Jump to content

MCG Bogey ground

bandicoot
bandicoot
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

Posted

@Watson11 brings up a good discussion: 

“Would love some discussion on why the G is such a bogey ground for us against good teams. Since Goody has been coach we have had 4 wins and 21 losses against sides that finished top 6 that year.

Is it psychological, or is our game plan fundamentally flawed and too easy to pick apart by the best teams on the wider ground?

PS Please don’t roll out the myth that we play Optus well and it’s the same width because it isn’t (it’s 130m wide versus the G’s 141m)”

The way our defence is structured relies on intercept marking and zoning off players. The smaller the ground the easier it is to do. Unfortunately the MCG with its wider boundaries means there are more chances to isolate our defenders and play one-on-one. 
 

Larger grounds also need either very quick players or elite foot skills… we don’t have either 

  • Quote
    • Thanks 3
     

    My theories:

    Our list has a lot of ordinary kicks. 

    We only have one true winger.

    Our forwards are either hopeless in the air (Spargo and ANB) or hopeless on the deck (Brown). The MCG favours players who are less one dimensional. 

  • Quote

    Get the Forward Line Functioning properly and we will kick big scores on the hallowed turf. 
     

  • Quote
    •  

    Regardless of the reasons, it would seem ludicrous for any team let alone an MCG tenant to develop a game plan not suited to the home of the Grand Final.

     

     

  • Quote
    • Like 2

    Don’t buy into the theory. We started the year 6-0 at the G. Only two finalist in that group but still. 

    our form was poor and we happened to be played at the G second half of the year

  • Quote
    • Like 3

    Honestly I reckon we just choke when we play there.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
      On 11/09/2022 at 10:38, bandicoot said:

    @Watson11 brings up a good discussion: 

     

    “Would love some discussion on why the G is such a bogey ground for us against good teams. Since Goody has been coach we have had 4 wins and 21 losses against sides that finished top 6 that year.

    Is it psychological, or is our game plan fundamentally flawed and too easy to pick apart by the best teams on the wider ground?

    PS Please don’t roll out the myth that we play Optus well and it’s the same width because it isn’t (it’s 130m wide versus the G’s 141m)”

    The way our defence is structured relies on intercept marking and zoning off players. The smaller the ground the easier it is to do. Unfortunately the MCG with its wider boundaries means there are more chances to isolate our defenders and play one-on-one. 
     

    Larger grounds also need either very quick players or elite foot skills… we don’t have either 

    Happy for the discussion but the difference between Optus and the G is like two Max Gawns on either side. Negligible 

    when we played well early in the year we won at the G. When we were poor we lost

  • Quote
      On 11/09/2022 at 11:08, DubDee said:

    Don’t buy into the theory. We started the year 6-0 at the G. Only two finalist in that group but still. 

    our form was poor and we happened to be played at the G second half of the year

    Record at the G last year was 8-2 from a quick look

  • Quote
    •  

    In the second half of 2021, our MCG form was definitely not as good as other venues. Similar story to this year.

    Scrappy win over Essendon, draw with the Hawks, largest loss of the year to Bulldogs and survived a 3rd qtr scare against lowly Adelaide.

    I don’t know if it’s possible, but could they look at tinkering their game plan to suit the G more?

  • Quote
    • Like 2
      On 11/09/2022 at 11:10, praha said:

    Honestly I reckon we just choke when we play there.

    Too much noise!

  • Quote
    • Haha 3

    Our poor results have been about the second halves.

    We go into the rooms congratulating ourselves, the MCC members applauding and it must feel like we are rolling. They become self absorbed and forget that in an even league the other can at least pick up the pressure and take the game on with nothing to lose.

    We panic, kick to boundary and try to congest the area around the footy. That opens up big spaces on the G and the opposition can get one on one, or uncongested areas to play to, as they carry the ball well and hit their players. We also try to fill the area a kick behind and kick infront at stoppages, or when a free kick or mark. This give the oppo a good chance to clear into open space again and go into attack if they are effective with the disposals.

    We play a game with more freedom when we have a good lead, and if it doesn't work we get panicky, unconfident and make errors.  Then we get exhausted chasing and playing that fast, get into the defensive, offensive transition positions,  when the oppo start getting more ball.

    it starts with bathwater, and ends with exhaustion, as we get overrun. 

    Edited by kev martin

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1
    • Author
      On 11/09/2022 at 13:26, kev martin said:

     

    We panic, kick to boundary and try to congest the area around the footy. That opens up big spaces on the G and the opposition can get one on one, or uncongested areas to play to, as they carry the ball well and hit their players. We also try to fill the area a kick behind and kick infront at stoppages, or when a free kick or mark. This give the oppo a good chance to clear into open space again and go into attack if they are effective with the disposals.

     

    Spot on 

  • Quote
    • Thanks 1

      On 11/09/2022 at 11:08, DubDee said:

    Don’t buy into the theory. We started the year 6-0 at the G. Only two finalist in that group but still. 

    our form was poor and we happened to be played at the G second half of the year

    No we didn’t. 

    The majority of our MCG games were pre-bye (9 of our first 13 were at the G, then 3 of our last 9 prior to finals, or 5 of our last 11 including finals). 

    We played at the G two times from Rounds 16-23. 

    Edited by titan_uranus

  • Quote

    Quite often I think the majority on Demonland have no sense of humour.

    lighten up folks it is just a game of sport / entertainment.

    The Ukraine   is serious. 

  • Quote
    • Thanks 1

    Is it the MCG or is it fitness? Or something else completely? We're very keen to find an elephant in the room when it could just be a chicken or the egg scenario. 

    I don't have the answer but we need to focus on the controllables being our fitness program, gameplan tweaking and personnel. This will hopefully translate to better home form.

  • Quote

    • Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • REPORT: Hawthorn

      Melbourne and Hawthorn who face off against each other this week have more in common than having once almost merged and about to wear a blue jumper with a red v triangle and an embroidered picture of a bird on the front.  They also share the MCG as their main home ground, their supporters are associated with the leafy suburbs of Melbourne and in recent times, James Frawley graced the colours of both teams. Even more recently, both have bounced back from disastrous five game losing streaks to start off a season. Of course, the Hawks turned their bounce into a successful leap from the bottom of the ladder into a finals appearance, making it to the semifinals in 2024 and this year, they’re riding high in third place on the AFL table. The Demons are just three games into their 2025 bounce back, and are yet to climb their way out of the bottom four although they are sitting a game and percentage out of the top eight. However, with the current sportsbet odds of $3.90 to win this week’s encounter, it seems a forlorn hope that their upward progression will continue much longer.

        • Clap
        • Thanks
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Harvey Langford Interview

      On Wednesday I'll be interviewing the Melbourne Football Club's first pick in the 2024 National Draft and pick number 6 overall Harvey Langford. If you have any questions you want asked let me know. I will release the interview on Wednesday afternoon.

        • Clap
        • Love
        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 24 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • REPORT: West Coast

      On a night of counting, Melbourne captain Max Gawn made sure that his contribution counted. He was at his best and superb in the the ruck from the very start of the election night game against the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium, but after watching his dominance of the first quarter and a half of the clash evaporate into nothing as the Eagles booted four goals in the last ten minutes of the opening half, he turned the game on its head, with a ruckman’s masterclass in the second half.  No superlatives would be sufficient to describe the enormity of the skipper’s performance starting with his 47 hit outs, a career-high 35 possessions (22 of them contested), nine clearances, 12 score involvements and, after messing up an attempt or two, finally capping off one of the greatest rucking performances of all time, with a goal of own in the final quarter not long after he delivered a right angled pass into the arms of Daniel Turner who also goaled from a pocket (will we ever know if the pass is what was intended). That was enough to overturn a 12 point deficit after the Eagles scored the first goal of the second half into a 29 point lead at the last break and a winning final quarter (at last) for the Demons who decided not to rest their champion ruckman at the end this time around. 

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Hawthorn

      The Demons return to the MCG to take on the High Flying Hawks on Saturday Afternoon. Hawthorn will be aiming to consolidate a position in the Top 4 whilst the Dees will be looking to take a scalp and make it four wins in a row. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Thanks
      • 151 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: West Coast

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 5th May @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we analyse the Demons 3rd win row for the season against the Eagles.
      Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
      If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 25 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • POSTGAME: West Coast

      Following a disastrous 0–5 start to the season, the Demons have now made it three wins in a row, cruising past a lacklustre West Coast side on their own turf. Skipper Max Gawn was once again at his dominant best, delivering another ruck masterclass to lead the way.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 215 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All