3 hours ago, mauriesy said:

 I doubt those age gaps made much difference. You are really only talking about Liberatore as a difference.

Most experienced players don't decline until after about 30. In fact since the effects of experience and training are cumulative, they should still be getting better.

Sides like Geelong are a different story.

I was trying to find a definitive reason why a quality side like the Dogs, 19 points up in a GF, got flogged by the MIGHTY DEMONS.

Self believe, fitness and exuberance of youth with younger legs were key factors.

Not sure about experienced players not declining until 30.  Any occupation that requires quick reflexes does not go seeking people in their late 20s.  Still thats not everything, the Bont was so slow in getting to his feet that he was in excellent position to kick his 3rd quarter goal.

The ball play was moving so quickly i actually think the Umpires were captivated and enraptured by the whole moment, that they daren't stop it. To stop it would be more the  blemish of interference rather than a contribution to the spectacle. 

The dogs were competitive for just over half the game. And the 19 point lead was really by our errant kicking and them lucky with quick snaps hitting home. Yes we they got a small jump on us for twenty mins but grannys bring out the adrenaline in players. 

In the end our running and gameplan did the job. The dogs touted midfield was exposed by ours and their defence finally crumbled from sheer number of fast fwd entries by us.

At the end of the day it was a a clear number one team playing fifth. A lower team that lets be honest was helped many times by bias umpiring including their final against the lions.

Just talking about the prelim for a second, I saw Tom Hawkins on ch9 sport the other night and he mentioned that he sledged Maxy at 1/2 time of our prelim he said to Maxy this is yours to lose & giving it to him. He said he has learnt his lesson and won't sledge  again especially with his 3rd quarter dominance.

Don't wake the beast Tom. He will react. . 

16 hours ago, tiers said:

They were cooked before three quarter time.

Just watch how insipid and weak they looked when Kozzie stripped them of the ball to fall for Bowser to give to Angus; then when Tracca gave to Clarrie who gave to Sparrow who kicked a 50m+ goal off one step while surrounded by four doggies; then when Jack cleared the ball from the pack to our running ruckman Dogga, all on his own, to give to Clarrie, on his own, with only Daniels who got run down by Jack between Clarrie and the goals. Game over.

They were boiled, poached, fried, baked, roasted, grilled, sauteed - cooked.

BTW so were the catties in the second half of the PF.

Amazing that 6 mths previously at Marvel our basically second string on ball brigade and defence looked like statues as the Dogs flicked the ball from one end to another in a dominant display that saw us never repeat that form at all during 2021.

Only Bailey Smith and Adam Treloar are quick all the others are good runners but what I would call a bit one paced. Looking at us both Trac and Clarry are  elite runners Jack V was so good with his hands Harmesy in bursts plus ANB is so smooth and cut them up on the outside ( HIs best ever game in impact and importance) plus no one minds each other and Sparrow didn't have huge no's but had huge impact (probably as much as Smith did with his greater run and possessions).

They also had their fastest defender Johanissen parked up forward taking a specky on Bowsers shoulder contributing a lone goal .

Even when we were challenged it was clever ball kicking and slowish ball movement that featured rather than their handball and pace.

Once our on ballers and rucks got it all together we looked like a well oiled machine. Langers owned the last quarter on his wing with some  of the best handball ( and his running) I thought he was Clarry! 

So it was a combination of all things  pace fitness elite team play tactics and our supreme confidence and ability plus  their minds ( and bodies ultimately) and maybe an irresistible force at the top of their game ( Remember our third quarter in the prelim really all day perhaps) and our blitz in the last quarter at  the Cattery  that ultimately delivered US the greatest advantage in  CONFIDENCE and LADDER POSITION  we were almost unbeatable from then on, despite one game in 28 days prior to the GF.

Thank you Burgo thank you and our team stability of no changes hardly all year due to form and fitness enabled us to not only be Top on the ladder but top in performing best on the biggest stage of all, an AFL Finals series and moreover the last third of the biggest game of All.

Our preparation was akin to a Bart Cummings horse on Melbourne Cup Day and we duly saluted by the Length of the Flemington Straight!!

Let's Hope our stars align and we can do a Mackybe Diva!!.

I had a nightmare last night. Was at a game watching the Dees………..and we were losing (game wasn’t over, but we were behind).

Clearly my subconscious is expecting us to go 25-0 next year, otherwise I’m gonna be majorly disappointed.

Damn this winning culture 😂

Edited November 10, 20213 yr by Demon Disciple

Superior fitness and confidence can be powerful things.

But sometimes you need a moment.

I still think the slinging of our captain to the ground triggered a moment of clarity among some of the players. It triggered that most primal of emotions, anger. It was an affront to the mateship that Gawn and others had worked hard to create. It was an affront to what we stood for as a team. An affront to our collective psyche that we were the best team in the comp.

Viney's immediate remonstration and subsequent involvement in the next play ignited the fuel that had sat stagnant in the tank for 40 minutes.

Fritta's second, an amazing bit of individual skill, gave the team back the belief they'd been missing. From there it was17 goals to one.

Psychologically, I've always been fascinated at the various emotions that can help overcome or worsen sports performance anxiety. 

A moment of manufactured bravado by Caleb Daniel became the catalyst of perhaps  the most dynamic 40 minutes of AFL history.

Anger is one powerful emotion and that's the only logical explanation I have to explain what happened on that most surreal of days!

I can't wait for our next grand final where a player kicks 6 and nobody thought he would win the Norm Smith.

I'd be looking at Bailey's brother as a rookie this year who apparently kicked 20 in a game during the season.  Or at least get him to Casey.

 

Edited November 11, 20213 yr by Wrecker46

As soon as the fixture comes out i'm putting a circle around the date of our game v West Coast at Optus and start organising my flights and accomodation (hopefully no ongoing border issues but you can;t be sure with McGowan). It'll be a pilgrimage of sorts, visit the hallowed ground of Optus, pay my respects at the final resting place of the Norm Smith curse. And i want to lord it over the West Coast natives

Outside of the G i can;t think of a more appropriate location to end the drought than Optus. We buried the Norm Smith curse and exorcised the ghosts of 2018 in one go. September 25th 2021 was a beautiful night.

On 11/10/2021 at 1:26 PM, Jontee said:

I was trying to find a definitive reason why a quality side like the Dogs, 19 points up in a GF, got flogged by the MIGHTY DEMONS.

Self believe, fitness and exuberance of youth with younger legs were key factors.

Not sure about experienced players not declining until 30.  Any occupation that requires quick reflexes does not go seeking people in their late 20s.  Still thats not everything, the Bont was so slow in getting to his feet that he was in excellent position to kick his 3rd quarter goal.

Cause we have the best list in the league by a street.
Midfield has 3AAs and the backline has 2 with Salem being unlucky not to join them.
Arguments could be made for both Fritta and Kozzie in the forward line.

Their midfield has Bont who is an out an out gun but Libba and Macrae are not much more than acumulators that don't really hurt you.
Gawn, Petracca and Oliver are far different beasts.
Petracca and Oliver are what you call 100m players.
They'll rip it from the contest, burst clear with power and speed 40m and boot it 60.
Then you have solid workhorses ANB, Harmes and contested monster Viney running through there as well..
Guns in Brayshaw and running machine Lingers on the wings.
The healthy splash of very talented youth in Jackson, Sparrow, Rivers, Petty and Bowey.
Talls in TMac and Brown who are always gonna be a handful in the air forward.
We have a very solid side all over the ground who had stayed fit throughout the year.

We were always gonna kill 'em.
My only surprise was their dominant 2nd qtr.

Edited November 11, 20213 yr by Fork 'em

i dont think their midfield is prepared to work as hard defensively as ours, and although its a legitimate argument that they have more depth, that depth ends up on the wings and flanks - where the two way running of our specialists such ANB, Positivelingers, Gus and Salem provides more for us than they get from the extra midfielders (which, as someone pointed out before, are not particularly quick).

 

On 11/10/2021 at 4:57 PM, dees189227 said:

Just talking about the prelim for a second, I saw Tom Hawkins on ch9 sport the other night and he mentioned that he sledged Maxy at 1/2 time of our prelim he said to Maxy this is yours to lose & giving it to him. He said he has learnt his lesson and won't sledge  again especially with his 3rd quarter dominance.

Don't wake the beast Tom. He will react. . 

And Hawkins had a shocker.

So many times that bloke has been a big player in smashing us. Now its Max that has turned the tables.

Cant wait to play cats again.

A few times during the year I heard a few pundits describe our games against them as the best fwd line v the best backline.

Really.

1 hour ago, leave it to deever said:

And Hawkins had a shocker.

So many times that bloke has been a big player in smashing us. Now its Max that has turned the tables.

Cant wait to play cats again.

A few times during the year I heard a few pundits describe our games against them as the best fwd line v the best backline.

Really.

 

No premiership will ever beat this one. Even if it was an absolute thriller, the worry of losing will never be the same. There won’t be that “please just win one in my lifetime” feel, nor will there be a 57 year drought (unless I live a very long time.) So if it’s close and there’s a scare like there was during this one, I won’t be as terrified. Also being that it’s our first in my lifetime, the rewatching factor is massive. It may pass Grease as the thing I’ve watched most in my life.
Having said that I will throughly enjoy each and every premiership we win in the future.  🏆

24 minutes ago, Cassiew said:

No premiership will ever beat this one.

I reckon the one we win in front of the faithful at the G will go close

40 minutes ago, Cassiew said:

No premiership will ever beat this one.
 

Agree. The greatest thrill of my football life.  I was there in 1964 so I will not have another 57 years to wait.

 

16 minutes ago, BDA said:

I reckon the one we win in front of the faithful at the G will go close

Agree.

1 hour ago, Cassiew said:

It may pass Grease as the thing I’ve watched most in my life.

Yeah right, okay......well its Aliens for me and I'm easily going to pass that.   Not sure how to count those little cameos that spontaneously pop into my mind.....

6 hours ago, Winners at last said:

 

Cats game plan I would assume.....

4 hours ago, Jontee said:

Cats game plan I would assume.....

That's on the nose, not up it.

How are we not at 100 pages yet?! 
The Dangerfield speculation got over 100 pages and this is the thread where we won a grand final. Come on Demonland, let’s put another log on this fire and celebrate! 
Personally, I can’t wait until we loose a game in 2022 and I can turn around and say “ must be fatigue from carrying around the premiership trophy. Don’t worry, there using it as training loading for the next one.” 
I probably won’t say that, but I could and that makes all the difference. 

23 minutes ago, Demi Dee said:

How are we not at 100 pages yet?! 
 

Too busy watching the replays to post.

Watched the last 1.5 quarters again tonight. Never disappoints and we win again and again.

Maybe in a few years when the thrill and excitement wears down a bit.

23 minutes ago, tiers said:

Too busy watching the replays to post.

Watched the last 1.5 quarters again tonight. Never disappoints and we win again and again.

Maybe in a few years when the thrill and excitement wears down a bit.

Just been kickin' back listening to this.
2:35:00 for Baileys 3rd goal.
2:49:00 for the last 3 goals of the 3rd qtr.
 

 

Don’t think I’ll ever get tired of watching it. There’s so many people who are so used to painting Melbourne as the whipping boys (including our own fans.) So now we’re not they don’t like it. They now have to change their attitudes and they don’t like it. It was the same when Brisbane and Richmond won. They don’t want to admit they’re the great teams now  

Mrs wanted to watch some crap on the ABC so I sat that out and watched the replay.  Had some quality problems with the videos so watched the 2nd quarter.  With hindsight it was a very good quarter of footy.

What I have realised is that the Dogs midfield kicked most of their goals.  7/10.

Room for defensive improvement next year?