On 19/07/2021 at 22:38, Rusty Nails said:

Just get a player they will respect and relate to in Lewis

The same player who threw his hands up and surrendered in the 18 prelim?

He was good for us, but I wouldn't say respected.

Robertson would be a good one to get in, every podcast he has done recently he describes how is still annoyed we didn't have the facilities/level playing field to compete with the big clubs.

I love the idea that bringing out players in their late 40s is going to be somehow motivating to a 19 year old. Just because it means something to the old guys on Demonland doesn't mean that it means anything to the players. I'm in my late 30s, and I'll nod and smile when people talk about Robbie Flower but they may as well be talking about Ron Barassi, Bluey Truscott or Allan La Fontaine. Sure, I know they were good players because old people keep telling me (whilst I smile and nod politely), but I don't have any connection to them beyond that.

Luke Jackson was 2 years old when that happened. His first reaction to seeing the 2004 team is likely to be "OMG, there's a third Nathan Brown?!?!"

  On 20/07/2021 at 01:58, Axis of Bob said:

I love the idea that bringing out players in their late 40s is going to be somehow motivating to a 19 year old. Just because it means something to the old guys on Demonland doesn't mean that it means anything to the players. I'm in my late 30s, and I'll nod and smile when people talk about Robbie Flower but they may as well be talking about Ron Barassi, Bluey Truscott or Allan La Fontaine. Sure, I know they were good players because old people keep telling me (whilst I smile and nod politely), but I don't have any connection to them beyond that.

Luke Jackson was 2 years old when that happened. His first reaction to seeing the 2004 team is likely to be "OMG, there's a third Nathan Brown?!?!"

I couldn't agree more. I respect the era before I followed but I have no connection.

  On 19/07/2021 at 01:07, JimmyGadson said:

The link is mental fragility.

I remember the 2004 side like it was yesterday, I was 17. I don't remember there being any unforeseen circumstances that meant we lost 5 straight to end the season. 

Whether Melb supporters like to hear it our not, we've been a basket case club for a long time and an average club for a longer time. It takes years to change perceptions and narratives and years to build new perceptions and narratives. 

At the moment, proud, strong and successful clubs can still beat us and I place part of that, even if small on the fact that we've been a walk over club for a long time. 

I can only imagine what Clarkson would have been saying at half time to his players and I doubt it'd have been glowing MFC talk. If you've been involved at footy at any level, you know what I'm talking about. 

We have the chance to write our own future, build new perceptions and narratives about the Melbourne footy club. We're obviously a different team, different personalities and individually these guys wouldn't be thinking about these kinds of things. But opposition coaches, media personell, supporters and the rest have a whole different perspective on what a club stands for. 

And many many people still don't believe we're onto anything. 

I mean, one only needs to experience being at a Melbourne home game against a lower side to get a glimpse/feeling into what Melb supporters have been through. It's in the air and in the way we support. 

I agree with this generally. And I'd say there clearly is a trend against weaker opposition not to get the job done, but we constantly bring the right mental attitude to the bigger games and as many have said, we simply can't be up every week.

Recent historical premiers have been through a similar experience. The big thing is that we are Melbourne, with a history, a backlog of failure and mental fragility.

This team however is on top and is clearly the best team in the competition. The only reason the media are wary is because it's the Melbourne Football Club, and like us supporters, as you rightly point out, they have a history to look back on of failure. They are therefore skeptical. If any other team had dominated the top 4 teams like we have, there'd be no doubt from commentators.

As for the flakey 2004 team that managed to get itself to the top for a solitary week, schooling a team that's been on top for the majority of the year and comfortably accounted for all major contenders, well, it's laughable.

Edited July 20, 20213 yr by A F

Worst thing about 2004 is that if we'd won that Elimination Final I reckon it would have given us a new lease of life. In an even season that could have carried us to a flag.

  On 20/07/2021 at 02:22, Supermercado said:

Worst thing about 2004 is that if we'd won that Elimination Final I reckon it would have given us a new lease of life. In an even season that could have carried us to a flag.

Did we not lose Neitz after Rd18?

  On 19/07/2021 at 02:26, Macca said:

I'd still argue that the '04 team was better than the current team anyway (as a collective in terms of pure talent)

What is different is we now play to a system which requires a total team effort (a form of total football which the Bulldogs & then Richmond displayed)

But to play like like that every week is energy sapping & extremely challenging especially when it's something completely new.  Lets face it, areas like forward line pressure at our club was virtually non existant until this season

I'd rather focus on the positives whilst acknowledging the flaws.  For some here, they can only see the negatives

Anyone stumbling upon this site might think we weren't even in the 8

 

You really can't compare the 2 sides, only a handful of players would make our side today. (Neita, Davey, Green, Bruce, Wheels and Yze. 

Robbo and Jmac unlucky.

Edited July 20, 20213 yr by Win4theAges

  On 20/07/2021 at 01:58, Axis of Bob said:

I love the idea that bringing out players in their late 40s is going to be somehow motivating to a 19 year old. Just because it means something to the old guys on Demonland doesn't mean that it means anything to the players. I'm in my late 30s, and I'll nod and smile when people talk about Robbie Flower but they may as well be talking about Ron Barassi, Bluey Truscott or Allan La Fontaine. Sure, I know they were good players because old people keep telling me (whilst I smile and nod politely), but I don't have any connection to them beyond that.

Luke Jackson was 2 years old when that happened. His first reaction to seeing the 2004 team is likely to be "OMG, there's a third Nathan Brown?!?!"

So true.

Imagine you’re sitting at work and your boss says ‘ok everyone gather round. I’ve brought in a bunch of people who worked here 17 years ago to regale you with war stories to ensure you make the most of the coming months. We’ll start with Sharyn who used to work in HR, but now runs a successful online  essential oils company. Sharyn the floor is yours’.

It won’t mean much. I’d rather they spent the time kicking footballs, as radical as that sounds.

 

 

  On 20/07/2021 at 03:25, Win4theAges said:

You really can't compare the 2 sides, only a handful of players would make our side today. (Neita, Davey, Green, Bruce, Wheels and Yze. 

Robbo and Jmac unlucky.

And just like that, you fixed our forward line.

  On 20/07/2021 at 03:25, Win4theAges said:

You really can't compare the 2 sides, only a handful of players would make our side today. (Neita, Davey, Green, Bruce, Wheels and Yze. 

Robbo and Jmac unlucky.

I think you've sold a few short there.

Travis Johnstone would be a handy addition on the wing & Jeff White would be a pretty option replacement for Luke Jackson? 

  On 20/07/2021 at 03:34, The heart beats true said:

Imagine you’re sitting at work and your boss says ‘ok everyone gather round. I’ve brought in a bunch of people who worked here 17 years ago to regale you with war stories to ensure you make the most of the coming months. We’ll start with Sharyn who used to work in HR, but now runs a successful online  essential oils company. Sharyn the floor is yours’.

It might work in ways you mightn't expect.

I remember hearing the Richmond boys saying that they finally decided to get their act together because they were sick of hearing from the 60's-'70's crew about the 'good old days'. They smartened up to get them to shut them up.

Sadly, we've been living off memories for a good 60 years now and it doesn't seem to have gotten our blokes to click.

  On 20/07/2021 at 02:22, Supermercado said:

Worst thing about 2004 is that if we'd won that Elimination Final I reckon it would have given us a new lease of life. In an even season that could have carried us to a flag.

Not so fast Super. You may be right but...

I reckon the worst thing was losing to 3 bottom sides in the last 4 weeks of the season and costing us a double chance. 

Not to mention the disaster that was the start of the first final when the game was lost in 20 minutes , despite the heroic comeback.

Talk about flaky. 

  On 20/07/2021 at 02:26, Doug Reemer said:

Did we not lose Neitz after Rd18?

No, we only lost him for final Round 22, and the First Final.

In rounds 19, 20, 21 he had less than 10 disposals each game and best scoree was 2gls 4 points in Round 19.

Round 21 he had 8 disposals for 4 behinds.

His last game for the season was our last win in Round 18, against the hawks.  Neitz had 11 disposlas for 5 gls 3 behinds.

last Home and away game in Round 22, after 1/2 time the eagles had 18 scoring shots to our 6.

Wheels had really fallen off by then I reckon.

I trust current leadership on the ground way more than I would trust the 2004 version. So they may have a story to tell - don't be like us!

  On 20/07/2021 at 03:25, Win4theAges said:

You really can't compare the 2 sides, only a handful of players would make our side today. (Neita, Davey, Green, Bruce, Wheels and Yze. 

Robbo and Jmac unlucky.

We play a terrific system these days but there are up to about 10 players in the current team that I wouldn't class as top players.  Ok and alright but not top players.

However, I wouldn't be making any changes to the team apart from Harmes in and maybe 1 or 2 others

Still, we don't have to be great to win big with the current levels of talent across the league (top 4 teams have often previously had up to 16-18 top players in their teams)

But as previously stated we do need a great system to offset the depth of top talent but we've seen that terrific team system in operation against all the good teams ... not so much against the teams outside the 8

Therefore, I expect the team to get it done against the doggies this week.  If not, questions will be asked

Edited July 20, 20213 yr by Macca

The Demons have traditionally got off to slow starts this season. Didn't happen v Hawks. Drop off appeared to happen when the side appeared too comfortable with a reasonable lead.

  On 20/07/2021 at 07:00, bingers said:

The Demons have traditionally got off to slow starts this season. Didn't happen v Hawks. Drop off appeared to happen when the side appeared too comfortable with a reasonable lead.

This team talks a lot of cr@p. Making the MCG our fortress = fail. Instead of being the hunted, we’ll do some hunting ourselves = massive fail.

This looks like a team that is more afraid of losing than they are of hunting for a win. At the moment they are displaying such a defeatist attitude.

One needs only to look at our captain, who has been poor for close to 2 months now. It’s starts with leadership, and currently, his and the rest of the leadership groups has been nothing short of pathetic.

We need to get back to doing the basics and 1%ers. None of this complaining and whining to the umpires (I’m looking at you Clarrie and Max). Just shut up and play football for 4 quarters (you know, doing your jobs).

  On 20/07/2021 at 02:26, Doug Reemer said:

Did we not lose Neitz after Rd18?

He played the next couple, last game was the debacle against Carlton at Princes Park. Thanks to the massive hangover that stopped me from going to that game. After having get out of the tram on the way for a spew I decided it was sensible to head home and listen on the radio.

  On 20/07/2021 at 03:34, The heart beats true said:

So true.

Imagine you’re sitting at work and your boss says ‘ok everyone gather round. I’ve brought in a bunch of people who worked here 17 years ago to regale you with war stories to ensure you make the most of the coming months. We’ll start with Sharyn who used to work in HR, but now runs a successful online  essential oils company. Sharyn the floor is yours’.

It won’t mean much. I’d rather they spent the time kicking footballs, as radical as that sounds.

 

 

Although there's still 10 weeks to go, post of the season is now closed and awarded to THBT. 

  On 20/07/2021 at 09:14, Supermercado said:

He played the next couple, last game was the debacle against Carlton at Princes Park. Thanks to the massive hangover that stopped me from going to that game. After having get out of the tram on the way for a spew I decided it was sensible to head home and listen on the radio.

Mighty decent of you to get off the tram first. ?

Don't need 2004 to remind them, just look back to 2020 Cairns 2 game debacle and last round 2017 vs Pies which both cost them playing finals!

If this group of players fall over the last 5 rounds and miss a top 4 chance and bow out of the finals, it will reinforce that nothing has changed at this club and another kick in the guts for their supporters

2002 we chucked it too.

Touched the Roos up in the Elimination Final and then lucked out getting drawn a Crows ‘home’ Semi Final at the MCG. 

If we hadn’t choked in the final quarter we’d have had a Prelim against the Pies and who knows?

  On 20/07/2021 at 10:27, OhMyDees said:

2002 we chucked it too.

Touched the Roos up in the Elimination Final and then lucked out getting drawn a Crows ‘home’ Semi Final at the MCG. 

If we hadn’t choked in the final quarter we’d have had a Prelim against the Pies and who knows?

The most sea-saw game i've ever seen. From memory - 8 goals down in the 1st quarter, 2 goals down at 1/2 time, 3 goals up at 3/4 time, then we lose by 2 goals...

I remember being there thinking it was a 50 point win coming up at 3/4 time, that we'd beat the Pies (who really weren't much that year to be honest despite making the GF) and giving the Lions a crack (as we beat them at the Gabba mid-season)...

  On 20/07/2021 at 10:16, Demonsone said:

If this group of players fall over the last 5 rounds and miss a top 4 chance and bow out of the finals, it will reinforce that nothing has changed at this club and another kick in the guts for their supporters

Cool, but also if they don’t fall over does that not mean that we as a supporter base can officially trust the club, and give it more credit?

Just trying to understand how this all works. What an exciting time to be a supporter! So much on the line.