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Update 20 Players leaving ground now. Thanks to Demonland poster Anti-Saint for the updates from the ground. Cheers everyone. QD.

I have a mate at the ground now: First drill was circuit work (goal square to CHF to centre and back). May did not participate Rehab group consists of May, Smith and Tomlinson. They are doing lite drills Now a kick to kick from CHF to CHB. May is participating along with Smith and Tomlineson. More to come.

I do not understand why people speak of trading Brayshaw. He is one of our best players and is better than Cerra.

In Hawthorn

She's on like donkey kong boys and girls. Flag first. Then pump a bit of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

I keep looking at this wondering why Brian Taylor is so involved in our training.

I’m an old so and so, who was fortunate enough to live through our Golden Era of the late 1940s, the 1950’s and (obviously) 1964 as well. I have my place adorned with Dees flags, as shown in the ‘Flying the Flag’ thread. I was sitting on my front porch this evening, enjoying a glass of Shiraz, and taking in my attractive garden as the twilight took over. When the evening breeze began to flutter the flags it caught my attention. I spontaneously and unashamedly, burst into tears. That’s what a premiership would mean to me! Cross my heart, that’s a true story.

He obviously no longer has any pain in the hamstring and it was just a back related issue, hence no scans. I really back our fitness and medical staff, they’ve done a superb job all year.

Update 2 Brayshaw appeared to have corky at yesterday's lite training. Training well today though. May, Smith and Tomlinson going around 80 percent.

They're definitely good enough to win. It's fitting that the season's best two sides are playing off. Port relied far too much on Aliir against the Dogs. He had a blinder the match before and they thought he'd do it again automatically. They forgot they've got 5 other defenders, all of whom did bugger all. And they seemed to not realise that Bevo would pull some stunt in that area. Bevo is a crafty coach who will undoubtedly have some tricks prepared for us. But the tricks aren't guaranteed to work. When Richmond were winning flags, everyone knew how they played and what to expect. Didn't matter what stunts were pulled against them ... when they executed properly, they won. Our way of playing reminds me of recent Richmond at their best. Teams look downfield ... nothing on. Wait for a lead .... nothing .... switch play ... still nothing on ... switch back. Still nothing. Stalemate. Kick long and hope ... contest, Demons ball. Swarm all over it driving the ball forward. Goal. Execute our style of play and we win.

I think sport and religion fill a very similar place in people's souls/psychology. Basically, humans need to belong to a tribe. Melbourne Football Club is my tribe, and with that comes the sense of belonging, family connections, care, investment, and everything else that would go along with the basic human tribal nature. So what would it mean? It would mean my primitive ape brain has won a great lifelong struggle for dominance against those 17 other tribes just over the hill there, and all the sacrifices my tribemates and ancestors and kin have made to make it happen were worth it. The sun will rise on Sunday 26 of September and every day after that, just as always. But my tribe will be the best, and that will mean a lot to me.

I reckon Goodwin will quietly be loving all the "what tactical masterstroke is Beveridge about to pull" talk. No one's talking about what we're going to do. I like it that way.

Both teams are right to feel confident because they're a chance. It's a Grand Final, so you should feel confident .... it's just one game. They'll be playing against a completely different type of team to any they've played in the finals so far. They've smashed Essendon and Port in contested possession and were +10 against Brisbane, but we are by far the number 1 contested team team in the league (+17.9 pg .... 2nd best was Geelong's +9.9). Our wins were against the 2nd and 3rd best contested teams and we beat them +30 and +22 in our finals. The Dogs will need to find a way to use their biggest strength (winning contested possession) against the best contested team in the league, and then find a way to negate our biggest strength (defence and intercepts). If they somehow nullify our intercept game then they just have to overcome all of the other reasons that we should win. They are a good team, but they will likely need something pretty special to happen to beat us. That's why we're the favourites.

No issue with Spargo, just a jarred ankle.

Gawn with beanie equipped can be easily confused with Kade Chandler in fairness

I was literally asking this question earlier today after getting my daughter's number 2 sewn on!

This is from a video there is a speaker that plays the club song

Twisted ankle ain't keeping me out of my outback ressies gf. It won't keep Charlie out. Surely precautionary.

Fixed it!

Is this the most hyped match sim that Melbourne has ever played?

Update 3 Training is at Lathlaine Park (Eagles headquarters) Not match simulation . . . no contact drills and they are about 30 minutes into the session. More to come.

Thanks, Adrian. Don’t give up ya day job, mate.

From MFC socials. Snooza factory doing their bit.

No doubt Chook's post is a reference to Cerra and he has a proven track record of receiving reliable mail. If you want to go searching for alternative meanings, of course it could also apply to our Grand Final celebrations with Frankie Valli up on stage singing "Oh what a night, late September 2021".

Two supporter groups quietly confident. Gee they harp on about the round 19 game like it means something. We were in our Burgo-induced slump and played like garbage and still nearly beat them. Nobody is mentioning their last three rounds of the H & A season, or the fact the umpires helped them beat Brisbane by a point whereas we flogged them the week prior. Should be a ripping contest regardless, but using that game as a confidence booster is massive false hope.

Watching the 64 "replay" always had me feel my team was from the past. Not relevant to today. Barracking for them for the last 50 years has mainly felt either embarassing ( highlighted in 2013/ 14 / the lack of a home base/ the press feasting on the tanking debacle) or just ill fated ( 1987 prelim/ the off season when we lost Schwartz, Jakovich, Charles basically for good/ Trengoves foot/ Scullys heart/ the great men Jimmy and Robbie passing...etc etc ) When we were good we were just never THAT good and when we were bad we were beyond horrible. This season, come what may, I already have had those feelings shifted a lot. A flag would open a whole new dimension to me as a dee. Would feel like it was all worthwhile somehow.

It would mean I can finally enjoy watching Demons games win lose or draw. Would move all the weight of expectation, would stop all the mindless fools talking about the premierships drought. It would mean a moment with my late dad, where I can enjoy it, but wish he was here to witness it..

Langdon and Gus will remain our wingers. If Cerra comes he'll be part of our midfield rotation to add more polish in there.

A mate sent this in from High St Armadale a7ae2f24-02ff-41f2-9961-f838af46a3b7.MP4

It's GAME DAY!! The mighty DEMONS are playing an in-house practice match to keep their form up. One fair dinkum match in 28 days or whatever. It's the same here on Demonland. One game day thread since Aug 28. I propose a mock GAME DAY thread to keep our posting form up in preparation for next weekend. Some suggested matchups: Smith is not a defender's wazoo vs. Spargo should be delisted ANB is not up to AFL standard vs. Hunt is fast but so what if his disposal is so poor Some suggested drills: McDonald is cooked Oliver cannot kick straight Umpires have it in for us We're running around like under 9s Suggested initial post: Melbourne B can't win against Melbourne A. Two goals down already. I knew this would happen!

With my father. That’s all that matters to me

Feels like you're skipping a step here. If it was playing more inside mid minutes versus requesting a trade, I'm sure the club would reach a middle ground for a new role in 2022. FWIW, Brayshaw looks one of the most invested in the club, from an outsider looking in.

They have every right to feel confident. They’re in great form and on a roll filled with confidence. They have an amazing midfield and some in form forwards. They can absolutely win it.

They're training at the right team's ground to get that sorted.

Yep. Have played an entire finals series with a sprained ankle. That’s what tape and injections up to your eyeballs are for and when you can’t walk the next day after a GF, you just keep on drinking until you can.

After seeing basically all the other teams winning the premiership, watching them hoist the cup while we’re sitting here mocked for having the longest-continuously-running premiership drought, seeing teams that had no droughts winning yet again. It’s been too long. I’m sick of it. We’ve been scrutinised unfairly because Geelong and Bulldogs had a longer drought but we were seen as the “worst” team with this non-existent “curse” as an excuse people use to demoralise us into thinking we can’t win. It’s time another team faced that. This is our time. I’ve never married, will never have children. It’s number one on my bucket list.

A friend of Demonlander @Clucka has sent in photos from his 1964 Finals Scrapbook.

My news is a 3 way trade Clark to Freo Cerra to Melbourne Ron Barrassi to Geelong

Caulfield North

Reminds me of an American Football coach Vince Lombardi. The Norm Smith of the Green Bay Packers if you will. The Packers only used about 3 plays, 1 in particular repeatedly. The whole competition knew what they were. But they had to stop them from executing them. Which they couldn't. Good teams don't need tricks or plan Bs. They just need to consistently execute Plan A.

I would be MORE than happy if the umps from our PF game officiated in the GF I thought they let a lot go to the benefit of the game and its flow! Have they been selected as yet?

Hibberd isn’t the most polished media performer. He was asked a question about his previous teammates and so he answered. Whether the Essendon players were “victims” or not is beside the point. It’s surely beyond doubt that it would have been by far the most difficult and stressful period of Hibberd’s career. An experience that none of his current MFC teammates (other than Melksham) can relate to. We’ve been crapping on all week about how only MFC supporters understand how other MFC supporters feel. The same will be true for the Essendon 34. Irrespective of whether they invited problem themselves or if they were completely unwitting “victims”, it was a period of great stress they endured together. Of course there will be a tight bond amongst them. Hoping he now doesn’t play because he dared to mention a bond with players who aren’t Melbourne ones, when asked about it by an experienced journalist, is just jealous, spiteful and nasty. He’s one of ours. Don’t dump him because he has love for more than just us. And claims that the EFC supporters are the victims, please. I don’t see myself as a victim of the bucket of pus the MFC delivered 08-13 and that’s absolutely no different. The EFC fans saw the effects of a woefully incompetent administration and their team sucked for a few years as a consequence. Boo farking hoo. Their lives and livelihoods and reputations weren’t soiled in the same way the players were. They had zero sympathy for us and as far as I’m concerned, the feeling is mutual. I don’t want any anyway.

I have said for years, he’s our best since Barassi and now he’s heading towards being Barassi’s equal. However, I would not describe it as a “dramatic rise”; he has been outstanding since his first game in which, I believe, he polled two Brownlow votes. The other thing that the article doesn’t mention is a story that went around, I think, last year, that someone – it might have been Burgo - suggested to him that instead of hand passing as soon as he gets the ball, if it all possible he should take two or three steps at full pace and then dispose of it. He has obviously listened to that advice and it has taken his game to an even higher level.

I just don’t get the Angus talk. Deeply invested, about to enter a dynasty type window, plays a critical role in a way no-one else in the comp does it. Gets to be smart, tough, effective and lead every game, stats count regardless. he is worth way more to us than Cerra. If we get a pure wingman, he gets more centre rotations. But atm he plays about 80-100% game time. he is an absolute keeper for me.

Wouldn't let them know your an Aussie at the moment.

I did the same, unfortunately I was shocked to discover no 'Cerra a done deal, don't worry we won't pay overs' EP in their discography

My mini shrine.