Great game, loved watching it with my young son who is loving the start of his football watching life!

On a few things people have said -

1) petty “fake” grabbed at his hamstring as he had just deliberately ran over the boundary - trying to con the umpire in case he paid deliberate. Watch him walk away smiling as he looked toward a teammate.

2) Tmac won’t get dropped. He was average in possessions, but he flew and competed. But the main reason is, how well did the forward line function as a unit with those who played last nigh? 28 shots on goal and plenty of pressure and great play as a UNIT. If he does exactly the same in our next 2 games, but the team wins and someone else kicked the goals, who cares.

2 minutes ago, Yokozuna said:

Tmac won’t get dropped. He was average in possessions, but he flew and competed. But the main reason is, how well did the forward line function as a unit with those who played last nigh? 28 shots on goal and plenty of pressure and great play as a UNIT. If he does exactly the same in our next 2 games, but the team wins and someone else kicked the goals, who cares.

Yep.. he takes another body, and although marks didn't stick, his mobility causes backline structures to fall down and creates space for Fritsch. He is important to our structure...and his worth to how we play is greater than his possession /goals output.

can anyone give me a timestamp of Sparrow's bump please?

9 minutes ago, Engorged Onion said:

can anyone give me a timestamp of Sparrow's bump please?

Last quarter with 17:00 to go. And some replays shortly after.

10 minutes ago, Engorged Onion said:

Yep.. he takes another body, and although marks didn't stick, his mobility causes backline structures to fall down and creates space for Fritsch. He is important to our structure...and his worth to how we play is greater than his possession /goals output.

He stays in.  He, along with Jones and Gawn and Hunt, have been through the [censored] together and come out the other side.  I love the big T Mac.  

3 minutes ago, pinkshark said:

He stays in.  He, along with Jones and Gawn and Hunt, have been through the [censored] together and come out the other side.  I love the big T Mac.  

I look forward to TMAC's trade value going up with a premiership medallion.

*I have no knowledge of anything. Although currently he is useful structurally, I think he has currency if he is traded out, and feel that he is slightly drifting to the very average TMAC, that we have had for a few years...

3 hours ago, 1 red eye 1 blue eye said:

Morning  everyone 😁

How good was that? I did something last night that I haven't done since I was a kid.........I went to bed with my demons shirt on hehe!

Passing out of the couch is not “going to bed”, that’s what my wife told me anyway. 

6 hours ago, BDA said:

Pre-finals bye needs to be scrapped entirely. QF teams know the week break is so important which is what adds the edge to the QF. Taking the advantage away from the Top 4 for the benefit of the bottom 4 finalists makes no sense. Never did.

Agree entirely.

There is a groundswell of support for this in the media.

Might end up with two byes through the year, one at around Round 7-8 and one at around 15-16 or something, but they 100% need to get rid of the pre-finals bye.

Kane Cornes on radio yesterday morning said that if you have done well enough in the first 21 games to be in a position to rest players in the final game because it won't affect your ladder position, then that's a credit to you. I agree entirely. Have a compromised Round 23 and an uncompromised finals series, not the other way around.

Another post game question, considering how well Cameron did, and some commentary on the small forwards from Port could challenge us if we make it to a GF against them, how many small forwards have got a lot of goals against us this year?

I can’t recall many, if any, other than last night.

am I wrong? I think our smaller defenders have done really well all year.

Cameron is just a freak and played a great game and read the ball well against someone who is inexperienced and flew for spoils when he should have just stayed with Cameron who snuck out the back.

33 minutes ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Wish we could wear our indigenous strip again.....its so good.

Easily the best of the 18. 

Just now, Yokozuna said:

Another post game question, considering how well Cameron did, and some commentary on the small forwards from Port could challenge us if we make it to a GF against them, how many small forwards have got a lot of goals against us this year?

I can’t recall many, if any, other than last night.

am I wrong? I think our smaller defenders have done really well all year.

Cameron is just a freak and played a great game and read the ball well against someone who is inexperienced and flew for spoils when he should have just stayed with Cameron who snuck out the back.

Cameron is very good. 
It’s less about small forwards and more about the number of goals we concede from ground balls. We are virtually impossible to penetrate in the air down back. But if the ball spills to ground we can get caught out. It’s mainly because May Petty and Lever aren’t great at ground level. Salem is also very very poor for a small. That leaves Hibbo who I think is good at ground level but is losing his speed and touch, and Hunt who is injured. Bowey is a baby so hard to tell. 
I worry a lot about Greene and Grey for this reason. Greene probably needs May on him. Petty can take Himmelberg and Lever on Hogan. Port do well to bring ball to ground. Dixon and Georgiadis are both good at that. This is where Grey can really hurt you and Rosie. 
Hunt being fit is key for us I think. Because Smith leaves us far too vulnerable in the air and at ground level. He gets totally lost in the play. 

1 minute ago, Jaded said:

Cameron is very good. 
It’s less about small forwards and more about the number of goals we concede from ground balls. We are virtually impossible to penetrate in the air down back. But if the ball spills to ground we can get caught out. It’s mainly because May Petty and Lever aren’t great at ground level. Salem is also very very poor for a small. That leaves Hibbo who I think is good at ground level but is losing his speed and touch, and Hunt who is injured. Bowey is a baby so hard to tell. 
I worry a lot about Greene and Grey for this reason. Greene probably needs May on him. Petty can take Himmelberg and Lever on Hogan. Port do well to bring ball to ground. Dixon and Georgiadis are both good at that. This is where Grey can really hurt you and Rosie. 
Hunt being fit is key for us I think. Because Smith leaves us far too vulnerable in the air and at ground level. He gets totally lost in the play. 

Agree with all you said, I just can’t think of any smalls getting a bag on us.

I think hunt and rivers have been severely underrated for their defensive work this year against the smalls.

I would think we would bring in one of hunt or hibberd for GWS or Port - smith could play on Rohan against Geelong - however, Rohan does a bloody good job of stopping himself in finals anyway, so he might not need an opponent 😂

I actually  think Fantasia is the tough one as he is a “cheat” who runs away from the ball like Cameron!

9 minutes ago, Yokozuna said:

Another post game question, considering how well Cameron did, and some commentary on the small forwards from Port could challenge us if we make it to a GF against them, how many small forwards have got a lot of goals against us this year?

I can’t recall many, if any, other than last night.

am I wrong? I think our smaller defenders have done really well all year.

Cameron is just a freak and played a great game and read the ball well against someone who is inexperienced and flew for spoils when he should have just stayed with Cameron who snuck out the back.

I don't have the numbers, but I suspect the overwhelming majority of goals kicked against us have been my mid sized forwards.

Definitely our weakest area defensively. 

That said it is skewed a bit because opposition big forwards don't mark it inside 50, and the ball almost always come to ground, so ground ball get goals are basically the only way teams can scoring goals against us. Last night was the perfect example of thst phenomenon.

The bottom line is goody is not going to be too fussed if a player like Cameron kicks 5 if the opposition only kicks 8 or 9 in total 

36 minutes ago, Engorged Onion said:

I look forward to TMAC's trade value going up with a premiership medallion.

*I have no knowledge of anything. Although currently he is useful structurally, I think he has currency if he is traded out, and feel that he is slightly drifting to the very average TMAC, that we have had for a few years...

This team continues to grow in stature - the fact we had 9 players who had never experienced a final and so many relative youngsters who all performed is just awesome 

We seem to have a great coaching team who have the support of the players and each other - this is so critical 

For the first time in a very very long time it feels like we support a team that is fully invested in the success of the MFC as much as some of us  

I am so impressed by Christian Petracca and his post match interviews you can sense his emotion every time when asked about the long suffering Dees supporters - he gets it and he is just as passionate about bringing home the big prize 

He and Clarry are such an amazing duo with a strong support cast - this team can go all the way and achieve what some of us thought impossible 

Edited August 29, 20214 yr by Sydee

6 hours ago, jnrmac said:

I think burgo should take due credit as well. Fitness has a lot to do with DE

ANB and Langdon have gone to a new level with their disposal this year. Hats off to all the coaching staff

Just got my G2G pass to enter WA approved, on my way now to book flight and accommodation(might treat myself Hyatt Regency Hotel, well I’m a Melbourne supporter)

23 minutes ago, binman said:

I don't have the numbers, but I suspect the overwhelming majority of goals kicked against us have been my mid sized forwards.

Definitely our weakest area defensively. 

That said it is skewed a bit because opposition big forwards don't mark it inside 50, and the ball almost always come to ground, so ground ball get goals are basically the only way teams can scoring goals against us. Last night was the perfect example of thst phenomenon.

The bottom line is goody is not going to be too fussed if a player like Cameron kicks 5 if the opposition only kicks 8 or 9 in total 

Agree that our strength in the air, accentuates ground ball/ mid/ roving type goals. Hunt has been very good in this area, and Hibberd also vs Greene and I think likely re Robbie Gray. It seems to me that against GWS and Port, Hunt and Hibberd play instead of Smith and Bowey( who would be very stiff to miss after 5-6 very solid games). 
Also vs Port, TMac sticking with Allir makes sense.

Against Cats I’m probably also leaning to Hunt for his run as it will hurt Cats as game goes on, and like Hibberd to throw at Dangerfield if required, or body Rohan.

I also think that extra mature body in Hibberd and his and Hunt game experience will help in the big knockout finals.

Am slightly torn going this way as Bowey has great skills and has played 5-6 very handy games. Smith was showed up by Cameron last night, and just okay vs Cats.

What I have been thinking about today is not so much our A-graders, who are clearly leading us, but the roles that others have signed up to take, and played so well last night.

Players like Viney, Harmes and Brayshaw, who have all over the last three years been pushed out of their preferred inside mid position, been moved around, looked unlikely fits in our best 22 - all of them played their role so well last night.

And players like Spargo, ANB, Sparrow, Petty, Brown - none of them have reached the AA heights of our superstars but all keep putting in the right effort week after week.

4 minutes ago, SA_Demon said:

Just got my G2G pass to enter WA approved, on my way now to book flight and accommodation(might treat myself Hyatt Regency Hotel, well I’m a Melbourne supporter)

Assuming you are based in SA so can get to WA okay? 
Unlike we poor Vic’s.

1 hour ago, Maldonboy38 said:

Have to edit my opinion about TMac. For most of the night I thought he was with Harris Andrews, trying to keep him from intercepting. Having re-watched a lot of the game, it turns out that Andrews was on Brown, and he simply had a shocker. Brown had his measure in almost every contest, and Andrews was struggling to figure out where to stand or what to guard. 

This also means that simply put, TMac had a shocker. No way do we drop him though. 

Marcus Adams was on TMac. He is very strong and a great overhead mark. A tough defender to play on.

TMac brought a lot of balls to ground what, if he is not marking them, is the next best thing.

Dispapointing that he fluffed his ony shots at goal. Hasn't been the same since his back became sore.

3 hours ago, loges said:

Posted similar after last weeks game and got several face palms. It's not just the last 2 games, his last good game was against Pot Adelaide, has done little since. I really hope we can get him back into form.

Re the umpires, made an acceptable amount of mistakes but were  the best we've had in weeks I never got upset at  any stage, mostly sensible umpiring.

I thought the umps were generally outstanding. Very few howlers. As it should be. Thought Fritsch was lucky to get the front on free against Andrews.

They didn't however protect the player going for the ball in a number of instances including Matheison's hit on Gawn

I’m not sure it’s been mentioned earlier in the thread, but I thought Chris Fagan’s impromptu comments at the end of his presser about Melbourne was a nice touch. To summarise, he said full credit to Melbourne, they are a wonderful footy team and are very hard to beat.
 

I can guarantee you that you won’t hear those sort of comments from Chris Scott if we roll the Cats a third time this year in the Prelim.

5 hours ago, Engorged Onion said:

Anyone have any thoughts on the vibe around choosing to have Gawn, Petracca, Oliver and May on the bench for the last 5 or so minutes?

Resting/Protection?

Proving that the team can perform without them?

Revelling in watching the lads?

Definitely protection. These are our 4 most important players I reckon. 

1 hour ago, binman said:

I don't have the numbers, but I suspect the overwhelming majority of goals kicked against us have been my mid sized forwards.

Definitely our weakest area defensively. 

That said it is skewed a bit because opposition big forwards don't mark it inside 50, and the ball almost always come to ground, so ground ball get goals are basically the only way teams can scoring goals against us. Last night was the perfect example of thst phenomenon.

The bottom line is goody is not going to be too fussed if a player like Cameron kicks 5 if the opposition only kicks 8 or 9 in total 

Probably why Dees might sound out trades for Maynard or even someone like Petrevski-Seton.