The Dogs should be far more worried about how they match up against our inside mids than we should be about their tall forwards. No Dunkley leaves a heavy load on Libba and i think we'll see a similar situation to previous carlton sides where the obvious pressure on one bloke hurts the team massively. 

1 hour ago, Action Jackson said:

At the same game last year I reckon it was 90% Dees fans, the doggies fans did not turn up.

Do you blame them, though? Rocking up to our first game as reigning premiers having been comprehensively thumped by us in the grannie, watching the unfurling of our glorious premiership flag with all the pomp and ceremony that goes along with that.

LOL at this game last year, when the Doggies ran out, I thought “oh yeah, they’re here too.” I’d forgotten all about them. 😁

PS this game last year was on a Wednesday night, the night before pension day. Just sayin’ 😝

Would be interesting to see figures on away fans and neutrals over the years.

Membership costs with all the hard sell add ons naturally leads to supporters making use of the membership and questioning the cost of an away game.

As an AFL member I used to frequently attend neutral games but covid and the ticketing process put an end to that.

I see yesterday that they were offering GA tickets for $18 as a flash sale for our game.

3 hours ago, Redleg said:

Yes but this is 4 individuals who include our best goal kicker, our tough vice captain, our best back flanker and defensive play starter and our back general. 25% nearly of our best starting 18.

But I get the point, adversity brings challenges that if overcome, strengthen the team and improves future depth.

Mentally, a win would be a big boost for our confidence too.

i'll go further - it's four of our top ten players

It really sucks that we have 4 outs for Saturday. How can we have 4 outs to such important players when we have had so much time to prepare them? Round 1 is not a surprise event??

Anyway, many of our issues last year (not all) stemmed from the lack of selfless play that brought success in 2021. 

We have depth, the guys on the ground this week are certainly capable of dismantling the doggies no problems at all. Pound for pound we're still superior. 

The question is, will the guys play for each other, as a team, or will we have more of the selfish, fancy, silly stuff we saw last year? 

2 hours ago, SPC said:

Do not discount Max playing back for a portion and taking out all aerial threat. 

Tmac might well go back also . 

1 minute ago, Red But Mostly Blue said:

It really sucks that we have 4 outs for Saturday. How can we have 4 outs to such important players when we have had so much time to prepare them? Round 1 is not a surprise event??

Anyway, many of our issues last year (not all) stemmed from the lack of selfless play that brought success in 2021. 

We have depth, the guys on the ground this week are certainly capable of dismantling the doggies no problems at all. Pound for pound we're still superior. 

The question is, will the guys play for each other, as a team, or will we have more of the selfish, fancy, silly stuff we saw last year? 

What a silly thing to say/think. 

On this logic there would be 0 injuries at all clubs going into Round 1. 

2 hours ago, dees189227 said:

So in the age today Sam McClure has heard that only about 55,000 will be there Saturday night and that will be disappointing when both teams are going to be aiming for a top 4 spot and both teams should play finals. 

I agree with him with the crowd prediction. I mean on Saturday night there should be over 60,000. Covid restrictions have gone and we are coming off a pretty good season and have some awesome recruits. 

The thing that annoyed me was the final line he wrote.. Has the ski season come early. Like come on Sam. Honestly you are better than that. Don't start running with that r1

average home and away crowd between these two sides is less than 30,000 - anything around 50,000 would be HUGE

4 hours ago, Red But Mostly Blue said:

It really sucks that we have 4 outs for Saturday. How can we have 4 outs to such important players when we have had so much time to prepare them? Round 1 is not a surprise event??

We train with incredible intensity.

Tracc said in a presser this week (the context was a question about playing hurt in the finals) that our training sessions are harder than the games. 

Injury is an obvious risk of our approach to training and preparation.

Edited March 16, 20232 yr by binman

52 minutes ago, binman said:

Weightman not playing is arguably a bigger out for them as may is for us

Huge call!  I thought we looked very vulnerable during May's absences last season.

Hope you are right!

25 minutes ago, AzzKikA said:

So is the Seymour/Shepparton line, for another 3 weeks.

What a ridiculous post by Azz and Lord Travis.

When both Thursday and Friday night are sellouts !!! 
 

Hasnt  worried Tigers Blues Pies and Cats fans. Why should it worry US? 
Please don't defend our fans. They have had 6 mths to work out transport anomalies. You either want to go or don't. Easier to travel any way on Sat. night. 
As for WCW and pensioner on Thursday comment for last year. Same response Had 6 mths to save for purchase of Mship ticket or ticket to the game. 
The longer we analyse the issues for non attendance the weaker the excuses become for our fans as it doesn't affect other Clubs fans. 

The technology has ena bled the Mship tickets to be scanned at the gates now so no excuses there either, 

A bit of realism and club loyalty is what we need occasionally. 
 

I hope the club is having a serious look/think about Ben McKay as a long term Steven May replacement, not that it has anything to do with the Doggies game

11 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

What a silly thing to say/think. 

On this logic there would be 0 injuries at all clubs going into Round 1. 

Silly?

Give me a spell. There aren't many other clubs missing the number and caliber of guys that we are. No?

I get injuries during the year. They happen. But given we were so banged up towards the mid/end of last year, it worries me that we ALREADY have injuries to 4 of our top 10 BEFORE the year has even started. Not a couple. Not our depth players. Our elite. 

I DO LIKE, however, that we are acting conservatively with these guys. Perhaps I can reframe that maybe it is decisions like these that may mean we are not so banged up, again, at the end of the year. At least I hope we won't be facing the same issues post Burgess. 

we’re going to get a good look at our depth straight up  against a very good side. We’re all going to know more about who we are as a club late sat eve.

May is a huge loss but .. for arguments sake.. what if he was injured for a final? We need to know what our back ups can and can’t do. Anyone playing on Naughton is in for a massive test… 3 goals or less is a big win in this circumstance. we’ll see. Fingers crossed we come out with a win, no further injuries and deeper confidence in our best 27. 

12 minutes ago, binman said:

Have you heard that we train with incredible intensity?

Tracc said in a presser this week (the context was a question about playing hurt in the finals) that our training sessions are harder than the games. 

Injury is an obvious risk of our approach to training and preparation.

100% get that

And it's great that we are so intense.

Perhaps we could do it with less impact on our elite? lol

Anyway. I get it. I just hope we benefit this year from such training, and we don't have last year's ongoing discussion about loading/fitness/banged up players who fizzled out.

14 minutes ago, binman said:

Have you heard that we train with incredible intensity?

Tracc said in a presser this week (the context was a question about playing hurt in the finals) that our training sessions are harder than the games. 

Injury is an obvious risk of our approach to training and preparation.

If you work hard in training, the fight is easy.

– Manny Pacquiao

 

25 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

What a silly thing to say/think. 

On this logic there would be 0 injuries at all clubs going into Round 1. 

Wrong poster. sorry

Whatwhatsaywhat,... 

McClure used the snow jab at us?  If true ,then why bother listening to these idiots?

If you went to Bulla and surveyed 500 people Collingwood Carlton and Hawthorn would probably dominate. Dees would be fair way down the list.

There are thousands of rich pies supporters. Eddie McGuire,  Gallbaly family etc.

Edited March 16, 20232 yr by Deebauched

2 hours ago, jnrmac said:

Its a Melb home game. Dogs fans don't get free entry. That will deter a lot of their fans. Footy is expensive these days. Family of 4 $130 plus food etc and transport.

Pies Cats Tigers Blues fans pay the same price probably more !!!!

25 minutes ago, Red But Mostly Blue said:

It really sucks that we have 4 outs for Saturday. How can we have 4 outs to such important players when we have had so much time to prepare them? Round 1 is not a surprise event??

Anyway, many of our issues last year (not all) stemmed from the lack of selfless play that brought success in 2021. 

We have depth, the guys on the ground this week are certainly capable of dismantling the doggies no problems at all. Pound for pound we're still superior. 

The question is, will the guys play for each other, as a team, or will we have more of the selfish, fancy, silly stuff we saw last year? 

Putting the completely unavoidable nature of Salem's health issue and Fritsch's accidental foot stomp aside, if we want the luxury of protecting our elite players in the final 15 minutes of this years preliminary final, we need to train in a somewhat risky manner during the preseason.

11 minutes ago, 58er said:

What a ridiculous post by Azz and Lord Travis.

When both Thursday and Friday night are sellouts !!! 
 

Hasnt  worried Tigers Blues Pies and Cats fans. Why should it worry US? 
Please don't defend our fans. They have had 6 mths to work out transport anomalies. You either want to go or don't. Easier to travel any way on Sat. night. 
As for WCW and pensioner on Thursday comment for last year. Same response Had 6 mths to save for purchase of Mship ticket or ticket to the game. 
The longer we analyse the issues for non attendance the weaker the excuses become for our fans as it doesn't affect other Clubs fans. 

The technology has ena bled the Mship tickets to be scanned at the gates now so no excuses there either, 

A bit of realism and club loyalty is what we need occasionally. 
 

Nice rant.  This was done to death last year.  If you look at attendace figures relative to teams supporter and membership bases, the MFC does outstandingly well.  

3 minutes ago, Vipercrunch said:

Putting the completely unavoidable nature of Salem's health issue and Fritsch's accidental foot stomp aside, if we want the luxury of protecting our elite players in the final 15 minutes of this years preliminary final, we need to train in a somewhat risky manner during the preseason.

True.

And I hope so!! In theory that sounds right, but I'd also like to avoid unnecessary and potentially long-term, reoccurring injuries to guys we kind of need later in the year. 

15 minutes ago, Vipercrunch said:

Nice rant.  This was done to death last year.  If you look at attendace figures relative to teams supporter and membership bases, the MFC does outstandingly well.  

Agree Viper we were 5 th in attendances in2022  not far off a million but Beard says only because of Pies Tigers and Blues fans!!!

20 minutes ago, Vipercrunch said:

Nice rant.  This was done to death last year.  If you look at attendace figures relative to teams supporter and membership bases, the MFC does outstandingly well.  

Our members and supporters are phenomenal. We had the 5th highest home attendance and highest attendance vs membership of any club. Numbers back up our supporters being the most loyal and best in the league.

The outdated stereotypes about going to the snow or not drawing big crowds are flat out wrong and anyone sprucing them is a liar. Anyone having a go at our members and supporters is a fool.

Keep it up Dees fans. We're the best there are!

1 hour ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Do you blame them, though? Rocking up to our first game as reigning premiers having been comprehensively thumped by us in the grannie, watching the unfurling of our glorious premiership flag with all the pomp and ceremony that goes along with that.

LOL at this game last year, when the Doggies ran out, I thought “oh yeah, they’re here too.” I’d forgotten all about them. 😁

PS this game last year was on a Wednesday night, the night before pension day. Just sayin’ 😝

What's Pesnion Day got to do with it.

Many , many Pensioners can't afford to got to the AFL.   I'm serious and its a disgrace.

Has May been confirmed not playing?