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Look it’s nice to get the win but if we play like that against Collingwood on Kings Birthday they’ll kill us.

Joel Smith has changed this forward line. One shocking kick at goal but otherwise he added a much needed spark, if only some people (entire MFC coaching department) could have seen this earlier. Viney lives for the big stage, Salem was back to his Grand Final best.

We dominated that game. Make no mistakes this is the Port game in reverse. We kick straight and it’s a 6 goal win. Absolutely brilliant performance missing two very important players. I want to give a massive shout out to Smith and Tomlinson. Played perfect team roles. And McVee and JVR who are delivering beyond their years. A performance that makes you so proud. What an effort!

Yesss!!!! This is the happiest I've been since the 2021 GF. We can worry about our inaccuracy and the last minute later. Let's just appreciate the fact that we [censored] beat Collingwood! Jack Viney, take a bow you star.

If we had have kicked straight, we would’ve won that game by 40 points.

Incorrect. Tomlinson needs to play a role. He can concede 2-3 goals a game and we can still keep the opposition to under 10 goals because it allows May and Lever to play their natural game. If he keeps this form up and we can play Petty forward, we will win the flag. Yes, I said it.

Not enough love for Lachie Hunter's hit on Hoskin-Elliot (3.54 left in the first quarter). Was awesome. Too bad Grundy couldn't finish the work off.

The value of an in-form Salem can’t be overstated. He was excellent today. Brought the physicality and composure in key moments. Will be massive for us at the pointy end.

Our 9yr old was lucky enough to get a ball from Maysie after the game. Topped off a very good day.

Sorry adonski but you have to watch him live to appreciate his value to the team.

Viney was amazing… Tomlinson a very close second best on ground IMO

Jack Viney what a man! Not sure what was a bigger disgrace, the umpiring at the end there or Hamish going with "Bang Bang Bang" at the start of the game. [censored] off.

Don't forget Petty n Bowser. Bowser last few weeks were superb before concussion. Spoke to him today, cherry ripe to go after the bye!

Cox trying to fight after the siren, what a clown. Viney in the back not paid sums up why AFL is so frustrating for all supporters

Not sure if it’s just a coincidence but, Rd 3 I flew down and we won. Rd 6 I flew down and we won. Rd 13 I flew down and we won. A pattern is emerging….

You know you’re acting like a proper [censored] when Brayden Maynard is the voice of reason.

McVee an absolute star and best game from Salem in 12 months.

Brought our finals game and the pies wilted (although we nearly gifted it to them in the end). Goal kicking horrendous. Everything else magnificent. Viney immense, Salem superb, defensively rock solid. Bring on the challengers. We’re ready. Go Dees

LOL at Cox getting stuck into Trac after the siren - jog on champ

David King in tears

Jack Viney - Anzac/Daniher quinella!

Cop that you Filthy MAGGOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right. You are going to be really disappointed for the rest of the season then. I mean really. Clueless comment.

Like Tomlinson down back - is very reliable and good for Levers game.

I’d like to tip my hat to Adam Tomlinson. I thought he was very good today. Well done.

You beaut, juicy fruit! Just about the perfect result, because we haven't completely shown our hand. What do I mean by that? We have a few more gears to go to yet IMO. Not only if we kick straight do we win by 8+ goals, but if we moved the ball quicker still, we'd be getting out the back against them more often. This ball movement is still not totally instinctive and it robs us of points. I'm hoping we can use the back half of the season to fine tune that and find that killer instinct with ball movement. As for our defensive system, it completely strangled and panicked Collingwood after half time. There was a heap of inferred pressure and Collingwood skill errors, fumbles etc as the game wore on and I thought in the 3rd, we lifted our intensity around the ball and pressure rating even more. I'd love to know what our pressure rating in the 3rd was. Loved that we started manning up the spare (often Daicos) in the last quarter. Will watch the replay tonight, but I don't think we started 1v1 at all stoppages until last quarter. We essentially let them have +1 at contest and sat our +1 a 20m kick behind play, so mostly just in front of the next 1v1. That very first goal of the match was textbook Collingwood though and we failed to get the job done there defensively. Daicos kicks out. Kicks short, gets the handball receive, hits a target on defensive wing and bang, it's up the other end for a goal. But after the first 15 minutes, we settled and tidied up across our half forwardline, and we no longer allowed that ease of ball movement from back to centre wing. One of Viney's best games ever. For a guy whose disposal I often lament, I thought he was A+++ today. He was clean, tough and showed excellent disposal all day. One of his greatest games IMO. Despite what I just read in the match day thread, I thought our tall forwards were excellent. Max played his best game for the season. He, along with JVR, Smith and at times Grundy, were brilliant at bringing the ball to ground (often against -2 or in Max's case -3). Our small forwards applied great pressure, but struggled with their cleanness, which cost us further scoring opportunities. That Quaynor is a bloody good player 1v1 and he saved them 3 or 4 goals. So the next time we meet them, either his opponent (likely Kozzy) has to get the job done or we avoid kicking it near he and Moore. As the game wore on though, our forward and midfield pressure pushed them wider and wider and they couldn't handle our press. They dump kicked into the corridor a number of times, and gave us great looks on turnover. We need to utilise those opportunities better next time. Our defenders held up really well. After giving up 2 early goals, May played a superb half of football, and then started to drop simple uncontested marks again, that opened the door for them. But I thought Tomlinson was really good, McVee is a beauty, love his composure and ball use. Salem is back to his elite 2021 form. He's found his feet quickly this season, and his cleanness and disposal makes our backline soooooooo much better. I've been really impressed with our midfield the last two weeks, minus the best contested player in the game. If you'd said earlier in the year that we'd beat Collingwood without Clarry, I'd have been rubbing my hands together. But Petracca stepped up last week, Viney this week and Sparrow is giving them superb back up, loving his season. Despite his iffy disposal, I thought Rivers was decent too, moving inside more and took some important intercept marks too. Overall, we've shown that we can suffocate their ball movement and turn the ball over in the corridor, as well as force them wide. Kick straighter and we're looking at 15+ goals, and I'd say from where we want to (and can) get to, we were running out about a 6 or 7 out of 10. It will be interesting to see what the competition learns from Goody today.

Caught it from Geelong’s prelim team from 2021

WHAT A WIN, SEASON FIRED UP! We kept top of the table to 62 points and had we kicked straight we would have won by a lot more. The first 4 qtr effort for the year and maybe in a long time. Against quality oppo. So proud of the boys, MORE of this pls! Grundy is GRINNING! Go Dees!!

The Dees dominated the contest but poor kicking allowed the Magpies to get within a kick with 30 seconds to go in the match but the Demons held on to take out the King’s Birthday clash by 4 points.

Great coaching. Stopped their inside change of angle, balls. Amazed by some of our reading of that play. Our pressure was there for the 4 quarters. They were so confused about how to play against our structures. Playing the game in the forward area, with the defenders intercepting or halving their rebound, forced that. They had to use the boundaries most of the time when they had it. Hard and desperate footy. Late in the 1st quarter we started taking control and answered their goals, so they didn't get too far away from us. Was worried when we hit the front, that the Woods would start going harder. They didn't or couldn't find that gear. Good hard game, had them hearing steps, and double guessing themselves. Forcing the other to play ugly, which they aren't used to. We will win ugly, with smiles on our faces.

Oliver back via the VFL…

Thay Judd Mcvee is quite a player

That was the most stressful and beautiful way to start a Monday morning I’ve ever had. Best win since the grand final. The scoreboard flattered them.

Looked like Viney was coming off either with a shoulder or collar bone injury. Next thing I know Spargo is subbed off and Viney back in the middle. Tough ba$tard he is. Him and Oliver very close to toughest blokes at the club.

Unbelievably gritty, hard and admirable win. We played our system and played it well. We were unbelievably patient and stubborn and that got us the game. But I will say something. We could be a dynastic team if we had a couple/few more elite ball users. Because my god do our best players butcher it consistently. And that's something I hope we address in the off season.

Credit to Tomlinson today, was superb.

Smith incorrectly freed against for a "dangerous tackle" on Murphy. Maynard storms in to intimidate Joel and quickly finds his butt ugly Pie face being marched backwards by a ferocious Roo.......we have an enforcer.

Viney is putting together a very impressive season. He now has won the Anzac Day medal as well as the one today. Both big games where he showed outstanding leadership.

post game

I reckon we should ask for a please explain from the AFL for Lever being paid a 50m against in the Anzac Eve game for carrying on behind the mark, and the Collingwood player at half time for Trac’s kick after the siren doing the exact same thing for no resultant 50. Really poor.

It was one of his better games this year.

“Collingwood are a 50 point team better than us” “ no clarry no Melbourne” “pies will smash us” “I don’t see us going anywhere” blah blah blah. Collingwood lucky not to lose by 7 goals. Now all you naysayers can eat your words. We’re still not a premiership favourite??? Malakas. GO THE [censored] DEEEESSSS!!!!!

Should've been a 10 goal win. I'll take that. Never looked like losing after half time.

Salem and Rivers were huge

Our handy four easy misses won this. Salo has been really missing in this line up. Well done Jv and Mg. Trac was awesome as usual. Tommo a rock. Mcvee keeps getting better. Such a big win.

Im still trying to.process this game.. Still organising how friends and family can organise their 'debts' ( 4 bottles of Port and still checking ;) ) Many take aways... For the moment 3 things. 1) fantastic for Adam.. well done lad. 2) Joel....pleasant surprise...and what a day to bring your A game 3) 8:18 .. i mean ...wtf.. Fix it !! Oh a p.s. 4) Simon Goodwin and Co...take a bow.. You Out Coached the Pies 👏👏👏 That wasn't our Grand Final... might give us an idea how we'd go 🤔🤔🤔🤔 Viney....not human ( lucky us ) Today was good. The heart has recovered

Viney was clear best on ground. But how good was salo? And Tomlinson was just fantastic.

Then he'll get dropped then won't he. Not. Coz a premiership coach understands footy and knows just how hard he works and the incredible amount of ground he covers. Were you at the game? if you were you would have seen a player push himself to the limit and beyond. He is almost always completely spent. But sure let's knock his skilll errors under intense fatigue. How many other dees players would have had the aerobic capacity and speed late in the game to mark that high kick from kozzie. Not one. He won us the game and you want him droppe. I edited my comment because it was unnecessarily snarky. Snarky, maybe. Accurate, absolutely.

Tomlinson has stepped in and played the third tall Petty role (which was the Tomlinson role pre-ACL) very well. We badly missed that third tall back man while the Petty forward experiment was ruining both the forwardline and backline.

'Too many people get caught up in the immediacy of results, but winning a premiership is the execution of a long-term plan, rather than a reaction to a win or a loss.'