Takes me back to '87, youngsters...

northey as coach...

stynes, viney senior, stretch, lyon, the febey boys, the late (great) robbie flower, and all the other guys...

we had an enforcer in those days, name was (political correctness requires deletion)...

when the top teams decide to take out the dees' match winners, who is our enforcer in 2016?

I know the rules have changed, but the game has not as far as I can see...

just asking...

 

Hilarious reading the gameday thread. There was so much moaning, grizzling and doom & glooming that it barely registered that Melbourne hit the front.

Get a grip, girlfriends.

2 hours ago, dees189227 said:

Just got home from the game and still can't believe we came back, Wow 2-3 years ago if we were in that position we would have just capitulated and lost by 60. 

But so proud of that last quarter, Watts was great and just uses the ball so well. Rarely wastes it

Hogan- Well beaten for the 1st 3/4s and thought he'd have his head down and sulk but he didnt and to his credit fought back so well and great to see his shots go through

Kennedy great game for us 

Viney just knows only 1 way. Hard. 

Geez I thought we had it lost when Harmes buggered it up when he should have kicked it quicker and it got smothered and they scored a goal in that final term. 

Vince my god those 2 kicks out of the backline were 2 of the worst kicks ever. Please dont do it again. 

Tommy Mac- Still makes me nervous when he tries to take the play on but some brilliant spoils and marks were so important.

Clayton Oliver- wow what a debut. Surely has to be the rising star nom this week. Just goes in and contests real hard. 

Nice to start the season off with a win. But will have to play better next week. 

Reckon Parish might give Oliver a run for his money this week. Finished the game with a couple more disposals than Clarry and looked super impressive in an ordinary team. However, Clarry was winning centre clearance after centre clearance and only played half a game. If he doesn't get it this week, he'll get it soon enough.

2 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

The sub rule murdered him like many other youngsters.

Thank christ they scrapped it.  Footy is much better now.

It's certainly much more interesting. The rotations cap has changed the game too.

Just now, Tony Tea said:

Hilarious reading the gameday thread. There was so much moaning, grizzling and doom & glooming that it barely registered that Melbourne hit the front.

Get a grip, girlfriends.

It happens every week.  Too many on here love a crisis.

Jack Watts immense. His two evasions in Q1 and Q4 were wonderful. The second one leading to VdB's dribble goal was out of the clutches of 3 oranges

4 hours ago, sue said:

Rules question:  When Pedersen had that shot from the boundary against the point post, aren't the GWS players meant to be further away than they were. One of them seemed even closer than last year?

Where the fuurg was that  10 meter rule then!!! The same one that cost us 2 or was it 3.. 50 meter penalties1???

Edited March 26, 20169 yr by picket fence

I don't know it showed up on the TV coverage but did anyone notice how dirty the GWS defenders were towards our forwards before the first bounce? I know this thing goes on every match but there seemed to be a bit more vitriol than usual today.It made it more satisfying when the final siren blew and the whole GWS team was down the Punt rd. end of the ground in front of the Dees crowd,they looked shattered.

Watts is a beast.

Just home. Still a bit [censored]. No negatives tonight. We have won a first round without some good players out and from a position where we might have tossed it it in previously.

Some highlights for me were Jack Watts who looked a mature classy footballer and contributed all day. Jack Viney contributed all day - his muscle in the packs is so important. How did Collingwood let Kennedy go? Big Max took a couple of grabs and did not let Mummy dominate. Heavy work from Jones and some class from Bernie. Hogan looked all at sea a t times but lifted and kicked three. What will he do when he is having a good day?

3 hours ago, Wells 11 said:

loved the win and hate to be picky...but Gawns tap at the last centre bounce was Stkilda all over again. I was amazed we didn't get that right. All Melb players behind him and he taps forward? Anyway...post match review will at least be a good place to be this week, Bank the win and great fro morale but I think you gotta say we've got a lot of room for improvement also.

 

Yeah what the hell, it was like he meant to hit Shiel on the chest!  

And surely we leave just one player forward or out on the wing, so if we do have to get a quick kick off, we know where to aim it and we don't have a 100% guarantee it's coming straight back.  The way we set up meant we were always going to have to defend one dangerous inside 50 no matter what.

Poor coaching/planning that could have easily cost us the game!

If every week is like this game I think I might have a hart attack by the end of the season.  

Good win!!

4 hours ago, Nasher said:

Viney.

OMac ankle. On crutches at end of game. 

Hogan slept through the first half. Moved on to the ball in 3rd. Forward again in the last and came alive. Bloody star.

Oliver 17 touches in the first half, 1 in the second. Faded but very bloody exciting.

I'd wait a bit for the tix.

I'm being picky but young Oliver had 5 possies in the second half. A great first up game.

Garbage win against a third rate joke of an opposition. I say Paul Roos should be demoted to the bloke who cuts up the orange platter for 3 quarter time and a true Demon who bleeds red and blue should take over. It's a scandal that the red and blueprint was ever disposed of and all involved with the MFC should hang their heads in shame at today's insipid display.

Don't get too worked up you nuffies. Of course I'm joking.

Today showed we potentially have a lot more grit and a lot more in the tank than past incarnations of the MFC. I remember watching us play the Dogs twice during the 2014 season when we were in a similar position. It was tight, it was tough and we were found wanting both times. Part of it was related to our lack of killer instinct and part of it was related to how physically fragile the boys were (I remember Matt Jones streaming into goal in that first game against the Dogs and not being able to make the distance from 45 as he was too exhausted). 
There may have been other times when an opposition opened up a lead against us like GWS did when we would feel sorry for ourselves and it was hands around ankles time. It's been a while since I could look at a Melbourne team and think 'we are down but you just know the comeback will happen.' I have felt that way during all four of our wins since pre-season started; a positive for sure.
It was interesting to hear Roosy's presser as well when he said that when he stepped into the coach's role, that he was tactically limited in what he could do. In any other team, he would merely make some positional changes and throw things around but in 2014, that was not possible. It shows how much stronger the list is these days.
Like any other season, I will judge the season on it's whole. Last year when everyone was baying for blood after Carlton, while disappointed, I knew I would make my final judgement after round 22. I was right to do so. I get the feeling that I will be right to do so again this year.

3 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Most of the first quarter was great and the last quarter was exactly how we want to play this year.

We were hopeless in the middle half. We let GWS play on their terms (flooding back, using the space in their half to stream forward). But to Roos'/Goodwin's credit, we made some key changes in the last to get the spark back and it worked. Jones to half-back, Garlett to the wing and Vince into the middle were key moves. Pedersen to CHB fixed two problems (filling in for OMac and making space in the forward line).

We can't play Pedersen, Frost and Hogan in the same forward line, with Gawn continually floating in front of them. Fourth quarter was down to just Frost and Hogan and with the faster ball movement made all the difference.

Oliver's debut was stunning. I can't wait to watch this kid grow into a star of the AFL.

OMac was lost and shouldn't have played. Frost was largely ineffectual and I remain unconvinced that he is a forward. Harmes was poor today as well I thought.

Kennedy added a heap of value across half-forward and his fourth quarter was spectacular.

Watts, Viney, Gawn and TMac all played great games as well.

Overall, we got lucky in parts but we took the game on when we needed to. Good sides use the opportunities provided to them and GWS kept the door open. We found away to barge back in and that should be celebrated.

We still have to fix our starts in games. I mean the first 10 to 15 minutes. We struggled in the NAB challenge with this and today too.

3 hours ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I really like Pedersen in the backline.  He played a bit for Casey there a while ago and was very good, not sure why it hasn't been used more.

He was ordinary down back IMO. Totally misjudged that contest and the Tomlinson should have made him pay.

What is Roos trying to do with Frost?

He is not a key forward. Yes he's quick and chases but he's not strong above his head, and he is poor in front of goal. And yet when we needed to give Hogan space in the last we sent Pederson to full back and left Frost forward? 

Get Frost to full back and let he and TMac start playing together. They are the key defenders for the next 5-8 years.

Picked us for the wooden spoon = Mark McClueless.

1 minute ago, bush demon said:

Picked us for the wooden spoon = Mark McClueless.

And I thought I was taking the pizz with my last post.

Sellars has admitted himself that he often says things just to get a headline. Sometimes on this forum we tend to rubbish anything negative that comes out about us from the media but I can safely say that this is bollocks of the highest order.

 

The good teams steal wins all the time and always find a way to win even if they aren't the better team on the day.

Hawthorn/Geelong have made a career out of it.

too many times today everyone flew for marks and no one stayed down, which meant that the GWS players had free run at the crumbs. 

Need a change in mentality with this, particularly our smaller blokes

Is anyone else worried about Viney's tackle on Steele?  The mood the Tribunal is in they may try and cite him for a sling tackle - just to set an example.

I have the defence just in case:  The momentum of my falling to ground meant he fell with me and as he is 9cm taller than I am the momentum caused his head to hit the ground.  If I was taller my shoulder would have prevented that.

Will that do?

3 hours ago, It'll Come said:

What about Dean Kent? I thought he was fantastic with his attack on the ball, decision making, defence and he also kicks goals. I agree with what everyone as said about our best players. Jack Viney just wants to eat that ball, TMac is a giant killer, Watts is now ready to live, Oliver should be set in stone at our club, Gawn of the ages, Kennedy was terrific and Jones heart is now shared by all.  

Great game dees and look forward to posting comments now that there are so many positive things to say.

Congrats to the club

 

Thought he was ordinary again. Where's this 'elite' kicking he's supposed to have? Every second kick is a floater. That miss from 20 metres out under no pressure was inexcusable. His ball drop is too high. He also doesn't lay enough tackles when he's not hitting the scoreboard.

Agree with the rest of your post though.

3 hours ago, BrisbaneDemon said:

I was the anti social bloke at a mates BBQ watching the game on the Gold Coast, a mates son watched the whole last quarter with me and asked who number 7 was, I said Jack Viney, after the game asked his dad can he get a Jack Viney jersey, we're on the Melbourne football club ordering a jersey now for him! Little steps but this big beautiful club is Coming back to life!!! Great win

Even my Hawthorn-supporting girlfriend watched the Melbourne game on the TV today. Very impressed. Just have to beat her team to convert her.

 

And Collingwood are down by 90 points. Could this day get any better?

2 minutes ago, AdamFarr said:

Thought he was ordinary again. Where's this 'elite' kicking he's supposed to have? Every second kick is a floater. That miss from 20 metres out under no pressure was inexcusable. His ball drop is too high. He also doesn't lay enough tackles when he's not hitting the scoreboard.

Agree with the rest of your post though.

Even my Hawthorn-supporting girlfriend watched the Melbourne game on the TV today. Very impressed. Just have to beat her team to convert her.

 

Nailed a key goal and hit quite a few quality short corridor targets (the kick in to Bugg that he dropped etc) in the 2nd half. Won a few big contests as well. 

If he could read the play better he'd tackle more, get more easy ball and then if he used it consistently he'd be a star of the comp. At the moment he mixes poor play with above average play (see the 2nd half). A reasonable start for a bloke who missed most of last year and is still early days in his career.

Great game to be at today... My take aways:

• If we are going to push up that high against fast teams, we have to keep the ball in because once it's out the back, we are stuffed.
• Watts should never have been moved out of the forward line. More importantly, he knows exactly where to kick it to Hogan's advantage and Hogan dead set loves him for it.
• Hogan will tear a few teams a new one when he finally clicks into gear. Pressure goals too, and never in doubt. But they need to give him more space! Also, pushing him up the ground (including into a centre bounce at one point) was a master stroke and got him involved in the game.
• Tom McDonald was immense and has changed his kicking action I reckon. He keeps his hand on the ball much later into the drop and kicks it much lower to the ground. Made some sensational play today.
• Oliver. Wow. Takes the extra half second to make a great decision.
• Tyson, Bugg and Frost will be the first three out after Harmes. Funny that they are the ones GWS didn't mind letting go.
• Vince looked old and slow today, but will bounce back,
• Vandenburg is hugely underrated and incredibly important to us. A great mark.
• There's a place for Matt Jones, much as I hate to say it. Didn't put a foot wrong today.
• Kennedy was an inspired pick up.

10 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Is anyone else worried about Viney's tackle on Steele?  The mood the Tribunal is in they may try and cite him for a sling tackle - just to set an example.

I have the defence just in case:  The momentum of my falling to ground meant he fell with me and as he is 9cm taller than I am the momentum caused his head to hit the ground.  If I was taller my shoulder would have prevented that.

Will that do?

My defence would be to say go and get [censored]. 

How that is deemed a dangerous tackle is beyond me. No sling, no lift. If you can't tackle a guy to ground then the game is in trouble because there won't be a way to stop strong players. He wasn't hurt was he?