When we’re three goals up with two minutes to go in the granny, I’ll believe we’re favourites. Til then, lotta things to overcome, especially nerves in big finals.

I’m a Liverpool fan, when we went on our great run to win the title I remembered hearing Klopp (the manager) say every week is a new challenge, the weeks (and wins) that go before don’t mean anything it’s only that new 90min battle that they focus on. 

I feel like that’s the attitude the players and coaches are taking right now. Every the wins when they happen but every week is something new that they need to focus on. 

For that reason alone they are the best (and most professional) Melbourne team I have seen. 

2 hours ago, Pates said:

I’m a Liverpool fan, when we went on our great run to win the title I remembered hearing Klopp (the manager) say every week is a new challenge, the weeks (and wins) that go before don’t mean anything it’s only that new 90min battle that they focus on. 

I feel like that’s the attitude the players and coaches are taking right now. Every the wins when they happen but every week is something new that they need to focus on. 

For that reason alone they are the best (and most professional) Melbourne team I have seen. 

Having no interest/knowledge about soccer I’ll have to take your word over it.

All I’m saying here really is this has never happened ever. Never have I seen a season where pundits are saying WE are the cup favourites. Never have I had an answer to the debate such as “well our teams the best at the moment. Never have I seen them at the top this time in the season. Never have my team been the admiration of all the other teams on the league. Never have I see us sit on top of the perch and look down on everyone else.

I’ve seen seasons were we were celebrating when we won less games than this. I’ve seen many where we were the joke of the league, the recipient of puns and jokes. Even in my office environment at work I was ridiculed. For years we were the example of what a team shouldn’t be. The sight of Melbourne failing was so common it was seen as expected and the norm.

Now the opposite is happening. We are feared and seen as the team to beat. I have never experienced this. Even as well as we played in 2000, deep down I knew every team was playing for second place that year.

Yes I know it’s a long time to go. Yes we can still falter. But even if it’s for this brief moment we are the pride of the league. It’s something I’ve never experienced before and may never experience again. I just love going into work after the weekend, smiling, not facing embarrassing jeers about how “s**t” my team did on the weekend. It’s nice being looked up to not down on.

I can only imagine how my nieces/nephews (the closest I’ll ever have to having children) feel. I imagine all the ridicule and teasing they must have got through the years and the pressure to change to a “popular” winning team. Now they must be smiling and the admiration of all their classmates. Anyone who has children must have felt guilty about all they put their kids through. Now they can see them as sitting on the top of the winners pile.

3 hours ago, Pates said:

I’m a Liverpool fan, when we went on our great run to win the title I remembered hearing Klopp (the manager) say every week is a new challenge, the weeks (and wins) that go before don’t mean anything it’s only that new 90min battle that they focus on. 

I feel like that’s the attitude the players and coaches are taking right now. Every the wins when they happen but every week is something new that they need to focus on. 

For that reason alone they are the best (and most professional) Melbourne team I have seen. 

That's the mentality I've been craving for years. Don't get ahead of yourselves, the focus must always be on the next game, the next quarter, the next contest. It's about being in the moment and focusing on what can I do, right now, to win, to be successful.

The selflessness this year has been great to watch as well and comes from players having well defined roles and trusting the system. They all know what they need to do for the team to be successful, they don't all have to worry about getting 30 disposals and being the matchwinner. Just play your role in the cohesive unit and the team will succeed.

9 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

That's the mentality I've been craving for years. Don't get ahead of yourselves, the focus must always be on the next game, the next quarter, the next contest. It's about being in the moment and focusing on what can I do, right now, to win, to be successful.

The selflessness this year has been great to watch as well and comes from players having well defined roles and trusting the system. They all know what they need to do for the team to be successful, they don't all have to worry about getting 30 disposals and being the matchwinner. Just play your role in the cohesive unit and the team will succeed.

There can’t be any doubt that in the past we’ve over-celebrated certain wins, I think that was more of a reflection of where we were and where we’d been. Take 2018 for example there were critics out at us for celebrating big when we beat WC to (just about) cement our spot in the finals. 

What I really like at the moment is the enthusiasm that’s on the park between the start of the game and the final siren. When someone scores an important goal the players get around them, they pump each other up, and give the high 5 to the player that did the one-percenter that started the goal. 

It’s a cliche, but they really do seem to be playing for each other at the moment. It’s great it’s happening right now, let’s hope they can sustain it for the full season. 

On 6/5/2021 at 11:02 AM, 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 now dub this thread "The Cassiew" CURSE thread?

Edited June 6, 20214 yr by picket fence

On 6/5/2021 at 11:02 AM, 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

Great topic CW  with this addition - and as one who was at Western Oval in 1987.

This week, at Round 12, and with 11 wins and a killer %, we can say with certainty that the Dees WILL play finals this year.

Normally, even with a good team such as 2018 it was always up to Round 20 or even last Round (1987, 1988 -a GF year, 1998 -a prelim final year) that we locked away finals.

I'm sitting back now and enjoying the rest of the home and away games  unlike every other year in the last 55 years when I started following the Dees.

But, after watching Clayton Olivers post match on Kayo on Friday , the take away comment from him to G. Lyon was "...I hate losing.."

No way will this team and coaching staff let up and I'll be enjoying it.

The only time to say it will be on the last Sunday in September if it comes to pass.

Until then, keep quiet and pray hard.

Edited June 7, 20214 yr by tiers
Clarity

23 hours ago, picket fence said:

I now dub this thread "The Cassiew" CURSE thread?

I don’t believe in “curses”, like like I don’t believe in leprechauns.

I reckon we have to be a good chance to make the dance.

Richmond are starting to hum and have that finals experience. They'll be the toughest to beat come finals I think.

With the disruption to the VFL season, I'm wondering if the Burgess factor can help us again. There's a heap of players on the fringe that we may need (Jetta, Jones, Sparrow, Brown x2 etc etc) that we need to keep match fit.

We have the best in the business to help keep them super fit. It may be a real edge for us come the pointy end.
Go Dees!