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For the first time in a long time I’m not looking at the impact of different results on the ladder. I’m not looking at what we need to do, or who we need to beat to finish top 4, or even in the 8. I am just looking forward to watching a side with emerging players and a new appetite for the contest on a match by match basis. I must say, it’s been liberating. If you said to me at the start of the year that in round 18 we’d be taking on a top 4 side without Gawn, Petracca and Brayshaw, I’d say we’d be no chance. I’m not so sure now. This side, led by some of its young stars is showing a real intent and passion for the battle. I expect that warriors like Viney and Oliver and Lever will bounce back this week and give it everything against a despised enemy. This week is a free hit. Nobody is tipping us in the media. We’re expected to fade away with these injuries and a tough draw. Well I say write these Demons off at your own peril. If we don’t quite get up, then it’s another brick in the wall for our 2025 assault.

Well, I for one will be much more concerned about how farmers are going to find wives in this bleak future.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1598249/forward-thinking-turners-new-deal It’s Disco Time 🕺🪩

Exactly how I would have gone and how I thought we'd go. Petty, JVR and Disco 10 minutes each per quarter. Happy with this and excited to see how we go with it.

Whichever way we go, I just hope we leave JVR forward for the majority of the night. He's really progressing well as our main target up forward and will take the pressure off Fritta, Melks and Koz to do their thing. With Gawn out, we've got to do more fast transfer of play through the guts. We did it pretty well against WC last week. Langdon and Windsor are in pretty good form to do the hard running for us and I think we need to keep AMW in and on the field for his pace. I feel like we can roll them this week.

To tell the truth, i actually didn't in the end. I put you in my dl purgatory level - read the posts, no emojis and no quoting. I have enjoyed your posting and appreciated how balanced you were during the annual bye phase form drop off You're officially out of purgatory now that I have quoted you.

I have to question why Fullarton is on our list.

I guess selection this week shuts down the goody is too predictable thread

Sack Brian Taylor and his crony’s and people might watch it again

I think Goody could have named Chandler in the ruck and you would have found a way to 100% see the logic. 😛

Anyone remember the 2006?? final against freo when we played a big lump of a lad called Nick Smith for his first game in 3 years when Mark Jamar was injured. He got completely toweled up and we literally played a man down in a cut throat final. I think Fullerton is the new Nick Smith. For me it's a wise move. We're already missing enough talent.

Because after spending a whole day with your kids, the last thing you want to do, is spend the whole evening with them too.

I can't say I thought we’d roll with no ruck, but 100% see the logic. Disco took as many centre bounces as roo last week, so as you say those two and Petty can share ruck duties. It's going to be a bit slippery, so that negates draper a bit. But also means less scoring and therefore less centre square bounces. We can go to work on sharking draper exactly the same way opponents do to maxy. And most of all, neither verell or the fella whose name I know will misspell and face the wrath of the pedants deserve a call up on form. Fullers has been underwhelming and if he was selected would likely offer not much more than running with petts, roo and disco. And verell, who I have a lot of time for and think will make it, is not ready yet. Picking him won't give us much and might be unhelpful for his development. And if either verell or fullers was picked disco probably comes out. There is an opportunity cost factor there, and goody has said he wants the three amigos in the team.

God our club is hopeless.

Indeed. And even his critics surely acknowledge he's got runs on the board this season with his left field selections. Tmac in two weeks after ankle surgery. And selected as a defender at that. Bbb of a limited preseason was a factor in a couple of early wins. Howes was excellent for rge first 8 weeks or so. Turner as a forward and doing ok Melk straight into the ones after 12 months out and being one of our best players. The kolt not really left field I guess, but still it was yet another young player in the side.

Fascinating Selections Personally i think The Coaches have worked out a set plan, that will hopefully unsettle Essendrug This will be a “Team Game” Stakes are high for a win here….

Fair enough, l am a bit grumpy 😂

No chance Tmac is having a great season in defense and Essendon have a lot of talls we need to cover.

I was minding my own business and I see her post suggesting I bagged players? I called her out and asked me to provide evidence, which of course she didn't. I think that's fair enough, no? And she is now on ignore, so all will be well. Perhaps it's filtered into this forum over time, but it seems that those of us who have the capacity to go full spectrum with our view and opinions on the club are constantly shouted down. An opinion provided about a player 'missing too many targets' turns into 'bagging' said player. WCW is a fan. I'm a supporter. This is a forum for all views. If she doesn't agree with something I have said, she can disagree and perhaps engage in a discussion as to why she disagrees. But she doesn't, she just calls me out for 'bagging' players. She's a fan. Same as Saty.

Not for all

That is a beautiful story and just another one of those things this club does so well. We seem to do a lot right for a club with a suspect culture. For those critics of Clarry, look at how invested he is in this club and how we look after our own, we don't try to offload them. It's hard to believe that not that long ago our indigenous brothers could go into town after 6 pm. I congratulate the club for putting this together. I am overjoyed to see how happy Kozzie is and Clarry as well. To the critics and the press who continually look for an angle to bring this club down all I can say is you are wrong. This playing group are as tight as any I have seen and we are a club that looks after its own and a lot of that stems from our coach Go Dees

I just saw the side we named and my first thought was that they're looking for Petts to be our main marking target around the ground to cover that aspect of Maxy's game. Whatever he can do for us at centre bounces will be a bonus. All contingent on his body holding up of course.

Wow, the sheriff of opinions comes barrelling into town, just a point you couldn't tie the shoelaces of @WalkingCivilWar as a Melbourne supporter. I am a fan boy, I support my team no matter what, as it is only footy, I get disappointed after a loss and enjoy the wins. It is not toxic, toxic is not allowing anybody else to have an opinion. Back to the footy, looking forward to Roo rucking in the fwd 50, Tommy Mc in the back 50 and Petty and Turner around the ground. See what Draper thinks of that, with the occasional surprise of somebody like Clarry taking a ball up or 2

I’m really angry, apparently Petty & JVR will be sharing the rock duties WTF is Goodwin doing, Petty is useless in the ruck & our forward line functioned well without him & JVR really growing as a key forward. Whats the point of having Fullerton & Verrell for that matter if they’re not getting a game when Max is out!!!! Seriously what the hell

…. Playing Petty in the ruck; Goodys running amok! He’s lost it big time - I can’t make it rhyme. He used to look good to me But now I find him Simply unpredictable?

If we lose it’ll be lost at selection to the regular gang on here If we win, was it won at selection? of course not!

I am honestly just happy we haven't omitted anyone. Glad our mouse pack is still playing. Time to shine on the big stage.

As others have said, the issue is not that we have overlooked two poor options in Fullarton and Verrell. The issue is that we're destroying our forward structure, and potentially the players themselves, by asking Van Rooyen and Petty to play as permanent rucks, particularly against an aggressive ruckman like Draper. It is exceedingly poor selection and coaching, which will look even worse if we cop another injury to a key position player.

This guy really stands out as a complete ball bag of an umpire against us.

Verall because at some point we need to replace maxy, who by the by also spent a long time in the magoos. Fullers because he was on the market, in our price range and worth a gamble. It's on fulllers that he hasn't made it impossible to not select with a body of work in the VFL.

Don't mind it. If we had a pure ruck, we would struggle to find room for Melk, JVR, Petty and Disco. By including Petty we can rotate one of the big 3 in the ruck while keeping our forward structure similar to last week. This ensures we include our most talented and competitive players. Fullarton and Verrel are project picks, neither are ready.

Interested to see how this goes. Suggest the dees have seen the tactics employed by the likes of Bailey Williams on Max, and may roll out similar tactics for center bounce etc. Hope Petty and Disco do the lions share of the work because Roo needs to stay upfront kicking snags

That appears to be your default setting, Billy.

Can't afford to eat at the footy. Just been to the dentist for a 'deep wallet' extraction.

I still can’t get over my hatred of Essendon. The thuggery of Wallis, Hardwick and Long on Green and Simmonds in the 2000 Grand Final still really burns. I hope we play like demons on Saturday!

Welcome reward for Disco as he has had some injuries setbacks in his learning years. Will come out better for his versatility but who knows when good players start to fully fulfill their ability. Congrats Disco let’s see you star on Sat night in the big game and take down the Bonbers.

Give him a year or two and he’ll be an important player for us

Was courted heavily by Richmond and the Doggies.

In a weird way the pressure value has been released from the introduction of youth into our team. The external pressures on our club are no longer at the levels it has previously been. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain this Saturday night, all the expectation and pressure is all on the peptides. This is a new phenomenon for them, something they are not familiar with, they have often been the hunters this year. Welcome to the Demon's lair where you are now the hunted.

Keeping Loan-Value Ratio down under 80% time on ground is always recommended [end of mortgage based dad jokes]

There is a reason we pay for reserved seats in a dry zone. I cannot stand sitting amongst fans who constantly obscure your view as they get up to buy endless supply of half strength beer. Not to mention I don't want to sit amongst drunks. If you go to the footy to get drunk, and spend most of the game getting up to go to the bar, just stay home and drink for half the price.

If I'm with family, we generally bring mandarins and a freshly baked cake. Occasionally I might relent and get some hot chips too. At the Cats game, one of the 20 year olds that seem to have endless money and time for the beer at the G but not watching the game exclaimed in the first quarter and asked for some of our apple tea cake. I said it was only for Dees supporters - but once we beat them and our song was playing, recanted and offered him a slice in pity!

Free to Air TV in this country is some of the most lazy, uninspired content on the planet. Television in Australia doesn’t know what to do in 2025, so it’s doing what it did in 1995 and wondering why the results are different. At this stage most free to air TV is literally aiming to be background noise while people scroll through their phones on the coach. It all needs to go and be rethought. The big sports are fortunate in that their immediacy gives them more cultural currency, so it has a lot of value to local advertisers. I wouldn’t by worried about AFL, NRL, or cricket. And I wouldn’t be upset about free to air killing jobs. They chose to do nothing for a long time with their content, and it’s well overdue to be reimagined.

Neither will have the body strength for Draper or Darcy so this is about who might offer more of a differing advantage in other ways. Both move well, Verrall does not have a tank to get around a VFL ground at VFL pace yet clearly Fullarton for me. I suggest he is also a better mark to help just behind the ball. For those calling out Verrall forward he has not kicked a goal in his last 12 games (Fullarton 9 from his 10 games this year). I also doubt either of them if played will get much rest forward nor be pushing forward in play. It’s clearly Fullarton for mine to get the first go at it.

Lots of thoughts ran through my head watching that! Isn’t privilege such a tiered thing - Kozzy had a disadvantaged upbringing compared to Oliver or Goodwin, but compared to Nan he might as well have been raised in a palace. It’s so hard to fathom the idea of having to be out of town by 6pm or getting locked up. That was THIS lifetime, not some ancient history. Far out. Love that Goody, Clarrie and Shano took the time to head there with Kozzy and connect. The bond will run just that bit deeper with every step like that.

AFL cheese platters are a disgrace.

I think Weid has copped enough. Let it go. He didn’t turn out the way we wanted but he did give us a couple of good finals appearances in 2018 and was part of something Melbourne supporters hadn’t seen in 12 years.

Great post. Kozzie rightly is so proud. This video reminds me of the trip Jimmy took to Yuendumu with Jurrah. As an aside, it is great to see Clarry so happy 😁; I chuckled at the 12 pieces of damper he scoffed down Goodwin had a bit of a laugh about it ... will probably make him do 100 x 100 sprints ... to work it all off. 😊

Wait for the “totally stuffed up by our totally incompetent medical, rehab, fitness, administration, CEOs and Presidents past and present, boot studder etc staff. And of course the door man and cleaners can’t be exempt”. Or, maybe, it started to come good under expert medical and fitness supervision, he tried it out, didn’t work, more rest then try again, still not right. And maybe surgery for a non ruptured Achilles is only a last resort after conservative measures fail, says the specialist involved. Is his specialist perhaps an occult poster here? The “mismanagement” path may appeal more to those who are that way inclined.