Today’s game against North Melbourne is one of those make or break games for Melbourne. With both Max Gawn and Jack Viney out of the side, others will be expected to step up, be counted and show leadership all over the ground.

A couple of weeks ago the pundits were describing them as “irrelevant” but a win today could see the Demons in a position to prove them wrong and remaining in the mix to challenge the top sides as we move towards the business end of the season 

We take on the side that has beaten us 18 of the last 19 times. Their last four wins against us have been by 5 points, 4 points, 14 points and 5 points. They are missing a few, but so are we. Never has the expression "We owe this mob!" been more apt.

This is a game we simply must win. Win today and we can have 6 days off to prepare for a huge game against Collingwood that could see us get the W column ahead of the L column. Lose, and I'd say finals are beyond us.

I think Simon Goodwins coaching career will effectively be over by the end of this game.

We have a laughable record against Norf, who physically smash us every time we play.

Hoping Brayshaw gets the Viney role on-ball, as he is a much better player in the guts. Also hope that T-Mac rucks all day to allow Jackson to stay up forward. Seems to be developing something with Weed.

It'll be an interesting game. It will either prove or disprove those posters who think we need to let Viney go through free agency, while also potentially showing (or not) how important having a dominant ruck man is.

I think it will be close but I don't really see where their goals are going to come from, especially with May in such good form. Their smalls and mids will really need to step up.

9 minutes ago, Mickey said:

I think it will be close but I don't really see where their goals are going to come from, especially with May in such good form. Their smalls and mids will really need to step up.

They found a way to score goals against Adelaide.

That 1/18 win/loss stat against, what has been, a mid table team for most of that time has been stuffing with my mind.

At least if we move to 1/19 today I can join the ‘this year doesn’t count’ crowd. I’ll then spend the next 8 months trying to work out if there is any chance I could still be alive before we could hope to even the ledger. 
 

PS. Cunnington normally bullies us and then shows us how to play football. He is a huge out

 

I think we will win this one.

Trac and Oliver to have a big night.

Weid and young Jackson also.

 

Edited August 8, 20204 yr by leave it to deever

A few reasons to be excited about tonights game

-  A win takes us to 5-5 and 9th on the ladder, leapfrogging Essendon and he Dogs who both have a garbage %

-  We will beat North, who sadly owned us for 10+ years despite being crap themselves a lot of the time

- We will have a 2 game win streak and some confidence going into the Pies game with Gawn and Viney to return

-  Luke Jackson, enough said

- Kozzie Pickett... should be fresh and ready to cause havoc.. would love to see a few goals

- Trent Rivers, best kick at the club

- Sam Weideman, will he continue to improve, take marks, crash packs

- Angus Brayshaw, finally playing a full game in his natural position on the ball

- The Petracca-Oliver combo

 

 

Lets win this by 40+.

Edited August 8, 20204 yr by Pickett2Jackson

North’s team is rubbish, we should win this convincingly. North by 37. 

I have attended only one game of AFL football this season and it happens to have been the scratch match against North Melbourne back in February. We creamed them back then and even though it was virtually a seconds game with a few VFL players thrown in, I’m confident that we can beat them again this time.

35 minutes ago, Leopold Bloom said:

They found a way to score goals against Adelaide.

Yep, and it was their smalls and mids who did. 11 separate goal kickers.

Hopefully it's not a repeat of that game. We're bad but we're not Adelaide.

22 minutes ago, Mickey said:

Yep, and it was their smalls and mids who did. 11 separate goal kickers.

Hopefully it's not a repeat of that game. We're bad but we're not Adelaide.

North’s goalkickers likely. 
 

smalls - Anderson Zurhaar Hall

talls - Daw Larkey

but they always seem to beat us through their mids kicking goals. Higgins Polec Dumont Simpkin.  
 

Really have to stop Higgins. I’d give Harmes this assignment 

While I'm not overly enthused about team selection, I reckon we'll win.  In fact, I'm going to put a modest amount of my no longer hard earned on the Dees.

Well ... we just have to win ,to stay in the main game and make something of our season. Looking at the latest membership figures gives a sense of urgency to finishing this season strongly. We need to make the finals at the very least to start undoing the damage of 2019 and our poor start to this  ****ty season.

Norf have had Richmond like grip on us for years and it's time to shake that off. 

21 point winners

40 minutes ago, Elwood 3184 said:

I have attended only one game of AFL football this season and it happens to have been the scratch match against North Melbourne back in February. We creamed them back then and even though it was virtually a seconds game with a few VFL players thrown in, I’m confident that we can beat them again this time.

Thanks for the reminder - it was my only AFL game this year too. 

That’s good news for a few of today’s players. Jake Melksham and Angus Brayshaw were the standouts and Charlie Spargo was good both up forward and in the middle. Kozzie Pickett was exciting and Trent Rivers and Tom Sparrow showed out. 

Rhyce Shaw was experimenting with a crazy game plan that involved moving the ball any way but forward and our kicking for goal was pathetic. We need to be on target tonight.

 

How on earth can goodwin justify picking Tmac certainly not on form.Everyone forgets he was an ordinary chb ,had lucky few games as a forward but since then is back to being ordinary(very) over weight and slow

30 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Thanks for the reminder - it was my only AFL game this year too. 

That’s good news for a few of today’s players. Jake Melksham and Angus Brayshaw were the standouts and Charlie Spargo was good both up forward and in the middle. Kozzie Pickett was exciting and Trent Rivers and Tom Sparrow showed out. 

Rhyce Shaw was experimenting with a crazy game plan that involved moving the ball any way but forward and our kicking for goal was pathetic. We need to be on target tonight.

 

Thanks for reminding me that I went to Arden St that day too. If we lose 2day, then North really do own us.

15 minutes ago, forever demons said:

How on earth can goodwin justify picking Tmac certainly not on form.Everyone forgets he was an ordinary chb ,had lucky few games as a forward but since then is back to being ordinary(very) over weight and slow

So it’s TMac’s big test today. He’s good enough to prove the doubters wrong.

I hope its Tomlinson that helps TMac in the ruck rather than Jacko. 

Jacko doesn't yet have the body nor the strength to go up against Goldstein or Majak.  And I recall a coach saying something like you don't put a thoroughbred in the ruck, which to me is what is.  It may have Roos about Goodes after he did his knee playing in the ruck.

And the Tomlinson and TMac ruck pair allows Jacko to stay fwd and develop his relationship with Weideman and other fwds. 

Am rapt we have stopped playing Weideman in different positions and allowing him to settle into FF.  If the coaches let him he will own that spot for the next decade.

Just hope the umpires are on the looking out for the brutal off the ball tactics North use.

Nonetheless, I'm confident we will win.

Just saw the match preview article on nfc website:

McDonald has been in stellar form in the defensive half, could a return to a tagging role he was so successful in earlier in the year be on the cards? 
McDonald shut down Dustin Martin and Marcus Bontempelli among several big-bodied midfielders, so Oliver could be the perfect matchup.Oliver was brilliant in the Demons’ win over Adelaide, racking up 34 disposals, 11 clearances and six tackles, so North will no doubt be looking to quell his impact.

Oliver is in for a tough day.  We will need VdB to ride shotgun for him!

I reckon we will play one good half and that will enough to win by 52 points. 

What we do in the ruck will go a long way in deciding this game.

Looks like TMac will play there and supposedly drop back to fill the hole down back, effectively playing Max’s role to a Tee.

Jacko/Dogga will probably give him a chop out.

Edited August 8, 20204 yr by DeeZee

Whilst I personally would have played Preuss against Goldy they are clearly backing in LJ and TMac from a mobility POV over Preuss from a strength POV. LJ is smart enough as he showed against OBrien when rucking to not get in a body on body but I worry that North will target him physically at every opportunity. Viney out will allow us to get our best midfield dynamic together with Brayshaw more in the pivot to build on his second half. I also hope that Harmes goes to Higgins in a hard tag whether that be midfield or half forward. Hoping that Oliver (full game) and Brayshaw (second half) build back into their 2018 form, May and Lever continue their improvement together and that Kozzie, Spargo and Rivers bring the youthful energy we will need off a 4 day break. Bring strong effort and good connection and the result will look after itself. 

Does anyone have a comparison of the average age/games played of our team vs Norths?

I see we have three teenagers (Pickett, Rivers, Kozzie) and two guys who are barely out of their teens (Spargo, Sparrow).    Curious how Norths team compares.

North will win easily. Hope I am wrong.

16 minutes ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

Does anyone have a comparison of the average age/games played of our team vs Norths?

I see we have three teenagers (Pickett, Rivers, Kozzie) and two guys who are barely out of their teens (Spargo, Sparrow).    Curious how Norths team compares.

Look at Footywire.com but the desktop not the mobile version.