GRAND FINAL: Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs

[Binmans PA 26,479]

4 hours ago, At the break of Gawn said:

I didn’t know McKay played for the dogs? If you’re talking about Naughton then he’s no where near it. Fritsch has kicked 7 more than him and played 1 less game.

They get their goals from midfield. Naughton just ensures interceptors can't dominate games. Naughton has averaged an elite 2.7 contested marks compared with Fritsch's 0.6. However, Fritsch has averaged 1.9 marks on a lead, which is elite and edges Naughton with 1.8.

Even enough comparison on some numbers, but Naughton beats the best defenders. Fritsch gets the third or fourth best, and when he's got the best (see Rampe versus the Swans), he's struggled to impact at all.

But Fritsch is a smart footballer and has finally in the last 6 weeks or so, brought a defensive game.

Naughton is their focal point. Keep him quiet and they'll struggle without Bruce, unless Schache plays out of his skin.

[Demonland 66,417]

 

[Mickey 4,197]

I'm going to try to spin this week's break as good for us and bad for the dogs.

The dogs are riding some sort of momentum. They might be a bit banged up, but they will need the full 2 weeks to recover, which should halt some of that momentum. They will be on relatively light duties to get their bodies right.

We, on the other hand, have 2 weeks to really prepare. We have a fully fit list (assuming May would play if the GF was this weekend) and can have a great week on the track, followed by another week to get really primed. Burgo and his program will be really key for us.

[bush demon 1,910]

14 minutes ago, danielE288 said:

If you have GF Gaurantee it will be priority one and the same barcode that's on your membership card

There was a message to members from Gary Pert yesterday so scroll down where info is given about using your barcode and purchasing tickets.

[Skuit 9,380]

The Dogs' mids and runners are exceptional at collecting front and centre from kicks in general play and quickly finding a handball out the front of the pack (see last night and our breakneck pre-season match-up). I'm not sure that we can concede a number as we usually do - need to wear them tight in packs and need someone blocking the front exit. While they have great distributors off half-back, it suits us if they move the ball backwards as we set up so well. 

It was the ball through the front which completely broke down Port's defensive structure, that and what felt like Footscray always having one or two extras at the contest. The midfields will probably decide the grand final, and I believe that it's us who needs to adjust to them tactically. A bigger factor though will be pressure. Would love to see the stats for pressure and correlation to winning games of AFL. Both grand-finalists brought it one way in the prelims. 

Should be a cracking encounter, but who knows. The two positives I like to draw on: we prevailed in all of the highest two-way pressure matches this year, such as against Richmond. Our biggest loss was against Collingwood by four goals, although we admittedly went down to the Dogs by 20 points, after level-pegging half way through the last. The other 'losses' were by 1 point, 9 points, and a draw. It has felt like we've stood up to the challenge whenever it really mattered.   

[Demon4Life 599]

3 minutes ago, bush demon said:

There was a message to members from Gary Pert yesterday so scroll down where info is given about using your barcode and purchasing tickets.

For some reason I haven't been getting those emails related to my membership since halfway through the season. I still get the ones addressed to my nieces, who's memberships I buy each year, but they're priority 2 & 3. Apparently priority 1 goes on sale at 9am though. They have my barcode. I hope they get the tickets. The more Demons at the game the better

[Binmans PA 26,479]

1 hour ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Weightman didn’t play last night and there forwards functioned beatifully. 
We need to win the ball in the centre for 4 Quarters and starve their forward supply. They have part time Ruckmen up against Gawn & Jackson 

That is where it starts

Viney will be like Cameron Ling in 2011

Tracc & Oliver go to work

Friday Night we kicked straight early

The Bulldogs did the same last night

 

I'm talking purely about ground balls in our defensive 50. Demonlanders continually bring up this idea that we're weak in D50 ground balls, but there's no evidence to support this.

[kregan92 1]

anyone willing to part with some codes for tickets to the gf?

would be muchly appreciated

cheers

[TRIGON 4,719]

The way I see it...

1. Both side have great midfield's, but theirs bats deeper. 
2. However, we have the edge on them in terms of overall team balance.

Should be a cracking game.

[one_demon 826]

Geelong had six sick players.  Our players could easily catch the same illness.

[Satan 2,786]

4 minutes ago, one_demon said:

Geelong had six sick players.  Our players could easily catch the same illness.

Were they tested for covid?

[old dee 22,982]

3 minutes ago, one_demon said:

Geelong had six sick players.  Our players could easily catch the same illness.

No the SA health official says don't touch the football so we are safe the cat players didn't touch it much.

[rollinson 65 181]

Thanks for this great read, people.

I was too young to be there in '58. The filth went in as rank underdogs and stopped our run to win 4 GFs in a row.

I was at the game in '64. Once again, the mangy pies were rank underdogs and gave us a real scare.

We will go in as favourites, but the doggies can beat us if we are not right on top of our game.

Will Clarrie play on the Bont?

Who gets Weightman and do we tag Libba again if he is fit to play? (Rumours abounding - misdirection?). 

Keep posting, people.

Regards to all,

Rollo.     😷

[SPC 2,899]

I know that 57 years comes with a weight of expectation, but enjoy it Demonlanders. It’s great to be in a position to win a premiership, great to be in the spotlight, great to be relevant. If we win, we deserve it. If we lose, it will be to a better side on the day. 

Either way, what a year, what a team. 

[Satan 2,786]

[brendan 3,417]

21 minutes ago, SPC said:

I know that 57 years comes with a weight of expectation, but enjoy it Demonlanders. It’s great to be in a position to win a premiership, great to be in the spotlight, great to be relevant. If we win, we deserve it. If we lose, it will be to a better side on the day. 

Either way, what a year, what a team. 

Pretty much how I am feeling, I was crapping myself for 2 weeks before the prelim but now I am strangely calm, win or lose we have a club to be proud of, but [censored] me do I want us to win 

[Demonland 66,417]

How many times do you think we'll hear about this in the next 2 Weeks?

 

[Demonland 66,417]

 

[Cassiew 1,872]

2 unrelated topics

1. I think this should definitely be pinned.

2. According to Twitter the footy record won’t be ready until 20 September (Monday week.) If they’re determined to make us wait that much longer than usual, it better be worth it. 15 bucks

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 4,073]

15 minutes ago, Satan said:

Suburb, Satan?

Pop it over on the 'Flying (Laying?) The Flag' thread too🙂

[Cassiew 1,872]

Just now, Demonland said:

 

I was hoping it would be Port-demons grand final, so we’d at least have all of Vic behind us. From what I’m seeing in Facebook we already do. Glad to se that locally they’re supporting the underdog. 
I guess if it was Freo-Giants grand final, I’d go for Freo as they’ve been waiting so long

[3183 Dee 2,626]

2 minutes ago, Demonland said:

How many times do you think we'll hear about this in the next 2 Weeks?

 

It’ll be there at every turn - we can’t  do too much about that. Let that be their narrative: one of the things I like about Goody, is that he doesn’t get involved in any of this - just outwardly respects the opposition, whilst focusing on what we can do.

The narrative is misleading - they dropped into 5th after being top 2 for virtually the whole season. Sure, they’ve had disruptions with travel/quarantine, but so has everybody else: 8 hours on a plane, anyone?! Lightning strike interruptions when you’re in full flow?!

Let that be their narrative - we’ll just focus on our game.

[3183 Dee 2,626]

5 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Suburb, Satan?

Pop it over on the 'Flying (Laying?) The Flag' thread too🙂

That’s Highett, I think?

[Satan 2,786]

7 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Suburb, Satan?

Pop it over on the 'Flying (Laying?) The Flag' thread too🙂

Highett

[3183 Dee 2,626]

6 minutes ago, Cassiew said:

I was hoping it would be Port-demons grand final, so we’d at least have all of Vic behind us. From what I’m seeing in Facebook we already do. Glad to se that locally they’re supporting the underdog. 
I guess if it was Freo-Giants grand final, I’d go for Freo as they’ve been waiting so long

Just chatting to my mad Bombers neighbour: says he and all his crew are right behind the Dees.