16 hours ago, JJR said:

People confuse me sometimes, do they think all the games we win is going to be convincing or something? I read people saying Geelong and Collingwood would bend us over, cause those teams haven't had bad games or games they shouldn't have won. Or we're not playing like a premiership side. Who the f wants to play like a premiership side in May? Top 4 is the goal and then give it a real crack. Please name 1 team who's won all their games convincingly?  Such potatoe cakes out there.

And we were 10-0 last year before the wheels semi-spectacularly fell off and we bowed out meekly from the finals despite being in the top 4. I don't have a problem with posters looking at those areas of our game and team structure that need to improve, because we're not going to win a flag playing like we are at the moment.

That said, I'm delighted we are giving some new faces a good run as well as playing our personnel in different positions and seeing some reward, some learning opportunities and some "didn't quite work" instances.

But we very soon need to take those learnings and refine the team/game plan so that the core 14-16 of the 22 can better rely on each other from the consistency of playing in the same roles week in, week out. 

GCS are a decent team at home make no mistake and they will win more games there this season than they lose IMO particularly with Miller in the team.

I thought we played ok, but it was one of those games where things almost clicked but didn't. Fritta was well down, and he'd be very disappointed with his first three quarters and even more so with his poor goal kicking in the last.

I don't want to focus on the umpiring other than to say I'm still shaking my head, at least 4 occasions Kozzie executed perfect tackles and clearly his opponent failed to dispose of the ball properly but play on each time - bizarre.

JVR was trying to spill - yes, a bit clumsy but there was zero malice in that action and his fist was millimeters from the ball.

In the end happy with the 4 points and we move on. Having watched most of the Casey game hard to make a case for BBB or JS as tall forwards so not sure what the plan is if JVR is out. Spargo might be an inclusion and hopefully Hibbo is ready to roll again.

 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, AmDamDemon said:

The chat about how badly our forward line is functioning is giving me real 2021 nostalgia

Demonland at corresponding stage of 2021 and 2022 - our forward line is a joke, we are so boring, they need to attack, we can't rely on keeping the opposition to 65 points, stop kicking to the pockets, get the inside 50 kick problem worked out, try different set ups

Round 9 2023: the dees sit second on the ladder with the highest percentage of ANY team in the competition. And are a full 17% in front of everybody's love club, the supposedly rampant, ultra high scoring Pies DESPITE them winning one more game than us and having a very similar draw in terms of difficulty.

Demonland round 9 2023 - our forward line is a joke, they need to get a settled lineup, the situation is dire, BB and Tmac are cooked, the ball bounces out too easily, we get burned on transition

On 5/6/2023 at 10:02 PM, binman said:

Arguably the best ever full stop.

And I don't say that lightly.

Agree and I have been a supporter for 70 years now.And most consistent  ever,that I ‘ve ever seen in Demonland .

Edited May 8, 20232 yr by jayceebee31
Change - add a thought

I've been reading back over the thread and using it as cud to help digest my own thoughts (don't think about that analogy too much) and seen an odd similarity.

Exactly the same way that many of us on here are getting wound up tight because some flawed wins and some games slip hasn't met the expectation of being a truly dominant team, I think several of our players have been tripped up by trying to do great things or be heroes in the moment.

Flip back through most of the criticisms of poor decision-making on the field and almost all of them boil down to 'tried to be awesome when effective was what was needed'. Most obviously the over-ambitious kick-in at the end of the game and the preference for taking unlikely shots instead of getting the ball to players in better position.

I think Petracca, May and Fritsch in particular showed signs of feeling the pressure to be champions all the time.

57 minutes ago, binman said:

Demonland at corresponding stage of 2021 and 2022 - our forward line is a joke, we are so boring, they need to attack, we can't rely on keeping the opposition to 65 points, stop kicking to the pockets, get the inside 50 kick problem worked out, try different set ups

Round 9 2023: the dees sit second on the ladder with the highest percentage of ANY team in the competition. And are a full 17% in front of everybody's love club, the supposedly rampant, ultra high scoring Pies DESPITE them winning one more game than us and having a very similar draw in terms of difficulty.

Demonland round 9 2023 - our forward line is a joke, they need to get a settled lineup, the situation is dire, BB and Tmac are cooked, the ball bounces out too easily, we get burned on transition

At least on all occasions the club comes off with a good sense of humour with the number of 'jokes'.

Edited May 8, 20232 yr by layzie

Couple of random thoughts:

1. Disappointing how well GC were able to move the ball through the corridor at times.

2. Anderson was incredibly impressive especially in the third.

3. Fritsch makes our fwd line so much better/more dangerous. That he could hardly get a touch was a big factor in us only sneaking home.

4. Turner was the wrong match up for Casboult.

5. Pickett in the midfield is doing OK but needs to have much more impact.

6. Langdon had his worst game for Melbourne.

7. ANB was also virtually invisible.

8. Bailey Humphrey will be a real player. Brayshaw (?) had a lot of trouble with him late.

9. Defensively our midfield really struggled. Tracc seemed to be our biggest offender letting GC just waltz out of congestion?

 

 

I don't know what to make of our defending in transition at the moment. When GC were coming out of defence and kicking long to the wing/centre I was very confident if we were able to kill the contest and prevent it from going further in that moment because we could then obviously setup behind the balll even if GC regained possession from a spoil forward or possession at stoppage etc. 

I had almost no confidence as soon as that long kick spilled out to the back of the contest off hands and GC gathered. From that moment they would proceed to slice us through the middle and create a scoring chance or a decent entry. I just don't know what to make of this right now, is there a chance that without Petty down there we are playing a deeper line than we usually do? It just seems like there is much more space between centre and half back for the oppo to run into or create with. 

When GC were hot this happened time and time again, against Essendon this happened time and time again, as soon as that ball came off hands and went to the back of the contest they were off. 

8 minutes ago, dee-tox said:

Couple of random thoughts:

1. Disappointing how well GC were able to move the ball through the corridor at times.

2. Anderson was incredibly impressive especially in the third.

3. Fritsch makes our fwd line so much better/more dangerous. That he could hardly get a touch was a big factor in us only sneaking home.

4. Turner was the wrong match up for Casboult.

5. Pickett in the midfield is doing OK but needs to have much more impact.

6. Langdon had his worst game for Melbourne.

7. ANB was also virtually invisible.

8. Bailey Humphrey will be a real player. Brayshaw (?) had a lot of trouble with him late.

9. Defensively our midfield really struggled. Tracc seemed to be our biggest offender letting GC just waltz out of congestion?

 

 

Ask Yze on that one

On 5/7/2023 at 7:46 AM, Antioch said:

2.8 Ruckman who grabs the ball from a boundary line throw in or in a ruck contest. If a ruckman elects to grab the ball instead of hitting it and is tackled, then it will be an automatic free kick against that ruckman. He will not be given the benefit of prior opportunity. 
This happened to Chol tonight and no comment from the umpires or commentators, no free kick. Has the rule changed?

If the ball falls into his lap then he won’t get pinged, but if ruckman go out of their way to shark the throw-in, then by the letter of the law it’s htb.

https://www.afl.com.au/video/922095/afl-goal-of-the-year-round-eight?videoId=922095&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1683522000001

Round 8 GOTY… Vote for Chin!!!

3 hours ago, dee-tox said:

3. Fritsch makes our fwd line so much better/more dangerous. That he could hardly get a touch was a big factor in us only sneaking home.

4. Turner was the wrong match up for Casboult.

5. Pickett in the midfield is doing OK but needs to have much more impact.

6. Langdon had his worst game for Melbourne.

The problem with Frittas game was that he missed.

Langdon had a shocker.  I assume his pre game almond latte was off?

15 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I like potato cakes.....

wid salt and vinegar: a proof there's a God.

GC Suns just waltzed the ball out of their defensive 50, I was sitting in the south eastern 50 and it looked so easy.  we need to drop a tall and bring in Spargo or a small to help with forward 50 pressure.  You’re already a man down with Fritsch in there, Grundy/Gawn/Roo can rotate through there.
 

I also noticed that Gawny isn’t getting behind the ball to help out as much this year? I know our forward is a bit of a mess but him helping out behind the ball makes us look so much more settled defensively.

22 hours ago, JJR said:

do they think all the games we win is going to be convincing or something?

...Please name 1 team who's won all their games convincingly?

So maybe it's not realistic, but it would be nice if we did! 😉

I actually think our 2021 season was pretty close.  Bar a few games like the unfortunate loss to Collingwood and perhaps one or two others, I thought we we convincingly in control of most games.  Even though we only won alot of them with a winning margin of 20 - 30 points, we're generally so in control of those games that we always looked like we'd win and were close to unbeatable.

6 hours ago, Sydee said:

In the end happy with the 4 points and we move on. Having watched most of the Casey game hard to make a case for BBB or JS as tall forwards so not sure what the plan is if JVR is out. 

I agree re Brown. Thought Schache's intensity and effort was greater and would think he should be considered ahead of BBB. JS might make it but needs longer at Casey at this stage. If he stays fit and progressing he will be an interesting inclusion. 

On 5/6/2023 at 10:24 PM, leave it to deever said:

I don't even know what we are talking about but I think I once read that 9 out 10 people who back up their arguments with statistics are totally wrong at least 99% of the time.

Don't believe everything you read.

20 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

So maybe it's not realistic, but it would be nice if we did! 😉

I actually think our 2021 season was pretty close.  Bar a few games like the unfortunate loss to Collingwood and perhaps one or two others, I thought we we convincingly in control of most games.  Even though we only won alot of them with a winning margin of 20 - 30 points, we're generally so in control of those games that we always looked like we'd win and were close to unbeatable.

We're better than last season thats for sure. The only game in my opinion where we were flat out beaten was Essendon. Brisbane game we didn't show up until the last 11 minutes. We're close to 2021 this season but there's a different dynamic about us, the way we attack and move the ball. There's more [censored] about us if that makes sense 😂 

On 5/7/2023 at 9:53 PM, Roost it far said:

4 reasons to keep the faith

1. Our forward half is incredibly unsettled yet the highest scoring in the league.

2. We’ve won all 8 final quarters

3. We’ve got Salem, Spargo, Gawn, Lever, May and others all miss games so far. 

4. We’re second on the ladder with the highest %
 

 

4 reasons to run around in circles with flapping arms

1. We rely heavily on a few

2. Still look vulnerable 

3. Stephen May

4. There’s stiff competition in Collingwood, Brisbane and Geelong

I still think this was a reasonable win, not our best but I'm glad we are now the elite unit that has more composure than the opposition. Wanted this for years. 

@JJR bro...🤣

9 hours ago, Lou C. Fur said:

Don't believe everything you read.

Forfty percent of people know that!

6 minutes ago, layzie said:

Forfty percent of people know that!

But only 20% of that 40% follow the advise.

Edited May 8, 20232 yr by AzzKikA

Having just watched the replay I was shocked there were at least 4 holding the ball decisions that should have gone the way of Kozzie.

He really gets the raw end of the deal with the umps. Disgraceful.

Umpiring looked OK live but on review was terrible. Even if we were the beneficiary of some dubious ones late.

 

On 5/7/2023 at 7:46 AM, Antioch said:

2.8 Ruckman who grabs the ball from a boundary line throw in or in a ruck contest. If a ruckman elects to grab the ball instead of hitting it and is tackled, then it will be an automatic free kick against that ruckman. He will not be given the benefit of prior opportunity. 
This happened to Chol tonight and no comment from the umpires or commentators, no free kick. Has the rule changed?

Does the ruckman get a tap out stat and tap out to advantage stat when he takes the ball out of the air?