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  1. Confirmed 2 year deal. https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1019907/weideman-signs-on
    21 points
  2. My heart breaks for Hunt. Plays 20 games, does his ankle, gets back up and misses the grand final. Very tough. I suppose he might still be the sub but time will tell. I think they’ll go with a mid as a sub so JJ it is.
    18 points
  3. Someone printed out the Demonland Banner at their house.
    18 points
  4. Ok so this might be a little left field but there are things I'm seeing outside of the club that strengthen my belief that we will win the flag. I've been listening to the Gus and Gawny podcast for a while now and things like 'Positive Lingers, ' Win The Morning Club', 'Elite Ball Kickers (started by Chocco) amongst everything else that is thrown into how strong this group is is quite unbelievable. I don't know how many other clubs have these little things going on inside their 4 walls, but it's great to see how united these players are. We've heard all year how it's been player driven and even the footage of standards (the paper cup in the change rooms etc) and little clips of the boys at training doing the number count runs. It's all adding up. Not only was the footage great from when we won the prelim of the celebrations afterwards by all the players who didn't play, but I saw this first hand when we beat the Eagles at Optus earlier in the year. Once we won that game, all the players came over and waved a thank you to the crowd, the 2's players then came out and did a 25 min training session while the 1's players were giving them high 5's and hugs as they were walking off the ground. Seeing all this footage makes me believe that this group is very, very special. I wouldn't typically read into these small things, but the difference it makes is so clear now. I'm still nervous don't get me wrong, but my confidence in my group who are playing for each other is unshakeable. P.S - For anyone who thinks we should trade Gus, go and listen to the podcast. We simply can't get rid of people like this. He is a big gel for this club for relationships with players. He plays his role and plays it well (of course we'd all love him to have 30+ and kick 2), he's super valuable on and off-field. P.PS. - this week has felt like 8 months long
    15 points
  5. I've heard he's as good as ours from someone who would know (for whatever that's worth)
    15 points
  6. Yeah because Goodwin on the bench and 4 tactical coaches in the box has worked out really badly for us all year 🙄
    14 points
  7. Cheers from Sihanoukville, Cambodia Hi Dees supporters. I've been a MFC/MCC supporter for over 50 years, and I'm currently stuck and cant get back. (Obvious reasons) I'd give anything to be able to get back and see the game or at least with a buch of Dees fans. At least I bought a few things over to feel a part of it as possible. Go Dees
    13 points
  8. Schache playing in the GF and Marshall played last week in the PF, but no interest in Weid - world has gone crazy ....
    13 points
  9. This is an extraordinary historical finding if true, and one that shouldn’t be hidden or run from, but instead given the perspective it deserves. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Tom Wills was involved in the murderous reprisals for the Cullin-La-Ringo massacre, which, needless to say, was the worst episode of massed indigenous killings in Australia and woefully unknown to the Australian public. Given the lack of attention given to colonising violence however, no surprise there. Tom did come back to find his family murdered (a reprisal itself for unprovoked murders), and a party was then formed to commit more killings. That much is known. It’s a legitimate question as to his involvement, which makes this information discovery incredibly important, valid or otherwise - that’s for historians. None of it however alters the fact of Tom’s sporting legacy, both before and after, the most extraordinary (other than his co-formation of the game of Australian football) being his subsequent coaching of the first Australian cricket team, all indigenous, who toured England, without him (he was left at home due to his alcoholism) and won. Tom Wills undoubtedly had a relationship with indigenous Australians that was wholly unique at the time, including during his childhood in the Western Districts, where he reportedly (by family history) had firm friendships with the locals. If part of his later history saw him involved in violent or murderous acts, so be it. Sanitising so-called heroic figures is one of the most insidious aspects of national and cultural story-telling. Tom Wills died after stabbing himself in the heart 3 times with a pair of scissors, in what has been attributed to a likely alcoholic psychosis (biographer Greg de Moore’s assessment). He was a tragic, complex, extraordinary individual, and his impact on Australian sporting cultural history should be widely known. It isn’t. What we don’t have to do is ‘celebrate’ him blindly as a figure of exceptional virtue, as if he couldn’t be capable of potentially (if not likely) violent misbehaviours. His life and legacy should be examined as rigorously as possible. Truth and context will defeat the worst aspects of both whitewashing and cancel culture. Tom Wills had a formative impact on Australia as we know it today. That is undeniable. We should seek to know everything about him, good and bad, and be honest and mature about their inevitable co-existence. And frankly, none of this has anything to do with the Melbourne Football Club as it exists today.
    13 points
  10. Injury free is the key. He has the work ethic but lacks confidence in his body. Get that and his overall game confidence will improve. By the end of his contract in 2023 both TMc and Brown will be 30 (albeit both contracted until 2024) and any injuries to them will see opportunities open up. No one wanted either TMc or ANB when on the trade table last year and look what happened. I suggest a few clubs would be lining up to take them now. If Sam follows their example and earns a spot in the 23 then at the end of 2023, his FA year, he will have more options.
    12 points
  11. I'll be watching live at 5.15am in Charlotte, North Carolina. I've watched every game live this year, at ridiculous hours, so not gonna change the routine now! Can't wait.
    11 points
  12. I too don't mind this also. Weid is still only 23? So hes still fairly young and now coming into the peak of his career. He should take great inspiration from McDonald and Neal Bullen who were on the scrap heap and now have turned their careers around. There is certainly a chance for him to grab McDonald's spot next year. But that's up to Weideman. Goody gave him a good string of games this year to cement his spot but unfortunately for him he couldn't and I think the injury in the pre season really set him back.
    10 points
  13. Set to stay. DEES FORWARD BACKFLIPS ON FUTURE MELBOURNE is poised to retain young forward Sam Weideman. Despite ongoing speculation that the talented 24-year-old would pursue opportunities elsewhere next season, AFL.com.au understands Weideman will commit his future to the club. Weideman is unlikely to line up in Melbourne's Toyota AFL Grand Final team for this Saturday night's decider against the Western Bulldogs, having fallen out of favour behind Ben Brown, Tom McDonald and Luke Jackson this year. Without concrete interest beyond those two teams, Weideman returned to negotiations with Melbourne and is expected to pen a new deal with the Demons before the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period. A two-year contract would take Weideman through until the end of the 2023 season and into free agency, where he could potentially depart the Demons without having to negotiate a trade agreement.
    10 points
  14. Bonsoir from France. I don’t think there are other Demon supporters near me, but that hasn’t stopped me from flying the scarf in the car, putting that little membership sticker on the number plate and wearing the MFC cap whenever I go out. Plus I’m wearing the jumper around the house. Big screen awaits. Just need the cheese platter. 😀 Vive les Démons.
    10 points
  15. “I love the boys I love the club it’s a great place to be “ Sam’s words reflect the footy club right now. Great spirits. Great team bond. Hopefully Saturday night tops off the year.
    9 points
  16. Should have painted a '10' on it and passed it off as an Angus.
    9 points
  17. Ross Lyon. I pay no attention to a guy that paid hush money for a sexual harassment incident that swept under the carpet. Up there with Wayne Carey as the biggest oxygen thief out there. I did laugh at this but..
    9 points
  18. Yes it's fair because that's how contracts and salary caps work.
    9 points
  19. Im pretty sure the dogs will target Max at every opportunity. He has been a real standout player of late. The odd knee, push, arm chop and extra tackle. But this may lead to Jackson having a big day out. The same with our midfield. They can focus on Oliver but Trac may be the real danger. Also having Viney back in great form will be another problem for the dogs. With JV in great form, I actually think it is our midfield that is the real danger one. Our fwd line is much more dangerous too. Bbb has been quietly improving and may finally kick four or five. Im sure on the big stage Tmac will finally have an impact. He probably isnt percieved as a problem to the opposition. Bbb and Fritta will be their main concern. But if Tmac plays his best circa earlier this year, it could game over. Truth be told he has been a long way from his best but in a grand final it may inspire him to take no prisoners. I would love to see him crash a few packs and get a couple of goals early on. Aside the port game , He has slowed very much in his goal tally the last ten games. So some early confidence would be great. He is certainly a wild card in this game. Fritta is of course our most dominant scorer and hard to man up on but Kozzie our second highest has the wow factor that could cause some serious scoreboard havoc for the dogs. I just hope the umpires dont give us another 11 frees to 25 against count again. Plus if we jump out of the blocks the dogs will struggle as we are a team that has finished strong all year. Aside from Tmac, the ones to watch I reckon will be our smalls up fwd in Nibbler and Spargo. Both to cause problems as well. Our fwd line is working really well getting the ball to ground and locking it in. Because I believe our fwd line is stronger, I also hope conditions are dry. The dogs even though they have done it before have a a statistical disadvantage in coming from outside the top four. Even if it was by the smallest %. The travelling too may take its toll on them. Then again we have two weeks off after having two weeks off not long ago. This is very unusual. I wonder if it will have an impact. Bloody hell. Im really nervous two days away.
    9 points
  20. This thread was started with the intention of being a light-hearted distraction. Can I suggest if you want to discuss the merits or otherwise of Melbourne's lockdowns, protests or the media that you take that debate elsewhere? In the meantime, the rest of us will enjoy the leadup to the most significant game in MFC history since September 1964.
    9 points
  21. 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?
    8 points
  22. J Viney 150 Make it your best Jack
    8 points
  23. Apologies if this has already been posted
    8 points
  24. Congratulations to the selected 22. They have the chance to join that very special group of players. Go Dees
    8 points
  25. What are others' memories of that week? Melbourne colours on tons of kids at school, like Hawthorn now. Alf Browne tipping the Dees Full of confidence, having thrashed the Pies in the second semi. Looking forward to Saturday with the invincible confidence of youth! Going to the final training session at the G. I've been reluctant to post this, but if not now, then when? Everyone knows how much a win means to all of us. Go Dees.
    8 points
  26. A mate of mine passed away the night before the quake. I reckon it was him saying Go Dees as he left this mortal coil. The earthquake can be nothing but a good omen for us. It is emblematic of the seismic shift in our team, our skill, our selflessness and we are hell bent on getting the big one. When you raise hell, you have to make a lot of noise and shake things up a bit.
    8 points
  27. As of today there are 6,666 active covid cases in Victoria. Coincidence? I think not
    8 points
  28. In Max we trust... when we get nervous we ask Max to tell us everything is going to be alright....
    8 points
  29. Just flew to Perth and even the clouds are supporting us.
    8 points
  30. Just watched Robbo have a zoom chat with Allen Jakovich, sensational The great man will be at The Game Max Gawn has also given Jack Trengove a ticket ”he wants him there, part of The Demon Family “
    7 points
  31. 12 months ago we couldn’t give TMac or ANB away and we picked up Ben Brown from the $2 bin. The footy world has no imagination. If the stock market was as volatile as football player value, the world would go in to a GFC every other day.
    7 points
  32. I am a little surprised at this. I thought he would move on. Credit to Sam for showing faith in the club and vice versa. He has the talent. I hope the club can bring out his best.
    7 points
  33. Perth 28-Day Rainfall Forecast Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 23 24 25 Updated advice - High chance of grown adults crying 26 Hig 27 Med 28 Hig 29 Hig 30 Med Oct 1 Med 2 Med 3 Low 4 5 6 Low 7 Low 8 Med 9 Low 10 11 12 Low 13 Low 14 15 Med 16 Low 17 Low 18 19 20 Low 21 Med
    7 points
  34. Unfortunately, to win flags you have to be ruthless. If giving up Sparrow and Jordan for picks to help land Cerra is on then it's a no brainer. Cerra would be unbelievable for us. He is a top 5 pick pick and I watched him multiple times live in his draft year. We're in our window now so ruthless decisions have to be made. Not sure why anyone would be upset to lose Sparrow/Jordan if it meant we could get Cerra.
    7 points
  35. That would be a brave move considering he has been a revelation as a tall defender this season. So many key position players take years of hit and miss development before they hit their straps but Petty has been dynamite since his first half dozen or so games. I like him exactly where he is. It's now up to Tommo to show where he fits into the team imo.
    7 points
  36. Firstly, good luck to all players selected to represent the Melbourne Football Club on AFL's biggest stage, it is such an honour. I am certain the preparation has been thorough and consistent with the season to date. The forecast of 27 degrees and light breezes, provides a wonderful basis for both teams to showcase their talents, I certainly hope this will be the case. I am confident that the Melbourne team structure and roles, will enable us to have the edge when the final siren sounds. I believe there will be times throughout the game, when both sides will dominate, however it will be our superior desire to win, together with fitness that will see us holding the premiership cup aloft. Every player needs to play their part, and the old saying, that you are only as strong as your weakest link, will never be truer on Saturday. Thank you to all players, coaching staff and support staff for making this season memorable. Now is your opportunity to make it unforgettable!! Go Dees!!!!!!
    6 points
  37. It’s not Christmas yet but if the Melbourne wins its last game of the 2021 season, then many of its fans will be celebrating early. There already are some parts of our town where the pending festivity is preordained. Houses are decked out with red and blue banners and streamers, some of which appeared as early as last Saturday week, on the morning after the Demons’ magnificent 83-point crushing of Geelong in their preliminary final at Optus Stadium. While it’s great to see the numbers of loyal fans preparing for the long-awaited day of rejoicing, let’s please not get ahead of ourselves. I was actually relieved when the Western Bulldogs slaughtered Port Adelaide on the night after the Demons’ victory over the Cats. That outcome was exactly what was needed to prevent complacency from setting in during the two week hiatus before the grand final. Those who were around in 1964 in the lead up to Melbourne’s last flag would remember the Demons handing out an 89-point thrashing to the Magpies a fortnight before the big dance. However, two weeks later they were staring defeat in the face against the same opponents with minutes to go in the decider. Thankfully, they managed to prevail enabling us to live for 57 years on the memory of a back pocket player following his opponent down the ground to score the deciding goal in the premiership match. So much for being overconfident in the last half of September. But we also lived with the Norm Smith Curse. Some experts are saying that the Bulldogs are better prepared for the task this weekend because they’ve had a strong grounding under weekly finals pressure, doing it the hard way having to win three games around a heavy schedule of cross country travel. The Demons, on the other hand, disposed of the Lions early, had a week’s break followed by an easy game against the Cats. They come into the most important game of the season with only one game in four weeks under their belt. True, but that’s no different to the scenario in 1964 when they last held the premiership cup aloft and not too dissimilar with the situation of many past premiership teams. There’s a lot more history to unpack there, going back a decade earlier when the Bulldogs won their first premiership over the Demons in 1954. Back then, the Doggies made it into the grand final the easy way with just the one win in a month but that didn’t stop them from tasting premiership glory with a runaway victory over Melbourne. I labour over this point because much as I look at this game, I see two competing teams that are reasonably evenly matched and well coached with arguments in favour of either one of them to win the game. But if one factor makes me lean towards the Demons, despite their lack of actual recent match play, it’s their fitness both physically and mentally that ranks it ahead of all comers in 2021, including the Bulldogs. The Demons have managed to go through the season relatively unscathed on the injury front and generally has run out their games without difficulty or stress. This is a tribute to high performance coach, fitness guru Darren Burgess. Melbourne wingman Angus Brayshaw explained it well recently when he said, “We trained harder than any other team in the pre-season. I have never run as far in any pre-season as I did this year”. Burgess has the team perfectly primed for this week. He’s left no stone unturned to have them prepared, even allowing for the fact that there’s been a hiatus between games. The team is right to go. The edge in fitness has been evident on numerous occasions this year, particularly in big games when the chips were down. And when you know that you have the edge in fitness, then with it comes the all-important mental edge. The Doggies might claim the upper hand because they prevailed when the teams last met on a soggy evening at the MCG but at Optus Stadium on Saturday night, things will be much different. The last game was played as a result of a late rescheduling and the Demons were just coming to the end of a flat point in their season. This time they’re primed and the weather report says conditions should be clear with an expected maximum temperature during the day of 24C. Perfect. The Demons have something else going for them which can’t be underestimated and that is their defence. They are the toughest team to score against having conceded an average of just nine goals a game. Their defence is not simply comprised of the seven or eight in the team who take up positions in the back line but also of others from the midfield and forward line going back from time to time to lend a hand when needed. The team plays selfless football and its edge in fitness not only allows this to occur but also when its defensive pressure is applied throughout a game, the opponent will inevitably wilt. It’s true that the Bulldogs have a great midfield led by Bontempelli, Macrae and Liberatore with added depth from Treloar, Dunkley and their new ”superman” in Bailey Smith but I believe that Melbourne is equal to the task with Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney backed up by the mobility of their giant ruckmen in Max Gawn and Luke Jackson who add an extra dimension to the midfield combination. When the sides met in 2020, the Doggies had the edge in this part of the ground and had the ability to take control with their outside run. The result probably cost the Demons a finals berth. This time around, that advantage has been nullified by the mobile rucks, the form of Ed Langdon and Brayshaw on the wings, the running play of defensive flankers in Christian Salem, the young legs of Trent Rivers and Jake Bowey and the mosquito fleet of Kysaiah Pickett, Charlie Spargo and Alex Neal-Bullen. The Demons must pay respect to the Bulldogs’ danger forward in Naughton and their even more dangerous small defensive dynamo in Caleb Daniel but overall, I expect Melbourne with it’s edge in fitness to, at long last, bring the premiership cup home to the MCG for their long-suffering faithful fans. If the logic of what’s been written here isn’t enough to convince you, then consider the strange events that have been taking place back in the home of the Melbourne Football Club with a plague, an earthquake (epicentre in the snow country) and rioting in the streets — some are saying that the upheaval taking place bears proof to the fact that Norm Smith’s Curse is about to go up in flames and that come Saturday night it will have finally been lifted off our shoulders. Melbourne to win by 19 points. THE GAME 2021 AFL Grand Final: Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium, Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 7.15 pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 89 wins 1 draw Western Bulldogs 78 wins At Optus Stadium Melbourne 0 wins Western Bulldogs 0 wins Last Five Meetings Melbourne 2 wins Western Bulldogs 3 wins The Coaches Goodwin 4 wins Beveridge 3wins MEDIA TV live and on demand on Kayo and live on the Seven Network and Foxtel. Check your local guides. Radio - check your local guides. THE LAST TIME THEY MET Western Bulldogs 13.7.85 defeated Melbourne 9.11.65 at The MCG in Round 19, 2021 Leaving aside their preseason match, this was the second encounter for the season and this one was close for most of the game although, in the wet conditions, the Bulldogs held the upper hand for most of the game. In the end, the Demons came close but the Doggie’s accuracy in kicking for goal counted late in the game. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: M. Hibberd 14 S. May 1 J. Lever 8 HB: T. Rivers 24 H. Petty 35 C. Salem 3 C: A. Brayshaw 10 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF: A. Neal-Bullen 30 T. McDonald 25 T. Sparrow 32 F: C. Spargo 9 B. Brown 50 B. Fritsch 31 Foll: M. Gawn 11 C. Oliver 13 J. Viney 7 I/C: J. Bowey 17 J. Harmes 4 L. Jackson 6 K. Pickett 36 Sub: J. Jordon 23 Emerg: K. Chandler 37 J. Hunt 29 J. Melksham 18 WESTERN BULLDOGS B: E. Wood 10 A. Keath 42 B. Williams 34 HB: C. Daniel 35 Z. Cordy 12 B. Dale 31 C: B. Smith 6 T. Liberatore 21 L. Hunter 7 HF: C. Weightman 19 A. Naughton 33 A. Treloar 1 F: J. Schache 13 T. English 44 M. Hannan 29 Foll: S. Martin 8 J. Macrae 11 M. Bontempelli 4 IC: J. Dunkley 5 T. Duryea 15 J. Johannisen 39 R. Smith 37 Sub: L. Vandermeer 23 Emerg: R. Gardner 43 E. Richards 20 A. Scott 28 N: A. Keath C. Weightman OUT: R. Gardner (omitted) L. Vandermeer (omitted) Injury List: Grand Final Jayden Hunt (ankle) — Test Steven May (hamstring) — Test Joel Smith (hamstring) — Test Charlie Spargo (ankle) — Test Marty Hore (knee) — Season Aaron Nietschke (knee) — Season Adam Tomlinson (knee) — Season
    6 points
  38. ...."Without concrete interest beyond those two teams" says it all really.
    6 points
  39. Good stuff! I said earlier in the thread our incredible run of injuries has allowed the team to barely change for some time. Sammy will get another shot, hope he takes it with two hands, at the highest point…
    6 points
  40. Stuff mongrel. If we win contested ball and post clearances we win this game. So thec questions should be which team is physically stronger? Which team is apply more physical pressure? The answer to both is the dees. We'll monster them
    6 points
  41. I’ll be watching from Hong Kong! (Truth be told, I don’t want to watch it at all; would much rather be sedated to 3 hours and enjoy the replay)
    6 points
  42. 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.
    6 points
  43. Not mine, but DEMON COW!
    6 points
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