On 11/09/2020 at 01:42, Turner said:

coz ive seen my team play finals once in my living memory whist my best mates support geelong and hawthorn

I feel for all of us - I am in the boat where I'm in my fifties and haven't seen a premiership.  Born just after the 1950's to 1964 dominance. Not sure I will see one either, and I have three kids who resent my choices for them :(

  On 11/09/2020 at 03:19, DubDee said:

Oh christ, Leon has dropped the skipper.   he is sending a message and calling for a big effort, they will set themselves for this one

A ruthlessness we lack!! Meanwhile Melksham still gets games! 

 

  On 11/09/2020 at 00:17, jnrmac said:

You do understand that we can't afford players in the team that apply zero defensive pressure?

I don't think that's actually a policy, as there's plenty of players in that boat week in and week out !!   

(maybe it should be    weak: in / weak: out     which seems to occur at the selection table weekly)

  On 11/09/2020 at 03:28, KysaiahMessiah said:

I feel for all of us - I am in the boat where I'm in my fifties and haven't seen a premiership.  Born just after the 1950's to 1964 dominance. Not sure I will see one either, and I have three kids who resent my choices for them :(

What was the stat last night the WCE have made the finals 26 out of 34 seasons since they entered the competition and I think Geelong is next on the list 23 times over the same period.  We had a good run of finals from 87-2006, but 1 appearance since then is pretty hard to take.  Pretty similar from 65-86 don't think we made the finals through that period. 

  On 11/09/2020 at 01:31, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

While that's his reputation, I didn't see it in the games he played for us.

I'm not saying he shouldn't remain on our list, but I also think he's still some distance away from his best footy. Will he get there? I don't know.

Fair point but he did show real class at times and a propensity to hit targets.  Your right on his journey though just being underway.

  On 11/09/2020 at 03:28, KysaiahMessiah said:

I feel for all of us - I am in the boat where I'm in my fifties and haven't seen a premiership.  Born just after the 1950's to 1964 dominance. Not sure I will see one either, and I have three kids who resent my choices for them :(

Meh, I started following the Dees in 1965.. how do you think I feel??

I have an idea.

Why not pick a team as close as possible to the one that represented Melbourne the last time we played at the Gabba?

It was against Collingwood and we beat them by 56 points. This was the team:-

MELBOURNE

FB Michael Hibberd Steven May Jay Lockhart
HB Christian Salem Jake Lever Nathan Jones
C Ed Langdon Clayton Oliver Adam Tomlinson
HF Jake Melksham Tom McDonald Bayley Fritsch
FF Christian Petracca Sam Weideman Kysaiah Pickett
FOL Braydon Preuss Angus Brayshaw Jack Viney
I/C James Harmes Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Aaron vandenBerg
EMG Mitch Brown Mitch Hannan Jayden Hunt Joel Smith

Only three players - Jones, Brayshaw and Harmes are unavailable through injury and I would have Max Gawn in the side instead of Braydon Preuss.

The three to add would be Brown, Hannan and Rivers. 

That makes my changes for this week:-

IN Brown Hannan Lockhart T McDonald Spargo Sparrow

OUT Baker Bedford Hunt Neal-Bullen Preuss Smith

It looks better to me on paper than the team we sent out against the Dockers. Let’s see how it goes on grass.

  On 11/09/2020 at 04:36, joeboy said:

Meh, I started following the Dees in 1965.. how do you think I feel??

Got me by one year :). I was alive 9 days when St Kilda won their one and only....

Simon Goodwin said in his presser not to expect wholesale changes and the would be making a few tweaks only. I expect that means no more than 3. Based on his comments, I’d be very surprised if anyone was happy tonight when the teams come through. 

When i think of all the bigheads in this world that support seventeen other teams in the AFL, i actually feel pretty proud but sad that even though there hasn't been much success for the Club, they are still in there, and i know that my MFC supporting family members hardly ever waver, but when they do i always say "it's better to have lost than not to have won it all"

  On 11/09/2020 at 03:17, DubDee said:

in 2018, it didnt look like we'd make the finals with 2 rounds remaining then we made a prelim.

so, anything can happen 

AND making the finals means Nth Melbourne lose in the 1st round draft pick swap.

It seems to me that it's the team's confidence that is the problem. Goody seems to yoyo between defensive submission or chaotic attack. Sometimes it works if the balance is right and reward for effort is obvious. But when the team gets stuck in defence mode, it just bleeds confidence.

  On 11/09/2020 at 01:37, Dr.D said:

Why do people even want to make finals? Do people think you get a trophy for coming 8th and losing first round? 

we lost to Sydney and Fremantle. convincingly. I'd prefer to lose the next 2 games so change occurs. 

Leaving aside the possibility that Goodwin will coach next year barring 2 poor losses...

It would be nice to have a crack at Richmond in a final, as it was a lingering question from 2018, given our style syncs better with Richmond chaos ball;

How would we have gone if Hawthorn didn't take 4th? How would we have gone in a prelim v Richmond instead of Collingwood.. TMac/Cox ? 

or WCE at Metricon...

Yes, we probably lose by 5+ goals (or 10,), but who knows.

 

Edited September 11, 20204 yr by John Demonic

  On 11/09/2020 at 04:52, Whispering_Jack said:

I have an idea.

Why not pick a team as close as possible to the one that represented Melbourne the last time we played at the Gabba?

It was against Collingwood and we beat them by 56 points. This was the team:-

MELBOURNE

FB Michael Hibberd Steven May Jay Lockhart
HB Christian Salem Jake Lever Nathan Jones
C Ed Langdon Clayton Oliver Adam Tomlinson
HF Jake Melksham Tom McDonald Bayley Fritsch
FF Christian Petracca Sam Weideman Kysaiah Pickett
FOL Braydon Preuss Angus Brayshaw Jack Viney
I/C James Harmes Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Aaron vandenBerg
EMG Mitch Brown Mitch Hannan Jayden Hunt Joel Smith

Only three players - Jones, Brayshaw and Harmes are unavailable through injury and I would have Max Gawn in the side instead of Braydon Preuss.

The three to add would be Brown, Hannan and Rivers. 

That makes my changes for this week:-

IN Brown Hannan Lockhart T McDonald Spargo Sparrow

OUT Baker Bedford Hunt Neal-Bullen Preuss Smith

It looks better to me on paper than the team we sent out against the Dockers. Let’s see how it goes on grass.

I like this. I’d like to see Jetta again this year also. 

Sounds like Sparrow will return, and i would assume Hannan, i hope so anyway, maybe Tom Mc 

Out: Pruess, Baker, one of Hunt ANB Pickett or Bedford

Tmac. Oh it’s like moving deck chairs on the titanic 

Spargo,  Brown and Jetta in

hibbered, Preuss and Bedford out

 

GWS basically swapped all 22 players out for a new 22.

 

 

8 changes for GWS

Edited September 11, 20204 yr by —coach—

Playing for the Adam Tomlinson cup?

  On 11/09/2020 at 06:23, godees said:

I like this. I’d like to see Jetta again this year also. 

As much as Jetta has been a very good defender in his time, personally i think Jetta is now cooked godees and this appeared to be the case pretty much the entire season.

Hope i'm wrong but this particular in smacks of desperation stakes (ie., Lockhart isn't an option).  No way he is anywhere near  Hibb now.  What's up with Lockhart?  Must be injured as i'd be playing him 10 times outta 10 if the choice is between the two at this point.

  On 11/09/2020 at 04:52, Whispering_Jack said:

I have an idea.

Why not pick a team as close as possible to the one that represented Melbourne the last time we played at the Gabba?

It was against Collingwood and we beat them by 56 points. This was the team:-

MELBOURNE

FB Michael Hibberd Steven May Jay Lockhart
HB Christian Salem Jake Lever Nathan Jones
C Ed Langdon Clayton Oliver Adam Tomlinson
HF Jake Melksham Tom McDonald Bayley Fritsch
FF Christian Petracca Sam Weideman Kysaiah Pickett
FOL Braydon Preuss Angus Brayshaw Jack Viney
I/C James Harmes Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Aaron vandenBerg
EMG Mitch Brown Mitch Hannan Jayden Hunt Joel Smith

Only three players - Jones, Brayshaw and Harmes are unavailable through injury and I would have Max Gawn in the side instead of Braydon Preuss.

The three to add would be Brown, Hannan and Rivers. 

That makes my changes for this week:-

IN Brown Hannan Lockhart T McDonald Spargo Sparrow

OUT Baker Bedford Hunt Neal-Bullen Preuss Smith

It looks better to me on paper than the team we sent out against the Dockers. Let’s see how it goes on grass.

We had a settled backline, had just worked out Weid straightened up the forward line structure, and since then we’ve pulled the team apart, totally Screwed it!Lockhart actually Stayed down, versus play Smith and every backmen goes for the punch! 
Lockhart plays against Swans & Freo and easy roved goals probably don’t happen, we get a lot closer!

Similarly with Viney / Brayshaw in middle and Petracca blend mid to forward, looks like getting it right then goes back to old structure!

FD can’t seem to recognise success and what works Vs what fails!

WJ you’ve done a better job than the FD, and the gents running the podcast also could easily identify what was wrong after Freo game!

If Goodwin doesn’t go they need to make 2-3 other coaching changes!!