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Party-time for the Saints might be over: Play twice: Richmond, Geelong, Port Adelaide, West Coast, Sydney Play once away: Brisbane, GWS, Gold Coast Play a home game vs Adelaide in Cairns

No back to back interstate games. Only two long-haul flights (Perth and Alice). Good break between Alice and the next game then the bye. Only two top 8 sides: Cats, Bulldogs. Overall this is a good fixture in terms of difficulty and fatigue issues. No excuses next year.

Double ups: Hawks, Giants, Crows, Geelong, Bulldogs. Geelong and Bulldogs are the only 2020 finalists we play twice. This is a kind fixture.

I hate Friday night games; watching us get obliterated ruins the whole weekend. Sunday twilight games are the go. At least we get to enjoy a couple of days of foolishly naïve, care-free optimism before we get belted.

Good draw. More positives than negatives. Hard draw coming home but would rather that the other way. Get the win loss ledger in the right direction early and build from there. Looks like we have finally got the right outcome around our Alice and QB games. After the Alice game we will have a minimum 8 day break into QB. Then we have the bye after QB. Floating fixture allows for some decent timeslots if we are showing a bit. Also I see the Bombers have to play down at Geelong (first time in 28 years I believe). They are really on the nose these days. Nice.

So the double up games are against Geelong, Bulldogs, GWs, Hawthorn and Adelaide. Can't complain about that. 10 MCG home games including Geelong, Richmond, Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn and the Dogs (the other four are Fremantle, Sydney, GWS and Adelaide). Those six home games are a pretty good spread (no North or St Kilda) and we retain home game for ANZAC Eve and Queen's Birthday. On the flipside, one of only four clubs to not get a Thursday or Friday night game in the opening six rounds (the other three are Fremantle, Hawthorn and North Melbourne). We're clearly not attractive at the moment, but a solid start to the year will change that given the floating schedule. 12 MCG games altogether. Would like one or two more, but clearly we're not that attractive to be hosted by opposition sides. Away to Essendon - that means we're now on a 2-15 H-A streak against them. First game at the MCG vs Adelaide since 2016 and second since 2012. We haven't played Fremantle in Perth since 2015. Meanwhile we haven't avoided playing West Coast in Perth since 2015.

Hopefully by then most of the kitties will be getting around on zimmer frames.

I know its annoying play Geelong in Geelong in the last round, but imagine how sweet it would be to beat them down there. I welcome the opportunity to break their hearts and hopefully cost them a top 4 or finals spot.

This is the first time in years that I can’t come up with a criticism of the draw. Win 3 out of the first 6 and we’ll be in good nick for the season. Any better and we’ll be contenders. It’s up to us!

Death , taxes and Melbourne away at Geelong and West Coast

I was so excited that we wouldn’t have to go to Geelong finally... and then I read round 23. Every. Damn. Year. Happy to keep both our home game blockbusters that we missed out on last year. Overall not bad and I’m glad to have an easier run in the first half of the season. Good for confidence and memberships.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2021-tips-21-fearless-predictions-by-fox-footy-premiers-tips-ladder-collingwood-trade-news/news-story/514d529055e57e0ce3055528d18dcc04 9. Trent Rivers will be in All-Australian contention Zak Butters was the surprise All-Australian squad bolter in his second year — and Rivers could be in the mix for a similar feat in his second AFL season. When Rivers regained his place in Melbourne’s senior line-up late in 2020, he slotted in with aplomb, having between 14 and 16 disposals in each of his last six games. His composure across half-back will be well noticed, not only by Demons fans, but the All-Australian selection panel.

Importantly we haven't been shafted by the AFL in terms of the home games against Richmond and Collingwood. These are huge earners for the club, as the home side. Post covid ( let's hope it has been suppressed by then) it is important that we get back on our feet financially.

I think if we have to play at the cattery round 23 is probably the best time. Most likely they will have already stitched up a top 2 position and have nothing riding on the game, or hopefully their all-in for 2021 strategy has spectacularly backfired and they are imploding outside of the 8. Only issue with that could be it results in multiple retirements and they fire up for the last game of the likes of Selwood. At least Gablett and Taylor have already gone!

I’m pencilling us in for 17 wins and a top 4 finish. Drop games against Richmond, bulldogs (Marvel game win the return at the G), Geelong (last round), Port and West Coast. Get stuffed MFCSS.

Happy to be playing the Lions in Alice. Should have the majority of fans for us rather than the usual WA or SA clubs. Significant 'Home' ground advantage for us. No bye after this game but we play Coll on QB so it would give us at least an 8 day break for recovery.

Did someone say Big Pharma??

In addition to these, some other quirks: We still haven't played Essendon twice in a season since 2005. We still haven't played Brisbane twice in a season since 2013. We still haven't played GWS at Giants Stadium since 2014. We haven't played West Coast at the MCG since 2014. Our MCG home game against Adelaide ends a run of only 1 of our last 10 games against them being at the MCG Next year's home game against Carlton is our first since 2017 and only our second since 2011 (we are currently on a streak of 1-10 H-A). Next year is the first non-COVID year we haven't played St Kilda twice since 2014.

Young Trent Rivers plays like he has been around a number of years cool and composed taking on the game yet the kid has been in the system for one year and played only 9 games. Hard to believe. What a great pick up.

Geelong in Geelong.

It would be nice for once if we were entrenched in the 8, top 4 preferably prior to heading down the highway on the final round. Not many would handle that week leading into a must win for finals. Don’t mind our draw.

Good to see we get our 2 blockbusters as home games in 2021 given covid ruined the 2020 plans $$$

The Fixture favours us However the West Coast away in rounds 21 and Geelong at the Cattery in round 23 would be our hardest apponents for the home and away games. All in all looks good for us IMV. There should be no excuses for some early wins. I cannot remember the last time that we avoided a trip to Perth against the Eagles.

A mate of my dads famously said one time - “the only thing more certain is Death in Texas”. Fair to say he never lived that one down!! ?

It doesn't look like I'll make too much money this year as I normally bet against us. Well depending on the circumstances and odds. I'll pay for a win. If we can't make the finals this year with hopefully a fairly fit footbal club, they should look for another job. C'mon Melbourne start to believe in yourselves we've got a decent team. If we can put our best team on the park we should go ok next year.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/845785 If I read this correctly; if not for Covid and our projected revenue was realised then we would have made a profit of $15 million this year which is a fantastic result and augers well for the future. Well done Perty. I am not an accountant and if wrong someone will point it out, which they should do, but never the less it seems like some good news.

A good fixture for memberships: Generally, quality opponents for our Home games at the G incl our two blockbusters vs Richmond and Collingwood. Every chance there will be capacity restrictions at the G so time to buy memberships folks.

agreed NSFM - inspired choice from JT and Team, i bet that they could not believe that he was still available at our third pick, love this kid.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you said LF no excuses in 2021, this is our best draw in a long time and I am feeling a bit excited by it all. We are now looking at a possible15/7 or even 16/6 finish to the year, I don't want to be sweating on other teams losing just Dee's winning, winning, winning...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dead set facts of life: Taxes, Death, Roos V Dees @ Blundstone Eagles V Dees @ Optus Go Dees??

At first glance it looks ok to me. Slightly annoyed we have to schlep it down to Geelong again but this will change when we become a really good side and some other poor schmuck has to take our place.

Yep and we play well in Alice. Better there than Darwin

Yep spot on the money. I got to round 4 and saw us at home to geelong and felt relieved. Got to round 23 and then had to run to the dunny. I see that geelong has their last two games at geelong. This is typical. As usual they play us, north,saints and bulldogs down there like every other year with the surprise guest being essendon. I see us at 13 wins at best with hard last part of the season.

I thought this as well BBP, and I hope we can actually have a decent crowd to help the club coffers. Otherwise I'd hope the club is talking to the AFL + Rich/Coll to see if this draw can be offset to have one home game out of the two blockbusters per year.

Traveling ? should not be a factor after 2020 Jeelong might well be tired by Round 23

On very quick glance: Very good that we keep out home game block busters V's Richmond and Collingwood. 7 interstate trips despite giving up Darwin. North again at Hobart (is there a contract in place that we must play them there) Punishing last 6 or 7 weeks - Port, GC, West Coast and Geelong all on the road from round 17- round 23. Tough double up against Geelong and potentially GWS and Bulldogs if they're any chop next year.

Geelong at Geelong final round

This is just not a very smart post. If Goody gets the sack next year it means we will have failed. That puts us back in rebuild territory as you can guarantee players like Oliver, Petracca and Jackson will be looking to move on. The happy outcome would be for Goody to prove most wrong and turn out to be a master premiership winning coach. That is unless it's more important for you to be proved right than us getting success.

There’s no evidence to say that 5G didn’t cause Farmer’s height gain

Next year is a win/win situation. We either play finals or Goody gets the sack. I’ll happily take either outcome.

If we get smashed it won't be an overreaction.... It's solid top 4 or bust next season.

Australia is not rolling out the vaccine until March.You need 70% of the population vaccinated. It's a 2 jab process where immunity is given around 15 days after the second jab. Simple maths tells you that the vaccines will not be effective to reach heard immunity until around August at the earliest. By the way they do work and the safety tests have been enormous. As of today over one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine has been given for example. Was reading a fascinating stats paper the other day by a US statistician. Assuming herd immunity is achieved at 70% of the population and no vaccine the US would take 5 years at its present rate of infection to achieve herd immunity. With a vaccine take up rate of 40% it takes 15 months. Jump that take up rate to 60% and you get there in 6 months. Please take the vaccine and get your friends to take it as well. Otherwise 2022 won't be much better.

Just so you know why I said that... the official AFL website continues to deliver

No reason not to be 8-2 at round 10. Indeed if we are improving we should be 9-1

We should be well in the positive for wins at the half way point of the season. After round 6 we should be 4-2, and after round 10 should be 7-3. Tough run at the end with lots of travel, but not a bad draw and no excuses for not playing finals in 2021.

None in the first block, but lots of FTA. We are also the home team for both of our blockbusters, too. Not such a bad fixture, so far!

He would cope with the chop out in the ruck role, but to me he is no wingman, certainly not in the traditional sense. If he is to play a very high half forward role, as a marking player, who has good endurance, that is different. He is certainly no fast outside mid. All that said, I have a feeling that if he can stay injury free, he can get back to his best form. He is certainly looking in better shape than last year already. The fact that there was not much interest in him and that he now has a family, will be a big spur to him.

Summer threads

Any person who gets onto an AFL list and gets to play senior footy deserves respect - OMac included. He has achieved more than most. Good luck to him.