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G'day Demonland Wishing you guys the best of luck this week in the GF. What a tremendous season you've had and I'm hoping it ends in Premiership glory. Melbourne has been the best team all year and thoroughly deserve to be favourites, and I think you guys will be far too good for the Bulldogs on Saturday It's hilarious that my 2 Melbourne loving daughters at ages 15 and 12 think they have had to put up with a bit to get to this point. If only they knew what a different generation of Dees fan has had to endure. I know I don't post on here anymore (that may change), but like I said, I just wanted to check in and wish the Melbourne FC all the best for the GF, and I hope all of you are enjoying the excitement of GF week and fingers crossed can celebrate premiership glory come Saturday night. Good luck, (and for this week only) GO DEES!!!!

Lid is finally off.

Apparently it was just Jack Viney tackling a semi-trailer nothing to see here

Word is it that we are sticking with the same combination, including James Jordon as the sub. Here's my view on why Jayden Hunt should be named in that role ahead of JJ. 1) The sub role in the GF is different to the role required throughout the season - it requires an impact player. For 22 weeks plus the finals to date, the sub role was there to cover significant game-ending injuries and the coaches honored the AFL request to use it in that manor. But the grand final is different. Sure it might be activated early if a club sustains a serious injury, but this time there is a guarantee that the side that is trailing at three-quarter time will try and use it like they did during the short-loved sub era from 2011-15. And the Dogs will almost certainly name the pacey Anthony Scott or small forward Laitham Vandermeer for the role, allowing them the chance to take off one of their talls (Martin, Scache or English if they are getting beaten) to help provide spark. Perth Stadium is a big ground and that injection of pace could be crucial if it's a close game. James Jordon is a hard-working mid who is a great prospect - but he ain't going to provide a lively role up forward and he has had no training down back. Jayden Hunt is electric, even if his pre-2021 reputation is that he's somewhat erratic, and he is experienced in playing both down back and up forward. 2) The sub role should help with covering a key injury and ideally should have the potential to help with our two players under injury clouds - May and Spargo. Clearly the only player on our list (other than Tomlinson) that can try and fill the May void is Joel Smith. But he is also under an injury-cloud so would be a poor choice as sub. If May was to tweak his hammy further, the most likely scenario is that either T-Mac is sent back to play on English or Schache or Hibberd would be moved on to Schache and shifted off minding Roarke Smith and Bontempelli when resting. In both scenarios Hunt can provide value in being able to cover Hibberd's role down back or add forward pressure if sent up there in a quasi T-Mac role. Hunt also could switch into Spargo's small forward/tackle pressure role if Spargs ankle proves worse than thought. Jordon can do neither - he is best suited in the middle and would be ideal back-up if Angus, Trac, Olly or Viney get injured, although not crucial because Harmes, ANB and Sparrow can play more mid if needed. 3) Is it unfair to drop JJ after he's been in the 23 all season? I think JJ has been the sub for the past five weeks and we all should respect the fact that he is developing fast and has shown admirable courage. But he's been the sub - his omission does not alter team balance. All season he has won plaudits - but let's face it, he is a development player and his best years will be ahead. Will he feel aggrieved? Of course. Every player who narrowly misses will feel disappointed. Jayden Hunt must feel mega frustrated that after finally establishing himself as lockdown defender who links up well and playing every minute of our first 19 games before getting injured that he has been overlooked for a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old, albeit two very talented ones. Anyway to me it's clear cut - Jayden Hunt should be the sub. Just as the Dogs will try and inject pace late in the game, we need to be ready to do so as well. Hopefully the sub issue will be a non-issue and we have the game in our keeping anyway, but what's your view?

Near mt buller , ski gods angry no dees supporters skiing

Demons rising from the depths of Hell !

I just noticed that Mansfield is anagram of Find Salem!!

It was Norm Smith finally letting go The Curse ….

When was the last time Melbourne won a flag the week of an earthquake? We are doomed

Garry Lyon has interviewed 8 Dees players since the prelim. He said that 7 of them were really relaxed and looking forward to the challenge, one of them, an unnamed father son selection, looked like he was ready to kill somebody.

Many years ago me and a couple members here joined forces to produce a Robert Flower highlights dvd. I'm very pleased to say that my collection of Robbie Flower highlights has grown and as tribute to the Dees making (and hopefully winning) the 2021 GF, I have uploaded a highlights video to Youtube of the greatest Melbourne player in my life time. So if you have a spare 40 mins or so, have a look at it. If you are too young to have seen him play, you need to see this. If you are old enough to have seen him play and remember what he was like, please enjoy.

Dan Andreas Fault

I'll be going to the Captains Run Training at Optus on Friday morning. I'll give you all a full run down of what I see/they do.🔴 🔵

I live in Mansfield and that was very interesting. Noise was the most amazing thing, very loud. Have had one aftershock, just a window rattler. No damage that I can see. On the positive side in 1964 there was a big earthquake in Alaska

Nice article on Gawn getting Trengove GF tickets. https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/trengove-relishing-demons-afl-flag-tilt-c-4034130

The earthquake's all good. Just what we needed to get rid of the Norm Smith Curse. I was at school in 1964 when the Alaskan earthquake struck and it was a doozy. Coincidentally, our teacher was out of class for a little while and we were mucking around near his equipment at the back of the room when one of us slipped and banged on the shelf which caused the needle of his baragraph to go crazy. Teacher came in, saw the graph and spent the rest of the day bragging to the staff that he'd captured the earthquake on his equipment. There was also an earthquake in Buchan, East Gippsland in 1964 so I always connect the year with earthquakes. This is now the icing on quake!

If we were playing the Giants, where there's a big big sound from the west of the town, then I'd call that an omen. If the doggies are anything like my dog, they ran scared.

As soon as the earthquake hit I knew we would win. The only insane thing left to experience in 2021 is a Melbourne premiership. In the bag guys.

Not mine, but DEMON COW!

The game is ours. We have never lost a GF in the days following a 5.8 earthquake, while in lockdown over Covid, in the week of protestors taking over the city and West Gate Bridge, while the Premier is missing, thought fled to China.

Reckon even the [censored] gods are bored with the 2 week build up

You were wrong. Just saying

Yep. Not sure if the ‘Cat-reaction’ scale is a thing, but mine almost got off the bed!

But is he the right guy?

My favourite lord nev moment.

Wow...lucky it didn't happen on Brownlow night then or we would be screwed.... Dodged a bullet there.

He should have been an All-Australian. He was the best small defender in the AFL for about five years, absolute star.

What a champion Jetta has been for us. I have a feeling once the dust settles he'll be announcing his retirement but is sticking with the team until our 2021 journey comes to an end. At his best Jetta was a fantastic defender and one of few leaders to stand out and stick tough over the past 15 years. A great role model for our younger boys, indigenous or not. Thank your for service Neville

Hope you come back Ash, you were a good egg for a bomber 😃😁

We destroyed Jack Trengove. He really could have been something. I am glad he still loves the club and that he gets to see us play in a grand final. Gawn again is just proving to be a star on and off the field.

Be respectful, humble......and bash the living suitcases out of anyone that starts anything resembling trouble.

To which, may I add

I want to win at any cost and I don’t care if players are suspended next year. This could be our only chance for another few decades, so we need to win no matter what. If they go after Max or anyone else physically, then we go after them when the opportunity is there. If Viney has a chance to tackle someone big, then I want them buried halfway to China and stretchered off the ground. No one but us bitter Demons supporters remember Essendon as thugs in 2000. They are remembered as winners, big winners. It’s our turn to be winners, whatever the cost. Bury them Dees.

Sure is. Sparrow is a juniour Jack Viney but a bit more polish. Already 84 kg at only 183. He jumps in the air with excitment when Max takes a mark in the prelim. Cultutre builder/maintainer. Only unless for dire family circumstances. Otherwise he becomes part of a dynasty with the Dees.

Is optus stadium ok?

I haven't slept since we beat Geelong.

A good coach can coach a good side but it takes and exceptional coach to turn the worst club in the comp, by far, in to a grand finalist. Perhaps, we as supporters, didn't quite understand just how badly run we were and how hard it was for the administration and the coach to turn it around. After listening to the story of how it all came about, as related by PJ, I understand what we had to to through. Goody has done an exceptional job as coach of the Melbourne Footy Club. He certainly deserves this award, and not because we finished on top, but because of the fantastic job he's done over the last 5 years.

Seems wildly unfair that anyone on here can slag off any one of our players or coaching staff and wind it back with a 'schucks, I got it wrong' mea culpa, but gloating is considered so unseemly in comparison. And I use the term 'mea culpa' deliberately, we simply wouldn't be here on grand final eve if a lot of our fans and posters got their way last year. Anyways, [censored] it: I've always thought Simon was the right guy, and my record will reflect that, and I feel especially chuffed with this recognition for Goody for what he has turned this team into. Go Dees! And for anyone still deflecting to (the undoubtedly influential) Yze and Choco as prime instigators of our flag charge, look up confirmation bias and then go back and reflect on our past four years as a club under Goodwin.

The old man just dug this up out of storage, an original poster from 1959

Congratulations Goody

Nah just Jack Viney pumping out a 400kg bench press.

Great sentiments. But also let's celebrate Troy Chaplin coming 2nd in the Assistants category. There's heaps more of these group and Chaplin can claim responsibility in part for developing the best team defence in the AFL and the best I have seen in 57 years.

This is the core of his genius McQueen. He lets other people shine around him and do what they do well. He coaches from the boundary and let’s yze watch from above ( he’s the only coach that does this all game) He’s very calm and measured but choco is explosive. He showed by example what being part of and committing to the team looks like.

Im sure the plaudits will come Nev's way absolutely deserves and will remain at the club in an off field capacity working with our young players/ indigenous culture. Jones and Nev are ingrained in our club culture and its important that they are found roles if they wish to accept the clubs invitation.

Premiership Merchandising is big money. Tigers in 2017 got around 3 times what the Buldogs pulled in after their win in 2016. I'd pay good money for a replay with alternate commentary and analysis by the coach and players. Like the extras that often came with DVD's. Let's hope that I'm still interested come Monday