Jump to content

Matthew Lloyd Worried About the Dees in 2024

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

10 hours ago, 3183 Dee said:

Even though we made Top 4 the last 2 years

One of the commentators must have said this 3 or 4 times in the tigers game.

Did my head in.

Its not untrue I guess, but we made top 4 in the last THREE seasons.

For pete's sake, in 2021 we finished the home and away season on top of the ladder and won the bloody flag. Third in 2022 and 4th last year. 

Not having a shot at you 3183 (i am at the commentator, and Barlow who didn't correct him once), but it is a pretty relevant ommisoon if used as a factor in how we are assessed. 

Yes we have gone out in straight sets in the last two finals, but three top 4s in succession and a flag is impressive by any measure surely.

Edited by binman

  • Quote
    • Like 8
    • Clap 2
     
    2 minutes ago, binman said:

    One of the commentators must have said this 3 or 4 times in the tigers game.

    Did my head in.

    Its not untrue I guess, but we made top 4 in the last THREE seasons.

    For pete's sake, in 2021 we finished the home and away season on top of the ladder and won the bloody flag. Third in 2022 and 4th last year. 

    Not having a shot at you 3183 (i am at the commentator, and Barlow who didn't correct him once), but it is a pretty relevant error if used as a factor in how we are assessed. 

    Yes we have gone out in straight sets in the last two finals, but three top 4s in succession and a flag is impressive by any measure surely.

    That’s a fair point - Top 4 in the past 3 seasons is some achievement. I guess I was highlighting the fact I haven’t been convinced over the past couple of years - I get that the ladder doesn’t lie - but I don’t quite believe this team at the moment.

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    8 hours ago, Gator said:

    He says Melbourne were ''shown up in the finals''.  

    That is patent nonsense.  They dominated Carlton in most of the general play, but didn't close the door and lost by 2 points.  They won most metrics, i.e. clearances, contested possessions, etc.

    They had 69 inside 50s to Collingwood's 37.  They had 8 more scoring shots and they also dominated contested possessions, contested marks, marks inside 50, clearances, etc., before managing to lose by 7 points.

    It's obviously infuriating to lose two games we should have won, but we certainly weren't ''shown up''.

    Not having either Petty or van Rooyen for both games also didn't help, but naturally that gets overlooked.

    Indeed.

    Shown up? Please. 

    In addition to not having petty and jvr, we didnt have melk available 

    Melk not only would have negated  the pies and blues intercept strengths, as one of our best kicks  surely would have made a better fist of his scoring opportunities than some of his teammates.

    And of course losing Gus for all but 7 mins of the pies game, and the clear psychological impact of that incident on the team for a good quater and a half, was another huge factor.

    How would have the pies gone  without Mihocek, Elliot and Johnson (I know mcstay was out, bur so was tmac and brown)?

    Edited by binman

  • Quote
    • Like 6
     
    4 hours ago, DeeZee said:

    The only thing that worries me , in basic terms, is that we have had a disconnect or lack of fluidity in our forward line for two seasons now , which cost us two finals series while deep in the premiership window ,and it’s yet to be seen if this issue will be resolved.

    That won’t be answered until the end of the season around Round24 or during the Finals. I also think some folks are short on memory. 2022 was the niggling injuries to a fair percentage of our troops resulting in fitness issues playing out the last half. 

    2023 undoubtedly was our injuries to forwards and our failure to take our chances primarily in connectivity and accuracy. 

    Now for 2024 to change that we need a good season with medium to low injuries especially our key and star forwards and that bit of luck that seems to go with all AFL premiership winners. 

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    8 minutes ago, 3183 Dee said:

    That’s a fair point - Top 4 in the past 3 seasons is some achievement. I guess I was highlighting the fact I haven’t been convinced over the past couple of years - I get that the ladder doesn’t lie - but I don’t quite believe this team at the moment.

    Well, it would appear you are not Robinson Caruso. 

    Personally I am a big believer in facts and form. And on both, only the pies could claim to have better form in the last three years. 

    Does that mean we will make top 4 again this year?

    No of course not.

    But to be honest the facts mount a much stronger case we will make top 4 than the vibes of supporters who have endured so much heartache that we won't. 

    On that point, is it hyperbole to suggest the last dees squad as consistently successfull as this was the early to mid 60s?

    Perhaps collectively we are conditioned to expect failure?

    I wonder if fans of the San Francisco 49ers, on the back of mutiple heartbreaks, assume their team will fall away next season? I suspect not.

  • Quote
    • Like 2

    19 minutes ago, 3183 Dee said:

    That’s a fair point - Top 4 in the past 3 seasons is some achievement. I guess I was highlighting the fact I haven’t been convinced over the past couple of years - I get that the ladder doesn’t lie - but I don’t quite believe this team at the moment.

    So I guess you’ll only

    be convinced if we finish top at the end of the season & then go onto win the flag 🤔

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    prior to this last three years, no one born before 1962 has seen the dees finish top 4 at the end of the home and away season in three consecutive 

    like everyone, i want to 'bank' this successful era with another flag (or four)

    but to at least see us being consistently competitive is a far cry of anything we've witnessed over the last 60 or so years

    Edited by whatwhat say what

  • Quote
    • Like 6
    41 minutes ago, binman said:

    One of the commentators must have said this 3 or 4 times in the tigers game.

    Did my head in.

    Its not untrue I guess, but we made top 4 in the last THREE seasons.

    For pete's sake, in 2021 we finished the home and away season on top of the ladder and won the bloody flag. Third in 2022 and 4th last year. 

    Not having a shot at you 3183 (i am at the commentator, and Barlow who didn't correct him once), but it is a pretty relevant error if used as a factor in how we are assessed. 

    Yes we have gone out in straight sets in the last two finals, but three top 4s in succession and a flag is impressive by any measure surely.

    The only reason it’s not seen this way is because the list we have needs at least one more flag. Until we get it we’ll be seen as underachieving, it’s that simple.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
     
    22 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

    The only reason it’s not seen this way is because the list we have needs at least one more flag. Until we get it we’ll be seen as underachieving, it’s that simple.

    Well, that's different discussion to whether we will go backwards this year.  

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    There were several of us calling out the warning signs some time ago. The media are now jumping on board, and it's hard not to. There is little about our present situation that bodes well, leaving the usual apologists quick to point out our 3 consecutive top 4 finishes.

    They were nice, but are ultimately irrelevant to this year, especially when the bottom has fallen out of the list depth-wise and we had the worst cultural offseason we've had since pre-Roos. 

    There are certainly several things to be concerned about, whether you like Lloyd or agree with him or not. 

    I respect Binman's analysis, but the length of his posts has direct predictive correlation to our fortunes. The worse things look, the longer his posts get. There were some particularly lengthy ones in Sunday's post match thread, and I have a feeling we're going to be reading some even longer ones before this year is up. 

    I have tickets and am flying up, but I think round zero in Sydney could actually be pretty nasty. Could very well set the tone for the year. 

    Edited by fr_ap

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Clap 2
    • Sad 1
    1 hour ago, binman said:

    Well, it would appear you are not Robinson Caruso. 

     

    Is this a combination between Robinson Crusoe and the great Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso?

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Haha 4
    • Clap 1
    10 minutes ago, dee-tox said:

    Robinson Crusoe

    Not forgetting his faithful sidekick, Binman Friday.  :D

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Haha 3

    I think this year could get ugly. Signs there for a bit.

    I’ll be interested to see what happens with membership numbers given the last 2 years, off season goings on, and the economy.

     

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    7 hours ago, Gator said:

    He says Melbourne were ''shown up in the finals''.  

    That is patent nonsense.  They dominated Carlton in most of the general play, but didn't close the door and lost by 2 points.  They won most metrics, i.e. clearances, contested possessions, etc.

    They had 69 inside 50s to Collingwood's 37.  They had 8 more scoring shots and they also dominated contested possessions, contested marks, marks inside 50, clearances, etc., before managing to lose by 7 points.

    It's obviously infuriating to lose two games we should have won, but we certainly weren't ''shown up''.

    Not having either Petty or van Rooyen for both games also didn't help, but naturally that gets overlooked.

    We were shown up  

    September does not lie

    Incredibly wasteful in the forward line

    we should have won both games but failed. 
    I am concerned the Senior Coach has no back up plan, against good opponents. 
     

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Haha 2
    • Clap 1

    7 hours ago, Gator said:

    He says Melbourne were ''shown up in the finals''.  

    That is patent nonsense.  They dominated Carlton in most of the general play, but didn't close the door and lost by 2 points.  They won most metrics, i.e. clearances, contested possessions, etc.

    They had 69 inside 50s to Collingwood's 37.  They had 8 more scoring shots and they also dominated contested possessions, contested marks, marks inside 50, clearances, etc., before managing to lose by 7 points.

    It's obviously infuriating to lose two games we should have won, but we certainly weren't ''shown up''.

    Not having either Petty or van Rooyen for both games also didn't help, but naturally that gets overlooked.

    You sound like The English Cricket Side 

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Haha 3
    9 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

    mebbe if we'd been beaten by 100s of points that'd be true

    Winning Margins are irrelevant in September 

    Coulda Shoulda didn’t 

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Clap 1
    3 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

    Winning Margins are irrelevant in September 

    Coulda Shoulda didn’t 

    it's not like we're claiming a moral victory after the 8th worst test loss of all time

  • Quote
    • Haha 3

    2 hours ago, fr_ap said:

    There were several of us calling out the warning signs some time ago. The media are now jumping on board, and it's hard not to. There is little about our present situation that bodes well, leaving the usual apologists quick to point out our 3 consecutive top 4 finishes.

    Geez and no one heard you??? Maybe you and your several others should bang on about it endlessly… oh wait, you already have. Us apologists might need to be told a million times rather than the measly 500,000 you’re currently inflicting on us.

  • Quote
    2 hours ago, fr_ap said:

    I respect Binman's analysis, but the length of his posts has direct predictive correlation to our fortunes. The worse things look, the longer his posts get. There were some particularly lengthy ones in Sunday's post match thread, and I have a feeling we're going to be reading some even longer ones before this year is up. 

    Rude and unnecessary 

  • Quote

    So they end with,
    - “ if they play close to their best football, they’ll be right up there.

    - Oh yeah.”

    As I’ve said before, I think that a lot of these commentators have some sort of recency bias. A lot of them have grown up in an era where Melbourne did not dominate. Even a lot of supporters are reticent to see signs of good team play. 
    One-day, they will be correct in their predictions.

    But not this year.

  • Quote
    • Like 4
     
    2 hours ago, fr_ap said:

    I have tickets and am flying up, but I think round zero in Sydney could actually be pretty nasty. Could very well set the tone for the year. 

    Here’s an idea… don’t go.

    Why subject yourself to what you think will be nasty?

    The last thing our team needs now is a bunch of sooks masquerading as fans. 

  • Quote

     

     

    10 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

    Rude and unnecessary 

    Righto Karen.
     

  • Quote
    • Clap 1
    • Shocked 1

    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

    • FEATURE: 1925

      A hundred years ago today, on 2 May 1925, Melbourne kicked off the new season with a 47 point victory over St Kilda to take top place on the VFL ladder after the opening round of the new season.  Top place was a relatively unknown position for the team then known as the “Fuchsias.” They had finished last in 1923 and rose by only one place in the following year although the final home and away round heralded a promise of things to come when they surprised the eventual premiers Essendon. That victory set the stage for more improvement and it came rapidly. In this series, I will tell the story of how the 1925 season unfolded for the Melbourne Football Club and how it made the VFL finals for the first time in a decade on the way to the ultimate triumph a year later.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREVIEW: West Coast

      Saturday’s election night game in Perth between the West Coast Eagles and Melbourne represents 18th vs 15th which makes it a tough decision as to which party to favour. The Eagles have yet to break the ice under their new coach in Andrew McQualter who is the second understudy in a row to confront Demon Coach Simon Goodwin who was also winless until a fortnight ago. On that basis, many punters might be considering to go with the donkey vote but I’ve been assigned with the task of helping readers to come to a considered opinion on this matter of vital importance across the nation. It was almost a year ago that I wrote a preview here of the Demons’ away game against the Eagles (under the name William from Waalitj because it was Indigenous Round).  I issued a warning that it was a danger game, based on my local knowledge that the home team were no longer easybeats and that they possessed a wunderkind generational player in Harley Reid who was capable of producing stellar performances playing among men a decade and more older than he.  At the time, the Eagles already had two wins off the back of a couple of the young man’s masterclasses and they had recently given the Bombers a scare straight after their Anzac Day blockbuster draw against the then reigning premiers.

      • 1 reply
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 08

      Round 08 of the 2025 AFL Season kicks off on Thursday with a must-win game for the Bombers to stay in touch with the top eight, while the struggling Roos seek a morale-boosting upset. Friday sees the Saints desperate for a win as well if they are to stay in finals contention and their opponents the Dockers will be eager to crack in to the Top 8 with a win on the road. Saturday kicks off with a pivotal clash for both sides asthe Bulldogs look to solidify their top-eight spot, while Port seeks to shake their pretender tag. Then the Crows will be looking to steady their topsy turvy season against a resurgent Blues looking to make it 4 wins on the trot. On Election Night a Blockbuster will see the ladder-leading Pies take on the Cats, who are keen to bounce back after a narrow loss. On Sunday the Sydney Derby promises fireworks as the Giants aim to cement their top-eight status, while the Swans fight to keep their season alive. The Hawks, celebrating their centenary, will be looking to easily account for the Tigers who are desperate to halt their slide. The Round concludes on Sunday Night with a top end of the table QClash with significant ladder implications; both Queensland teams are in scintillating form. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons?

      • 72 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: West Coast

      The Demons hit the road in Round 8, heading to Perth to face the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium. With momentum building, the Dees will be aiming for a third straight victory to keep their season revival on course. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Like
      • 558 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Richmond

      The fans who turned up to the MCG for Melbourne’s Anzac Day Eve clash against Richmond would have been disappointed if they turned up to see a great spectacle. As much as this was a night for the 71,635 in attendance to commemorate heroes of the nation’s past wars, it was also a time for the Melbourne Football Club to consolidate upon its first win after a horrific start to the 2025 season. On this basis, despite the fact that it was an uninspiring and dour struggle for most of its 100 minutes, the night will be one for the fans to remember. They certainly got value out of the pre match activity honouring those who fought for their country. The MCG and the lights of the city as backdrop was made for nights such as these and, in my view, we received a more inspirational ceremony of Anzac culture than others both here and elsewhere around the country. 

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Richmond

      The match up of teams competing in our great Aussie game at its second highest level is a rarity for a work day Thursday morning but the blustery conditions that met the players at a windswept Casey Fields was something far more commonplace.They turned the opening stanza between the Casey Demons and a somewhat depleted Richmond VFL into a mess of fumbling unforced errors, spilt marks and wasted opportunities for both sides but they did set up a significant win for the home team which is exactly what transpired on this Anzac Day round opener. Casey opened up strong against the breeze with the first goal to Aidan Johnson, the Tigers quickly responded and the game degenerated into a defensive slog and the teams were level when the first siren sounded.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All