Can't understate the quality of the coaching team. No ruck or KPF and we have the best midfield in the league and one of the best forward lines. This shows fantastic adaptability and depth. We definitely have the ability to win more so bevause we have some very smart and cool under pressure heads in the coaching box.

I would just love to beat and knock Geelong out of the finals. IMO they are the true gatekeepers. Put GWS on the MCG in front of 80k. I'd love to come up against them in the first week.  

Imo beyond GWS, there's no clear standout. Even GWS hasn't broken out of their shell yet.  Dare I say neither have we. We are still learning. Oliver, Petracca, Hogan and others haven't even played 50 games.

People outside the Demon family talking us up is no doubt foreign to most of us here. I'm just enjoying the fact that the team (to date) has been in with a chance of winning every game this year. A million times better than giving up in the first 10 minutes.

Can we win it? Of course we can, but it's 12 or 13 weeks too early to give it serious consideration.

Am I on the same forum and or barracking for the same team I was 5 or 6 weeks ago when our season was teetering on the presapus and there were still question marks all over Goodwin and over 3/4s of our list internally and externally to Melbourne suporters? 

  On 27/06/2017 at 06:08, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Am I on the same forum and or barracking for the same team I was 5 or 6 weeks ago when our season was teetering on the presapus and there were still question marks all over Goodwin and over 3/4s of our list internally and externally to Melbourne suporters? 

You may actually be dead.

"To die ,to die - to sleep perchance to dream"

I'm not allowing any optimism into my life.

These hopeful voices must be crushed.

Such naivety , such hope ......

I feel like we are dancing away at  the New  Years Eve party on the Poseidon Adventure.

Or tucking into morning tea on the Hindenburg .

  On 27/06/2017 at 05:01, bush demon said:

Have lived through many false dawns:

1. Norm Smith's mass recruitment, 1966. No big names to emerge, we got smashed nearly every week.

2. Fight our way to 7th (out of 12)

3. Tiger Ridley gets us on fire in 1971, and i lap up Sunday Observer write-ups how we are back in town. Get demolished by CWood on Q Birthday with Len Thompson marking everything.

4. 1976 see us flying to finals under Bobby Skilton only to narrowly miss.

5. Return of Ron. 1980 yields promise but no pudding.

6. The John Northey phenomenonon. Absolutely amazing, but always faltered, maybe didn't have enough belief.

7. Balmey in 1994. Fabulous year with Schwarta but undone in the west. Cruelled by injuries.

8. Neil Daniher - from 1998. A lot of respect but maybe just didn't have the cattle in 98 and 2000.

9. Roos/ Goodwin.  Would say there is heaps of belief now and we are becoming consistent. Never seen such a game as Saturday night, shows we mean business this year. Can realistically hope for success, hope it's sooner rather than later. 

 

We were a shell of a club in 1966 and never recovered, mainly because we had no one to show us the way and no backbone in the club, the MCC ruled the roost, go dees. 

Northy had a dip but no facilities and not enough support from the club, we were against clubs that were far more professional and that applied to the Balme and Danners era's.  We had some great players and should have won a couple of flags but we were under resourced in both facilities and support staff.

We have no excuses now and I see no reason why we can't win the flag this year, there is no "next year" in football, you go for it when you can, the situation changes every year with new innovation and game plans. 

We have the players and they must grab the opportunity when they can, we played great football in 1998 and in 1999 lost some players had injuries to Lyon and Tingay so we crashed. Let's go for it, we are capable and the opposition is not as strong as it's been in other years.

  On 27/06/2017 at 05:54, Sir Why You Little said:

13, 14, 15....

I reckon it's different now. Back then all we had was glimpses and blind hope those high draft picks would make it.
Now our players are proving they can make it. They're fighting for a top 4 spot despite only being 20-30 games into their careers. I don't think we'll pinch a flag this year, just focus on making finals and getting finals experience. I'll back them to win one within the next few years though. It's exciting times seeing these kids tear it up!

Hope this isn't one of those threads that we look back on,  embarrassed after collapsing in a heap in the second half of the season. 

  On 27/06/2017 at 06:33, faultydet said:

Hope this isn't one of those threads that we look back on,  embarrassed after collapsing in a heap in the second half of the season. 

It's like a school of ducklings walking casually into the path of a steam roller.

I want to save them but it's too late!!

How about we revisit this after the Sydney and Carlton games. If we win those we are in the hunt. Both loom as danger games.

  On 26/06/2017 at 11:49, Bonkers said:

The bye before the finals should help us. Having the premier ruckman fit & giving us first use in contested battles should also give us a huge advantage in hard fought finals games. Whilst it is hard to believe we can win the flag due to the club seemingly coming from nowhere. The reality is that but for a couple of injuries at the wrong moment we'd most likely be sitting 2nd on the ladder this year. Maybe that is how good we are? I'm starting to believe we can do it. I think it's important for the club to approach it with no ceiling or expectations on what they are capable of, they still have a lot of improvement in them & maybe this is our year where everything lines up. For now though I think I'll try to keep the lid on it & hope we make the 8 first.

There are only 5 clubs that can win it from here.

GWS, Adelaide, geelong, port and dees.

We beat Adelaide and only lost to geelong when Gawn went off.

If we were up against GWS or port on GF day we would have more than a fighting chance. 

I'm not sold on port yet, they haven't beaten a top 8 side and I want to see how they go this week if they can't beat Richmond they have no hope, tigers at $3.35 is great value imo 

  On 27/06/2017 at 06:21, Biffen said:

 

I feel like we are dancing away at  the New  Years Eve party on the Poseidon Adventure.

Or tucking into morning tea on the Hindenburg .

Gold.

Was there also a lavish launch party in opening scene of 'Towering Inferno'?

  On 27/06/2017 at 05:01, bush demon said:

Have lived through many false dawns:

1. Norm Smith's mass recruitment, 1966. No big names to emerge, we got smashed nearly every week.

2. Fight our way to 7th (out of 12)

3. Tiger Ridley gets us on fire in 1971, and i lap up Sunday Observer write-ups how we are back in town. Get demolished by CWood on Q Birthday with Len Thompson marking everything.

4. 1976 see us flying to finals under Bobby Skilton only to narrowly miss.

5. Return of Ron. 1980 yields promise but no pudding.

6. The John Northey phenomenonon. Absolutely amazing, but always faltered, maybe didn't have enough belief.

7. Balmey in 1994. Fabulous year with Schwarta but undone in the west. Cruelled by injuries.

8. Neil Daniher - from 1998. A lot of respect but maybe just didn't have the cattle in 98 and 2000.

9. Roos/ Goodwin.  Would say there is heaps of belief now and we are becoming consistent. Never seen such a game as Saturday night, shows we mean business this year. Can realistically hope for success, hope it's sooner rather than later. 

 

Fair points. I am trying to manage my expectations by preparing for myself for an epic 1987 style September tragedy, but
I think the one difference from points 1-8 is that now we finally have proper systems and infrastructure in place behind the scenes to support the football department and team.  Thanks to Peter Jackson and Roosey for that. 

  On 27/06/2017 at 06:42, Biffen said:

It's like a school of ducklings walking casually into the path of a steam roller.

I want to save them but it's too late!!

Actually its like a school of cygnets casually walking into the path of a steam roller.

We've still got one steam roller driver co-captain still available.

I want to save them but it's too late ! 

As MFC supporters we're experiencing the uneasy confusion of being on the rise when all our experiences are screaming at us "this doesn't happen to us". 

Beating the Swans, final four and flag contender feel like a dream that's joy is tempered by some part of my brain knowing the alarms about to go off, I'm to wake up and the dream will be over.

weirdly (and sadly) this year feels most like our wild march to the tragic preliminary of 1987. And as one who cried with the shock and heartbreak if it all, behind the goals at Waverley that day, I'm afraid to go through it all again. 

Finals footy is euphoricaly joyous, yet has an ever-present promise of pain.  

And it's arrived early for Demons fans this year. I'll embrace it like the sad desperate success starved supporter must, but I'm also aware that the inevitable kick in the nuts is likely just around the corner. 

Here are two interesting articles on what it takes to win a Finals/Premiersip.

Crows:  Are they 'tough enough to contend'?  http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-29/too-nice-to-contend-pyke-isnt-buying-it

I have no doubt we are 'tough enough' - we have shown it over and over again, reaching its peak vs Eagles last week. 

Giants: Stevie J says they need to find the killer instinct: 

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/greater-western-sydney-forward-steve-johnson-says-the-giants-need-to-find-their-killer-instinct/news-story/14491f4c31ec8ddf9c1ca7b42e16aa0b

The Dees haven't yet found our 'killer instinct' as we let a few teams off the hook earlier this year.  I doubt it will happen again!  

I think we are not far from Stevie J's description: “When you’re a good team you want to be a ruthless team that plays for four quarters because that’s what it takes to win finals,”. 

We are a good team and over the last 2 weeks we have played fierce football for the full four quarters.  It is just a matter of time before we become ruthless and regularly put teams to the sword.

If we keep that up and we make the finals we will be very dangerous and one of the more feared teams.  

Who would have thought:  A dangerous and feared team!  Bring on September!

I think we have the ability, the coaching team and if we can put our best team on the park id be pretty confident of beating anyone. September is a different kettle of fish as we all know, teams go up a notch. I have this feeling we will play Essendon in September at some stage. This week is a big test. If we can beat the Swannies and match it or better with GWS we will probably end up favorites! I believe. 

(If we lose to the Swannies prob delete the thread!)

i just hope everyone is cherry ripe come finals time (I'm assuming we make it of course) at the moment all the injuries are still within the range of being able to get back and have a full squad when September rolls around. I'm usually a cynic about our chances and wait for the Melbourne moment to happen after so many false dawns but something feels special about this run.

Our players on the fringe of the team (15-22) aren't spuds they are actually all very serviceable good players - take say Harmes, ANB etc and even say this week while it sucks we are missing so many players the guys that will come in are all half decent - like Wagner.

Our best has been amazing this year its just a question of whether they can keep it up and make sure they don't have those lapse periods during games - if those are now gone then we can seriously beat anyone on our day so why the hell not.

If we somehow snuck into 4th for a double chance we are a serious chance of causing problems.

Again like a few others have mentioned we could lose the next two and be back with the pack.

The Sydney game worries me a bit just because of the injuries but you just get the feeling we will get first use of the ball and the incoming players will still play to the Goodwin gameplan - intense pressure at all times (Think the QB game when we made our comeback) When we play like that we look SOOOO good!

 

Ah.... why not I'm on the bandwagon

The real question is do we want to play GWS or Adelaide in that first final. I hope for GWS as it should be easier to get tickets. Of course we could still end up top two and not have to worry about travel in the first week.

I'm starting to feel almost Hawthornesque in my optimism.

One thing in our favour, come finals time, is the number of games we've played in front of large crowds and pressure cook atmosphere, much more taxing than playing up at Star Track stadium in front of 2500, if that.

The Collingwood game was as intense as any final you will see, as was the Weagles game last weekend, one away, one at home

Another reason for optimism is the spread of Players we've had featuring in "AFL Team of the Week", i.e. best 22 across the competition.

Jack Viney - 4 times (Rd 7, Rd 8, Rd 12 & Rd 14)

Hibberd - 3 times (Rd 13, Rd 8 & Rd 6)

Jones - 2 times (Rd 12, & Rd 10) - Injured now.

Petracca - 2 times (Rd 12 & Rd 8)

Oliver - 2 times (Rd 1 & Rd 8)

Garlett - 2 times (Rd 10 & Rd 13) - Injured now.

Salem - 1 time (Rd 13) - Injured now.

Gawn - 1 time (Rd 1)*

TMac - 1 time (Rd 14)

Frosty - 1 time (Rd 7)

Hunt - 1 time (Rd 3)

*Despite being out for extended period.

So if we were to add Hogan* and Watts (both - Injured now) to the list of players capable, at their best, of being in the "best 22" in the competition, we have 13 guns, which is the making of a champion team (on their day).

As for this week versus Swans, we only will have 8 of this 13 available... 

 

Seriously if Michael hibberd is not starting 18 in the all Australian side I'd be shocked! He's been a huge part of our rise 

  On 29/06/2017 at 05:40, Abe said:

Seriously if Michael hibberd is not starting 18 in the all Australian side I'd be shocked! He's been a huge part of our rise 

Supporters of other teams have got Howe ahead of him. Not that i agree.

  On 26/06/2017 at 11:49, RalphiusMaximus said:

Can we please delete this thread before it completely jinxes the team? 

I second that.

Can't help thinking about how finely balanced it all is, and there we are right in the thick of it, 4 weeks in a row of playing teams trying to claw some kind of gap into the 8.

We have another 'in the thick of it' period to come, with games three top games over four rounds, against the Crows, Port and [Fake Club No History].

It's almost like this current run of 4 decides whether we deserve to be in the finals, and then there's another run of 4 games which decide if we deserve a top-4 finish.

All capped off with a late run of MCG games against relatively weaker opponents (Saints, Lions, Magpies) where we get our best 22 all back from injury (touch wood) and playing as a unified, relentless machine.

At least, that's how we'll look back on it, if the possible becomes the probable then becomes the actual!