That moment when your team is facing a must win game in hostile surroundings and you see the half forward line that they have come up with.

At the thursday training I noticed that we were working hard on defense.
Dean kent and Jay Kennedy-Harris competing in close range. Coaching staff putting ball in between them basketball style. The one who got the ball was instantly tackled, both doing well breaking or sticking the tackle. I thought JKH was a bit stronger and smarter in the contest. 
Christian Petracca was working very hard in the simulations to pressure the opponents. He won or imposed himself in lots of contest. I think he is ready and I'm hoping he can pull it all together in this big game.
At the throw ins to mids they were making sure they got their match ups right. Plenty of communication to cover the opponents. Pick ups, front positions and defending the area were the ball may drop seemed to be emphasized. 
There were plenty of intercepts, punches of high balls, locking the ball in and finding outlets when under pressure during simulations.
Tom Mcdonald was looking very fit and strong (no obvious niggles) and motivated. He will be difficult to defend against (tall, fast, endurance and a rock), hoping we can kick to his advantage and he kicks a bag full.
Jake Melksham was delivering beautifully into the forwards during simulations expecting the same thing during game. I think he is mature enough that a few weeks off won't effect his impact too badly.  

Sam Wiedeman has been doing quite alot of ruck training in the past couple of months. It will be interesting to see how Goodwin uses in the team. He was getting plenty of action on thursday  though looking a bit anxious. He is stronger and bigger now, won't be pushed around. Hopefully he sticks a few marks or at least brings the ball down to front and centre. 

I think Goodwin liked the way Sydney used small kicks to create the overlap or break the lines as he was getting us to do the same thing. Small passes to open players and kicks looping to players at the back of front positioned defenders. I think it is also a strategy that may allow us to clear the opponents pressure area.

Wouldn't be surprised if we move the ball more by foot and keep them to under 12 goals. A kind of finals approach to this game. Hard, dour and gut running when we don't have the ball and creative ball use so to find an express lane to goals when we have it.


 

 

Edited August 17, 20186 yr by 000

Christian Petracca reminds me of Allen Jakovich. Similar size similar self confidence, similar scintillating skills. Jako arrived at Melbourne as a 23yo. Petracca is 22, I would like to see Petracca play as full forward and make it his.

We've got West Coast at a great time.

No Naitanui, No Kennedy, No Gaff

Few sore boys like Vardy/Ryan/Jetta 

WC not desperate for a win, being a game and a half + percentage clear in the top 2.

 

I think the three known changes will be it. I get all the disappointment with Garlett but I think he makes our forward line look a lot more dangerous. He reads the ball off a pack better than almost anyone in our side and only needs a couple of opportunities to hit the scoreboard.

Disappointed in the selections again overall though. The listed half forward line is utter poo. Would go close to the worst line we’ve listed in any week all year.

 

3 minutes ago, Radar Detector said:

I think the three known changes will be it. I get all the disappointment with Garlett but I think he makes our forward line look a lot more dangerous. He reads the ball off a pack better than almost anyone in our side and only needs a couple of opportunities to hit the scoreboard.

Disappointed in the selections again overall though. The listed half forward line is utter poo. Would go close to the worst line we’ve listed in any week all year.

 

Im a fan but he lost me last week

1 minute ago, DemonLad5 said:

We've got West Coast at a great time.

No Naitanui, No Kennedy, No Gaff

Few sore boys like Vardy/Ryan/Jetta 

WC not desperate for a win, being a game and a half + percentage clear in the top 2.

 

Agree on the first two points. Diasgree with the last.

I think West Coast WILL be desperate to win this game, to guarantee top 2. That way they can rest a couple of players in the Brisbane heat next week and not worry about the consequences.

13 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

I don't think he is hasn't performed against good teams, has been a burden in most of our losses. Good to see Weed get a chance he can't do a lot worse than Hogan.

I wouldn't bet on it, just hope he contributes.

On 8/16/2018 at 12:04 PM, Neil Crompton said:

Like Jaded, i’m not feeling the usual pre-match anxiety that normally follows the Thursday chat. I think deep down I have almost accepted that we have blown it for this year, so the expectation for the last 2 games is not so high. If we do the improbable then I will be over the moon. I may well feel different on game day, but I almost prefer this current state of mind. It’s so much easier on the old ticker.

On reflection we are certainly a better side than last year. While extremely disappointed we have stumbled this year, the fact that we have, simply shows we are not yet ready for the big dance. We’ve effectively had 5 years of progressive improvement. No one should be disappointed in that. Maybe the rebuild has not been as quick as some would have liked, but while we are not yet the real deal, I don’t think we are too far from it.

In this age of instant gratification, having patience is not an easy emotion to embrace. As someone who sat on the wing and watched as our back pocket player snapped the winning goal in the 64 grand final, I know what having patience means. But in all those intervening years I have never felt more confident in a playing group as I am in this one. So i’ll enjoy the rest of this year, whatever the results of the next 2 games, while knowing that next year, 2019, will be ours.

Go Dees.

 

The let down of last weekend has seen me somewhat dejected from the pre Sydney hope that we could have been playing the last two weeks with a finals spot all sewn up. I've also almost been sucked into this whole mentally week chokers thing that so many experts (including many of our own supporters) want to burden us with, so haven't had many expectations during the week and almost accepted a yet to be determined fate that finals are gone for another year.

But as I've thought about things over the last day or so, I've remembered a few things:

1.  I don't think there is a side in the competition this year that we can't beat;

2.  The majority/key of players in our team (Gawn, Oliver, Brayshaw, Jones, Jetta, Harmes, Melksham, Hibbard, Trac, Tommy Mac, Vanders, ANB, Salem, Frost, Lewis...) are hard, agressive, compeditive types.  These blokes won't have liked the tags being leveled at them this week and will have fierce determination to right that wrong;

3. The above is also true of Goody's personally and ethos and I recon the boys will pickup and feed off that as well.

Against Sydney we dominated play early, but I'm not sure the physical intensity  was up there and it seemed like we were on cruise control with the expectation that we would coast to a win against them. Last week would have been a huge wake up call to the team, which I recon will jolt them into action this week.  I'm hoping and expecting that the guys come out breathing fire like we did against Richmond earlier in the year and physically take it up to West Coast in a way they really don't want to deal with right now.  I'm also remembering the resolve that we showed against Adelaide a few weeks back and the ability to grind their way back into the game and then dominate it after the Crows got off to a flyer.

As a supporter I've resolved to not let the disapointments of the recient past cloud my outlook on the challenge we face and looking forward to the ride over the next week and a bit, then hopefully month to come.

GO THE MIGHTY DEMONS - TEAR WEST COAST APART.

14 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

The let down of last weekend has seen me somewhat dejected from the pre Sydney hope that we could have been playing the last two weeks with a finals spot all sewn up. I've also almost been sucked into this whole mentally week chokers thing that so many experts (including many of our own supporters) want to burden us with, so haven't had many expectations during the week and almost accepted a yet to be determined fate that finals are gone for another year.

But as I've thought about things over the last day or so, I've remembered a few things:

1.  I don't think there is a side in the competition this year that we can't beat;

2.  The majority/key of players in our team (Gawn, Oliver, Brayshaw, Jones, Jetta, Harmes, Melksham, Hibbard, Trac, Tommy Mac, Vanders, ANB, Salem, Frost, Lewis...) are hard, agressive, compeditive types.  These blokes won't have liked the tags being leveled at them this week and will have fierce determination to right that wrong;

3. The above is also true of Goody's personally and ethos and I recon the boys will pickup and feed off that as well.

Against Sydney we dominated play early, but I'm not sure the physical intensity  was up there and it seemed like we were on cruise control with the expectation that we would coast to a win against them. Last week would have been a huge wake up call to the team, which I recon will jolt them into action this week.  I'm hoping and expecting that the guys come out breathing fire like we did against Richmond earlier in the year and physically take it up to West Coast in a way they really don't want to deal with right now.  I'm also remembering the resolve that we showed against Adelaide a few weeks back and the ability to grind their way back into the game and then dominate it after the Crows got off to a flyer.

As a supporter I've resolved to not let the disapointments of the recient past cloud my outlook on the challenge we face and looking forward to the ride over the next week and a bit, then hopefully month to come.

GO THE MIGHTY DEMONS - TEAR WEST COAST APART.

I thought the last round capitulation to Collingwood in 2017 was a wake up call.......?

I think we just have to accept that this team is and always will be mentally soft.

17 minutes ago, Die Hard Demon said:

I thought the last round capitulation to Collingwood in 2017 was a wake up call.......?

I think we just have to accept that this team is and always will be mentally soft.

It's really hard to reconcile your username with that last sentence

26 minutes ago, Die Hard Demon said:

I thought the last round capitulation to Collingwood in 2017 was a wake up call.......?

I think we just have to accept that this team is and always will be mentally soft.

I think that if we had kicked 18.10 you would be looking at this game in a different light and that's not counting the 4 OOF???

I'm always bemused by the number of times people say we'll respond 'this week' because last week was a 'wake up call' (i.e. one of the many moments where there was some hope/expectation and we've fallen flat)...

How many times does that phone have to ring? Will we answer the wake up call this week (and stay awake)?

NB: I'm not one of the negative sorts, I always think we're one win away from everything falling into place. Go Dees!

...And for what it's worth, I think we'll win this weekend!

Edited August 17, 20186 yr by RedButMostlyBlue

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Agree on the first two points. Diasgree with the last.

I think West Coast WILL be desperate to win this game, to guarantee top 2. That way they can rest a couple of players in the Brisbane heat next week and not worry about the consequences.

Rest players in the last round, giving them 2 weeks off heading in to a final?  Would be a very brave coach to do that.

WCE would have the Brisbane game locked in as a win already.  They only need to win one of their last 2 to lock in 2nd.  If we come out and hit them hard early, then there's no reason for them to bust their ass at the risk of injury.

2 minutes ago, RedButMostlyBlue said:

I'm always bemused by the number of times people say we'll respond 'this week' because last week was a 'wake up call' (i.e. one of the many moments where there was some hope/expectation and we've fallen flat)...

How many times does that phone have to ring? Will we answer the wake up call this week (and stay awake)?

NB: I'm not one of the negative sorts, I always think we're one win away from everything falling into place. Go Dees!

...And for what it's worth, I think we'll win this weekend!

I have realised that if we play finals this year, it will be a real bonus

Injuries to key personnel has meant that our depth was seriously questioned and found wanting

You can't have Hogan, Viney and the VIP Lever out of this team and expect high level success

If Sydney win I don't think West Coast can miss top 2 anyway.

1 hour ago, Radar Detector said:

I think the three known changes will be it. I get all the disappointment with Garlett but I think he makes our forward line look a lot more dangerous. He reads the ball off a pack better than almost anyone in our side and only needs a couple of opportunities to hit the scoreboard.

Disappointed in the selections again overall though. The listed half forward line is utter poo. Would go close to the worst line we’ve listed in any week all year.

 

I now think Jeffy is out, maybe of the club as well,  as Spargo was named in the 18 and JKH played a far better game, than Jeffy's horrible one.

1 hour ago, DemonLad5 said:

We've got West Coast at a great time.

No Naitanui, No Kennedy, No Gaff

Few sore boys like Vardy/Ryan/Jetta 

WC not desperate for a win, being a game and a half + percentage clear in the top 2.

 

And they got us at a great time without Viney, Lever, Hogan and Smith, Billy and Hunt.

1 hour ago, DemonLad5 said:

We've got West Coast at a great time.

No Naitanui, No Kennedy, No Gaff

 

 

Or they got us at a good time..   no Viney, Lever, Hogan...

Just now, Petraccattack said:

Or they got us at a good time..   no Viney, Lever, Hogan...

Remove hogan from that equation I think as he has seriously struggled to have any impact whatsoever against good teams this year 

16 minutes ago, RedButMostlyBlue said:

I'm always bemused by the number of times people say we'll respond 'this week' because last week was a 'wake up call' (i.e. one of the many moments where there was some hope/expectation and we've fallen flat)...

How many times does that phone have to ring? Will we answer the wake up call this week (and stay awake)?

NB: I'm not one of the negative sorts, I always think we're one win away from everything falling into place. Go Dees!

...And for what it's worth, I think we'll win this weekend!

Yeah its a bit of same old same old when you hear that. "oh they weren't ready last week but this week they will be fired up!". Newsflash: This is the week. No more wake up calls this is it make or break. The reward will be incredible, the consequences will be absolutely dire.

1 hour ago, ManDee said:

Christian Petracca reminds me of Allen Jakovich. Similar size similar self confidence, similar scintillating skills. Jako arrived at Melbourne as a 23yo. Petracca is 22, I would like to see Petracca play as full forward and make it his.

you must be           joking

We really have no idea how that forward line will line up currently. If you do then maybe you can give me the lotto numbers as well.

3 hours ago, 000 said:

I think Goodwin liked the way Sydney used small kicks to create the overlap or break the lines as he was getting us to do the same thing. Small passes to open players and kicks looping to players at the back of front positioned defenders. I think it is also a strategy that may allow us to clear the opponents pressure area.

This is achievable for the MFC - having bled against the Swans so badly down the southern flanks. Again, this is ground that we must use and exploit - not doing all our work down the northern flanks only to see turnovers after turnovers against our progress. JKH actually began, singularly, to flee quickly to the southern flanks in the fwd line and was successful, several times, intercepting against the Swannies and taking some possessions himself to a somewhat better effect than what was being achieved on the northern flanks. But we are not at the 'G this week; hence, we must become a 2-sided team in all regards. From the flanks, we should not send 90% of our possessions, runs and carries, kicks and handball back to the midline whilst making improved space(s) at both flanks. 

47 minutes ago, Clintosaurus said:

If Sydney win I don't think West Coast can miss top 2 anyway.

That's a great point.

However, Hawks (52 pts) will overtake them on percentage if they win twice and Eagles (60 pts) lose twice. Even Collingwood could too.

Unfortunately they have everything (top 2) to play for this week.