13 hours ago, Damo said:

Poor old demonland. I guess it is the time of the year. 

Too early to call anything - we must wait until the pre-season and observation is nearly done. Erratic choices now linger in the mind, becoming quite pessimistic and unhelpful with supporters' imaginations and hopes/expectations. At least in a few more weeks leading up to late March, we may all be better informed. Perhaps then, given space to review the pre-season, it could be open slather for the 2019 predictions and poor omens. 

20 hours ago, My name is legion said:

MFC to finish 12th

Gawn does his knee again

Lever still injured

 

Still shell shocked by the election results?

Melbourne finishes 6th at the end of the H&A season. Slow start to the year and we scrape into the 8 in the later stages of the season. 

We suffer another Prelim final loss to the eventual flag winners and finish the year 3rd.

Lever struggles with ongoing knee issues.

Tom McDonald gets injured and our lack of tall forwards is exposed. May is in AA form, but is sent forward to cover him, which then unsettles the backline. May is average up forward, but we have no other options. We struggle and spend a large part of the season outside the 8. TMac returns from injury in the late part of season and our structure is fixed, resulting in us pushing back into the 8 and playing finals.

Petracca to continue at his current standard, showing glimpses of brilliance and power without really impacting many games. He rightfully comes under pressure from all for not pushing himself like some of his similarly aged teammates.

Viney continues to struggle with foot injuries.

Lewis' body struggles to keep up and he retires before the season is over.

Nathan Jones starts to hit the wall, and is sent back to the HBF to cover the retired Lewis as his form in the midfield drops off.

Oliver continues his dominance around the ball, and starts doing real damage when resting up forward. He is recognised as one of the best players in the league in the Martin+Dangerfield midfield/forward mould. Earns another AA selection and BnF win. Finishes 3rd in the Brownlow.

Brayshaw finishes top 5 in our BnF and pushes for AA selection. Polls far lower in the Brownlow despite having a much better season. There is yet another rise in concussions over the course of the season, and he becomes the AFL poster boy for concussion recovery. His media career keeps expanding, moving from AFL podcast to a number of footy and radio shows.

Vanders has a clean run with injury and is the big improver. He finishes top 10 in our BnF after dominating in the midfield. He is our MVP in finals series.

Weid is still inconsistent, but has some dominant matches where he kicks bags of 4+ goals. Finishes the season around the 35 goal mark.

Gawn is AA ruck again. Pruess is in and out of the team, coaches try to fit him into structure but his form isn't good enough to warrant a game.

Hunt returns to form and is one of the most damaging wingmen in the game. Struggles in finals when he is tagged due to being our most dangerous player through our late season purple patch.

Sparrow is the only draftee to play senior footy.

Edited December 2, 20186 yr by Lord Travis

Knocked out in either prelim or grand final to Richmond.

Tom McDonald to win the Coleman

Four all-Australians: Gawn, Oliver, T-Mac and one of Jetta/Hibberd/May.

Jones to be a borderline selection by the end of the season.

Jordan Lewis to be in and out of the team. Not in best 22 when fully healthy.

Biggest improvers: ANB and Joel Smith, with Viney getting back to full fitness and form.

Jayden Hunt to start out of the 22 but work his way back in as Brayshaw did this year.

 

 

Melbourne vs Essendon in the Grand Final.  Payback for 2000 is coming.

 

Dees to finish 10th. Tougher draw plus being hit hard with injuries. Weed still needs time to develop and the loss of hogan is felt

sparrow top 3 in the rising star

KK to finish top 10 in BnF

geelong and hawks both miss finals

dees win flag in 2020

 

We learn from our mistakes of 2018, and have a good run with injuries.

The Steven May trade proves to be a super astute decision.

We make the Grand Final, and go in as mild favourites.

 And then cruelly lose. To Richmond.

A critical life event, for me at least - as I finally turn to Jesus to get me through the rest of my life.

This marks the start of a wonderful life journey that comes to an abrupt end on the morning of round 1, 2020.

And then it all starts again.

 

Edited December 2, 20186 yr by Ron Burgundy

16 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

Melbourne vs Essendon in the Grand Final.  Payback for 2000 is coming.

 

Oooooh, that would be sweet.

15 hours ago, DubDee said:

Dees to finish 10th. Tougher draw plus being hit hard with injuries. Weed still needs time to develop and the loss of hogan is felt

sparrow top 3 in the rising star

KK to finish top 10 in BnF

geelong and hawks both miss finals

dees win flag in 2020

 

So if all of the MFC, Geelong and Hawthorn miss finals who do you have making finals in their place, given many have also put Sydney as a team on the slide and at rusk of missing?

1 hour ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

So if all of the MFC, Geelong and Hawthorn miss finals who do you have making finals in their place, given many have also put Sydney as a team on the slide and at rusk of missing?

Adelaide, Bombers and Port I reckon.  North could easily make the 8 too.  and I expect improvement out of Saints and Lions.

I reckon the swans will make it, just.

The Preuss/Gawn combination to dominate the AFL, particularly in the drier months, and September. No team has the cattle to match up on them, so Viney, Brayshaw, Lewis, Harmes, Trac, Jones get silver service for the whole game and not just 70% of it. Max turns himself into a Paul Salmon style Ruck/Forward and kicks 40 goals for the year. Preuss has an outstanding year rucking and resting on bench. May wins all Australian, but Lever struggles with knee all year. Hunt returns to form off half back and gives us the run and carry we have been looking for, gets his kicking accuracy sorted out and kicks over 20 goals for the year. 

Dees win grannie by 37 points from the Pies going away in the second half!

Max Gawn to get back to his best and produce the most dominant season for a ruckman in the modern era, but miss out on a Brownlow medal to some seagul midfielder.

 

... oh wait, that was this year!

Top 4 finish for the Dees.

Unfortunately Collingwood and Essendon to finish Top 2.

West Coast to make finals but fall into the bottom half of Top 8 and only due to home victories.

Richmond may also drop out of Top 4.

Brisbane to make finals.

Geelong to miss finals

Also unfortunately Carlton to climb off the bottom and finish 10th - 14th.

Gold Coast to finish bottom but you don't need to be psychic to predict that one.

The time is now......

Regular season finish position - 3rd

Final result - Premiers

Norm Smith - Viney

Keith Truscott Medalist - Oliver

My well-being after premiership - in danger

My 2019 predictions:

1. KK is encouraged to don the helmet after being knocked out in his second appearance in what could only be described as ‘a flight of fancy’ speccy attempt gone wrong..

2. Whilst Adelaide’s internal cultures woes continue to plague them, they improve moderately by end of year. Unfortunately though, Melbourne thump them again by more than 50 points... Big Tex is seen crying...

3. By end of season, Clarry will have been approached by a delegation from NASA, MIT and Harvard who are furiously trying to understand how he continuously defies the laws of physics with his phone-booth footy approach.

4. Gary Pert attempts to initiate a coup from Collingwood to acquire Weidemann, only to find that Jacko threatens to knock his block off again! Pert concedes...

5. In another semi-final against the cats, both Gaz and Selwood again succumb to the prowess of Viney’s left and right biceps who are now affectionately referred to by Melbourne supporters as “assault and battery”, respectively.

 

I have no idea at what our results might be next year. I want to believe that we will end the season better placed than last year.

This is what I do know; There will be times when I am over the  moon at the way the team plays, there will be times when I want to put my foot through the screen. there will be times when I call the players/coaches idiots and times I will think they are pure genius.... So it will not be too different to last season.

Improved list, fit players and manageable injuries would all go a long way moving us towards the ultimate goal.

I have some guesses.

3rd place after H and A  

Earn a GF place

Brayshaw to win the Bluey

Tmac to kick 60

Weid to kick 50

Geelong not to make the 8

In the dying seconds of the last quarter of the 2019 grand final, Nev leaves his man, races down field, steamrolls Dusty, picks up the ball and nails a snap from the forward flank to put us in front for the first time - and then the siren sounds.

On 12/2/2018 at 9:08 PM, Petraccattack said:

Melbourne vs Essendon in the Grand Final.  Payback for 2000 is coming.

 

Now I like the sound of that outcome to the season. 

Dees finish 4th, lose to Pies in qualifying final, beat the Crows in a home semi but lose again to Tigers in a Prelim...

Oliver wins his 2nd BnF and All Australian blazer

Garlett the biggest surprise, kicking 30+ goals in a welcome return 

Salem becomes a genuine star

Thank god for Preuss, as Maxy only plays 14 games due to injury

Neitschke the best of the rookies

Oscar plays more than Frost, making a great defensive combo with May

We beat Sydney twice, as the Swans struggle into a bottom 6 team

ANB finishes Top 5 in BnF, and joins the leadership group by 2020 to support sole captain Viney

Dees play in a drawn game, which costs us a Top 2 finish. Maybe against Eagles in Alice Springs

Spargo becomes very handy as he pushes into a midfield role

 

 

 

On 12/10/2018 at 10:10 AM, KK16 said:

Oscar plays more than Frost, making a great defensive combo with May

Does Frosty break a leg in the early rounds? Otherwise, no way!

On 12/5/2018 at 1:43 PM, DeezNuts said:

My 2019 predictions:

1. KK is encouraged to don the helmet after being knocked out in his second appearance in what could only be described as ‘a flight of fancy’ speccy attempt gone wrong..

2. Whilst Adelaide’s internal cultures woes continue to plague them, they improve moderately by end of year. Unfortunately though, Melbourne thump them again by more than 50 points... Big Tex is seen crying...

3. By end of season, Clarry will have been approached by a delegation from NASA, MIT and Harvard who are furiously trying to understand how he continuously defies the laws of physics with his phone-booth footy approach.

4. Gary Pert attempts to initiate a coup from Collingwood to acquire Weidemann, only to find that Jacko threatens to knock his block off again! Pert concedes...

5. In another semi-final against the cats, both Gaz and Selwood again succumb to the prowess of Viney’s left and right biceps who are now affectionately referred to by Melbourne supporters as “assault and battery”, respectively.

 

Justice can be ironic; 'carna Dees.

2 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

Does Frosty break a leg in the early rounds? Otherwise, no way!

Oscar is a better lock down defender, and suits May and Lever’s natural dash and intercept marking

Jones loses spot rd 8 due to injury, never gets it back. Ginga get his chance, oppo teams confused with our 2 redheads. Hunt does a Harmes and becomes elite. O'Mac leaves defence and goes forward .Petracca starting to look more like Jackovich.  Hannah stocks rise. Hore to become a star. May will be our best. Garlett never to been seen again in one's. Terminology "reds scorch opposition" ,"Maca attacks","triple H crushes opppo ". We should win everything. 

Flag

Everything else is moot

1. Kolo to be named in the AA squad of 40 after playing the entire season on the wing.

2. Jones to supplant Lewis as a permanent fixture on the HBF, with Lewis retiring at season’s end.

3. Preuss to play approx 20 games. The matchup against the Goose Duo to strike absolute fear into opposing ruckmen weeks out. Gawn was hard enough on his own.

4. Frost to seek opportunities elsewhere at season’s end, after playing < 3 AFL games.

5. Sparrow to play >5 games, earning comparisons to Luke Parker. Healthy competition for spots means he doesn’t play as many AFL games as he probably deserves to.

6. Joel Smith to entrench his place in the first 22 as a tweener utility that can play anywhere.

7. Jeffy Garlett to retire after not earning a single game for the season.

8. Fritsch takes it to another level.

Edited December 24, 20186 yr by Mach5