5 hours ago, jnrmac said:

There is no logic to this.

You expect 28 wins by 2023 and 31 wins by 2024?

Haha dammit, you found a flaw in my formula!

Prior to season, I thought we'd win 12 games and finish around 9th. I had the Saints above us.

During the season, my expectations have grown higher in line with some red-hot form, never-give-in attitude and innovation - all in the face of significant challenges. Those expectations (is it shattered hope?) have dramatically changed again in the last two weeks, with half the team seemingly checking out (why?).

What will be a failure is if we capitulate in the next few weeks like we have done at critical moments in the last two games (4th quarter v Nth, 1st quarter v GWS) and like we did late last year v Carl and Geel. Even for a diehard Dees' supporter, that would be hard to take.

1 hour ago, Danelska said:

Ok....and if that's true, how does that affect any change on the football department?

I pay my membership, (thus I care greatly)  but I do realise that the players aren't thinking about Danelska when they win and lose  

I would expect change to the Footy Dep. if we are not playing finals, hence why this week is massive for them as well. We win this week and were in and they should know that. Otherwise Goody should send them packing.

I would like to think otherwise Danelska, its the primary reason you play the game and represent your club which upholds those standards (unless your Tom Scully!).

 

2 hours ago, Demons1858 said:

Jones absolutely has multiple credits in the bank.

Watts and Jones need to make a stand this next three weeks and prove they're not perennial losers. Jones is the captain and needs to shoulder that responsibility. Simply signing on during dark times isn't enough because it's an easy "out" when things don't go well. "Oh, well he stayed with us in dark times...". Mark my words, if those two can't get up and give us what we need, we won't get close to any of our next three opponents. Even Brisbane will towel us up. Those guys epitomise a losing culture, and they've never had a better opportunity to turn that on its head. If we miss finals this year and Jones can't perform over the next three games, do not be surprised if he's shopped around at season's end. It's going to happen eventually if we can't break this funk with him playing the role of "leader". I called it two years ago that he'd be replaced as captain and should be shopped. I honestly believe the likes of Oliver and Viney will benefit being 100% in control of the midfield. That just can't happen with Jones in the team as it currently is. He has three weeks to turn that around otherwise you're going to have to put up with another off-season of me calling for him to be traded. 

It's fate. He's back in the side, our midfield is at full strength, we have three games to book a finals spot, our first in ten years. He absolutely needs to lead this club to a final berth. Geelong fans wouldn't expect any less of Selwood, Hawthorn of Hodge. If you want to see leadership under scrutiny, check out the Bulldogs' leadership over the past month, made up of players with a 20th the experience of our leadership group.

 

Edited August 7, 20178 yr by praha

What if we win the last 3 but still don't make finals due to miraculous form by Essendon? 

That'd mean due to the North loss, the season then becomes a failure from that logic as that was the only game in this back half that we expected to win but lost. 

13 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

What if we win the last 3 but still don't make finals due to miraculous form by Essendon? 

That'd mean due to the North loss, the season then becomes a failure from that logic as that was the only game in this back half that we expected to win but lost. 

Well, yeah. 

1 hour ago, praha said:

It's fate. He's back in the side, our midfield is at full strength, we have three games to book a finals spot, our first in ten years. He absolutely needs to lead this club to a final berth. Geelong fans wouldn't expect any less of Selwood, Hawthorn of Hodge.

 

you've lost it mate

4 minutes ago, DemonWA said:

you've lost it mate

Long ago, WA. Long ago.

You have said it all well. 

It is "put up or shut up time" right now

not next year. Now

This Saturday and the one after that and then the one after that. 

The Senior players must lead or leave....

42 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

What if we win the last 3 but still don't make finals due to miraculous form by Essendon? 

That'd mean due to the North loss, the season then becomes a failure from that logic as that was the only game in this back half that we expected to win but lost. 

We go down fighting rather than limp away in tears. 

13 wins will get us there though...

I will take 12 wins     2 up on last year     but  bloody hell.... we should have played finals this year

2 hours ago, praha said:

Watts and Jones need to make a stand this next three weeks and prove they're not perennial losers. Jones is the captain and needs to shoulder that responsibility. Simply signing on during dark times isn't enough because it's an easy "out" when things don't go well. "Oh, well he stayed with us in dark times...". Mark my words, if those two can't get up and give us what we need, we won't get close to any of our next three opponents. Even Brisbane will towel us up. Those guys epitomise a losing culture, and they've never had a better opportunity to turn that on its head. If we miss finals this year 

 

Harsh but true.
 

2 hours ago, praha said:

Watts and Jones need to make a stand this next three weeks and prove they're not perennial losers. Jones is the captain and needs to shoulder that responsibility. Simply signing on during dark times isn't enough because it's an easy "out" when things don't go well. "Oh, well he stayed with us in dark times...". Mark my words, if those two can't get up and give us what we need, we won't get close to any of our next three opponents. Even Brisbane will towel us up. Those guys epitomise a losing culture, and they've never had a better opportunity to turn that on its head. If we miss finals this year and Jones can't perform over the next three games, do not be surprised if he's shopped around at season's end. It's going to happen eventually if we can't break this funk with him playing the role of "leader". I called it two years ago that he'd be replaced as captain and should be shopped. I honestly believe the likes of Oliver and Viney will benefit being 100% in control of the midfield. That just can't happen with Jones in the team as it currently is. He has three weeks to turn that around otherwise you're going to have to put up with another off-season of me calling for him to be traded. 

It's fate. He's back in the side, our midfield is at full strength, we have three games to book a finals spot, our first in ten years. He absolutely needs to lead this club to a final berth. Geelong fans wouldn't expect any less of Selwood, Hawthorn of Hodge. If you want to see leadership under scrutiny, check out the Bulldogs' leadership over the past month, made up of players with a 20th the experience of our leadership group.

 

I guess with that rationale Robbie Flower must have been a perennial loser also. Not!

1 hour ago, At the break of Gawn said:

What if we win the last 3 but still don't make finals due to miraculous form by Essendon? 

 

Nothing to do with form and everything to do with the AFL gifting them an easy draw plus pick 1 in the draft (because they artificially finished last due to having their entire senior list of players banned after becoming convicted drug cheats).

19 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

You have said it all well. 

It is "put up or shut up time" right now

not next year. Now

This Saturday and the one after that and then the one after that. 

The Senior players must lead or leave....

I think that's a touch drastic as a sweeping statement. The Senior Players are leading, save for a couple who are one or 2 matches back from injury .

22 minutes ago, DemonWA said:

I think that's a touch drastic as a sweeping statement. The Senior Players are leading, save for a couple who are one or 2 matches back from injury .

Real leaders will stand up in the next 3 weeks

Edited August 7, 20178 yr by Sir Why You Little

17 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Real leaders will stand up in the next 3 weeks

We are going to find out so much in that time.

2 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

We are going to find out so much in that time.

Yep. I sure hope so

The MFC has nowhere to hide. 

3 home games with Finals on the line

52 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

We go down fighting rather than limp away in tears. 

13 wins will get us there though...

We'll know by 10:30pm Saturday night how big Sunday will be. Either Dogs and Dons will have to lose as I doubt they'll drop either of their last two. 

Edited August 7, 20178 yr by At the break of Gawn

16 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Real leaders will stand up ix the next 3 weeks

We'd like to think so, but weather or not we win the next 3 games isn't a reflection of individuals leadership, it's a reflection of the ability of the team (IMO)

Have we improved? YES (However some of the stats I`ve seen for the past 5 weeks are worse than last year!)

Have we failed if we don`t make finals? YES

 

Just because a team improves, doesn't make the season a success.

We now have 3 home games against bottom 8 teams. If we can't win those and make finals then the season is a failure. Anyone who says otherwise is an apologist who lives in lala land!

Edited August 7, 20178 yr by Lord Travis

6 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

We are going to find out so much in that time.

The next 3 weeks really does set the tone for who the future leaders are.

There's improvement, no doubt. Our best has beaten the best, but our worst has had us losing to the worst. 

The is year we set ourselves for finals, so if we miss out then yes it's been a failure. We can point to injuries and circumstances but the fact of the matter is if we had beaten the teams we should beat we would be close to a lock in for September action. Instead we're now in a dog fight for the final two positions against teams who are in better form and seem hungrier. 

3 games left to prove to the fans we are not the same old Melbourne. 

Edited August 7, 20178 yr by Pates

A 12 or 13 win season is about where I thought we would be in 2017. The coaching handover was not going to automatically guarantee a big jump in performance. But we are kidding ourselves until we can find a more efficient way of taking the ball into the forward 50.