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We were all getting a bit anxious when Bont kicked that goal to put them 19 points up, I took the dog out the back for toilet break, I heard a roar and when I got back inside Fritta had kicked out sixth. My grandson (7yo) said grandad take Bella outside again which I did and bang Fritta kicked our 7th, I laughingly said I am going back outside and BBB kicked our 8th. We all laughed and I didn’t go outside again.!!!

Think I will work my way through the season looking at games through the prism of a Premiership and our quality of play in the final series. Posted in the Post grand final thread my round 1 observations. I remember that there was a lot of pumping up of the Saints early in the season and I was not confident prior to the game and I have to say that watching the replay of this game and knowing the outcome did not mean that the frustration levels were any less than watching it live. 12 goals 19 behinds with us scoring 3.6 in each of the last two quarters. 9 different goal scorers and 9 different behind kickers. not sure how many we missed completely. Frustrating and it highlighted what would become a theme in the first half of the season with us winning games with a dysfunctional forward line. My observations: - Viney in for Harmes who was injured jack kicks a goal with his first touch.... - Players in the team that did not play in the GF Jetta, Tomlinson, Hunt, Jones and Baker. - Commentators talking up Saints every opportunity. - Umps pulled the trigger on play on calls very quickly.... I seem to remember that this happen a few weeks before it settled down. - Oliver was a clearance machine and his connection with max was obvious. Also started to see the Oliver/Petracca combo being built. - Langdon smooth mover and his disposal quality was better than the 2020 season. - Support in both defence and attack was something I saw a lot of off the back of some excellent pressure. This was a developing theme for me during the season. - Salem crazy good with his positional play and support efforts. - Forwards all over the place like a mad person's breakfast except for the Kossie/Spargo combination. They work well together. - Petracca's strength. He really stepped up and continued to develop during the season. - I also saw the team's turnover reaction as a big plus. Their reaction to adjusting their structure to switch from defence to attack or from attack to defence was fast and well drilled. - There was a growing awareness of the potential of the quality of our defence. Second game that the defence dominated with intercept marking. As I said, a frustrating game to watch live and a no less frustrating game to watch on replay.

I must say l left my sitting room not long after the 3rd quarter started. Couldn’t stand the tension. But l couldn’t resist a sneak at the 16 min mark. Wow what a thrill. Indeed many thrills. Such glory which l still even today have not recovered from. The Dees have a magic model which will sustain us for much of this next decade. My dad ( who died in 2000 after fanatical support for the Dees all his life, which he passed on to his sons), and maintained all his adult life managed to convert his crew in the Middle East in his Wellington bomber to be Dees supporters in 1943, just before they were shot down and two of them became POWs in Germany (sadly the other 5 died). He said as a POW, his Demon scarf was his most prized possession! He would be over the moon with this win just as we used to be as kids with him in the Grey Smith stand. I only wish he was here to enjoy it with us. I am sure l am not alone.

How good is a football team when a player like Clarry feels like another player on his team is carrying him?!

I went ten metres to the fridge to get a beer and nearly missed Clarry's goal. A minute later I went and exchanged my beer for a whisky, knowing we had it completely sewn up by the broken expression on the Dogs' faces.

I’ve had diehard Collingwood and Essendon fans and even Geelong fans (friends) say that that last minute of the third is hands down THE best football they’ve ever seen, by any team, at any time, ever. Ever. ❤️💙

They kicked three goals in 30 seconds in the third quarter of the PF against Geelong. 17:00 Fritsch (50m penalty) 16:42 Gawn 16:30 McDonald

I used to always stress that a team would score a goal against us in the final minute particularly in close games but often attempted to take solace in the fact that it's virtually impossible to kick two in a minute despite my MFCSS (which is currently in remission) telling me that only the Dees (of old) could cough up two in a minute. Now that I've seen that 3 in a minute is a very real possibility I don't think I can ever be truly comfortable at a football match ever again. 🤪

Pretty ordinary effort by the Tracktor I thought. Lots for him to work on in the next 102 dayz. I'd have him in my best 22 at this stage for the first round in 2022, but he wouldn't want to get complacent.

The amazing thing is we did pretty much the same earlier in the same quarter, 3 goals in a minute! In one quarter of a Grand Final we had two separate periods of kicking 3 goals in under a minute. It's astonishing, I can't really remember anything like it in footy before let alone in such an important game at such an important time.

At quarter time I was just relieved that we were playing in a GF that wasn't already over for us. At 19 points down I was very quiet and felt sick to the stomach. From then until three quarter time I couldn't quite comprehend what I was watching. I then felt we had it when Nibbler put us 42 points up. Thereafter I was totally chilled and just tried to soak it all in.

ALERT! LATEST SIGNPOSTING SEEN AT CASEY FIELDS "WARM RIDE WARRRM RIDE BABY THATS THE WAY YOU ARE" Graham Bonnet Why did I bring this "Classic"song up ?? Because training today was as smooth and as sublime as the song! This didn't look like a preseason knockup more a purring machine that has just been fitted with a turbo charger Weather great just perfect for training, bit of breeze but nothing out of the ordinary, Ground is in fantastic condition as well Players missing Dogga, didnt see Jake lever either and I did see Jayden Hunt doing some exercises away from main group SKILLS, DRILLS AND MANOEVERS. WARM UPS Consisted of short precise ball movement drills, around close contests and choosing correct options, small group work followed before a surprising match simulation game/drill where some very interesting simulations occured key points were as follows 1 Portable goal posts were moved 20 meters in from permanent ones 2 The game was played in a rectangle type field with narrowed boundaries 3 All starts were from the Casey Dressing rooms side with a boundary throw in The skills, touch, finese, fitness and audible crunching tackles and some at times dazzling ball movement was as evident as the last minute and a half of the 3rd quarter of the grand final. To me it looks like every single player has arrived back lean , hungry and fit. There was no sign of lethargy or any semblence of Premiership hangover that I could see. The other thing that struck me was the obvious enjoyment that comes with the mateship element which build a culture of excellence. PLAYER WATCH As usual Clarry, Salem, Viney, Max Langdon and BOWEY that set the standard but others who were prominent included a clearly fit Stephen May, Adam Tomlinson, Tom Mc Donald and a very good Joel Smith. Majak Daw provided plenty of excitment and a work out for Max in the ruck and others to shown form were ANB, Trac and BB Weeds did a few things but got pushed under the ball a few times. Tom Sparrow also showed something OTHER ASPECTS After Match simulations players were put threw some gruelling run throughs and then finally other small drills in groups designed for quick evasions, and picking right option in pressure situations. If this is a sign of what is to come them 2022 should yield as much success and excitment as 2021 Overheard at nearby shops at Santa Stall, Santa says to little tike in Melbourne Jumper "What do you want for Christmas?? Little tike "Another Melbourne Flag next year" !😁 Final thoughts, After seeing Jake Bowey lay a tackle on Kossie doing his acrobatic routine which befuddles everyone. How good is this Kid!?

So I just watched it again again ... with SEN and MMM commentary ... I'm slowly coming around to the belief that this was a memorable game and a good outcome for the Demons.

For research purposes I felt compelled to watch "that ten minutes" again. Thirty seconds left ... little one from Viney ... SURELY NOT ANOTHER ONE ... handball to Oliver ... STREAMING THROUGH ... BANG! BANG BANG BANG!!! More than "bang bang bang", I love that comment "surely not another one" ... the incredulity of the commentators at what is unfolding in front of them ... and it's Melbourne doing it! I still laugh out loud every time. GO DEMONS!!!

The abiding memory form this game for me was Kozzies goal. Phenomenal evasion in heavy traffic.

I think the 3aw comments were after Sparrows was ...."whose to say they cant get another one". He he. I know I'm bias but its interesting that after such a long drought for what was a super prestigious and successful club. It came to an end in the way it did. The most memorable gf for a long time. Not just for Dees fans.

More misery inflicted on the Bulldogs by the Demons in yesterday's Premier Cricket clash at the Merv Hughes Oval. With one ball left, the Dogs needed one run to tie and two to win but watch Sam Harper's throw to win the game. The Dogs finished at 9/253 in reply to the Dees' 8/254. IMG_5732.MOV

The knife to the heart was BBB's goal in the final quarter within the first minute or so. While we had blown them away so easily in the 3rd, the message Beveridge would have had for the team at 3/4 time would have been 'we are only 4 goals down..., we overcame that deficit in the second...., we can do it again". But the ease at which that first goal was scored, would have just deflated any enthusiasm that they might have hoped to regain. After that it was a one-way procession.

As he wheels away from kicking that goal, Oliver's eyes are wide open but he is not looking at anything temporal. In these Shadowlands of ours, he is beholding perfection itself. And as for the kick itself, it seems to slow down as it approaches the goals and clears the head of the goal umpire - as if the Big Fella himself wanted to savour the glory of the moment. We will never see their like again. Never.

And how good is a football team when a bloke kicks six goals in a grannie yet doesn’t get the Norm Smith?!

For years we've had to sit through the media showcasing famous Grand Final moments that always featured other sides, and the Demons never got a mention. There's only the barest footage of Neil Crompton's goal in 1964, and all other great Demon moments were pre-TV. Even the Saints have the footage of Breen's famous point, and Whitten's "hit the boundary". (Perhaps that's a curse.) Now, finally, we have our very own Great Grand Final Moment, and it maybe tops all others.

One of the glaring differences between this years team and previous seasons has been our ability to finish strong. We have emerged victorious from being behind in quite a few games. It started early with the Saints game and was epitomised in round 23 against the cats. Our fitness staff need to be commended as do the players and coach for their belief in themselves and teammates. I should have probably called this thread "Ours in forty seconds" because it was no fluke. The doggies didn't lose it ....we just stepped up a few gears and took this game by the scruff of its neck.

Just remember it's their first time obliterating a good side in a grand final. They'll tighten up these silly errors and get better at it. In theory, sure. But it takes a hell of a team to actually go out and do it. It's a one-in-57 years event. She must have made a deal with the devil to gain fame in this way. Now immortalised as part of "bang bang bang". Not what she intended at all!

Wow, I must be the only ‘doubting Thomas’ around here. I was nowhere near relaxed at any of the above-mentioned points. I wasn’t even believing we were a cert to win after ANB’s goal which put us up by 42 points. It wasn’t until the next goal (Langers) that I entertained the thought that this could be it… that we can win this. Oh man, I still get excited just thinking about it.

I remember being super anxious at 3qtr time of the GF, terrified that an early Dogs goal in the last would precipitate another momentum shift. So for me it was only after Brown's goal in the last that my nerves started to settle, and probably 2 goals more before I truly started relaxing.

My guess is that after the PF the Dogs put a heap of work into how to curb the influence of Gawn, and basically forgot about Jackson. Well, suffice it to say that they probably learnt their lesson. Max Gawn is really good at getting absolutely pumped by sh*t rucks. It feels like Draper is still a season away from putting it all together - before he could start to challenge the likes of Gawn (which I think he can do). There is no denying that if Melbourne lose any one of Gawn, Oliver & Petracca for an extended period and they will likely drop out of the 8. Outside of Gawn which top 8 side has a genuinely good ruckman? Max Gawn - Hawthorn players love playing kick-to-kick with the giant sasquatch. Gawn won the coaches votes award in 2018. No ruckman has been recognised as the best player in the league on a general public consensus, Jackson has potential to be not just the best ruckman but the best player. Obviously you'd love either he or Oliver but for me Petracca gives your team the X Factor and the hard work ethic as well. The way he is now I think he'd stand out in any team but having Gawn as well is what really allows them to find that extra gear when they're under the pump. It is worth pondering what Bont could do if roving to Gawn or NicNat. As Gawn just keeps getting better and better, we need to find our answer in the ruck instead of hoping ours can at least compete if he has his best ever game. He (Luke Nankervis) has Max Gawn vibes, even looks a bit like him. Gawn would have to get at least one more AA and captain another flag then I'd probably have him over Cox. I don't think I've seen a ruckman do what Gawn did in the preliminary final before. Gawn is their lynch pin. Jackson had a good GF, no question, but he's a 21yo, undersized ruck (198cm?) - as talented as he is. One injury to Gawn and the Dees are barely a top 8 side. Greg Stafford wasn't exactly Polly Farmer and he turned Max Gawn into the best ruck in the league.

The last 10 mins of the third quarter brings me the same amount of joy as having my kids. I pretty much watch the replay daily from the point Daniel dumps Maxy. It will never get old.

One thing's for sure. After the entire football world seeing the vulgar display of power the opposition will be terrified of a Melbourne comeback till the siren blows. We'll live rent free in their heads.

The scoreboard seems to indicate they somehow were accorded one goal, so I assume so. It could be a scoring error though.

The face of an angel, you might say. Serene and at peace. He knew. Oh, he knew alright.

There's more to come from this one, I suspect. He's had his down time with injury; now he can let loose a bit and show his skills one would hope.

Not taking anything away from other players but Trac simply played an incredible game. He has really stepped up to the level everyone was hoping for. We have certainly had a mixed bag of results from high draft picks. I for one was wondering when we would have our own Ablett. Martin or Dangerfield. Well we certainly have a true legend of the game in Trac. It's like a switch has been flicked. The way he plays is full of confidence. Hes never afraid of being tackled because he knows he can just push a player off or simply use his strength to break free and handball. Hardly ever gets pinged. His goal kicking has gone leaps and bounds. I thought this game might be a kinda Bont v Trac but the dogs premier player seemed to have fizzled out after his third goal and Trac really went to work. I know we had great efforts from Fritta, Salem, Gus and Oliver but the third quarter was owned by Trac and the Norm Smith went where it was supposed to. I'm pretty sure that he is going to win a Brownlow very soon.

Yep we did it twice, once to get back in the game and then to pretty much nail it by the end of the quarter

Agree. I think the 3rd goal of the last and it could have been ANB, or Langdon, when we hit 7 goals up and with about 15 minutes left, I started to tear up, realising we had just won the flag.

Oliver said in his recent interviw that the gather from harmes and goal by fritsch was his turning point . He said he thought we needed 1 goal to steady the nerves and with the best kick he's ever seen -fritsch - with the ball he started walking back to the centre . Certain that he would kick it. Then just get the job done with the team "...on Tracs shoulders..."

This was me too, still way too nervous at 3/4 time, I only felt like the cup was surely ours after Nibblers goal. After that it was party time. It still feels surreal to say it.

I think in the commentary on the radio SEN they said that Beveridge arrived on the boundary just in time to see the carnage.

At the start of the comeback it was actually 1 minute 3 seconds between Fritta's mark ( goal 1) and the mark to Ben Brown (goal 3). If not for the fact that two of the three goals were set shots including one with a 50 metre run up we would have scored 3 goals in around 40 seconds twice in just a nine minutes period.

There were 15 seconds left after Clarry scored. Plenty of time to kick a fourth goal. Trac won the final clearance but couldn't quite get clear to deliver inside 50

For me it was the same goal, Langdons that broke me and had me sobbing uncontrollably and every goal after that brought more and more tears of joy. I godda grab a tissue I'm starting again.

I'm sure it will go down in club history and probably AFL legend as the best minute of footy ever.

Back at it again. Another season soon upon us. I seriously can't wait until it starts. I have never looked forward to a footy season as much as 2022. I have a new found sense of confidence and expectation with this mob. I really believe we will go back to back. We have the talent. We have the motivation...a granny at our home. We have the supporters to encourage them. Bring it on. Ed running down the members wing. Hunt down the middle. Trac busting packs. Fritta flying high. Lever spoiling parties. Gawn roving like a small man. The hot pie gravy trickling down my gullet and let's be honest all over my shirt. The crowd yelling ball. Spending eight bucks for a light beer and enjoying it. Talking about the umpires other half. Oh how I miss it.

Jason Taylor such a shrewd decision maker. Picking 3 WA boys to ensure Jacko has some training partners prior to heading back to Melbourne 😎

I had a feeling it was going to be a good year after that game. We were seriously challenged early and then put them away. had we kicked straight….

I was recently watching full replays with the different commentaries, and was struck in the 3rd quarter that with about 1 min 20 sec on the clock the ball was in the back half. I'd momentarily slipped into regular Aussie Rules watching mode and thought ah ok nearly 3qtr time not much left to happen - hang on! We've still got 3 goals to squeeze in here!?!?! No wonder the Bulldogs mids looked so shellshocked after Clarry's goal.

Hopefully and quintesentially that last minute or so of the third quarter.

In the lead-up to the season opening grand final replay, what vision will the TV promos show over and over?

It was a miracle. That said, I will be forever disappointed that we did not get another goal in that last 15 seconds. All Oliver had to do was kick it rather than handing it back to Trac. Nevertheless, it shows how rattled the Dogs were. Moreover, these were not three ordinary goals; they were the Fist of God. I wish I could find some three quarter time commentary, not least from Matthew Lloyd who understood their significance in the scheme of things.

As soon as the final siren rang I knew we had it .Not much before.

I snuck off to the toilet after the Trac goal thinking that’ll be the last goal before 3/4 time and then mid stream I heard this roar. My pessimistic self thought it was a dogs goal. Then there was another. Didn’t miss that one.