There has been a lot of commentary that we have only beaten weaker teams (which is correct, because if we beat them then we are ‘stronger’ on the day...).  Personally, I think this is actually a good thing.  Here’s why.

• we tuned up the gameplan over the summer, and the JLT allowed us to implement a version of it and look like top 4 material.
• we played less than ideal footy and took the points in a couple of games.  Playing for 3/4, with a defensive press way too high, Maxy not hitting to advantage and terrible inside 50 connections.
• we were slaughtered by the Hawks.  Wake up call.
• we played ok versus Richmond.  A bit rushed early, but the third quarter was some of th3 toughest contested ball I have seen in footy in a while.

so now we have a few ‘easy’ games in a row.  Thank god.  Over these games we have seen:

• the back 6 start to work.  Lever to begin to show some real skill, and Lewis now being the general.  Jetta rediscovered his form.
• tmac is back and building.  Forward connection still needs work, but forward pressure is manic
• the big 4 have had a couple of games to work together.
• the midfield are growing.  Salem and Angus in particular.
• viney is about to return.

i for one am glad we have had this run to build skill, strategy and structure.  The confidence of a few wins now might encourage the team to bring this style, refined and practiced over the ‘easy’ games, into the harder stuff.  The coaching staff have made the adjustments and drilled the plan, and the players are seeing the rewards.

 This little period could be the making of the team.  If we went straight into harder contests with no trust in the gameplan or each other, it could have been messy.  It sure looks like these games have allowed a different sense to emerge.  I am keen to see us kick over the blues, and set ourselves for some more serious challenges that will test our ability to keep playing our game.

7 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

This little period could be the making of the team.  If we went straight into harder contests with no trust in the gameplan or each other, it could have been messy.  It sure looks like these games have allowed a different sense to emerge.  I am keen to see us kick over the blues, and set ourselves for some more serious challenges that will test our ability to keep playing our game.

Great summation, 'Buck!

It really is possible as an outcome and the preliminaries with tests earlier on may well have been ideal development ground. If we exercise a bit of grunt, we can aspire to a confidence boost, as well. We need to be a thinking football team with larger expectations more widespread across the team. Signs are very good and it is easier to predict at this point that the remainder of the season will be pleasantly productive and successful. 'Prediction' is a key word onfield - what the ball carrier has in mind, and how can a player be that receiver in that position on the ground where a simple disposal may make the objective attainable. Time and again. The gameplan is screaming out for this type of response across the board. 

I wish we were playing Adelaide this week. We have been playing decent football for a few weeks and are ready for a challenge against a strong side. I expect us to beat Carlton, hopefully comfortably, but I worry that by next week we'll have been up for too long. This side is not good at remaining focused for long periods.

Crazy  how different I feel from losing to Hawks/Tigers than to beating Dons/Suns. I too share the feeling that we are building something, even without seeing the proof of us beating good teams.

One of the biggest things in out favour is so many other teams have significant injuries (Crows, Pies, GWS, swans, dogs, etc). With Viney back if we have a good run of injuries, I think we will play finals for sure.

Especially for a youngish team, having your full list is massive for team cohesion, confidence etc. I mean how many games have our core young guns even played together???  Clarry, Gus, Salem, Hogan, Trac.  Not many!!

Beat the crows and the Dogs and I will be UP AND ABOUT!!!

3 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Beat the crows and the Dogs and I will be UP AND ABOUT!!!

WARNING WARNING to DubDees partner!

Thats why this "easy" period of games are so important. Build momentum and put runs on the board. We have a few tough games coming up before bye, but we could and should be sitting in a great position come half way point.

 

30 minutes ago, poita said:

I wish we were playing Adelaide this week. We have been playing decent football for a few weeks and are ready for a challenge against a strong side. I expect us to beat Carlton, hopefully comfortably, but I worry that by next week we'll have been up for too long. This side is not good at remaining focused for long periods.

Nah, Poita. Let the Crows have a win first before we play them so that they feel on top of the world and start bragging again about how they can beat anyone, including all Victorian teams, on their deserved entitlement to win a GF. That is how they carry on. Then, as their bragging rights reach a crescendo, we will play them and murder them, just like last year, silencing the slime slurs and self-aggrandisement for yet another season, just like last year. 

Someone once said "one game at a time". Wise counsel.

The only good outcome is that we have beaten the teams we should be able to beat that has not always been our style in the past.

Let's just get past this week.

13 minutes ago, tiers said:

Someone once said "one game at a time". Wise counsel.

The only good outcome is that we have beaten the teams we should be able to beat that has not always been our style in the past.

Let's just get past this week.

I get so nervous when I hear others talking about winning games beyond this week.

If we don't show up we could just as easily lose by 3-4 goals to the blues and it will all come tumbling down again for the doom and gloom supporters and media.

This Carlton team are really dangerous. Regardless of whether the Curnow boys sit out, they possibly have Marchbank and Murphy back. I've watched a few games of theirs this year and they will take more scalps throughout the year. Could be ours if we don't bring the intensity against this young team.

1 hour ago, tiers said:

Someone once said "one game at a time". Wise counsel.

The only good outcome is that we have beaten the teams we should be able to beat that has not always been our style in the past.

Let's just get past this week.

 

1 hour ago, mongrel said:

I get so nervous when I hear others talking about winning games beyond this week.

If we don't show up we could just as easily lose by 3-4 goals to the blues and it will all come tumbling down again for the doom and gloom supporters and media.

This Carlton team are really dangerous. Regardless of whether the Curnow boys sit out, they possibly have Marchbank and Murphy back. I've watched a few games of theirs this year and they will take more scalps throughout the year. Could be ours if we don't bring the intensity against this young team.

Agreed, but one thing that I have taken out of the year so far is that I think we have learnt what is required to beat the teams we should.  Teams like St Kilda, Essendon, the Lyons and Suns would have smelled blood in seasons gone by and we would have coughed up at least one of those games, like we did to Freo and North early last year.  I'm not counting any chickens yet as we still have Carlton on the weekend, but I have a growing confidence in the teams mental and physical ability to get the job done.  Particulaly pleasing is that we have won our last 10 quarters since drawing the second quarter against the Dons and only loosing the first quarter by 6 points.  Last week agaist the Suns, we hurt them in 'red time' in the second and third quarters, when previously it was somewhat the habit of the MFC to be letting our opponents back into the game with a few late goals in the quarter after playing well for most of the quarter.

Like I said, not counting any chickens yet, but encouraged by a few of these signs and just good to be racking up the 4 points one game at a time at the moment, because the 4 premership points against a weak side is worth exactly the same as against the stronger ones.

Edited May 15, 20186 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

With reference to the topic title... I do like that the foundations of Radelaide are less sound with McGovern now out.

Its been a slow build since year 1 of Roos and we have improved each year since.

If it all works out as its promising too,  it will be perfection.  We would be in for years of dominant football  with our talent level and depth and and top 4 finishes will be the norm.

Whereas the Doggies fluked a flag then fell away drastically. 

For the time being we need to win the games in front of us. The Hawks game was an unmitigated disgrace, while I feel the final margin for the Richmond game justified the way we played, particularly in the 3rd quarter where we were bent over and f—ed by the umpires. 

So for now getting the three comfortable wins was exactly what we needed and hopefully we can keep it rolling into the Blues this weekend. 

Really looking forward to seeing Jack out there this week. 

We can only beat those whom we are ‘drawn’ to play 

Hopefully the confidence, and more importantly belief, gained from the past weeks can carry into the remainder of the year.   

A most unfamiliar feeling of confidence is about: I hope the team feed off it but don’t let it engulf them. 

Realistically, despite how well we may play this season, it feels as if the AFL does not wish the MFC to play finals. and will do everything in its power and grasp to affect that outcome.

The Curnow incidents are fine examples of this.

There have already been other examples where this tendency has raised its ugly, ugly head; for example, the umpiring of the 3rd quarter MFC match against a beaten Richmond - who won the game as a result. The canning of Clarrie and 'blocking' as a warning to the League about 'unfair' play moves (of course it is unfair - Clarrie is such a good player and innovator in the 'legal' game he has to be stopped). Handball skills so sharp and astute that Clarrie was accused of throwing. The rapid ball movement of the Dees into the forward line countered mainly through the umpires again by awarding inappropriate free kicks in opponents' backlines across a whole game. The personalised treatment of the Whoreform coach with the allegedly impartial head of the AFL, itself. No need to rant on - as there are many other questionable activities and directions that have so far emerged in the 2018 season, already, not to mention in the past few seasons whilst Gil the Pill has been in charge.

Through such influence, the AFL is winning the short-term outcomes that it perceives it needs for gate receipts ad nauseum. In the mid- to longer-term, the AFL under this stewardship is in fact cutting its own throat speculatively and this will lead the brave to demand changes or worse, perhaps larger-scale revolt. Which straw will break the camel's back? Any prophecies?

I think the season begins now.  We have used these ‘build’ games to position ourselves really well.  A 109 point thrashing of any club is huge, but the second half looked like training drills.

3 games to the bye. 

3-0 : the lid will be off

2-1 :  finals bound

in these scenarios, the build phase will have paid off

any less than 2-1 and the wrist slashing can recommence in earnest...

On 5/16/2018 at 12:25 PM, Deemania since 56 said:

Through such influence, the AFL is winning the short-term outcomes that it perceives it needs for gate receipts ad nauseum. In the mid- to longer-term, the AFL under this stewardship is in fact cutting its own throat speculatively and this will lead the brave to demand changes or worse, perhaps larger-scale revolt. Which straw will break the camel's back? Any prophecies?

2

Yip my prophecy is AFL to continue its amazing business success, sustain growth, sustain money be poured back into football  - only real opposition is media beat-ups and hysteria but they will remain exactly that - beat-ups and hysteria. 

1 hour ago, buck_nekkid said:

I think the season begins now.  We have used these ‘build’ games to position ourselves really well.  A 109 point thrashing of any club is huge, but the second half looked like training drills.

3 games to the bye. 

3-0 : the lid will be off

2-1 :  finals bound

in these scenarios, the build phase will have paid off

any less than 2-1 and the wrist slashing can recommence in earnest...

We might need to ask Kevin McCloud whether "the build" will be completed this season or whether it will be a little longer. 

58 minutes ago, hemingway said:

We might need to ask Kevin McCloud whether "the build" will be completed this season or whether it will be a little longer. 

Goodwin’s Grand Designs?