Demons in Top 4?

[faultydet 7,594]

8 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

I don't really mind what the win count is if we make the top 8 (it could yet be 9 wins).

We've only fallen apart once all year (Port).

We were within a bees' proverbial of beating both Geelong and Brisbane.

And as to your final line, I give you Collingwood in 2018. 15 wins, 14 of which were against the bottom 10. A 1-7 record against the top 8 (worse than us that year).

We fell apart in round 1. That loss was MUCH worse than the scoreline suggests.

 

If we win all of our remaining games, I would give us a shot at going deep into the finals.

I expect that we will find it very difficult against that Bulldogs and Saints at a minimum. We have shown nothing to make me think differently.

[titan_uranus 25,020]

7 minutes ago, faultydet said:

We fell apart in round 1. That loss was MUCH worse than the scoreline suggests.

 

If we win all of our remaining games, I would give us a shot at going deep into the finals.

I expect that we will find it very difficult against that Bulldogs and Saints at a minimum. We have shown nothing to make me think differently.

Rubbish, if anything that performance was better than the scoreline suggested.

They got on top for 10 minutes in the first quarter and scored 5 goals. For the rest of the game, general play and scoring was even.

And though it may be semantics, I don't consider a 27-point loss to West Coast in Perth "falling apart", not at all.

If we win all of our remaining games, the best side we'll have beaten will be St Kilda (unless GWS or Collingwood get their act together and go on a run). So we won't have fixed the problem you're currently complaining of, which is beating the best sides.

[loges 6,767]

1 hour ago, faultydet said:

We'll be lucky to finish top 8. Top 4 is an absolute fantasy. Every time we come up against a quality side in form we fall apart.

Don't get carried away when we beat the bottom sides. Flat track bullies do not finish top 4.

 

 

Did we fall apart against Brisbane and Geelong?

[Diamond_Jim 12,591]

1 hour ago, Return to Glory said:

And I have little doubt that West Coke will get a home final.

 

WA has been requiring the visiting teams to quarantine for 2 weeks before playing a WA team.This has worked because the two visiting teams have been allowed to play each other in the first week thus providing a game.

WA is a chance in the first round of finals because of the week off but it doesn't work for the remaining rounds.

Of course WA could relax the quarantine rules so who knows

[loges 6,767]

34 minutes ago, faultydet said:

This type of thinking always amuses me.

 

If you take out our losses from last year, we won the flag.

Yes, but you weren't talking just about losses you were talking about falling apart.

[Return to Glory 8,442]

25 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

WA has been requiring the visiting teams to quarantine for 2 weeks before playing a WA team.This has worked because the two visiting teams have been allowed to play each other in the first week thus providing a game.

WA is a chance in the first round of finals because of the week off but it doesn't work for the remaining rounds.

Of course WA could relax the quarantine rules so who knows

Ta Diamond Jim, I posted with a degree of paranoia ....the natural Demonlander state

[Whispering_Jack 30,187]

As unlikely as it may be that we can make top four, it’s important that the issue remains part of the conversation for as long as possible. The team is more likely to perform as an elite combination if it has belief in itself. We saw that with the Bulldogs in the lead up to and then through the 2016 finals and earlier, with other teams. The notable comparison where Melbourne was concerned was back in 1987 when it rose from a win/loss ratio of 6/10 winning the last six in a row to finish 12/10 and then went on to win 2 finals before falling just short to Hawthorn in the Preliminary Final. 

What was really remarkable was the improvement week by week as the team gained momentum with every win.

[Diamond_Jim 12,591]

Can we find the rainbow CONNECTION..... It's only for Dreamers

 

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

The Higher our Ladder Position, The Worse Nought get as a Draft Pick. 
 

I despise Nought and wish them to leave the Greater Melbourne area as soon as possible 

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,765]

3 hours ago, faultydet said:

This type of thinking always amuses me.

 

If you take out our losses from last year, we won the flag.

I generally agree with your perspective and it's quite possible you'll find a post from last year that says as much.

This year is different. Every single team has had a game where they've not shown up and have been flogged.

The only possible way to even begin getting a read on form is to avoid looking at the outliers.

[faultydet 7,594]

10 hours ago, Cheesy D. Pun said:

I generally agree with your perspective and it's quite possible you'll find a post from last year that says as much.

This year is different. Every single team has had a game where they've not shown up and have been flogged.

The only possible way to even begin getting a read on form is to avoid looking at the outliers.

Thanks for the positive assessment Cheesy. Much appreciated.

However.

My thoughts are based on watching the Dees over 50 odd years, and suffering through the false dawns that have occurred during that time. We have had some incredibly talented teams and some wonderful coaches in that time, but the closest we have come to a flag is 2 enormous, embarrassing defeats in the grand final.  And sooo many times I've seen what I thought was a team destined for greatness, only for us to fall flat on our faces.

Life experience can teach you a lot, like it or not.

Some posters are carrying on like we are suddenly a flag chance. My nephew (one of my favourite humans) included. Seen it all before, and watched it disappear in front of my eyes.

I will only believe we are a flag chance when I see our captain and coach holding the cup above their heads after the final siren on Grand Final day.

[faultydet 7,594]

11 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

As unlikely as it may be that we can make top four, it’s important that the issue remains part of the conversation for as long as possible. The team is more likely to perform as an elite combination if it has belief in itself. We saw that with the Bulldogs in the lead up to and then through the 2016 finals and earlier, with other teams. The notable comparison where Melbourne was concerned was back in 1987 when it rose from a win/loss ratio of 6/10 winning the last six in a row to finish 12/10 and then went on to win 2 finals before falling just short to Hawthorn in the Preliminary Final. 

What was really remarkable was the improvement week by week as the team gained momentum with every win.

Love the passion, but we've been here so many times before.

We have just beaten the bottom 2, plus an injury depleted Colonwood, with a terribly undermanned backline.

Nothing I have seen thus far tells me that we are a serious chance at any real success this season, regardless of how the last 3 games have gone.

 

3 games instead of 2

Edited August 17, 2020 by faultydet

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,765]

17 minutes ago, faultydet said:

Thanks for the positive assessment Cheesy. Much appreciated.

However.

My thoughts are based on watching the Dees over 50 odd years, and suffering through the false dawns that have occurred during that time. We have had some incredibly talented teams and some wonderful coaches in that time, but the closest we have come to a flag is 2 enormous, embarrassing defeats in the grand final.  And sooo many times I've seen what I thought was a team destined for greatness, only for us to fall flat on our faces.

Life experience can teach you a lot, like it or not.

Some posters are carrying on like we are suddenly a flag chance. My nephew (one of my favourite humans) included. Seen it all before, and watched it disappear in front of my eyes.

I will only believe we are a flag chance when I see our captain and coach holding the cup above their heads after the final siren on Grand Final day.

I've seen a few of these and if my pain is anything to go by, it must be horrible for those who were born a little closer to our last premiership.

It's for this reason I choose to make the most of the good footy when it comes around.

The last three weeks have been really entertaining and enjoyable and if we can dish that up more often than not, I'll be a happy man.