Interested to see how we breakthrough Clarkson’s defensive zoning.

Tipping Kozzy and Jacko to go coco bananas and light up the G. ??

1 hour ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

 

That leaves Sparrow as emergency sub

Our confidence is up and different to other years we playing a solid system and playing for each other as a team. 

we’ll win by 50pts plus 

1 hour ago, Nasher said:

Melksham to kick 4 and silence the tiresome conspiracy theory about special treatment for a few more weeks.

I’d add people forget how critical he was in 2018, and how big having him out for extended stretches in 2019 was. 

His field kicking and ability to honor leads going into the forward fifty is elite. If he can get that form back, with BBB in the forward fifty, then look out. 
 

The MFCSS is strong within me, so I wouldn’t be surprised with a lackadaisical start where Hawthorn build up a four goal lead, maintain it through till half time, some token attempts at resistance after 3 quarter time before they steady and win. 
 

BUT...

Talent wise, this is the best Melbourne team I’ve seen. We have 3 blokes who are legit top 20 (top ten could be argued, and two could be inserted into top 5) players. I’ve been used to having even, blue collar and honest teams of tryers over the years. Our edge in pure class will get us there (I hope). As others have stated, today will show how ready we are for the big boys; one of whom is waiting for us next week.

Edited April 17, 20214 yr by Colin B. Flaubert

While we're still several hours away from the first bounce, I thought I'd share with you all this little story about Hawthorn ruckman Jonathon Ceglar, who has been omitted for today's game.  Not many of you would know that I went to school with him and, while he was good at sport, he was no chop at any other aspect of life.

In fact, I'd say that Jonathon is without a shadow of a doubt the dumbest kid I ever met growing up. He never learned the body mechanics required to climb down ladders/trees/etc because he fell off literally every time, mostly by choice.

He once kept a bottle of apple juice in his schoolbag for five months thinking it would turn into alcohol.  He skolled the lot and instantly threw up everywhere. The next year he tried it again but left it in the bag for even longer, thinking that THAT was the flaw in his plan.

He’d turn up to school with all these cuts and scratches and say it was from playing with the cat that lives in his street. However, once he elaborated it became very apparent that he was describing a koala. When he got called out he threatened to fight everyone. Even after someone went to the library and got an encyclopedia and showed him a picture of a koala and said “Is this what the cat looks like” and he said "Yes" he still insisted that he was right and it was a cat. He wanted to bet us $50 that he was right, but the whole drama repeated when it turned out he didn’t know what $50 looked like.

When we were in Year 8 we didn’t see him for the whole of Term 1. We assumed that he’d moved schools or died falling out of a tree or something, until we found out he’d just kept going to the Year 7 classrooms. And he was getting worse grades than the year before. He straight up didn’t know the difference between left and right (not like confusing them sometimes, just didn’t understand they were two different things) until I think Year 10, when we worked out that he was left handed and because he wrote with that hand he assumed that was his right/write hand.

When we started going to parties, he kept insisting that the beer he was drinking out of a plastic bottle was better quality than glass or cans because “plastic is more technological.” He once gave out invitations to his party but instead of an address there was just a drawing of three houses with an arrow pointing to the one on the right.

One day I saw him in a shoe store holding up the shoe (a left-footed Adidas trainer) that was on display and asking the shop assistant if he could get a discount if he bought the right one as well.

It’s just as well this bloke is okay at footy because he is NO GOOD at anything else.

C’mon Dees, let’s bury the old ‘Danger Game Syndrome’ once and for all.  No more letting ourselves down by losing to weaker opponents. Just go about our business like we did last week, and prove the sceptics wrong.  Dees by 7 goals!

4 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Have we been bathing in our own bath water or are we the real deal?

Stay here to find out.

Regular bathing is OK WJ its good hygiene, main thing is don't drink the bath water...

Edited April 17, 20214 yr by Tarax Club
for all the grammar boys

When the butler asked me how I’d like my bath water I said: Jeeves, leave the still water on the shelf. The lid’s off. It’s time to break out the sparkling bath water. 

14 minutes ago, demonstone said:

While we're still several hours away from the first bounce, I thought I'd share with you all this little story about Hawthorn ruckman Jonathon Ceglar, who has been omitted for today's game.  Not many of you would know that I went to school with him and, while he was good at sport, he was no chop at any other aspect of life.

In fact, I'd say that Jonathon is without a shadow of a doubt the dumbest kid I ever met growing up. He never learned the body mechanics required to climb down ladders/trees/etc because he fell off literally every time, mostly by choice.

He once kept a bottle of apple juice in his schoolbag for five months thinking it would turn into alcohol.  He skolled the lot and instantly threw up everywhere. The next year he tried it again but left it in the bag for even longer, thinking that THAT was the flaw in his plan.

He’d turn up to school with all these cuts and scratches and say it was from playing with the cat that lives in his street. However, once he elaborated it became very apparent that he was describing a koala. When he got called out he threatened to fight everyone. Even after someone went to the library and got an encyclopedia and showed him a picture of a koala and said “Is this what the cat looks like” and he said "Yes" he still insisted that he was right and it was a cat. He wanted to bet us $50 that he was right, but the whole drama repeated when it turned out he didn’t know what $50 looked like.

When we were in Year 8 we didn’t see him for the whole of Term 1. We assumed that he’d moved schools or died falling out of a tree or something, until we found out he’d just kept going to the Year 7 classrooms. And he was getting worse grades than the year before. He straight up didn’t know the difference between left and right (not like confusing them sometimes, just didn’t understand they were two different things) until I think Year 10, when we worked out that he was left handed and because he wrote with that hand he assumed that was his right/write hand.

When we started going to parties, he kept insisting that the beer he was drinking out of a plastic bottle was better quality than glass or cans because “plastic is more technological.” He once gave out invitations to his party but instead of an address there was just a drawing of three houses with an arrow pointing to the one on the right.

One day I saw him in a shoe store holding up the shoe (a left-footed Adidas trainer) that was on display and asking the shop assistant if he could get a discount if he bought the right one as well.

It’s just as well this bloke is okay at footy because he is NO GOOD at anything else.

I’m sort of glad I got to read this early as I’m assuming it won’t last here long. I like the bit where Jon falls out of trees by choice

I still don’t fully trust this team and today will say a lot about whether we have really taken the next step. 
Traditionally this is a game we would completely stuff up and lose. 
If we are the real deal we should absolutely destroy them, even without May and Fritsch as we are a far far better side on paper. 
I am concerned about where goals will come from, but hoping Melksham can repay the faith and perhaps Tmac plays closer to goal and can nail a few. 
Go Dees!

34 minutes ago, demonstone said:

While we're still several hours away from the first bounce, I thought I'd share with you all this little story about Hawthorn ruckman Jonathon Ceglar, who has been omitted for today's game.  Not many of you would know that I went to school with him and, while he was good at sport, he was no chop at any other aspect of life.

In fact, I'd say that Jonathon is without a shadow of a doubt the dumbest kid I ever met growing up. He never learned the body mechanics required to climb down ladders/trees/etc because he fell off literally every time, mostly by choice.

He once kept a bottle of apple juice in his schoolbag for five months thinking it would turn into alcohol.  He skolled the lot and instantly threw up everywhere. The next year he tried it again but left it in the bag for even longer, thinking that THAT was the flaw in his plan.

He’d turn up to school with all these cuts and scratches and say it was from playing with the cat that lives in his street. However, once he elaborated it became very apparent that he was describing a koala. When he got called out he threatened to fight everyone. Even after someone went to the library and got an encyclopedia and showed him a picture of a koala and said “Is this what the cat looks like” and he said "Yes" he still insisted that he was right and it was a cat. He wanted to bet us $50 that he was right, but the whole drama repeated when it turned out he didn’t know what $50 looked like.

When we were in Year 8 we didn’t see him for the whole of Term 1. We assumed that he’d moved schools or died falling out of a tree or something, until we found out he’d just kept going to the Year 7 classrooms. And he was getting worse grades than the year before. He straight up didn’t know the difference between left and right (not like confusing them sometimes, just didn’t understand they were two different things) until I think Year 10, when we worked out that he was left handed and because he wrote with that hand he assumed that was his right/write hand.

When we started going to parties, he kept insisting that the beer he was drinking out of a plastic bottle was better quality than glass or cans because “plastic is more technological.” He once gave out invitations to his party but instead of an address there was just a drawing of three houses with an arrow pointing to the one on the right.

One day I saw him in a shoe store holding up the shoe (a left-footed Adidas trainer) that was on display and asking the shop assistant if he could get a discount if he bought the right one as well.

It’s just as well this bloke is okay at footy because he is NO GOOD at anything else.

Where can we get every other players' school bios?

Game day jitters for me. Very worried, if we put this one a way I’ll have a lot more trust. We should beat this Hawthorn side, but...

They’ll flood back like GWS did, which’ll leave their end open, with no May that scares me. 
Need Tomald to clunk marks he gets his hands to. 
 

A couple of decent veteran rucks, Max has had a cushy ride with his opponents so far. Win that battle and we should beat up the midfield. 
 

And [censored] kick straight. 
 

Come on Dees, kill my doubts. 

Just win, don’t care how or by how much, just beat the bastards.

16 minutes ago, Deestroy All said:

Game day jitters for me. Very worried, if we put this one a way I’ll have a lot more trust. We should beat this Hawthorn side, but...

If we put this one away you’ll have a lot more trust... until gameday next week. It’s only you, me and every other scarred mofo on this site that feels that way ?

2 hours ago, Nasher said:

Melksham to kick 4 and silence the tiresome conspiracy theory about special treatment for a few more weeks.

Yes, it would be nice particularly after he has had his run in the big league last week. He seems to play ok against the Hawks - if he runs to space to create the opportunity. 

I’m thinking yze and his knowledge of Clarkson and the hawthorn system will be a big advantage today. We have historically been out coached by him even when we have been the better team.

 I’m looking forward to this, as others have noted, it will tell us something important about this team.

go dees ❤️?

1 hour ago, bush demon said:

Where can we get every other players' school bios?

Just replace the name at the top.

 

I know it’s early days but a win isn’t crucial for our top 8 aspirations but it is if we’re any hope of making top 4.

Can’t afford to look back at the end of year and rue losses against bottom 6 teams.

3 hours ago, Nasher said:

Melksham to kick 4 and silence the tiresome conspiracy theory about special treatment for a few more weeks.

Nasher you are asking for him to do something I don't ever remember him doing after being terrible for now 2 seasons. I struggle with that big of a contribution. 1 will be his total if all goes his way. 

3 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I know it’s early days but a win isn’t crucial for our top 8 aspirations but it is if we’re any hope of making top 4.

Can’t afford to look back at the end of year and rue losses against bottom 6 teams.

Especially one that is second last. Then why do I have zero confidence we will make it 5 -0?

1 hour ago, demonstone said:

While we're still several hours away from the first bounce, I thought I'd share with you all this little story about Hawthorn ruckman Jonathon Ceglar, who has been omitted for today's game.  Not many of you would know that I went to school with him and, while he was good at sport, he was no chop at any other aspect of life.

In fact, I'd say that Jonathon is without a shadow of a doubt the dumbest kid I ever met growing up. He never learned the body mechanics required to climb down ladders/trees/etc because he fell off literally every time, mostly by choice.

He once kept a bottle of apple juice in his schoolbag for five months thinking it would turn into alcohol.  He skolled the lot and instantly threw up everywhere. The next year he tried it again but left it in the bag for even longer, thinking that THAT was the flaw in his plan.

He’d turn up to school with all these cuts and scratches and say it was from playing with the cat that lives in his street. However, once he elaborated it became very apparent that he was describing a koala. When he got called out he threatened to fight everyone. Even after someone went to the library and got an encyclopedia and showed him a picture of a koala and said “Is this what the cat looks like” and he said "Yes" he still insisted that he was right and it was a cat. He wanted to bet us $50 that he was right, but the whole drama repeated when it turned out he didn’t know what $50 looked like.

When we were in Year 8 we didn’t see him for the whole of Term 1. We assumed that he’d moved schools or died falling out of a tree or something, until we found out he’d just kept going to the Year 7 classrooms. And he was getting worse grades than the year before. He straight up didn’t know the difference between left and right (not like confusing them sometimes, just didn’t understand they were two different things) until I think Year 10, when we worked out that he was left handed and because he wrote with that hand he assumed that was his right/write hand.

When we started going to parties, he kept insisting that the beer he was drinking out of a plastic bottle was better quality than glass or cans because “plastic is more technological.” He once gave out invitations to his party but instead of an address there was just a drawing of three houses with an arrow pointing to the one on the right.

One day I saw him in a shoe store holding up the shoe (a left-footed Adidas trainer) that was on display and asking the shop assistant if he could get a discount if he bought the right one as well.

It’s just as well this bloke is okay at footy because he is NO GOOD at anything else.

This made my morning. 

rofl 

1 minute ago, old dee said:

Especially one that is second last. Then why do I have zero confidence we will make it 5 -0?

Clearly you have a good dose of MFCSS like most of us.

If the big 3 in Gawn, Trac and Oliver have big games, we’ll win this.

I hope to be discussing after this game the different affects on game plans/ style (Yze)  in concert with full game time mental commitment (Williams) might have on the game. Hopefully the combination of both, and  indeed all three.

5 minutes ago, old dee said:

Nasher you are asking for him to do something I don't ever remember him doing after being terrible for now 2 seasons. I struggle with that big of a contribution. 1 will be his total if all goes his way. 

He has the skills. I think he may be one of better players today despite as you say any evidence for this.

Anyhow if he doesnt the upside is, there are plenty of players who will be ready to replace him.

This for me is quite simply a make or break game for him where nothing but a big performance is required. 

2 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

Despite the Naysayers, I believe Tmac has been in great form excluding one game.

If he turns it on today we will win comfortably.

Yea last week was an underrated game for him, I said it game day thread he is a bit almost with his marking but he never gets a chopping the arms free when he should get 5 a game.