MELBOURNE

2023: 4th (16-7, 125.2%) and lost semi-final

Montagna: “They’ve only been outside the top four for a total of two weeks in three seasons. So, this is a really consistent, reliable and strong football team. I know everyone harps on the straight-sets exits, but there’s some factors there … Yes, we understand they lacked composure and weren’t able to finish their work. But I’m not jumping off Melbourne. I still think they’re in the right age demographic and are defensively so strong in the contest. Even their offence, they were sixth in the competition in points for — they averaged 90 points a game. Collingwood averaged 93, so it’s not like this team can’t score. They’ve just been let down by their ball movement and entries going inside 50. But I like the adjustments — I like (Harrison) Petty playing forward and (Shane) McAdam, (Jack) Billings adds a bit of class. I still think they’re really strong. We don’t talk enough about assistant coaches — Andrew McQualter coming across from Richmond to add a little bit of offence and ball movement … I’m certainly sticking with them this year.”

King: “I just think there’s too many self-inflicted wounds through one off-season and the stress of everything going on around the edges. You start wasting too much time on things outside of football. You stress the football club, not just these players, and it permeates through the group. I don’t think this list is as deep as what it was last year. They’ve allowed players to leave that weren’t probably in their best 20 players, but somewhere between 20 and 30. Guys like (James) Harmes, (James) Jordon, (Brodie) Grundy (move clubs) and (Michael) Hibberd retires. There’s a little changing of the guard with that next rung of (players), which puts more stress on those senior players to lead the way. I just think the stress on the football club will have an impact.”

Predicted finish

King: Just missing finals

Montagna: Top four

Hudson: Top four

Just a 🐝’s Richard from putting Carlton away with their purported ‘premium forwards’ with a misfiring bottom six forward six. As Leigh rightly says ‘two weeks out of the top four in three seasons’. Bring it on.

Great to see David King writing us off. Positive signs for the season ahead.

Wow. I usually find King quite interesting to listen too, but the scenario he paints here is pathetic 

We gave Harmsey the “See ya Later” and that is perceived as catastrophic 

20 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Wow. I usually find King quite interesting to listen too, but the scenario he paints here is pathetic 

We gave Harmsey the “See ya Later” and that is perceived as catastrophic 

Agree. One might think that losing Grundy, Harmes & Jordon is balanced out somewhat with the acquisitions of Billings, McAdam & Fullarton. It would seem likely that Billings and McAdam at least will be best 18 if fit. Harmes and JJ were not.

King's the one who should submit to out-of-season testing.

32 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

King's the one who should submit to out-of-season testing.

I thought I read on here a few weeks ago he was saying we'd do well?

Don't sleep on the dees and all that.

And now he has us missing the 8?

52 minutes ago, binman said:

I thought I read on here a few weeks ago he was saying we'd do well?

Don't sleep on the dees and all that.

And now he has us missing the 8?

He's a weathervane suffering a severe bout of recency bias.

Tonight King and his iPad were glowing of Melbourne. Maybe you should’ve gone to more than one training session David?

You could tell it in his voice that Kingy was already regretting his tip of the Dees to miss the 8.

Silly, silly boy David.

Back to champion data you go.

Well done Leigh and Huddo.

Edited February 28, 20241 yr by YesitwasaWin4theAges

52 minutes ago, Demonland said:

it's almost like - shock! horror! - football is pretty unpredictable at the pointy end