Leaderboard

Dudes. I was at Optus tonight. Every single moment was amazing. We totally outplayed them bar some moments in the 2nd quarter. That third quarter and the start of the last was total domination. By the point we came off the game was over regardless. I am on top of the world right now. Go you mighty Dees. We came here to do a job and we did it. Dees!!!!

I never watch TV games until I know the result, due to the stress. Checked the score, we were miles in front and I thought here we go, nice watch the last 15 minutes of live footy. Won't be doing that again, Jesus Christ.

Good [censored] on you Alex Neal Bullen. Best on Ground in your 100th game. You deserve this!

Bowey.mp4

❤

Bowey what a player, shame about the holding the ball, not a concern tho. He's a player.

The thing that I hear a lot from people that (wilfully or not) don’t understand the impact racism can have on people, is things like ‘it’s just words’ or ‘their overreacting’ or ‘it’s just a joke’. I still see comments on social media or hear people that I work with that say these excuses. At times I’ve been called a ‘white maggot’ by indigenous people. This has absolutely no effect on me as it is just a name and just words. There’s no history of my whiteness being genocided because of being white, no history of my parents/grandparents being taken away from their families because they were white, refused jobs because of being white, being viewed suspiciously, enslaved because of being white, my culture and language being purposefully erased by the state because for being white etc. etc. etc. There is no inter-generational trauma I face because of my skin colour. The same is very different for indigenous people. For indigenous people, being called a racial slur is hundreds of years of trauma, vilification, genocide and being assumed to be ‘sub human’ which is solely based on skin colour/culture. It’s not a joke, it’s not just words, indigenous people aren’t being too ‘sensitive’, these slurs are bringing up all of that history of being thought of as sub-human which is massively alienating and hurtful. It is something white guys like me will, never, ever understand or actually be made to feel like this. It’s alien to us as in racial terms, we have always been ‘normal’ (I.e. white) Australians. Once you realise the weight of this, there is no possible way you could dismiss this as being anything other than an incredibly hurtful, cruel and hateful thing to do. In my younger days I was too scared to speak up about casual racist remarks. But now I think it’s the very least that I can do to not accept racism in any form. It’s not funny, they aren’t jokes and they aren’t ‘just words’.

Well, we won the lightning Premiership

Here we go again with the vandenBerg myths. "Professional free kicks"? He [censored] gave West Coast a goal with a ridiculous push in the back when the ball was going over the boundary line. Nothing "professional" about it, it was moronic. Unfortunately he doesn't appear to have improved that aspect of his game. Meanwhile he was only on the ground for 50% of the game but had 6 clangers, our second-most. He doesn't add anywhere near enough to our side to offset his mistakes and what are blatantly unprofessional free kicks. It's insane that he gets praise for that sort of game. If Viney did the same thing he'd be pilloried.

Take a bow Jake. Clean, good disposal, brave, good decision maker and knows how to find the ball. Another JT special. This kid is really exciting.

Nah I've got zero time for this attitude. An unprecedented 30 minute break when we have the game entirely under control, in hostile territory, forcing West Coast to change their entire attitude, after a week in quarantine, off the back of a day last weekend on a plane. This is a win to savour, not to complain about.

Ask them if they think maxy should have got a free late in the last quarter when i think Darling (maybe Kennedy?) shoved him full force in the back with two hands and marked it. It drives me nuts how few frees maxy gets. Every game he is blocked, scragged, hit in the head, shoved in he back and yet barely gets any frees. And then my head explodes when they pull one out of their posterior agianst him. Like the free nick Nat got for too high in a ruck contest. Technically there, but please, pay that and pay max 25 frees a game for being wrestled out of ruck contests.

But we didn't lose to the Giants, Bombers or Saints this weekend did we? We actually won, against a team vying for finals, on their home deck, after quarantine for a week, in ridiculous circumstances with the lightning delay and the umps willing them home. Were we perfect? No. But we [censored] WON!!!!

Oh and how about that gather and turn from bowey to clear the ball from d50, Taylor has unearthed another gem i reckon.

Me trying to have some water and calm down so I can go to sleep

Every game this round frees about equal. 28-16 Eagles way. The last 15 minutes 10-2. Well done Dees you beat 21. Great effort Dees, back on top.

I was at the game last night with my wife and two kids (5 and 7)...a very late night for them but well worth it. A few observations without listening to radio commentary or watching the replay (yet): - The control we gained in the 3rd quarter was our brand and was reminiscent of our 1st half of the year. West Coast could not penetrate their forward line and were constantly held up off half back. We choked them - The last 15 minutes we lost our ability to win ground ball and clearances. Whilst this is a concern we had done enough to get over the line...still something to learn from. Natanui beat Gawn in this period and all up I believe that Jackson produced a better rucking game the Gawn - Bowey is a real find as are our other kids - Jackson, Rivers, Kossie, Jordon...all had very good games. Pickett was maybe a little quiet but some very important moments - Nibbler played a blinder - Ben Brown is the key forward we have been looking for - outstanding workrate It was an excellent performance. The umpiring was very poor and that clearly assisted West Coast with their late run. Fingers crossed for Hunty. We are well placed to go really deep in September. We should fear no team

My favourite stat from tonight, aside from the scoreboard, was working out that Luke Jackson is still just 19 years old. Freak.

I thought we were in trouble early without another tall target, because Brown was marking everything, but up the ground. He had little to kick to. We needed a bit more chaos and wet weather football going to exploit their weakness at ground level. Once we got chaos and the ball on the deck, our forward half game looked really dangerous. There's still a bit to tidy up around stoppages. Wowee, Kozzy was poor. Zero tackles and that Yeo clearance at the start of the 2nd or 3rd was woefully defended. You could see it coming a mile away. The very next centre bounce, Harmes set up perfectly to defend. I don't think Kozzy was in there again after that. Some really big positives in the game though... Brown continues to develop in our system. Bowey looks great and will be better for that turnover that cost us a goal. He'll learn. His ball use and pace is brilliant and if Hunt is out, we've got a ready made replacement that we can use there and bring Hibberd back. Aside from an early turn over, I thought Harmes played just about his best game for the year. Again, as soon as Viney comes out, he just looks like a different player to me. They can't get in each other's way if Viney isn't playing. #playvineyforward ANB in his 100th was incredible. I can't remember him making an error and his pressure and ball use was super. Well done, Alex. Clarry. That's all. Max seemed to have better connection with his mids tonight. Not a heap of hit outs to advantage, but those he got were pure and we got some good looks from centre bounce. Petty's first three quarters were really solid. I think he was outmarked once by Kennedy in that time. In the last quarter after the resumption, he was outmarked a few times. A young player though whose focus may have drifted and to be fair, they were having to defend repeat entries. I thought the Melksham selection was a very good one. It helped that Hurn went down, because it meant Melksham could play essentially a negating role on McGovern. He gave away a few free kicks doing this, but McGovern didn't have his usual influence and he kicked his two goals. I'd be tempted to drop Fritsch for McDonald next week. I thought his game was horrible and how Vanders gets a game I'll never know. Other than that, I'll take the 4 points and run. We owe Adelaide a smashing next week....

Where’s Dr D(rivel), the Oracle of Dross, the Demon Doomsayer, he who reverentially refers to himself in the third person, firing his scattergun of prophetic excrement all over the forum walls with narcissistic pleasure? Check your very well-researched ladder predictor, Drivel. No vindication for you after all. Try again next year. Or, better still, don’t.

Chill all….

How on earth could anyone pot Ben Brown's game. He was fantastic. Easily in our best 5 players. Not better than my boy Nibbler though

Luke Jackson is a genuine star, his performance was off the charts!! And Alex Neal Bullen, best game he has played in a Melbourne jumper, take a bow or ten!!! Up the Mighty Demons!!!!!!!!!

That analogy makes literally no sense. You can't win the war if you don't win the battles. You might as well have said I wanted to get to the summit. Bur not climb tbe mountain. Fair dinkum. Afteer all the hidings the dees have copped in Perth by the Eagles, what sort of supporter looks to diminish a win like that.

[censored] fantastic win with everything against us - location, Covid, fired up opposition, umps, lightning -thats the win that galvanises the team for the flag. Bring it on -try to stop us!

Good: - Bowey (my goodness he’s already special) - ANB in game 100 - Jackson Rising Star - Brown being the dominant target and holding marks - Melksham playing his role - Team effort overall Bad: - Goal kicking (will cost us a final) - Umpiring - Players not being smart enough to know umpires are hot on them - Lightning - West Coast supporters - Brian Taylor

Thanks for the heart attack. Every minute of that break and what happened after was stressful to the max. Likelihood of me sleeping properly now: zero. Hell yes though. Back on top and now can’t get knocked out of the 4. Very happy.

Please can Freo finally do the right thing and knock them off next week!

I would rather forgo not going to a final in person than play a Home final against Geelong at Geelong. Empty MCG every day of the week or Tasmania.

Very unlikely to be syndesmosis given he came back on for a bit. Its inherent instability kills weight-bearing dead from the git-go….usually. So can’t rule it out. If an uncomplicated lateral ‘sprain’ (means tear), he’ll come up for finals but would miss the last two games. (3-4 weeks).

Returning the favour from us yesterday. Now let us give each other a knowing nod and never speak of it again.

People need to watch Eddie Betts on 360 tonight. See the hurt these flogs do each and every time they open their idiotic mouths without engaging their Neanderthal brains. As sad as it is I’m glad I’m white. I don’t know how the indigenous people put up with and stand up this, I’m not sure I would have the ability to continually turn the cheek.

I can't believe I'm saying this but ... ANB stiff! Thought he had an absolute blinder

I’d play Jones before VDB every day of the week

He made a great debut last week and an even better one this week.

No, umpire actually called play on when Spargo looked to his right. One of several pathetic decisions favouring the Eagles.

Because this week he was excellent and last week he was awful?

Can’t stand the Weagles. 1990s roids-machine wasn’t endearing, nor was the meth coke era (although ‘88 elim final was ok - thanks Andy Lovell and Gazza!). 2018 prelim experience didn’t help, especially spending $3k to get deaf in their whiz bang stadium and endure ‘Eagle Rock’ on a loop post game on the loudspeaker with large, uncoordinated shorts-wearing fans dancing and shaking their hips with glee, guts spilling out, singing along out of tune in between chanting, “MCG, MCG, MCG”! Umps don’t help. A cool 28-16 tonight, 10-2 to close out the game. So predictable. Always playing them in Perth doesn’t help. 8 out of our last 10 games against them have been played in Perth. How ridiculous. What elite sporting league in the world has such a fixture lacking in so much integrity and fairness year on year? The last time we played WCE at the MCG was in 2014. 2014 for god’s sake. And don’t get me started on the number of times we’ve had to play Geelong in Geelong, versus other teams, over the years. The sad irony is - for us Victorian-based fans - we’ll most likely have to win the flag at bloody Optus Stadium this year. At least it won’t have to be against the Weagles. They’re done.

I just love the way BBB marks the ball. He is just clunking them now. Octopus arms. He seems to grab them in positions that it doesnt seem like hell get to it....like its an OzKick ball. Finding form at the right time.

Makes me laugh to think that if he has a quiet one next week, there’ll be those calling for him to be dropped. Nibbler would be one of the first 10 selected every week. Unquestionably. Nobody does what he does across 4 quarters. Ain’t always pretty, but it is always valued by those who matter.

Honestly, that will never happen again in football history. All that happened was the Eagles got a free hit. Up until then we absolutely controlled the game. I couldn’t be prouder of our club. We’ve had a horrible 9 days and responded with 2 wins. The boys should feel so good about what they’ve achieved. We kept at it, and just grinded. That’s what good teams do.

At the ground last night after the full time siren you would think the handful of Dees fans would be a little disappointed with the umpiring performance. No, it was the Eagles fans en masse leaning over the fence and hurling abuse at the umpires. One of the most disgusting supporter groups in the country. Make Essendon supporters look half decent after that effort.

Just quietly I thought James Jordon came in and played a very important role. The extra run he was able to provide certainly helped. I hope he stays in next week.

Notching up our 15th win tonight means this is the best winning season we've had in 31 years. Even better then 2018, 2000 and 1998. Phenomenal effort really. Simon Goodwin and the rest of the staff, take a bow.

James Harmes take a bow. How you can pull that game out after the past five I'll never know. But fantastic that you did!

How good was that spin out of traffic at pace in the last qtr and found a teammate

The finish was crazy. Before that though, a lot to like. How good were our youth: Jackson, Bowey, Rivers, Jordon all played really great games. Brown was so good early, helped us get the early lead and gave us a chop out repeatedly. ANB's forward pressure was immense and he got 2 goals to go with it. Thought Langdon's first half was back to his best but the game wasn't down his wing enough after half time. Harmes improved on last week, Melksham stood up when needed too. Backline was good without being amazing and we still only conceded 18 scoring shots. Still want TMac straight back into the forward line to make sure we have two marking options, particularly when Fritsch struggles like he did tonight. And I'm not going to comment on vandenBerg's silly free kicks against. Hope Hunt's injury isn't too bad, but we've gone into Perth with no Viney, no Tomlinson, no TMac, Hunt off in the first quarter, then a crazy half hour lightning break in the fourth quarter with West Coast's season on the line, and we've come away with the win which locks in top 4. It's huge. I'm happy.

Guys. We're finishing in the top 4 no matter what. YOU [censored] BEAUTY!

Jesus we almost Melbourned that.