Crucial upcoming games 

I know all games are equally important but these games could decide where we finish 

Melbourne v Richmond r6

Melbourne v Sydney  r8

We really need to win at least 1 of these 2 games 

Both home games, we should be really targeting these two games

Edited April 15, 20214 yr by Paulo

Ah, let’s just win both and be done with it.

Beat the Hawks first 

21 minutes ago, Rednblueriseing said:

Beat the Hawks first 

Some are getting ahead of themselves.

Hope the playing group, aren't. I'm sure the coaches won't be.

It is so easy so drink from the bath.

We have to be switched on against any opposition. 

MFC haven't earned anything yet. The past usually describes the future, and as favourites or front runners we have been disappointing. 

This week is our crucial game.

One game at a time, even one quarter at a time, or one moment, could decide where we finish.

C'mon Dees play in the moment.

 

Edited April 15, 20214 yr by kev martin

You are right Kev. Take each game as it comes. Losing May and Fritsch are massive blows and any replacements (B. Brown excepted) will be a downgrade which makes us vulnerable. I would expect any incoming players to seize the opportunity with both hands because they will know that it may be the only chance they get to impress enough to win a spot in this team.

Lets really turn it on for 4 quarters against the Hawks and dispel any of those “ not ruthless enough” doubters.

 

Absolutely. Think of the years of humiliation. We have achieved nothing yet. The moment we start assuming things, get ahead of ourselves,  think beyond the game in front of us, we are dead.

We're 4-0 and travelling nicely but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Hawks are laying in wait to ambush us if our attitude isn't right on Sunday. Let's just focus on that game and worry about Richmond next week.

1 hour ago, kev martin said:

Some are getting ahead of themselves.

Hope the playing group, aren't. I'm sure the coaches won't be.

It is so easy so drink from the bath.

We have to be switched on against any opposition. 

MFC haven't earned anything yet. The past usually describes the future, and as favourites or front runners we have been disappointing. 

This week is our crucial game.

One game at a time, even one quarter at a time, or one moment, could decide where we finish.

C'mon Dees play in the moment.

 

Supporters and especially media always will. Was it Ratten last week said "it's never as good or as bad" (unless your sacked I guess.

I think for the first time in a long time the players understand the importance of one week, one quarter, one contrast at a time. 

We will beat the hawk's, and move onto Richmond for Jonesy's 300th (and Martins 250th?) I wonder who will get more lime light???

 

Guess it won't matter when we win.

Completely unAustralian an out of keeping with the traditions of our game to be looking forward to these so-called “8 point games”. Every game is an 8 point game and besides we need to stay focused on our next match which is against the Hawks.

Remember. We take things one week at a time!!!

I said before the season started that the first four games would shape our season.

Freo started the season with  an outside hope of making finals, and the next three teams would have had making finals as a minimum expectation.

So three, maybe four of those teams are direct rivals for a final spot.

Winning those four games has set our season up.

We only have to win 50% of our remaining games to be a lock for finals.

And we have put a points, and crucially, a percentage gap between us and key rivals for the 5-8 spots.

We can now make a serious push for a top 4 position. 

I don't see either the swans or the tiger's game as as important as those first four games.

A win against the tigers would be a bonus.

And history suggests the swans will run out of gas as the season progresses given how young they are.

And personally I think their run and gun style, which has caught teams off guard, will become less effective as the season progresses and under finals pressure.

I don't see them as direct competitors even though they are likely to still scrape into the finals with their start.

Which is a long winded way of saying I don't see either matches as 8 point games.

Funnily enough I do see the hawks game as an 8 point game. And I hope the players do to. We need to bank these points. Good teams win these games.

Our serious rivals - the Dogs, Eagles, Lions and tigers (sounds like a zoo) will likely beat the hawks.

A failure by us to so is an effectively an eight point swing to those teams.

On a related note we play both the hawks and crows twice (though north only once) which i doubt all of dogs, Eagles, lions and tiger do.

We need to win all four of those games (and of course the roos game). Doing so will go a long way to a top 4 spot and a serious tilt at a flag.

 

 

Edited April 16, 20214 yr by binman

It's interesting to read how we all interpret each game as part of a broader picture. Through experience I've found that riding the anticipation, grief and joy of each game works best for me and the future will take care of itself. In terms of our football club at least it's totally out of my control anyway so why worry about it ? 

Being brought up on a code that extends for 10 months of the year I've always found an AFL season to be all so brief in comparison and every weekend of it to be cherished and lived to the full so I'm not going to spoil this one by worrying about the next two. This season will be over before we know it otherwise. 

3 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Completely unAustralian an out of keeping with the traditions of our game to be looking forward to these so-called “8 point games”. Every game is an 8 point game and besides we need to stay focused on our next match which is against the Hawks.

Remember. We take things one week at a time!!!

8 point game last week for sure, given the cats will beat a lot of other sides/contenders during the season and help us out in that regard.

8 point Game!

i will just take 4 points without a Fullback and FullForward

1 challenge at a time

Only 4 points up for grabs this weekend and next. 

to make finals and/or top 4 you need to perform consistently for 6 months not just target a few games.  we can lose 6 games and still be in top 4, but we need to bring the same consistency to the next 5 months to be a chance

I dont know about you all, but there seems to be a different kind of ruthlessness about the group. I hope they dont take their current situation for granted and attack the game with the same vigour and aggression that they have in the first couple of games. 

I think most of the team will be very aware of this and and it will be talked about a lot. I wouldnt be surprised if we step out onto the park with high levels of motivation and kill the game in the 1st half. 

Edited April 16, 20214 yr by CYB

We need to play at 120% to win our 8 point games.

7 hours ago, Better days ahead said:

We're 4-0 and travelling nicely but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Hawks are laying in wait to ambush us if our attitude isn't right on Sunday. Let's just focus on that game and worry about Richmond next week.

But none of us on this forum are playing on Sunday!

20 hours ago, Demons1858 said:

But none of us on this forum are playing on Sunday!

But didn't you know?  What we say directly effects the club!!!!

They hang on our every word

Hawks (Win)

Tigers (A possible win but the odds aren't great)

North (Win)

Sydney (Win and we announce ourselves)

4 weeks at a time!

Edited April 17, 20214 yr by Macca

13-17 wins are the typical range of the top 8. 15+ should get us top 4.

We've got 4.

So need 9 of 18 to play finals or 11 of 18 for top 4.

So I think these 8 point games are about top 4, not top 8.

Edited April 17, 20214 yr by deanox

It's arguable we've already won four 8-point games.

Fremantle, St Kilda, GWS and Geelong are all pretty much in the middle third of the ladder and should all be challenging for at least top 8, if not more.

What's not arguable, but rather unquestionable, is that we aren't good enough to be looking anywhere beyond the next game. 

38 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

It's arguable we've already won four 8-point games.

Fremantle, St Kilda, GWS and Geelong are all pretty much in the middle third of the ladder and should all be challenging for at least top 8, if not more.

What's not arguable, but rather unquestionable, is that we aren't good enough to be looking anywhere beyond the next game. 

Arguably we've won so many 8 point games that they've all turned into 4 point games. We're in the top four calculations now, which brings with it a whole other set of 8 point games. Bring it on.

On 4/17/2021 at 10:55 PM, Chook said:

Arguably we've won so many 8 point games that they've all turned into 4 point games. We're in the top four calculations now, which brings with it a whole other set of 8 point games. Bring it on.

I'm starting to think there are some strange mathematics going on here.  Maybe Log-scale measurements apply when shifting from 'place in top 8' versus 'place in top 4'?  Or maybe they are 16 point games?

But seriously, since we are about to play Richmond it is worth noting that they have lost both of what might be considered their 8-point games so far, to Port and the Swans.

Setting silly old 2020 aside, in 2019 they also managed to lose to each of Collingwood, Brisbane, Gerper Werben Sydney and Footscray all in the first half of the season.

We are absolutely in this with nothing to lose and the only way we come out of this game badly is if we fail to bring the pressure and effort that has defined our 2021 to date.

13 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

Gerper Werben Sydney