18 minutes ago, Pates said:

I remember that game very well. Absolutely smashed them.

Was the first real breakout game for Wattsy too, kicked 3 along with Trenners and Brad Green. One of Scully's best games too

6 hours ago, At the break of Gawn said:

Tmac will back up in the ruck. 

I would like to see TMac take a lot of the ruck against Ryder and Gawn play more forward and maybe force Trengove to play back b/c of their lack of height in the backline w/o him.

I can see this going one of two ways

1. We lose and we have the excuse of bringing too many players back from extended periods on the sidelines all at once.

2. We win and all the players that came back hit the deck running and we can now see how dangerous we r as a side. 

Personally I like option two. 

Edited July 20, 20178 yr by DemonOX

5 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

I can see this going one of two ways

1. We lose and we have the excuse of bringing too many players back from extended periods on the sidelines all at once.

2. We win and all the players that came back hit the deck running and we can now see how dangerous we r as a side. 

Personally I like option two. 

If we lose, but Viney, Watts, Salem and Tyson get through unscathed and get needed miles into their legs then that isn't the worst result.

Hooefully Viney's foot will improve with each week too.

2 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

If we lose, but Viney, Watts, Salem and Tyson get through unscathed and get needed miles into their legs then that isn't the worst result.

Hooefully Viney's foot will improve with each week too.

Even better if Trengove proves himself as a champion at AFL level (as he has consistently done this year at VFL level)!

Three Jacks coming into the team, good. Our Jack quotient has been down for a while, and that's been a problem.

13 hours ago, JTR said:

Yep...  me too  :-/

I cant remember leaving a Matthew Nicholls game happy that it has been officiated well.  Even for neutral games not involving our lot.

The most consistently inconsistent umpire going around.

At least his consistent.

Jeez this a big one. That many changes is usually a portent of doom but we are bringing in some quality. We have seen how Max and Jesse have been rusty after long breaks so we must hope that our ins get with pace of the game early. If they can we win!

11 hours ago, Deecisive said:

So if Jeffy is not available due to family issues, who is the most likely inclusion to replace him, none of our emergencies look capable of taking on that small crumbing forward role.
 

I'd think they'll either bring Stretch in and then push ANB back towards the forward line, which would be a shame because I think he's last 3 weeks have been great. Or they'll bring in Smith, in part to combat the height in Ports forward line but might also see what he's got as a forward then push TMac back. 

Hope if Jeffy isn't available that they don't think of permanently moving Hunt forward, I like him spending a little time there, but not the full game.  

Interesting to work out how the team will be structured. We have as the outs, two small defenders (Smith, Wagner), a small forward (Kent), and on-baller (Vince, given he played on-ball last week) and a tall forward/second ruck (Pedersen). They've been replaced with one nominal defender (Salem), a tall forward who may or may not play second ruck (Watts), two on-ballers (Viney, Tyson) and Trengove who's role today is unknown (to me).

I would suggest that the roles of Smith and Wagner are being replaced by Salem and either Lewis or Trengove (or potentially Harmes or Melksham); Watts replaces Pedersen, although T McDonald may take over the second ruck duties. I suspect Hannan replaces Kent as the small forward, with Hannan's role in the midfield taken by Tyson and Viney replacing Vince.

And just one other comment. While he appeared to struggle to hold his marks, no other Melbourne player took more marks last week than Jesse Hogan. (7, equal with Hunt and two more than any other Melbourne player). I hope he'll move up another gear tomorrow.

1 hour ago, Demonised said:

Three Jacks coming into the team, good. Our Jack quotient has been down for a while, and that's been a problem.

Hope they all play well so it's not a case of Jacks off.

7 hours ago, The Sailing Demon said:

I am about as stiff as a rocket and ready to fly to the moon right now.

Welcome back Jack, Jack, Jack, Christian and Dom.

Always hate going up against Port, we are sporting the strongest team we have played in weeks...Probably since the Dogs game.

That forward line makes me moister than an oyster. Between T-Mac, Garlett, Watts, Petracca and Hogan I think I could be forgiven for expecting at least 15 goals this game.

Port are a good team but I have held them in the same light as Richmond all season, pretenders who are 2 of the most fraudulent top 4 teams I have ever witnessed...They've had a golden run with injuries and haven't been convincing against any sides worth their salt.

If we come out of the blocks the same way we did against the Dogs then we will run all over them.
I am kind of optimistic about this one after last week and would love to see Hogan continue his form from the second half of last week. (Wouldn't mind him kicking straight)

Go Demons!

Would be fair to say this is the strongest team weve put up against Port in years....if not, ever!

26 minutes ago, Red and Blue realist said:

I'd think they'll either bring Stretch in and then push ANB back towards the forward line, which would be a shame because I think he's last 3 weeks have been great. Or they'll bring in Smith, in part to combat the height in Ports forward line but might also see what he's got as a forward then push TMac back. 

Hope if Jeffy isn't available that they don't think of permanently moving Hunt forward, I like him spending a little time there, but not the full game.  

Wasn't Jeffy named in the pocket? Hope he's able to make it back.

Love those changes, with the possible exception of Pedersen coming out. If our backline struggles early it would have been nice to have the option of sending Tom back, whilst not decimating the forward line when Gawn is resting. That said his form has been declining for several weeks.

The other changes are great. Good luck, Jack Trengove - I hope you have a cracking game.

 

11 minutes ago, poita said:

Love those changes, with the possible exception of Pedersen coming out. If our backline struggles early it would have been nice to have the option of sending Tom back, whilst not decimating the forward line when Gawn is resting. That said his form has been declining for several weeks.

The other changes are great. Good luck, Jack Trengove - I hope you have a cracking game.

 

we might just send Tom back early. we have Hogan Watts and Petracca with marking power up forward.

The wife and I have palmed the kids off onto their favourite PANK (Professional Aunt, No Kids) and are flying down today for this one. Any other 'landers attending the Interstate Members function pre-game tomorrow?

I went to one a few years ago at the Duke...had a rollicking good time until the footy started and Geelong gave us a touch up on grey Melbourne day. Hoping for a much better outcome this time.

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

And just one other comment. While he appeared to struggle to hold his marks, no other Melbourne player took more marks last week than Jesse Hogan. (7, equal with Hunt and two more than any other Melbourne player). I hope he'll move up another gear tomorrow.

Good point. I'd add that at risk of being accused a winger, Hoges rarely seems not to get the sort of frees for marking infringements that other key forwards (eg Tmac) regularly get.

There was one at the end of the first quarter last game where the defender had him wrapped up and took his eye of the ball, which is usually a big flag for a free. Jessie just dropped the mark but should have got the free i reckon.

I wonder if it is something about his body language that gives umps pause for thought when assessing if a free is there - not that Jessie stages but he can be quite demonstrative when he is being held, which might be working against him (which, if so is stupid).

Saturday arvo, red ball,l at the G and his third game back - and with his compadre in Watts back in. I reckon he will tear it up. 

14 hours ago, Danelska said:

I for one am happy for Jack, though I really did think that the game had passed him by.

I do  look forward to the commentators clarifying Jackson and Jack Trengove for 120minutes +

Don't expect them to differentiate between the Trengoves at all. The dumb commentators cant do it and the ones with a modicum of intelligence wont bother to do it. It will be all too hard for them.

4 hours ago, Clint Bizkit said:

If we lose, but Viney, Watts, Salem and Tyson get through unscathed and get needed miles into their legs then that isn't the worst result.

Hooefully Viney's foot will improve with each week too.

The AFL season is a marathon not a sprint, at some stage in a marathon you need to do what is needed so you can finish off strongly.  The result this weekend is not important we are gearing up for 5 matches after this and hopefully a finals campaign, if we can pinch the result great, if we can't the above is spot on get touch into 4 blokes that have been out, plus Hogan plus Gawn that are still a long off playing good footy.  You then add Jones back in, plus Vince over the next 2 weeks, all of the sudden your best 22 is on the park with half of them having breaks that will hopefully have them fresh and firing for August/September.  Get you 3-4 wins we need to play finals, ideally now finish 5th or 6th giving us the home final.

 

1 hour ago, Moonshadow said:

Wasn't Jeffy named in the pocket? Hope he's able to make it back.

Yeah, I do too, this was in response to a question of who of the emergencies would come in should he miss. I think he'd make our forward line significantly more dangerous,  Port don't really seem to have a smaller stopper, Broadbent, Harlett and Byrne-Jones all try and play that rebounding defender rather than a lock down like Jetta can do for us, plus none of those are particularly quick. 

Didn't think it would happen, but pleased for Trenners that he's back.

If he plays every game until our season end does he get another contract? 

2 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

And just one other comment. While he appeared to struggle to hold his marks, no other Melbourne player took more marks last week than Jesse Hogan. (7, equal with Hunt and two more than any other Melbourne player). I hope he'll move up another gear tomorrow.

Hopefully some others take a bundle of marks as well, cos we're currently the 17th ranked marking team in the AFL. It's starting to become very obvious how much we get outmarked, and I think oppo teams are using their talls more astutely to exploit it.

8 hours ago, ickey_11 said:

I would like to see TMac take a lot of the ruck against Ryder and Gawn play more forward and maybe force Trengove to play back b/c of their lack of height in the backline w/o him.

Are you saying Trengove goes back because of his height? If so, I'm not sure that at 185cm, he is going to quite cut the mustard in the height department.

1 hour ago, Moonshadow said:

Wasn't Jeffy named in the pocket? Hope he's able to make it back.

Just read Goody's presser (on the MFC twitter feed) and he's said that Jeffy flew back in yesterday and is good to go tomorrow!