Oliver’s handball smother on Ladhams was incredible. His head is always in the game and to have that awareness was just awe-inspiring. His whole third qtr was very influential, but that moment was special when it set up a goal.

We’re so lucky to be able to watch this generational talent run around.

Bit of credit to Melksham, didn't set the world on fire but it was a shrewd sub which made us a bit more mobile up front. 

1 hour ago, NeveroddoreveN said:

Much to like, in no particular order!

Coaching....Often playing Sydney, games are lost within the coaching box.  It was nice to see Goodwin/Yze making some wholesale changes.  Sydney usually just sweat on us to win clearances (Like Brisbane did most of last week).  We let them win the ball, and sweated on them instead.  We start adding these layers and we are going to be fearful to play against.  Players are in better positions when we man the outside too.   It is a subtle shift we needed to make.  We have been beaten in the same manner many times.  Hunters>Hunted!

Petty and JVR were both huge for us in the forward half.  Most kicks in their vicinity were  brought to ground, our smaller guys relished this and our forward line looked better than it has in a long time.  Nearly every team has a CHB type like Mccartin...Petty could be huge in this role as it stops a lot of the rebound they get from taking intercept marks all day.  

Chandler was exceptional all over the ground, so much to like about his game...his best so far!

McVee is amazing, he just glides through traffic.  Stunned how quickly he is coming on!

Spargo. Probably the most impactful 6 possession game i ever seen.  The bunny hop contender for mark of the year, could not stop laughing!

JVR, take a bow kid!  First minute injected into the game and he lays a massive bump.   Competes all day, brought ball to ground regularly, tackled and looked a nice kick.  Great debut!

JJ played a great game.  Was creative, hit targets and even showed some flair.  If he plays like this on the regular, Harmes is going to find it impossible to get back into the team as a mid.

Grundy & Hunter their best games for the Dees so far.  Both building and fitting in nicely.

All of our regular guns played well enough, but i thought our bottom 6 today were suberb.  If Viney is your weakest link you have sooooooo much to be bullish about!

It seems to contend this year, going to need to kick big scores.   There are not too many that could kick 11 in the last quarter.  Both Melbourne and Collingwood are going to blow some teams away in short periods.    So glad we have shifted away from defensive style to a much more dynamic and inspiring style where players get to show their skills.  

So much to build on and get excited about!  Go Demons!!!

What is this 11 goal last quarter people are talking about?

Great win but some observations;

1. We cannot take a mark in a pack around the ground. For all his good work at ground level, Grundy can't compete in the air and we were beaten badly. Not everyone can be a Maxie but we must find an answer or better teams will make us pay.

2. Swanees played pretty footy - deft handpasses, short kicks to free players, lots of possessions but poor finishing. Better teams at this style will cause problems for us.

3. Have we ever seen better disciplined and effective pure wingmen as Hunter and Langdon. Both set up goals for Chandler with smart running and even smarter passes.

4. Rivers played like a tall interceptor and was a great support for Lever and May.

5. Bowey and McVee are as smooth as silk and, if not for the midfield that we already have, would be prime candidates for the positions.

6. Petracca, Viney, Brayshaw, Sparrow, Jordon, Nibbles all played great but Oliver, as usual, was in a league of his own. What a joy to watch.

1 hour ago, In Harmes Way said:

Easter Monday blockbuster Geelong v Hawthorn - 18th vs 17th. 

And ... wouldn't it be a thing of beauty... if Hawthorn wins it !

1 minute ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

And ... wouldn't it be a thing of beauty... if Hawthorn wins it !

Indeed...what a twisted universe we live in.

10 minutes ago, loges said:

What is this 11 goal last quarter people are talking about?

Was from one of the Sydney posters....i should have checked it b4 posting that part, we actually kicked 7 for last Q.

Edited April 3, 20232 yr by NeveroddoreveN

45 minutes ago, Action Jackson said:

What's your thoughts on this week Binman? Think Petty will stay in a forward role or will he go back?

I prefer our backline mix with the three talls personally, but nice to see we can get creative and still win comfortably.

It's an interesting one.

They backed themselves in that they could control Sydney's three talls yesterday without a third tall defender. 

I reckon a big part of that calculation was Franklin is shell of the player he was in his prime, particularly at the moment coming off some injury interruptions, and offers nothing if not kicking goals. May could basically sit on him and zone off as required. 

And Amarti is a long way from being a dominant AFL player (by the by, he is a good example of the risks of selecting key forwards before they are ready - as opposed to how we have managed JVR).

Logan McDonald is talented, but also still has a fair way to go.

And like the lions, it is the medium forwards like Heeney and Papley that cause us problems, so playing an extra medium defender like Hibbo was clever.

The Eagles only have the two-gun tall forwards in Darling and Allen - and their game is built around the intercept marking of Barass and Mcgovern, so in normal circumstances it would make sense for Petty to play forward against the Eagles.

But Mcgovern did his hammy, so Petty's forward defensive work (which was a big part of his role yesterday) won't be needed like it was against the Swans. Hibbo, and/or Melk if sub, can take Barass. 

My gut feel is Petty will play forward this week as Goody likes a three tall forward line (not counting the resting ruck - which for all intents and purposes is JVR until Maxy comes back) and someone has to play TMac's role of getting up and down the ground, blocking and creating aerial contests. 

Edited April 3, 20232 yr by binman

3 minutes ago, binman said:

It's an interesting one.

They backed themselves in that they could control Sydney's three talls yesterday without a third tall. 

I reckon a big part of that calculation was Franklin is shell of the player he was in his prime, particularly at the moment coming off some injury interruptions, and offers nothing if not kicking goals. May could basically sit on him and zone off as required. 

And Amarti is a long way from being a dominant AFL player (by the by, he is a good example of the risks of selecting key forwards before they are ready - as opposed to how we have managed JVR).

Logan McDonald is talented, but also still has a fair way to go.

And like the lions, it is the medium forwards like Heeney and Papley that cause us problems, so playing an extra medium defender like Hibbo was clever.

The Eagles only have the two-gun tall forwards in Darling and Allen - and their game is built around the intercept marking of Barass and Mcgovern, so in normal circumstances it would make sense for Petty to play forward against the Eagles.

But Mcgovern did his hammy, so Petty's forward defensive work (which was a big part of his role yesterday) won't be needed like it was against the Swans. Hibbo, and/or Melk if sub, can take Barass. 

My gut feel is Petty will play forward this week as Goody likes a three tall forward line (not counting the resting ruck - which for all intents and purposes is JVR until Maxy comes back) and someone has to play TMac's role of getting up and down the ground, blocking and creating aerial contests. 

Will be interesting.

I've got to say I'm impressed with Goody's ability to change things up.

My one knock on him over the last 2 years was his inability to be flexible, but perhaps his coaching is ever evolving.

Petty to fill his boots against the Eagles

Great win in the end but early I thought we were a bit sloppy with our hand balls and kicking disposals however our never say die attitude kept us harassing the Swans and when Brown went off we seemed to be a different team. Poor old BBB appears to run on the same spot and when Melky came on, albeit he didn't light up the G we just seemed to be better balanced and moved the pill better into the forward line.

2 minutes ago, Action Jackson said:

Will be interesting.

I've got to say I'm impressed with Goody's ability to change things up.

My one knock on him over the last 2 years was his inability to be flexible, but perhaps his coaching is ever evolving.

Agree with this wholeheartedly. 

Really loving this coaching from Goody so far this year.

34 minutes ago, loges said:

What is this 11 goal last quarter people are talking about?

Maybe 11 scores, 7G 4B?

1 hour ago, DeeZone said:

Great review DD also had another player announce himself at Casey yesterday Blake Howes 33 possession game and 16 marks if he keeps that form up he will debut this year.!!!!

Cheers DZ.  Yes i missed the first quarter but he was very very good from what i saw in the last 3.

The save in a 2 v 1 with ball heading towards a certain goal from a turnover in the middle was very special.

Is he competing with Juddy and Bowey for that role?

So many players to get excited about at the moment. Rooey first game. McVee is such a classy user and moves so well (that little kick - run - receive off halfback yesterday). Chandler building. Fritta dusting off the cobwebs. Then you have guys like Bowey and Rivers who look in great touch. And then Spargs who does not get enough plaudits for what he does.

Then all the A graders. We have so much talent at the moment. Bloody exciting.

Super enjoyable day at the G yesterday.  I agree with so much that has already been mentioned and I've got a sore finger liking all the posts in this thread.

My main thought is Sydney were actually very good yesterday, which makes the 50 point win even more satifying.  They harassed with a very effective swarming pressure that had us going backwards several times yesterday and they read our possesions very well, heading straight to where handpasses were going and getting there to put the receiving player under immediate pressure.  They also moved the ball very well and had the uncanny ability to continually find a mark at true CHF, which had me very worried in the 3rd quarter.  Easily the best oppisition performance I've seen live in the last few years and are a lock for top 4 in my opinion. So we were playing at a very high level yesterday to get away with a 50 point win.

I loved the significance of the contributions of our emerging players.  McVee, Rivers, Bowey, Chandler, Jordon, and JVR as well as more established youngsters like Petty, Spargo and Sparrow show that if all goes well, we are in for many more years at the top end.

Edited April 3, 20232 yr by Vipercrunch

2 hours ago, binman said:

I watched Kade Chandler closely quite bit yesterday. It seemed to me Kade did a fair bit more of the arc to arc running yesterday (which is one of Nibbler's key roles), and i think Nibbler did less (certainly on the GPS numbers ANB's numbers were well below his normal output), allowing him to play a more true half forward flanker role.

Which means, if that is indeed the case, Nibbler is less gassed, less often and more able to convert goal scoring opportunities, like his brilliant set shot - because he is not spending 30 Sencions just trying to get his breath back before taking the kick.

I think that sort of running helps Kade stay in the team.

I thought his role was closer to Spargo actually, presenting when we came out from defence under some heat and kicking effectively forward of centre. The 3 goals were also handy

2 hours ago, tiers said:

Great win but some observations;

1. We cannot take a mark in a pack around the ground. For all his good work at ground level, Grundy can't compete in the air and we were beaten badly. Not everyone can be a Maxie but we must find an answer or better teams will make us pay.

2. Swanees played pretty footy - deft handpasses, short kicks to free players, lots of possessions but poor finishing. Better teams at this style will cause problems for us.

 

On point one, not sure how many contested pack marks we took around the ground, but we must have had a few. In round one we only took 2 contested marks. Same story round two (ie 2 contested marks).

We took ELEVEN in this game

On point two, i wonder if you are underestimating how much pressure we applied. We choked their ability to hit targets through the corridor and on transition - which is their one wood. The only team better with that model is the Pies. The swans made a GF with this model after all. 

As i noted in a pregame post, the way to beat that model is pressure (and of course match the oppo on spread and all team defensive running - which the pies, who are clearly super fit, are brilliant at).

Just as we saw with the swans in the GF, when the pressure was dialled up, the Swans game plan fell apart. 

 

Edited April 3, 20232 yr by binman

2 hours ago, tiers said:

Great win but some observations;

1. We cannot take a mark in a pack around the ground. For all his good work at ground level, Grundy can't compete in the air and we were beaten badly. Not everyone can be a Maxie but we must find an answer or better teams will make us pay.

2. Swanees played pretty footy - deft handpasses, short kicks to free players, lots of possessions but poor finishing. Better teams at this style will cause problems for us.

3. Have we ever seen better disciplined and effective pure wingmen as Hunter and Langdon. Both set up goals for Chandler with smart running and even smarter passes.

4. Rivers played like a tall interceptor and was a great support for Lever and May.

5. Bowey and McVee are as smooth as silk and, if not for the midfield that we already have, would be prime candidates for the positions.

6. Petracca, Viney, Brayshaw, Sparrow, Jordon, Nibbles all played great but Oliver, as usual, was in a league of his own. What a joy to watch.

Two responses to the bolded point:

1. Other than Collingwood, who out there is likely to be better at that sort of football than Sydney?
2. I don't have the figures but our pressure was right up yesterday, which is a significant reason Sydney couldn't hit their short kicks. Blakey was constantly trying to hit tough kicks into the corridor but he was being chased/tackled a lot, and we were sweating on his intended targets

15 hours ago, picket fence said:

If we are truly ruthless it needs to be done!! Thats what makes GREAT sides! 

When was the last time a captain was dropped? In any club! Ludicrous suggestion

7 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Two responses to the bolded point:

1. Other than Collingwood, who out there is likely to be better at that sort of football than Sydney?
2. I don't have the figures but our pressure was right up yesterday, which is a significant reason Sydney couldn't hit their short kicks. Blakey was constantly trying to hit tough kicks into the corridor but he was being chased/tackled a lot, and we were sweating on his intended targets

Snap

Sydney is a very good team and they played well yesterday. They had our measure in the clearances in the first half, and they transitioned quite easily out of the back half on many occasions.

They are an exceptionally well drilled side, with a lot of high quality players.

This was by far our most formidable opponent thus far, and we beat them comprehensively.

I still do not rate the Dogs or the Lions. I have a suspicion that something went wrong pre-game against the Lions, and then the Gawn injury caused further disruption. If we play the Lions another 10 times, I think we beat them 9 times with a fit side.

Anyone got a Kayo password they are willing to share so I can watch the replay on the couch today with the worlds biggest hangover?

Last thing I remember from after the game is singing Happy Birthday with a random (lovely) Indian family at Maharaj restaurant in High Street Preston. Tasty cake too. 

5 minutes ago, Beetle said:

Anyone got a Kayo password they are willing to share so I can watch the replay on the couch today with the worlds biggest hangover?

Last thing I remember from after the game is singing Happy Birthday with a random (lovely) Indian family at Maharaj restaurant in High Street Preston. Tasty cake too. 

AFL.com.au has replays of all matches up aprx 20-24 hours after the game.

Better too coz there is no guff (eg quarter time ads, half time palaver etc)- just each quarter replayed.

Here's the link to the replay of yesterday's game:

https://www.afl.com.au/video/896386/match-replay-melbourne-v-sydney?videoId=896386&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1680466200001&pageSize=50&tagNames=ProgramCategory%3AMatch Replays&references=AFL_COMPSEASON%3A52%2CAFL_ROUND%3A760

2 minutes ago, binman said:

AFL.com.au has replays of all matches up aprx 20-24 hours after the game.

Better too coz there is no guff (eg quarter time ads, half time palaver etc)- just each quarter replayed.

Here's the link to the replay of yesterday's game:

https://www.afl.com.au/video/896386/match-replay-melbourne-v-sydney?videoId=896386&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1680466200001&pageSize=50&tagNames=ProgramCategory%3AMatch Replays&references=AFL_COMPSEASON%3A52%2CAFL_ROUND%3A760

Thanks BM, that’s awesome!