49 minutes ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

Tonight's game aside, we've lost to the other 5 teams we've played above us

We've beaten 12, 13, 15, 17, 18  as well as a depleted Pies at 7

I'm happy, just not getting carried away

Yep me too. Not raining on anyone’s party as we haven’t taken a worthy scalp. You have to remember though, we just missed out on the Cats and Lions by less than a goal. 

I think we are somewhere between 6-10.

We have had one majorly disappointing game this year. Looking at every team I think it’s fair to say that almost every team has had one of those now too.

Edited August 15, 20204 yr by CYB

7 minutes ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

We got a great ride from the umps tonight, that was probably the worst decision of them all. Dead set taking out the legs from Viney, then best part was he got one go his way that was taking out the legs that despite the commentary clearly being bizarrely geared towards the Pies on that was just as clear as the other. 

Ah poor Bucks......actually stuff him!!!

6 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

Cheers Uncle!  Not a bad drop!

Tastes even better after beating the filth!

9 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I just like Smith and feel another marking option forward (someone more agile than McDonald) is needed.

If Smith comes back, forward is definitely his go. I know he's got a great leap, but I wonder if he's a fraction too small to play the second key tall.

Up yours crackers Keenan,tiped the pies to win easily, because the Dees only beat a crap north Melbourne side, I am tipping north to beat the pies next round.

13 minutes ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

“Why You Little....”

51 minutes ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

Tonight's game aside, we've lost to the other 5 teams we've played above us

We've beaten 12, 13, 15, 17, 18  as well as a depleted Pies at 7

I'm happy, just not getting carried away

Treloar gets the ball 28 times and turns it over 25 times, De Goey didn't do much all year prior to injury and then Howe is a blow to backline. Personally I didn't see them as being depleted, 1 good defender short and thats it.

Calling p man. What happened? 

6 minutes ago, A F said:

I said a bit of this in another thread, but our team defence is the best it's been under Goodwin at any point.

It's not the same team defence that we played in 2018 either.

I thought Oliver, Langdon, May, Gus, Melksham and Petracca were our best.

Honourable mentions to Lockhart, Spargo (particularly his first half), Preuss (for competing and running out the game), Weideman, Salem and Hibberd.

We're really starting to move the ball beautifully and get that team connection happening. 

Knowing that we're going to get a contest from Weideman inside 50 is massive too and despite some very poor efforts early, McDonald turned his game around in the last three quarters and started to provide a good target inside 50.

Harmes's ball use was atrocious, but if you watch the last 5 minutes of the third, I kept mopping up ground balls at half back, which was really important for ensuring we didn't get scored against and we could rebound via the likes of Hibbo.

As I've said in other posts, I thought Viney's attack on the ball all night could not be questioned, but outside of that, I think they're still trying to find a way to get him into the game without sacrificing Brayshaw's game. Playing off the back of stoppage was an interesting move and one that could be worked on. I wouldn't mind trying him as a tagger, because he was still getting in the way of our cleaner, better ball users at times.

The two biggest takeaways for me was our ball use entering forward 50 and our transition defending. Langdon is an outstanding acquisition and I wouldn't be surprised to see the opposition start to put some time into him. He ran riot tonight.

Kozzie feels close, but I reckon he might be in trouble if Hannan is fit next week. I wonder how many corrals and pressure points he built up though.

Petracca was interviewed post-game and was asked what had changed since the Port game. He said defence.

IMO, it's been noticeable (and was improving prior to the Port game too).

We've got far more defensive running from our mids, better pressure in the front half, and our back half structure is so much better and improves every week.

I agree on Pickett. I think he's close to ripping a game completely open. He fumbles too much but he's so often in the right spot, he's got a surprisingly good tank for a first year player, and his workrate is spot on. All things I'm sure the FD rate.

6 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I just like Smith and feel another marking option forward (someone more agile than McDonald) is needed.

I just don't get it with Smith.

I don't think we can go into a game with Weideman and Smith as our two key forwards.

I think it has to be Weideman and TMac, and if not TMac, then Brown, unless/until Jackson is fit. I don't think we can risk putting Smith in as a second tall forward when he's so loose and untrustworthy.

5 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

“Why You Little....”

Buckley excuses his little outburst.... “I just had a really expensive game of tennis during the week.”

Edited August 15, 20204 yr by Rusty Nails

19 minutes ago, boydie said:

Treloar gets the ball 28 times and turns it over 25 times, De Goey didn't do much all year prior to injury and then Howe is a blow to backline. Personally I didn't see them as being depleted, 1 good defender short and thats it.

Two, I reckon. Roughead was a loss for them. It was like taking out May (with Roughead) and then Lever's intercept play (with Howe).

But I don't want to take away from how beautifully and smartly we moved the ball for most of the match. I don't think they would stopped all of it.

Edited August 15, 20204 yr by A F

1 minute ago, Rusty Nails said:

Buckley excuses his little outburst.... “I just had a really expensive game of tennis during the week.”

BTW Rusty if you're going to start sloshing shiraz seriously - get a better glass.

1 hour ago, Wiseblood said:

I told you guys at three quarter time we would win by 10 goals! 

Now, please, bask in every glorious moment of smashing the filth! 

Go Dees! 

I don't like Filth - it's like the tartar on teeth - needs to be removed and spat out and put down the drain - Filth!

6 minutes ago, boydie said:

Treloar gets the ball 28 times and turns it over 25 times, De Goey didn't do much all year prior to injury and then Howe is a blow to backline. Personally I didn't see them as being depleted, 1 good defender short and thats it.

You severely underrate Treloar. And Roughead, who is 12093 times better than Dunn.

Still, no excuses for any side, as there weren't for us last year.

12 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Petracca was interviewed post-game and was asked what had changed since the Port game. He said defence.

IMO, it's been noticeable (and was improving prior to the Port game too).

We've got far more defensive running from our mids, better pressure in the front half, and our back half structure is so much better and improves every week.

I agree on Pickett. I think he's close to ripping a game completely open. He fumbles too much but he's so often in the right spot, he's got a surprisingly good tank for a first year player, and his workrate is spot on. All things I'm sure the FD rate.

Absolutely. Heard Trac say that.

I said this in another thread, but I reckon the first time our team defence really clicked was against the Lions. We strangled them, but didn't take our chances at the other end. 

We've been able to grow in confidence the last two games playing that team defence that has strangled lower opposition.

Okay, so Collingwood were missing a few players tonight, but I reckon we'll get a heap of confidence from the way we defended in transition tonight. We were all over them. 

Edited August 15, 20204 yr by A F

9 minutes ago, boydie said:

Treloar gets the ball 28 times and turns it over 25 times, De Goey didn't do much all year prior to injury and then Howe is a blow to backline. Personally I didn't see them as being depleted, 1 good defender short and thats it.

spot on 

1 hour ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

Tonight's game aside, we've lost to the other 5 teams we've played above us

We've beaten 12, 13, 15, 17, 18  as well as a depleted Pies at 7

I'm happy, just not getting carried away

I reckon you often see this argument, but by definition beating a side means you are more likely to be above them, its a 8 point swing.

I.e if we lost to GCS they would be above us.  All you can do is beat what is infront of you

10 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

You severely underrate Treloar. And Roughead, who is 12093 times better than Dunn.

Still, no excuses for any side, as there weren't for us last year.

I'd certainly have Oliver before I'd have Treloar, but the latter is definitely a talent, and damaging if you let him run and carry. His speed definitely gives them some dynamism in stoppage situations. As does De Goey when they interject him.

Edited August 15, 20204 yr by A F

I love him but Pickett ran around like a 6yo who had too much red cordial.

Edited August 15, 20204 yr by Pollyanna

The Pies had some really good players come back into their team this week....Pendles amongst them.....our guys did a superb job from start to finish! 

There can be no resting......no over the top patting on the backs of anyone......keep the attitude....keep the desire.....when the opportunity presents, KILL the opposition! 

How long has it been since we have had 3 x 50 point + wins in a row? This is a good sign! We don't seem to be taking our foot off the gas right now when we get a lead....we seem to be hungry to make the lead bigger!

Long may it last!!!

41 minutes ago, faultydet said:

Granted, our last 3 wins have only been against the worst 3 teams in the comp, but it beats losing.

I'm considering getting excited if we can roll the Bulldogs next week.

It not who we beat but how we beat them, north are not that bad, they almost rolled the lions, if we  had beaten these sides by 2 or 3 goals, then I would say we only beat 3 crap sides, we did not beat them but smashed them..

49 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Good summary.

We also got some favourable umpiring which made a nice change after recent weeks.

Lever, Tomlinson and Harmes (the defender experiment needs to end) were clearly our worst based in their skills, effort and decision making.

The forward line looks much better, I still want to see Smith there as another marking target.

My whipping boys Langdon and Spargo were excellent and I thought Preuss more than held his own against Grundy.

As good as Petracca was he wasn’t as sharp as he has been but still playing like a star.

Brayshaw kicking goals is the best kind of Brayshaw, looks more like the 2018 version.

Hibberd’s resurrection has been Jesus-like and Melksham didn’t make me want to throw my TV out the window for the first time in two years.

 

 

Melk and Weed are the keys to our Forward Structure.

32 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

Cheers Uncle!  Not a bad drop!

Fair night on the sauce Rusty????

Enjoy.

The great man speaks

 

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/795975/rd-12-charlie-spargo-post-match?videoId=795975&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1597488634001

Edited August 15, 20204 yr by Pickett2Jackson

7 minutes ago, Go Dees!! said:

The Pies had some really good players come back into their team this week....Pendles amongst them.....our guys did a superb job from start to finish! 

There can be no resting......no over the top patting on the backs of anyone......keep the attitude....keep the desire.....when the opportunity presents, KILL the opposition! 

How long has it been since we have had 3 x 50 point + wins in a row? This is a good sign! We don't seem to be taking our foot off the gas right now when we get a lead....we seem to be hungry to make the lead bigger!

Long may it last!!!

Did it in 2018 - beat Gold Coast by 69, Carlton by 109 and Adelaide by 91 in consecutive weeks as part of our six-game winning streak.