1 hour ago, Greendale said:

Im of the opinion that AJ's performance is being a bit overrated in this thread, and that his fumbles and errors were probably more significant than his pressure and physical presence, BUT, I think our forwardline is looking a lot better when we are putting a defensive focus on the oppositions best defenders like AJ does. Our forwardline and inside 50 quality has an issue for years, but if we can just turn that area of the ground into a messy, 50/50 scrap, then I think our elite backline and seemingly reinvigorated midfield can take us to victory against anyone.

Got a vague feeling you defeated your initial argument that AJ and his errors were more on the negative.

With marks and free kicks not being paid on all clubs forward lines, getting the ball to ground there is paramount.

4 hours ago, DeeBlood said:

Yep, it was always a feature top right hand corner of the front page of the Saturday Evening Pink Paper Sporting Globe Final Edition, along with the lowest score of the day, providing just that little bit of extra glory to "kick the sweep" when all games were played on Saturday arvo and the die-hards at the MCG stayed back to see the scores from the other games get posted up on the scoreboard so we could work out the team percentage before going home to watch the replay and buy the "Globe", read the match report, and then suck it all up again on Sunday Morning with World of Sport!!

That's when journos really earnt their money!!!

Anyone remember that ???

Half of Demonland, I suspect, DB*! 😄

(* Two letters themselves a part of that distant, simple, sporting yesteryear!)

6 hours ago, dees189227 said:

Also we had 10 different goal kickers yesterday. It's a good spread

This is a Chaplin forwardline. This is exactly the sort of spread we regularly had in 2018, and we're now starting to get a really unpredictable spread. This makes us harder to play against, and as Trac hinted, it's all off the back of defence and manic pressure.

5 hours ago, In Harmes Way said:

I wonder if Kossie is going to practice kicking barrels for goal after that effort in the 2nd that went at 45 degrees an OOB 😂

He's a beautiful, long kick. He obviously thought it was out of his range, but I'm not so sure. We've seen him flush them from there before.

5 hours ago, hardtack said:

And while we’re on the subject of possessions, where were these comments when Jeffo (who I like by the way), was getting next to no possessions and no scores to at least make his time on the field worthwhile? You NEVER had a bad word for him, yet he WAS failing badly as a key forward. Consistency please.

The comments weren't directed at Jeffo, they were directed at Goody. Of course.

3 hours ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

Whilst all three of those things have improved drastically since rd 1 our pressure had not even come close to that what Collingwood brings. Big test in two weeks.

Interested in why you say that. I’m only going on this weeks game as I feel we are a team on the improve whilst Collingwood isn’t going to get much better. I’ll take tackles as a sign of pressure .. Pies 90 had 89 ..Roos 82 ..Forward tackles Pies 20...Roos 10. Dees 89 tackles .Syd 82…forward tackles 20..Syd 9. What the Pies..Geelong even Bris have is system. They have had the nucleus & a big nucleus of their players together for a very long time & often it’s their system that gets them over the line. Still think it may be a step too far to hold this form all the way through to a GF ..hopefully..

3 hours ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

[censored] me,

No.1 job of a key fwd is to take contested marks and kick goals. Bringing the ball to ground is a distant second and is a bi product of not marking the bloody thing to begin with. We all love the way AJ goes about it but if he is to keep his spot based on purely that and a few deft taps we’re not serious. Play Turner fwd and if Petty has to spend some time in the ruck so be it. Turner has nailed some important set shots this season from difficult angles. Against better opposition our opportunities will be less, we need key fwds who can take their chances and nail set shots.

2025 says hi

17 hours ago, VoiceOfReason said:

We shouldve won by 20 goals. Good win. But [censored]. Very inaccurate. Cannot always be saved by class (Kozi). A byproduct of having a ruck man as forward coach in recent times - is that we convert with the accuracy of a ruck man.

Fun fact: both sides’ first goal was kicked by their ruckman. 😃

14 hours ago, Pennant St Dee said:

Trac’s goal from the Salem chip pass just on 50m to the Punt Rd end I think it was, was almost identical to the opening goal of the 2021GF

Those christians stick together

Haymes All The Goals.

Lengthy at last!

3 hours ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

Whilst all three of those things have improved drastically since rd 1 our pressure had not even come close to that what Collingwood brings.

I suspect from round 6 on that is categorically not true - our pressure has been off the charts in that period.

I suspect that from round 6-11 we would be top 3 or 4 in the AFL for pressure rating and pressure rating differential. And i think we are number one in that period for contested possession differential.

But feel free to post data that supports your assertion that 'our pressure had not even come close to that what Collingwood brings'.

AJ is our Darwin Nunez

2 hours ago, JTR said:

Sorry if already mentioned, but did anyone see McVee chucking up several times out on the ground, immediately after they came out for the 3rd quarter?

What were they doing down in the rooms?!

Poor fella was down on his haunches looking very unwell, but then just casually rejoined the huddle and got on with it

Not uncommon some players take in too much Gatorade during breaks and when they start moving again the body reacts

Can’t remember which quarter it was but definitely in the first half, when Langford had a chance to apply some tackling pressure around the F50. He missed a tackle only to see Sparrow fly through and perform the correct procedure.

I’ve really enjoyed watching Sparrow as a forward. He’s big, strong, desperate and can kick for goal.

Also, Chin. I just love him. He’s a self made man in the team. Done it the hard way and is now in the 1st dozen selected. To top it off, he’s the nicest human. He’s just a bloody legend.

The forward pressure by some of our less known players has really spiked this year, particularly recently.

5 minutes ago, JJJ said:

Can’t remember which quarter it was but definitely in the first half, when Langford had a chance to apply some tackling pressure around the F50. He missed a tackle only to see Sparrow fly through and perform the correct procedure.

I’ve really enjoyed watching Sparrow as a forward. He’s big, strong, desperate and can kick for goal.

Also, Chin. I just love him. He’s a self made man in the team. Done it the hard way and is now in the 1st dozen selected. To top it off, he’s the nicest human. He’s just a bloody legend.

The forward pressure by some of our less known players has really spiked this year, particularly recently.

Great post.

Sparrow deserves huge kudos for his last 6 or so weeks.

28 minutes ago, Stevienic23 said:

AJ is our Darwin Nunez

That would make Kozzy our Mo Salah.

2 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

That would make Kozzy our Mo Salah.

Watching Mo last night, I actually thought they'd make a great sprint off.

Firstly. We need to win against St.Kilda And that will not be easy. To underestimate Lyon is to lose.

If AJ can be selected for saints and then in the KB game, he will have had 4 weeks of being in the seniors, be so much fitter.

I just want to see him split a pies pack and for the Daicos brothers just to try and get out of his way, they are faster and more skilful but they offer no physicality in the game, Just my thoughts

I don’t care what it takes to keep Kozzie in red & blue, just do it. Heck, get him a private jet.

Petracca has YoPro, Kozzie can represent Gulfstream………….beat that Cotton On

I just want things to go very quiet on AJ, thanks very much. Do not bill any games up to be clashes of the heavies.

It's very early days yet . Each game at a time. The strength is made up of each component combined.

Melbourne v Sydney

10 Kysaiah Pickett (MELB)
7 Clayton Oliver (MELB)
6 Christian Salem (MELB)
4 Christian Petracca (MELB)
2 Max Gawn (MELB)
1 Ed Langdon (MELB)

You Love to see it.

21 minutes ago, roy11 said:

Melbourne v Sydney

10 Kysaiah Pickett (MELB)
7 Clayton Oliver (MELB)
6 Christian Salem (MELB)
4 Christian Petracca (MELB)
2 Max Gawn (MELB)
1 Ed Langdon (MELB)

You Love to see it.

I reckon Bowey deserved a vote instead of lingers (close call, lingers played well also)

1 hour ago, binman said:

2025 says hi

2 hours ago, binman said:

2025 says hi

A player can influence a game in many ways but to suggest that more importance is placed on bringing the ball to ground than contested marks or kicking goals for a key fwd is madness.

4 hours ago, speed demon said:

Loved Max rag-dolling Grundy to take it out of the ruck and snap truly. Perfect start and set the tone for the day.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/1790882/gawn-v-grundy-max-banks-early-win?videoId=1790882&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1748152740001

One of the many things I rate about the coach and the team is the respect at the end of the game from our team to opposition. Grundy left, but quite clearly didn’t burn any bridges. There was some ‘heavy’ traffic involving Grundy both ways. Yet I saw him pick up one player in play and Clarry giving him [censored] about the grey whiskers in his beard after the game was fun. It didn’t work but that the separation was graceful shows heaps of class.

2 hours ago, binman said:

I suspect from round 6 on that is categorically not true - our pressure has been off the charts in that period.

I suspect that from round 6-11 we would be top 3 or 4 in the AFL for pressure rating and pressure rating differential. And i think we are number one in that period for contested possession differential.

But feel free to post data that supports your assertion that 'our pressure had not even come close to that what Collingwood brings'.

Stats is your thing.

I’m purely going on what I’ve watched, and nothing we’ve produced comes close to that of Collingwood or the Dogs. Their pressure around the ball carrier has been relentless. Stats don’t take into account the quality of opposition and how certain teams can maintain their KPI whilst missing key personal through injury or in Collingwood’s case by at times resting players. We’ve got some big games remaining this season against Pies x 2, Crows at AAMI, Suns at Metricon, Carlton, Dogs & Hawks at the G so we will be tested.

Whilst it’s great we’re winning and evolving the way we play I believe we’re still a bit of the pace of some teams. I’d like to see us use the corridor more after we’re created a turnover.