Ask me in 8 weeks

The 3 losses in a row in the exact same fashion each time were pretty damaging and have stuck in the craw. I don't think I've truly enjoyed a game since as everything has been must win and with a whole lot of angst. Including this last game it was a real yuck feeling leading at every change except the last one 4 times. They even had a hint of the old "Can you trust Melbourne?" about them. 

Beats falling off the cliff as reigning premiers though.

Edited July 26, 20222 yr by layzie

1 hour ago, Bates Mate said:

Pretty simple question but keen to hear members responses. We sit second on the ladder with 4 games to go but scanning through most threads it appears alot of the natives are restless.

I'd personally say I haven't enjoyed the year as much as the ladder position suggests I should. 

The first 10 wins the brand of footy never had my excitement levels up . I've not been able to attend as many games as I'd like due to having a young family and us having so many night games. 

The only game I've really enjoyed was the Brisbane game.i was able to attend and we played a ferocious brand of footy and the crowd was into it .

I've sat through 35+ years in the outer through all the good and mostly bad but after reaching the promised land  last year, this year is just strange.

 

 

Same here. It’s the 2nd game I went to after the opening round and it was thoroughly enjoyable by all who attended.

But to answer your question, it’s been slightly less enjoyable than last season not because we are #2 but it’s the expectation of backing it up and the recent 7-8 weeks of footy has really taken the polish off. We all knew it wasn’t possible to sustain the highs but who would have thought that we would be in the lulls that we find ourselves in. Not fun to be here. 

 

16 minutes ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

 

Im finding myself a bit flat after the premiership last year.  The highs aren’t quite as good and the lows don’t really hurt. 

 

 

Summed up how I'm feeling about the year

As others have said, this is a very tough question. There have been some games which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Brisbane and St Kilda games are the two prime examples.

That being said, I still feel as though we are a much better side than what we've shown over the past 8 weeks. We're not playing with the same kind of composure that we saw last year. Whenever teams would challenge us last season, I never actually felt worried because we'd always have the class and fitness to get us over the line. In recent weeks we've been panicking and losing desperation whenever the opposition fights back.

I still think we're good enough to finish in the top 4 but we need to get back to our best as soon as possible. If we manage to win two or three of the next four games, we should be a formidable side in September.

Edited July 26, 20222 yr by Hopeful Demon

I haven't enjoyed it as much as I should.

It's funny how you get so used to being good, you take it for granted, and then you get really annoyed when you lose, but then you check the ladder and it's round 19 and we are 2nd.

I guess the desperation that I feel for watching us win a flag live at the G is making me more frustrated than normal. 

You know what, I reckon the grand final has nearly wrecked the brains of most Melbourne supporters (not just the ones on here!). We all would have watched it a dozen (if not more) times each, and because, in particular from the 3rd quarter onwards it was nearly the most perfect footy you can see - you get to expect that all footy will be like that. I know during our first 10 weeks I kept saying to my BIL, who's a massive Tigers fan, that we're not playing that well. His response always was, "I wish we could play close to that - the grand final has ruined you!". And he has a point, as soon as we show were mere mortals on the footy field the pile up on here, and even in the media is WAY over the top. 

Any other season where 19 rounds in and we're sitting 2nd on the ladder, nearly all supporters would be bursting with anticipation and joy. We've been in every game, played some pretty decent football and have had a few close losses. It's been just a good a season as last, but we've just got to hope the ending is as good as last year!

Bizarrely it has not been as fulfilling as expected aside from a few moments - Rd 1, the Saints and the lions.

The rest of the time it appeared as though we were struggling despite winning a lot of games.

Our pressure has dropped off dramatically and our defence has struggled

I didnt expect a continuation of last years finals series but I did expect to see more consistent game performances and us running out games.

Edited July 26, 20222 yr by jnrmac

9 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I haven't enjoyed it as much as I should.

It's funny how you get so used to being good, you take it for granted, and then you get really annoyed when you lose, but then you check the ladder and it's round 19 and we are 2nd.

I guess the desperation that I feel for watching us win a flag live at the G is making me more frustrated than normal. 

This is my situation as well. For the months after I was real satisfied and everything this year was gravy, fast forward a few weeks into this year and the burn to see us win one on the G in the flesh is real. Of course the need was satisfied but it does still feel like your chasing something to an extent and the stress is still there!

From an overall perspective - Yes, because we've (particularly Victorians) all had a choice in whether we can attend games live.

We may not win the flag in 2022, but I'm thoroughly enjoying going to games again as opposed to watching them in lockdowns and putting up with overrated mistake riddled commentators such as BT. 

On footballing matters, I think the standards that we expect of this club are possibly too high given the unbelievable September we had. We as fans definitely took the 10-0 streak for granted I believe. The mood of this forum reflected the unconvincing wins over the likes of Essendon, Hawthorn and North.

If we had our time again, we probably should've celebrated the first half season wins a little more as a collective than we actually  did, given the mid-late season hiccups we've had.

Last year I was too scared to be happy from about Round 2 to halfway through the last quarter of the Grand Final. I'll appreciate it more in 10 years than now.

Still better than the alternative.

This year has been a bit of a struggle in a lot of ways. I'm not a fan of night games other than on big occasions, and I don't like the match day "experience" that is forced upon us. It feels much harder to get to and from games at night, and this affects my enjoyment. Crowds are down and there is a lot of noise around football these days that is unconnected to the game itself.

The team is largely playing dour, contested football which, while generally effective, is not always attractive to watch. The Brisbane game was excellent, but other highlights have been few and far between.

Part of the attraction of last year was seeing young kids debuting and thriving, and the side stepping up to meet each new challenge. This year it is a far more seasoned group, and there is less to be enthused about with a number of individuals.

I believe that we are capable of turning our form around in the next month, but am becoming increasingly less confident of it happening. The fear of an early finals exit after last year's success is eating away at me at the moment.

 

the pressure of expectation is too much to bare

that said, when we have been up and flying - vs bears - it's been glorrrious to watch

Yes I have - but if Geelong was not top I would enjoy it more.

11 minutes ago, Jibroni said:

Yes I have - but if Geelong was not top I would enjoy it more.

Spot on

We are relevant, talked about, hunted, 2nd on the ladder, in it up to our eyeballs and not scouring potential draft picks in July because we are looking at a 2 win, 50% season. [censored] stoked and loving this season/era. I feel blessed that we made it out of Mordor and am intrigued watching our supporter base struggling to follow a good team.

Yes and no.

Yes. First time in my life we’ve entered a season as Premiers, the 100 to 7 we saw in the GF won’t be seen for another 100 years. Never like losing games, but loving the challenge at the same time. 
There’s 6 of us in this family and our four kids have never been prouder to wear the colours of the MFC. That’s good enough for me.

13 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Yes. First time in my life we’ve entered a season as Premiers, the 100 to 7 we saw in the GF won’t be seen for another 100 years. Never like losing games, but loving the challenge at the same time. 
There’s 6 of us in this family and our four kids have never been prouder to wear the colours of the MFC. That’s good enough for me.

It is kind of funny how new this territory is for the majority of us. 

Considering we went 10-0 and are still second on the ladder, I haven't enjoyed this season anywhere near as much as I should've.

Hope and expectation have made it very frustrating watching games. We don't play an attractive brand of football, so winning is what you watch and hang your hat on. 2018 was different because we played an exciting attacked brand, the current brand not so much. It matters for naught then if you win, as that's the goal. When you watch and see them sputter along past bottom teams, you get frustrated because you know the team is capable of so much more. Reality is beating a bottom four team by 4-5 goals is fine, but it doesn't feel that way at the time. Then losing just sucks. We've been through enough of that for a lifetime, and when it happens against middle of the road teams you should beat without breaking a sweat, it sucks. Despite being second on the ladder, we're now underperforming and potentially wasting an opportunity. We've seen what we're capable of last season and for parts of this season, so it's frustrating to underperform. 

I don't think we'll see a repeat of last season in my lifetime. Our finals series and grand final performance were the most dominant by any team I can recall. I enjoyed it and I accept I won't see it again, let alone again live at the MCG. I was hoping for a dynasty where we win a few, but that seems less likely now. This year looks to be slipping away, and next year we'll potentially have lost gun players and become a weaker outfit. It sort of feels like a waste. No team can always be up and win every single match, but when you're in the emotion of a match and losing to a team like Collingwood then it feels [censored].

The Jackson and Brayshaw contract situations have left a sour taste in my mouth. I should be enjoying being second on the ladder, not constant speculation about the futures of our stars. If players won't commit together and stay now, then when will they ever?
Whether you think it or not, it has effected the team onfield too. If you don't trust your mate, you don't go hard for him. The selflessness that got us to the prize last year is gone, and it's in part to those two IMO. 

So no, I haven't enjoyed this season much due to expectation and reality of underperformance. Call me entitled or whatever you want, but that's just my take and I hope like hell we get our [censored] together for September so I can enjoy it to the fullest again!

In the dees Team of the Century painting norm smith is addressing the players. On his blackboard he is pointing to a number of slogans.

I think the last one is "...expect to win.."

This is the first year after many when i have gone along to games expecting to win. It hasn't always worked out but like the freo game we were goals up at half time and never blown away.

So yes its been enjoyable in a maschistic type of way.

Good thread . Thanks

2 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

YES!!!

I’m not a ‘Premiership Or Nothing’ type. 

For decades like every other Dees fan I’ve said “One flag in my lifetime. Just one flag and I’ll be happy.” Well, we got the one flag… and I’m happy.
 

Of course more success is always welcome, but meanwhile I’m enjoying the season and loving our Club more than ever. ❤️💙

Agree!

If 2021 is our only flag. At least I got to see one and what a finals campaign it was to behold, just unbelievable after waiting so many years.

This year has still been enjoyable, with a few frustrations:

- while loading, having multiple players going down injured or ill mid-match in our three losses to Freo, Swans & Pies really hurt.

- losing to Dogs when we should have won!

- umpires against Swans, Pies & Dogs. I know you should ignore them, but there are definitely matches they influence - 2016 GF and throw dogs still stands out and I was happy to see Dogs break their drought!

- Brayshaw commented this morning lacking ruthlessness, which probably cost us against Swans, Pies & Dogs.

So 18 matches in, 13 wins still happy, have my fingers crossed for luck with injury between now and end of year and that we don’t have a bad one off game or umpire ruined game! 
 

So with a little luck, end of loading, finding that extra desire coming towards finals, I still think we can do it and go back to back. Cats have improved so will be tougher, but I really can’t see any of the other teams being good enough, if we find near our best. That will make it a GREAT 2022 going BACK to BACK!

Go Demons, upwards & onwards to the 2022 Flag!!

Edited July 26, 20222 yr by D4Life
Minor addition

Good question. After a good win, I'll generally watch the replay more than once. Can honestly say that Rd 1 against the Dogs and the Brisbane game were the only times I've felt like we've played a full game, and bothered watching the replay on multiple occasions. 

I'm naturally a glass half empty person, and hated when the media and Demonland posters were suggesting we could go undefeated. 

Disappointed that we haven't blooded JVR and Laurie. The Port game was an ideal chance.

All year we've played a quarter or sometimes half a quarter of exhilarating football, then seem to get comfortable with ourselves.

Not confident going into the last 4 games. Anything bar a flag seems like a wasted year.

 

2 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Ask me in 8 weeks

This.

2 hours ago, Vipercrunch said:

Great question and I agree with your final sentiment that it has been strange.

I went to several games very early on, and although we were challenged during most of those games, I never once doubted we would win, which was a completely foreign feeling.  My son who attened all of those games with me said he found expecting to win all the time to be less enjoyable than going to games with only a faint hope of winning.

As we moved into our mid-season slump, because I'm firmly in the Cult of Loading, when we started to perform poorly and lose games, my confidence has never waivered, quite the oppisite in fact.  I am impressed that my club has it's eyes firmly on the real goal, that of playing it's best footy when it counts in September.  Simultaneously hating to lose while also framing those loses within the big picture and being ok with them is also a completely foreign feeling.

Now as we enter the final run home, there is a lot of trepedation as questions/predictions are finally answered.  Has my trust in the players and staff been well placed or totally misplaced?  Time will tell but I will be devasted and angry if we don't at least make the preliminary final as we are definetely good enough.  I don't believe last year was a fluke or only due to incredible luck, so to not make at least PF weekend would be an absolute failure.

Sums up my feeling well.

I'd add a comment.

I think there is a risk of seeing last year with rose coloured glasses, and stretching the ophthalmological analogy, seeing the whole season though the lens of our performance in the finals. 

The GF was the best football we played all season in 2021. none of our games this year have come close to that mark, not even the lions game. So lots of performances, even our wins, that have been miles of the standard we all know we can play at. That is frustrating. 

Last year we didn't have the finals and GF as benchmarks. Every win was gold, but we collectively feared our best would not be good enough. And not without some justification. 

In reality, up till the corresponding point in last year's season we played a fair bit of average footy. And i don't just mean in the winter of our discontent phase. I also mean during our unbeaten run in the first half of the season. If there is any doubt about that you only need to revisit the post game threads for most of our wins. 

In my opinion, up to and including round 19, there was only one complete performance that came within coee of our finals level - the round 11 game against the doags.

The losses speak for themselves, but even many our wins were scrappy affairs where struggled with many of the same issues we are struggling with this year - eg forward line connection, inaccuracy, not putting teams away etc etc,

But a big difference between this year and last year (after 19 rounds, not the full 2021 season) is last season we came from behind in a lot of games. Which is, always super exciting, and makes for memorable wins,  as pies fans can attest this season

In many of our win this year we have got a lead and then just controlled the match. Much less exciting. And certainly less memorable, becuase often the result has not been in doubt, And in some of our losses the result has not been in doubt halfway through the last quarter (eg the freo game). So again, not very exciting. 

For whatever reason, we never really tried to control the tempo of the dogs game (or did and failed to do so - which i don't buy to be honest), and lost as a result. But it was arguably the most exciting game of the year.