On 05/06/2021 at 06:38, titan_uranus said:

I'm certainly a bit more confident about beating Geelong with Cameron now that I've seen us hold Brisbane to their third lowest score all year despite them having Daniher, Hipwood, Cameron, Bailey, McCarthy and McStay.

But Geelong have a much higher ceiling than the rest of the top 8 because we just don't know how well they can play when they get closer to their best 22 on the park.

As to their second half fitness, they're league leaders in third quarters having won 9 of 11, and they're 7th for fourth quarters having won 6. 

Geelong have had one great win against a top 8 side against Richmond. 
They beat Brisbane by 1 point in Geelong and smashed West Coast who I don’t rate also at home in Geelong. 
Lost to Adelaide, us and Sydney. 
Games against Port, Dogs and Brisbane coming up will tell us where they are really. 
Yes they are playing well considering their injury list, but need to see them perform against strong teams and away from Geelong for me to be really concerned by them. 
Brisbane, Dogs and Port more of a threat IMO. 

Edited June 5, 20213 yr by Jaded

Definitely best I have ever seen after Round 12.  The question is how much we could get worse, get injuries etc, and then how much/fast every other team gets better improves. I hope we can still change gears come september. 

 Also notice the significant analysis of every word coming out of every player / coach's mouth after a win these days...some like to see this as footy IP "leak" opportunities which they are taking seriously given our W/L ratio

We are favourites for the flag. No denying that ($4.50 favourites) 

What does this mean?

1. We are the team most likely to win the flag

2. It is 3 and a half times more likely we DONT win the flag than DO

Keep building demons.

P.s. i like what goody said in his presser. Embrace the favouritism. Deal with the pressure. We'll have to deal with it come September if we want to win the thing anyway.

  On 05/06/2021 at 01:02, Cassiew said:

This is the best I’ve ever seen us. This is the first time in my lifetime that we are the premiership favourites. Sure we’ve had other great season like in 2000, but that was a year when Essendon was always going to be premiers. I don’t think there’s any team we can’t beat this year. Definitely our best season since 1964

I started following the Dees in 1965 as a 7 yo. So I have probably suffered more than most of you. No need to say more.  
So what is happening   now is so sweet. “Satisfying” is hardly adequate ...but it will do.  And what is the most satisfying is dishing it out to clubs that have sneered at us for decades. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. Well we will over the next 3 or 4 years eating out on that big time.
 This is by a street the best MFC team since 1964. Probably before then altho obviously that’s just speculating. This team has a rare balance of tall and short, strength and pace,  wily experience and youthful enthusiasm, heavy physical pressure down back and quick razor sharp forward entry ability. But the main thing is we are playing as a team. Everybody (including, note all please,  regular Demonland whipping boys Melksham and Weed) is buying in, supporting the  cause. 

All of the above - but we still have a lot of improvement I feel. Let's not forget that we're doing it with a LOT of youngish/young players. If there's a word that dare not speak its name here it isn't just "premiership" it's "dynasty". This could go on for a few years, if not more.

Steven May in particular will be hard to replace eventually, with his experience and leadership.

To quote a phrase from the movie Major League: LETS JUST WIN THE WHOLE DAMN THING !!!!!!!

"Let's not get carried away"  but enjoy the ride.

I have followed Melbourne since late 40's (years ,not age) and the reason I have done so is because my Uncle (like a father to me) who followed Melbourne since he was at Primary School (a small district PS in the Wimmera) in the 20's and his teacher left the school during the year to go down to Melbourne and played about 20 games.

Had a good run in the 60's but have become very patient, but Robbie Flower and Melbourne's rune in the finals in the 80's was an absolute highlight.

The pleasing thing about this side is that they back themselves and do not fold. Friday night was the prime example .

So I am still hoping

  On 05/06/2021 at 03:08, bobby1554 said:

Round 23 will tell us a lot

Not necessarily as GMHBA Stadium is much narrower in shape than the G and you can be locked in by the Cats defence whereas at the G there is a lot more room to use your pace and skill.

I am trying to start talking sensibly about the team. Things like “we are the beat team in the comp” while true is difficult for my mind to signal to my mouth to actually say.

What I want to do is:

lock away finals (win next two weeks and that should be done)

lock away top 4 (win the two more after that)

Lock away top 2 (home finals would be so bloody good)

then I will start being able to talk sensibly. By god I am scarred. 

  On 05/06/2021 at 08:28, Born to Run said:

I am trying to start talking sensibly about the team. Things like “we are the beat team in the comp” while true is difficult for my mind to signal to my mouth to actually say.

What I want to do is:

lock away finals (win next two weeks and that should be done)

lock away top 4 (win the two more after that)

Lock away top 2 (home finals would be so bloody good)

then I will start being able to talk sensibly. By god I am scarred. 

i'm pretty much the same

13 wins should guarantee finals, 15 wins should be top 4, 17 wins should be top 2

just keep winning, just keep winning...

The scary things is (for our opposition) is I don’t think we have hit the ceiling either. I think  we saw in the second half how easily we can switch gears and decimate the opposition. 
 

Our forward line is probably the only thing that hasn’t fully come to bare. Our set shot kicking , leading patterns and our structure needs a bit more work (still great) and we will be a truly scary proposition. 

If we make it to the big dance in September, who will sort out the opposition when they get stuck into Max or Fritter or Oliver? I know toughness is not the same as brutality, but to win the whole thing  I reckon you need to be brutal. Think 2000. 

Edited June 5, 20213 yr by frankie_d
Spelling

Long way to go but yeah it's pretty good. I actually think I prefer not talking about it though. Not yet anyway 

Born in 1959. Dad followed Carlton, but my mate Ross in grade 1 at Beaumaris North primary said  ‘Melbourne is the future’. Stick with the strength!
So I jumped on board, with my Ron Barassi plastic footy boots and Hassa Mann living around the corner (he did!)..... Here We Go!,

And the journey since has been wonderful. We lost A lot.....but the team gave me pleasure. If the Firsts lost, no big deal, the U19s won the premiership. If we Lost a game .....no big deal ..... Flower took that mark and had the most possessions. Found a way to see a positive!

You find ways to enjoy the loss.  Voted for the merger because we would obviously take over Hawthorn and stay unchanged, the Demons.... didn’t happen and now are lambasted for voting for what we thought was a take over. So be it.

Was Overseas for the Hawthorn GF, read the sadness in the UK Times .....(pre-internet!) Thank heavens I didn’t fly home. Spent the week before the 2000 Final finding a seat for my father in law In the MFC members and queuing up for my MCC seat. Spent the second half in the Bar being miserable.

And so on and so on..... You all know the story 

Have to mention Jim Stynes, and Bailey and Troy Broadbidge, and Flower... they would love this.

This club has given me so much over the last near 60 years.

A run at the GF, and dare I say a GF, or better.... would just be the cherry on the cake!

 Now let’s beat the Pies!!!!! 

Sorry but for me. While I am enjoying thinking we can win each game and the way we play 

it is still one game at a time and each game we can lose unless we are “on”

until final time 

  On 05/06/2021 at 09:11, layzie said:

Long way to go but yeah it's pretty good. I actually think I prefer not talking about it though. Not yet anyway 

Agree. These threads do nothing for me. Want to celebrate a half way line premiership? Go for it.

  On 05/06/2021 at 03:06, Boots and all said:

So great to be able to hold our heads high...haha.

Mate ... Last Monday I strutted through the work canteen, beanie on with the finger in the air ? 

 

Edited June 5, 20213 yr by Fork 'em

  On 05/06/2021 at 11:44, Stein9193 said:

Agree. These threads do nothing for me. Want to celebrate a half way line premiership? Go for it.

I don't necessarily not like the thread, I'm just wanting a bit more than our day in the sunshine where a few wins made us feel good about ourselves. Am I enjoying watching us right now? Absolutely. Do I think this is the best team we've had in a while? Absolutely. 

I still have to look at the ladder about five times to believe what I'm seeing

The important thing to remember is this team has been built to compete for a number of years. Of course the aim is to win the flag this year but if we don't it doesn't mean this group can't do it - we just have to back up and go again next year and the year after and the year after. If we finish top 4 for 4 or 5 years it gives us a great opportunity to break the drought.

  On 05/06/2021 at 08:56, frankie_d said:

If we make it to the big dance in September, who will sort out the opposition when they get stuck into Max or Fritter or Oliver? I know toughness is not the same as brutality, but to win the whole thing  I reckon you need to be brutal. Think 2000. 

Viney, May, Pickett

I was sitting on the wing last night with my friend Brad (also a poster on 'Land). It was during the last quarter and I turned to him with a tear in my eye and reflectively, with an inner gratefulness, stated: this is the best four I've ever seen in a centre square during my time following Melbourne. We were running down the Lions and the square contained Max, Oliver, Tractor and Harmes. We have had good centre lines in my time, but certainly nothing like a centre bounce engine room remotely as good as this. And Viney isn't even in the side ATM. It's quite remarkable. 

Edited June 5, 20213 yr by Queanbeyan Demon
Typo

  On 05/06/2021 at 02:11, bobby1554 said:

Don’t underestimate Geelong. Dangerfield and Cameron are two big ins to the team we beat

And Rohan

  On 05/06/2021 at 03:00, dl4e said:

There is something in my MFCSS that tells me the word favorite does not sit well.

Easily fixed. Let’s go with favourite instead. ?