All I want to see is communication, accountability, executing basic skills and players gut running into space to provide options.

The bare minimum to expect from a professional AFL side.

I’m not enthusiastic at all. I’m going to say Geelong by 51 points. Neale with 6 goals. Smith 42 touches and 2 goals.

  On 03/04/2025 at 22:11, BW511 said:

What are the odds of Kossie being a little over-enthusiastic and getting suspended again?

I can feel it happening

Just thought the same thing

  On 03/04/2025 at 22:06, JTR said:

Yeah they've didn't seem too fond of us either, though there was one very lippy Melbourne supporter who was trying to wind them up all game, and that didn't help our cause.

Was that you? 😛

Every chance!

  On 03/04/2025 at 20:57, Disco InTurno said:

Despite witnessing that GC beatdown last weekend, in the past 5 days I’ve somehow convinced myself that we might win this.

I am a delusional moron.

Sports are so dumb.

Go Dees.

It's the weekly Aussie Rules roller-coaster. I too am a delusional moron. We will win this.

The team feels unbalanced to me - too many small forwards, and I feel we are one small defender / wing, and one ruck / tall forward, short.

Going small up forward is fine if our midfielders can lower their eyes and hit a leading target, but more likely we continue to bomb away and allow the Geelong defenders to dominate.

Nevertheless hopefully we can see some progress towards a more competitive game plan.

  On 03/04/2025 at 21:54, JTR said:

Against better judgement I'll be heading down the highway, hoping for an improved performance.

Last time I was there was 2018 when Tuohy got the a goal after the siren for the win. Time before that was 186 😭

Same here. Its a long drive back down the highway :(

On a brighter note we flogged them in the 2018 elimination final.

  On 03/04/2025 at 21:54, JTR said:

Against better judgement I'll be heading down the highway, hoping for an improved performance.

Last time I was there was 2018 when Tuohy got the a goal after the siren for the win. Time before that was 186 😭

  On 03/04/2025 at 21:58, Ghostwriter said:

Maybe DON’T head down the highway 😅

On the contrary. The trend is your friend. The upwards trajectory suggests a win of around 180 points.

  On 03/04/2025 at 21:54, JTR said:

Against better judgement I'll be heading down the highway, hoping for an improved performance.

Last time I was there was 2018 when Tuohy got the a goal after the siren for the win. Time before that was 186 😭

Third time lucky?

  On 03/04/2025 at 22:19, picket fence said:

Just thought the same thing

Ditto

Gee I hope I never see this again

  On 03/04/2025 at 19:59, BDA said:

and stop fumbling and executing our skills like we're drunk

get it together

Go Dees

Know what you mean. Playing like the Woodstock Demons all love and the skill level and decision making of stoners.

Obviously hoping for a win but realistically don’t see it happening. Great to see Kozzy and Windsor back in to create a bit of excitement.

Be happy to not concede any “red time goals” or any goals that go coast to coast untouched by a Melbourne player. Just want to see some heart or at the very least a pulse. Play like Demons FFS!!!!!

Edited April 3Apr 3 by Dee Viney Intervention

  On 03/04/2025 at 21:54, JTR said:

Against better judgement I'll be heading down the highway, hoping for an improved performance.

Last time I was there was 2018 when Tuohy got the a goal after the siren for the win. Time before that was 186 😭

  On 03/04/2025 at 21:58, Ghostwriter said:

Maybe DON’T head down the highway 😅

JTR, have you considered driving backwards?

  On 03/04/2025 at 22:24, poita said:

The team feels unbalanced to me - too many small forwards, and I feel we are one small defender / wing, and one ruck / tall forward, short.

Going small up forward is fine if our midfielders can lower their eyes and hit a leading target, but more likely we continue to bomb away and allow the Geelong defenders to dominate.

Nevertheless hopefully we can see some progress towards a more competitive game plan.

Makes sense as we had two small defenders go out (Howes and Lindsay) and one come in (Windsor). Their smalls will be the worry.

Will be good to see Kozzy and Windsor back and hopefully the start of Spargo getting a clean run at it for a while.

We live in hope…

  On 03/04/2025 at 21:54, JTR said:

Against better judgement I'll be heading down the highway, hoping for an improved performance.

Last time I was there was 2018 when Tuohy got the a goal after the siren for the win. Time before that was 186 😭

I was there in 2018 with my daughter. Horrible night. As I recall it, OMac should have got a free for a block but it was Taxpayer Park so no chance.

Leaving the ground, the Geelong supporters were absolutely horrible - worse than Collingwood supporters. No magnanimity at all, just nasty. I have hated them ever since.

  On 03/04/2025 at 19:48, dees189227 said:

Kozzie owes us a big game & our forward line has to function.

  On 03/04/2025 at 22:11, BW511 said:

What are the odds of Kossie being a little over-enthusiastic and getting suspended again?

I can feel it happening

I feel for Koz. We expect his usual freakish feats but at the same time we expect him to rein in his enthusiasm. It’s a fine line he treads.

  On 03/04/2025 at 23:25, Ollie fan said:

I was there in 2018 with my daughter. Horrible night. As I recall it, OMac should have got a free for a block but it was Taxpayer Park so no chance.

Leaving the ground, the Geelong supporters were absolutely horrible - worse than Collingwood supporters. No magnanimity at all, just nasty. I have hated them ever since.

Yeah there was a punch on near where I was, which for memory made the news.

Cut it out this time @The Jackson FIX 😉


Edit - yep
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/wild-brawl-erupts-after-geelong-sinks-melbourne-after-the-siren-at-gmhba-stadium/news-story/d2e642ecc3f6a1a811a7667afb9b2751

Edited April 3Apr 3 by JTR
link

I wonder how the width of the cattery affects this game style requiring biting off accurate kicks?

If there is less space maybe we will see a bit more of the older game plan?

  On 03/04/2025 at 22:24, poita said:

The team feels unbalanced to me - too many small forwards, and I feel we are one small defender / wing, and one ruck / tall forward, short.

Going small up forward is fine if our midfielders can lower their eyes and hit a leading target, but more likely we continue to bomb away and allow the Geelong defenders to dominate.

Nevertheless hopefully we can see some progress towards a more competitive game plan.

Smalls need to be pushing higher up the ground to create pressure and leave some space to run into. Also having three plus tall forwards is fairly useless even when you bomb it in because you just end up with that many guys competing in the air so the ball hits the deck anyway. Two talls can do that just fine.

  On 03/04/2025 at 22:47, Kent said:

Gee I hope I never see this again

But thanks for letting us .......

Retro game:

  On 04/04/2025 at 00:37, Roger Mellie said:

Retro game:

Should have gone with the frosted tips and middle parts. Mullets weren't really a big thing in the late 90s

Heading to the game.

Highlight of the night I expect will be the McDonalds, KFC or Hungry Jacks on the drivr back home

  On 03/04/2025 at 22:47, Kent said:

Gee I hope I never see this again

At least we were accurate that day and were generally efficient going inside 50.

  On 04/04/2025 at 00:51, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Heading to the game.

Highlight of the night I expect will be the McDonalds, KFC or Hungry Jacks on the drivr back home

At least we were accurate that day and were generally efficient going inside 50.

I'd get at least back to Little River 😉

I am really confident our midfield will stand up at the stoppages tonight with Gawny, Trac and Oliver all on notice and they are all champions so in adversity I expect the cream to rise to the top. Hopefully with the addition of Pickett we easily hold sway in the middle, especially if one of Viney or Sparrow or Langdon are in there as well to ensure we have one negater in case they win the tap out or to cover when Danger does his Joel Selwood battering ram impersonation.

I am not so sure we have got the right set up in the forward half - I mean why do we have to play three small forwards each week - Kossie is the fourth this week, although he will play mainly in the middle.

Further to this I don't get why we keep bringing Spargo straight back in like he is a Charlie Curnow game changer. I mean Spargo is a clever player but he has barely played for two seasons because of his achilles issues and he missed much of the pre-season including missing both our practice games. Yet he is so crucial apparently that he does not need to become match-hardened via our VFL side. This is not meant to be a criticism of Spargo as he does have better vision than most of our players, but why, why, why can't he find form in the VFL and then come back in. If Goody and the match committee were so desperate to play small forwards then they could have gone with Lawrie, who is coming off a great VFL game and spent most of the pre-season with the main group.

Then there is baffling decision to not give Gawny a back-up in Tom Campbell. I went to a few pre-season training sessions and it was clear big Tom was more physical than Gawny and very capable of winning hitouts. Sure he's a meat and potatoes type ruckman and lacks Gawny's marking class, but after his practice game on Xerri against North, it was obvious he could perform that role at AFL level. And given the battering Gawny always cops, it made complete sense to use him as a safeguard before subbing him out at three quarter-time and injecting some pace or forward smarts with a Melky or even Lawrie. There may have been some doubt about TC's fitness after his hamstring awareness issue in the VFL last week, but if he plays tonight in the VFL, then clearly that's not a serious issue. Not to mention the fact that he should have played against Xerri in round 2. And he would be perfect against SDK and Blicavs because he'd ensure we at least win the hitouts all game and not have to ruck JVR against Blicavs. And he also brings an element of toughness to our game which is mega crucial down at Geelong where the natives do get a bit feral.

All of this sounds like a criticism of Goody, but as I said elsewhere, Goody is doing a super job this season with his opneness at media conferences and his sermons are approaching the Reverend status.

But ultimately, I am mega concerned that we missed the boat in rd 1 because Goody got excited with his new toys and decided to play six of them against GWS when three would have been well and truly enough. And he has persisted with his penchant for small forwards and yet our game plan invariably ends up being long panic kicks into the forward line.

Edited April 4Apr 4 by Deespicable