Will you be satisfied with the Season of 2021 even if we lose the Preliminary Final

[rufus 1,162]

I said last week that i think this year is part of a bigger journey for the MFC in trying to change the underlying culture of the club. If we don't win the flag this year, i am ok with it it as long as we have taken effort/intensity out of the equation. If we have a red hot crack and are beaten by a better team on the day, or get stooged by the umpires, or kick poorly for goal or cop injuries in game then so be it. This can happen in a sport where finals are 'best of 1'.

Believe it or not, i still go into every game hoping we will 1) kick a goal and not become the first goalless team for the last however many years and 2) stay close enough to not push past our record 190 losing margin and break the 200 barrier. Talk about MFCSS!

Either way we should expect to see this group come back better next season based on the age profile. That would be a huge step forward from what we've been served up by players after decent seasons over the last 30 years.

If this group maintains the competitiveness, selflessness and intensity that they've shown for most of this season then we will keep presenting in and around the top 4 and eventually we will break through. To me this is how you win flags. And ultimately we will have a club we can trust and be truly proud to be associated with.

Edited September 4, 2021 by rufus

[Sir Why You Little 37,310]

1 minute ago, kev martin said:

2000 players out of 1.5 million get a chance to achieve at the highest level, 50 win a flag together. The rest of us live vicariously through them. 

I feel great sorrow at the Kids who are sent to the Suns

they look like McDonald’s Fries 🍟 running around

[Demonstone 23,343]

In professional sport, it is all about winning.

Ask any past, current or prospective AFL player and I'm sure they'd tell you that winning Premierships is the ultimate goal and that individual awards, while nice, are not what they strive for. 

 

 

[kev martin 10,704]

7 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

In professional sport, it is all about winning.

Ask any past, current or prospective AFL player and I'm sure they'd tell you that winning Premierships is the ultimate goal and that individual awards, while nice, are not what they strive for. 

 

 

They do all they can to win, though losing is not a disgrace, no matter how long the losses may go on for.

Edited September 4, 2021 by kev martin

[Engorged Onion 10,224]

FFS

Well, this thread has descended into something I am not surprised has happened.

• It's ok to have different opinions and not like someone's opinion.
•  It's ok to not like someone's opinion and not have to post about it to try to convince them to see things your way
• It's ok to not like someone's opinion about your opinion, perhaps just put them on ignore.
• If someone gets upset at how you responded, perhaps reach out to them and be conciliatory - or just put them on ignore (you can still think they are a [censored]... just do it privately).

Edited September 4, 2021 by Engorged Onion

[Demonstone 23,343]

You'd struggle to convince me that 186 wasn't a disgrace.  Same goes for Neeld's time at our club.

 

[kev martin 10,704]

3 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

You'd struggle to convince me that 186 wasn't a disgrace.  Same goes for Neeld's time at our club.

 

Very bad day in the office.

Disgrace, nah, more a bad system to play under.

[Engorged Onion 10,224]

8 minutes ago, kev martin said:

Very bad day in the office.

Disgrace, nah, more a bad system to play under.

System? As in on field football system? Or off field dynamics? 

As far as has been reported - the players checked out... (correct me if I am wrong)

Not that it matters from a point of objectivity - but I was there at Kardinia...detached, confused, pondering whether the club would survive....and here we are, just like 'Ween' sang... push the little daisies and make 'em come up.

[kev martin 10,704]

26 minutes ago, Engorged Onion said:

System? As in on field football system? Or off field dynamics? 

As far as has been reported - the players checked out... (correct me if I am wrong)

Not that it matters from a point of objectivity - but I was there at Kardinia...detached, confused, pondering whether the club would survive....and here we are, just like 'Ween' sang... push the little daisies and make 'em come up.

Must have been a "checked out".

All systems seemed to have failed, off field and on. 

Edited September 4, 2021 by kev martin

[Billy 2,563]

No

Not with the position we have put ourselves in to win the lot

[Dante 2,739]

1 hour ago, rufus said:

I said last week that i think this year is part of a bigger journey for the MFC in trying to change the underlying culture of the club. If we don't win the flag this year, i am ok with it it as long as we have taken effort/intensity out of the equation. If we have a red hot crack and are beaten by a better team on the day, or get stooged by the umpires, or kick poorly for goal or cop injuries in game then so be it. This can happen in a sport where finals are 'best of 1'.

Believe it or not, i still go into every game hoping we will 1) kick a goal and not become the first goalless team for the last however many years and 2) stay close enough to not push past our record 190 losing margin and break the 200 barrier. Talk about MFCSS!

Either way we should expect to see this group come back better next season based on the age profile. That would be a huge step forward from what we've been served up by players after decent seasons over the last 30 years.

If this group maintains the competitiveness, selflessness and intensity that they've shown for most of this season then we will keep presenting in and around the top 4 and eventually we will break through. To me this is how you win fags. And ultimately we will have a club we can trust and be truly proud to be associated with.

I agree with a lot of what you say, but you make assumptions that we will continue to improve, which, by the way I agree, however nothing is guaranteed and there's no way of knowing that we will, or will not, improve. You have to make the most of your opportunities, there are no tomorrows, it's sometimes now or never.

If someone had told me when I left the MCG after the 64GF that we wouldn't have another flag in 57 years I would have told them they were stupid.

 

[Nasher 33,617]

1 hour ago, rufus said:

 If we have a red hot crack and are beaten by a better team on the day, 

I’ve been a subscriber to this for years - I’ve found peace with losses when it was clear the team had a red hot crack but just weren’t good enough, and I’ve been happy to gloss over a win because I know we played like pus and got away with it because the other team happened to be worse. It’s always been about effort for me.

That’s actually the reason I’m in camp “flag or bust” this year. Maybe I’m up to my eyeballs in bathwater, but I believe we’re the best team in it, and the only way I see us not winning it is if we turn up to one of the games and don’t put in. Forget injuries- unless we lose Gawn, Oliver and Lever in one game, there’s no credible event likely to be severe enough to cost us the flag from here. Forget umpires, that’s just an excuse losers make. Forget a better team on the day - there isn’t one out there. That’s why we finished on top, and have such a good recent record against our rival contenders.

Effort is the ONLY way we may fail. That’s why I’ll be disappointed if we bow out.

[Jaded No More 68,975]

Just now, Nasher said:

I’ve been a subscriber to this for years - I’ve found peace with losses when it was clear the team had a red hot crack and I’ve been happy to gloss over a win because I know we played like pus and got away with it because the other team happened to be worse. It’s always been about effort for me.

That’s actually the reason I’m in camp “flag or bust” this year. Maybe I’m up to my eyeballs in bathwater, but I believe we’re the best team in it, and the only way I see us not winning it is if we turn up to one of the games and don’t put in. Forget injuries- unless we lose Gawn, Oliver and Lever in one game, there’s no credible event likely to be severe enough to cost us the flag from here. Forget umpires, that’s just an excuse losers make. Forget a better team on the day - there isn’t one out there. That’s why we finished on top, and have such a good recent record against our rival contenders.

Effort is the ONLY way we may fail. That’s why I’ll be disappointed if we bow out.

I think if we lose Oliver or May we may well not win the flag. Especially against Port. 

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

People also speak as though Port being our GF opponent is a sue thing, i don't agree that it is. the Dogs and Lions are both good enough to beat Port at Adelaide, the Cats were putrid in the QF and the Power have a disgusting record against anyone good. 

I think there is a very good chance the Dogs will be playing in the Grand Final

[loges 6,767]

Deleted

Edited September 4, 2021 by loges
Wrong topic

[Cassiew 1,903]

1 hour ago, Dante said:

If someone had told me when I left the MCG after the 64GF that we wouldn't have another flag in 57 years I would have told them they were stupid

This. If we win who knows? We may be in for a 63 drought next. We have to take this opportunity and since 1964, we haven’t had a better chance than now. If we can’t win with this current team, I can’t see how we can next year unless we somehow fluke no injuries again

[Jaded No More 68,975]

Honestly the teams left in it all disgust me for various reasons. I want to gut punch each and every one of them and win the damn thing. 
LETS [censored] GO!!!

[Chook 15,023]

4 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Honestly the teams left in it all disgust me for various reasons. I want to gut punch each and every one of them and win the damn thing. 
LETS [censored] GO!!!

I'm not quite in the same boat as you. I have a lot of family in SA who all go (to varying degrees) for Port, so I'm a bit partial to them. 

Obviously I love the dees and would do anything for a Melbourne flag, so my preference for how it all plays out from here is as follows:

Dees
…
lots of daylight
…
lots more daylight
...
Port
…
daylight again
…
Dogs (not much of a choice when there's only 4 teams left)
….
COVID cancellation of season
Supernova that destroys the solar system on grand final day
...
more daylight
...
Ok fine cats

[Demonstone 23,343]

Why do you love the Cats so much?

Edited September 4, 2021 by Demonstone
:)

[Jaded No More 68,975]

29 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

Why do you love the Cats so much?

Agreed. End of civilization and the destruction of the universe comes before Geelong winning a grand final

Edited September 4, 2021 by Jaded

[layzie 34,339]

6 hours ago, Engorged Onion said:

FFS

Well, this thread has descended into something I am not surprised has happened.

• It's ok to have different opinions and not like someone's opinion.
•  It's ok to not like someone's opinion and not have to post about it to try to convince them to see things your way
• It's ok to not like someone's opinion about your opinion, perhaps just put them on ignore.
• If someone gets upset at how you responded, perhaps reach out to them and be conciliatory - or just put them on ignore (you can still think they are a [censored]... just do it privately).

Well said. Way too much crapping on posters happening lately.

[layzie 34,339]

4 hours ago, Nasher said:

I’ve been a subscriber to this for years - I’ve found peace with losses when it was clear the team had a red hot crack but just weren’t good enough, and I’ve been happy to gloss over a win because I know we played like pus and got away with it because the other team happened to be worse. It’s always been about effort for me.

That’s actually the reason I’m in camp “flag or bust” this year. Maybe I’m up to my eyeballs in bathwater, but I believe we’re the best team in it, and the only way I see us not winning it is if we turn up to one of the games and don’t put in. Forget injuries- unless we lose Gawn, Oliver and Lever in one game, there’s no credible event likely to be severe enough to cost us the flag from here. Forget umpires, that’s just an excuse losers make. Forget a better team on the day - there isn’t one out there. That’s why we finished on top, and have such a good recent record against our rival contenders.

Effort is the ONLY way we may fail. That’s why I’ll be disappointed if we bow out.

Totally agree especially about the umpiring being the excuse losers make.

I don't believe we can be beaten in the air down back and I think if we're playing close to our potential that gets it done. The system is proven, the players are professional and do their job. I really feel unless there is some kind of coaching masterstroke in the realm of Plough's flooding we are really the only ones that can hurt us.

[Beetle 4,710]

There’s a different between satisfied and happy.

If we lose the Prelim next week then of course I won’t be happy, but in the grand scheme of the season I would be satisfied with the season. 

I was concerned we may not play finals at the start of the year so to make a Prelim ticks every satisfied box and then some.

Having said that…we are are here now and playing for a spot in the Grand Final so I want it all. 

I want to be able to walk around with a tshirt that says “SATISFIED” on the chest for the next 12 months with a hand on the back flipping the bird.

[Demongirl35 1,107]

I remember sitting at the pre season game against the bulldogs this year and although we didn’t have a full squad I still remember saying to my family ‘Jesus this is going to be another long year’

fast forward to now and we are one win away from a grand final. Will I be disappointed if we don’t make it or win it? Sure I will be but I thought it’d be a pass mark if we made it above 14th the way we looked. 
so either way I’m proud of how we’ve played this year. 
it beats being back a few years ago sitting out in the rain with only 10 thousand other dees supporters knowing we’d get thrashed and only win maybe 2 games max that year. Thinking will we ever be out of this hole we are in. 
You need to be in finals to have a crack at winning the cup, so being in finals is a good achievement in itself. 
I never forget where we came from. So being in this position makes me satisfied 

[Demons1858 1,789]

So I won't be satisfied for a few days if we go out.

After that - I will reflect on the facts in that we: finished 9th last year, didn't go out in straight sets, will be around the mark for a few more years, and a loss will put more fire in the belly for 2022.

Edited September 4, 2021 by Demons1858