I was holding off starting this thread but Round 1 is a go ...

Round 1 • West Coast Eagles v Melbourne

Sunday 22 March 2020 • 6:20 PM (AEDT)

BEST IN SHOW by Whispering Jack

I am writing this knowing that the AFL has deemed that the opening round of competition will proceed but fully believing that it should not. 

The world is going through cataclysmic change as a result of the overwhelming spread of the Covid-19 virus and I agree that a distraction like sport would be good for the public. However, while the physical threat to the population is bad enough, there are other  issues to be addressed including the mental health of the community and the effects on the economy, business and leisure which are profound. Then there is the effect on the sport itself.

While many activities are being postponed and cancelled to permit the isolation of participants and thereby minimise the possibility of contracting or passing on illness to the vulnerable in the community, the AFL has forged onwards with a business as usual approach, albeit without the crowds that often give the game what we describe as “atmosphere”. 

But can we really claim that the show must go on when the health and well being of our elite sporting persons - the players - is at stake? Compare us with the American National Basketball Association which cancelled its season last week when the first player tested positive. Yesterday, it was revealed that one of the game’s superstars Kevin Durant is among four Brooklyn Nets players to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Will we only follow suit when inevitably one of ours is found to be infected? And what then will be the effect on our national game?

The AFL has deemed that the show must go on and so it seems it will. Over in Perth where it’s always a difficult place for visiting sides to win, I expect Melbourne to make a good fist of things. I’m expecting the team to be much fitter than this time last year. We should see a great midfield battle with the team at close to full strength there, a stronger defence than the one the club could muster last year, but perhaps still not enough up forward to beat the Eagles on their home turf. 

And despite the fact that the affirmation of that home crowd in favour of West Coast will be missing, they remain one of the competition’s frontrunners and, by the end of the day, they’ll be the best in show.

West Coast by 13 points.

TEAMS

WEST COAST EAGLES

B Jetta McGovern Duggan
HB Gaff Yeo Brander
C Sheppard Barrass Hurn
HF Redden Darling Sheed
F Ryan Kennedy Cripps
FOLL Naitanui Kelly Shuey
I/C Ah Chee Hickey Nelson Petruccelle
EMG Hutchings Schofield Waterman Williams

MELBOURNE 

B N Jetta S May J Lever
HB O McDonald J Harmes M Hibberd
C E Langdon C Oliver A Tomlinson 
HF A Neal-Bullen B Fritsch J Viney
F C Spargo T McDonald A Brayshaw 
FOLL M Gawn C Petracca J Melksham 
I/C T Bedford M Brown J Lockhart K Pickett
EMG M Hore L Jackson T Sparrow S Weideman 

Melbourne Football Club: Injury List: Round 1

Kyle Dunkley (heel) — available 
Sam Weideman (ankle) — available
Nathan Jones (Achilles) — test
Braydon Preuss (knee) — test
Joel Smith (quad) — test
Mitch Hannan (groin) — 6 weeks
Harry Petty (groin) — 6 weeks
Aaron vandenBerg (foot) — 3 months
Kade Chandler (finger) — TBC
Harley Bennell (calf) — indefinite
Kade Kolodjashnij (head) — indefinite
Aaron Nietschke (knee) — season 

Go You Demons!

Time to be unsociable. Target Kennedy's elbow.

Edited March 18, 20205 yr by Demon Disciple

3 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Go You Demons!

Time to be unsociable. Target Kennedy's elbow.

At a distance...

6 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Go You Demons!

Time to be unsociable. Target Kennedy's elbow.

BRING  IT ON!

Once we hit 100 posts will need to shut this down 

1 minute ago, brendan said:

Once we hit 100 posts will need to shut this down 

Only from 100 different posters.

My interest in this game is much more than the 4 points

How will the umpires officiate in Perf without the crowds baying for blood every 5 seconds?

Will the T.V nerds use canned sound to improve the experience?

How much chat from the players will we hear, including the endless swearing that goes on during contact sport? Will we get a better feel for who the in-game leaders are?

Will it actually feel like a real game of footy when it's played in near silence?

No crowd of Feral Bogan Perthites is a good start.  Has to be worth a dozen frees and a few goals. 

2 minutes ago, faultydet said:

My interest in this game is much more than the 4 points

How will the umpires officiate in Perf without the crowds baying for blood every 5 seconds?

Will the T.V nerds use canned sound to improve the experience?

How much chat from the players will we hear, including the endless swearing that goes on during contact sport? Will we get a better feel for who the in-game leaders are?

Will it actually feel like a real game of footy when it's played in near silence?

I too am super interested, will be a surreal moment, one wonders if players will be able to go as hard without atmosphere. Would you kill yourself as a gladiator with no audience...

If any Demons player has any flu like symptoms, put him as full fwd and tell him to not sneeze into his elbow

It will be good to see some meaningful footy played this weekend. Have been hanging out for it and after the last few virus weeks it will be a welcome distraction.

It will be an interesting selection this weekend. We have a good strong list to elect from and only a few key injuries.

In defence we have OMac, May Lever Jetta and Hibberd all locked in there for R1.  Harmes i being groomed for the HB and I could see him rotating with Lockhart through there for this game. We may need to swing him into a tagging role in the middle if it is required so I can see Lockhart named on the bench.

We need TMac firing up forward. Fritsch and Melksham will be there and I think will cause a lot of headaches for a lot of defences this season. I would have Weideman and Pickett in the team. Weideman as a support to Max and Pickett because I think he has shown enough to get a crack at small forward spot.  Max to spend some time in the forward 50 when resting. Shorter quarters will allow this to happen more.

Midfield to spread its new wings Tomilinson and Langdon with a mix of Petracca, Viney, Oliver and Brayshaw to run around at Max's feet. Melksham and Harmes to get a run in the middle a well at times. 

 

Jones and Sparrow on the bench with Lockhart and i would have ANB there as well for his ability to run all day and to cover a few different roles.

 

B   -       Jetta            O.McDonald       Hibberd

HB  -     Lever               May                Harmes

C    -     Langdon        Petracca        Tomlinson

HF  -     Melksham    T.McDonald    Brayshaw

F     -     Pickett           Fritsch           Weideman

R    -     Gawn               Oliver              Viney

IC   -     Jones      Lockhart    Sparrow   Neal-Bullen

EMR: Jackson, Bedford, Hore, Hunt.

 

 

21 minutes ago, CHF said:

It will be good to see some meaningful footy played this weekend. Have been hanging out for it and after the last few virus weeks it will be a welcome distraction.

Agreed.  I feel like the MFC has had a  really strong pre-season and then this bloody virus has put so much uncertainty into the picture that it has taken a bit of the shine off the excitement that I was feeling towards Rd 1.

Really keen to see how we stack up against some good sides in real games and would love for us to prove all the doubters wrong this season.

I'm feeling confident in our mids being fit, stong and ready to tear some opposition apart again.  I think our backline will hold up well and that we are well placed in the mid sized forward area with Freitch and Melksham.  Really just need T Mac and Weid to start pulling down some big marks and we could be pretty balanced all over the ground.

 

Carn the mighty DEMONS.

Smash the Eagles like a COVID from hell!

52 minutes ago, RalphiusMaximus said:

No crowd of Feral Bogan Perthites is a good start.  Has to be worth a dozen frees and a few goals. 

My intel is Eagles internal research is the crowd umps ground etc is on average a 5 goal head start

Hope we are smart enough to dress players up with makeup to make them all look like they've got the virus and have them start coughing as they line up against their opponents. Oh! Hope this post is PC.

This thing is stripping us from all our advantages this year we've got to claw something back. First easy draw gone. Now fitness advantage at end of quarters gone. Nasty. Wonder how much shorter 16 minute instead of 20 minute quarters plus time on will make the quarters. 

 

Edited March 18, 20205 yr by It's Time

It's be interesting to see if there are tactics put into play with the shorten quarters and who it might help. Younger players who maybe aren't used to the rigours of full matches in these conditions may stay in the game for longer. I'd definitely like to see Kozzie play now, I had him having a game or two at VFL level before bringing him in but now with these conditions get him in there to put some electricity into the game.

Oh and maybe TMac should start coughing, might stop their defenders wearing him like a glove!

Well we are all ready for a distraction from that damn Mexican beer virus.

A win, 5 goals from Pickett and a mark of the year contender from LJ should do the trick.

wow ! no Salem you are certainly a tough marker

1 hour ago, CHF said:

It will be good to see some meaningful footy played this weekend. Have been hanging out for it and after the last few virus weeks it will be a welcome distraction.

It will be an interesting selection this weekend. We have a good strong list to elect from and only a few key injuries.

In defence we have OMac, May Lever Jetta and Hibberd all locked in there for R1.  Harmes i being groomed for the HB and I could see him rotating with Lockhart through there for this game. We may need to swing him into a tagging role in the middle if it is required so I can see Lockhart named on the bench.

We need TMac firing up forward. Fritsch and Melksham will be there and I think will cause a lot of headaches for a lot of defences this season. I would have Weideman and Pickett in the team. Weideman as a support to Max and Pickett because I think he has shown enough to get a crack at small forward spot.  Max to spend some time in the forward 50 when resting. Shorter quarters will allow this to happen more.

Midfield to spread its new wings Tomilinson and Langdon with a mix of Petracca, Viney, Oliver and Brayshaw to run around at Max's feet. Melksham and Harmes to get a run in the middle a well at times. 

 

Jones and Sparrow on the bench with Lockhart and i would have ANB there as well for his ability to run all day and to cover a few different roles.

 

B   -       Jetta            O.McDonald       Hibberd

HB  -     Lever               May                Harmes

C    -     Langdon        Petracca        Tomlinson

HF  -     Melksham    T.McDonald    Brayshaw

F     -     Pickett           Fritsch           Weideman

R    -     Gawn               Oliver              Viney

IC   -     Jones      Lockhart    Sparrow   Neal-Bullen

EMR: Jackson, Bedford, Hore, Hunt.

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, kallangurdemon said:

wow ! no Salem you are certainly a tough marker

 

I have him unwell with what ever it is they say it is. 

 

If he is fit I would have him in instead of Hore.  (oops. I mean Sparrow. Sparrow to replace Hore in Emr.)

Edited March 18, 20205 yr by CHF

Do we have to self isolate on arrival ???

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

I was holding off starting this thread but Round 1 is a go ...

Round 1 • West Coast Eagles v Melbourne

Sunday 22 March 2020 • 6:20 PM (AEDT)

Good to see that the beer isn't that lethal Mexican stuff!

1 hour ago, DaisyDeeciple said:

Would you kill yourself as a gladiator with no audience...

Interesting. The players still know that there’s a million people watching and that every innocuous little piece of play will be analyzed. They just won’t have the instant feedback from the crowd – it will all be on their own shoulders.

In similar circumstances (jokes) I played touch/social footy not that long ago and I couldn’t temper my competitive streak, didn’t matter that no one was watching – I just had to beat my opponent and was willing to go above and beyond to do it.

Footy players are ultra competitive so I think it will be high intensity – question is whether that translates for the viewers without crowd involvement / feedback.

Could be a bit like watching a sitcom without the ‘laugh track’ - a bit soulless unless the true quality of the content is prominent.

I wonder if the coaches will get right down on the boundary line to shout instructions to players since they will now be able to hear them pretty clearly 

Balllllllllllll said no crowd. Watch the umpiring come back to neutral. 

We’ll smash West Coast.

I wish we were playing normal times.

I'm assuming there's no banners to run through, no kids to run out with the team and no half time Auskick. Quite a different atmosphere.