There’s that clichè again...:

“MFC and it’s supporters drinking their own bathwater.”

“Have not beaten any team in the top 8.” (Even though Adelaide and North were in the 8 both times the Dees won). Even if we beat Sydney, “still haven’t beaten anyone in the top 8...” 

They won’t stop.

So..

Time to break the shackles in these next 3 weeks Demons - arguably the toughest run home of all in contention.

Win all three and top 2 is within grasp (Port over Eagles at home!) and a home final. Aim high Dees! It’s time.

I've been saying this for weeks. If we fail to win any of these final 3 games we do not deserve finals. Even if we win this week and then lose the last two and be "unlucky" to miss out I will still maintain we don't deserve it.

This year we did a great job of beating the teams in the bottom half and matching it with some of the teams around us but we still haven't taken the scalps. Yeah Adelaide and North are technicalities.

We need scalps to stop those cliches and wins in 2 or 3 of the next few weeks will go a long way to shutting people up. Fail and they have every right to mock us as pretenders.

 

  On 09/08/2018 at 23:50, H_T said:

There’s that clichè again...:

“MFC and it’s supporters drinking their own bathwater.”

“Have not beaten any team in the top 8.” (Even though Adelaide and North were in the 8 both times the Dees won). Even if we beat Sydney, “still haven’t beaten anyone in the top 8...” 

the irony is if we lost to the crows twice and north they would now be in the 8 and they would be 3 more games we lost to top 8 teams!  haha

surely some people understand in a close season if you beat teams, they are less likely to be above you. pretty sure Confusious said that, or maybe Robbo

  On 10/08/2018 at 00:08, DubDee said:

the irony is if we lost to the crows twice and north they would now be in the 8 and they would be 3 more games we lost to top 8 teams!  haha

surely some people understand in a close season if you beat teams, they are less likely to be above you. pretty sure Confusious said that, or maybe Robbo

true.  And Richmond haven't beaten anyone above them on the ladder.

  On 10/08/2018 at 00:12, sue said:

true.  And Richmond haven't beaten anyone above them on the ladder.

And Carlton have...

Media - "Melbourne are playing really well at the moment and are winning games" 

*Melbourne lose a game*

Media - "Melbourne got ahead of themselves. Melbourne drank there own bathwater." 

Yawn ... According to the media its not possible for us to lose a game simply by being outplayed on the day. It happens you know. 

Edited August 10, 20186 yr by Smokey

If we beat Sydney and the Cats win then we still won't have beaten anyone in the 8 (unless NMEL win by squillions to leapfrog Geelong on %). What a delightfully awkward situation that will be. The media/naysayers will be twisting themselves in virtual knots to spin that negatively: "Melbourne beat an undermanned/tired Sydney [Ed: without Viney, Lever, Hibberd, Melksham, Smith etc] and STILL haven't beaten anyone [Ed: currently] in the 8."

I would have loved to have seen that continue into the finals; alas, we will need to beat WCE and/or GWS so everyone is going to have begrudgingly admit that yes we beat 1 (or 2, or 3, or 4, if NMEL come in) teams in the 8 (once) ... but of course "we're still lucky to have just gotten there."

Three tough games coming up  to prove our credentials. We just have to do it. Listening to SEN this AM and media in general there is still too much talk assuming we have made it already from pundits as well as fans. If we don’t make it we will have for consolation the unenviable record of being the highest scoring team in the league for 2018 and still miss out on finals. I believe it will be a unique record. Being 170 pts ahead of Richmond and over 250 pts ahead of the next best it is unlikely our points tally will be overtaken. All we will be left is that huge backhand compliment.

  On 10/08/2018 at 00:01, Demonland said:

 Even if we win this week and then lose the last two and be "unlucky" to miss out I will still maintain we don't deserve it.

If us and Geelong win this week we're playing finals this year, even if we drop the last 2.

(well unless Hawks and Sydney draw)

  On 10/08/2018 at 02:19, Bring-Back-Powell said:

If us and Geelong win this week we're playing finals this year, even if we drop the last 2.

(well unless Hawks and Sydney draw)

Likely but not for sure.  If Geelong and North win their last 3 games and Hawthorn 2 of the last 3 then all of those teams would leapfrog us. 

  On 10/08/2018 at 02:19, Bring-Back-Powell said:

If us and Geelong win this week we're playing finals this year, even if we drop the last 2.

(well unless Hawks and Sydney draw)

I am so conflicted about the Geelong/Hawthorn game. I have a bet with the nephews about who finishes higher so for that bet I want Hawthorn to win but at the end of the day I'll take making the finals over getting the bet.

  On 10/08/2018 at 02:30, Watson11 said:

Likely but not for sure.  If Geelong and North win their last 3 games and Hawthorn 2 of the last 3 then all of those teams would leapfrog us. 

That's why we can't rely on other results. Destiny is in our own hands. We've got to get the job done ourselves by taking some scalps. Fail to do that and we deserve to be leapfrogged. There shouldn't be a free pass into finals. Sure I'd take one but I'd prefer to go in with a chance than to make up numbers.

  On 10/08/2018 at 02:30, Watson11 said:

Likely but not for sure.  If Geelong and North win their last 3 games and Hawthorn 2 of the last 3 then all of those teams would leapfrog us. 

Yes you're right.

Forgot that North and Geelong are both outside the 8.

Damn North falling over the line against Brisbane. That could really hurt us down the track.

  On 10/08/2018 at 02:19, Bring-Back-Powell said:

If us and Geelong win this week we're playing finals this year, even if we drop the last 2.

(well unless Hawks and Sydney draw)

Geelong will then finish on 14 win.

North should finish on 14

and Hawks should win the other 2 which equals 14 wins.

end result - we finish 9th

  On 10/08/2018 at 02:37, DubDee said:

Geelong will then finish on 14 win.

North should finish on 14

and Hawks should win the other 2 which equals 14 wins.

end result - we finish 9th

You're right.

So after banging on all week about the benefits of Geelong beating Hawthorn, it's probably better if Hawthorn win.

Then we'll be in a percentage battle with Geelong on 13 wins, and we all know who Geelong are playing the last fortnight.

  On 10/08/2018 at 02:45, Bring-Back-Powell said:

You're right.

So after banging on all week about the benefits of Geelong beating Hawthorn, it's probably better if Hawthorn win.

Then we'll be in a percentage battle with Geelong on 13 wins, and we all know who Geelong are playing the last fortnight.

ah I finally convinced you!  ?   

best bet is we win by 30 plus which I think we can do and hopefully the hawks win by a bit but not likely

  On 10/08/2018 at 02:45, Bring-Back-Powell said:

You're right.

So after banging on all week about the benefits of Geelong beating Hawthorn, it's probably better if Hawthorn win.

Then we'll be in a percentage battle with Geelong on 13 wins, and we all know who Geelong are playing the last fortnight.

Unless Port only win 1 out of West Coast, Collingwood, and Essendon!  Then we would be 8th!

 

If we make the finals from here than anyone that doesn't think we deserve to be there is a moron. Toughest run home of anybody. 

Much like the two Adelaide games I feel like the players having been eyeballing this one from a distance. 

Relax, we've got this....

This is why in some ways I’m glad we lost recently to Geelong, Port and St.Kilda. Because now we can’t just cruise into September without any significant wins. We would be confident playing either Port of Geelong come finals and potential and a minimum of two wins would go close to giving us 4th spot and some real confidence going into the finals.

Bathwater. 

Falling for the media’s perception that they’ve made it. 

Not being accountable on the field - picking and choosing when to be accountable and not - doesn’t cut a top 8 spot unfortunately.

You have to be the hunter at every preparation, every contest. 

Complacency is the evil of consistency. And inconsistency is not Premiership quality material.

  On 13/08/2018 at 04:27, H_T said:

Bathwater. 

Falling for the media’s perception that they’ve made it. 

Not being accountable on the field - picking and choosing when to be accountable and not - doesn’t cut a top 8 spot unfortunately.

You have to be the hunter at every preparation, every contest. 

Complacency is the evil of consistency. And inconsistency is not Premiership quality material.

The inference from your post is that we didn't play accountable football yesterday. (If that's not what you meant, I apologise). I think we did try yesterday, we were just out-coached and out-played. The end result may be the same, but I don't think the players had "got ahead of themselves".

  On 13/08/2018 at 04:27, H_T said:

 

You have to be the hunter at every preparation, every contest. 

Complacency is the evil of consistency. And inconsistency is not Premiership quality material.

This is the bit i truly do not understand, after what happened in Round 23 ‘17. 

It is why i worry about Goodwin as a senior coach, i am not crucifying him, but i worry that basic traits like desperation are not instilled in the team as a non negotiable. 

Yesterday’s loss was bad, but we have seen it all before. 3.12 at halftime is so Melbourne against a serious opponent 

What’s not to understand? Even in the Daniher years we were super flaky.

Northey era was prob last time we were truly on the ball.

  On 13/08/2018 at 04:33, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

The inference from your post is that we didn't play accountable football yesterday. (If that's not what you meant, I apologise). I think we did try yesterday, we were just out-coached and out-played. The end result may be the same, but I don't think the players had "got ahead of themselves".

Seven unanswered goals speaks volumes. I’m not going to pick out examples, but there is plenty to be shown the players what Sydney did, and what the players didn’t do and what they could have done - and have done this season at times -  to be sitting on 13+ wins