Mark Stevens' column in today's Herald Sun entitled "Grab that finals chance, Dees" (no link presently available) is certainly thought provoking. He refers to the Mick Malthouse taunt about how Melbourne treats its Queens Birthday clash as a Grand Final - in effect saying that in doing so it means that it "has little hope of playing off in the real thing". Stevens adds that if the club isn't fed up with this "June Grand Final" talk, then it should be.

He's right.

And he's also right when he says that the club can partly overcome that sort of talk by rising to the challenge against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium tomorrow. Too often in the past have the Demons disappointed and wasted opportunities after playing in big games. Earlier this year, the team played poorly against North Melbourne after thrashing the then undefeated Lions and they followed that up with an even more disappointing effort against the Eagles after they almost beat the Western Bulldogs. a win tomorrow puts them just a game and a half outside the top eight - still a fair way out but at least they wouldn't be dead and buried.

This is surely just as big a test for a young up and coming team and just as much a grand final as last week's game was against the Pies. As Stevens says, " [T]he time to make a stand is now." We have to stop thinking in terms only of being a young developing side and start notching up real and meaningful achievements. Breaking that Adelaide hoodoo - even against the lowly Crows - will be an important achievement for the team if it really wants to show it's on the way up!

I read that article this morning WJ. Really good one by Stevens in my opinion.

His comment about Beamer not "laying a solid hip and shoulder" on Footy Classified when posed the question was very well said. Beamer had his chance and should have taken it.

All year Stevens has been a fan of us from what I have heard, and from that he really feels we can push for 8th spot.

I'm ok with Beamer playing that one off. I look at Brad Scott in the media when he takes umbridge with the comments of an opposition coach, or with how his club is seen in the media, and it always comes off to me like he's whining and feeding that public perception by rehashing it.

What I'd LOVE the club to do is get to the point where the comments of opposition clubs' coaches just plain don't affect us. Rather like how the Cats are an entity unto themselves. They play their own game and have their own culture and aren't drawn into the media scuttlebutt... A good example being how bomber declined to comment on the dees improvement. I reckon it helps with team unity.

And just on this subject...

I've been thinking for a while now that what Bailey has rather cleverly done is actually NOT lead the team. He leaves it up to the leaders in the squad, and puts the onus on them to improve and set the tone... empowering them. Daniher was apparently one of the great orators on match day, and could lift his team. But how many times can you go to that well? Likewise Thomas was a control freak and it meant that when push came to shove on field, it was always left to leaders who were unsure of their role. You just don't see that with the cats, precisely because they're given control.

Here is the article for those who haven't seen it.

Grab that finals chance, Dees

To say a team needs to treat a Round 12 game like a Grand Final is to say it has little hope of playing off in the real thing and is in desperate need of a mocked-up substitute.

If Melbourne is not fed up with hearing the "June Grand Final" talk, it should be.

But there is always next year and the Pies may not be so fortunate next time. Melbourne - for too long an easy target - is waking up.

Why wait until next year to get one back on Malthouse?

The time to make a stand is right now.

I agree with stevens, why not try to make the finals? Sure many may say this is a development year, so we should develop some finals experience into our young boys

Nice article. Wasn't aware of Moloney being on FC.

Stevens is right with everything there. Tomorrow is a big game and we must win. A 10 goal loss will be totally unacceptable.

Stevens adds that if the club isn't fed up with this "June Grand Final" talk, then it should be.

He's right.

Excellent Jack. Now it's you, me and Mark. I posted something about that around the QB weekend and was essentially called a drama queen.

I'm ok with Beamer playing that one off. I look at Brad Scott in the media when he takes umbridge with the comments of an opposition coach, or with how his club is seen in the media, and it always comes off to me like he's whining and feeding that public perception by rehashing it.

If Beamer had put that comment where it belongs, I'd be unequivocally behind him as the next captain now. As Stevens remarked in his article, it's condescending and insulting. I want the players to be pi$$ed off at the insinuation.

Overly emotive? Probably, but I don't care.

If Beamer had put that comment where it belongs, I'd be unequivocally behind him as the next captain now. As Stevens remarked in his article, it's condescending and insulting. I want the players to be pi$$ed off at the insinuation.

Overly emotive? Probably, but I don't care.

Agree 100% Nasher. I'm keenly awaiting the comments ahead of next years clash

This year the team has shown a lot of improvement which is what we all wanted to see, anything else is a bonus from here on in. It would be great to make the finals but i was more hoping for next year and building up from there. This time next year those cold pies will be smashed into the MCG turf and Mick melthouse like his club will be goneeeeeeeee.