16 hours ago, binman said:

We desperately need a WTF button.

Sometimes the sad or angry face buttons simply don't cut it.

Need a super confused face

A thumbs down button wouldn't go astray either.

19 hours ago, Ron Burgundy said:

Put your house and kids on it.

There's no way this could possibly go wrong.

 

It could.  That's why its $26 to $1. Theres a reason for that.

But making finals is another thing.  What are those odds??

2 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

I did look at that on Sportsbet but they won't allow the multi because they are not independent events.

I do think Petracca at $501 is good value though.

FWIW SportsBet allowed me to have those two legs in a multi, that's where i found the odds.  And I might've slipped a little lobster on it, so my shout if it gets up ?

On 2/19/2020 at 8:44 AM, Lord Nev said:

'Tis the season to sell some hope apparently...

“I think Melbourne are going to bounce back and be the Cinderella story,” Mooney told foxsports.com.au on Tuesday afternoon.

“They remind me so much of what happened in Geelong in ’06 and ’07. We were supposed to have this great year in ’06 and we absolutely fell apart and everyone nearly got sacked after a review.

“We came back and got super fit, super strong and it all clicked for us. Talking to a lot of Melbourne people who were at Geelong at the time said it reminds them of Geelong in ’06. I think that’s going to happen again.”

Geelong great Cameron Mooney believes Melbourne can win the 2020 premiership after nightmare 2019

 

(A) INS - They got Hawkins and Selwood in the off-season between 2006 and 2007.

(B) OUTS - They got rid of Kent Kingsley and Riccardi retired.

 

 

Even if Mooney is speaking sense...

A) We aint gunna add a Selwood.  Their ins are better.

B) Kingsley aint no Sam Frost.  Our outs are better if you consider Frost.

C) By round 5 2007, North beat Geelong at home, and the Cats went to 2 wins, 3 losses; with the wins being against the hapless Melbourne and Carlton.

 

 

Dream on.  Yes, a slow team finally got rid of its slowest player (Jordie), but it also got rid of its quickest line-breaker.

 

 

 

pTGR

 

Edited February 20, 20205 yr by TGR

4 hours ago, ManDee said:

 

My annual pineapple donation is coming up. If we win the flag at $26 I will almost be even. What's that you say, make it $200! No I did that last year.

That funny feeling we have every year ey! gets us everytime.

12 minutes ago, TGR said:

They got Hawkins and Selwood in the off-season between 2006 and 2007.

Geelong's success that year had very little to do with Selwood or Hawkins (although Selwood was very good for a first year player). They dominated the comp on the back of their obscenely talented 22-26 year- old core group getting their sh*t together (Bartel, Ablett, Scarlett, Enright, Johnson, Corey, Chapman, Ling et al). 

We have nowhere near the talent of that Geelong side, but if guys like Brayshaw, Weideman, Petracca, TMac, Melksham, Lever, May and Oliver improve on their 2019 form (not a big ask), that's a lot of scope for drastic improvement in 2020. 

I'm hoping Mooney's accuracy has improved since his playing days 

 

1 hour ago, TGR said:

Yes, a slow team finally got rid of its slowest player (Jordie), but it also got rid of its quickest line-breaker.pTGR

I'm not as worried as you about the team who averaged the most back half turnovers and opposition scores from back half turnovers losing it's worst ball user.

nEV

1 hour ago, TGR said:

 

A) We aint gunna add a Selwood.  Their ins are better.

 

 

Jackson and Pickett may have as much impact as those two in their first couple of seasons you never know

 

33 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

I'm not as worried as you about the team who averaged the most back half turnovers and opposition scores from back half turnovers losing it's worst ball user.

nEV

Clarkson, Nick Riewoldt and I respectfully disagree with you.

 

 

Reminds me of the Darren Jolly debate, whereby it was Roos and Rono.

On 2/19/2020 at 1:53 PM, Fifty-5 said:

Yes Richmond lost by 113 in R23, can we just ignore their other losses by 88, 70, 70, 68 and 46?

And they made Mario from Doncaster do this.

 

 

1 hour ago, Win4theAges said:

That funny feeling we have every year ey! gets us everytime.

Yes i suffer form it too - its called the Pollyanna syndrome

20 minutes ago, TGR said:

Clarkson, Nick Riewoldt and I respectfully disagree with you.

Reminds me of the Darren Jolly debate, whereby it was Roos and Rono.

Hawthorn have different strengths and weaknesses to us.

As already mentioned, we were the worst team in the league for back half turnovers and opposition scores from back half turnovers, so i think trying to create a more safe and reliable backline is a good move.

Different teams have different needs, that's why there's a trade period.

26 minutes ago, Clintosaurus said:

And they made Mario from Doncaster do this.

 

 

I guess Mario lost his reason for existence in 2017.

On 2/19/2020 at 1:53 PM, Fifty-5 said:

At 3 quarter time we were in front or within a goal of our opposition in 12 matches for only 5 wins.  It's well documented that our poor pre-season and injuries meant we weren't able to run out games.

That’s an amazing stat when you consider we played like dog’s balls for much of the year. To be in more than half the games at three quarter time either says something about our residual quality or the quality of the competition as a whole. Or both.

If we can get fit (seemingly happening) and actually click in a manner akin to 2018, we should go far.

I think percentage is a much better stat than number of wins to get a gauge of how a team's season went overall.

2019 Demons Percentage: 78.6

2016 Richmond Percentage: 79.5

When it turns, it can turn quickly.  

3 hours ago, TGR said:

(A) INS - They got Hawkins and Selwood in the off-season between 2006 and 2007.

(B) OUTS - They got rid of Kent Kingsley and Riccardi retired.

 

 

Even if Mooney is speaking sense...

A) We aint gunna add a Selwood.  Their ins are better.

B) Kingsley aint no Sam Frost.  Our outs are better if you consider Frost.

C) By round 5 2007, North beat Geelong at home, and the Cats went to 2 wins, 3 losses; with the wins being against the hapless Melbourne and Carlton.

 

 

Dream on.  Yes, a slow team finally got rid of its slowest player (Jordie), but it also got rid of its quickest line-breaker.

 

 

 

pTGR

 

So TGR you have researched the Cats and come up with 2 INS and 2OUTS.

Remarkable 

Selwood and Hawkins in the draft and lost Kingsley and Riccardi

Surely that is only a small summary of the movement in personnel.

HOWEVER let's compare on this flimsy base !!!

Dees IN Langdon Tomlinson Brown ( at least as good as Kingsley) and not even considering Harley!!!  PLUS Jackson Kossie and Rivers 

PLUS Injured most or whole of season Vandenberg Sparrow and May 

OUT Lewis Frost Stretch Garlett.

Reckon it's about Even (or we are ahead ) as long as you consider Selleood snd Hawkins as recruits in Year 1 and not the finished product of today.

Further pluses for Dees 

Well documented Surgeries and near worst horrific injury list which resulted in lack of fitness and compatibility of team cohesion virtually all season.

Pluses For Cats 

I Must add that many of their existing list was comprised of players that emerged that year as once in generation Geelong (And AFL ) greats.

Improvement is necessary in nearly all our 21-26 year olds if we are to contend as in 2018 but most Demon fans would back Trac Angus Weid Jack V Lever Salem Harmesy Fritsch ANB and Clarry to all have better seasons in 2019 than 2020, based on fitness (and availability) alone.

2018 showed more than a glimpse of our potential if we are fit and have a good run of availability.

FWIW I am confident we will improve considerably in 2020 but a Premiership yes it's a chance so let's go all out and get that 4 year Plan underway as successful as possible. 

 

 

 

On 2/19/2020 at 9:36 AM, Bring-Back-Powell said:

A lot of people liken Melbourne's 2019 to Richmond of 2016 and Geelong of 2006.

I reckon we were nothing like either of those sides.

Richmond won 8 games and beat the sides they were supposed to beat below them, and had a win over a grand finalist in Sydney. They disgraced themselves in the final round, but 8 wins is a ton better than 5.

Geelong won 10.5 games had a percentage of 100, thrashed bottom teams, and beat 4 top eight sides that year.

We on the other hand won a lousy 5 games, and none of those wins we were convincing aside from perhaps the Sydney win.

On a side note, we haven't played finals in an odd year since 1991.

2005?

On 2/19/2020 at 9:36 AM, Bring-Back-Powell said:

A lot of people liken Melbourne's 2019 to Richmond of 2016 and Geelong of 2006.

I reckon we were nothing like either of those sides.

Richmond won 8 games and beat the sides they were supposed to beat below them, and had a win over a grand finalist in Sydney. They disgraced themselves in the final round, but 8 wins is a ton better than 5.

Geelong won 10.5 games had a percentage of 100, thrashed bottom teams, and beat 4 top eight sides that year.

We on the other hand won a lousy 5 games, and none of those wins we were convincing aside from perhaps the Sydney win.

On a side note, we haven't played finals in an odd year since 1991.

I'd say this is an average-to-bad call.

Richmond were crap in 2016.

On 2/19/2020 at 1:53 PM, Fifty-5 said:

Yes Richmond lost by 113 in R23, can we just ignore their other losses by 88, 70, 70, 68 and 46?

By contrast last year our biggest losses in this range were by 80, 53, 43, 41 and 40.

At 3 quarter time we were in front or within a goal of our opposition in 12 matches for only 5 wins.  It's well documented that our poor pre-season and injuries meant we weren't able to run out games.

I'd say this is a better call.

It's been said by other posters but Richmond's percentage in 2016 was 79.5 and ours in 2019 was 78.6. Very similar despite the 8 win vs 5 win differential.

Your point about us being within a goal 12 times at 3QT for a 5-7 record is also important.

In saying all this, all I take from Geelong 2006 or Hawthorn 2009 or Richmond 2016 is that it's possible to climb, fall and climb again. The fact they did it is an example that it's possible, but neither a blueprint for us nor a guarantee it will happen.

15 hours ago, TGR said:

Clarkson, Nick Riewoldt and I respectfully disagree with you.

 

 

Reminds me of the Darren Jolly debate, whereby it was Roos and Rono.

Frost is [censored] get over it, it's going to be hilarious when Sicily finally snaps at him for being an idiot

Edited February 20, 20205 yr by Dr. Gonzo

18 hours ago, TGR said:

(A) INS - They got Hawkins and Selwood in the off-season between 2006 and 2007.

(B) OUTS - They got rid of Kent Kingsley and Riccardi retired.

 

 

Even if Mooney is speaking sense...

A) We aint gunna add a Selwood.  Their ins are better.

B) Kingsley aint no Sam Frost.  Our outs are better if you consider Frost.

C) By round 5 2007, North beat Geelong at home, and the Cats went to 2 wins, 3 losses; with the wins being against the hapless Melbourne and Carlton.

 

 

Dream on.  Yes, a slow team finally got rid of its slowest player (Jordie), but it also got rid of its quickest line-breaker.

 

 

 

pTGR

 

Where are Melbourne going to finish this year Rono?

I don't really expect an answer and I deliberately avoided "we" in the question.

18 hours ago, TGR said:

Clarkson, Nick Riewoldt and I respectfully disagree with you.

 

 

Reminds me of the Darren Jolly debate, whereby it was Roos and Rono.

Strange, it reminds me of all the years you relentlessly bagged Neale Daniher and favoured Terry Wallace.

How has that wine aged Champ?

3 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

Where are Melbourne going to finish this year Rono?

I don't really expect an answer and I deliberately avoided "we" in the question.

We used to laugh at Richmond for finishing 9th.

 

If we finish 9th, I’d be extremely surprised.

 

 

Ross Lyon might scrounge a few late season wins, but despite that, lowest quartile.

 

I am predicting a poo load of injuries this year too.  We are due for a poor run of (non-self-inflicted) luck.  Year of the rat.

2 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

Strange, it reminds me of all the years you relentlessly bagged Neale Daniher and favoured Terry Wallace.

How has that wine aged Champ?

Raspy down the throat.

23 hours ago, TGR said:

(A) INS - They got Hawkins and Selwood in the off-season between 2006 and 2007.

(B) OUTS - They got rid of Kent Kingsley and Riccardi retired.

 

 

Even if Mooney is speaking sense...

A) We aint gunna add a Selwood.  Their ins are better.

B) Kingsley aint no Sam Frost.  Our outs are better if you consider Frost.

C) By round 5 2007, North beat Geelong at home, and the Cats went to 2 wins, 3 losses; with the wins being against the hapless Melbourne and Carlton.

 

 

Dream on.  Yes, a slow team finally got rid of its slowest player (Jordie), but it also got rid of its quickest line-breaker.

 

 

 

pTGR

 

What is to say Rivers or Pickett can't have a Selwood type impact for a first year draftee if given the opportunity. Jackson should have similar impact to a first year Hawkins.

That's without considering our other recruits.

1 hour ago, TGR said:

We used to laugh at Richmond for finishing 9th.

 

If we finish 9th, I’d be extremely surprised.

 

 

Ross Lyon might scrounge a few late season wins, but despite that, lowest quartile.

 

I am predicting a poo load of injuries this year too.  We are due for a poor run of (non-self-inflicted) luck.  Year of the rat.

Will Ross be good replacement selection for Goodwin?