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What a great season Clarry has had, one of the best and most consistent players i have seen in my 50 years following the club. Congrats Clayton

Played an amazing game last night, setup the match winner, and now...

Goodwin mentions us all the time in his pressers. I think the current group get what it’s about. Players and coaches come and go, but the supporters are the ones that are here through all the peaks and troughs. Christian Petracca was in high school when we were getting pummeled by 30 goals in Geelong. Kozi Pickett and Luke Jackson weren’t born yet when Troy Simmonds got shirtfronted by Michael Long and teenage Brad Green got punched in the throat by Dean Wallis while being held by the current Richmond coach. They don’t have any of those memories. We have all of them. And we place our trust in the group to make positive memories for us, because we have absolutely no power to affect the outcome. We’re totally at their mercy. The team and coach say they can’t wait to be playing in front of crowds again. If this group goes all the way, they’ll be cemented in our hearts, and they know it. They’re aware of why they’re there. They’re doing it for us.

Stuck to the 9pm curfew nicely.

Refrained from posting on any of the threads during the game, because I knew it was all negative. So, I just want to say this: Every poster on this site loves the Club. It’s an unconditional love. It’s hard at times, because it’s been torture at times. There have been some highs, but a lot of heartbreak. We have been the office jokes. The [censored] takes. We have endured the sneers. We’ve copped a lot of crap. However, 57 years of hurt and ridicule just got put to bed. There is a still a job to do. However, as Tracc said post game, “this is for the Melbourne supporters who have been embarrassed to wear the logo”. If that doesn’t send a tingle down your spine, I don’t know that you are human. Its the proudest moment in my lifetime as a supporter. I am full of hope of what we can achieve in this finals series. We can trust this group. We can be proud of this group. They love the Club like we love the Club. It is indeed a Grand Old Flag

Today was a hard day for a lot of people all over Victoria. I know it was for me. I had to turn the game off at half time for the sake of my mental health. I’m glad my dad kept watching and urged me to turn it back on in the last quarter. This has to be one of the best wins I’ve ever witnessed as a Melbourne supporter. The pure joy of doing it over Geelong is just that much better.

I watched the entire thing from the beach in portugal, people thought I was mad when I suddenly started screaming and crying. That was the greatest moment in the last 50 years of our club’s history. One to remember forever. Now let’s win the flag!!!!

For Lever to not panic and bomb it in but instead pin point the kick to Gawn, just shows what a calm operator he is. A genuine leader.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG, DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMOOONNNLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD

From Big Footy, 21 pages of grief - - Our fortress is now a sandcastle. - I don't even have any analysis to give for what I just watched. I just feel deflated. - The lack of attacking intent in the final quarter is an utter embarrassment to the football club. Can take losing on the siren or being overrun in the last quarter but the refusal to try and score to put the game to bed was cringeworthy. - Bye-bye Rhys. - What a terrible morale boost going into finals, choking a 44 point lead, losing 3 out of 4 qtrs and demonstrating that we have no clue what to do in a close game with minutes left on the clock. We had players back, so how the hell was Gawn basically able to mark uncontested when he was their biggest threat in the f50 at that time? Our achilles heel yet again is dominant ruckman, Gawn killed us in the 2nd half. - How the fu** do you leave Max Gawn almost completely unmarked 15 metres out directly in front with 30 seconds left on the clock?!!??!! - That was the most pathetic, weak effort of the year. A complete and utter disgrace. - The cats completely [censored] the bed. To lose 2 of the last 3 at GEELONG tells you all you need to know about this team. We’re not up to it. I hope I’m wrong, but I won’t be. Losing tonight wouldn’t have worried me; but losing like this is not acceptable. DISGRACE. - you know each year when you have that moment where you think "we cant win the flag" ? yeah..I just had that moment. - This is literally the worst timing I’ve ever seen to have such a deflating loss like that. - Lever and Gawn murdered us. Too arrogant and lazy that last quarter. Did everything we could not to win it - I dont care what anyone says or thinks about that performance, we played 1 good quarter and stopped completely after thinking our sh*t didnt stink at half time, this is an area we are renowned for, mental fragility and dissappearing players, Rohan was absolutely woeful tonight and gave away free after free trying to take mark of the year and Atkins was just as bad, no awareness, constant chipping backwards when you have guys ahead of the ball, no brains, its this sh*t that makes supporters lose their ******* minds, i for one wont buy into the "oh we put the cue in the rack" [censored], we were thumped by a far better side apart from 10 good minutes. - Biggest choke since Greg Norman at the 1996 US Masters. Heck, Chuck Norris wouldn't have been able to find half our players who were missing in action that last quarter. Pissweak. Better come out swinging next week against those Port flogs. - Gawn played one of the all-time great individual quarters. - Dads army cooked by the end of the year again, we need more oldies for next year. - Port will beat us unfortunately.... to have a home crowd will be such a huge advantage. - Their midfield is miles better than ours. - If thats how you finish the home and away...game over. - Dangerfield had zero touches in the last quarter. When he goes cold, he gets hypothermia. - Some important things to consider. 1. Melbourne had a full fit list, we have some very crucial important players out such as tuohy Duncan Stewart. Would the game have been different if we had them? 2. The Melbourne midfield is a genuine superstar engine room, ours is not. This will potentially be a huge problem. It simply lost us the game in the end. - Clayton Oliver has been superb both times we've played them this year; he annoys me - probably only because he is so good - but right now in 2021 he is one of the best mids going around. Gawn's last quarter was match-winning. - Petracca and Oliver are superstars. Guthrie and Dangerfield have been just as dominant. You also have to take into account Smith and Menegola's form line since the bye. - We lost this game because we have an old side who are feeling it. This is why we did so well last year with a shortened year and quarters. We would have played in another grand final had the season repeated. But the season does not go for 21 weeks, it goes 26 weeks and that is why Scott has a 40% finals record. - I'm honestly pretty surprised by how good they've become, even though I've begrudgingly rated Oliver and Petracca for a while. They can play better than tonight, too; Fritsch, McDonald, young Luke Jackson; they have some weapons; Pickett is a major pain in the [censored] too. They'll take some beating. - They are young as well. Average age of their best 22 is 24.7 years. Only one player over the age of 30 and he's not even in their best 22 anymore (Hibberd). lol, it's no wonder they could have played out another quarter had there been one tonight. Demons have an ominous feel about them. If they don't win it this year, they will have another good crack it over the next few years. - Two key things happened. 1. Melbourne got on top in clearances/possessions big time. 2. When we started to get a bit of the ball we didn't really try to score. - Oliver is the kind of player you can build a great team around. He's a monster, absolutely relentless. He shows what we really lack in the younger players on our list. - Incredible effort by Melbourne. We didn't lose that game, they won it. In the first quarter they had us. We did well to stand toe to toe. The 10 minutes of scoring in the 2nd was nice. People spoke about how professional Geelong were in coming back against st Kilda. Well we weren't playing a top two team like Melbourne were. Thier effort around each contest was frenetic for the whole game. The exact sort of stuff we struggle with. Port do the same thing but not to that intensity. It's going to be an interesting finals. - Missed the game but if I was a Dee I'd take a lot from the game. Coming into the finals knowing we gave a major competitor 6+ goals start and overran them on their home ground would give them a real boost in confidence. Had a gander at the stats, seems Cameron didn't do a lot. - Despite what many on here have said, Melbourne were the better team all night. They were inaccurate early on, and then some sheer brilliance from Paddy, Sel and Stanley, for a 15 minute period in the second, took us 39 points up at half time. If we had of played that frenetic way all night, then absolutely we would have been kicking ourselves for losing. As it stands, we played that way for 15 minutes, and the rest of the time we played conservatively.

Scrolling through this thread and the Demons Twittersphere has been a genuine pleasure. I wondered if I was alone in tearing up (only a few, I'm saving them yet) as max celebrated but from what I've read there were many locked down households shedding a tear tonight. Amazing what sport can do. Whilst I don't think the result actually mattered that much (could absolutely be wrong), the manner of the comeback, the fact it was Max having botched it before, and the memory of Tuohy in 2018 (still the most painful loss I can recall. I cannot forget it) was an amazing confluence of events that pushed me over the edge. If we achieve nothing else from here on in, I'm so pleased as Dees fans we were able to have that moment. Despite what the Blues, Bombers, Saints and Tigers (pre '17) fans may claim re. Lack of success, no other supporter base has been through what we have. From the years of beltings to the rays of light being crushed (Jim, Jesse, Jurrah the most notable), to dysfunctional management to all-time worst coaches to bizarre sponsor fiascos, to having no respect in the office, the schoolyard or at the dinner table, it's a miracle we're alive (and now, more than kicking) In my 30 years I've watched other fans enjoy these moments, enjoy these years of success. It never seemed to eventuate for us but it did tonight and it has this year so far. Enormously cathartic. Whilst we don't get to have the 'home QF', the crowd, the fanfare of what (hopefully) is to come, I feel lucky to have enjoyed this season when so many Dees fans no longer with us waited and waited for these days never to come. Doing this without my dad, brother and sister locked down in various parts around the state, or without the swell of Dees fans we all so enjoyed in 2018, is not the way I pictured it. But I'm going to enjoy being the minor premier and at the pointy end of the finals as much as I can. It may never come around again.

Also won the Lou Richard's medal on Channel 9's Sunday Footy Show. You're a genuine star Clarry.

I'm still dirty on Guthrie for giving it to Max when he missed a goal after the siren to win the match in Round 1, 2018 Guthrie - Round 1 (2018) Guthrie - Round 23 (2021) Sweet Revenge for Max 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

He is the polar opposite. Never makes excuses, never shifts blame, never tries to deflect. He should get more praise for this attitude, particularly as it so patently exposes Scott’s tendency to smug entitlement. Goody acts like his players are entitled to nothing other than respect for effort, which he gives them in spades. Also, he always thinks first and foremost about the supporters. Us.

I’m not sure how you grade ‘elite’. I reckon winning what will end up being most ‘best player in the AFL’ awards this year is elite by definition. If he’s NOT elite, then the AFL doesn’t have anyone who is, surely.

"These curfews are rough Clarry, can't even do the things I love like touch the ball"

I loved how the the Karma turned around so completely in 37 minutes of footy. I hope port belt them next week.

You've just gotta love this.

The list of narratives is endless. Guthrie, the guy that pasted Max after that Rd 1 2018 miss was the man who kicked it out on the full. You just couldn't make this up..

Also, just watched the last 2 minutes for the, what, 20th time? Well done to the trainer who leapt over the fence and into the seats to retrieve the ball after the 50m penalty was paid. They were lightning (don't mention the lightning!) fast. Seriously, that could have been a crucial 5-10 seconds longer for Geelong to set up if this person wasn't so on the ball and dedicated to getting the ball back ASAP.

Not really having a crack at Stanley. Maxy juggled the ball a bit, any player could have at least bumped him. Hawkins is a huge unit and he was doing FA in that play. I hate Hawkins so I blame him. Honestly it could be the beginning of the end of this Cats era and it’s all Tom Hawkins fault.

I reckon Tom Sparrow deserves a shout out after some of the commentary on here over the last couple of weeks. He played a massive game.

It’s one thing to come back from 44 points down in hostile territory. It’s another to do it against one of the better and more experienced sides in the competition with a goal after the siren to win the minor premiership. But nothing, absolutely nothing, beats the sweet sweet delicious salty tears of Chris Scott. Beating those arrogant scumbags is just the best.

The greatest Melbourne win I've ever seen, given the stakes and the opposition, and frankly the venue. My sister and dad called me directly after the game and I was crying, and we were screaming. I woke up Ed, but what a good luck charm he's been. 23 weeks old. There's no way I'm getting to sleep tonight. Oh and the fact Trac's name is uttered in the same sentence as Oliver is a joke. He's not even in the same league. If Oliver adds goals to his game, he'll be the best player in the league, simple as that. I can't remember a better game from a Melbourne player in such a high stakes affair.

Look out for Hawkins when Max takes the mark. A great sight.

Wasn’t he the bloke who had the ball in his hand with 34 seconds to go?? What a choke that narrow ground in Geelong can get to you though 😂😂

I'm completely spent, I can barely write this at the moment but reading everyone else's comments has been a joy! If that isn't the best win I've seen from this club it is right up there. We just did not miss a beat in that last quarter and were all over them in contested possessions. Guys, I'm really stuffed! Might chat with you more tomorrow. Wowee. They said today in the Hawthorn and Richmond game those two sides had won 8 out of the last 11 flags or something like that but I would never trade my experience with this footy club for anything else. Supporting this club is better than anything. Love you all, this is what we do it for.

That win will be chiselled into Melbourne FC folklore.

Randomly just getting all the feels for Steven May. He currently is third on the list of most games by current players who are yet to play in a final, with 168. Next week he gets to come off that list.

To all demons fans living in Adelaide who can get along, barrack hard and get our team over the line and yell extra loudly for all of us that can't be there

What made it all the more staggering was that a clearly more deliberate one wasn’t paid against Selwood about 20 seconds earlier. That’s the joy of rules that require the umpire to read the players’ minds. Doesn’t matter though. No free against Brayshaw -> no shanked kick by Guthrie -> no needless punch in to the stands -> no 50 to Lever -> no Gawn mark with 10s to go. All the decisions, good and bad, got us to arguably our favourite MFC moment of all time for those of us too young to see ‘64. Well umpired, umpires!

Just watched the last two minutes again (possibly a couple of times). Gawn signalled to Lever, “put it there”. The kick from Lever was an absolute ripper. Couldn’t have put it more in the right spot.

Scott took Dangerfield and Selwood off late in the last qtr. (I'm guessing to keep them fresh for next week as he said in his press conf he would have liked the pre-finals bye). It backfired. With 5 minutes to go they were both stuck on the bench. The ball was in our fwd line and I was yelling to keep the ball away from the i/change bench. Not sure when they got back on but they couldn't stop our momentum. It looked like Scott had packed up, preserved his 'stars' and readying for next week to be the 'Home' team. Instead they face Port in their cauldron!! Own goal!

Utter delirium and mayhem in the home last night. 8 year old daughter jumping up and down like a lunatic, screaming at the TV, finger raised repeatedly (not in salute but vicious derision), shouting, “Suck that, Geelong. Suck it!” 11 year old running laps of the living room, swearing and hyperventilating (she’s still traumatised by other Kardinia Park experiences which can not be named), wondering if what she saw was real. Never have I been more proud of such feral behaviour. So, anyway, how does one who lives in the lockdown capital (Melb) of Australia get oneself to Perth in September?!

That is all.

Clayton Oliver is surely the best midfielder this club has ever had After getting smashed in the second quarter he absolutely set the standard for us to pull that back in the last quarter What a superstar

As far as i'm concerned, the more support we have the better

... and this individual success has all been driven by a personal decision by Clarry to be a better 'team player'. It is so good to see.

Clarry is truly one of our greatest. His contested ball winning is the best I have ever seen. Best midfielder since Robbie Flower. He’s now a genuine A grader. No doubt. If he can fix up his disposal and keep kicking goals like last night, he will become elite. Sensational 2021 and deserves all the awards going around. Love to see him win the Brownlow.

Same Issac Smith that turned us down last year to head down to that [censored] F**k him.

unfortunately, I live in Geelong. I had a million texts and messages at the end of the game. they were all gracious in defeat and complimentary. It made me hate the even more

I’ve only ever seen one better win by Melbourne than this win tonight. That was the last game in ‘64.

Can we nominate Traeger Park for our home final? We tend to play well there, it would be a great way to celebrate our work with the community and we could potentially earn the $800k we lost earlier this year from the NT Government.

That was my best football moment since the last home & away game, Western Oval, 1987.

My WhatsApp group all went to bed at half time. Sat downstairs on my own and thought ‘here we go again’. Burst into tears when the siren went. No one to celebrate with but I cried happy tears. So proud ❤️💙

Dear lord. What was that. Let's be clear: we were the better side for all bar 20 minutes. Geelong played 20 perfect minutes of football and I thought we were going to lose top spot because of just 20 minutes. But the better team won. I'm sure there will be some on here who will say we over-reacted to that win but IMO it may well be the greatest H&A win we've ever had (surely top 5), secured top spot after a tough year, gets us control over our finals destiny, and beat Geelong in the process. The reaction IMO shows the unity of our side and how much we want to win, and want to be successful and relevant. Oliver should have just sewn up the AFLCA award and may have grabbed a Brownlow too. That was an elite performance. It's no coincidence that our A-graders were the ones who were down in the second quarter (Gawn got belted, Lever/May owned, Oliver/Petracca nowhere to be seen), but simultaneously where the ones who dragged us back into it. Gawn got back on top, Lever and May in the second half rectified all their poor form, and Petracca lifted. This could be a watershed moment for this club. I'm so proud, but mindful that we have to reset now because a minor premiership isn't the real thing.