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We have a 3 week drought.

Screen shot from part of an article in the HUN on Sept 26.

I sat down and watched a few games in a row: R23 - The entire second half then First final V Brisbane Quarters 1, 2 & 4 then Prelim V Geelong Quarters 1, 2 & 3 then GF v Dogs Quarters 1, 3 & 4. was a long but bloody enjoyable experience! I highly recommend it - especially knowing the glory of the flag has been won - you can appreciate all the small things in each game that led to what we saw in the GF. I am also working may way through watching the mini matches on Foxtel/ Kayo - another way to see how good we were all year. I will say, if it wasn’t us, the Melbourne Demons, this would be talked about as one of the most COMPLETE seasons EVER. We won 17.5 games, only being beaten by 1 top 8 side all year (GWS wasn’t in the 8 at the time, being technical there I know) and a % around 130. Then we win 3 finals against 3 of the best 5 teams for the year (and the 3 teams were all very good, if not dominant at there own section of the season) by smashing them. Imagine if this was the Tigers season, or the Cats, the media would be going crazy. I know we are getting a lot of press and talk of back to back etc., but I don’t think enough credit has been given to how amazing our ENTIRE season was!!!

I keep saying ( to my fellow golfers who have reminded me about 186 for years )that we had 2 Practice Matches against Geelong : 1 To see how much of a start we could give them and still win. 2 : To show them how much we could win by when we play fair dinkum. I wonder why nobody wants to play golf with me !!!

If you haven’t seen this already….Do yourself a favour and spend 7 and a half mins watching it! I’ve never had goose bumps as big as I did when watching this!!!

Thought this deserved it's own thread.

Finally, after so many years, it’s a bloody good time to be a Melbourne supporter living in Geelong.

No apologies needed. I never lost faith in any of my boys. Love them all

Just came across this video. I do feel for him, but I will admit that watching it makes me feel even better. All the things he’s saying were the same stuff I was saying for years. Seeing a team win a premiership is like seeing your best friend kiss the guy you like. You give the thumbs up, but deep down you’re thinking “why not me?”

Re-watching some of the games of the year, I watch how these two interact. Each time either of them gets the ball, they look for each other with an absolutely beautiful connection. To me, the only way to describe their connection is: love. There is obviously total trust between them, and why shouldn’t there be? They each know that the other one will respond with ability, cleanliness, determination, and overall brilliance. For decades to come, we will debate which is the better, but there is no true answer to that. We are just so lucky to have them both. it seems to me we have two other superb combinations. One is Lever and May in the backline, and I think the word for their relationship is: respect. We also have Langdon and Hunt and to me the word for that is: fun. Or perhaps: joy. And for us supporters, the three words together: love, respect and joy.

Nic Nat overrated as always, 13th best? He averaged 68% TOG and 1.6 marks per game. Completely overrated.

One of my biggest fears towards the end of the year is that we’d do a stkilda and blow it whilst the saints talk about a drought unlike us until this year, over the past 25 years they’ve had probably at least 4 golden chances to break their drought - realistically this year was our only golden chance and thank [censored] we actually took it !

We had to buy a couple of snails for our fish tank Recently to suck up the scum. We called them Joel and Patrick. I think Joel has gone into his shell or died.

Remember the days when we hoped Jones would creep into this? now Fritsch is #16 what a world

Any excuse to post this again ...

Hard to argue with your top 3 Picket but I think you’ve undersold Viney. The Brisbane QF match was a fair while ago now so it’s easy to forget but he was enormous in that game. Even in the GF it’s not until I’ve watched the replay 3 or 4 times lol that you realise how pivotal he was.

You can watch Taj Woewodin play for WA here today -> Watch LIVE: SA v WA in U19 Champs clash on Sunday

He’s just as big of a reason we are the premiers as any of the 23 who ran out on grand final day.

Looks identical to Shane!

I find this comment strange. Hes 21 years old who was from the same draft as Tom Sparrow and James Jordon. He's played 30 games which is more then Jordon and Sparrow as well. He was also a pick 24, so wasn't like he was a top 10 pick who some expect to come in and make an immediate impact. This year alone he played 17 games and kicked 15 goals. That's just under a goal a game. For a young small forward that's not too bad, especially playing one of the hardest positions on the ground. Amazing how quickly some are to write young players off immediately. Has ample amount of development left in his game.

In the preliminary final Geelong's 2nd youngest player was Gryan Miers, who was 22 years old. We had 8 players in that game younger than Miers, whilst Geelong had 1 (Max Holmes). Our second oldest player in that game was Max Gawn, who was 29 years old. Geelong had 11 players older than Gawn, whilst we had 1 (Hibberd). They're probably right to try to keep wringing whatever performance they can out of this group because, really, what's the alternative? They have 11 players under 22 on their list and they have combined for 42 games in total .... of which 29 have been played by Jordan Clark who is leaving. It's pretty dire.

Isn’t it great having a trade week where none of the available players are better than what we’ve already got.

We're really inside their heads Reality is going to hit hard over the next few years. They had their chances and blew it. Melbourne is only going to improve given age profile and recruiting - I honestly can't see anywhere where we are likely to improve. We did not look competitive against Melbourne... It was embarrassing... Tell me where the team is going to improve. Chris bet on recruiting old blokes for short term success and failed. Now we are stuck with a list full of blokes who can hardly run out a full season and little if any young talent. What isn't to like about his strategy and success??? If Melbourne had have lost the GF would we be highlighting their poor H&A performances too? After all they drew with the lowly Hawks, lost to GWS at the ‘G and were thoroughly outplayed in a loss to the Pies. If we fielded 22 players who came through the falcons and played their entire careers with the cats, Gawn wouldn’t have torn us a new one in the prelim. The ball would have known what it was up against and behaved differently. Based on the GF, Melbourne are the better side. Looking at Melb we are nowhere near it. Interesting watching on the couch Goodwin mentions in one of his breaks he told the team basically get it on the boot and go for distance. Common theme this year in finals with the other top teams is that they worked hard on both quick breaks from the centre clearances, and often getting territory especially up the middle of the ground. The emotional high of 10/10 season and winning a premiership (no guarantee of this either) feels better for everyone and does actually impact the bottom line (as Melbourne have found out). Melb are the Premiers and then you have got daylight to the rest. Looking at Melbourne 16 other teams were also no where near it. And those teams aren't relying on 30 years olds going forward but are looking to youth. They are better than us and have more top-end players in an age bracket where they will be able to continue at that level for several years, where we do not. Is there much star power? You have Cameron and Stewart who are both high-end players still in their prime age bracket. Dangerfield, Hawkins and Selwood are big names who have performed to a high standard but are very much on their way down. Other than that, it's pretty barren. It's a long way from Melbourne who have a group of top-end players who will be in their footballing prime for a number of years yet. We are yesterday's news. We have a better forward line than Melbourne but its pointless if the ball either doesn't get down there, or gets down there after the other team has had 3 minutes to flood numbers back while we play kick to kick on the half back line. Psychotic and mood disorders related narratives Oh please tell me if we can have 16 minute quarters and 17 rounds a year for the next two years of Scott's contract extension. I told the club 2 years ago I'm not renewing my membership until Scott Is gone and that was after 38 years of being a member. Looks like I'll have to wait another 3 years. I can remember at the after match coaches press conferences at the conclusion of the 2011 GF - and Mick Malthouse said – quote " This will be my last day at the football club " Well when Scott says that - it will be music to my ears. Ummm so without Stewart MOC Parfitt a banged up Danger and maybe a virus hanging around you expected the team to perform to a level to topple the best in September? Seriously? Isaac Smith said it best, the most embarrassing game he has ever been apart off. That coming from a person who only knows what winning and success means. The lions have proven to be bigger finals bed ****ters than we are. Terrible decision... Didn't expect anything else though - getting reamed and embarrassed in finals is considered a success by the club lololol. How dare anyone suggest a thing called change could lead to a better outcome - it's not like Chris has had enough time to control every aspect of the list and game plan. Captain Ahab continues at the helm. Is it April the 1st today. What a laughing stock our club is becoming. Good luck getting membership renewals. Long may we say God save the Queen, but nothing will save the coach. Damn was hoping we could chase Buckley … then again being Melb based he probably wouldn’t want to drive down here for the job anyway

50. Bailey Smith 49. Brandon Starcevich 48. Dylan Grimes 47. Paul Seedsman 46. Zac Bailey 45. Taylor Walker 44. Jacob Hopper 43. Karl Amon 42. Callum Mills 41. Tom Papley 40. Charlie Cameron 39. Jack Henry 38. Bailey Dale 37. Hugh McCluggage 36. Tom Liberatore 35. Rory Laird 34. Josh Kelly 33. Jarryd Lyons 32. Sam Taylor 31. Lance Franklin 30. Harry McKay 29. Daniel Rich 28. Sean Darcy 27. Christian Salem 26. Travis Boak 25. Tom Mitchell 24. Dayne Zorko 23. David Mundy 22. Jacob Weitering 21. Luke Parker 20. Jake Lever 19. Zach Merrett 18. Aliir Aliir 17. Steven May 16. Bayley Fritsch 15. Tom Hawkins 14. Jake Stringer 13. Nic Naitanui 12. Darcy Parish 11. Jack Macrae 10. Touk Miller 9. Tom Stewart 8. Jack Steele 7. Sam Walsh 6. Ollie Wines 5. Max Gawn 4. Toby Greene 3. Clayton Oliver 2. Marcus Bontempelli 1. Christian Petracca

Ever since I was a kid in the 50s and Melbourne had a ruckman named Dick Fenton-Smith running around, I was conscious of the importance of hyphenated names in the club’s history. After all, we produced the great Ivor Warne-Smith (pictured) who won Brownlow Medals in 1926 (in a premiership team) and 1928. In 1996, the Demons created a league record of players with hyphenated names wins David and Donald Cockatoo-Collins and Tent Ormond-Allen on their list. They had that record all on their own until 2019 when the Tigers muscled in and equalled it with Callum Coleman-Jones, Riley Collier-Dawkins and Derek Eggmolesse-Smith. But now, North Melbourne are homing in on a Melbourne record for the number of players on a club list with hyphenated names. That will occur when the Roos draft Jason Horne-Francis in the November National Draft. They already have Luke Davies-Uniake and, after receiving Coleman-Jones from the Tigers, they are set to equal the record when Horne-Francis comes on board. Could someone pluck a quartet of players out there in the draft with hyphenated names to help us keep our record intact. Hat tip/Swamp on Twitter

I just found it on YouTube so I could watch it on the big screen. It’s under “Game Film | It’s Coming Home”

Technically, only Brisbane and Hawthorn were three-peats as the other two (Geelong and Richmond) didn't win their three in consecutive years. And we all know that "technically correct" is the best kind of correct. As for Melbourne, let's aim higher and go for the "fourplay". Who knows what that might lead to?

Whats a blinder?

Is Chris Scott the right guy ?

Damn it all, I was so close to making it through an entire day without crying. ❤️💙❤️💙 God how I love this team.

The curtain came down on Nathan Jones’ career after 16 seasons and 302 games when the tough midfielder made the difficult decision to leave the club’s WA hub in Joondalup after the Preliminary Final to be with wife Jerri for the birth of their twins Odie and Dove. Tough nut Jones has been a virtual fixture in the side after his debut in 2006, the year he broke into the Melbourne team, was awarded his first of two AFL Rising Star Nominations and played in a couple of finals. He won three consecutive Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medals for club champion in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was club captain from 2014 to 2019 and played his 300th game this year on the MCG against Richmond. On his retirement, Jones said, "Looking at where the club is now, I am proud of where we are and I'm so excited for the opportunity that my teammates have ahead of them, to write a new chapter in the club's history." The first part of that chapter was written last weekend and though Jones wasn’t there, he was an integral part of the premiership campaign. Before his retirement, his form was close to being worthy of a return to the game after an injury earlier in the year at Casey. He retires in second place on the overall games tally for the club just four games behind another former skipper in David Neitz. Date of Birth: 20 January, 1988 Height: 180cm Weight: 87kg Games MFC 2021: 8 Career Total: 302 Goals MFC 2021: 2 Career Total: 141 Games CDFC 2021: 3 Goals CDFC 2021: 3

So which player would you say sorry to because you thought they weren't good, a list clogger or simply thought they'd never make it over the years. Mine include Alex Neal-Bullen - Never really rated him over the years, thought he was just going to be a player that got his few possessions but never did anything with them & thought shouldn't be in the team. This season he has taken his game to a new level, he is kicking more goals, his tackle pressure has gone up a notch & is definitely using the ball better. Charlie Spargo - didn't think he kicked enough goals, his pressure wasn't great and he did go the duck. Again this season has taken his game up another level and his finals were great. Christian Petracca- Only because we knew he had the talent & always said he should look at the Bont for the player he should be and boy he has probably passed him. He has now set the standard of what his seasons should be like. We finally saw the player he should be this year especially in the GF. From years ago when he'ds butcher the ball and I remember 1 game where he didn't even make the distance 30 metres out. Just a different player now. Tom Sparrow- Thought Nathan Jones should have taken his spot leading up to the finals but Tom did the right things and his final performances were great. He contributed to games he played in and his GF goal was outstanding. Jake Bowey- When he was picked for his 1st game thought why bring in a new kid, didn't know a lot about him but boy what a great 7 games. He uses the ball well, calm under pressure and handled the finals like a seasoned campaigner.

Along with Ron Barassi and Neale Daniher I believe it is incredibly important that we allow Nathan Jones to raise the Demons new Premiership flag for 2021 at our first home game at the MCG in Season 2022. It would definitely be fitting to see him involved. Nathan Jones is a champion and a loyal servant of the club that needs to be sent off in the best way possible as a sign of respect for all he has done for the Melbourne Football Club. A shining light during our darkest days. You were a loyal Melbourne player through and through! I am glad you got to play over 300 games for the Demons. We will all miss you Chunk! 😪

This will never, ever get old.

Reflecting on the Grand Final winning performance I couldn’t help but look back proudly at the early moments in these players’ careers. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing since Roos took over in 2014, but in those eight years I can remember enjoying so many exciting and promising moments related to player development. Here are my early memories of each player - the moment I had a feeling that something special was brewing (only those who signaled their rise 2018 and earlier). Max Gawn R14 2013 v Bulldogs This is pre Roos, but I remember it as our first win post-Neeld and Neil Craig’s one and only victory. Gawn had been out of the side up until now, and having a soft spot for him I feared his career was just going to fizzle out like the rest of our promising young players at the time. But Craig brought him back in and got the ball rolling. He didn’t dominate the game, but he competed really hard in the ruck and showed glimpses of his ability to cover the ground and sneak forward for a goal. His breakout game against the Cats was still two years away, but at that point I had a positive feeling that “Treeman” (as my mate and I nicknamed him at the time, because he walked like an Ent) would become our No1 ruck and carve out a decent career (had no idea he’d be 5 time All-Australian and one of the greatest captains!!) Christian Salem R11 2014 v Port Adelaide I was really excited when I first saw Salem running around in the #3. He was very raw and mostly played as the sub in the forward line, but in this Darwin game he kicked a couple of goals and was very handy. What I remember liking the most was the way he seemed clean and very team-focused - you could tell he had the footy smarts to become something. Then two weeks later, remember how he kicked the matchwinner against Essendon following a brilliant chain from defense to attack Jack Viney R22 2015 v Fremantle It was difficult to pick a moment for Viney, but this moment toward the end of a disappointing 2015 season showed to me how strongly his heart bleeds red and blue. We’d just been flogged by Carlton and most fans were checked out at this point. Fremantle were top of the table and we had no hope. But Viney ran around all day tackling everything he could get his hands on. The final margin was 54 points. It was a performance that gave hope - that we’d be able to build a team around this guy. The following season was his B&F year. Christian Petracca R9 2016 v Brisbane I remember watching the warm up from the Punt Road end - Jonesy and Trac were having shots for goal and Trac was dobbing them from the angles. The striking thing about him then was his thighs were like tree trunks. How old was this kid again? In the game showed what he was capable of - most metres gained for the team and 11 score involvements. Even though he kicked 4 points, one of them was this. No different to the way he plays now, just with more confidence and bulk! Clayton Oliver R1 2017 v St Kilda Following a promising debut season I added Clarry to my Supercoach team, predicting big things. The Dees supporting friend I went to the game with disagreed, thinking he wasn’t ready for a breakout season. But this was Oliver’s first 3 vote game - he dominated in the clearances (9, many of those from the centre) and showed us his aggressive bullocking style that would get better and better over the next 5 seasons. Tom McDonald R14 2017 v West Coast There were some brilliant defensive games from TMac in his early career but who could forget this moment when he stamped his authority as a forward with presence. 5 goals to get us across the line in what used to be our most feared roadtrip. Tom McDonald you genius! Angus Brayshaw R21 2017 v St Kilda It seems so long ago now but there was a time when we had all but conceded the failure of another top 10 draft pick. Gus had only just returned from a long layoff following his 4th concussion wearing a helmet. And then he clashed heads with a St Kilda player and looked like that would be curtains. But then that version of Gus who blew everyone away on GF day showed us what he was made of. He played one of those typically courageous games where he ran hard, backed back into packs and made 10 intercepts to go with it. We all know what happened in 2018 but I think that was the day Goodwin and co conceived of how he could help us eventually win a premiership. James Harmes R21 2017 v St Kilda Same game as Brayshaw’s (really shows how promising the back end of 2017 was with all of the above firing). Harmes had been in the team for a while at this point, and though he was handy, always seemed to me like a supporting act that never really shone. But in his 42nd game he kicked three in the first quarter including one from a spectacular hanger. There was plenty of run and dash on display, and his passion for the club (being a supporter as a kid) really shone through in an infectious way. Bayley Fritsch R6 2018 v Essendon This guy seemed to just walk into the team without warning and played like he belonged straight away. His 5th game was a great example of the premiership winning version of Fritsch. Confident straight leads, safe hands and a straight kick. He kicked three and it felt as if we’d found the right combination to kick 100+ scores. So glad that he resolved his yips and that backline experiment was shortlived. Alex Neal-Bullen R9 2018 v Carlton I’ve always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with ANB. My early promise for him mostly stemmed from standout performances for Casey in 2016, and even though he got a decent run going in 2017 there was no real moment that grabbed me and said, “this guy is going to be crucial in a premiership tilt!” So during our crazy run in 2018 when we were belting teams, Nibbler’s speed was starting to become damaging. He kicked four in what was a goal frenzy, but did plenty of defensive things too. Since outside run was always our problem in recent years (and would remain unsolved until 2021) it was promising to see ANB waiting hungrily around the packs. Charlie Spargo SF 2018 v Hawthorn Spargo was good in his first year, and who can forget his performance in the Semi Final where he killed it? Two goals and three timely assists, plus incredible defensive pressure that made him integral to the functioning of the forward line. He was so good in this role that it’s hard to believe how average his performances seemed in 2019-20 when we fell down the ladder. I was firmly in the “delist him” camp, but very glad to be proven wrong with his crucial 2021 role. Players whose moments came while playing for other teams Michael Hibberd R3 2013 v Fremantle It seems so long ago. Before Essendon’s supplements scandal exploded in 2013, Melbourne were absolutely smashed by Essendon in Round 2 by 148 points. The game was too distressing to watch until the end, but there was one guy running around in the backline for Essendon that caught my eye. I watched him closely in the next round against Freo and he was even more impactful. That image of him streaming away from defending forwards on the back flanks became a real feature of his time at Essendon. Following his suspension it was amazing to see him do an even better job at this role at Melbourne, taking out an All-Australian. He’s a different player now, but the sight of him sprinting toward the crowd with the premiership cup reminded me of the old Hibberd that I put so much faith in when we recruited him. Ben Brown R23 2014 v Melbourne Back when North Melbourne were decent, we faced them just before the finals and posted our 10th loss on the trot. In a tradition that was common at the time, long-suffering supporters like me would look out for inexperienced or bit-part players who would dominate only against us (I think Tim O’Brien was the best of these). It was BBBs first season and even though he was starting to look the goods, it felt like he had no right to ragdoll us in only his 8th game. Those long arms and crazy hair stuck with me, so when we made him ours all of those years later I felt I could finally get some peace of mind from those moments he ripped us a new one at his peak. Ed Langdon R22 2015 v Melbourne In the same game that Fremantle smashed us and Viney showed his courageous nature, a young Freo player was making his debut. Debutants normally fade in and out of the game, but Ed was lively throughout the whole match. He seemed to have a bit of dash and confidence for someone so young - at that moment he seemed like someone to keep an eye on. Steven May R20 2016 v GWS The Suns had a low profile in Melbourne but you always knew that apart from keeping your eye on Ablett, May in the backline would be tough opposition. He was always solid in the games I saw him play, but this one I tuned into against the Giants showed that extra edge to his game. The balls that didn’t meet his fist were intercepted and used to begin attacking chains. He seemed like a rock - reliable and with a strong presence around his teammates. No wonder they gave him the captaincy after this season. Jake Lever R16 2017 v Bulldogs Around this era whenever the discussion turned to quality young defenders all the experts would rave about Lever. However I really hadn’t seen him take a game apart as his few games against Melbourne up to that point weren’t that influential. But in this Friday night game I finally understood all that Lever Fever - he was intercepting everything and seemed to be so in control in the backline. It was amazing to think he was only 21 at the time as he had this level of self-assurance that comes from experience. His signing was my most celebrated - for once a quality defender that WE were poaching rather than the other way around (eg. Rivers, Frawley, Dunn, Howe) Special mention to Jayden Hunt R7 2016 v Gold Coast Jayden Hunt seemed to come from nowhere. Unsighted in the Under 18 TAC Cup and was on our list for 2 years without playing a game….then all of a sudden was charging off the half back line like a madman. His disposal wasn’t great early one but we were so used to slow, safe ball movement at this time that it was a breath of fresh air. In the game that we crushed Gold Coast, Hunt wasn’t quite ready to break out but he showed that irresistible drive to bounce and run - it was a super exciting time to go to the footy. ----- Would love to hear others' memories of these players. Was there a special breakout moment for you?

Bontempelli went ok for a half. Could rotate off the bench as an impact player.

The question is, how many of the other 43 would get a game at Melbourne based on our exposed form in September?

Not this Cliff, however. He was Young.

Noel McMahen. 94yo. 95 at end of October. My late father said he was one of the toughest blokes on the team but a true leader. Played in 48, 55&56 premiership teams. Captained 1955-56. MFC team of the century half back. Life member. Never got to coach us unfortunately. Probably would have been a successor to Norm Smith I remember Noel from the Redlegs function that I was invited to in the 1990s. He loved the Dees. So passionate. So vocal. Sometimes had to be “advised” to calm down given he was about 70 at the time. One of our greatest players.

Frittas leap and grab. He had no right to land and run away with it like that

TMac - thought he was finished. Desperately wanted him traded last year. With BB and the Weid injured in preseason he stepped up and delivered big time. Hats off. I was wrong. I'm sorry Tommy

I feel like a wine waiter… can I recommend the third quarter of the prelim, strong notes of Max Gawn with delicious moments of Petracca and no undesirable Geelong aromas to speak of.

Totally agree. See Sydney, Essendon, even Hawthorn games. Then Jake produced the offensive kick of the year to Max in round 23. Although maybe Harmes to Fritta tops it. BTW, has anyone else had the thought that the unarguable turning point of the Grannie, the Harmes steal, was number 4 to number 31 to turn the game, which by jumper number is Norm Smith to Ron Barassi!

Spargo is the main one. The club looked to trade ANB and McDonald last year so I don’t feel totally bad about incorrectly writing them off. Sparrow I thought shouldn’t be playing finals, how wrong I was. I took a while to warm to Lever, but ever since the defensive system started clicking then so did he. I really didn’t think we should have drafted another ruckman in Jackson but he’s just extended Gawn’s career by three years, absolute star.

@Deemented Are Go!sent this when it was announced, it’s appropriate. And I can confirm, cats fans are not happy.