I'll probably get shot down pretty quickly for this but........

Is this the week the Doom and Gloom stops and some positivity starts? I like many of you have had to put up with a lot of rubbish and bad times over the past few years and the year to date has been pretty poor.

I've thought about it and although I was upset when GWS kicked away in the last I am going to get up and about for this game against the Blues for a couple of reasons....

I've watched the Blues a few times this year and they are front runners - if we can get first hands on the ball we're a big chance. They also have mediocre talls much like us at the moment which evens up the game as we are ok defensively, we're not great but we are not bleeding goal upon goal.

The Blues are playing bruise free footy - lets not tippy toe around it (I watched Sunday and they were poor) this style of footy the Blues play would really give our blokes some more time to make decisions and use the pill a lot better - much like the NAB Challenge game against the Tigers where actually we looked ok.

I don't normally get too optimistic about the Dees these days and I'll readily admit the Blues are a lot better unit on paper. But maybe just maybe this Is a week where a couple boys come in (Dawes etc) find some form pull something out of the hat?

C'mon Dees - it's about bloody time to beat these bastards and put them where we've been for a few years now!

Go boys!

Edited April 8, 201411 yr by Unleash Hell

Highly doubt it.

Do yourself a favour UH, don't get your hopes up - like most of us tragics, I've made that mistake way too many times, only for them to be smashed, chewed up and sh@t out.

Yeah.....nah !!!

Carlton looked pretty bad against the Bombers, should be close but we don't look capable of kicking a winning score at the minute

I'll probably get shot down pretty quickly for this but........

Is this the week the Doom and Gloom stops and some positivity starts? I like many of you have had to put up with a lot of rubbish and bad times over the past few years and the year to date has been pretty poor.

I've thought about it and although I was upset when GWS kicked away in the last I am going to get up and about for this game against the Blues for a couple of reasons....

I've watched the Blues a few times this year and they are front runners - if we can get first hands on the ball we're a big chance. They also have mediocre talls much like us at the moment which evens up the game as we are ok defensively, we're not great but we are not bleeding goal upon goal.

The Blues are playing bruise free footy - lets not tippy toe around it (I watched Sunday and they were poor) this style of footy the Blues play would really give our blokes some more time to make decisions and use the pill a lot better - much like the NAB Challenge game against the Tigers where actually we looked ok.

I don't normally get too optimistic about the Dees these days and I'll readily admit the Blues are a lot better unit on paper. But maybe just maybe this Is a week where a couple boys come in (Dawes etc) find some form pull something out of the hat?

C'mon Dees - it's about bloody time to beat these bastards and put them where we've been for a few years now!

Go boys!

I actually feel pretty positive about the Demons at the moment. Don't know why, maybe they've finally sent me round the bend but I think it boils down to two main reasons;

1) I can actually see improvement happening in the way we approach the game. We still have a long way to go in the skills department however I think our effort and structures are vastly improved on where they have been any time in the last 8 years.

2) I have confidence we are in good hands and the people who need to lead us out of this KNOW what they are doing. Listening to Roos on AFL360 this year has actually been extremely insightful and whenever I hear him talk I am much calmer about where we are headed.

Whether we can win this week or not, who knows. Carlton are clearly under the pump at the moment and will be looking to get back on track against us however if we start off well and get them on the back foot they will start panicking very quickly. If we only win one game this year I hope it's this week as the fallout at Princes Park would be hilarious especially knowing we played a part in causing it.

I actually reckon we turned the corner around a tiny bit vs GWS.

Had we not allowed those 2 goals in junk time late in the game it would've been a 3 goal loss and score board respectability.

Plenty of bottom 10 sides will get done to GWS up there this year and beyond.

Fortunately i have to work. I have a legit excuse to be distracted. If we lose this one badly then it will get ugly.

Carlton were horrible last sunday. We need to hit them hard and stay on the front foot.

It is about time this list stood up and held the head up.

Carlton are nothing special.

You have violated Demonland's first commandment: Thou shalt not get excited about Melbourne's prospects.

I actually reckon we turned the corner around a tiny bit vs GWS.

Had we not allowed those 2 goals in junk time late in the game it would've been a 3 goal loss and score board respectability.

Plenty of bottom 10 sides will get done to GWS up there this year and beyond.

I agree, it was a poor game but at the moment I am looking to see two main things from the team, effort & structure.

The things I want to see us focus on this week is pressure, 1%ers and tackling. I don't care if we smash the record for ball-ups/stoppages and see the most boring game ever played. If we can focus on applying pressure to the Blues and winning the contested possession count we will go a long way to getting the 4 points this week.

Edit: I should also add that in both the Saints and GWS games it has been 10-15 minute lapses which have cost us. We really aren't that far away from being 2-1 other than Riewoldt's 15 minute burst in the 3rd quarter/our shocking kicking for goal and the last 15 minutes against GWS. This isn't to excuse what we have dished up and we are still firmly a bottom 4 side but I can see improvement on last year and a big part of that is getting the players to believe in their ability to close out a game. I've said elsewhere that I think it may take another couple of months for things to click but when they do we will see a pretty sharp improvement, not necessarily in regards to wins/losses but in terms of being competitive and running out games.

Edited April 8, 201411 yr by Dr. Gonzo

No , we need to be at full strength even to compete with the middle run sides.

Always hoping though but logic is against it.

You have violated Demonland's first commandment: Thou shalt not get excited about Melbourne's prospects.

You forgot to add 'unless it's preseason'. We're going to rip the comp. a new one in March. Come April, the club is always teetering on the edge.

I started the 'relax we've got this thread' two seasons ago. That's when I thought we could win. Now I try not to think at all.

Carlton was murdered on the spread. For this reason only I'd look at playing Blease.

Regardless of the result I will be furious if we don't at least match the Blues in the intensity and aggression stakes.

Their captain has promised a more aggressive effort this week and their president has basically said they need to come out breathing fire.

There is no doubt Carlton will come out very hard after the week they will have, and they know they are playing a poor side which will give them confidence to go after us.

I can take losing, because they are currently a better side than us, but I will lose all faith in the playing group if we just let them physically dominate us from the start.

If guys like Robinson and Waite run around dishing it out and we just cop it, then to me that will feel worse than losing the game.

After all, we've been battered around more than them over the years and there's no reason why our players should not come out just as physical and intent on sending a message.

Our leaders must set the tone - I know people have been bagging Grimes but I'm a fan of his. Having said that I would love to see a bit of nastiness from him this week. Get angry.

Nope not this week

Regardless of the result I will be furious if we don't at least match the Blues in the intensity and aggression stakes.

Their captain has promised a more aggressive effort this week and their president has basically said they need to come out breathing fire.

There is no doubt Carlton will come out very hard after the week they will have, and they know they are playing a poor side which will give them confidence to go after us.

I can take losing, because they are currently a better side than us, but I will lose all faith in the playing group if we just let them physically dominate us from the start.

If guys like Robinson and Waite run around dishing it out and we just cop it, then to me that will feel worse than losing the game.

After all, we've been battered around more than them over the years and there's no reason why our players should not come out just as physical and intent on sending a message.

Our leaders must set the tone - I know people have been bagging Grimes but I'm a fan of his. Having said that I would love to see a bit of nastiness from him this week. Get angry.

Yeah this aggression has been missing from our club/team for too long. Nothing stupid, don't go swinging roundhouses but just show you won't be pushed around. Is one of the major sources of frustration, we don't seem to have any guys who will run through someone or make them hurt, too many nice boys. I was trying to imagine Trengove or Grimes doing this and just can't see it happening.

Easy to be depressed, deflated and demoralized, after perhaps some unrealistic expectations going into the season, but.... with 4 or 5 key players out injured there are glimmers of hope, at the very least players definitely have to learn to combine as a team, which will be a positive in the longer term.

With Carlton getting a lasting in the media they could not have asked for a better opponent to redeem themselves. Whilst I won't enjoy it, I'd settle for a 6 or 7 goal loss.

This team has a good game in them, a breakthrough win. It will provide the building blocks upon which confidence and thereby improvement will come from...

Hopefully, that game is this Saturday.

The Blues are ripe.

As the banner said last Sunday, our players need to stop fighting their inner demons, and unleash them...

For some unknown reason I have a good feeling about this week. And boy wouldn't it be sweet to kick the Blues while they are under the pump!!!

I would be more confident if Carlton were not so bad last week. They will be primed to come out firing. We will need to at least stay close early on if we are going to have any chance. I am more optimistic about beating Carlton than GC the week after.

would like to see an old fashioned donnybrook.

this generally gets blokes up and marching.

not that were tough,but are less tough than us.

besides its good for the club and sponsors,

show the young blokes,we dont take chit of anybody.

Zero chance but if somehow we pull off a miracle and win Carlton will implode so that would be fun to watch

We really are a deluded bunch. Sunday was a horrible loss....29 scoring shots to 12. If dry, it would have been a 15 goal margin. Carlton will slaughter us to the tune of 10 goals plus. Ask around your mates who know footy and don't support us or the blues, then check the betting odds. They'll match up you'll find. We are the worst team in the AFL by a margin greater than GWS or the Suns were in their first seasons. It is pure fancy to believe we can compete with any of the other 17 teams, and all the football world knows it.

So no, this is NOT the week