Post Match Discussion - Round 12 (never in doubt)

[DemonDave 1,089]

Still buzzing this morning after making the trip down as usual. And to think I almost thought twice

about it this year given the exhorbitant prices they charge for crappy seats down there.....

I thought this was our best 'team' effort, as the cliche goes, for a long time. Nary a poor player to

be seen, everyone was up for this one today. Even perennial whipping boys did their job:

Matt Jones- was given the job similar to he did on Bob Murphy to quell the milestone man, who was

BOG for them against Port last week and he certainly did a good job on him

Chris Dawes-From the moment he clunked that big contested mark on our wing, he was a very handy

player today who was in lots of score involvements/goal assists, he really does bring out other forwards

into the game

Jack Watts-3 weeks of consistent footy now, he's really stepped his game up a notch, given the freedom

to run a wing, he now seems to have a lot more time with the ball in hand, can run sideways to create

space for himself, and is now willing to absorb a tackle to free up a teammate, his footy brain is the best

on our list.

Ruck Combo-"if Gawn doesnt get you, Spencer will!" proclaimed Sandy Roberts on the telecast (yes as

soon as I came home I watched the replay). Not only was their ruckwork and marking around the ground

a revelation, they'd also clearly been told that when the ball is bombed long into the forward line, do your

best to bring it to ground for the smalls, they did this on several occasions, as did Howe and Dawes.

The coaching battle was a big win for us. Viney quelling Selwood, Jones on Enright, Vince running with Blicavs,

Dunn on Hawkins, Lumumba given license to run off Kersten to create and break lines.

And the gameplan of kicking the ball long along the flanks to the big fellas, and then again long

into the forward line for the talls to bring it down worked a treat, so often our goals game from quick long counter

attacking footy that left massive gaps in their defensive structures.

The Kids. Brayshaw gets better every week, his will and reading of the play is immense. J Brown and King were

clearly enamoured by him in the comm box. ANBs workrate from the VFL started to translate as he gets a feel

for the intensity at this level, 3 goals an unexpected bonus. Stretch looks comfortable, and not afraid to go in for

it despite his lean stature.

The sheer elation from the other smattering of demons fans in our area at the siren was fantastic, I was too nervous

to say 'we're going to win' until about 2 minutes to go, lest Geelong got an expected run on.,until my Dad sitting

next to me said it for me, we could then smile and enjoy the remaining time left. A truly great day out.

[old dee 23,747]

Wrong we'll nearly make the 8 this year( if we keep playing like yesterday)

I was going to let this go by in the spirit of celebrating a very good win.

However lets not get the cart before the horse.

We still have a long way to go.

However we have two weeks before the next game so lets have fun.

[Ethan Tremblay 30,818]

Didnt you say there were Geelong supporters at your work? Hope you are giving it to em this morning....I have 1 at mine and when I showed her the back page of the paper she screamed!

Haha love it. I took two scarves in and left them draping over their chairs.

[barneymfc 152]

Geelong players love calling for free kicks. Can't remember if it was in the third or fourth when being tackled by Dunn over the boundry line but Hawkins was clearly appealing for a free mid tackle. He ended up touching the ball on the ground and Dunn won the free. I didn't mind Guthrie until yesterday however he had a few cheap shots and also played for frees, obviously emulating Selwood.

I was surprised to see Geelong had 20 or so more tackles, thought that was a stat we would have one, out pressure was excellent. Garlett was excellent, played his role to a tee and had some important touches in the mid field.

More tackles by them because we had the ball more often

[Bang Bang Bang 5,801]

Yesterday was actually the first time Nathan Jones has beaten Geelong. He was on the list in 2006 when we beat them at the MCG, but was yet to debut at that point. That game in 2006 was also Lynden Dunn's debut.

Wins like these must be extra special to these two.

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,325]

There are reports coming out of Sydney and I stress these are unconfirmed at this stage. A man in his 30's was captured yesterday afternoon driving in a westerly direction down the M4 motorway doing some 30km below the speed limit, his car at times failed to stay in its lane, at times creeping into other lanes. Witnesses say the man seemed quite distracted constantly glancing at his phone whilst one hand was fist pumping the air. Telstra has confirmed the AFL game day live app was purchased hours before the alleged incident. When reporters caught up with the man outside his Cronulla apartment this morning he simply turned to the hoard and said "Jumbo, you may have been right about Watts" before being whisked away in his green 1999 Mazda 323.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Al's Demons

[Ethan Tremblay 30,818]

More tackles by them because we had the ball more often

Makes sense. Just didn't look like they had more that's all.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Brayshaw is a player along with Hogan that a dynasty could be built on.

I am as excited as I have been about the club as I have been.

At quarter time yesterday we were winning the contests and it felt sustainable.

A successful gameplan can only be built around a contested game, we have the players that can win that game now. It seems logical that we can improve pretty quickly.

[rpfc 28,247]

27 more Contested Possies, 27 more uncontested possies, won the clearances, and won the game.

We only got 191 UPs - we slowed the game down so much that Geelong were hamstrung with 164 UPs on a decent track - really unheard of in recent times in AFL level, let alone at the Cattery. They average 217 a game and probably more than that down in Mordor.

The reasons why we won that game is, firstly and most importantly; confidence and mindset. But the second thing was the game plan to not allow their backline and def side mids to come back into the corridor and exploit our backline with quick movement - you only need to look at this game and the holistic way we won to prove that Roos is a very good coach, has good people around him, and the future is very bright for all concerned down at AAMI Park.

And one last thing - as a CHF - I know how important a good forward structure is to kicking enough goals to win and while Dawes is in a rough patch of marking form - he is a competitor and vital for us to bring the ball forward. He is also more important now that Garlett demands these contests for him to be effective. He had 8 touches and 2 marks but 6 score involvements, as many as the very effective Watts and Gawn.

[rpfc 28,247]

Oh, and no doubt in my mind; if we had a 'good' 41 secs last week and won - we don't beat the Cats down at Mordor.

[barneymfc 152]

if we hold this sought of form no reason we cant make the 8

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

if we hold this sought of form no reason we cant make the 8

Would have to be a run similar to 87, anything is possible I guess, some similarities there as well...

[Young Dee 1,303]

Oh, and no doubt in my mind; if we had a 'good' 41 secs last week and won - we don't beat the Cats down at Mordor.

Would take a win at the cattery over a win against Essendope - and that's saying something

[Akum 2,660]

27 more Contested Possies, 27 more uncontested possies, won the clearances, and won the game.

We only got 191 UPs - we slowed the game down so much that Geelong were hamstrung with 164 UPs on a decent track - really unheard of in recent times in AFL level, let alone at the Cattery. They average 217 a game and probably more than that down in Mordor.

The reasons why we won that game is, firstly and most importantly; confidence and mindset. But the second thing was the game plan to not allow their backline and def side mids to come back into the corridor and exploit our backline with quick movement - you only need to look at this game and the holistic way we won to prove that Roos is a very good coach, has good people around him, and the future is very bright for all concerned down at AAMI Park.

And one last thing - as a CHF - I know how important a good forward structure is to kicking enough goals to win and while Dawes is in a rough patch of marking form - he is a competitor and vital for us to bring the ball forward. He is also more important now that Garlett demands these contests for him to be effective. He had 8 touches and 2 marks but 6 score involvements, as many as the very effective Watts and Gawn.

Dawes was amazingly clean on the ground on a few occasions. He had "great hands" everywhere except for marking.

And IMO not enough has been made of the captain's goal at the start of the last. Again, Dawes great hands with a ground ball, Jones right place right time never looked like missing. Perfect execution, perfect timing.

[Chris 2,892]

Have been wondering where this win fits in significance for the club since I was born (1980). Of course we will only know this after some time has passed but I think it will be right up there.

My ranking is -

1 - 1988 prelim over Carlton

2 - 1987 final round win over the dogs

3 - 2000 prelim win over the roos

4 - this win over Geelong (TBC)

The reason I place it so high is that I think it has removed many of the shackles holding some of the older players down. It looked to me as if Watts and Chunk were crying after the siren, presumably due to a mass of pressure and history lifting from their shoulders after 186.

It makes sense if you think that after that fateful day, as a team and as individuals, they have:

- Seen a well liked coach sacked who has also passed away

- Watched a club great and president fight the good fight but in the end lose

- Lost one of the clubs greatest ever to Cancer

- Lost another club great from their childhood

- Have a past coach (for a few of them) get diagnosed with a terminal illness

- Go through 7? coaches and years of false starts and hardship

- Have potential very good players go home due to personal issues.

- Have this single day hanging over you as the darkest of the dark, the pivotal moment of the mess they were in (almost wrote are in, but I think that would be wrong now)

To get up and win, against that same team, with many of the same players, at the same stadium, would be huge.

Lets hope with the shackles gone the club can get off its knees and stride towards a very bright future!

Edited June 22, 2015 by Chris

[barneymfc 152]

Would have to be a run similar to 87, anything is possible I guess, some similarities there as well...

very similar i just the feeling the penny has dropped for the players and roos has gotten through to them ,note watts gawn and others I think northey took time to turn his lists heads around

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

very similar i just the feeling the penny has dropped for the players and roos has gotten through to them ,note watts gawn and others I think northey took time to turn his lists heads around

Ninthmond did it last year I guess...........everybody had written them off, hope last weeks 2 pointer doesnt come back to haunt us come late August.

[Lucifers Hero 39,500]

very similar i just the feeling the penny has dropped for the players and roos has gotten through to them ,note watts gawn and others I think northey took time to turn his lists heads around

I agree with you Barney...the penny has finally dropped and the players are listening to the coach.

I put this in another thread and is relevant here:

At the siren of last weeks St K game young and senior players were truly gutted.

That loss hurt and cut deep. They knew they, collectively let it slip!

That hurt stuck in their craw all week and they were out for redemption!

Finally, finally, losing hurt!

Could well be the StK loss was more of a turning point than yesterdays victory.

[jazza 1,323]

if we hold this sought of form no reason we cant make the 8

The saints game may have cost us very dearly.

[Moneider96 1,045]

Would take a win at the cattery over a win against Essendope - and that's saying something

I sure as hell wouldn't.

[ChaserJ 4,995]

Would take a win at the cattery over a win against Essendope - and that's saying something

Can we have both?

[Vipercrunch 2,820]

Yesterday was actually the first time Nathan Jones has beaten Geelong. He was on the list in 2006 when we beat them at the MCG, but was yet to debut at that point. That game in 2006 was also Lynden Dunn's debut.

Wins like these must be extra special to these two.

It was a shame Garland and Grimes weren't out there with them to enjoy it with them. Those two defenders appeared to have felt the thrashings more than most.

[mo64 5,853]

The coaching battle was a big win for us. Viney quelling Selwood, Jones on Enright, Vince running with Blicavs,

Dunn on Hawkins, Lumumba given license to run off Kersten to create and break lines.

And the gameplan of kicking the ball long along the flanks to the big fellas, and then again long

into the forward line for the talls to bring it down worked a treat, so often our goals game from quick long counter

attacking footy that left massive gaps in their defensive structures.

I'm still not letting Roos off the hook for the previous 2 weeks. He needs to accept that we haven't got quality ball users in the backline (Salem excluded). With the spare man, we chip the ball sideways or short upfield, which allows the opposition to structure their defence. We went longer and quicker, and had confidence in our teammates. His postmatch press conference seems to suggest that the 1 on 1 set up in the backline/forwardline may be temporary. I hope not.

[Webber 10,454]

Team team team team. Paul Roos is all about the 'team' ethos. The culture of a joint commitment. Play for each other. He's creating it, and the recruiters have done a brilliant job in servicing that. This club has finally turned. There'll still be many frustrations, we won't make the finals this year as some have wildly suggested, but we are BACK, people. It's gonna be fun.

[barneymfc 152]

playing west coast in darwin gives us real chance