27 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

They got themselves up for the 100th anniversary of the club. 100 greats of the club in attendance with presentations beforehand etc

This week will just be a regular game against a team they haven't beaten since 2018

And should stack up against an aggressive Hawthorn

5 minutes ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Love to see AJ on Sicily. Would be a great ding dong battle. He loves a scrap.

Edited May 5May 5 by Demon Dynasty

5 minutes ago, Demon Dynasty said:

.

Edited May 5May 5 by Demon Dynasty

Looking fwd to this weeks game, after 3 wins in a row we get a test against a contender, if we can at least be competitive then I think it shows we should continue to persist with the current group a while longer, if we go back to the round 2-5 output then it’s time to move on from some of the older players and bring in the kids and find out what we have because this group is done

Edited May 5May 5 by Garbo

42 minutes ago, Demon Dynasty said:

100%

AJ's finishing skills may not be AFL level but his intensity, second efforts and attack on ball / ball carrier plus pressure, in the air and at ground level, is a fair way ahead of JVR and a mile ahead of Jeffo at this point.

I have no preference for Johnson who has more aggression but is short for key position, or Jefferson who has more skill and an extra inch. It's a toss of a coin as to which one would do better this week, and that difference is not going to decide the game. We are not going to win a flag this year and we need to get games into Jefferson at some time.

50 minutes ago, Garbo said:

Looking fwd to this weeks game, after 3 wins in a row we get a test against a contender, if we can at least be competitive then I think it shows we should continue to persist with the current group a while longer, if we go back to the round 2-5 output then it’s time to move on from some of the older players and bring in the kids and find out what we have because this group is done

Yep. This is a real pendulum game, to see exactly where we are at…

For me it's a must win game. Pressure over 200, run and carry, kick straight for goal, get it done Dee's.

8 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Hawks are gettable this week 😁

They may be 3rd on the ladder but they've played 6 of the bottom 8 teams, winning 5. Their other win was GWS, 8th on the ladder.

They lost convincingly to Port; 12th. Their second loss was to Geel; 7th.

Their great %'age is due to big wins over Rich and WCE.

You can only beat who you play but that record doesn't say roaring success/finals contender to me.

Dees by 7 pts in a nail biter!

Need more emojis

Strangely I do think we're in this game.

It'll be a game more even than even I suspect.

We're not far off training wheels, they're flying .

I can see we're sorta getting somewhere but it's not cemented in.

Might be a very pivotal moment of our season.

Go us

I rewatched the 2024 game (we kicked 5 goals to nil in the first term), a couple of things stood out. We were playing nearly the same style as this year, we were playing with a lot of confidence, our skills looked slick and we just pantsed them. Watson also missed his first 4 shots on goal. Also Lever was proppy from the start and May got clobbered - which means I don't give up hope that our defence can hold together for this week.

Anyway what stood out - we are obviously a confidence team, in many ways I have been guilty of thinking we were past the need for 'confidence'. But if there was a single thread to pull on, it is not game style or our list but confidence. This is super frustrating, because I think our list is better than 2024, Lindsay and Langford are such upgrades on Billings and Hunter etc. But I really back our ability to bring pressure, we are a top 4 side at pressure when we are on.

3 hours ago, stinga said:

Jefferson only had a short go then injured. We have to bring him on and now seems like an opportune time. If they do then leave him in for at least4 games to see how he goes. At least he has size and can hang on to a mark.

He's had two games back at Casey and done less than squat. I don't mind the notion of giving him a go, but not on the back of those performances.

Feels like a strange thing to say after a good win in the West, but it is going to be a hard night at selection for the Hawks game.

Petty out will make getting the team balance for the game difficult because he is a very versatile player who, while he has been playing forward in the last few games can also swing back and be very effective. Playing as a forward he also backed max up in the ruck.

There is also a few unknows with the form of a couple of mall forwards/midfield and availability of Oliver.

....and then there is the question of the opposition, Hawthorn.

Firstly, my take on Hawthorn. Entertaining but brittle team that is playing in a bubble of hype and confidence. A thin veneer of quality. I will make a bookmark prediction here, we will finish the H&A season above the Hawks on the ladder and they will not make the finals.

This is the game where we show them up.

I would go with the same defence structure and players that we had last week. May and Tmac as the main talls with McVee, Bowey, Salem and Windsor at their feet as support/run. Rivers to rotate back there as required and Turner to drop back a a tall option in case of emergency.

Midfield has a good quality rotation for the wing positions with Lindsay, Langdon, Langford, Sparrow and even Chandler has been taking a turn there. Viney to run with Newcombe but it might not be a hard tagging role. Petracca to be on the ball a majority of the time. I would have Oliver back in the team if he is good to go in the judgement of the coaching team. Rivers, Pickett, Sparrow and Langford to rotate through there.

Max rucking but who to cover for him? that is a question also rolled up in the forward structure.

The forward 50 is always going to be an interesting riddle from round to round. Turner, Fristch, Chandler and Melksham are in there without a doubt. The second tall is a tossup between, JVR, AJ and Jefferson. With the bye in the VFL last weekend the exposed form of the three is a couple of weeks old. JVR kicked 5 and AJ 3. I would go with AJ as he has a physical presence that JVR does not show at this stage of his career. He also can back up in the ruck. That would give us AJ and Turner as the taller options, Fristch and Melksham as mediums and Spargo, Chandler and Pickett as smalls. Sparrow, Petracca, Langdon and Langford as possible rotations forward.

I would like to see Tholstrup have a run at Casey this week with a view to him working on his positioning and consistency. Sharp back to Casey to get a full game.

I think that leaves one place in the 23 open. With no game at Casey last week except for a scratch match, it is hard to look at promotion. Laurie seems to have been in form as well as Sestan. Brown? Woewodin? Culley? I think we need to have a look at these guys as the opportunity presents.

I would like to see Sestan get a run in the team as sub.

So, the team...

B: McVee, May, Salem.

HB: Bowey, TMac, Windsor

C: Langdon, Viney, Lindsay

HF: Melksham, AJ, Sparrow

F: Fristch, Turner, Pickett

FOL: Gawn, Petracca, Oliver

IC: Spargo, Langford, Rivers, Chandler.

Sub: Sestan

WTF is Hok ball?

(I do not read responses to rhetorical questions)

3 hours ago, Demon Dynasty said:

100%

AJ's finishing skills may not be AFL level but his intensity, second efforts and attack on ball / ball carrier plus pressure, in the air and at ground level, is a fair way ahead of JVR and a mile ahead of Jeffo at this point.

Whilst endeavour and second efforts are great, we need players who can convert and are good kicks

Just wondering if anyone else reckons the umps seem to be off with their not 15 calls. Especially v Eagles?

4 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Excellent test this Saturday

Can we play 4 Quarters of pressure football?

We can beat Hawthorn if we are mentally ready for them, so much has changed since we last played them at the ‘g

Great post for reflection.

11 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

Just wondering if anyone else reckons the umps seem to be off with their not 15 calls. Especially v Eagles?

I’ve noticed all season they only pay 20m+ marks

must have been to directive to speed up play

10 hours ago, old dee said:

Oh please not JVR on the back of one good game against a terrible Richmond outfit. I know we need height but the guy messes up our forward line play. He seldom takes a mark against a good opponent. If he is in I hope they play him as a decoy drawing a good defender away from the action.

Apropos of this comment, which I agree with, I noted @binman disputed my assessment in the preview for last week's game that JVR was a liability based on the official data. I haven't had much time but I quickly compiled a comparison between 3 key forwards at about the same stage in their career.

Here are some relevant aggregates. They are averages after 46 games for Player A, 44 for Player B (a few years ago), and 30 games for Player C (contemporary of Player A). They are all of the same age (when the averages were calculated) and all were recruited low in the draft as key position forwards. Two of the three play(ed) for MFC.

They tell the story I think. Only one with be a superstar of the game.

I am sure you will be able to put names to the three players.

Edited May 5May 5 by William
duplicate pictures

For those saying JVR vs AJ, whilst I like AJs attack on the footy and the man, IMV, he's been a liability in the ruck every time he's been in there this year.

JVR is actually a very reasonable second ruck, and to.compete with AJ on the scoreboard, all he probably needs to do is kick a goal.

So it's JVR in for Petty.

It'll be interesting to see what happens to Clarry, but I'd be happy to keep the same midfield mix again this week.

my kids have never seen us lose to the Hawks. i sure as hell don't want to see that change on Saturday

Come to think of it 2 of my favourite Dees wins of all time have been against Hawthorn.

The 2018 semi was a fantastic night at the G. One of the best ever

The other was the win in 2016 when Dom Tyson played a starring role. It was one of our first wins against quality opposition under Roos. I really felt we had finally turned a corner that day.

Anyways, I hate the Hawks and hate to see them doing well at the moment (even though they play a very exciting brand of footy)

I think JVR should be played back, and Turner forward. Potentially swap them if things go pear shaped.

JVR over AJ. AJ is too messy at AFL level and goes missing for long periods. Only depth in my opinion so far.

19 hours ago, old dee said:

Jack I never mentioned Oliver!

So sorry OLD.

JVR for Petty

Their attack is small and nimble. May or TMac should easily account for Chol which means I think we cover them pretty well. Our mids should beat there's or at worst break even. That leaves our forwards, Turner and JVR to kick a 6 between them, Max to kick 2 and the Dee's to win by 21.

I almost want to beat them more than I want to beat Collingwood. I think they're pretenders and very beatable.

Edited May 5May 5 by Roost it far

12 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

Just wondering if anyone else reckons the umps seem to be off with their not 15 calls. Especially v Eagles?

They have been all season. They murdered us with these calls in our Geelong game. Geelong’s first goal came from a call that a kick to May that was clearly 20m was play on and Kozzie marked on a lead at a crucial point in the third quarter to be called play on despite it being 25m easy. Kills the game. And then there was the Lever to Viney kick in the last quarter of the GWS game…

Edited May 5May 5 by deejammin'

11 hours ago, BDA said:

my kids have never seen us lose to the Hawks. i sure as hell don't want to see that change on Saturday

Come to think of it 2 of my favourite Dees wins of all time have been against Hawthorn.

The 2018 semi was a fantastic night at the G. One of the best ever

The other was the win in 2016 when Dom Tyson played a starring role. It was one of our first wins against quality opposition under Roos. I really felt we had finally turned a corner that day.

Anyways, I hate the Hawks and hate to see them doing well at the moment (even though they play a very exciting brand of footy)

I'll never forget that night at the G - and same, here one of the best wins I have ever seen.

Turner starts forward, Howes comes in as a key defender.

34 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

JVR for Petty

Their attack is small and nimble. May or TMac should easily account for Chol which means I think we cover them pretty well. Our mids should beat there's or at worst break even. That leaves our forwards, Turner and JVR to kick a 6 between them, Max to kick 2 and the Dee's to win by 21.

I almost want to beat them more than I want to beat Collingwood. I think they're pretenders and very beatable.

I agree. They play an appealing brand of footy, but they haven't really been tested by any quality sides this year, and have been beaten when the pressure has been applied. We just need to come out at 200 pressure and hold. They will fold, and we continue the streak.

Can't stand the team or its supporters. Would love to beat them, but also because this will be a solid turning point win, 4-5 ahead and within sight of the 8 - with our tails up - essentially mirroring what they did last year. Just got to play with belief and keep the pressure up, and take chances.