Well, here we are...on the eve of the pre-season competition, the NAB Cup. Round 1 commences with our team to take on Adelaide & Port Adelaide....on the same night - Friday night. At our bogey ground AAMI Park. No other team has faced such a challenge before.

I would like to get in first by asking everyone's expectations. I recall last year there was a bit of emphasis on the Fremantle match in Round 1 of the NAB Cup and that it would have a "huge" bearing on the membership numbers. We ended up with a record 33,508 after having lost our NAB Cup opener. The team also copped much flak, with many members here disillusioned to our teams hopes. Quite a few were even mystified regarding our "game plan" at the time and most disgruntled.

Perhaps it was all just a misunderstanding after a long hot summer prior to that and that so many missed footy and were over excited. Or perhaps it was just a severe case of MFCSS. A hunch says it's the latter.

So, what for the 2011 NAB Cup ? Are the expectations higher ? Now that Jimmy and the club are targeting 40,000 members, will we have deja vu on these boards and find the mods working overtime to calm expectations and smooth things out again if we don't advance to the second round of the NAB Cup ?

What are my expectations ? Well, it's AAMI and our team is a little more experienced and a little more mature in terms of the second/third year players. I'd be happy with a bold showing, perhaps one win out of the two games would be nice. I will not be disappointed if the boys come home empty handed - and I'd be pleasantly surprised if we advanced to Round 2. Other than that, it's another chance for one or two first year players to be introduced, Frawley will be a loss - but it's a chance for someone else to have a go.

Either way I don't think it will have a huge bearing on our membership tally*. Like last year.

* Membership tally - That said, if we made it right through to the final, it may well have some sort of an impact on numbers.

It would be great to get a win at AAMI, just to add confidence for later in the year when we return for points.

That said, i will just hope for no injuries in all our practise matches (and that's what the NAB Cup is)

Round 1 against Sydney is when Football really returns.

If we do proceed through the NAB Cup though, it may be fantastic for membership numbers, so there is an upside, as long as nobody is badly hurt.

I am expecting us to put up a good showing. In some ways (and this is probably at odds with many's thoughts) I feel that playing the two games without the break could be advantageous to us, especially if we do well against the Crows in the first game, because we will be able to carry that momentum into the Port game - I don't think Port will be much of an obstacle regardless.

I also believe that if we do progress to the second round, then we will see a surge in memberships (albeit small) - the reason we broke the record last year was because after round 1 of the season proper, we started to show what was coming with this team... a good quick start this year will reinforce that belief and hopefully attract a lot more members - we mustn't give the impression that we have gone backwards, and winning against both the Crows AND Port on their home turf, will convert many disbelievers.

I expect us to finish ahead of both of these sides this year and I expect to beat them on Friday. However, it is pretty meaningless either way. I really don't want to see more injuries, the last couple of years we have had many causalties in the practice matches. Frawley and Petterd are enough for now! The best thing about the NAB is seeing some blokes you normally wouldn't see, I'm thinking the likes of Tapscott, Blease, Cook, Howe, Jetta, Maric, Gawn, Martin etc

If we lose we will probably play at Casey next week which is fine by me (or is Casey out of action?)

If we lose we will probably play at Casey next week which is fine by me (or is Casey out of action?)

Casey Fields i am pretty sure was an evacuation centre for last weekends floods so who knows what the ground condition will be like.

Have mixed feelings. Of course I would like to see us win but would not be too concerned if we lost. Winning games in Adelaide has been near impossible for us. If we win there in the NAB cup it will be for cheap inconsequential victories at a painful venue hat has cost us dearly when we play for premiership points. Glad we don't go there in the regular season. All I really expect is that these matches turn out to be sound preparation for round one. If we start the regular season well it will prove we had a good NAB cup regardless of how we perform there.

Edited February 7, 201114 yr by america de cali

If we lose we will probably play at Casey next week which is fine by me (or is Casey out of action?)

not that we'd want that. I prefer to win so it will be a quarter final at the Telstra Dome. Let's hope Petterd will be available by then.

Fact is that the two teams we play are going to be hell-bent on getting a win against each other.

i dont think anything will take that factor away.

I think we may be beaten by Crows and might get up against Power.

I'm expecting to see a competitive contest with no capitulations, I want to see as many newbies debut as possible. A win, or wins would be a bonus but not the be all and end all.

Just want to see some bloody football!

I want to see us quick out of the blocks, we always are playing catch up footy in Adelaide its like we go to a sleepy town and fall asleep until half time. This format doesn't allow you to have a bad quarter we need to be in front of the Crows early if we fall behind they will go into their defensive mode and shut us down. Would love for Bailey to have a few wins through the preseason, his record can be compared to Paul Roos, at least Sydney made up for it in the season proper.

I am really looking forward to it; it is football and that is what I crave.

I think we are a fair chance of winning both games; you just don't know how either of the Adelaide clubs will view playing us when they would dearly like to beat each other. I want to finally see Tapscot and Blease play in a Melbourne jumper. Maybe a couple of the new guys, Howe? I want to see Gysberts, Scully and Trengove in the middle, Garland and Grimes down back, Jurrah and Watts up forward ...

I just want to see some football!

NAB Cup is meh.

I hope we don't suck.

But getting ready for Sydney is what this time of the year is about.

If we are to make eighth place or higher this year we will need to beat both these sides where ever we play them.

I believe we are good enough, it will depend on how badly DB wants to win the first round of the NAB.

However we cannot beat time with a stick in Adelaide so a

Lose is the result.

I've got four letters for you. A. A. M. I. I've been to so many ritual humiliations at this place (I live here), and seen us play like imbeciles every single time, that I'll believe we can ever win there if and when we do. So expect little, and you won't be disappointed. On the other hand, if by some miracle we do win at least one, then your joy will be boundless. Sorry to sound a bit cynical, but living in Adelaide means that most of the games I've seen in recent years have been at this hellhole. Leaving the ground, and the following week, wouldn't be so hard to take if we'd at least put up a fight, but we've been totally embarrassing, every time, even when our recent form has been good and Crows/Port's has been poor. So, I'll believe it when I see it. And I hope I do, but I'm not holding my breath.

I've got four letters for you. A. A. M. I. I've been to so many ritual humiliations at this place (I live here), and seen us play like imbeciles every single time, that I'll believe we can ever win there if and when we do. So expect little, and you won't be disappointed. On the other hand, if by some miracle we do win at least one, then your joy will be boundless. Sorry to sound a bit cynical, but living in Adelaide means that most of the games I've seen in recent years have been at this hellhole. Leaving the ground, and the following week, wouldn't be so hard to take if we'd at least put up a fight, but we've been totally embarrassing, every time, even when our recent form has been good and Crows/Port's has been poor. So, I'll believe it when I see it. And I hope I do, but I'm not holding my breath.

It is not a lot better watching it from this end "Bigdeel".

I think we can win both. We need to systematically knock off these hoo doos if we are to be in the top four consistently, and AAMI is one of our biggest.

I'm also really looking forward to see how we handle the three person interchange bench. I know it does not apply as such in the NAB Cup, but I am sure we will trial it positionally, particularly resting ruckmen down forward. I think as I have said previously on here we will all be pleasantly surprised at Jamar's goal scoring ability. I also think that a smokey this year will be Max Gawn. If we can get big Max up and running by mid season uninjured it would be a huge bonus. I cant remember such a huge unit 205 cm with such athleticism and ball skills. A dependable kick, a good pack mark, and a developing ruck technique he could be the x-factor. He reminds me of a young Paul Salmon, and that is high praise.

I think we're a chance of winning the first one, but will be handicapped by the rules governing playing consecutive matches. 1 win is fine by me. I'd obviously be thrilled if we won both but I can't see it happening.

Not really fussed, but it'd be disappointing to go out the way we did last year against Freo.

Not really fussed, but it'd be disappointing to go out the way we did last year against Freo.

Just want to see a good effort and no injuries.

if we lose watch out for a "our year is gone" thread from JCB

ANYWAY, i think we will win both games friday night.

ANYWAY, i think we will win both games friday night.

I been in this situation many times leading into previous AAMI games & was let down many times. I reckon we will go down in straight sets.

Only hope we don't embarass ourselves like we do EVERYTIME we play there!!!

I been in this situation many times leading into previous AAMI games & was let down many times. I reckon we will go down in straight sets.

Only hope we don't embarass ourselves like we do EVERYTIME we play there!!!

As much I would love too see a couple of wins, I have to agree with this post.

Game is at AAMI Stadium so I'm expecting a 6 goal loss in both games. Still can't work out why we're so pathetic over there?

I believe we need to do well in the opening match of the NAB cup,or I'm at least hopeful we do well. I think,if we can do well, then we will have the momentum, media press etc.. saying we have arrived.With Jimma putting 40,000 out there as a membership drive and 23,829 as at todays count(via the MFC WEBSITE) then we will need all the help we can from the players playing very well. I think we play a strong team and give our very best.I have no doubt the club wants success now both on and off the field and to start well will assist.

Edited February 7, 201114 yr by jayceebee31

When I see the selected team I'll be able to set my expectations.

If we go in with an experimental team I will set my expectations accordingly. Likewise if we go in with nearly a full strength team, I'll be expecting to win at least one of the two games.