This is a must, must win game as the last 3 are against teams sitting 1st (Lions), 3rd (Bulldogs) and 4th (Carlton) so will all be 8-point games. 

(Next week the Lions will be a really tough game after 2 weeks on the road and 3 games in 13 days.  At this stage I'm not counting it as a Win.  Bulldogs and Carlton are ravaged by injuries but they know how to win and last week showed no team can be taken for granted...The Crows might make a late run for the GF as they have their high scoring captain back and have a very easy run in the last 4 games so can pile on the %).

So we must beat the Pies on Saturday and hopefully beat them by a decent margin as we are on roughly the same % as Lions and Bulldogs.  If we don't we will be sweating on other teams to lose for us to end up top 2 and earn a GF berth. 

 

In this game in 2017 Sophie Casey received a two week ban for striking Meg Downie.  Last week she received a weeks ban for striking (read punching in the head) so won't play on Saturday.  But I'm sure their other players will step up (eg the two returning from suspensions) and get stuck into our players and umpires are giving little protection (to any team).  Hopefully, Bugg has given our girls some hints on how to be a pest and give the Pies a bit of their own medicine  

 

Edit:  Channel 7 will broadcast the match live nationally from 5.30pm CST per mfc website.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-02-22/cordner-among-two-changes-for-round-four

Melbourne AFLW team: round four
B: Harriet Cordner, Laura Duryea, Katherine Smith
HB: Ashleigh Guest, Bianca Jackobsson, Elise O’Dea
C: Jasmine Grierson
HF: Kate Hore, Shelley Scott, Aliesha Newman
F: Richelle Cranston, Tegan Cunningham, Lily Mithen
Foll: Erin Hoare, Karen Paxman, Daisy Pearce
I/C: Alyssa Mifsud, Cat Phillips, Brooke Patterson, Meg Downie, Melissa Hickey

Emg: Anna Teague, Emma Humphries

In: Alyssa Mifsud, Harriet Cordner
Out: Lauren Pearce, Emma Humphries

By leaving out Pearce we are going in a bit shorter - probably a good idea given the weather forecast is for the high 30's.

Good to see Mifsud back! 

Just got back from taking the kids to see training, very impressed with the skills and professionalism on show. Was great for my daughter to see some professional sportswomen in this part of Australia, she got a real buzz out of watching them train!

 

huge thing for club, must be some 50 people all up, on the road for over a week. Hope the team smash the filth this week.

Glad that Hore and Phillips apparently pulled up okay - didn't look good at the time!

I guess there could be a late change still, possibly Phillips, but would be good to rest a few in what will be tough conditions.

Will be interested in seeing how Cordner's progressed. And hopefully Mifsud can hit the scoreboard.

It's another must-win in what's turning out to be a more even season than last year.

 

 

Why is humphries out? She's quality!

And why was Mifsud dropped last week? We relied too much on Cunningham and it cost us.

I really hope we win this game. I don't think I will be able to stand seeing us miss out on the GF again

Oh yeah, expect mid 30s for game, so will take it out of them and the oval is apparently in very average condition.

It is fine to play up here in winter as the guys do, but not such a good idea in summer, should be starting at least an hour later, but then that wouldn’t work for TV to the east coast - bloody crazy!

 

Why was Mifsud ever dropped?

Every time I've seen her play she's been excellent.

Waiting...

Pretty good so far.

For all the 'guns' we have recruited, I haven't been impressed with Mick Stiener's coaching. Looks out of his depth. Scored out the back, smashed out of the middle and we apparently have the best midfield. Yeah, Steiner has had his go. 

Yet another lead captulation  

Just now, Cassiew said:

Yet another lead captulation  

Thoughts on the coach? 

Bloody frustrating to follow the women's game for 5 years and see the equivalent of Ablett, Dangerfield and Martin in our midfield but we are as meek as we are against legit toilet rolls. If we don't win this Stiener should never coach any side male, female, junior and anything inbetween ever again. Unbelievable idiotic stuff! 

They try at times to play just above their standard. Kicking to position has been poor. Mithen blew it big time that last quater. Can still win this game as collingwood are not a good side but just keep the play a bit more basic.

8 minutes ago, Perago Validus said:

Thoughts on the coach? 

He’s jus got to get it into them to stop following the ball regardless where they are. Try to make positions and opportunity’s for your teammates to kick to. 

Plys try to make the, understand if we lose this, we won’t make it to the grand final. They can’t just stop scoring when they switch goals at quarter time.

The team have been here since Freo game, almost 40 degrees daily while getting out and about.

 

stupid preparation for a game...

1 minute ago, dl4e said:

They try at times to play just above their standard. Kicking to position has been poor. Mithen blew it big time that last quater. Can still win this game as collingwood are not a good side but just keep the play a bit more basic.

Absolutely, you've said it right there. Collingwood are not a good side & we are behind them at half time. With the quality of players we've got this is inexcusable. Next year we'll have heaps of our list (Mithen, Hoare, Rocky) taken from us to Geelong and Steiner is just leading us to another disappointmentent with this talent. Very very angry!   

2 minutes ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

The team have been here since Freo game, almost 40 degrees daily while getting out and about.

 

stupid preparation for a game...

Weak, excuses

The problem is because of the short length of quarters and infrequency of goals, lead protection becomes an important coaching strategy

1 minute ago, Perago Validus said:

Weak, excuses

It’s not weak, this time of year, activity in the sun is brutal.

 

i couldn’t believe they trained for over 1.5 hours on Thursday, still going when I left (can blame coach for this!). The way we have led up to this game is crazy IMO, 

Disgusting. They’re just walking right through us like we’re not even there. Not even trying now.

Just handed them the ball. Literally.