Best performances of the rebuild

[leucopogon 1,519]

Trying to clutch on to some hope on here after the depressing month of footy we've endured as MFC supporters so thought I'd start a thread where we can remember some of the better efforts Melbourne have put in over the past few seasons. If we list team selections and best players maybe we can identify a common denominator? I'll kick it off then.

Round 17 2010 (MCG)

Melbourne - 22.10 (142)

Sydney - 10.9 (69)

The stand out performance of the Bailey era surely. Also the ultimate false dawn as it turns out. Team on the day:

Bartram Frawley Joel McDonald

Rivers Garland Davey

Morton Sylvia Jones

Watts Jurrah Bruce

Bennell Green Wonnemaeri

Jamar McKenzie Scully

Int: Marric, Paul Johnson, Bail, Dunn

Best players that day were Sylvia (28 disposals, 3 brownlow votes), Davey (27 disposals, 2 brownlow), Frawley (25 disposals, 1 vote), Brad Green (5 goals).

Notable absentees: Moloney, Trengove, Tapscott

8 players (in bold) missing from team that ran out last weekend. Wouldn't have thought they were huge outs probably with the exception of Sylvia, Jurrah and Bruce, so what the hell has happened?

[Chook 15,012]

Trying to clutch on to some hope on here after the depressing month of footy we've endured as MFC supporters so thought I'd start a thread where we can remember some of the better efforts Melbourne have put in over the past few seasons. If we list team selections and best players maybe we can identify a common denominator? I'll kick it off then.

Round 17 2010 (MCG)

Melbourne - 22.10 (142)

Sydney - 10.9 (69)

The stand out performance of the Bailey era surely. Also the ultimate false dawn as it turns out. Team on the day:

Bartram Frawley Joel McDonald

Rivers Garland Davey

Morton Sylvia Jones

Watts Jurrah Bruce

Bennell Green Wonnemaeri

Jamar McKenzie Scully

Int: Marric, Paul Johnson, Bail, Dunn

Best players that day were Sylvia (28 disposals, 3 brownlow votes), Davey (27 disposals, 2 brownlow), Frawley (25 disposals, 1 vote), Brad Green (5 goals).

Notable absentees: Moloney, Trengove, Tapscott

8 players (in bold) missing from team that ran out last weekend. Wouldn't have thought they were huge outs probably with the exception of Sylvia, Jurrah and Bruce, so what the hell has happened?

It was the ultimate down day for Sydney, and Brad Green and Aaron Davey are miles away from their form back then. Two years is a long time for those guys.

This is a good idea for a thread. Where'd you get your team list from?

[Trisul 664]

Great thread. Eating atm but will post.

[leucopogon 1,519]

It was the ultimate down day for Sydney, and Brad Green and Aaron Davey are miles away from their form back then. Two years is a long time for those guys.

This is a good idea for a thread. Where'd you get your team list from?

Agree Davey and Green are shadows of themselves that day. Got the team list from here http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=4967. Can't recall if they had subs that year and if so who the sub was?

[Harrisonrules 273]

This thread won't last long, that's probably the only memorable game. Whoops what about the two maggie games two years ago. Anyone want to research

[Trisul 664]

Still eating. Btw that game, MFC vs SMFC Rnd 17 2010 is available to watch here: http://www.gameanaly...ideoQuality=med

Edit: Re Hardtack:

Edited April 4, 2012 by Trident

[hardtack 10,520]

Not sure if it counts as being part of the rebuild (it was DB's first season?), but I would argue that our best win was not that against the Swans, but rather, the come from behind win versus Freemantle (Round 7, May 2008). team was:

Bartram

Bruce

McClean

McDonald

Wheatley

White

Green

Davey

Miller

Robertson

Moloney

Bate

Wonna

Bell

Morton

Jamar

Garland

Warnock

Carroll

Frawley

Rivers

Jones

Green, Davey. Moloney and Bate were the best of our current crop in terms of possessions.

Edited April 4, 2012 by hardtack

[Forest Demon 4,681]

I know it was a loss but I loved the game against Collingwood in Round 2, 2010

Funnily enough, came after a Round 1 thumping and we were expected to be completely dismantled by the eventual premiers. So if anyone is looking for any positives heading into Saturday this could be it.

Collingwood 12.14 86

Melbourne 12.13 85

Goals: Petterd 4, Green 3, Dunn 2, Newton, Bennell, Bail

Notables:

McKenzie: had 18 touches but laid a whopping 12 tackles

Petterd: played a defensive forward role on Heath Shaw and destroyed him, was BOG and kicked 4

Green: 21 touches and 3 goals

Davey: had 27 disposals, 23 of which were kicks

Other players to score over 100 Dream Team Points were - Bail, Jamar, Moloney and Grimes

Brownlow Votes:

3 - Davey

2 - Pendlebury

1 - Petterd

Edited April 4, 2012 by Forest Demon

[leucopogon 1,519]

Not sure if it counts as being part of the rebuild (it was DB's first season?), but I would argue that our best win was not that against the Swans, but rather, the come from behind win versus Freemantle (Round 7, May 2008). team was:

Bartram

Bruce

McClean

McDonald

Wheatley

White

Green

Davey

Miller

Robertson

Moloney

Bate

Wonna

Bell

Morton

Jamar

Garland

Warnock

Carroll

Frawley

Rivers

Jones

Green, Davey. Moloney and Bate were the best of our current crop in terms of possessions.

Looking at that team, it almost seems it belongs to a bygone era.

[Demon_spurs 1,844]

Can anybody remember back to the 'Defining Game" against the Eagles in the mid 90's ???? We went over there after much soul searching and won the game and turned our whole season around.....Seems to have some parallels with this week. Thats what i want to see on sat arvo !!!!

[Angelus BTVS 31]

Demon spurs are you thinking of rnd 14 1998? We came off to absolute hidings to cats and sa ints and defeated eagles by couple of goals over there. Ended up finishing 4th that year and belted eventual premier in 1st week of finals

[drdrake 3,163]

I think against Brisbane 2010, night match at the MCG Brisbane at full strength coming off 4 straight wins, we pants them, Frawley smashed John Brown and we saw why Sculldog and Trengove were 1 and 2 picks.

[Scoop Junior 3,435]

Demon spurs are you thinking of rnd 14 1998? We came off to absolute hidings to cats and sa ints and defeated eagles by couple of goals over there. Ended up finishing 4th that year and belted eventual premier in 1st week of finals

That still remains one of my most memorable games.

Not only did we come off those beltings, but we were also missing most of our best players that day.

The team was given absolutely no chance of winning, but we managed to pull it off. I think it may have been Stinga's comeback game.

It would be fair to say we were even bigger outsiders that day than we will be this weekend.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

Demon spurs are you thinking of rnd 14 1998? We came off to absolute hidings to cats and sa ints and defeated eagles by couple of goals over there. Ended up finishing 4th that year and belted eventual premier in 1st week of finals

Loved this match...one of my favourites of all time. Here's the DemonWiki link for anyone interested: http://demonwiki.org/Round+14+1998

[Pennant St Dee 13,135]

Queens Birthday 2010 we hung in there and didn't give up. Granted had there were times when it looked like they were ready to blow the game open but a bit of grit kept us in it. I was flying back to Ireland while the game was on and watched the replay on the net. There were relatives in the house I hadn''t seen for a number of years but I kept going back in to watch the match. In the end they joined me in watching it over a few cans, great memory.

We've taken a few steps back since that day but will rise again.