I feel that Brayshaw and Jackson have derailed our year, that’s all one hears about, broody sick of it.

Shame on them.

Edited July 26, 20222 yr by bluey

8 hours ago, DEE fence said:

But what drives me bonkers is when folks have a go at a players integrity, call them soft or whatever. This is like my children are being insulted, and makes me furiously angry (after already being surly at the loss).  So while I believe in free speech etc, insult my kids, then watch out,

Thank you M, you’ve echoed my sentiments perfectly. I really couldn’t have conveyed it better than you have in this post. Last year I posted similar to the underlined (above) and garnered only laugh emojis, which kinda sucked since I was being serious. Nice to know I’m not alone in feeling this way.💕

“2nd on the ladder” isn’t as good as it looks, we could be 6th come the conclusion of this round

Wanted- Demonland Psychologist

We won the Flag and some of us and still not happy. Please help! 

I think the enjoyment of the season took a hammering after we won the first 10 games without really playing exceptionally well.

Then we started losing and with it we lost our edge.

I sort of expected us to really hit our straps in the second half of the year and play some of that football we saw in the first quarter and last 40 minutes of the granny. 

Alas, not to be. The Brisbane win was satisfying, especially the ruthlessness of Viney as captain.

But in the last eight weeks we've accepted losing. We no longer have that kamikaze attack on the ball or man. We don't have the connection we once did. And injuries have impacted our fitness and continuity.

There will be some enjoyment to come though. I have faith in the leaders and the management of the team.

It might just start against Freo this week!

I really enjoyed those first 10 weeks checking records and trying to will Bowey to the record, being on top of the ladder whilst lamenting the fact that we weren’t putting sides away and playing out games for four quarters. Our last seven games of 2021 spoilt us and raised our expectations to a level that we had never reached before and I guess I have been searching for that sheer excellence all year. We bought the goods against the Lions and part of the Dogs game but couldn’t sustain it. During 2021 I lost my anxiety but have slowly regained it over the past 4-5 weeks, just so desperate for our boys to achieve sustained success for the boys and the club.✅💕

11 hours ago, old55 said:

If you're not loving this time then you need to think about your expectations and why you follow the club and the game.

We won the flag, something many of us thought we'd never see.  Clarrie, Trac and Max have signed on for football eternity, and we're right in the hunt again this year.

Who knows, we could be in the midst of 5  in a row. Worst case we'll be a real chance in all of them.

These are the great times! If they can't spark enjoyment then seriously consider a different path.

You are of course very much correct. The slump in form and contract issues have put a dampener on what should be a great time to be a Melbourne supporter. 

It's all about winning.  Not doing that at the minute.  Enjoyed the first ten weeks but not so much the last 8.  Can't hold leads or even bury teams. Bloody frustrating for a so called reigning premier.

But we are well and truly amongst it and that makes the remaining weeks exciting.  All I've ever really asked for when considering my 40 odd years of supporter pain.  So all in all, happy as a pig in [censored].

 

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

You are of course very much correct. The slump in form and contract issues have put a dampener on what should be a great time to be a Melbourne supporter. 

It’s still a great time to be a Melbourne supporter Jaded NM - just a bit of additional noise to keep us (the supporters) on our toes.

Who are the regular players that have improved this year?

• Brayshaw
• Langdon
• Oliver
• Viney
• Jordon
• Petty

Players about the same

• Petracca
• Kozzie
• Hibberd
• Weideman
• Sparrow
• ANB

Playing below last year

• Gawn
• BBrown
• Fritsch
• May
• Lever
• Salem
• Harmes
• Spargo
• Jackson
• Tomlinson
• Rivers

 

I think we have a lot of key regular players that haven't improved with maybe 12 players playing the same or better.

That says upside to me as we can improve but we don't have anyone in the Kozzie, Rivers, Jackson camp of last year. And 11 or so players playing below what we know they are capable of.

That has sucked some of the enjoyment factor out for me.

17 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

I think we have a lot of key regular players that haven't improved with maybe 12 players playing the same or better.

Could also add Bowey.

At the moment, it feels like a carrot leading my enjoyment. Glad not too much whip, but that could change if we don't improve with our pressure, clearances, forward connection and ruthlessness as we enter the end of home and away series.

I do enjoy close games, based on the emotional ride. Unlike previous years, a loss didn't seem to bad, but now, we are back to having to win, and a loss may impact my joy.

Expecting us to smash them, now our season is back on the line.

That would really improve my opinion of MFC and associated joy.

 

Edited July 27, 20222 yr by kev martin

When you're a poor team you probably enjoy the season as a whole. You find enjoyment in a promising young player, an unexpected win, the hope of playing finals. The losses aren't as consequential.

The mindset is very different now. Instead of having everything to gain, I feel we have everything to lose. Every team comes at us looking to measure their best against ours and to boast about knocking off the reigning premiers. Supporters and hack journalists celebrate any sign of our decline.

I find myself being resentful and petty about opponents - particularly the Bulldogs. I took last week's loss so personally and it gave me pause to consider the place of football in my life. As others have noted, you can also easily find yourself becoming resentful of the players themselves for having the gall to consider their post-football career ahead of glory for the Melbourne Football Club.

So no, I haven't enjoyed this season as much as last year because winning the Premiership was so wonderful and I'm holding on for dear life. I hope we can go back to back, but in some ways it would be a relief to join the chasing pack.

Edited July 27, 20222 yr by wisedog

2 hours ago, jnrmac said:

 

Playing below last year

• Gawn
• BBrown
• Fritsch
• May
• Lever
• Salem
• Harmes
• Spargo
• Jackson
• Tomlinson
• Rivers

Tbh I'd possibly leave Fritsch out of that category. I think he's at about the same level as he was last season. He's currently sitting on 40 goals and this time last year he'd kicked 37. Yes, he has gone missing in some matches but he's been one of our only forwards who can be trusted to kick multiple goals each week.

I think that his brilliant finals series has made people forget that he also had many quiet games last season.

Edited July 27, 20222 yr by Hopeful Demon

As a young kid I went to a few games when David Neitz was still playing and we were half decent. I remember watching us play finals in 06 and I was 8 years old and we went out first week and were poor for the better of the following decade.

ever since and throughout my teens my football club who ran deep within my family (uncles, father) were incessantly poor going to many games expecting to leave disappointed yet sticking with them regardless.

I never thought we’d be in the position we are now where we’re coming off a premiership and dominating the competition. If I’m honest all of the hate from opposition fans and the media looking at every opportunity to bring us down has really hit me personally and made me sad. I never lost faith in us remaining dominant but the dream and hope of half a decade of premiership contention infront of us is slowly dwindling with the likes of key cult figure AB and LJ potentially abandoning our club and maybe all the talk of our culture having truly shifted seems often to be just hollow words with all the May/Melksham shenanigans happening inseason too.

But we are entering a new era where I think most supporters need to see multiple seasons of consistency to truly recognise the shift our Club has taken.

This is a new MFC and I am happy to be apart of it. Here’s to many more solid years and potentially 1 or 2 more flags, go Dees ❤️💙

6 hours ago, DubDee said:

Wanted- Demonland Psychologist

We won the Flag and some of us and still not happy. Please help! 

As if anyone would take that job, rather be the receptionist in the Russian embassy in Kiev.

I'd say that I'd be happy if we had 1 more win next to our name but that would be like asking if the temperature in the room could be turned up 1 degree. 

6 minutes ago, layzie said:

I'd say that I'd be happy if we had 1 more win next to our name but that would be like asking if the temperature in the room could be turned up 1 degree. 

The manner of our losses is different this year.

We are losing after being in front during the 4th qtr and being run down

That saps away at the positive energy. 

5 hours ago, jnrmac said:

Who are the regular players that have improved this year?

• Brayshaw, has gone next level for sure
• Langdon, on what basis has he improved?, i thought last year was better, still fantastic.
• Oliver, would have said the same, which is utterly brilliant
• Viney - 100%, on the park longer and uninjured, so fierce.
• Jordon - yes he is more composed, still needs a bit more damage in his disposals
• Petty - 100% has doubled his worth, not a jet yet, but getting there, top 10 B&F this year.

Players about the same

• Petracca - below ... his goal kicking is a issue for me, I get a sense of hesitation around goals that hurts team momentum. 
• Kozzie - i see more improvement, his pressure is so elite, and he has calmed down with some of the goose behavior which is cool.
• Hibberd - agree, and thank god
• Weideman - sadly a low base
• Sparrow- has improved, last week was his best game.
• ANB- has improved his level of consistency

Playing below last year

• Gawn, yes has looked constrained by injuries all year, wish he got more protection. 
• BBrown  biggest unexplained drop off.
• Fritsch - disagree - i would say same from last year.
• May - 100%  injured as well and makes him antisocial with his teammates, needs a rocket from a coach
• Lever - 100% covid and injuries have given him a terrible run and it has really hurt us.
• Salem -  100% this is killing our defense, bigger problem even than Lever - all injury based though. 
• Harmes -  No saved his best for finals, would say he is the same as last year. Round 20 last year was calling for him to be dropped an dhe went on a proper tear, is the biggest yo yo on form that doesn't seem related to injuries.
• Spargo - trying to do to much, and has been yoyoing, poor bugger is the 1st to be put up against the wall by DL folks though.
• Jackson - yeah, sadly, for all his skills his marking has been poor.
• Tomlinson - he is not lever, and he doesn't seem to be winning his 1v1 the way he used too.
• Rivers - been happy with the last two weeks.
• Bowey - 2nd year blues? too much noise about his streak i think. 

 

Worth a conversation

3 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

The manner of our losses is different this year.

We are losing after being in front during the 4th qtr and being run down

That saps away at the positive energy. 

I've been thinking about this most of today. 4 times we've had 4 goal + leads and been chased down, for a team as good as ours you could forgive maybe 1 or 2. I know loading has been discussed ad nauseam but I wonder how well this bodes for mental toughness and the mindset.

When it comes to winning it all who can be toughest the longest matters, I would hope that we're still a resilient team but the manner of losses is concerning across the board. 

Yes, I have enjoyed it. A lot. Whilst the last two months have been disappointing after the start, but I still hope/think that our best footy is better than the next best’s.

Winning a flag is hard. We’re still in it up to our eyeballs with a month of the season to go, with (hopefully) the best yet to come. Couldn’t really ask for much more.

I remember early in the season when the Blues were up and about thinking "let's just wait till they face Melbourne and see how they go against some real physicality". Was probably the first time in my life i have thought of Melbourne that way.

The way things are going, we might just let them stroll out the front of stoppages under little pressure and tear us apart. I can't believe how much we have dropped off in terms of physicality/pressure. The absolute phyical belting we let Freo give us on our home ground could maybe be excused after so many wins on end. But the lack of response vs Syd, and then getting belted physically with very little response vs. Collingwood was a massive downer. We play a boring style based on probabilities of outcomes in certain parts of the ground, that has been painful to watch when we don't bring the main ingredient: pressure.

Still time to turn it around, but we are dancing with the devil by allowing it to drop off as far as it has. Hoping for a product to be proud of over the next 4 to 8 weeks.

The AFL have ruined this year for me

Tweaking of rules constantly is infuriating; protected area, stand, ducking/high, holding the ball

And by extension the umpiring is worse again

....

As for the Dees, very happy, when we can whinge as much as Demonlanders do when we are 1st or 2nd on the Ladder, it is a great sign of how far we have come as a club

We are placed well to have another crack at a flag - if we're good enough then we can win

7 hours ago, Deenooos_ said:

As a young kid I went to a few games when David Neitz was still playing and we were half decent. I remember watching us play finals in 06 and I was 8 years old and we went out first week and were poor for the better of the following decade.

ever since and throughout my teens my football club who ran deep within my family (uncles, father) were incessantly poor going to many games expecting to leave disappointed yet sticking with them regardless.

I never thought we’d be in the position we are now where we’re coming off a premiership and dominating the competition. If I’m honest all of the hate from opposition fans and the media looking at every opportunity to bring us down has really hit me personally and made me sad. I never lost faith in us remaining dominant but the dream and hope of half a decade of premiership contention infront of us is slowly dwindling with the likes of key cult figure AB and LJ potentially abandoning our club and maybe all the talk of our culture having truly shifted seems often to be just hollow words with all the May/Melksham shenanigans happening inseason too.

But we are entering a new era where I think most supporters need to see multiple seasons of consistency to truly recognise the shift our Club has taken.

This is a new MFC and I am happy to be apart of it. Here’s to many more solid years and potentially 1 or 2 more flags, go Dees ❤️💙

Beat St.Kilda first week

9 hours ago, jnrmac said:

Who are the regular players that have improved this year?

• Brayshaw
• Langdon
• Oliver
• Viney
• Jordon
• Petty

Players about the same

• Petracca
• Kozzie
• Hibberd
• Weideman
• Sparrow
• ANB

Playing below last year

• Gawn
• BBrown
• Fritsch
• May
• Lever
• Salem
• Harmes
• Spargo
• Jackson
• Tomlinson
• Rivers

 

I think we have a lot of key regular players that haven't improved with maybe 12 players playing the same or better.

That says upside to me as we can improve but we don't have anyone in the Kozzie, Rivers, Jackson camp of last year. And 11 or so players playing below what we know they are capable of.

That has sucked some of the enjoyment factor out for me.

Agree with most of that, I would say Nibbler has been far below what he was last year. Last season he was good for a goal a game, and his tackling pressure was immense. 

It shows the closeness of the season that if things aren't clicking, even if it's only out by 5%, it came make a huge difference.