Hogan out makes us a lot less predictable up forward and I think we will see our guys lower their eyes and hit a lot of targets 

1 hour ago, Deeoldfart said:

I love the air of quiet confidence that many posters have going into this game (it's been a long time since we've seen that before a match against the Cats!).  For whatever reason, I've shared this confidence all week, and it's been reinforced by the decisions made around the selection table.  It's impossible to say that our lineup isn't weakened by the MRP 'lottery', but I love  the competitive look of our team today.  I really think we can win, and have the the football world start talking Melbourne in a serious vein.

Im quietly amazed at all the confidence. Geelong at etihad is a super big ask. Im hopeful....as I always am, and ( stupidly) was even  in 2013. But confident definitely not. Cant wait to see how they go. 

Strangely very confident today. Long drive home if we lose.

Jack Viney was on AA pace after 6 or 7 rounds last year. Would love to see him have a big one after a relatively quiet opening fortnight.

1 hour ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I'll be watching from the home theatre today.

This is a big one for us. A defining moment perhaps.

I reckon we can win it.

Be sure to have a quality red on standby

Normally I would be going today, however when I went to get tickets, I found the cheapest tickets were level 3 for $50. Lev 1 $57 and level 2 $73. I don't get it, the Cats make $350k or more when they play home games, why rip the rest of the competition off. Smells like a kitty litter tray big time.

2 minutes ago, Demon_spurs said:

Normally I would be going today, however when I went to get tickets, I found the cheapest tickets were level 3 for $50. Lev 1 $57 and level 2 $73. I don't get it, the Cats make $350k or more when they play home games, why rip the rest of the competition off. Smells like a kitty litter tray big time.

There are $15 general admin tickets on level 3 which is $10 cheaper than usual. Try the link below:

http://m.ticketmaster.com.au/event/250052567EC71CD9?did=retro

5 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

I'm looking forward to the advent of another Smith onto the MFC stage because the name is synonymous with success at the Melbourne Football Club.

The great Norm Smith was a key forward who came to the club in 1935. Over the next three decades he was involved in ten premierships, four as a player and six as coach. He twice won the club's best and fairest, the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal (1938 and 1944) and was a four time leading goalkicker, the last three in premiership seasons and he led the club as captain from 1945-7 and coach from 1953-67. Until recently when it was overtaken by David Neitz, he held the club's goal kicking record (546). Incredibly, he was only 183cm tall but he left a long shadow over the club and remains its last premiership coach to this day.

Since then Smiths of various types have come and gone to the club. In Norm's time we even had the eminently suitable (for a top end of town club as we once were) Dick Fenton-Smith, Norm's son Peter, a defender from the Bombers in Ray Smith, current MCC President Steve Smith who captained the club, won a 'Bluey' and like Norm started as a key forward, the high flying Shaun Smith and more recently his son Joel whose career has literally been encapsulated in fifteen minutes of fame before he injured his shoulder in the opening round of this season. The late Kim Smith played four games for three goals in 1975 and then became a legend at Prahran where he booted 610. 

Today, another Smith will strut the AFL/VFL stage in the red and blue colours in our latest key forward Tim Smith who like Kim Smith comes to the club as a mature age recruit from the second tier of football competition.

A plumber from Upper Ferntree Gully, Tim Smith was already of comparatively mature age when he arrived at the Casey Scorpions (now Demons) in 2012. He was named the "Bull" by a previous coach, Brett Lovett, because he charges into contests like a “raging bull’’. It took a while for him to become really serious about his game but it finally happened under Justin Plapp who came to the club in 2015 saying he was intent on having at least one player drafted in 2015. In the end, three were rookied at the end of 2016 - Declan Keilty is the other at Melbourne.

The 192cm, 88kg Smith made it after an outstanding season last year when he kicked 31 goals in 19 games, represented the VFL, was named in its team of the year and helped the Scorpions reach the grand final.

He could easily have been back fixing hot water services but the "Bull" is now about to take to the big stage filling the large size shoes of the "Hulk". 

We need him to fire today.

Even Geelong have a Smith! With all these Smiths around....could it possibly be taken as a sign that "The Curse" is finally lifting....?

Edited April 8, 20178 yr by Wadda We Sing

15 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

Im quietly amazed at all the confidence. Geelong at etihad is a super big ask. Im hopeful....as I always am, and ( stupidly) was even  in 2013. But confident definitely not. Cant wait to see how they go. 

I have confidence because we're becoming a good football team and I reckon Geelong are just OK.  Other than the obvious two, plus Taylor, Duncan and Hawkins, there are too many other players that are average.

Average (or very young) includes Parfitt, Ruggles, Thurlow, Stewart, Murdoch, Parsons, and McCarthy.  It's not exactly a who's who of the AFL.  That's a third of the side.  And even better players like Henderson, Menegola, Blicavs, Motlop, etc aren't world beaters.  Mackie and Lonergan are now old and not the players they were.

If we can quell Dangerwood, which isn't easy, I think we win.

8 minutes ago, JV7 said:

There are $15 general admin tickets on level 3 which is $10 cheaper than usual. Try the link below:

http://m.ticketmaster.com.au/event/250052567EC71CD9?did=retro

THanks JV7. All $15 tickets are gone, but I found some $25 tickets, very confusing system

8 minutes ago, ProDee said:

I have confidence because we're becoming a good football team and I reckon Geelong are just OK.  Other than the obvious two, plus Taylor, Duncan and Hawkins, there are too many other players that are average.

Average (or very young) includes Parfitt, Ruggles, Thurlow, Stewart, Murdoch, Parsons, and McCarthy.  It's not exactly a who's who of the AFL.  That's a third of the side.  And even better players like Henderson, Menegola, Blicavs, Motlop, etc aren't world beaters.  Mackie and Lonergan are now old and not the players they were.

If we can quell Dangerwood, which isn't easy, I think we win.

I think the key is making dangerwood accountable, if our boys break even with them I think we win the battle over the rest of the ground 

Hawkins has been playing fairly well so we need tommy to win that one as well 

22 minutes ago, Demon_spurs said:

Normally I would be going today, however when I went to get tickets, I found the cheapest tickets were level 3 for $50. Lev 1 $57 and level 2 $73. I don't get it, the Cats make $350k or more when they play home games, why rip the rest of the competition off. Smells like a kitty litter tray big time.

The tickets for Bulldogs and Essendon games are even more expensive, who owns the stadium now?

7 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

The tickets for Bulldogs and Essendon games are even more expensive, who owns the stadium now?

A better question is how many more times this year do we have to play at that dump

Having gone to countless recent games against Geelong down at the Cattery (including 186 and our sweet victory in 2015), I still don't think we'll win.

But here IMO is the caveat: we should win, because Geelong have actually not started that well and their midfield drops away very steeply after their two superstars. Quell those two and Hawkins and we should win.

The problem is, I don't think we will.

I hope I'm proven wrong.

Edited April 8, 20178 yr by A F

2 minutes ago, Demon_spurs said:

A better question is how many more times this year do we have to play at that dump

3, the grass the wrong colour for you?

For somebody who attended games at Vic Park and Waverley, Etihad isn't too bad

9 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

The tickets for Bulldogs and Essendon games are even more expensive, who owns the stadium now?

Sorry I thought you meant the Ess vs Bulldogs game, I now checked and we play both these teams

Just now, Satyriconhome said:

3, the grass the wrong colour for you?

For somebody who attended games at Vic Park and Waverley, Etihad isn't too bad

We must agree to disagree, you couldn't fault the atmosphere at VP or Waverley or any of the old suburban grounds, I have been to Docklands for Football, a Pearl Jam concert and a World cup qualifier against Japan, the ground sucks the natural atmosphere out of the air, it has a dead feeling about it..sooner they bulldoze and start again the better.

Here's a quote from a Geelong fan on Big Footy. Been a long time since I've heard a Geelong fan threatened by us! 

Quote

Quote

All I want to see see today is a full 4 quater effort... none of this show up at half time and steal the game late. I fear that a now quality opposition like melbourne will show much more resistence to a late fightback than north Melbourne did.

 

If Geelong from the first 3 quarters last week show up, dees by 4 goals

 

If the other Geelong decide to show up, cats by 13 points.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 20178 yr by AllMyTeamsAreWank

I'm quietly confident but a little worried at the same time... We need to stand up and not fall into the Cats trap that I guarantee they will set for us...

Geelong will often allow us to win the stoppage and the resulting clearance, but with enough pressure that it means we hack the ball forward out of the midfield where they will be planning to use their run out of the D50 to counter attack us... You watch how they do it... Winning the clearances WILL NOT win us this match! 

We need to be smart and our F50 pressure needs to be on point, which is why I think we have picked the side we have for this one... We will hit a lot of forward pocket space today and hopefully lock it in with our pressure.

Geelong are not that good but their senior players are really good at structuring to a plan.

Im excited to see how we go and have faith in our coaching staff to avoid an embarrassment but just not 100% confident of a win...

We shall see soon enough 

3 hours ago, brendan said:

Yep my son has been brainwashed, I told him if he wants to go to the footy it's dees or bust, not taking him to watch anyone else it seems to have worked 

I just sung them the theme song every day and every night since they were born, especially on match days. Now my eldest just breaks out into Grand Old Flag randomly throughout the day and the youngest does whatever the oldest does.

36 minutes ago, Demon_spurs said:

THanks JV7. All $15 tickets are gone, but I found some $25 tickets, very confusing system

If you are a Telstra customer or know one check out the Telstra Thanks tix. I've used it for this and Saints game. $22 for a seat on the fence.

Available for most games.

1 minute ago, demoniac said:

If you are a Telstra customer or know one check out the Telstra Thanks tix. I've used it for this and Saints game. $22 for a seat on the fence.

Available for most games.

I will check it out, I am a Telstra customer I wonder how many people will stay away due to this ticketing fiasco?

Just now, Demon_spurs said:

I will check it out, I am a Telstra customer I wonder how many people will stay away due to this ticketing fiasco?

Pretty easy to book using Telstra app.

3 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I just sung them the theme song every day and every night since they were born, especially on match days. Now my eldest just breaks out into Grand Old Flag randomly throughout the day and the youngest does whatever the oldest does.

Started too late, took a risk.

 

my kids were still in the womb...

44 minutes ago, ProDee said:

I have confidence because we're becoming a good football team and I reckon Geelong are just OK.  Other than the obvious two, plus Taylor, Duncan and Hawkins, there are too many other players that are average.

Average (or very young) includes Parfitt, Ruggles, Thurlow, Stewart, Murdoch, Parsons, and McCarthy.  It's not exactly a who's who of the AFL.  That's a third of the side.  And even better players like Henderson, Menegola, Blicavs, Motlop, etc aren't world beaters.  Mackie and Lonergan are now old and not the players they were.

If we can quell Dangerwood, which isn't easy, I think we win.

Similar to the Swans team last night, lots of you guys guys in can too the balance, especially when a lot of the mature guys are just good, not great.