Despite being top of the ladder and having a 10-0 winning record against the next 12 teams below us it appears the local media pundits are not taking us very seriously. We hear comments alluding this is the most even season and anyone can win it. Two weeks ago the Richmond premiership machine was cranking up, then it was Geelong on the march and now the Bulldogs are clear favourites again. The bombers are charging up the ladder many say and are becoming a threat despite being out of the 8. Of course we haven’t proven anything  yet and many of our wins have been hard fought but there is perception we are just a side show to the real contenders. Seems there is a trend to talk up all our Victorian rivals above us. Other interstate rivals don’t get much love either. Despite our continuing success we are still regarded as a Cinderella club in Victoria. Any other opinions?

Edited June 29, 20214 yr by John Crow Batty

All that matters in the end is who wins it...opinions then don't mean s...

I would not back the MFC with bad money. Our history for half a century makes us a poor chance. Having said that they can keep on under estimating us. 

Just enjoy each game at a time, who cares what the "pundits" think.

Go dees

We are the unknown. The others have all won or been around the mark. We have burnt the media last time we made a run.

Under the Radar is exactly where we need to be leading into September. Then we Launch ? 

Most of the teams you mentioned here have recently won flags or played well in September regularly. That's the difference. 

24 minutes ago, John Crow Batty said:

... it appears the local media pundits are not taking us very seriously. 

When you're chasing a premiership that's exactly what you want.  You don't want hype.

A lot of that centres around the fact that we have the least potent and least reliable forward line in the league. Conceding 8 goals against the Dons was fantastic. Kicking 9 goals was quite poor if we're being honest.

That appears to be everyone's key concern at the moment.

What is music to my ears is the likes of Lever and May both interviewed and both stating emphatically that they haven't achieved anything yet 

Whilst the start to the season has been very strong it doesn't guarantee or equate to real success when it matters - finals and a premiership

Whether we like it or not the MFC will never be taken really seriously until the premiership drought monkey is removed from our back 

This group has the potential - it may not necessarily be this year but things change in this game quickly so take your chance when it arises

Go Dees - ignore the noise - keep focused 

Edited June 29, 20214 yr by Sydee

They'll be a joint suicide pact at Fox footy in melbourne win the flag and I for one look forward to it

Related article today on the afl site: Ladder vs top 8

I think the basic trouble is that out opponents have never looked completely beaten so in any given game we never really look a major class above. Still, with 5 wins and no losses against the other finals rivals I'm not too upset!

Two things will decide how we go in September;

First: Can we get the forward line producing goals again?

Very noticeably in the last couple of weeks we've relied on midfielders, rucks and half forwards to kick goals and that is not sustainable. Many of our forwards have been up and down a bit all season but Pickett, Fritsch and McDonald have two goals total between the three of them in the last couple of weeks.

Second: How will the kids deal with the long season?

Once again, Melbourne's 22 on the weekend was younger than their supposed up-and-coming young opponents. In fact, at 24 years 9 months, Melbourne were older than only... yikes, on closer inspection, only Gold Coast fielded a younger team than us in round 15. That is incredible.

I'm not so much worried about it as a depth factor - we have the luxury of multiple experienced and competent players available at Casey at the moment  - as I am worried about simple fatigue. Physical and mental. The wall the Demons hit to the end their 2018 campaign is still there as a warning.

 

 

 

It does worry me a little that we haven’t smacked anyone yet and been beaten by two lowly sides.

Uphill skiing 

49 minutes ago, Smokey said:

Most of the teams you mentioned here have recently won flags or played well in September regularly. That's the difference. 

Just a reminder that, since 2018, we've won more finals than Brisbane.

39 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

A lot of that centres around the fact that we have the least potent and least reliable forward line in the league. Conceding 8 goals against the Dons was fantastic. Kicking 9 goals was quite poor if we're being honest.

That appears to be everyone's key concern at the moment.

This is complete and utter bull[censored].

We have scored the fourth most points in the league.

Read that again. We are top 4 for scoring.

One of the three sides above us is Essendon, which means only two current top 8 sides score more than us.

2 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Just a reminder that, since 2018, we've won more finals than Brisbane.

This is complete and utter bull[censored].

We have scored the fourth most points in the league.

Read that again. We are top 4 for scoring.

One of the three sides above us is Essendon, which means only two current top 8 sides score more than us.

Where do we rank in inside 50 entries per game and efficiency per entry that is perhaps a more relevant comparison ?

I don't know the answer btw

I love it, keep focusing on the Dogs, Cats, Lions, Port even Tigers, Eagles and Swans - anyone but us.

The Dogs were the fancy until we beat them, then the Lions until we destroyed them in a second half onslaught. Now we've gone back to just strangling teams and accumulating wins. I would say if we didn't lose to the Pies the hype would be louder but that was always a banana peel game with Buckley resigning the week prior.

I assume we will continue under the radar until we meet Port and if we beat them will be talked up again until we come up against another contender.

Cats, Port, WCE don't really worry me, the only sides that do are Brisbane and Footscray, Footscray in particular if they get their swift ball movement going to beat our zone. But then their defense is their weakness so our forwards should more than account for them.

Will be an interesting finals series, everyone is saying how open the field is but if we do go on to break the drought I think everyone will say we were clearly the dominant team in retrospect (assuming all goes to plan for the final 8 weeks of the H&A).

Edited June 29, 20214 yr by Dr. Gonzo

4 minutes ago, Sydee said:

Where do we rank in inside 50 entries per game and efficiency per entry that is perhaps a more relevant comparison ?

I don't know the answer btw

We're third for average inside 50s per game, behind the Dogs and Brisbane. Essendon is 9th.

I can't find average scores per inside 50, though.

I'm not sure it matters much if the end argument is "we don't score enough". The end product from how we're playing is that we've scored the fourth most points of anyone. We know we prioritise time in our forward half and repeat entries, so if we have lots of inside 50s but comparatively fewer scores, but still end up outscoring 14 of the other 17 clubs, does it matter?

59 minutes ago, Smokey said:

Most of the teams you mentioned here have recently won flags or played well in September regularly. That's the difference. 

Agree with this. The media froth over Richmond this year. Just as they did in 2018, 2019 and last year. But in 2017, they didn’t. It’s like a team is a novelty until they create a ‘dynasty.’ Think Geelong, Hawthorn and Richmond, of late. 

I'm just grateful the Bulldogs won the Premiership in 2016. That should mean that come September we'll be everybody's sentimental favourite.

I think in every match that we've played (and won) against another top team, we've gone in as underdogs.  That is absolutely fine by me.  No one took the Bulldogs seriously in 2016, or Richmond in 17 and a Tigers premiership in 2018 was an all-but certainly leading into September.  

Everything I've seen rates us as a very, very good team; no need for anymore mustard than that at this stage.

 

4 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

We're third for average inside 50s per game, behind the Dogs and Brisbane. Essendon is 9th.

I can't find average scores per inside 50, though.

I'm not sure it matters much if the end argument is "we don't score enough". The end product from how we're playing is that we've scored the fourth most points of anyone. We know we prioritise time in our forward half and repeat entries, so if we have lots of inside 50s but comparatively fewer scores, but still end up outscoring 14 of the other 17 clubs, does it matter?

Perhaps it doesn't matter if we win. But it certainly feels watching our games we are wasting a lot of entries by what appears to me at least bad structure or bad execution 

Steven May flagged this in his interview - we should and can become more efficient if they keep working on it 

 

 

46 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

A lot of that centres around the fact that we have the least potent and least reliable forward line in the league. Conceding 8 goals against the Dons was fantastic. Kicking 9 goals was quite poor if we're being honest.

That appears to be everyone's key concern at the moment.

 

3 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

We have scored the fourth most points in the league.

Read that again. We are top 4 for scoring.

One of the three sides above us is Essendon, which means only two current top 8 sides score more than us.

Both sentiments can be correct simultaneously.

Our only goal-kicking forwards this year have been Mcdonald, Fritsch and Pickett. As noted previously, they've had two goals between them in the last couple of weeks and it isn't the first time they've had a collective drop-off.

You'd have to check some history to find a team that finished a season on top of the ladder which also didn't have even a 40-goal forward on hand, but that's a very real possibility for us.

If our forward line was functioning even to the point of three goals a game shared between the three main goal-kicking options, we'd be unstoppable.

It is the weak point of our team but it is also an area we can realistically expect to see improvement.

All the [censored] in the media pump up their own team or whoever the hype team is. We don't have a lot of supporters in the media. Also think there is a bit of fear we may dominate for a few years amongst them. Wankers.

6 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

Both sentiments can be correct simultaneously.

Our only goal-kicking forwards this year have been Mcdonald, Fritsch and Pickett. As noted previously, they've had two goals between them in the last couple of weeks and it isn't the first time they've had a collective drop-off.

You'd have to check some history to find a team that finished a season on top of the ladder which also didn't have even a 40-goal forward on hand, but that's a very real possibility for us.

If our forward line was functioning even to the point of three goals a game shared between the three main goal-kicking options, we'd be unstoppable.

It is the weak point of our team but it is also an area we can realistically expect to see improvement.

I wholly dispute the proposition that the fourth-highest scoring side can simultaneously be described as having the "least potent and least reliable forward line in the league".

As to the bolded line, Fritsch is averaging 2.1 goals a game which, if he plays every game from here will result in 44 goals.

Now, I accept that we're lacking a dominant forward, and I accept that our forward half connection was poor vs Essendon and has been poor in many games this year.

But despite that, we're still outscoring 14 teams, and we're doing so with our elite defence (i.e. compare that with a side like Essendon who scores more than us but at a major cost to its defence).

The "problem" exists but it is being blown wholly out of proportion.