MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM SELECTION - ROUND 10

[Gawn's Beard 376]

1 hour ago, leave it to deever said:

You and a thousand others I reckon.

I agree, but the players have media commitments. 

The players / coaches get asked the stock standard questions each week.  If they're coming up against a struggling team: "How are you preparing for a team who is coming off a bad loss / who you are expected to beat".  If they're one of the better sides: "It is a good challenge for you guys coming up against one of the form sides of the competition". 

There's not much you can say to answer these questions other than "we're preparing for their best" or "it will be a good challenge".  Frustrating to constantly hear it (particularly when we lose) but the players / coaches can't do much about it.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

I'm confident of a win in this game.  Gold Coast are more fickle than us and we match up on them well.  I was nervous going in to last week's game but feeling quite at ease about this one.

Hoping to see a couple of changes and the possibility that a tall gets dropped and we go for the extra run in the heat.

[What 18,810]

We have never won at Treager oval, 0-3 there.  Suns  are coming off a bye.  Hot conditions (29 forecast) like the Gold Coast players are used to.

Make no mistake we will be up against it.

[What 18,810]

And some selection news from the enemy

'TOP-10 draft pick Will Brodie will debut for Gold Coast against Melbourne in Alice Springs on Saturday.'

[DEMON DAVID 12]

6 hours ago, Demonland said:

THE BOOK OF MELBON by The Oracle

Hello!

This is the story about a bunch of nice guys who, at one stage, believed they were destined to do something incredible.

When the Demons comfortably beat the Latter Day Saints in the opening round of the 2017 season it was a case of brimming wide toothy smiles from all of the Melbourne players and their supporters. 

We were in for a great season and it didn't matter that one team member was injured in the early stages of the first game or that one of the better players was reported as a result of a stupid indiscretion. The team was young, happy, healthy and most of all they BELIEVED ... and all was well and good. The Book of Melbon was about to be spread across every corner of the world.

In the weeks to follow the team was taken to dark places. More of those smiling players were injured or suspended. The promise of paradise inspired by the historical figure of their long gone ancient coach Norman Smith evaporated into thin air. The team faced its own demons in the guise of an inability to cope with expectation that comes with a team on the rise. They had to find a way to address and overcome their inconsistencies, to find the courage to take control of the situation, to "Man Up".

The AFL's Mission Control sent the Demons to Alice Springs in the red centre of the country to convert the locals and to make them love the game of Australian Rules but the population there already had problems of their own. 

Meanwhile, those smiling young boys from Melbon had to confront another enemy, one that had recently been on a sojourn to another continent where they were battered from pillar to post and were now on a mission of revenge. To their sheer amazement the Demons and their fans discovered the local bookies had installed them as outright favourite to win their forthcoming confrontation with the Gold Coast Suns. Panic immediately set in and the nightmare began once again in the form of the "Spooky Melbon Hell Dream".

This incredible saga has a dramatic twist and I'll be back after interval (team selection) to tell the rest of the story ... 

THE GAME

Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns at Traeger Park, Alice Springs Saturday 27 May, 2017 at 4.40pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall - Melbourne 6 wins Gold Coast Suns 3 wins 

At Traeger Park - Melbourne 0 wins Gold Coast Suns 0 wins 

Past five matches - Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast Suns 2 wins

The Coaches -  Goodwin 0 wins Eade 0 wins

MEDIA

TV - Fox Footy Channel - Live at 4.30pm

RADIO - Triple M SEN ABC ABC Grandstand

THE BETTING

Melbourne to win - $1.45 Gold Coast Suns to win - $2.75

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Melbourne 9.12.66 defeated Gold Coast Suns 9.10.64 at MCG Round 19, 2016

After handing out a thrashing to the Suns on their home turf earlier in the season, the Demons started as white hot favourite to repeat the dose on the MCG. Predictably, their inconsistency shone through and it was only the heroism of a smiling Jack Watts that saw the team home by a narrow two point margin at the end of the day.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: 
HB: 
C: 
HF:  
F:
FOLL:  
I/C:  
EMG: 

IN: 

OUT:

GOLD COAST

B: 
HB: 
C: 
HF:  
F:
FOLL:  
I/C:  
EMG: 

IN: 

OUT:

I like your Team selection already

[Bossdog 2,002]

I don't get all the doom and gloom

This is the most even season that I can ever remember.

We are one game off second bottom

We are one game off 6th position

We have beaten 3 sides above us and won 1 game to sides below us

We have lost to 3 sides above us and lost to 2 sides below us

Who knows what will happen this week and although we get disappointed at our loses, this season is one of the best for a long time

No one knows who will win this week (with the possible exception of Coll vs Bris.) Haw ( 17th ) is only 2 games out of the eight

Sit back and enjoy.

 

[daisycutter 29,468]

4 hours ago, america de cali said:

I wonder if he said that about Adelaide?

someone always says it about every team every week. why do they bother.  all i want to hear is that THEY are going to play their best......every [censored] week. 

[old dee 23,564]

14 minutes ago, Bossdog said:

I don't get all the doom and gloom

This is the most even season that I can ever remember.

We are one game off second bottom

We are one game off 6th position

We have beaten 3 sides above us and won 1 game to sides below us

We have lost to 3 sides above us and lost to 2 sides below us

Who knows what will happen this week and although we get disappointed at our loses, this season is one of the best for a long time

No one knows who will win this week (with the possible exception of Coll vs Bris.) Haw ( 17th ) is only 2 games out of the eight

Sit back and enjoy.

 

While what you say is correct Bossdog I am well and truely tired of the excuses we all dream up to Justify poor results. I think I must have heard them all multiple time in the last 13 years.

All I want to hear is the final siren when we are in front.

[Demi Dee 578]

1 hour ago, Wiseblood said:

I'm confident of a win in this game.  Gold Coast are more fickle than us and we match up on them well.  I was nervous going in to last week's game but feeling quite at ease about this one.

Hoping to see a couple of changes and the possibility that a tall gets dropped and we go for the extra run in the heat.

I wish I shared your optimism, but, I have a bad feeling about this. 

We have matched up on them well in recent times, but, injury has cruelled us of height. And not Unlike last week, where a strong team of talls had the ascendency, I have a suspicion Lynch, Wright, May and Witts will tear us a new one. 

I hope the boys stand up and prove me wrong. 

[Bang Bang Bang 5,784]

FWIW I was at the Shanghai game in 30 degree heat and the Suns were absolutely horrendous. 

Stick the conditions and the break excuses up your clackers. We play for 4 quarters we win. We play for 2.5 or 3 like we seem to do too often, and we might not.

FWIW it's a sorry state of affairs when our home ground is the worst ground to play at. Look at our results this year in order of performance. Crows (away), Saints (Etihad), Cats or Dons (both Etihad), Blues (MCG), North (MCG), Freo (MCG), Hawks (MCG).

A worrying trend is emerging and for that I'm thankful this game is in Alice Springs. 

 

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by Sylvia Saint

[Wiseblood 24,637]

4 minutes ago, Demi Dee said:

I wish I shared your optimism, but, I have a bad feeling about this. 

We have matched up on them well in recent times, but, injury has cruelled us of height. And not Unlike last week, where a strong team of talls had the ascendency, I have a suspicion Lynch, Wright, May and Witts will tear us a new one. 

I hope the boys stand up and prove me wrong. 

While it won't take them entirely out of the game, the conditions as the sun goes down will be slippery to say the least.  It won't be easy marking the footy once half time rolls around.  

On the flip side of this, if we want to win then we need to limit the ease with which they get the ball forward.  I suspect they'll play Frost on Lynch, but Lynch is good enough to kick a few if he gets enough of a chance, so our mids will need to work super hard to limit those chances.

[AzzKikA 2,371]

2 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

We have never won at Treager oval, 0-3 there.  Suns  are coming off a bye.  Hot conditions (29 forecast) like the Gold Coast players are used to.

Make no mistake we will be up against it.

They also had an 8 day break before going to China and look how that turned out for them.

Didn't do too well after their bye last year too.

Edited May 25, 2017 by AzzKikA

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,536]

It's a disgrace that I'm more confident in beating GC in the NT than I am at the MCG.

Our performances at our home have been the single biggest low light of 2017 so far.

[Jaded No More 68,692]

If we've learnt anything this year, is that we can win or lose every game. There is really no telling what is going to happen from week to week with this team. 

We "should" win, but we should also have won against Hawthorn, Freo or North. 

Edited May 25, 2017 by Jaded

[beelzebub 23,254]

The more we observe .....the Less we KNOW 

[Ethan Tremblay 30,489]

Melbourne by 113 points.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,536]

1 minute ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Melbourne by 113 points.

At half time, and then lose due to switching off in the 3rd quarter. We'll win the last qtr though.

[Ethan Tremblay 30,489]

Win the first quarter and we'll win the game. 

[beelzebub 23,254]

Just now, Ethan Tremblay said:

Win the first quarter and we'll win the game. 

That just gave us all a downer lol

[leave it to deever 17,501]

4 hours ago, Gawn's Beard said:

I agree, but the players have media commitments. 

The players / coaches get asked the stock standard questions each week.  If they're coming up against a struggling team: "How are you preparing for a team who is coming off a bad loss / who you are expected to beat".  If they're one of the better sides: "It is a good challenge for you guys coming up against one of the form sides of the competition". 

There's not much you can say to answer these questions other than "we're preparing for their best" or "it will be a good challenge".  Frustrating to constantly hear it (particularly when we lose) but the players / coaches can't do much about it.

Your right...I forget they have jobs to do off the field....fair point.

[leave it to deever 17,501]

4 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

We have never won at Treager oval, 0-3 there.

To be fair we ain't wining at the MCG either.. ..Ill take our chances and pencil us in for a win...if not then its good bye 2017 for sure.

[bing181 9,157]

6 hours ago, beelzebub said:

I think it would be best for the players and the club to just stfu from here on in and let the footy do the talking

It's called an interview. Which all players from all clubs do. It's called promotion. If it bothers you, don't read it.

[Guest]

Ablett out. That helps.

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,294]

2 minutes ago, Scythe said:

Ablett out. That helps.

Massive out, Ox just confirmed on SEN

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

3 minutes ago, Scythe said:

Ablett out. That helps.

Absolutely massive.