What is left to look forward to in 2019

[Moonshadow 17,677]

4 minutes ago, Jaded said:

I get to save money buying finals tickets and spend it on alcohol and cheese instead (but will most likely just put it towards the million wedding related bills). 

Can I still take Biffen as my +1, Jaded?

[Brownie 5,988]

The Matildas. They go harder and have mad skillz

[Age 485]

The ashes and Wimbledon 

[Little Goffy 14,645]

2 hours ago, Rusty Nails said:

Goffy you and Chook know each other i assume?

Come on, he's got us winning all the way through to the premiership. That's just crazy. ?

[spirit of norm smith 16,589]

Top 10 aims - round 14 to 23 

1- Weideman to step up

2- Defence to link up finally. May Lever Salem Hibberd Frost

3- Petracca to step up to hit the scorecard and build intensity 

4- Build games into Hore, Lockhart, Baker. And get a look at Dunkley

5- see Jeffy Garlett find his mojo, tackle and rip in as the small forward we need

6- skills skills skills and skills   Need to hit targets 

7- goalkicking accuracy. Ridiculous so far in 1st half of 2019. Convert inside 50s into goals  

8- Max Gawn to be the All Australian ruckman

9- no more crippling injuries. Get Vandenburg & Joel Smith back. 

10- a few wins. Need to celebrate a few. 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

Actually seeing a game where we kick more goals than behinds and the opposition kicking more behinds than goals.

I know there’s more chance of winning tattslotto tomorrow night...

[whatwhat say what 22,949]

from an overall perspective i'd like to see us forming some cohesion between the various zones - at the moment it doesn't look like the mids know what the forwards are doing, the forwards don't know how the ball is going to come in (other than not kicked to their advantage), and the backline has basically been completely rebuilt so needs time to gel

i'd like to think that the heart and desire that i think we've shown over the last several weeks can not be lost as the season slips away; it's not the effort that is the issue at the moment, but instead the execution...our skills are probably the worst or second worst in the league as it stands

1: may - really show that he's going to be the player we've been promised he's going to be, especially defensive / offensive ability
2: jones - make the call that he won't be skipper next year but will play on with us, as he currently deserves to do so
3: salem - move further up the field and start impacting the scoreboard on a regular basis; really use his skills to advantage
4: harmes - keep winning the ball, negating his oppo and learn to lower his eyes with i50 kicks to advantage of forwards
5: petracca - keep doing what he's doing in terms of being an i50 target but start showing some selfishness and scoring ability
6: lewis - he's already announced his retirement; will be interesting to see what farewell game/s he gets; play him forward!
7: viney - stop trying to take every oppo on and start being more constructive with his ball use, plus show leadership
8: lever - start taking those marks that we know he can where he's reading the flight, and also directing backline as leader
9: spargo - start to show some semblance of form and ability of impacting the play; i believe he can
10: brayshaw - keep winning the ball but start to use it more effectively, and continue to show greater defensive intent
11: gawn - just learn to kick straight from a set shot, he's otherwise been awesome
12: bedford - develop in the magoos, maybe a game late if he deserves it
13: oliver - start being a lot more constructive with his handball and putting players out into space, learn to kick
14: hibberd - more run to break lines and a greater sense of defensive accountability when called to go back
15: stretch - make the most of his opportunities and start to use his run to take the game on; justify his list spot in 2020
16: kolodjashnij - show why he was pick 5 not too long ago; use the ball well, link up, and kick it well, plus better defensive workrate
17: frost - show that he belongs in the side alongside lever and may rather than being an also-ran
18: melksham - get fit, come back, be part of a successful 2020 side 
19: hannan - better ball use as he starts to get the run back into his legs to break the lines, and set up for a big 2020
20: maynard - come back from injury and justify why he should remain on the list next year
21: preuss - get fit enough and the game awareness to play afl, showcase his wares in tandem with gawn later in the year
22: vandenberg - get fit, come back, be part of a successful 2020 side 
23: jordon - develop in the magoos, maybe a game late if he deserves it
24: kennedy harris - continue his comeback from injury and justify why he should remain on the list next year
25: tom mcdonald - start to show some semblance of the form that he had last season
26: weideman - continue to impact the contest and show that the last handful of games last season weren't the exception, not the rule
27: nietschke - get fit, come back, be part of a successful side as he develops his skills
28: oscar mcdonald - get some confidence back and if he gets the opportunity at senior level again, make the most of it
29: hunt - nail his shots when he has them and be more than just an occasional presence in the forward line, particularly defensively
30: neal-bullen - get some confidence back and if he gets the opportunity at senior level again, make the most of it
31: fritsch - stop being a jack of all trades, master of none, and instead cement his role through sheer form 
32: sparrow - get fit, come back, be part of a successful side as he develops his skills
33: baker - continue to showcase that he's part of the best 22 going forward, and impact the scoreboard
34: hore - continue to showcase that he's part of the best 22 going forward, and develop a symbiosis with may and lever
35: petty - get fit, come back, be part of a successful side as he develops his skills
36: garlett - show more commitment for the ball, and justify why he should remain on the list next year (which, i think, he actually is)
37: chandler - develop in the magoos, maybe a game late if he deserves it
38: tim smith - have some luck with injury, and justify why he should remain on the list next year (which, i think, he actually is)
39: jetta - get fit, come back, be part of a successful 2020 side 
40: corey wagner - make the most of his opportunities and start to use his run to take the game on; justify his list spot in 2020
41: lockhart - make the most of his opportunities and start to use his run to take the game on
42: josh wagner - make the most of his opportunities and start to use his run to take the game on; justify his list spot in 2020
43: walker - get over what sounds like a really nasty, career-limiting injury
44: joel smith - get fit, come back, be part of a successful 2020 side 
45: keilty - have some luck with injury, and justify why he should remain on the list next year
46: bradtke - develop in the magoos and with the u/18 games
48: dunkley - develop in the magoos, maybe a game late if he deserves it

from a competition wide perspective, i'm expecting two of geelong, collingwood, gw$, adelaide, and meth coke to be in the grand final

of that lot, i suppose the lesser of the various evils is geelong...really, they need a premiership NOW given the state of their list; if you recruit dangerfield and ablett in consecutive years you SHOULD be playing in grand finals

i actually think gw$ are a massive chance of winning the premiership this year, moreso than any other year

gawn winning the brownlow would be fantastic, but it's extremely unlikely; it'll probably be sidebottom or steve coniglio

in terms of our list make-up i expect the following are under pressure to be on the list next season:

6: lewis 
15: stretch 
20: maynard 
24: kennedy harris 
36: garlett 
42: josh wagner 
43: walker
45: keilty

that'd be six off senior list, one off rookie, one off cat b rookie, which might be cutting a bit deep - i can see stretch, jkh, and garlett all deserving of a list spot in 2020 if their second half of the year is stronger than their first half

in terms of free agents i'd be keen on, more or less in this order:

• steve coniglio (gw$)
• cam ellis-yolmen (crows)
• robbie gray (pear)
• brandon ellis (tigers)

in terms of players out of contract at other clubs i'd be asking the question of:

• hugh greenwood (crows)
• daniel mcstay (bears)
• lewis taylor (bears)
• pat kerr (blues)
• brayden sier (filth)
• tom phillips (filth)
• darcy parish (peptides)
• connor blakley (freo)
• ed langdon (freo)
• griffin logue (freo)
• nakia cockatoo (cats)
• jack martin (gc17)
• sam day (gc17)
• sam durdin (kangas)
• karl amon (pear)
• shai bolton (tigers)
• jack billings (aints)
• jordan dawson (swans)
• zak jones (swans)
• josh dunkley (footscray)

top 5 in order of preference:

• josh dunkley (footscray)
• tom phillips (filth)
• ed langdon (freo)
• jack martin (gc17)
• zak jones (swans)

i want to hold onto whatever our first round pick ends up being and use it, and use it well - hayden young is currently a likely prospect at pick 3, our current choice

i'd rather take a top pick unless we only shifted back a few spots (wouldn't want to be picking outside the top 9 for instance), and it would depend upon what we brought in via the other part of the trade - e.g. if it was pick 3 and our second rounder for sydney's pick 5 and zak jones, i'd probably do the deal

i want oztraya to win the ashes and new zealand to win the odi world cup

i'd like to see the matildas win the women's football world cup

kawhi to go to the clippers, kd to go to the knicks, klay and draymond to stay with the warriors, and the 76ers to get some decent shooters around embiid and simmons...would be handy if the latter could learn how to shoot too.....

Edited June 14, 2019 by whatwhatsaywhat

[Sir Why You Little 37,143]

This is how i shall remember the MFC of 2019

[Sorry kids 635]

2 hours ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

from an overall perspective i'd like to see us forming some cohesion between the various zones - at the moment it doesn't look like the mids know what the forwards are doing, the forwards don't know how the ball is going to come in (other than not kicked to their advantage), and the backline has basically been completely rebuilt so needs time to gel

i'd like to think that the heart and desire that i think we've shown over the last several weeks can not be lost as the season slips away; it's not the effort that is the issue at the moment, but instead the execution...our skills are probably the worst or second worst in the league as it stands

1: may - really show that he's going to be the player we've been promised he's going to be, especially defensive / offensive ability
2: jones - make the call that he won't be skipper next year but will play on with us, as he currently deserves to do so
3: salem - move further up the field and start impacting the scoreboard on a regular basis; really use his skills to advantage
4: harmes - keep winning the ball, negating his oppo and learn to lower his eyes with i50 kicks to advantage of forwards
5: petracca - keep doing what he's doing in terms of being an i50 target but start showing some selfishness and scoring ability
6: lewis - he's already announced his retirement; will be interesting to see what farewell game/s he gets; play him forward!
7: viney - stop trying to take every oppo on and start being more constructive with his ball use, plus show leadership
8: lever - start taking those marks that we know he can where he's reading the flight, and also directing backline as leader
9: spargo - start to show some semblance of form and ability of impacting the play; i believe he can
10: brayshaw - keep winning the ball but start to use it more effectively, and continue to show greater defensive intent
11: gawn - just learn to kick straight from a set shot, he's otherwise been awesome
12: bedford - develop in the magoos, maybe a game late if he deserves it
13: oliver - start being a lot more constructive with his handball and putting players out into space, learn to kick
14: hibberd - more run to break lines and a greater sense of defensive accountability when called to go back
15: stretch - make the most of his opportunities and start to use his run to take the game on; justify his list spot in 2020
16: kolodjashnij - show why he was pick 5 not too long ago; use the ball well, link up, and kick it well, plus better defensive workrate
17: frost - show that he belongs in the side alongside lever and may rather than being an also-ran
18: melksham - get fit, come back, be part of a successful 2020 side 
19: hannan - better ball use as he starts to get the run back into his legs to break the lines, and set up for a big 2020
20: maynard - come back from injury and justify why he should remain on the list next year
21: preuss - get fit enough and the game awareness to play afl, showcase his wares in tandem with gawn later in the year
22: vandenberg - get fit, come back, be part of a successful 2020 side 
23: jordon - develop in the magoos, maybe a game late if he deserves it
24: kennedy harris - continue his comeback from injury and justify why he should remain on the list next year
25: tom mcdonald - start to show some semblance of the form that he had last season
26: weideman - continue to impact the contest and show that the last handful of games last season weren't the exception, not the rule
27: nietschke - get fit, come back, be part of a successful side as he develops his skills
28: oscar mcdonald - get some confidence back and if he gets the opportunity at senior level again, make the most of it
29: hunt - nail his shots when he has them and be more than just an occasional presence in the forward line, particularly defensively
30: neal-bullen - get some confidence back and if he gets the opportunity at senior level again, make the most of it
31: fritsch - stop being a jack of all trades, master of none, and instead cement his role through sheer form 
32: sparrow - get fit, come back, be part of a successful side as he develops his skills
33: baker - continue to showcase that he's part of the best 22 going forward, and impact the scoreboard
34: hore - continue to showcase that he's part of the best 22 going forward, and develop a symbiosis with may and lever
35: petty - get fit, come back, be part of a successful side as he develops his skills
36: garlett - show more commitment for the ball, and justify why he should remain on the list next year (which, i think, he actually is)
37: chandler - develop in the magoos, maybe a game late if he deserves it
38: tim smith - have some luck with injury, and justify why he should remain on the list next year (which, i think, he actually is)
39: jetta - get fit, come back, be part of a successful 2020 side 
40: corey wagner - make the most of his opportunities and start to use his run to take the game on; justify his list spot in 2020
41: lockhart - make the most of his opportunities and start to use his run to take the game on
42: josh wagner - make the most of his opportunities and start to use his run to take the game on; justify his list spot in 2020
43: walker - get over what sounds like a really nasty, career-limiting injury
44: joel smith - get fit, come back, be part of a successful 2020 side 
45: keilty - have some luck with injury, and justify why he should remain on the list next year
46: bradtke - develop in the magoos and with the u/18 games
48: dunkley - develop in the magoos, maybe a game late if he deserves it

from a competition wide perspective, i'm expecting two of geelong, collingwood, gw$, adelaide, and meth coke to be in the grand final

of that lot, i suppose the lesser of the various evils is geelong...really, they need a premiership NOW given the state of their list; if you recruit dangerfield and ablett in consecutive years you SHOULD be playing in grand finals

i actually think gw$ are a massive chance of winning the premiership this year, moreso than any other year

gawn winning the brownlow would be fantastic, but it's extremely unlikely; it'll probably be sidebottom or steve coniglio

in terms of our list make-up i expect the following are under pressure to be on the list next season:

6: lewis 
15: stretch 
20: maynard 
24: kennedy harris 
36: garlett 
42: josh wagner 
43: walker
45: keilty

that'd be six off senior list, one off rookie, one off cat b rookie, which might be cutting a bit deep - i can see stretch, jkh, and garlett all deserving of a list spot in 2020 if their second half of the year is stronger than their first half

in terms of free agents i'd be keen on, more or less in this order:

• steve coniglio (gw$)
• cam ellis-yolmen (crows)
• robbie gray (pear)
• brandon ellis (tigers)

in terms of players out of contract at other clubs i'd be asking the question of:

• hugh greenwood (crows)
• daniel mcstay (bears)
• lewis taylor (bears)
• pat kerr (blues)
• brayden sier (filth)
• tom phillips (filth)
• darcy parish (peptides)
• connor blakley (freo)
• ed langdon (freo)
• griffin logue (freo)
• nakia cockatoo (cats)
• jack martin (gc17)
• sam day (gc17)
• sam durdin (kangas)
• karl amon (pear)
• shai bolton (tigers)
• jack billings (aints)
• jordan dawson (swans)
• zak jones (swans)
• josh dunkley (footscray)

top 5 in order of preference:

• josh dunkley (footscray)
• tom phillips (filth)
• ed langdon (freo)
• jack martin (gc17)
• zak jones (swans)

i want to hold onto whatever our first round pick ends up being and use it, and use it well - hayden young is currently a likely prospect at pick 3, our current choice

i'd rather take a top pick unless we only shifted back a few spots (wouldn't want to be picking outside the top 9 for instance), and it would depend upon what we brought in via the other part of the trade - e.g. if it was pick 3 and our second rounder for sydney's pick 5 and zak jones, i'd probably do the deal

i want oztraya to win the ashes and new zealand to win the odi world cup

i'd like to see the matildas win the women's football world cup

kawhi to go to the clippers, kd to go to the knicks, klay and draymond to stay with the warriors, and the 76ers to get some decent shooters around embiid and simmons...would be handy if the latter could learn how to shoot too.....

Fantastic post and summary of where players are at. It really highlights how much the players and coaches have to work on for the remainder of the season and how much better the side could and should be playing. And then its over to the recruiters to earn their keep for 2020 season. 

[BVI Demon 26]

I am visiting Australia in July and will be attending the Carlton game.  Looking forward to a big win on the day!  Other than that, looking forward to May and Lever sorting out the backline after a few games together.

[Forest Demon 4,681]

Watching a club I hate, followed by supporters I hate, winning another premiership, while we watch on. That’s always pretty good fun.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,883]

I'm looking forward to more of winning.

Really want us to get that compeditiveness, confidence, dominance and respect back in our game.  Last season I genuinely felt like we were a better than even chance  to beat any side we came up against.  Contrast that with this season, where I feel like there is some chance we could beat sides if we switch on and find some confidence there is a chance that we 'might' be a small chance to win.

I'm hopeful that with the players we got back in the past few weeks and some of that good attacking ball movement through the centre of the ground in patches of the second half against the Pies from Gus (who looked to have regained some form ), Hannan, Hibbard and Weid looked to have regained some touch, that we are close to regaining that dangerous 2018 form again.

I'd like us to win at least 3 of our next 4 games and then be right up there and beat whatever top 8 sides we can before the end of the season, with Richmond, Collingwood, the Crows, Port and Geelong? being prime targets.  If that has us giving up a good draft pick for pick 10 or 11 because we end up finishing outside the 8, then so be it.

Whilst I don't want us to put the cue in the rack of our season as a team at any point, if there are players carrying injuries that need surgery, put them in at round 18, so they get a full preseason and hit 2020 in top condition.

I want some respect back for our club.  Whilst  I never one that thought that the 2019 flag was in the bag and all the outside noise, I utterly detest joke and flash in the pan, that we have become.  So most of all, I'm looking forward to winning back some respect and the club showing the AFL world and us as supporters that we can be a genuine threat next season.

Edited June 14, 2019 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

[pitmaster 3,580]

Some skilled coherent football from the mids, a backline that plays as a unit, forward half accuracy with no half-witted attempts to pass when kicking from within 35 meters, and more wins than losses in the last ten rounds, including reversing the EAGLES, PIES and SAINTS results.

[Skuit 10,031]

I'm looking forward - or maybe not - to being emotionally reconnected to the MFC, and perhaps football in general. Because right now I'm simply dead inside. Even at our very lowest I used to shout at the TV, but now I just nod along. Just one or two showings of absolute dominance where we click before the season is out may suffice. One match to put the genuine willies into future opponents. Vote here with the sad-face emoticon if this is you too. ?

[At the break of Gawn 4,460]

I went to the Essendon game last night with a couple of Essendon supporter mates . I surprisingly had a good time watching it. It  was a nice change to watch a game of footy where you’re not overly stressed and too emotionally invested.

Despite our season being done, hopefully there is still some form of entertainment for us “neutrals” in the finals series such as GWS knocking over the Pies in the GF, or Geelong failing to win a final at the MCG. A cherry on top would be for us to beat the Pies in rnd 21 and kill off Collingwood’s hope of top 4 (or I’ll even settle with top 2)

[Supermercado 2,802]

Hoping we might get to take some of our frustrations out with a massive win. Don't know against who, and it would mean nothing but would a temporary break from misery.

[DemonOX 8,801]

I’m looking forward to this weekend. It’s a bye weekend so we don’t lose and I can relax and enjoy it. 

[DemonOX 8,801]

Hope we get a new skills coach and the players actually listen and practice under pressure. 

[Sorry kids 635]

1 hour ago, Skuit said:

I'm looking forward - or maybe not - to being emotionally reconnected to the MFC, and perhaps football in general. Because right now I'm simply dead inside. Even at our very lowest I used to shout at the TV, but now I just nod along. Just one or two showings of absolute dominance where we click before the season is out may suffice. One match to put the genuine willies into future opponents. Vote here with the sad-face emoticon if this is you too. ?

Agree and will add that even a strong showing in the back half of the year would not instill strong confidence in me that 2020 could be our year. Good on you supporters who have greater faith but no amount of persuasion can tell me we are not the worst Club with the exception of the two newbies. To put in context anyone who has commented for 55 years that we are not a good enough Club to win the flag or do not have the players to do so has been correct on ever occasion that success has been debated.

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

Maybe it's the expectation level but I don't think I can remember a worse season as a Melbourne supporter. Sure there were injuries and other excuses but let's be honest we are just miles off the pace.

Content to put 2019 down as an aberration and watch my second team otherwise known as the fantasy team (GWS) try for a flag but my MFCSS keeps warning me that 2018 may have been our high.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,249]

13 hours ago, Biffen said:

Parole

Denied!!!!

For - 1. Total lack of remorse.

          2. Absolutely no hope of you ever becoming a law abiding, functional or decent member of society.

[DeeZee 7,445]

I’ve been totally bored with Footy this year.

Im sure it has some sort of correlation to the way we are performing, but I’m just not enjoying it as spectacle, and find myself turning off at quarter time and watching a movie or something.

I can’t stand the modern day callers and commentators and finding it all a little contrived.

Maybe im just old school, as today’s footy isn’t a shadow of what it used to be.

[Ethan Tremblay 30,971]

12 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

Can I still take Biffen as my +1, Jaded?

I don’t think prisons grant day release to attend weddings, unless of course if you’ve committed ‘white collar’ crime. 

[Ethan Tremblay 30,971]

6 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

I’ve been totally bored with Footy this year.

Im sure it has some sort of correlation to the way we are performing, but I’m just not enjoying it as spectacle, and find myself turning off at quarter time and watching a movie or something.

I can’t stand the modern day callers and commentators and finding it all a little contrived.

Maybe im just old school, as today’s footy isn’t a shadow of what it used to be.

I’m with you ‘DeeZee’ and agree with everything you’ve said. From the rule changes to the commentary to Gil, the game has lost something. Even before our disappointing round 1 game I just didn’t have that same feeling of ‘footballs back’ excitement. 

[Biffen 12,947]

16 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Denied!!!!

For - 1. Total lack of remorse.

          2. Absolutely no hope of you ever becoming a law abiding, functional or decent member of society.

At least you are speaking about subjects you know.