Jump to content

Featured Replies

 

Remember 2017 without Max. We're less predictable as a clearance team. I think we'll win either way.

I remember we beat Adelaide in Adelaide without Max and Jacobs was rucking against McDonald from memory.

2 games with a lat injury.

Don't hate it tbh, gives us unpredictability in the middle for a change.

Some people have talked about Preuss, but given he was one of the players left in Melbourne originally is he even out of quarantine yet?

Edit - Apologies, 2 games, not 2 weeks.

 
3 minutes ago, A F said:

Remember 2017 without Max. We're less predictable as a clearance team. I think we'll win either way.

I remember we beat Adelaide in Adelaide without Max and Jacobs was rucking against McDonald from memory.

AF, that's an insult to the 2nd greatest ruckman in MFC history in Cam Pedersen who was our number 1 ruckman that night...

5 minutes ago, A F said:

Remember 2017 without Max. We're less predictable as a clearance team. I think we'll win either way.

I remember we beat Adelaide in Adelaide without Max and Jacobs was rucking against McDonald from memory.

Cam Pedersen was the saviour during that period.  Was fantastic for us while Gawn was out.

edit -  dd36 beat me to it

Edited by Pickett2Jackson


1 minute ago, Lord Nev said:

2 weeks with a lat injury.

Don't hate it tbh, gives us unpredictability in the middle for a change.

Some people have talked about Preuss, but given he was one of the players left in Melbourne originally is he even out of quarantine yet?

Yes they're back with the full squad now

5 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Gawn is today undergoing scans on a soft-tissue strain, with the Demons hopeful he can still take his place in the side against the Crows at Adelaide Oval.

Sources said the commanding ruckman could miss multiple weeks, but the club is preparing for him to play at this stage.

I hope desperation doesn't kick in and we play him when we shouldn't.  A critical game but not worth taking the risk.  We can't afford for him to breakdown and be out for many more weeks.

It may be a good thing to teach our mids to shark someone else and structure differently.  We have Preuss for a reason.  This is his time with support from TMac or Tomlinson.

2 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Yes they're back with the full squad now

You 100% sure? Seems a tight deadline. Quarantine is two weeks, and it's only been 2 weeks and 5 days since MFC announced they would fly up the rest of the players.

 

Edited by Lord Nev

 

Don't get me wrong. I love Max, but we can win without him. 

1 minute ago, Lord Nev said:

You 100% sure? Seems a tight deadline. Quarantine is two weeks, and it's only been 2 weeks and 5 days since MFC announced they would fly up the rest of the players.

 

They joined the squad last Friday.


I appreciate some of the attempts to spin positives out of this, some of which I agree with, but let's be clear: Gawn is a superstar and one of the few players we've had who have performed at, or above, their expected level this year.

We will be worse overall for not having him out there. If he's out for two weeks, he'll also miss the North game and probably the Collinwood game too.

Having said that, I agree we can win without him, and it may be a chance for our midfielders to think differently about how they approach stoppages.

If Preuss is available for selection then surely this is his time. What's the point in having him if he doesn't play when Gawn's unavailable? If he's not available for selection though, then I'm not sure what we do. TMac was hopeless and should be dropped. I'm not sure he's fit enough to ruck. Maybe Tomlinson gets the spot? 

1 minute ago, dazzledavey36 said:

They joined the squad last Friday.

Thanks mate, good news!

Not 100% sold on picking Preuss if he's coming in with only 1 main session with the full team and possibly only 2 with the mids. Plus, his fitness would still be a while off wouldn't it?

1 minute ago, titan_uranus said:

I appreciate some of the attempts to spin positives out of this, some of which I agree with, but let's be clear: Gawn is a superstar and one of the few players we've had who have performed at, or above, their expected level this year.

You won't find a Dees supporter who doesn't love him and think he's a superstar, but we're 5th for hitouts and 13th for clearances so a change up could be beneficial for the mids.

10 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

2 weeks with a lat injury.

Don't hate it tbh, gives us unpredictability in the middle for a change.

Some people have talked about Preuss, but given he was one of the players left in Melbourne originally is he even out of quarantine yet?

 

Yikes. Has the 2 weeks been confirmed?


3 minutes ago, ben russell said:

Yikes. Has the 2 weeks been confirmed?

Nothing is ever officially confirmed til the club says so, but this is the old mate of a mate (albeit a mate who would 100% know) so take it as a 'solid rumour' until the club announces something.

EDIT - Apologies to everyone, it's actually 2 GAMES not 2 weeks. Sorry!

Edited by Lord Nev

1 minute ago, Lord Nev said:

Thanks mate, good news!

Not 100% sold on picking Preuss if he's coming in with only 1 main session with the full team and possibly only 2 with the mids. Plus, his fitness would still be a while off wouldn't it?

Yeah honestly I'm the same (I have a man crush on the Pruess). I have no idea what fitness work they've done since being away. But I do hope with news that Pruess dropped 8 kilos over the summer to improve his endurance that might hopefully help in some way.

The other option is whether we do go agile and have Jackson and Tomlinson as a rucks. They won't win a lot of hitouts, but just being competitive around the ground is all we ask.

Well, 90% of Adelaides preparation to date for our game has probably gone to waste. That's probably the only positive that I can see.

Just now, Lord Nev said:

Nothing is ever officially confirmed til the club says so, but this is the old mate of a mate (albeit a mate who would 100% know) so take it as a 'solid rumour' until the club announces something.

If Max is injured he cannot play. We need 22 fit players on Wednesday 

I am definitely in the it will be good for us camp. Something needed to change and now it's time for other players to step up.

While it won't be so much of an issue against Adelaide it is bad timing with Goldstein and Grundy coming up.

Edited by Watts the matter


*the sound of 200K Supercoach teams being updated

15 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Thanks mate, good news!

Not 100% sold on picking Preuss if he's coming in with only 1 main session with the full team and possibly only 2 with the mids. Plus, his fitness would still be a while off wouldn't it?

I'd go with Tomlinson as TU says. Preuss' big issue last year was his ability to get to stoppages and his fitness. I'm sure he's improved that, but Tomlinson for mine.

17 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Who will our kickouts go to????

Its time we broke the habit of kicking it to the left side straight to Max.  Not having him will force different tactics to exit our d50.

On the kickouts, I'm surprised our players rarely take a run and but kick from inside/the edge of the square.  Not to be used all the time but a good way to change things up, get over the pack, gain territory and open up space for us.

Time for exit d50 creativity.

Edited by Lucifer's Hero

 

I'd like to see a 'Preuss and Jacko' combo... less predictable for our mids, which may help them win a few more clearances without getting sliver service from Gawn. 

Goody has to be the luckiest bloke in footy. First COVID now Ganw's injury on the eve of a game that could have maked or breaked his coaching career. Excuses out the wazoo now.


Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Featured Content

  • GAMEDAY: Collingwood

    It's Game Day and the Demons face a monumental task as they take on the top-of-the-table Magpies in one of the biggest games on the Dees calendar: the King's Birthday Big Freeze MND match. Can the Demons defy the odds and claim a massive scalp to keep their finals hopes alive?

      • Haha
      • Like
    • 78 replies
  • CASEY: Collingwood

    It was freezing cold at Mission Whitten Stadium where only the brave came out in the rain to watch a game that turned out to be as miserable as the weather.
    The Casey Demons secured their third consecutive victory, earning the four premiership points and credit for defeating a highly regarded Collingwood side, but achieved little else. Apart perhaps from setting the scene for Monday’s big game at the MCG and the Ice Challenge that precedes it.
    Neither team showcased significant skill in the bleak and greasy conditions, at a location that was far from either’s home territory. Even the field umpires forgot where they were and experienced a challenging evening, but no further comment is necessary.

    • 4 replies
  • NON-MFC: Round 13

    Follow all the action from every Round 13 clash excluding the Dees as the 2025 AFL Premiership Season rolls on. With Melbourne playing in the final match of the round on King's Birthday, all eyes turn to the rest of the competition. Who are you tipping to win? And more importantly, which results best serve the Demons’ finals aspirations? Join the discussion and keep track of the matches that could shape the ladder and impact our run to September.

      • Clap
      • Like
    • 216 replies
  • PREVIEW: Collingwood

    Having convincingly defeated last year’s premier and decisively outplayed the runner-up with 8.2 in the final quarter, nothing epitomized the Melbourne Football Club’s performance more than its 1.12 final half, particularly the eight consecutive behinds in the last term, against a struggling St Kilda team in the midst of a dismal losing streak. Just when stability and consistency were anticipated within the Demon ranks, they delivered a quintessential performance marked by instability and ill-conceived decisions, with the most striking aspect being their inaccuracy in kicking for goal, which suggested a lack of preparation (instead of sleeping in their hotel in Alice, were they having a night on the turps) rather than a well-rested team. Let’s face it - this kicking disease that makes them look like raw amateurs is becoming a millstone around the team’s neck.

      • Like
    • 1 reply
  • CASEY: Sydney

    The Casey Demons were always expected to emerge victorious in their matchup against the lowly-ranked Sydney Swans at picturesque Tramway Oval, situated in the shadows of the SCG in Moore Park. They dominated the proceedings in the opening two and a half quarters of the game but had little to show for it. This was primarily due to their own sloppy errors in a low-standard game that produced a number of crowded mauls reminiscent of the rugby game popular in old Sydney Town. However, when the Swans tired, as teams often do when they turn games into ugly defensive contests, Casey lifted the standard of its own play and … it was off to the races. Not to nearby Randwick but to a different race with an objective of piling on goal after goal on the way to a mammoth victory. At the 25-minute mark of the third quarter, the Demons held a slender 14-point lead over the Swans, who are ahead on the ladder of only the previous week's opposition, the ailing Bullants. Forty minutes later, they had more than fully compensated for the sloppiness of their earlier play with a decisive 94-point victory, that culminated in a rousing finish which yielded thirteen unanswered goals. Kicks hit their targets, the ball found itself going through the middle and every player made a contribution.

      • Like
    • 1 reply
  • REPORT: St. Kilda

    Hands up if you thought, like me, at half-time in yesterday’s game at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs that Melbourne’s disposal around the ground and, in particular, its kicking inaccuracy in front of the goals couldn’t get any worse. Well, it did. And what’s even more damning for the Melbourne Football Club is that the game against St Kilda and its resurgence from the bottomless pit of its miserable start to the season wasn’t just lost through poor conversion for goal but rather in the 15 minutes when the entire team went into a slumber and was mugged by the out-of-form Saints. Their six goals two behinds (one goal less than the Demons managed for the whole game) weaved a path of destruction from which they were unable to recover. Ross Lyon’s astute use of pressure to contain the situation once they had asserted their grip on the game, and Melbourne’s self-destructive wastefulness, assured that outcome. The old adage about the insanity of repeatedly doing something and expecting a different result, was out there. Two years ago, the score line in Melbourne’s loss to the Giants at this same ground was 5 goals 15 behinds - a ratio of one goal per four scoring shots - was perfectly replicated with yesterday’s 7 goals 21 behinds. 
    This has been going on for a while and opens up a number of questions. I’ll put forward a few that come to mind from this performance. The obvious first question is whether the club can find a suitable coach to instruct players on proper kicking techniques or is this a skill that can no longer be developed at this stage of the development of our playing group? Another concern is the team's ability to counter an opponent's dominance during a run on as exemplified by the Saints in the first quarter. Did the Demons underestimate their opponents, considering St Kilda's goals during this period were scored by relatively unknown forwards? Furthermore, given the modest attendance of 6,721 at TIO Traeger Park and the team's poor past performances at this venue, is it prudent to prioritize financial gain over potentially sacrificing valuable premiership points by relinquishing home ground advantage, notwithstanding the cultural significance of the team's connection to the Red Centre? 

      • Like
    • 4 replies