce a method of play whereby the ball was moved by handball through the lines to get it to a position from which the team can score. The cleanout of players since then has meant that there's been little realistic chance of success.

But that MUST be turned around. It's one thing to lose to a top Eagles outfit but we've often lost to poor S.A or W.A teams when we've been way better than them.

You can't make a top 4 club unless you can win your share of games away from home. As many of our players have not been subject to the negativity of the past, here's the chance to turn it around. Darwin/Pt Adelaide doesn't count--it was on a neutral ground.

[H_T 2,941]

I am sick of hearing about how well Richmond are going! They are no good and have played some average sides low on confidence. If we don't win people may start saying that richmond are coming along as well as we are, which is completely incorrect!

So basically next week is a must win for our club...

After the last two seasons, since when should we be worried about what people say - now that we're 4-1-7 after half way ?

And if we lose by 3 points in a cliff hanger....what then ?

MASSIVE GAME, DEFINING GAME

I thought every game was a massive & defining game. I recall NAB Cup week#1 - we had to win that one too !

[bandicoot 1,395]

This will be tough game...

All 3 crows wins this year have been at aami, including in form freo.

Regardless of how bad the crows have been this year, playing them at aami nullyfies and advantage we have.

Hope I'm proved wrong but I'm tipping a crows win...

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

The Toigs game will be more important in this regard. The Hawks one will tell us a lot as well in comparison with week 1.

A game at AAMI will always make things look a bit skewiff.

[45HG 1,539]

The Toigs game will be more important in this regard. The Hawks one will tell us a lot as well in comparison with week 1.

A game at AAMI will always make things look a bit skewiff.

I can't agree with that line of thinking.

[e25 5]

no, you're completely wrong. It is BLOODY IMPORTANT.

As other posters on this topic comment, Melbourne seem to have a psychological inability to win west of the MCG.[Our record in Sydney is not so bad].

Neale Daniher commented early in 2007 that he realised that his game plan didn't work at AAMI or Subi, because both grounds are longer than MCG. This is why he tried [hopelessly as it turned out] to intoduce a method of play whereby the ball was moved by handball through the lines to get it to a position from which the team can score. The cleanout of players since then has meant that there's been little realistic chance of success.

But that MUST be turned around. It's one thing to lose to a top Eagles outfit but we've often lost to poor S.A or W.A teams when we've been way better than them.

You can't make a top 4 club unless you can win your share of games away from home. As many of our players have not been subject to the negativity of the past, here's the chance to turn it around. Darwin/Pt Adelaide doesn't count--it was on a neutral ground.

Spewing emotive rubbish and making blanket statements don't make you right.

So our record in SA isn't great. Meh.

Our record everywhere hasn't been great.

Win, lose or draw, this game is virtually meaningless in the scheme of things.

[Nasher 33,047]

Win, lose or draw, this game is virtually meaningless in the scheme of things.

I'm inclined to agree - in the 'big picture' this game counts for stuff all. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't absolutely love to roll the Crows on their own dungheap though, because I definitely would. On this year's form we're the betters side, so it's a more winnable game than it has been in the past. I'm looking forward to it.

[e25 5]

Yep, I'll be happy if we win and sorely disappointed if we don't, but some

posters are building it up to be a big mental obstacle for the team and something that must be overcome.

Pure hyperbole.

Long-standing records don't hold much weight due to constant list turnover.

[jnrmac 18,954]

This game is more important to us from the perspective of winning away, something we have been very poor at.

The Toiges two wins of late have been in Brisbane and Adelaide which is a great effort.

For our confidence and for a bit of respect from the general football community (which is a distant second IMO) we need to win.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,159]

I think this game is slightly more important than some think it is. It's a bit of an 8 point game in that if we win, we're only 1.5 games out of the 8 (with Carlton fading and North having tough games ahead) but if we lose we're only 1.5 games from the bottom.

I also don't under-estimate the mental obastacle that AAMI holds for us. We haven't been competetive (as in losing margin less than 45pts) in a game there since round 20 2003. This needs to change.

Would be a very valuable win IMO, and Adelaide are in better form than us - they have won 3 of their last 6 games, while we are 1 out of our last 7.

[e25 5]

Beating Adelaide at this point in time will do little

for our rep. Winning away is a good habit to get into, but that doesn't make this game more important than any other away game this year.

If it's about the players confidence of winning at a foreign ground, then the Port win becomes relevant.

I also wouldn't say we have less respect than Richmond; they are merely in vogue right now.

For an example, that BackPageLead article where Dwayne Russell "stuck the boot in" had most "experts" choosing us as having the most promise going forward.