MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM SELECTION - Round 4

[Go the Biff 3,457]

1 hour ago, Undeeterred said:

I definitely am nominating him as the Kent Kingsley Spud of the Week to Kick 6 Against Melbourne Despite Nobody Having Ever Seen Him Catch a Footy Before.

Previously won by such luminaries as Beau Waters (twice I think).

I've seen him catch a footy - and he can clunk it. Good hands overhead. If he gets deep forward, defenders best pay him respect or he may well get on the scoreboard a bit

[Chook 15,023]

11 minutes ago, Ron Burgundy said:

Vince out and Sidebottom and Varcoe in ain't great.

Feel nervous too.

 

Vince just slams it on the boot, Sidebottom's an arse and Varcoe never gets it. Relax, we've got this.

[Go the Biff 3,457]

16 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Im not going to lie.. Very nervous about this game. Its just so typical of Melbourne to play a team into form. They have brought some experience  back in while we are going in with a very young team.

In saying that if we bring that same intensity and pressure i have no doubt we will win.

Same here. I have a sense of foreboding similar to the Round 2 debacle. 'Pies are being belted from pillar to post in the media. I am bloody sick of playing in other team's "statement games". I wonder if Buckley visits Terry Wallace to see if he has any of those "crunch balls" left

If I see a double page feature in Sunday's paper on one of our players I'll know we are in trouble

[Akum 2,660]

2 hours ago, monoccular said:

I guess, on history, MFC do not do well in matches they are expected to win.

Will the team make that change this weekend?  It is up to them.

Nobody's expecting us to win except for DLanders getting way ahead of ourselves.

No offence guys, but I'd back the betting odds against DLanders' expectations any day.

This is NOT a game we're expected to win.

[Undeeterred 3,127]

8 minutes ago, Go the Biff said:

I've seen him catch a footy - and he can clunk it. Good hands overhead. If he gets deep forward, defenders best pay him respect or he may well get on the scoreboard a bit

Well yes. Clearly he's an AFL footballer, so he's clearly, obviously marked a footy before.

I was just having a small joke. He's still a virtual no name who will probably bob up and kick a bag on us. 

[titan_uranus 25,174]

15 minutes ago, Akum said:

Nobody's expecting us to win except for DLanders getting way ahead of ourselves.

No offence guys, but I'd back the betting odds against DLanders' expectations any day.

This is NOT a game we're expected to win.

Why shouldn't we expect a win?

Yes, part of that is subjective and biased. But objectively, Collingwood is playing awful football. They've played three games of tripe. We've played one game of tripe but two games of quality (and we've done it against decent sides, too).

I don't think its outlandish to say we should be favourites for this game or that we should expect a win. 

[faultydet 7,623]

20 minutes ago, Go the Biff said:

Same here. I have a sense of foreboding similar to the Round 2 debacle. 'Pies are being belted from pillar to post in the media. I am bloody sick of playing in other team's "statement games". I wonder if Buckley visits Terry Wallace to see if he has any of those "crunch balls" left

If I see a double page feature in Sunday's paper on one of our players I'll know we are in trouble

Back it in, that we are in trouble.

 

Other teams do "Statement" games, but we don't.

I cant think of the last time we beat a side playing "Statement" footy, and this week will be no different.

[Wells 11 5,455]

2 minutes ago, faultydet said:

Back it in, that we are in trouble.

 

Other teams do "Statement" games, but we don't.

I cant think of the last time we beat a side playing "Statement" footy, and this week will be no different.

Richmond last year after Hafey died?

[Ron Burgundy 8,587]

Richmond last year - ANZAC weekend.

Massive game, and build up to it, for that club.

 

[Ron Burgundy 8,587]

In fact, only 2 weeks ago against GWS.

The opening round for that club, and ours admittedly, is always a 'statement' game for an emerging list after a long pre-season.

 

[faultydet 7,623]

1 minute ago, Wells 11 said:

Richmond last year after Hafey died?

Hmmm, ok.

 

I took my new bride to her first game ever that night. She discovered her new love. "I like the Jesse Hogan guy"

Had no idea it was the Hafey game.

 

 

[dees189227 12,453]

Anyone else fear that Cloke will suddenly kick straight, Howe will take mark of the year and the pies find there form? 

[Wiseblood 24,637]

The Pies have a decent side on paper that is horribly out of form.  This puts the ball firmly in our court - I think that if we are switched on and playing football like we did against North then we can keep the Pies at bay, even if they come out and have a red hot crack.

As always the game will be won in the midfield - if Max gives us first use and we use it well going forward then we'll win, it's as simple as that.  If we allow them too much easy ball through the middle and on the rebound then guys like Cloke and Fasolo will have a field day.

Very winnable game for us.

[Deeoldfart 8,105]

We did spoil the Enright party at the Cattery in 2015.  

[Demon Dynasty 17,130]

1 hour ago, DemonOX said:

For our boys its all between the ears. 

We now have the talent it's just the space between the ears that needs a lot of work. 

That's correct Ox. And for me it all starts at the opening bounce. The Pies will come out all guns blazing in that first 15 minutes. So we have to make sure we match their intensity. This would be against recent past history where we just don't launch well. The bongers match a classic example. Always on the back foot.

But not only be fierce at the contest, we need clean use with hands working extremely hard on the spread when we get first use with some decent short passing to leads i50 as well as deep to the hot spot. The mid field control and clearance will be crucial as it almost always is, especially during the heat of that first 10 or 15 min in order to get the ball into our forward half early and try and lock it in or score. We have beaten them here in the last 2 encounters so lets hope we can bring this effort, intensity and clean ball use this time around. 

Lets not underestimate Buckley and his team. They would have scoured over last week's game with a super fine tooth comb looking for areas of our game to exploit. And there's a number of those. Whether they have the personnel is another matter but on the day any team is capable of beating another in this comp as we know.

No doubt they'll be looking to get a stack of ball in early and lock it in also. We need to work super hard if they do. Especially by hand and foot off HB (run and carry when possible/occasional switch when it's obvious we have a fat side opening to go to) to exploit their lumbering forward line that was fully exposed last week in the Saints match. In addition we have to mix it up coming out of defence. Our defence and mids will need to work harder than last week in this regard, and lead lead lead into space (on the angles just as the Hawks do)/spreading the field, allowing multiple decent options to hit up and maintaining possession on our way up the field (until we are well out of the ugly turnover areas) as a variation to the run and gun option. If we don't we will be kicking it up the line to a potential turnover and/or kicking to a man under pressure for another potential turnover. We can choose to work our bums off and achieve some success with the former (good spreading/leads....allowing decent short options up the field) or we can be lazy sods like the early part of the 1st quarter last week and not provide these outlets, increasing the Pies chances of intercept turnovers or turnovers in the worst possible places for us but the ideal places they are working towards in order to punish us on the scoreboard.

On the other side I'm not concerned about our forward press/zone too much. Think it's working quite well. However, i have my fingers crossed that Jeffy is fit and ready as we will need his closing and escape speed to create a little mayhem up forward, crumb and also worry the opposition in our forward half. He adds that degree of uncertainty to a back line that means a player is never quite sure if he is truly free. This "perceived" or real pressure in many cases is exactly what our press and zone will thrive off provided we structure and set up well.

Would love to see one more decent tall who can play either end for us as well if needed. Kind of a Podsiadly type (ie., someone who isn't super tall but plays tall/takes contested marks and very versatile plus decent goal kicker...not asking for much am i) Reckon this would be the icing on the cake for us. Surely there has to be an almost ready made player like this somewhere in one of the Magoo leagues that we can aim to trade for next year?? Or a recently retired gun from a champion team who might have changed his mind (provided there's at least a 2 season contribution potential).

We will need work our asses off to secure this one and fight it right out to the very finish! Put the foot on the throat if we get a decent lead for Lucifer's sake Demons! Don't let em back of the Crowd/Umps will win it for em (like last week!).

[Chris 2,892]

1 hour ago, jnrmac said:

Every team thinks they can beat Melbourne because we create turnovers and we have been soft in the past and fold very easily.

Until we can shake that then it will happen.

That is certainly part of it, it just seems teams in crisis seem to come up against us at least 3 or 4 times a year. Can't wait until a team in crisis doesnt see us as a possible win!

[Demon Dynasty 17,130]

15 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

Anyone else fear that Cloke will suddenly kick straight, Howe will take mark of the year and the pies find there form? 

 

12 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

The Pies have a decent side on paper that is horribly out of form.  This puts the ball firmly in our court - I think that if we are switched on and playing football like we did against North then we can keep the Pies at bay, even if they come out and have a red hot crack.

As always the game will be won in the midfield - if Max gives us first use and we use it well going forward then we'll win, it's as simple as that.  If we allow them too much easy ball through the middle and on the rebound then guys like Cloke and Fasolo will have a field day.

Very winnable game for us.

It's all about mind set guys. Every player has to come out like they did in the 2nd quarter last week (but this time the 1st) and bring the intensity expected and play to their fullest potential just as trained as well as sticking to the overall game plan/s. All the little things add up. Can't afford to have 2 or 3 slacking off or the whole thing unravels.

Play like Demons and our chances increase substantially. Play like flowers and we will make the Pies look like a premiership team.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Rusty Nails

[Bonkers 994]

20 minutes ago, faultydet said:

Hmmm, ok.

 

I took my new bride to her first game ever that night. She discovered her new love. "I like the Jesse Hogan guy"

Had no idea it was the Hafey game.

 

 

It wasn't, the Hafey game was a day game. 

[hells bells 2,023]

I think the Collingwood team looks soft. With the right mindset we'll be too tough for them.

That's not something I can remember saying about a Demon side in a long time.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

Wish we would play Frost down back.

 

Always thought he was recruited to replace Chip

[DubDee 26,306]

Surely Wagner will be dropped with hunt coming in. Don't want too many kids playing in the team. Esp in the backline

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 5,561]

2 hours ago, Go the Biff said:

Same here. I have a sense of foreboding similar to the Round 2 debacle. 'Pies are being belted from pillar to post in the media. I am bloody sick of playing in other team's "statement games". I wonder if Buckley visits Terry Wallace to see if he has any of those "crunch balls" left

If I see a double page feature in Sunday's paper on one of our players I'll know we are in trouble

Always my fear, too, GoB - it's almost infallibly fatal - but fear not this time; the sub-editor's dream, the American 'Pie, is playing his first!

[PaulRB 6,432]

Media licking their lips for a Pie loss and another week of Collingwood hysteria... yawn. 

Even game that will depend on which teams show up on Sunday.

People who quote betting odds as indicative of the likely outcome fundamentally mis-understand how odds are set.

Would love a win.

Edited April 14, 2016 by PaulRB

[What 18,810]

Last week the Saints were way too quick for the Pies, they blew them off the park with leg speed.

Hunt in and presumably Garlett too certainly makes things interesting.

 

 

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,477]

8 hours ago, hells bells said:

I think the Collingwood team looks soft. With the right mindset we'll be too tough for them.

That's not something I can remember saying about a Demon side in a long time.

Agree. 

Would love Viney to crunch Pendles and test those ribs out.