18 minutes ago, Bates Mate said:

You're right I did get the opponent confused.  we got screwed in 98 in that we beat the lower ranked Adelaide in the first final then had to go through higher ranked opponents than Adelaide in the prelim despite fishing higher than then in the ladder and beating them in the first final. They changed the system the following year

And had we played in the new system we would have faced North in the first round of the finals.  Who knows what might have happened but on paper they were a better side than we were.  I think i would have preferred to play them in r1 of the finals and not the prelim.  We were up and running at that point.

Edited June 7, 20213 yr by BillyBeane

2 hours ago, tiers said:

Any Melbourne team that throughout the nineties had a choice of Lyon, Schwarz, Neitz, Jackovich, Farmer, Charles, Tingay, G. Lovett, B. Lovett, Prymke, Viney, Woewodin, Powell, Johnstone, White, Stynes and more would have to be the best team in our history.

The tragedy is that only Neitz, Farmer,  B. Lovett,  Woewodin, Powell,  White, Stynes of that group were ever consistently available for selection in that period and we were weakened whenever we had a real chance in 1990, 1994 and 1998 by missing players and a lack of cohesion that comes from playing together over an extensive period.

That we made the GF in 2000 was a fluke at a time when the finals system worked in our favour (beating lollie blues in week 1 got us into a PF against tired roos).

The 2021 team might appear to have fewer stars but those that we have are in defence and on the ball where premierships are won. Further, so far, the cohesion is building week by week so that there are no obvious weaknesses on any line.

As I said elsewhere in another post, stay quiet and pray hard.

Go dees.

 

History might be different had Schwarz not wrecked his knee.  The second injury could have been avoided.  Should never have been allowed by the coach to return to playing so soon after the reconstruction.  

Having said that - and this is a brutal assessment - There is no A-grade Judd / Cousins / Bartel / Ablett Jnr level of midfielders in the list of players above.  To win a premiership it has been shown you must have midfielders at that level and we've not had that level of player for a long time...until now...

Edited June 7, 20213 yr by BillyBeane

On appearances this team seems better. The whole team defence mantra is a powerful thing. The midfield and defence are exceptional. Another dominating key forward would be great and if Melksham could return to his 2008 form...

But then again we're only in June and plenty will happen between now and September.

Our 2000 team was fabulous. Great game plan, great belief among the players. Our backline was a bit no name but Ingerson and Ward, in particular, were great. It's a pity Essendon were one of the best sides for 20 years, but a 60-point loss wasn't a true indication of the difference between the sides.

1990 was the year I actually thought we had the best chance. Percentage from finishing second. I still don't know what happened against West Coast out at Waverley. It still haunts me!

..

 

This 2021 team would smash any previous Melbourne side ever just based on fitness level and defensive structure.
Every previous Melbourne side would be gassed by half time, especially from pre 1980's