29 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

I’ve been thinking about this more today and I reckon the whole “it’s difficult to beat a team 3 times in a season” thing isn’t what it seems for this game. For the round 23 game, the Cats could almost look at that as a win for them. If it wasn’t for Dangerfield and Selwood off for most of that last qtr, I think they probably would have won. I have no doubt Goodwin would have reviewed it pretty heavily and I think we were lucky to scrape through. I also sense that Goodwin would have been preparing for the Cats even before the semi-final. He’s had two good looks at them since we beat them to prepare. 
 

Despite my MFCSS running wild, I sense that like what the Eagles did to us in the PF in ‘18, I really believe we’ll jump them early and the damage will be done before they can properly land a counter punch.

Yep i agree with this. I also think they have no answers for our small forwards in their strung together backline. Stewart out is huge for them as he was their fastest backman. Plus the biggest factor is we will simply outrun them in the 2nd half.

10 minutes ago, OhMyDees said:

Check your emails Demonlanders.

The MFC membership team have sent emails out today so encourage us to give our barcodes to family in friends to go to the game and support on our behalf which is being permitted.

I have my mother, sister and brother-in-law going and have sent them two of my old scarfs in the mail.

Melbourne members are first in the queue for seats ahead of Eagles and Dockers members tomorrow between 12pm and 4pm. Demon members can purchase 8 tickets max!

Didnt think they’d allow that sort of thing but so happy I was wrong!  

Very smart move by the club to get more support to the ground.

Fan base is so important

18 hours ago, At the break of Gawn said:

I watched a Jeremy Cameron interview after the game last night where they asked him about playing Melb next week and what the round 23 game meant. He said there was lots of learnings from that game which will help them this week.

I think that’s what it’ll will come down to. Who learnt the most from the round 23 game. I’m confident that Goody would have spent a lot of time on that 2nd qtr and they’ll analyse it again this week.

What Cameron meant to say was 

" They are the best side going around this year and if we couldnt beat them at home after being 44 pionts up we have Zero chance beating them away on a bigger ground than ours. THATS WHAT I Learnt"

Edited September 5, 20213 yr by picket fence

59 minutes ago, A F said:

So just caught up on FIRST CRACK from last night. David King is a deadset nufty.

He talked about Geelong's tall forwardline and how it would trouble us, yet didn't talk about who Geelong played and their injury list.

Staggering really.

It's funny you say that AF.

I just watched it an hour or so ago too.

And was also thinking King is a peanut too. Though for a different reason.

He got cut off fortunately, but he started to say talk about how evenly matched we were based on our last game. Do you take the cats in the first half or the dees in rhe second he asked. Peanut.

Montagna, to his credit, responded indirectly to that comment a bit later by noting the dees were actually in top for most of that game and that rhe cats got their first half goals in a 5 minute burst.

The cats kicked 2 bloody goals in the second half. Surely that is alarm bells. Not for king it seems, who after that game was lauding their 'star power'.

17 minutes ago, binman said:

It's funny you say that AF.

I just watched it an hour or so ago too.

And was also thinking King is a peanut too. Though for a different reason.

He got cut off fortunately, but he started to say talk about how evenly matched we were based on our last game. Do you take the cats in the first half or the dees in rhe second he asked. Peanut.

Montagna, to his credit, responded indirectly to that comment a bit later by noting the dees were actually in top for most of that game and that rhe cats got their first half goals in a 5 minute burst.

The cats kicked 2 bloody goals in the second half. Surely that is alarm bells. Not for king it seems, who after that game was lauding their 'star power'.

Yep, spot on RE Montagna cutting him off.

They lost that first quarter against us too. It was 2.3 to 2.1. So pretty rich to say "do you take the first half versus the second half". He's king of the muppets alright.

2 hours ago, binman said:

Agree. Our game is built for big grounds. One because we spread and run in waves in transition.

But the key benefit is the comparative advantage we have. We have the best defensive web/zone and move across the ground to stop the switch and transition better than any other club. Small grounds, eg Kardinia Park, reduces that advantage.

Would not surprise me if they look to switch a bit more and spread early doors, as they did against the lions, to make the cats have to run .

The weather may reduce the amount of switching in this game.

I think if it's wet, the difference between their ball use and our ball use draws us much closer together than would otherwise be the case. We saw in the wet against the Bulldogs, I believe, it was a significant advantage to the Bulldogs. It also takes away our intercept game, but conversely, if they go in with the same tall forward set up, we may be able to rebound quite heavily with inclement conditions.

19 minutes ago, binman said:

It's funny you say that AF.

I just watched it an hour or so ago too.

And was also thinking King is a peanut too. Though for a different reason.

He got cut off fortunately, but he started to say talk about how evenly matched we were based on our last game. Do you take the cats in the first half or the dees in rhe second he asked. Peanut.

Montagna, to his credit, responded indirectly to that comment a bit later by noting the dees were actually in top for most of that game and that rhe cats got their first half goals in a 5 minute burst.

The cats kicked 2 bloody goals in the second half. Surely that is alarm bells. Not for king it seems, who after that game was lauding their 'star power'.

Really rate Montagna.  He's changed my whole perception of him as a footy analysis. 

Very sharp, and a good footy brain.

5 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Really rate Montagna.  He's changed my whole perception of him as a footy analysis. 

Very sharp, and a good footy brain.

Agree. With daisy my favourite media analyst. By a big margin too.

And he has a really good skill of countering king's arguments without it becoming a dead end conflict.

And he can articulate his points clearly. 

16 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Really rate Montagna.  He's changed my whole perception of him as a footy analysis. 

Very sharp, and a good footy brain.

Sure, except he was the one banging on about Bontempelli's footy IQ. If you watch the replay, Bontempelli's the culprit in 3 of the first 4 Lions goals last night. No mention of this.

Montagna implied that he's such a smart footballer that he placed himself defensive side of the stoppage after quarter time. Well, I'd be surprised if Luke hadn't asked him to be more accountable, because IMV Bontempelli is a defensive liability at times. I'd be angling most of my attacks through his man. I think that's what Fagan had identified as well.

Bontempelli is probably the best player in the comp on the outside, but he's even been shaky at that this finals series. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying Bontempelli exemplifies the Bulldogs midfield. Brilliant, really damaging on the outside, but very little two way running. 

 

Edited September 5, 20213 yr by A F

30 minutes ago, binman said:

It's funny you say that AF.

I just watched it an hour or so ago too.

And was also thinking King is a peanut too. Though for a different reason.

He got cut off fortunately, but he started to say talk about how evenly matched we were based on our last game. Do you take the cats in the first half or the dees in rhe second he asked. Peanut.

Montagna, to his credit, responded indirectly to that comment a bit later by noting the dees were actually in top for most of that game and that rhe cats got their first half goals in a 5 minute burst.

The cats kicked 2 bloody goals in the second half. Surely that is alarm bells. Not for king it seems, who after that game was lauding their 'star power'.

The other thing King said that burnt my bacon was the cats had a forward line that the dees would 'die for' (in reference to their talls)

Seriously WTF is he talking about?

Fritter is arguably the best medium forward in the game atm (I'm not counting Cameron). 

Brown is hitting his straps and is kicking goals and taking marks.

Tmac has been down the ladt couple, but has been a star for us this year.

Jackson is starting to clunk his marks and is an incredibly tough match up.

And gawn can push forward, as can tracc.

Look at our first final. We had 15 odd marks inside 50. 

And whilst he was talking about talls, we have kozzie. And tbey have......

 

4 minutes ago, binman said:

The other thing King said that burnt my bacon was the cats had a forward line that the dees would 'die for' (in reference to their talls)

Seriously WTF is he talking about?

Mate, bit of red and blue goggles going on here.

Hawkins, Cameron and Rohan combined for 130 goals this season.

TMac, Brown and Fritsch combined for 101.

And if it's just the talls it's:

Hawkins & Cameron - 98 goals

TMac & Brown - 50 goals

Agree Fritsch is up there (clearly far better than Rohan), but if you think TMac and Brown is a better combo than Hawkins and Cameron then I might suggest you've started on the pre drinks a little early.

3 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Mate, bit of red and blue goggles going on here.

Hawkins, Cameron and Rohan combined for 130 goals this season.

TMac, Brown and Fritsch combined for 101.

And if it's just the talls it's:

Hawkins & Cameron - 98 goals

TMac & Brown - 50 goals

Agree Fritsch is up there (clearly far better than Rohan), but if you think TMac and Brown is a better combo than Hawkins and Cameron then I might suggest you've started on the pre drinks a little early.

Agreed that Hawkins Cameron and Rohan are a better trio than Fritsch, Brown and T. Mac. 

But our forward line bats deeper. Spargo, Pickett and nibbler are offering more than geelongs next 3

1 minute ago, MurDoc516 said:

Agreed that Hawkins Cameron and Rohan are a better trio than Fritsch, Brown and T. Mac. 

But our forward line bats deeper. Spargo, Pickett and nibbler are offering more than geelongs next 3

Don't disagree on that, particularly if we want to talk about forward pressure, but from what I can tell, the context was around the tall forwards.

15 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Mate, bit of red and blue goggles going on here.

Hawkins, Cameron and Rohan combined for 130 goals this season.

TMac, Brown and Fritsch combined for 101.

And if it's just the talls it's:

Hawkins & Cameron - 98 goals

TMac & Brown - 50 goals

Agree Fritsch is up there (clearly far better than Rohan), but if you think TMac and Brown is a better combo than Hawkins and Cameron then I might suggest you've started on the pre drinks a little early.

I didn't say we had a better forward line. 

My point was that their forward line is not one we would 'die for', which is literally what he said.

But on the topic of their forward line, Rohan has a dismal finals record and if Hawkins is not kicking goals he offers little else because unlike tmac and Brown he struggles getting up and down the ground and impacting outside 50.

 

 

Edited September 5, 20213 yr by binman

Don't see many on here making the point that this game is not at Kardinia Park. Advantage us.

3 hours ago, binman said:

Agree. Our game is built for big grounds. One because we spread and run in waves in transition.

But the key benefit is the comparative advantage we have. We have the best defensive web/zone and move across the ground to stop the switch and transition better than any other club. Small grounds, eg Kardinia Park, reduces that advantage.

Would not surprise me if they look to switch a bit more and spread early doors, as they did against the lions, to make the cats have to run .

Absolutely, and with no Tom Stewart down there i think we could get some significant mismatches in our forward line, Selwood and Danger won't be keen to chase Oliver and Petracca deep forward and defend, so we just have to run the cats off their legs. i think you're right we'll spread and really make them run early, because they will run out of steam, they'd be nervous if they're not 5-6 goals up at 3/4 time because we're a strong finishing time, and i expect they might struggle late in quarters, and towards the games end just due to travel, playing the extra week, their age, and us being fresh. 

for me it seems that their best chance to win is for us to be a bit off, and them to really really punish us for whatever window we give them. 

BUT if they can be 44 points up on us, at their home deck and still lose, that's got to dint their confidence a little bit 

 

35 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Mate, bit of red and blue goggles going on here.

Hawkins, Cameron and Rohan combined for 130 goals this season.

TMac, Brown and Fritsch combined for 101.

And if it's just the talls it's:

Hawkins & Cameron - 98 goals

TMac & Brown - 50 goals

Agree Fritsch is up there (clearly far better than Rohan), but if you think TMac and Brown is a better combo than Hawkins and Cameron then I might suggest you've started on the pre drinks a little early.

Hawkins Rohan and Cameron averaged 2.3 goals per game between them

Fritsch McD and BB average 1.9 goals per game.

So their (tall) "forward line to die for" managed to score 0.4 goals per game more than Melbourne.

I don't see 2.4 points a game as much of a difference

19 minutes ago, loges said:

Don't see many on here making the point that this game is not at Kardinia Park. Advantage us.

Unless I’m mistaken Optus Stadium is also basically the same dimensions as the MCG. Definitely an advantage it not being at KP but there can be no illusions about the cats, they have the experience and know how to win in these moments. 

That said, if we play our best we win. 

17 minutes ago, Pates said:

Unless I’m mistaken Optus Stadium is also basically the same dimensions as the MCG. Definitely an advantage it not being at KP but there can be no illusions about the cats, they have the experience and know how to win in these moments. 

That said, if we play our best we win. 

Not overconfident but they looked ordinary, old and slow on Friday night, we would need to have a shocker to lose IMO

3 hours ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Very smart move by the club to get more support to the ground.

Fan base is so important

Agree. I think we will also have the neutral wce booing the umps crowd on our side. Hatred for Geelong and their coach, Captain, danger, Hawkins etc is pretty much universal unless your a Geelong fan. Add to it the sentimental favourite being us due to our drought I think Friday will have a home game feel for us 

The only thing I worry about in this game is that GWS were SOFT on Geelong. They didn’t play hard at all and it didn’t really feel like a finals game. Lots of space given and not a heap of pressure. 
 

But.

 

Geelong looked like they could be broken if the game was brought to them (which GWS just couldn’t do). I don’t think they’ll be able to handle the pressure of our forwards and backline and how hard our mids can attack the ball. It’s just a question of us being hard right from the outset. We bullied them in 18’ with essentially this team. They’re older and slower than 3 years ago and we just have to play our game, make sure our pressure it up and for the love of god, make sure they’re bombing into their forward line without precision passes. 

We got this Dees!
 

23 minutes ago, loges said:

Not overconfident but they looked ordinary, old and slow on Friday night, we would need to have a shocker to lose IMO

Please dont us the words Shocker and Lose in the same sentence when referencing MFC It might make a few on this site Jittery!!

1 hour ago, jnrmac said:

Hawkins Rohan and Cameron averaged 2.3 goals per game between them

Fritsch McD and BB average 1.9 goals per game.

So their (tall) "forward line to die for" managed to score 0.4 goals per game more than Melbourne.

I don't see 2.4 points a game as much of a difference

As mentioned mate, Fritsch is a ton better than Rohan. In my post I went on to compare just the actual 'talls' given that was the context binman referred to.

So in the interest of relevance:

Hawkins & Cameron - 5.1 goals per game

TMac & Brown - 3.2 goals per game

I mean seriously, I get we're all vibing this week, but it's not even a argument to suggest Hawkins & Cameron are a better combo than McDonald and Brown.

Don't get me wrong though, I think Brown and TMac could very well be part of a premiership team.

1 hour ago, binman said:

I didn't say we had a better forward line. 

My point was that their forward line is not one we would 'die for', which is literally what he said.

But on the topic of their forward line, Rohan has a dismal finals record and if Hawkins is not kicking goals he offers little else because unlike tmac and Brown he struggles getting up and down the ground and impacting outside 50.

I haven't seen the segment, but you said in your post he was referencing the tall forwards.

Maybe I'm on my own here, but I certainly 'would die for' Cameron and Hawkins in our forward line. We'd be unstoppable.

Ch 7 news reporting we’ve copped an injury but will have to wait until 6:45 to see who it is.